God's Unfolding Promise To Renew the Whole Universe
The official podcast of Grace and Hope Lutheran Churches in Columbia City, IN. The primary focus of this podcast will be confirmation (or catechism). However, there will hopefully be discussions and topics of interest to others as well. For confirmation will we be using Daniel Erlander's Manna and Mercy as a guide, as we explore God's Unfolding Promise to Renew the Whole Universe. From time to time there may be off-topic episodes addressing contemporary events or other items we find interesting.
Episodes
23 episodes
What is Luther's Small Catechism
Today's episode introduces Luther's Small Catechism with African Descent Reflections, published by Augsburg Fortress.
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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8:46
What Does the New Testament Say About Resurrection?
In this episode, we briefly examine how the gospels portray Jesus's resurrection. What might these stories tell us about resurrection and eternal life?
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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11:15
Abundant Manna for All
What did abundant manna mean in Jesus's day? What does that have to do with the Lord's Prayer?
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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8:52
Jesus's Mission Statement
We discuss Jesus's mission in Luke and why it might have upset his audience. What does it mean to proclaim good news to the poor, oppressed, blind, and captured?
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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17:13
God's Surprise
What is God's surprise? As Christians, we likely look at Jesus's birth as the surprise, but is that really a surprise? Every Advent, we look expectantly towards Christmas and the birth of Jesus, so it is not really a surprise anymor...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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7:46
Jesus and the People of God
Who is Jesus? That is the question we are going to be exploring this year in confirmation. To begin to answer that question, we should first ask what is Jesus's community. This week, we will begin to explore Jesus's community ...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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10:11
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Chapter 11 Manna and Mercy for All
This week's class will explore the ways Jesus's life and ministry initiated the year of Jubilation, a reset for society.
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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11:16
Manna and Mercy Chapter 10 God's Surprise
Today's episode covers Jesus's birth and God's response to the people's cry for liberation, justice, and mercy. Jesus's birth is God's response to the people. By the time of Jesus's birth, the world had long since reverted to the wa...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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6:51
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Home Again - Purity Laws and the People
This chapter in Manna and Mercy opens with a brief discussion of Ezra 10. Erlander mentions Ezra 10 was not what God intended. Fortunately, there was a group of individuals that countered Ezra 10 with their own stories that sought t...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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16:32
Manna and Mercy Chapter 8 By the Rivers of Babylon
Exile was a defining moment in the history of Judaism and Christianity. Defeated and taken into exile, the ancient biblical people had to reimagine their faith, identity, and understanding of God. New questions were asked, as sugges...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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12:50
God Sends Prophets
What is a prophet? Typically we think of prophets as those special individuals who can predict the future (e.g., Nostradamus). Unfortunately, when we read the prophets of the Old Testament in that way, it can (and does) lead to misu...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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15:29
Chapter 6 We Want a King
Today we talk about the book of Samuel. The book of Samuel tells the story of how ancient Israel became a kingdom. It was not easy. Some did not want a king. The anti-king folks lost the debate, and ancient Israel became...
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8:58
Graduation and Settling Down
Chapter 5 of Manna and Mercy discusses the Book of Joshua. Joshua is a book that does not get much exposure in worship (only 2 or 3 short readings over a 3-year cycle). In some ways, it is easy to understand why Joshua is not often ...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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10:10
Manna and Mercy Chapter 4 Covenant and Covenant Gift
Biblical laws are often difficult for many of us to understand and read contextually. We tend to read them in a very proscriptive way (you can't do that etc.), which is how the laws we follow tend to work (e.g., Speed Limits, No Dogs Allo...
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12:48
Chapter 3 The Wilderness School
The following two chapters cover topics where Christians have tended to struggle. Part of the difficulty of these topics is their counter-cultural nature. The idea of manna from Exodus 16 reveals an idea of work and possessions that...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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9:32
Manna and Mercy Chapter 2 God Births a People
This episode covers background information for chapter 2 of Manna and Mercy. Chapter 2 begins with the people in Egyptian slavery, but how did they get there? We might have skipped over most of Genesis, but toward the end of the boo...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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9:41
Manna and Mercy Chapter 1 Beginnings
Introduction to Daniel Erlander's Manna and Mercy Chapter 1: Beginnings. Why would we be concerned with biblical illiteracy, and what do we mean by illiteracy? We will explore these questions ahead of reading the first chapt...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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12:51
Introduction to Confirmation Manna and Mercy
This episode is a general introduction to the 2021/2022 confirmation year and curriculum. This year we will be working our way through Daniel Erlander's Manna and Mercy: A Brief History of God's Unfolding Promise to Mend the Entire Un...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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13:36
Tin vs Lead in Amos 7.7-8
One of the fun things about the Bible is trying to figure out how to translate certain words and phrases. Most English translations in Amos 7.7 picture God standing on (or next) to a wall holding a "plumb line." It is this "plumb li...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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12:17
Christ Hymn form Philippians 2:5-11
Today's podcast is the reflection from our mid-week lenten service. The mid-week services have been working their way through Philippians 2:5-11. This hymn is one of the best know passages from Paul's letter, yet its meaning is some...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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20:43
What Kind of Nets Were Those in Luke 5:1-11? A Strategy for Reading Narratives
Sometimes when reading the Bible, we can get distracted by the details. This often happens when we become curious about those details. For example, in the sermon text for Jan 24 Luke 5:1-11, several journal articles or paragra...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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9:12
Episode 2: The Women in Luke's Gospel
In this week's episode, we explore the role and prominence of women in Luke's gospel. This Sunday's reading is from Luke 1:26-56, which includes the Magnificat and Mary visiting Elizabeth's visit. We often miss the fact that t...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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16:38
Before The Sermon....or After: Episode 1: Isaiah 6
Hello, Welcome to the initial podcast for Grace and Hope Lutheran Churches. Before the Sermon...or After. In this first episode, we take a closer look at Isaiah 61 vs. 8. Verse 8 present an issue for translators. We begi...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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16:12