Afleveringen
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about Chronicles from book 1 chapter 22 to book 2 chapter 16.
Itâs become very noticeable that this account of Israelâs history has a different perspective and purpose from other versions of the same stories in the Bible. Some people like David and Solomon look like better versions of themselves, but why?
Other books were probably written to warn Israel of the dangers of separating from God, but Chronicles seems written to encourage Israel about the benefits of getting back together. In particular, after the exile of Godâs people, some felt the opportunity to regroup and rebuild in Jerusalem would bring about the restoration of the kingdom of God.
So this account remembers past glory. Who wouldnât want to regain it? Hadnât God promised that if his people turn and seek him, he will heal their land? (Bern has views on how we pray this prayer today, thoughâŠ)
In the next part of our boxset, we finish Chronicles and look at what it says about some of the best and worst leaders. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the opening chapters 1 to 21 of the first book of Chronicles.
A bit like Deuteronomy, this book is a retelling of familiar stories from a different perspective, and this time the special purpose of the book might make it look like the Bible has contradictions within itself.
What if it does? Bern shares discomfort about this idea, coming from being told as a young adult about how to deal with people who said âthe Bible is full of contradictionsâ and didnât want to put faith in God.
Chronicles seems to show, however, that the people who agreed what should count as scripture were happy to bring together partisan and conflicting views which show how God moved different people at different times.
What does this mean for us? Do we need to rethink how we engage with the Bible and take lessons from it or quote fragments in our prayers and worship? Can we also grasp what it means for us to be part of Godâs movement of people through history, and be ready to keep moving?
WARNING: inspired by ideas sparked in Chronicles, Owen and Bernâs discussion moves into other topics about how God engages with us, how we sometimes miss the point and try to adopt snapshots of someone elseâs history as our own, and how we can experience God moving us into new life with a new perspective.
In the next part of our boxset, we continue Chronicles with a look at how Israel was inspired to remember the goodness of worshiping God together. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the final chapters of the books of Deuteronomy (20 to 34) and Proverbs (27 to 31).
In lots of ways, we might not appreciate the revision sections of old laws. There are lots of questions about how they were conceived, what they meant to people, and what - if anything - they might mean to us today. What can we gain from understanding them better?
Being outside the Jewish family and the covenant described in Deuteronomy, we donât have a duty to follow its rules, but we can appreciate something about what God was doing. The social order created by this covenant helped to define people and create a sense that they could live and grow in relationships and trust.
We can still wonder how much of what this society practised would benefit us today, but it might be more helpful to see its formation as a signpost towards even better life in the future. Was âan eye for an eyeâ ever intended to encourage vengeance, or to limit it? And was it meant to be the final state of the life God wanted for people, or more of a step towards the ability to forgive and love enemies, as Jesus expected?
The ending of Proverbs might also create more questions than answers. The writer realises that they have not, in the end, learned wisdom. There is still much for them to learn. How important is it to recognise the depths of what we still donât know, especially in relationships? Can seeing ourselves on a continuing journey help us gain from Proverbsâ final picture of ideal life as a source of hope and encouragement instead of an unrealistic burden?
In the next part of our boxset, we begin the book of Chronicles, another re-telling of familiar material from a different viewpoint which can help us understand Godâs people and their history in more depth. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the first 19 chapters of the book of Deuteronomy.
This name means that itâs a repeat of the law described in the first few books of the Bible. Why is it there? The perspective isnât quite the same as the first time this law was described, and seeing something from more than angle can make a huge difference to how we understand what it is, how it works and how it fits into peopleâs lives.
The Jewish law is part of a bigger social order which helps set peopleâs expectations of how to deal with each other and progress through life. Rules can be interpreted in different ways, so understanding how a society works turns out to be essential to know what a rule means to people - Bern has a good example from his recent holiday!
To understand Deuteronomy, itâs also useful to consider when, how and why it was written. Scholarsâ views range from traditional - that itâs all from Moses exactly as presented - to more common current views that it was, at least partly, written or refined much later to help reform Godâs people in a time of crisis. Can allowing for fresh interpretation like this strengthen our connection with God?
