Systems and stories keep repeating themselves, don't they?  How do you experience that reality in your own life?  In society?Jacob - continues to be the trickster and a bit of a scoundrel.  God uses all kinds...Notice how even here there are some early understandings of genetics... A shift comes here - not so much about miracles as it is about teaching and challenging.  First commissioning of the ...  Read More

Family dysfunction in full effectWhy did God choose Jacob?  And my heart breaks for Esau - just feels snakebitNotice - another meeting at a well.  Seems to be a central place?  Why?  Core need - water.  Why couldn't we set up Leah and Esau?  They seem like they would be good together Power again- Just emanating from Jesus the way it is describedPower again - Healing of the blind menMessianic Secre...  Read More

Notice another covenant made - Difference between covenants and contracts?  Here's a good breakdown on what covenant means in the Bible.Note the importance of names of places and names of people.  The names tell stories tooFamily dysfunction shows up againPut yourself in Esau's position in this reading - how are you feeling?  What are you thinking?Why only one blessing?  Ancient tradition held tha...  Read More

Put yourself in Rebekah's position in the story. How are you feeling with what is happening?  What is happening between the lines?  Remember, this is just the "highlights" - not going in depth.  The blessings offered - why don't we offer blessings in this way today?  What a gift it would be do to that for othersNotice that Hagar's well shows up againI love the language that is used when Abraham di...  Read More

Grace given to a mourning man.  When have you experienced a beautiful grace from others?The servant - praying for finding Isaac's wife.  How often do I/you/we pray for the every day things that we need?  How do we interpret everyday moments? Healings, Healings, Healings - notice what is in common in these healing stories and what is different.  Notice who is being healed and how.  Faith - Greek wo...  Read More

Abraham acting out of fear again - when will the dude learn?  Yet God works in spite of Abraham's actions and fearsNames - what is important about your name?  Notice how God promises and acts out care for Ishmael - making of him a great nation as wellWhen we come to this story, read Abraham and Isaac from the perspective of Isaac.  What does that change in you? What fruits do you see in yourself?...  Read More

Things start to get ugly.  Stories of lies, abandonments, trickery. fear, horrific suggestions by Lot with his daughters.  Hard chapters to read Lord's Prayer - notice what is the same and what is different in the prayer that we pray on Sundays.  Notice how the things Jesus is getting at is about internal things. For Jesus it isn't about the externals if the internals are not in alignmentGod and w...  Read More

The Bible Project - The Book of Genesis - Key Themes The Bible Project - The Book of Matthew - Key Themes...  Read More

Elements with Abraham and Sarah of trying to force God's hand.  Important note - Hagar is the first person in the Bible to give God a name.  She names God, "El-Roi" - The one who sees or God who sees.  Also notice how this becomes a part of the naming of the well where God encounters herCovenant - word keeps showing up and will keep showing up.  What does that word mean to you?  Names are changed ...  Read More

I love the statement - lift up your eyes (or raise up your eyes).  It is such a beautiful sense of expansiveness and seeing the bigger thing than just looking downNotice that the "religion" of the day is not yet fully formed.  It is still a work in progress.  The covenant ceremony - this is patterend after what was known as a Suzerain Treaty ceremony from ancient times.  The key thing is that norm...  Read More

Again, feels like a response to an ancient (and current) question - how did all these things come about?  Abram - similar call to what comes so many other times.  Go, leave what you have always known and I will lead you.  Notice that Abram is afraid and takes actions that reflect that fear.  Notice that Egypt shows up for the first time...And not for the last.... Sermon on the Mount pt 1 - Read cl...  Read More

What this story spoke to me was about the times when I felt like I was in the midst of a flood and how much of a gift it became when it felt llike the waters were receding or had receded.  Thinking back of the feeling of the figurative sun on my face, the "ahhhh" of being able to be released.  Hope.  Rainbow - what do I think about when I see one today?  God's covenant or pulling out my camera?  (...  Read More