Day1 Weekly Radio Broadcast - Day1 Feeds

I've lived in a number of states, traveled throughout the world, and met more people than I can count. My wife has been engaged in mission work in Haiti and other countries; one of our daughters lived for a few years China and studied in Japan. I've done language study by immersion in Costa Rica, and I've preached in Liberia and Zimbabwe. The call to ministry has taken me, in ways I could never have imagined, to the ends of the earth. A couple of years ago my mind was wandering through social media--have you ever found yourself there?--and I took one of those tests---embarrassing, I know---and the question was, "Where are you most suited to live?" So I filled out the questionnaire, and in the end can you guess where all my responses led? To the very place where I was born! Columbus, Georgia! And I had the sense: I really have not come such a long way in this journey--in fact, I am back where I started! The spiritual classics often describe the Christian life as a journey--Dante and Bunyan, for example; but farther back the missionary travels of Paul the Apostle and the passage of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. So perhaps you have found yourself in a moment of self-awareness, and you wondered, "Am I really back at the beginning?" Most of us wish we were farther along on the road to character, to borrow a phrase from David Brooks. Advent gives us the occasion to start over. It is a fresh beginning. It's not quite like the cultural pressure to make resolutions in the new year, to lose weight or learn a new language or to worry less. Not that any of this is such a bad thing. But that is more about individual self-improvement, personal re-invention, human effort.

"My kingdom is not from this world." These are the words of Jesus, on the Sunday in the liturgical year that we mark as Christ the King, or the reign of God. Jesus says, "My kingdom is not from this world." I did not grow up in a church or a culture that marked time liturgically. We lived from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year's, or from the College Bowl games to March Madness to the opening day of baseball. In church we focused mostly on Jesus as our redeemer, with a bit of a break at Christmas. Only later would I appreciate the profound way of marking time by trying to closely follow the life of Jesus. Next Sunday the year begins for us, as we anticipate the promised coming of the Messiah, as we await his birth. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. On Christ the King Sunday the year comes to a conclusion, but more so, to a culmination. All things move toward the reign of God, the realized kingdom, where we will crown him with many crowns, the lamb upon his throne, where he will judge, in the language of the creed, the quick and the dead, the living and the dead, in other words, all things. On this day, on this last Sunday of the year, we reflect on the kingdom of God, which is Jesus.  Christians claim him as Lord, which means in political language, that we are his subjects, citizens of a territory that he oversees which has no east or west. He is Lord, having risen from the dead, and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord.

Luke Powery: There's so much more to learn, and it is an expression of grace that we have the capacity to still learn and the opportunity to be taught by others when we don't fully comprehend. Continuing education is a gift as we keep inquiring and listening and being curious and open to new ideas and fresh experiences. Peter Wallace: That's Dean Luke Powery...and today he joins us for our special series on "Faith & Science in the 21st Century." I'm Peter Wallace...this is Day 1. Sherrie Miller: Welcome to Day1, the weekly program that brings you outstanding preachers from America's mainline Protestant churches, sharing insight and inspiration from God's Word for your life. Today we conclude our challenging series of special programs, and to introduce our preacher, here's our host Peter Wallace. Peter Wallace: Thank you, Sherrie. Today we conclude our special Day1 series: "Faith & Science in the 21st Century, made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Through this series we've been exploring some of the major issues of science today with a goal to facilitate meaningful conversations especially among people of faith. For this final program in the series, we're delighted to have with us the Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery, dean of Duke University Chapel and associate professor of homiletics at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. Prior to his appointment at Duke three years ago, Luke taught homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary. He received his bachelors in music from Stanford University, his masters of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and his doctor of theology degree from Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto. Luke was ordained by the Progressive National Baptist Convention. In 2008 the African-American Pulpit named him one of two outstanding black ministers under the age of 40 who are helping to shape the future direction of the church, and last year he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College. Luke, welcome, and thank you for being part of this series.

  Tom Long: When we gain the deep knowledge that we are limited in days and incomplete in ourselves, this can draw us ever closer to the God who is immortal and who brings our life to completion. Peter Wallace: That's the Rev. Dr. Tom Long, and today he joins us for our special series on "Faith & Science in the 21st Century." I'm Peter Wallace...this is Day 1. Sherrie Miller: Welcome to Day1, the weekly program that brings you outstanding preachers from America's mainline Protestant churches, sharing insight and inspiration from God's Word for your life. Today we continue our powerful series of special programs. Now here's our host, Peter Wallace, to introduce this week's preacher. Peter Wallace: Thank you, Sherrie. Today we continue our special Day1 series: "Faith & Science in the 21st Century, made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Through this series we've been exploring some of the major issues of science today with a goal to facilitate meaningful conversations especially among people of faith. This week we're honored to have with us the Rev. Dr. Tom Long, the Bandy professor of preaching emeritus at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The author of 21 books and counting, Tom is a graduate of Erskine College and earned his master of divinity from Erskine Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Tom, welcome, and thank you for being part of this series.

