Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
“In the pit again, naturally”

“In the pit again, naturally”

Last updated on: September 25, 2023 at 11:44 am by Frederick Schmidt

0 Comments

“In the pit again, naturally” 2023-09-25T11:44:14-06:00 Frederick Schmidt

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners’ Dreams

40 Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

41 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.

Genesis 40:1-41:14

I don’t typically pay much attention to my dreams. Like most of us, I tend to forget them the moment I wake up. The rest of them are usually a train wreck between an attic and the Victoria and Albert Museum. But occasionally they stick, and they seem to have a clear meaning. When I moved from Washington, DC and the National Cathedral to Dallas, Texas and Southern Methodist University, I had one of those meaningful dreams.

I had prayed a lot about the move and I was certain that vocationally it was the right choice to make. I had really enjoyed being on the Cathedral staff, and there is nothing like the National Cathedral in the United States. But my role as Canon Educator entailed building public programs, and I was fast becoming Oprah Winfrey to the theologically acute masses. I was certain that the move to SMU (although it was a Methodist institution) would make it easier to live out my vocations as a priest and as an academic.

But it was a big adjustment and Texas, itself, requires a bit of eye adjustment. You can see forever. Most of what counts as trees look like over-grown shrubs. And the weather is bi-polar. I arrived in the middle of 89-day drought that finally broke with torrential thunderstorms and baseball-sized hail. So, I was really struggling to “feel” what I “knew” was the right move.

Then one night I dreamed that I was back at the Cathedral. The feelings associated with the dream were more important than what happened. I felt elated to be back. But the moment I sat down at my desk, I could hear an inner voice say, “You’ve done everything you can here.” And I no more than realized that the voice was right, than I woke up. I thought to myself, “Well, God bless Texas!”

I tell you this story, because I think that for most of us, the persistent emphasis on dreams in the Joseph saga strike us as far-fetched. But all of us have at least one dream that is meaningful to us and others have a lot of them. Dreams are the product of our subconscious. Our minds continue to work on problems and challenges. And I am convinced that God speaks to us through them – sometimes, even more effectively than in conscious moments, because our defenses are down and we are open to hearing what God has to say to us.

Joseph also lived in a culture that was ready to hear the voice of God. People who are not religious are convinced that this doesn’t happen. And it doesn’t in the lives of people who don’t believe it is possible, because they aren’t open to the possibility anyway. A person who thinks that art is rubbish and a waste of time, won’t see anything of value in a painting. And people who have a tin ear or little or no experience with music are more likely to think that there is no music worth listening to. Joseph lived in a world where people believed that it was worth listening.

What unfolds in chapters 40 and 41, then, is driven by dreams. But this time, Joseph isn’t the dreamer. He is the interpreter of dreams. Having been framed by Potifar’s wife he is imprisoned in the “round house”, a prison that is as much pit, as it is jail. With apologies to Gilbert O’ Sullivan, Joseph must have thought, “In the pit, again, naturally”.

The titles of Joseph’s cellmates contribute to our understanding of the story. One is the Pharaoh’s Cupbearer, the other is his Baker. These men are not royalty, then, but they do work in the Pharaoh’s household. They have jobs that carry with them a measure of prestige and a modest claim of intimacy with the Pharaoh and the royal household. Think “Downton Abbey”, only ancient Egypt.

There is also another layer to their role, however, that has nothing to do with the servant class in “jolly old” England. Both of these men are responsible for what the Pharaoh consumes. And ancient intrigue being what it is, they are also charged with protecting the Pharaoh from being poisoned. The Cupbearer, for example, is a cross between a sommelier and a body guard. He is not only entrusted with choosing and pouring the Pharaoh’s wine, he is charged with sampling it, just in case it is poisoned. And the Baker had similar responsibilities.

After some days, Joseph approaches them. The fact that he does this makes clear that Joseph is a different man than the entitled kid with the electric coat. In the past, he had the dreams and he co-opted his family, forcing them to the makeshift audience for stories in which he was the center of attention. But at the end of chapter 39 in Genesis we are told that the warden had put everyone in the prison in Joseph’s care, and that the Lord was with Joseph and gave success to his efforts.

So, this time, he is alert to those around him. And the man who has received mercy, shows mercy. Knowing this helps us understand why Joseph asks about his cellmates’ well-being. But Joseph’s question also displays new attentiveness to those around him.

