Category Archives: Bible

biblical reflection, often related to Revised Common Lectionary RCL

Thou shalt love, not hate

Posted on October 14, 2009 by jlh

I had occasion to think about Sodom and Gomorrah tonight. The prophet Isaiah addresses the leaders  and people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom, as “you rulers of Sodom, you people of Gomorrah.” They must have been shocked, because then, as now, … Continue reading →

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Background for 8th century Isaiah

Posted on October 11, 2009 by jlh

Essentials of Hebrew History All dates are BC (or BCE Before the Common Era) Background 2000-1500?— Abraham, Isaac, Jacob 1300?—          Exodus from Egypt 1200-1020?— The Judges (Deborah, Samson, Gideon, etc.) Israel becomes a monarchy. Three kings rule over a united … Continue reading →

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Whom do you fear?

Posted on September 23, 2009 by jlh

        Left: Isaiah’s lips anointed by the angel (Isaiah 6.7)     Isaiah, the greatest of the writing Hebrew prophets, lived in the eighth century BCE. His children become signs, acts of God incarnate. Here are some … Continue reading →

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Leggo my ego!

Posted on September 10, 2009 by jlh

Leloir, Jacob wrestling with the Angel, 1865 (Wikipedia) Ego and egolessness! A hot potato. The more you try to set aside the ego (the executive self), the more the unconscious self (the subversive self) takes over. Paul the neurotic puts … Continue reading →

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Thunder in the night

Posted on August 24, 2009 by jlh

The A/C picked tonight to konk out. So we opened windows and the doors leading out on to the deck. I looked up the number of the guys who’ve come over the years to fix the A/C, so that it’ll … Continue reading →

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No and Yes

Posted on July 17, 2009 by jlh

You know it’s important to write down insights when they come—which I’m doing now. Ask for medical prognostication, and from any truthful physician you’ll get “Yes” and “No,” a mix of the probable and possible. Medicine is a mixture of … Continue reading →

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Face to face with God

Posted on July 15, 2009 by jlh

Left: Moses and tablets (Rembrandt)     We’re studying Exodus 32-34 in our Neighborhood Bible Study, part of a summer Great Chapters of the Bible series. Why read these dusty old stories? The scribes who preserved them had lost everything. … Continue reading →

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Joseph, God’s Man for All Seasons

Posted on July 3, 2009 by jlh

Diego Velasquez, Joseph’s Bloody Coat, 1630         What  A summary of the Biblical story Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had … Continue reading →

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Luv vs. Love

Posted on June 14, 2009 by jlh

3:30 a.m. classical music on my cable TV, at the moment a Chopin waltz I used to play. Now arthritis has pretty much wiped out my piano ability. I can still peck out a hymn, but it’s mechanical. On the … Continue reading →

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Digging for Camelot

Posted on May 29, 2009 by jlh

  Left: Death of Saul and sons (Marcuse) Pentecost 2009 This morning we’re going on an archaeological dig of sorts, only of words, not artifacts in the ground. We’re going digging for Israel’s Camelot—the one before Mt. Zion, the City … Continue reading →

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