  Nancy Duff: Although there are significant exceptions, Christians have too often believed that because we are made in the image of God and have been given dominion over the earth, we stand far above the rest of the animals and can remain aloof regarding their welfare and indifferent to their suffering. But such a stance is not biblical...  Peter Wallace: That's the Rev. Dr. Nancy Duff, and today she joins us for our special series on "Faith & Science in the 21st Century." I'm Peter Wallace...this is Day 1. Sherrie Miller: Welcome to Day1, the weekly program that brings you outstanding preachers from America's mainline Protestant churches, sharing insight and inspiration from God's Word for your life. Today we continue our exciting series of special programs, and to introduce this week's preacher here's our host Peter Wallace. Peter Wallace: Thank you, Sherrie. Today we continue our special eight-part series of Day1 programs, "Faith & Science in the 21st Century," which is made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Over these eight weeks we are exploring together some of the major issues of science today with a goal to facilitate meaningful conversation around these issues especially among people of faith. As we continue on our quest to engage the big questions that have riddled humanity since the dawn of civilization, we're delighted to have with us the Rev. Dr. Nancy J. Duff. Nancy is the Stephen Colwell Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. She earned her Master of Divinity degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Virginia and her Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary in New York. An ordained Presbyterian minister, she focuses her research on the theological foundations of Christian ethics. Nancy, thank you for joining us for this important series.

David Wood:  Insight into the intricate make up of a human being that science provides does not discredit, diminish or make obsolete the ancient story that we are created in the image and likeness of God. That story predates the rise of science. To be sure, it is a story that is updated and enriched by science. Peter Wallace: That's the Rev. David Wood...and today he joins us for our special series on "Faith & Science in the 21st Century." I'm Peter Wallace...this is Day 1. Sherrie Miller: Welcome to Day1, the weekly program that brings you outstanding preachers from America's mainline Protestant churches, sharing insight and inspiration from God's Word for your life. Today we continue our fascinating series of special programs, and to introduce this week's preacher here's our host Peter Wallace. Peter Wallace:  Thank you, Sherrie. Today we continue our special series of Day1 programs, "Faith & Science in the 21st Century," which is made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Through this series we're exploring some of the major issues of science today with a goal to facilitate meaningful conversation around these issues particularly among people of faith. As we continue on our quest to engage the big questions that have riddled humanity since the dawn of civilization, we're delighted to have with us the Rev. David Wood, senior minister of Glencoe Union Church in Glencoe, IL. An ordained American Baptist pastor, David has for the past 25 years served churches in Paris France, Kentucky, Maine, and Connecticut. He studied theology and ministry at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School. David has also served as a consultant to the John Templeton Foundation. David, welcome, and thanks for being part of this series.

  Nicholas Knisely: Isaac Newton, following Galileo's lead, described time as a river, with a steady current that flows from the future, to the present and on into the past. Newton's laws of motion, which undergird all of classical physics, are dependent on this assumption. And our own daily experience of time, with our watches and atomic clocks and GPS devices, seems to fit neatly into this metaphor. But it's wrong. Peter Wallace: That's Bishop Nicholas Knisely...and today he joins us for our special series on "Faith & Science in the 21st Century." I'm Peter Wallace...this is Day 1. Sherrie Miller: Welcome to Day1, the weekly program that brings you outstanding preachers from America's mainline Protestant churches, sharing insight and inspiration from God's Word for your life. Today we continue our challenging series of special programs and to introduce this week's preacher, here's our host, Peter Wallace. Peter Wallace: Thank you, Sherrie. Today we continue our special series of Day1 programs: "Faith & Science in the 21st Century, which is made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Through this series we're exploring some of the major issues of science today with a goal to facilitate meaningful conversation around these issues among people of faith. This week we're delighted to have with us the Rt. Rev. Nicholas Knisely, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island, based in Providence. Nick was elected in June 2012 and was ordained bishop in November 2012. Previously he served as a priest in Delaware, Western and Eastern Pennsylvania, and as dean of the cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona. He earned undergraduate degrees in physics and astronomy at Franklin and Marshall College, did graduate studies at the University of Delaware in cosmology and solid state physics, then left the world of physics and studied at Yale and Berkeley Divinity schools where he earned his theological degrees. Nicholas, welcome, thanks for being part of this series.