He asks the two prisoners “Why are your faces downcast today?” The question not only suggests that Joseph has discovered new-found interest in others, but that he is also alert to smaller differences. The Hebrew word, raiym, which is translated “downcast”, is actually far more complex. It can mean “sad, angry, troubled or perplexed”, and it may suggest that Joseph can tell that cupbearer is genuinely mystified that his master has imprisoned him, while the baker is angry that he has been discovered.

If that is the case, then the dreams that they describe and the interpretations that Joseph offers are certainly easier to understand. The Cupbearer may have fell foul of the Pharaoh’s enemies, or he may have simply missed something as small as a fly that took a swan dive into the Pharaoh’s wine. But if the Baker put a stone into the Pharaoh’s bread in order to choke him, then it was more likely a matter of premeditated murder or a scheme to increase the weight of the flour and charge the Pharaoh’s household for more.

In response to Joseph’s inquiry, his cellmates tell him that they have “dreamed a dream”, and the Cupbearer asks Joseph to “solve” the dream. The way that he asks for Joseph’s help suggests that what he expects is the kind of help that Egyptians of the day typically provided. Dreams were meant to be deciphered or decoded; and schools called “houses of life” were designed to train specialists in the technique of “solving dreams”. Joseph makes every effort to help the Cupbearer, but he is also clear that the help he will provide is given to him by God: “’Are not solutions from God?’” The expression “we have dreamed a dream” also suggests that the two servants may have seen their dreams as two parts of the same dream or as somehow alike. And it suggests that they view their dream as a window into their shared fate.

As it turns out, however, their dreams reflect very different outcomes, driven, perhaps, in part by the fact that the one has a clear conscience and the other does not. This may also explain why the Baker waits to ask for Joseph’s help.

The dreams themselves contain common elements and great differences. Both dreams allude to three days. The imagery alludes to their respective roles: the one features grape vines, the other features baskets of bread and bakery goods. In both dreams the Pharaoh “lifts up” their heads. But the one “lifting-up” leads to recognition, restoration, and trust, while the other gives way to execution and the attention of vultures.

Despite Joseph’s request that the Cupbearer remember him, he forgets Joseph. It is two years before another opportunity presents itself and this time, it is the Pharaoh that has a dream. It is urgent need for an interpreter that prompts the Cupbearer to recommend Joseph and he is invited to help.

Significantly, even though Joseph prepares himself for his appearance in the Pharaoh’s court in the way that any Egyptian would – insuring for example, that he is clean-shaven – he doesn’t forget that he is dependent upon God. When Pharaoh suggests that Joseph will be the solution to his problem and asks him to interpret his dream, Joseph is just as pointed as he was with the Cupbearer and Baker: “Not I. God will answer for Pharaoh’s well-being.”

So, listening with the story of Joseph, the interpreter of dreams, what can we learn? It’s a story, of course, and like all good stories the lessons aren’t there on the surface in bold type. But let me put some of those lessons in that form, so that we don’t lose track of them:

One, listen to your dreams.

If you are like me, there are times when they won’t have much to tell you. Often you won’t remember them and if you don’t focus on them right away when you wake up, they are easy to forget. But if you have one that is vivid and speaks in meaningful ways to your life, God may be trying to tell you something.

Two, find someone to listen to them with you.

Those who know you and love you may hear things that you can’t. And even if all that they do is affirm the message you are hearing, then, the confirmation can be helpful. Also: If what you hear involves change and commitment, it is valuable to have friends who can hold you accountable.

Three, and more broadly, remember to be faithful, even if you think you might be forgotten.

It is easy to read the story of Joseph and assume that Joseph was forgotten so that the Cupbearer remembered him at just the right time. That might be the case. But I doubt it. It was, in fact, wrong of him to forget Joseph and it is more likely that he chose not to remember him. If there had not been an advantage to him in helping the Pharaoh, I doubt that he would have ever said anything. It is also important to remember that the two additional years in prison were undoubtedly lonely and unproductive for Joseph. But the message of Joseph’s story is that being remembered by others is not the point. The point is being faithful. Joseph had learned, whatever our circumstances, the key to moving forward in life is put ourselves back into God’s hands. And that can only be done by being both consistent and faithful.

Four, remember when you are blessed, pay it forward.