In next part of our boxset, we finish Deuteronomy and the final five chapters of Proverbs. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the New Testament letters to the Hebrews, the Thessalonians, Titus and Philemon.
What does faith look like for Jewish believers in Jesus as their promised anointed saviour? Hebrews is the name we give to a letter written to the first such believers, and it connects their inherited identity, stories and hopes with the new life they discovered in Christ.
It turned out that they now had the best possible prophet, priest and leader, who was not new but had been working since the creation of everything. Could it be true that their familiar religious structures were only shadows of what God was always wanting for them? If so, what would change for Jewish believers in Jesus? For example, what would it mean that Jesus replaced imperfect, temporary sacrifices with a perfect, eternal one? And what could everyone learn from the examples of faith that the writer drew from Jewish history to set high expectations for life following Christ?
Elsewhere, Paulâs instructions to churches and leaders reflected his understanding that Jesus was returning, perhaps very soon. But even if we knew this would happen tomorrow, how should we live today? Paul encouraged hope in Jesusâ return, but also investment in the life and communities people had. Could his understanding and application of this have changed over time, perhaps as his experience grew and his viewpoint changed? How can we best learn from his teaching, and what are the dangers of taking some of it out of context?
In next part of our boxset, we look back at some very familiar stories, re-told in a revised way and maybe showing some viewpoints weâve not yet seen, through the book of Deuteronomy. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the final chapters of the book of Isaiah and Psalms 79 to 89, some of which reflect how people shared difficult experiences with God.
What does it mean to rely on God, and why is this important? Israel suffered through much of its history. While maintaining religious and legal systems which made it look and feel like they relied on God, the prophet Isaiah said they had really been relying on themselves, or on alliances with others, or on wealth or strength instead.
God would show them a different way of life through a suffering servant, someone totally reliant on God and, as we believe with hindsight, was also God in the flesh.
What sort of life would become possible because of this? Isaiahâs words held a mysterious hope for people who hadnât yet encountered Jesus, and would also be a source of blessing and joy for people who believed Godâs promise was fulfilled in him.
In next part of our boxset, we look at how some of the first Jewish believers in Jesus were encouraged to develop their faith in the letter to the Hebrews, as well as other letters written to the Thessalonians, Titus and Philemon. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the chapters 28 to 49 of the book of Isaiah.
When was the last time you thought about how amazing it is that people - including us - can hear from God? How can we know we hear from the real God, and donât just replay our own ideas about life?
Isaiah gives lots of guidance on this to people who desperately needed to know the reality of Godâs presence with them, love for them and hope for their future.
One way to measure this would be justice - life following things other than God ended up denying peopleâs access to this, but social justice would be achievable when people followed a way of life that God promised to reveal.
While people might have expected this way of life to be about recognisable strength, riches and powerful allies, Isaiah surprisingly prophesied that it would be more about service. Israel would learn how this works through a remarkable servant that God would raise up among them. In exile, Israel might have considered Daniel to be a leader like this, but did God have even greater plans, involving an even greater servant - God himself, revealed in Christ Jesus?
In next part of our boxset, we complete what Isaiah and his disciples shared with Israel about Israelâs future and God would change the world with them, and listen to Psalms 79 to 89. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the first 27 chapters of the book of Isaiah.
Can we imagine the horror and trauma of national exile? How would we feel and what would we do to try and feel better about ourselves and our future if it happened to us?
From a distance, we could look at Isaiahâs words of Godâs judgement and correction to Israel as a history lesson we can easily grasp, but if thatâs all we do, could we miss the point? And could we put ourselves in danger of repeating their mistakes?
According to Isaiah, Godâs main desire was for social justice, and religious rules and practices were becoming part of the problem, not the solution. When we think and pray about how the world could or should be better, do we share Godâs values as revealed here?
The vision God gave Isaiah for the better future he would bring about was promised to be surprising and new. Could listening and letting it reshape our vision also surprise us today, even if weâve heard it before?
In next part of our boxset, we continue with Isaiahâs developing message as a new way of life is promised to emerge where life looked impossible chapters 28 to 49. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about Paulâs guidance to the church in his letters 2 Corinthians, Philippians and Colossians.
Paulâs first letter to the Corinthians had been harsh, strict and apparently hurtful to some in that church in some ways, and in this follow-up, we get to see more of Paulâs heart - what did he really want for them? It looked like people had been arguing about who should have authority, and it might seem to us that Paul joined in this tussle for power, setting clear directives which might sound like instructions for us today too.
But was Paul really pushing for his own authority or trying to point everyone in the direction of a more certain foundation for life - Christ? If so, what did this look like for him, and what can we expect if we recognise and build on Christ as a foundation today? If we believe Paul that Christ is in everyone, should that change the way we treat other people, especially people who donât yet believe in God?
There seems to be a mixture of messages about this in Paulâs letters. It can be hard to know how to put his teaching into practice. His views, assumptions, expectations and practices may have been works in progress. But could Paulâs direction to work things out together, with God-given love and a growing faith in Jesus, be any clearer?
In next part of our boxset, we go back to the story of Israel in the Old Testament and listen to what had corrupted society, its leadership and religion, why Godâs people were suffering, but also what hope they could expect for the future from Godâs viewpoint, shared through the prophet Isaiah, chapters 1 to 27. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the end of the story in the books of Kings, along with Psalms 73 to 78.
The big, tragic message of this part of the story is that Godâs people ended up exiled from their promised land, and the main reason given for this was their turning away from God.
Looking at how this happened, there are some intriguing details which might give us insight into how these people reflected on their circumstances, their identity and what they thought they would need to do differently to regain healthy and sustainable life in Godâs kingdom.
In a couple of instances, leaders who seemed like they were seeking God to a great extent made mistakes which led to downfall, either for them or their descendants. Is it easy to draw messages from this, like not to be as proud as Hezekiah or as half-hearted as Joash? Or is it reasonable to think that the original audience for these stories might have wondered how these leaders could have known what to do to be fully correct?
Bern and Owen consider the possibility that not knowing, and having to seek God and listen better as a result, might have been an important part of the message, and one that applies to us too.
In next part of our boxset, weâll return to Paulâs letters in the New Testament to see how he guided the church in 2 Corinthians, Philippians and Colossians. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the middle of the story in the books of Kings.
History is often told in terms of leaders, what they did and how their power influenced the world, but in this part of a story of corrupt leadership, the focus moves to prophets Elijah and Elisha. They were given power from God to help ordinary, suffering people, and to demonstrate the importance of Godâs power over all others powers.
A dramatic showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, a foreign god, is commemorated in opera but would also be an incredible way to settle political differences if we could watch it today.
Elisha asked for double Elijahâs blessing, and the stories of his work among people sound practically Christlike to us. In fact, the people who saw Jesus would probably have reflected that he was a continuation, even a fulfilment, of what God was doing through Elisha.
The Holy Spirit flowed through him to heal and bless people outside of the Jewish family and faith community. What could that same Spirit, if we believe it flows through us, do to heal and bless our neighbours too?
In next part of our boxset, weâll finish the story of Kings and look at the fall of Godâs people into exile, as well as listening to how they shared their experiences with God in Psalms 73 to 78. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the first part of the book of Kings.
It can be hard to know what to make of these stories of life after King David. Characters like Solomon are awesome and sometimes live in ways we would love to have part of, but they are also complex and flawed. Drawing moral conclusions from what they say and do, and what happens to them, is usually tempting but often baffling and always needing to be done in the context of the larger stories being told.
One story with a recognisable pattern is Solomonâs fall, linked with the fall of Israel as a united kingdom, and eventually the fall of divided kingdoms into exile. Can we identify what caused the falls, and so grasp the message intended by the author?
Turning away from God is labelled as the main mistake, and while that might not sound surprising, the ways in which this was shown to happen, and the consequences for people who did this in different ways, might be shocking. This makes the book of Kings a dizzying listen, often hard to process, but also highly engaging and revealing of a need to seek God and not just people or things that look blessed.
In next part of our boxset, weâll continue the story of Kings and see what prophets have to say and do as part of Godâs intervention, not just with corrupt leadership, but with suffering people directly. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about Paulâs first letter to the Corinthians and both of his letters to a young leader, Timothy.
After stressing to believers in Christ the importance of freedom from the law, why does Paul seem to be setting a lot of rules for the church in Corinth? Positioned at the intersection of lands and cultures, there were competing voices of authority in this early church, along with practices which failed to show the love Paul expected to see from growth and maturity they should have been developing in Christ.
We can learn a lot from what Paul writes, but it can be difficult for us to decide which of Paulâs teachings to adopt and which to leave as a result of the early church and their society being different from ours.
Could we have adopted our own unhealthy ways of looking at this, and is the âconservative vs liberalâ paradigm an example of something we need to change? If so, what can we swap it for? What, if anything, could be a way of seeing the world and making judgements like this which brings us closer to Christ?
As many instructions as it contains, could the main focus of 1 Corinthians really be the expression of Christâs work in and love for us? Paulâs famous passage about love, often quoted at weddings, is found here in the middle of his teaching about spiritual gifts and the power God provides to build people up. As our understanding grows, about God, his power and his world, should fixing rules be as important to us as learning how to adapt to othersâ needs, change our plans and increase in love?
In next part of our boxset, weâll return to the Old Testament story of Israel and see what happened after David in the first part of the book of Kings. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about several âminorâ prophets with major messages in the Old Testament, as well as Psalms 66 to 72.
We often think of the word ârighteousâ as quite religious or worthy in a traditional way, but when Godâs prophets called people to righteousness, it looks like the major concern was how people were suffering because of a lack of social justice and peopleâs concern for each other. It turns out that God values people more than we do, and that without closeness to God, we find it hard to share Godâs values and live with them as our own.
The prophet Jonah especially struggled with being asked to take a message from God to his enemies, not because he was afraid for his life, but because he didnât want them to respond in a way that would bring them forgiveness. We might see this as a picture of how we or anyone might hear Jesusâ challenge, âLove your enemies.â This is hard, maybe impossible for us without Godâs help.
So can we ever know what to do without constant direction from God? The prophet Micah brought assurance that we should already know the basic idea - âact justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your Godâ. This is harder to live in practice than to remember as a Bible verse, but can it give us a framework for a full, balanced life where we want to keep learning and growing in practical love?
In next part of our boxset, weâll return to the New Testament and look at Paulâs first letter to the Corinthians and both of his letters to a young leader, Timothy. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the Old Testament prophets Hosea and Joel, and Psalms 52 to 65.
What does God want most from people? Some parts of the Bible make it look like religious practice is the most important thing, while others make following rules in the rest of life seem vital over everything else.
But when God spoke through prophets about how life had been going with this, a couple of things emerged. For one, there were repeating patterns of failure, resulting in people suffering and injustice thriving. The other was maybe more surprising - that Godâs promise of hope to remedy this was a revelation of what he really wanted most - relationships in which he would be properly known, and his heart shared, making justice, transformation and healing possible.
Working out how to make sense of the Bible, especially prophecy, can be tricky. Can we do it on our own, or can we only do it within relationships? Weâd love to encourage you to make time to listen to God and pray through whatever you find grabs your attention here, and chat about it with people. Weâre very open to this at church, so get in touch if you would like to!
In next part of our boxset, weâll look at more of the prophets, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, as well as Psalms 66 to 72. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about wisdom in the Old Testament including Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and Proverbs chapters 19 to 26.
Is the Bible an instruction book? It seems vital to review this before considering the wisdom literature, because that will shape our view on the role of what is written there. If the Bible is more of a conversation than a code to decipher, we can look at the role of these books in that conversation instead of trying to work out simplistic solutions to apparent conflicts between instructions.
Ecclesiastes has a lot to say about how we find meaning and value in life, and how we might limit our expectations for finding fulfilment in some things we chase a lot. If that sounds discouraging, can the encouragement thatâs offered in this book help to reset our compasses for navigating life?
Song of Songs also offers encouragement, affirmation of value and purpose, and a passionate celebration of love. Is there a more powerful force in creation? And in the conversations we have about love and law in the Bible, and in life, can we possibly understand love through the lens of law, or can we only understand law through the lens of love?
In next part of our boxset, weâll look at what the prophets Hosea and Joel had to say, along with Psalms 52 to 65. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the end of Matthewâs gospel, chapters 21 to 28, as well as Paulâs letters to the Galatians and Ephesians.
The gospel story of Jesus reveals a lot about what God really wants for people and the misunderstandings which arise when people think this is all about religion, ceremonies, sacrifices or following a set of rules. People who sincerely believed they were following God in Jesusâ time ended up opposing him with murderous force.
Is this a lesson weâve taken to heart today, or can we end up making the same mistakes?
Is it too simplistic to say that love needs to be, and can become, the defining principle that God installs in our hearts to change everything? Or is that the central message in the gospel and Paulâs letters about putting faith in Jesus into practice?
In next part of our boxset, weâll look at wisdom in the Old Testament including Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and Proverbs chapters 19 to 26. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about Matthewâs gospel, chapters 1 to 20.
This seems written to introduce Jesus as part of his Jewish family, with a special place and purpose as a descendant of King David. Israel in Jesusâ time was divided over how to solve the problems of Roman occupation and see the kingdom of God restore the quality of life they longed for. Matthew seems to describe Jesus in ways that would remind Jewish people of Moses and show that he has the power to unite them, as well as bring Godâs kingdom into their world in unexpected ways.
But what would it take to follow Jesus and gain the life he promised? What does this mean for us today?
Bern and Owen consider Jesusâ encouragement, âYou are the light of the world,â and who Jesus pointed to as role models. This wasnât to religious people or those who thought they had worked out what God wanted already, but to children who would be willing and able to learn.
Do we really aspire to be like this? Do we know how much capacity we have to change our minds, or do we try not to? What would it take to reveal our true potential to live differently and realise what God has made us to be?
In next part of our boxset, weâll finish Matthewâs gospel and look at Paulâs letters to the Galatians and Ephesians. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about 2 Samuel chapters 11 to 24 and Psalms 42 to 51.
After the rise of King David came corruption which affected him, the community around him, and his family. We can only guess what was in his mind when he acted on his desire for another manâs wife, but we can see what was in his heart after being called out by the prophet Nathan.
Davidâs mixture of feelings and his meeting with God was recorded in Psalm 51. Bern and Owen wonder how much of this pointed to Davidâs need for more from God, and Godâs plan to offer more than religion and ritual sacrifices ever could.
Ultimately, Godâs promise to build David a house would be fulfilled, and weâll look at that in next part of our boxset - Matthewâs gospel, chapters 1 to 20. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about 1 Samuel chapter 21 through to 2 Samuel chapter 10.
The rise of King David is inspiring, like a hero story, although with some tragic twists to come. Davidâs initial struggles donât just show his character as he hopes and trusts in God, but he meets creatively with God and ends up expressing all kinds of relatable conflict through the poetry and songs of the Psalms.
This made Bern and Owen reflect on their chances to be creative, what attracted them to Vineyard as a church movement, and how creativity with God is working out for them. Itâs not all about music and creative arts, but the creativity needed to build relationships and be parents. Can we learn about doing this well through Davidâs vulnerability and honesty, as well as his creative expressions of joy, hope, pain and longing in life?
David was blessed by God with success and, at the peak of his achievements, he offered to build God a house. In one of the Bibleâs most significant twists, God then offered to build David a house - not a temple, but a family line which would be the backbone of the Jewish nation, but also lead to a saviour and fulfilment of Godâs promise to make his people a light to the world.
The next part of our boxset will look at the rest of 2 Samuel as well as Psalms 42 to 51. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
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