Katharine Jefferts Schori: We talk about having been created with free will, the ability to choose how we interact with others. We can choose loving ways or selfish ways, each with consequences. Rarely are our motives entirely unselfish--they probably can't be this side of the grave--but if we lean in the direction of more abundant life for others, we soon discover that our own life possibilities are expanded as well. Peter Wallace: That's the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, and today she joins us for our special series on "Faith & Science in the 21st Century." I'm Peter Wallace...this is Day1. Sherrie Miller: Welcome to Day1, the weekly program that brings you outstanding preachers from America's mainline Protestant churches, sharing insight and inspiration from God's Word for your life. Today we continue our powerful series of special programs. Now here's our host, Peter Wallace to introduce this week's preacher. Peter Wallace Thanks, Sherrie. Today we continue our special series of Day1 programs: "Faith & Science in the 21st Century, which is made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Through this series we're exploring some of the major issues of science today with a goal to facilitate meaningful conversations especially among people of faith. This week we're delighted to have with us the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church, a position to which she was elected in 2006 after serving six years as bishop of the Diocese of Nevaddah. She serves as chief pastor to the Episcopal Church's members in 17 countries, 109 dioceses, and three regional areas. Bishop Katharine's career as an oceanographer preceded her studies for the priesthood. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Stanford University, a master's and Ph.D. in oceanography from Oregon State University, and a master of divinity from Church Divinity School. Welcome, Bishop Katharine, and thanks for being with us.

Ted Peters: "As we look out into the universe and identify the many accidents of physics and astronomy that have worked together to our benefit, it almost seems as if the universe must in some sense have known we were coming."1 Peter Wallace: That's the Rev. Dr. Ted Peters, and today we continue our special series on "Faith & Science in the 21st Century." I'm Peter Wallace...this is Day 1. Sherrie Miller: Welcome to Day1, the weekly program that brings you outstanding preachers from America's mainline Protestant churches, sharing insight and inspiration from God's Word for your life. Today we continue our exciting series of special programs. To introduce this week's preacher, here's our host, Peter Wallace. Peter Wallace: Thank you, Sherrie. Today we continue our special eight-part series of Day1 programs: "Faith & Science in the 21st Century, which is made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. In this series we're exploring together some of the major issues of science today with a goal of facilitating meaningful conversation around these issues particularly among people of faith. As we continue on our quest to engage the big questions that have riddled humanity since the dawn of civilization, we're delighted to have with us the Rev. Dr. Ted Peters, an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Research Professor Emeritus in Systematic Theology and Ethics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. A graduate of Michigan State University, Ted earned masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Chicago and a master of divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary. He is the author of numerous books of theology, ethics, and science and their intersections, including God: The World's Future: Systematic Theology for a Postmodern Era, and his latest, Sin Boldly! Justifying Faith for Fragile and Broken Souls. His website is www.tedstimelytake.com. Ted, thank you for being with us!

Scott Hoezee: Does the universe that science is uncovering in evermore wondrous detail have no purpose and no meaningful place for humans? Listen to some people these days, including some vocal scientists, and you will hear the answer loud and clear: "No, not really. We don't matter. The universe is pretty much pointless." Peter Wallace: That's the Rev. Scott Hoezee...and today we begin a special series on "Faith & Science in the 21st Century." I'm Peter Wallace...this is Day 1. Sherrie Miller: Welcome to Day1, the weekly program that brings you outstanding preachers from America's mainline Protestant churches, sharing insight and inspiration from God's Word for your life. Today we launch an exciting series of special programs. To introduce this week's preacher, here's our host, Peter Wallace. Peter Wallace: Thank you, Sherrie. Today we begin a special eight-part series of Day1 programs: "Faith & Science in the 21st Century," made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Over the next eight weeks we'll explore together some of the major issues of science today with a goal to facilitate meaningful conversation around these issues, particularly among people of faith. To get us started on our quest to engage the big questions that have riddled humanity since the dawn of civilization, we're honored to have with us the Rev. Scott Hoezee, an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church of North America, who has served two congregations in Michigan as pastor. Since 2005 Scott has been a member of the faculty of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he serves as the director of the Center for Excellence in Preaching. Scott is a graduate of Calvin College and earned his master of divinity at Calvin Seminary. He is the author of several books, including his latest, "Actuality: Real Life Stories for Sermons That Matter." Scott, thanks for helping us get this series started!

I confess that the only times I have heard this passage read has been a part of the eulogy in honor of a woman who lived in ways that we wish to celebrate. Still as much as we love to hear Who can find a virtuous woman, I believe it behooves us to consider the context of this passage. Inherent in the question is the implication that just as we have heard that Marines are looking for a few good men, there seems to have been a time when the roles may have been reversed.  When it was said in the community that a good woman, a virtuous woman, an honorable woman, was indeed hard to find. Now before we take offense, we may want to ask, "Who was it that asked the question in the first place?" For you see, in Proverbs 31, King Lemuel of Massa received these words as strong advice that his mother gave to him. That is correct. Our beloved Proverbs 31 is born out of a conversation one mother had with her son. And if you read this chapter in its entirety, what you hear is a mother advising her son of the dangers of being involved with women. Before Steve Harvey told women how to Act Like A Lady But Think Like a Man, it appears Queen Mother was teaching her son how to Act like a King and Think like a Queen! And in so doing, we would have to acknowledge that the Queen Mother had a problem with some women! As we lean in to listen, what we discover is a mother who had a strong opinion about the women in her son's life. The Queen Mother felt some kind of way about the women who her son stepped to and considered as the partner in his life.