We are blessed to be a blessing. Joseph reflects this conviction in the active interest that shows in his cellmates’ disposition. And a missed opportunity – as well as the consequences – are evident in the forgetfulness of the Cupbearer. God is gracious and because God is gracious, we are called show grace to others.

Fifth and finally, remember even when things go wrong, God is still on our side.

The promise of the Old and New Testaments is not that faithfulness will be repaid in material terms. The logic of Scripture is that a life of wisdom and meaning begins with acknowledging that there is a God and that we are not.

Dag Hammarskjöld, who was Secretary General of the United Nations, from 1953 to 1961 put it succinctly: “God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason.” Hammarskjöld was right. We all die. But we need not die to truth, beauty, and wisdom. Nor do we need to grieve without hope.

And Joseph understood this. We may find ourselves in a pit more than once in our lives. But we do not need to be alone or without direction.

The image is by Rembrandt

Some useful sources on the Joseph saga:

https://jibs.hcommons.org/2022/11/02/4-2-homrighausen-forgetting-the-forgetter/

https://www.bethmelekh.com/yaakovs-commentary/genesis-40-interpreter-of-dreams

General Christian

Previous Post

September 15, 2023

What is behind the Great Pastor Resignation?

Next Post

September 26, 2023 "I don't have any friends here anymore."

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"https://uploads.disquscdn.c..."

Debby Mariusson

You don’t want to be a ..."

""... when ACNA was established, the question of women's ordination was left to the individual ..."

Frederick William Schmidt

Breaking up the Anglican Communion

"In addition to the poor grammar in this article, I see two points which require ..."

David Gibbs

Breaking up the Anglican Communion

"I'm sure my comment comes out of left field for you, Frederick. It questions the ..."

Gary M

On a “Fearless Moral Inventory”

