On today’s episode, The Rev. Rick Morley and Elliot VanHoy try and muddle through the second half of the Book of Jeremiah as Natalee Hill is on vacation.
Rick begins by putting the whole of the Old Testament in the context of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent captivity. Although it is the most prominent story in the Hebrew Bible, it is generally lost in the modern consciousness.
They talk about how the Old Testament as a whole, and the prophets in particular, are trauma documents, written with Babylon looming large. Isaiah deals with it by giving warnings and hope, Jeremiah spend a lot of time on warnings, and Ezekiel uses it as an opportunity to say that God is with us even in the hardest of times.
Elliot brings us Heschel’s book, “The Prophets” because he was struggling with the depiction of the anger of God.
They note that the only reference to the New Covenant in the Old Testament is in the Book of Jeremiah, and how that shows that the judgement of Jeremiah does not end there, but propels the story forward.
Rick tells the story of his job at a wilderness residential treatment center for troubled boys, where if the boys didn’t chop enough wood, they suffered the consequences of being cold. Jeremiah is like this, for it show the Babylonian Affair as being the real consequences of their actions in breaking the covenant with God.
Elliot and Rick also struggle with a wood chipper running outside the window, and muse how Jeremiah can kind of be like a wood chipper sometimes…
Also noted in this episode:
Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA. Season two, Cover to Cover is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.
A full copy list of readings for 2025 may be found on our website at https://stdavidschurch.org/crossconnections
If you have questions for us, you can call us at 484.588.5656 and leave a voicemail with your name, where you’re from, and your question or comment. Please note, we may use your recorded voice in an upcoming episode of Cross Connections. You can also email us at crossconnections@stdavidschurch.org.
Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.
You are welcome to learn more about all of St. David’s worship offerings and ministries at https://stdavidschurch.org/.