Seminary Stowaways

On this episode, we talk about Bible translators and the benefits of reading multiple translations for a fuller understanding of God's Word.

Luann walks us through an exploration into the Hebrew roots of Sabbath, and explains the difference in keeping the Sabbath and in Sabbath-keeping practices.

Welcome aboard, Stowaways! This week on Seminary Stowaways, we welcome our first guest, friend of the pod, Brion Daugherty. Brion spent 4 years working on his Ph.D. in Old Testament at the University of Bristol, in addition to being a super brain he’s a down-to-earth, lovely person. And he was kind enough to answer all our questions as we prepare to jump head-first into Worship Practices. We’ll be running into the Old Testament everywhere we turn in this class, so first we wanted to know, “Why does the Old Testament matter so much?” “Can you be a good Christian and not know anything about the Exodus or the Passover?” Stick around for this one, folks.

This week Luann and I are taking some time to build a framework before we jump into the next class that she tackled in seminary: Worship Practices. We’re doing this because the class turned out to be totally different than she expected. Like any class, content is very influenced by the instructor, and her professor this term came from a very strong viewpoint. Luann found herself dissatisfied with the explanations that she was being given. As she asked more and more questions, well… it started to reminded her of the days that drove her away from the church all those years ago. And that led to many conversations between the two of us. About the very specific theology this professor embraces, about the places where critical thinking isn’t always welcome and even (eventually) about Worship Practices).

Lectio Divina is an approach to scripture that focuses on presence and listening rather than study. It’s an ancient practice, but it’s seen a resurgence in recent days, and has actually stirred up a bit of Controversy within Christian circles. What is all the fuss??? Well, stick around and we’ll unpack it all together.

In this episode of Seminary Stowaways Luann shares what she has been learning about the spiritual discipline of Lament. We look at the Psalms for guidance on how we can approach God when we are full of pain, anger or confusion. Is there a right way to lament? Is it possible to go too far - to be too uncensored as we pour out our hearts before God? Hosts Hannah and Luann have very different histories when it comes to telling God just what they think of the painful times in life. You don’t want to miss this episode.

This week Luann is sharing what she’s been learning in seminary about discernment, as explained by beloved writer, philosopher and pilgrim, Henri Nouwen. Is discernment a gift or a discipline? How does God want to speak to us? What is required on our part? What if we don’t feel like God is saying… much of anything? And what does Nouwen say about the worst possible thing God might be saying to us: Wait.

Where do spiritual disciplines come from and why are they such a central and challenging part of the Christian faith? Can we opt out? Make up our own? Anchors aweigh, Stowaways, as Luann shares what she's been learning about this topic in seminary.

What do we mean when we use the word 'calling'? What does it mean Biblically? And why did Luann's first seminary class start here? Join the discussion as Hannah and Luann examine the idea of calling through a new lens and find some clarity about their own callings in the process.

We can't wait to release our first episode into the wild. Until then, here's a small preview!