Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures

One of the things that really bothers be about 1 Samuel is that the Israelites once again show how short their memory is. Typically, this loss of memory is attributed to a generation coming along who haven't experienced God's providence in this way or that way. But in 1 Samuel 8, the people want a king. Why?

1. To be like other nations; okay, fair enough.
2. They really really wanted one, man.
3. Samuel's sons were pretty wicked.

This third reason sounds like a really good reason, until we consider that there was little or no precedent for a Judge's kids getting power after the Judge dies. Gideon resisted being made king, and his son tried to get some of his power handed down, but c'mon, we all know how that turned out (see Judges 9). And more recently, Eli's sons had been awful, and that's what led to Samuel's rise.

The lesson here is a pretty simple one: we need to remember what God has done for us, or we'll ask for things we really don't need as protection. If the Israelites had remembered that God has protected them from the sons of Eli, maybe they would have counted on God to choose the next Judge over them as well.

One of the things that really bothers be about 1 Samuel is that the Israelites once again show how short their memory is. Typically, this loss of memory is attributed to a generation coming along who haven't experienced God's providence in this way or that way. But in 1 Samuel 8, the people want a king. Why?

1. To be like other nations; okay, fair enough.
2. They really really wanted one, man.
3. Samuel's sons were pretty wicked.

This third reason sounds like a really good reason, until we consider that there was little or no precedent for a Judge's kids getting power after the Judge dies. Gideon resisted being made king, and his son tried to get some of his power handed down, but c'mon, we all know how that turned out (see Judges 9). And more recently, Eli's sons had been awful, and that's what led to Samuel's rise.

The lesson here is a pretty simple one: we need to remember what God has done for us, or we'll ask for things we really don't need as protection. If the Israelites had remembered that God has protected them from the sons of Eli, maybe they would have counted on God to choose the next Judge over them as well.

Well,

This is a new blog I am creating to highlight my experiences with seminary, and help me to process and think through the knowledge I receive in this context.

As far as introductions go, I should say that I am a theology nerd and a natural pastor. I say natural because I think in metaphors, analogies, and parables. Thus, much of my communication and teaching takes the form of making connections between texts, both biblical and non-biblical.

Aside from theology, I read a lot of poetry (Walt Whitman, Gary Snyder, Wendell Berry, Charles Bukowski, and others), Science fiction (Frank Herbert and Orson Scott Card mostly).

As far as this whole seminary thing goes, I should say this:

I have been tremendously excited to begin this adventure for the past three years. In contrast to my experience with looking for college, I knew very early in my seminary search where I wanted to go. I shouldn't hesitate to say that I felt the hand of God in this decision in a very real way, and I was also influenced by my professors and my desire to go to a school with moderate theology ((there are a lot of crazies out there-- on both sides)).

My hope is that this blog will help me tie together my learning from classes and other sources of knowledge, including, but not limited to:

The Bible- obviously needs to be the central document for anything faith-related (my apologies to anyone who thinks we need another document at the center of the Christian faith).

EthicsDaily- the Baptist Center for Ethics' news site. This site is not without its biases, but I read it to get a faith perspective I can stomach on the headlines of the day. I reccomend it to anyone who has ever asked the question, "What should Christians think/do about (insert world event or popular headline)?" Also, it provides a perspective within Christianity that largely gets overlooked in favor of the more conservative elements of the faith.

Whatever else I happen to be reading- this can kind of run the gamut from nothing at all to pretty heavy classics. Usually I'm reading three or four things at a time, from fiction to poetry to history books.

With pretty lofty goals, I realize that I may fall short of some of them, but I'll try to keep my updates frequent, or at least regular, whether I have anything profound and drawn out or not.

May the peace of Christ be with you,

Wyatt

Well,

This is a new blog I am creating to highlight my experiences with seminary, and help me to process and think through the knowledge I receive in this context.

As far as introductions go, I should say that I am a theology nerd and a natural pastor. I say natural because I think in metaphors, analogies, and parables. Thus, much of my communication and teaching takes the form of making connections between texts, both biblical and non-biblical.

Aside from theology, I read a lot of poetry (Walt Whitman, Gary Snyder, Wendell Berry, Charles Bukowski, and others), Science fiction (Frank Herbert and Orson Scott Card mostly).

As far as this whole seminary thing goes, I should say this:

I have been tremendously excited to begin this adventure for the past three years. In contrast to my experience with looking for college, I knew very early in my seminary search where I wanted to go. I shouldn't hesitate to say that I felt the hand of God in this decision in a very real way, and I was also influenced by my professors and my desire to go to a school with moderate theology ((there are a lot of crazies out there-- on both sides)).

My hope is that this blog will help me tie together my learning from classes and other sources of knowledge, including, but not limited to:

The Bible- obviously needs to be the central document for anything faith-related (my apologies to anyone who thinks we need another document at the center of the Christian faith).

EthicsDaily- the Baptist Center for Ethics' news site. This site is not without its biases, but I read it to get a faith perspective I can stomach on the headlines of the day. I reccomend it to anyone who has ever asked the question, "What should Christians think/do about (insert world event or popular headline)?" Also, it provides a perspective within Christianity that largely gets overlooked in favor of the more conservative elements of the faith.

Whatever else I happen to be reading- this can kind of run the gamut from nothing at all to pretty heavy classics. Usually I'm reading three or four things at a time, from fiction to poetry to history books.

With pretty lofty goals, I realize that I may fall short of some of them, but I'll try to keep my updates frequent, or at least regular, whether I have anything profound and drawn out or not.

May the peace of Christ be with you,

Wyatt