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "cultured despisers" "Knife: Meditations after an Attempted Murder" "Mountaintop" Experiences "The Second Coming" 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 1 Timothy 1:12-17 1 Timothy 1:14 1776 21st Century 24-Hour News Cycle 250 Anniversary 9/11 Abide abortion Abraham Abraham Cycle Absolution Abuse ACNA Acts Acts 2 Advent Advent 3 Advent One Afghanistan Aging Agnosticism Agnostics Akedah Al Mohler Albert Mohler Albert Outler All Saints All Saints Day Allies Ally ALS Alzheimer's America AMIA Amy Coney Barrett Anarchists Anarchy Anger Anglican Anglican Church Anglican Communion Animals Anniversaries of Loss anorexia Anxiety Apocalypse Apocalyptic Apocalyptic Dread apocalyptic literature Apologetic Theology Apologize Apology Apostle Apostle Paul Archbishop Desmond Tutu Archbishop of Canterbury Art Acevedo Asbury University Ascension Ash Wednesday Ashes to Go Ashes with glitter Atheism Atheists Atonement Augustine Authority Authors Awake Awareness Baptism Baptism and Eucharist Baptism by fire Baptism by Spirit and by Fire Baptism of Christ Baptism of the Holy Spirit Baptismal Covenant baptismal vows Baptizing Jesus Baton Rouge BBC BCP Beatitudes Belief Believing Benedict Benedict's Rule Benedictine Benefactor Beneficiary Benton Johnson Beth Dutton Bexley Bi-vocational Ministry Bible biblical creation Biblical Interpretation Biblical Narrative Big Bang Bill Brosend Bill of Rights Bioethics Bishops Black Lives Matter Blessed Board of Examining Chaplains Body Image Body of Christ Book of Common Prayer Book of Discipline Book of Revelation Book subtitles Book titles Books Boomers Boundaries Bret Weinstien Brian Thompson Buddy Christ Buffalo Buildings bulemia C. S. Lewis C.S. Lewis Call Call of God Calling Camp Mystic Cancel Culture Cancer Capitulation Care for the Poor Care giving Catechesis Cathedrals Catholic Catholicism Celebratory Theology Celtic Spirituality Celts CES Chaplains Charlie Gard Charlie Hebdo Charlie Hedbo Charlie Kirk ChatGPT Children Children's Grief Awareness Day Christ Christ as Judge Christ our Passover Christ the King Christian Christian Conscience Christian education Christian formation Christian leadership Christian life Christian response to violence Christian Spiritual Journey Christian Spirituality Christianity Christmas Christmas Eve Christmastide Christy Thomas Church Church and State Church growth Church of England Church planting Church revitalization Church vitality church weddings Civic discourse Clergy Clergy Spouses climate change Clinton Cognicide Collect Common Prayer Communication Communicative Theology Communion Community Comparative religious studies Compassion Conciliar Christianity Confession Confirmation Conflict congregational life Congregational Vitality congregations Conscience Consciousness conspiracy theories Constitution Consumers Context Conventions Conversion Coptic Christians Coptic Church Coronavirus Councils Counselors Covenant School Covid Covid-19 Crackers and Grape Juice creation creation debate Creationism Creator Critical Theology Cross Crucifixion Cultural Christianity Culture Cure of Souls Dallas Damon Linker David Harbour Deacons Dead Poets Society Dean R. Hoge Death Death and Dying Death of Innocents death of the young Decline Deconstruct Deconstructionism Deconstructionists Definition of Woman Dementia Democracy Democrats Denominational decline Denominational Leaders Denominations Derision Desmond Tutu Diane Feinstein Difference difference of opinion dignity of all human beings Disability Disagreement Disaster Discernment Discipleship Discrimination Disillusionment Dispensationalism Dispute Resolution Diversity Divine love Divine Mercy Divorce Doctrine of the Trinity Dogma Dogs Donal Trump Donald A. Luidens Donald Trump Dones Dorothy Sayers Doubt Doubting Thomas Dreams Dreams and Dreamwork dunamis Easter Eastertide Ecclesiology Economic Shutdown Ecumenism Education Egeria election Election Day Election Night Elizabeth Jeannette Taylor Moulin Elizabeth Lesser Ellie Wiesel Emilio Gentile Epiphany Episcopacy Episcopal Church Episcopal Church Building Fund Episcopal Divinity School Episcopal Elections Epistle to the Hebrews Equity Esau Esau and Israel Esau and Jacob eschatological expectation Eschatology Eternal Life Eternity ethics Eucharist Eucharistic Spirituality Evangelicalism Evangelicals Evangelism Evangelist Evil evolution Examen Exploitation Faith Faith and politics Faith Formation Family Fatherhood Fathers Feeding of the Multitude Feminism First Responders Flag Flood Foot washing Footwashing Forgiveness Formation Fortitude Founder Fourth of July Frederick Douglass Freedom Freedom of Speech Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Schleiermacher Friend Friends Friendship Fruit of the Spirit fundagelicals Fundamentalism Fundamentalism and Politics Fundamentalist Christianity Fundamentalist vs. Progressive Christianity