Today we are going to read from a letter addressed to the apostle Paul's young helper, Timothy. It is a letter postmarked from prison. Paul writes this letter near the end of his life. In fact, today's text is quite possibly the last paragraph of the last letter the Apostle ever wrote. Listen now for God's Word to you as it comes to us from Second Timothy, chapter four, beginning with the sixth verse. 6As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 9Do your best to come to me soon, 10for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. 12I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. 15You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message.

  To get things going, I want to start out with a quick little get-your-imagination-going exercise. Now unless you are operating any sort of heavy machinery, I want you to just close your eyes wherever you may be, take a deep breath, clear your mind, and picture Jesus. Alright, do you have an image in your head? Great. You can open your eyes. Now I just have a few follow up questions for you and I want you to keep count of how many questions you answer yes to.  In your imagined picture of Jesus... Did he have a full beard? Was he wearing a white robe? Did he have a calm, serene look on his face? Was he surrounded by children and/or cute farm animals (i.e. lambs, puppies, or kittens)? Were his arms outstretched or in some kind of a welcoming posture? Was he performing a miracle or doing some kind of charitable activity? My guess is that you said yes to at least three of those things. What I find so interesting is that even though we all have unique beliefs around and understandings of Jesus, our image of him is quite similar. It doesn't matter how many world famous artists have reimagined and reinterpreted our Savior because when it comes down to it, most of us have gotten our picture of Jesus from the exact same place: the cover of a children's Bible. And it doesn't matter what version you have or edition you're using, Jesus always looks the same: calm, happy, and inviting.

"Well, it's like you said--the good news is that we're all sinners, right?" My friend's active listening skills provided just the mirror I needed to realize that my own feeble witness to the Gospel had landed a bit askew. We had been talking about black and white race relations in America, a couple of young white clergy grabbing a quick dinner before heading to a local gathering called, "Doing our own work: white people working to end racism." Of course, we are all sinners, and I'll even allow that misery loves company, so I guess, morbidly, I'm glad that we're all in this thing together, but the ubiquity of sinfulness surely isn't the *good* news. Is it? Well, it is the news brought to us by Jesus in our Gospel reading this week. Here in this seventh chapter of Mark, Jesus' ongoing confrontation with the religious leaders is rekindled, and the Pharisees and some of the scribes from Jerusalem provoke Jesus' most assertive response to date. Without apology, Jesus tells the religious leaders that their hypocrisy is the fulfillment of age-old prophecy. Their worship is mere vanity. In fact, they have altogether turned from God's commandment and cling now, pathetically, to schemes of their own devising. Jesus' main frustration seems to be the religious leaders' lack of understanding or acceptance that the seat of the sin and evil in our world is the human heart. It is from within our own hearts that evil intentions come, and no amount of ritual cleansing can transform our hearts, nor trick anyone but ourselves into believing otherwise.

  I remember it as if it were yesterday. A friend and I were heading back to the states after the trip of a lifetime to Eastern Europe. I was in line at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, getting ready to board the flight to Boston, when my friend called me over. He told me that he had cashed in enough of his frequent flyer miles to get both of us upgraded to first class. First class. I had never flown in first class before. It was, in a word, WONDERFUL! No sooner had I found my seat--my spacious, comfortable, semi-private seat--than the flight attendant handed me a heated moist washcloth to freshen up with, placed a dish of warm roasted nuts on my tray table and asked me if I would like something to drink. When she came back with my beverage, she also presented me with a menu of my dinner choices. And all of this was before the plane even taxied out of the gate! And though it seemed impossible, it only got better when we were up in the air. The dinner came on REAL dishes and flatware! More than that, it was DELICIOUS! After dinner, I was given my very own zippered incidentals bag, with all the necessities for luxury travel: a spare toothbrush and toothpaste, booties should my feet get cold, and a night mask to help me sleep. And I slept. Boy, did I sleep! Now I understood why they pulled the curtain that separated first class from coach: Those of us in first class were having a TOTALLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. If the people in coach knew what was happening up there, they wouldn't like it. They wouldn't like it one bit. The curtain was essential, really; because as long as those in coach couldn't see what flying first class was like, it was possible for them to be content, even happy, with their flight. But the moment they realized what they were missing, it would be all over. One glimpse and this flight and every flight thereafter would be forever ruined.