fundamentists Funeral Directors Funeral Industry Funerals Future Futuring GAFCON Galatians 5:22-23 Galileo Gen X General Conference General Convention General Ordination Examination General Theological Seminary Generation Generation X Generational Differences Generations Genesis Genesis 22 Genesis 32:3-32; 33:1-11 Genesis 40-41 George Floyd George W. Truett Theological Seminary Giving Global Church Global North Global South Globalization God God of the gaps God with us Good Fridauy Good Friday Good Samaritan Google Gordon-Conwell Gospel Gospel of Mark Gospel of Matthew Gospels Grace Gratitude Greatness Grief Grief Awareness Month Grit Guilt Gun control Gun Violence Guns Habakkuk Hal Lindsey Hamas Harmonial Religion Harry Potter Healing and Restoration Health care professionals Heaven and hell Helping Professions Henri Nouwen Higher Education Hillary Clinton history Hobby Lobby Hold my mule Holidays Holocaust Holy Family Holy Spirit Holy Thursday Holy Week Homeless Homiletics Hope Hospitality Hotel California House of Bishops Hugh Hefner human dignity Humility Hypocrisy I Corinthians Identity if your pastor doesn't Ignatius of Loyola II Corinthians illness image of God Immanuel Immigration Immortality Incarnation Inclusion Independence Day Independents Infant baptism Inheritor Inspiration Instagram Intergenerational relationships Internet Intimacy Irenaeus of Lyons ISIS Islam Islamic Fundamentalism Israel Israelis Jacob James Pike James Stewart Jascha Mounk Jeff Hardin Jeffrey Epstein Jesus Jesus as Judge Jesus Christ Jesus followers Joan Chittester Job's Comforters Job's Friends jobs Joe Biden John 13 John 15 John 18:33-37 John 1:1-18 John Lewis John McWhorter John Shelby Spong John the Baptist John Wesley John's Gospel Johnb 1:1-18 Johns Hopkins University Jonah Jonah 1:11-16 Jonah 2 Jordan Peterson Joseph Journalism Journey Jr. Judging Jesus Judgment July 4 Justice Justin Welby Karl Menninger Karl Rahner Kate Spelman Ken Burns Kenosis Kentucky Kevin Ho Kingdom of God Kings Kings of Israel Knowledge KY Labor Lament Lance Armstrong Language Larry Ellison Lawyers Lazarus Leadership Leadership and Fear Left Behind Lent Leon Kass Lex Credendi Liberal Protestantism Liberalism Life poured out Limitation Litigation Liturgical Revision Liturgy Living in the moment Lk 6:17-26 Loneliness Long-Term Care Lord of the Rings Los Angeles Loss Louise Perry Love Love Command luches toward Bethlehem Luke 10 Luke 12:49-56 Luke 14:13-14 Luke 14:28-30 Luke 18:1-8 Luke 19:1-10 Luke 21 Luke 21:25-36 Luke 21:27-28 Luke 24:36-48 Luke 3:15-17 Luke 3:7-14 Luke 4:1-13 Luke 6:27-38 Luke 9:1-13 lvation Madonna Magic Mainline Protestantism Manchester Mandalorians Marcus Borg Marilyn Monroe Mark 13 Mark Driscoll Mark Sandlin marriage Mars Hill Martin Luther King Martin Scorcese martyr Marxists Mary Mass Murder Mass Shootings Masters of Divinity Materialism Materialist Matthew 13 Matthew 20:1-16 Maundy Thursday Medical Ethics Meditatio Meetings MegaChurch Meister Eckhart Memes Memorialist Men Mentoring Menu Mercy Mere Christianity Messiah Complex Metaphor Methodism Methodist Church Micah 6:8 Micah Jackson Michael Curry Michael Tobin Millennials Minds ministers Ministry Ministry of Reconciliation Minneapolis Minya Miracles Miracles and the Kingdom of God Mission Monastic spirituality Money Montana Moral Inventory Moral Theologies (aka Ethics) Moral Theology Moral Therapeutic Deism morality Mortality Mother of Jesus Mother Teresa of Calcutta Mothers Mt 11:2-3 Mt 13:54-58 Mt 24:36-44 Mt 3:13-15 murder Murder of Brian Thompson Music Musicians Name-calling Nashville National Children's Grief Awareness Month NATO Natural Disaster Neo-Nazis Neurological Diseases Never Again New Atheists New Testament Studies New Year New Year's Resolutions News cycle NFL Nicene Creed Non-denom Non-Man Nones Normal Norman Perrin Notre Dame Nurses Nursing Homes NYC October 7 Online Services Online worship Open Communion opinion Oprah Winfrey Oracle Ordained life Order of St. Benedict Ordination Orthodox Palestinians Palm Sunday Palm Sunday Liturgy Pandemic Parable of the Generous Landowner Parable of the Tares Parable of the Weeds Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard Parenting Parents Paris Parish Growth Parish Revitalization Parkinson's Part-time Ministry Partisanship Passover Pastoral Care Pastoral Leadership pastors Patheos Patriotism Paul PayPal Peace Penal Substitution Penal Substitutionary Atonement Pentecost People of Ukraine Perkins School of Theology Peter Peter Thiel Pets Pew Foundation Pharisees Pharoah Philippians 2:5-8 Physical violence Physicians Pit Playboy Plot Politics Politics and Spirituality Politics and the Pulpit Poor Possession Post-Christian Post-Christianity Post-modernism Poverty power Pray Prayer Prayer Book Revisiton Prayer in public Prayerbook revision pre-marital counseling Preaching Prejudice President President of the United States Presidential Candidates presidential election Presidential Primaries Presiding Bishop Priesthood priests Priests and Politics Prima Scriptura Primitive Christianity Prince Andrew Prison Problem of Suffering Professional boundaries Program Progressive Christianity Progressive Protestantism Progressives Prophet Prophetic Speech Protest Protestant Reformation Protestantism PRRI Public Discourse Public Office Public Policy Public Prayer Publishers punching down punching up Putin Racism Radical Feminism Razib Kahn real presence Reconciliation Regret Relationship Relationship with Jesus Relationships Religion Religion and Politics Religious News Service Repentance Republicans Resilience Resurrection Retirement homes Revelation Reversal Revival Richard Dawkins Righteous Indignation Rights Robert W. Lyon Robin DiAngelo Robin Williams Rock Concert Roman Catholic Church Romans 13:1-7 Ronald A. Binzley Ronald L. Numbers Rosh Hashanah Rough beast Rowan Williams Royal Wedding Rueben P. Job Rule of Life running Russia Ruth Bader Ginsburg sacrament Sacramental Sacraments Sacred Space Sacrifice of Isaac SAG Awards Saints Salman Rushdie Salvation Sanctification Sarah Mullally Sarah Olson Saving Work of God SBNR SBNRs Schism School safety School shootings Science Science and Christianity Science and Religion Scientific rationalism Scot McKnight Scripture Seabury Seabury-Bexley Second Corinthians Seeing Seekers Self-Care Self-examination Self-Governance semeia Seminarians Seminaries Seminary Seminary education Seneca Sentimentality Sequel Sergey Brin Sermon Preparation Sermons Servant Service SETs Sex Sexism Sexual Harrassment Sexual Revolution Shame Shanghai Shenandoah Shutdown signs Silence Sin Sin and Guilt Skepticism Slavery Snake Pit Snakes Sobriety Social agenda Social Media Sola Scriptura Solidarity Son of Man Soren Kierkegaard Sorrow Soteriology Soul Care South Africa Southern Baptist Church Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Sovereignty speaking truth to power Speech Spin Spiritual Spiritual but not religious Spiritual Community Spiritual Direction Spiritual Directors International Spiritual Disciplines Spiritual Formation Spiritual Formaton Spiritual growth Spiritual Guidance Spiritual journey Spiritual Leadership Spiritual maturity Spiritual Perspectives Spiritual practice Spiritual Receptivity Spirituality Spiritually awake Squirrel Hill St. Francis of Assisi St. Ignatius St. Ignatius of Loyola St. John Chrysostom St. Matthew St. Paul Star Wars Stephen Hawking Steven Charleston Stewardship Stoicism Story Stranger Things Stuck Student Evaluations Suffering Suffering Messiah Suicide supernatural Supreme Court Syria Søren Kierkegaard Teaching of Jesus TEC TED Talk Television Temple Temptation Temptation of Jesus teras Termination of Care Terrorism Test Pattern testimony Texas Texas Hill Country Thanksgiving The 12 Disciples The Ascension The Avengers The Body of Christ The Book of Job The centre cannot hold The Church and Covid-19 The Church and Online Communities The Dave Test The Dual Commandment The Episcopal Church The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem The Feast of St. Matthew The future The Good The Gospel of John The Grave The Great Pastor Resignation The Kingdom of God The Language of Derision The Last Seven Words of Jesus The Last Temptation The Law The Lord's Prayer The Mandalorian the means of salvation The New American Spirituality The New Normal The Parable of the Good Samaritan The Parable of the Sower The Peace The Problem of Pain The Saints Go Marching In The Thursday of Holy Mysteries The Trinity The United Methodist Church The War on Poverty The Week The Weight of Glory The White Helmets the wrong side of history Theodicy Theodore Dalrymple Theological Education Theology theories of communion Theosis Therapy Thomas Aquinas Thomas Attig Thomas Merton Thomas O'Loughlin Thought and prayers Tiger Woods Tim Keller Tim LaHaye Tithing Tolerance Torah Tornado Totalitarianism Trade Towers Tradition Tragedy Transfiguration transubstantiation Travel Trinity Trinity Episcopal Church Trump Trust Truth Turmoil TX Ukraine Uncategorized Unemployment Union Theological Seminary United Methodist Church United States United States and the Holocaust United States Armed Forces United States Congress United States of America Unity Universal Communion Until We Have Faces violence Virginia Virtual Church Virtue Virtues Vision Vladimir Putin Vocation Volodymyr Zelensky Voting Vow of Stability W. B. Yeatts War Washington National Cathedral Way Wealth wedding weddings Wesleyan Western Civilization Whataboutism When Suffering Persists White Supremacists Will of God William D. Davidson William J. Abraham witness Woman Women Women's bodies wonder Woody Allen Words Work World War II world weariness Worship Writers Yellowstone Youth Ministry Zacchaeus Zealots

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 August 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz