THE ELEMENTAL LIFE

Why Allow Evil?

This week Joe takes on the issue of evil. If it's true that God created the world one way and now things function differently because of our desire to dethrone God, why doesn't God do anything about it?

Joe offers a few thoughts on ways that God might use evil for good, and then offers a thought on how to think about God in hard times.

Wanting to be the Creator

In this episode, Joe intended to go one way and all of a sudden found himself off in a totally different place than planned, one that left him wrestling with his own desire to be the creator rather than a creature.

An analogy for this which he misses in the podcast is the idea of children hitting that age when they decide to do everything on their own ... even if it ends up hurting them. In a similar way, everyday, when we do things our own way, we're like children looking at our Heavenly Father and declaring, "My way is better."

As for definitions of a few terms used in the podcast:

• Consumerism is the equation of personal happiness with the purchase of material possessions and consumption.

• Materialism is a desire for wealth and material possessions with little interest in ethical or spiritual matters.

• Individualism is a belief in the importance of the individual and the virtue of self-reliance and personal independence.

God's Story Before Our Story

Over the first five weeks of the podcast we've been laying a foundation for the source of the story that Christians use to make sense of the world around them. This week, we begin to explore the elements of the story itself, beginning with the simple words, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth."

The Bible Says What?

This week Joe finishes out his in-depth look at the introduction in the eLife by offering a few tips on how to read the Bible. His suggestions include:

1. How is the author inviting me to read these verses?
2. What was going on in the world that impacts what's written here?
3. What's happening in this book on the whole?
4. What do these passages tell me about Jesus?

Which Gospels?

Last week Joe started talking about the Bible and how it came together as a book that fleshed out the story of the Creed, corrected early errors in the teaching of the faith, created a continuity in the story of Jesus, and helped Early Christians make sense of what was becoming their Old Testament.

But how exactly did the New Testament come together, and what about all those Gnostic Gospels like Thomas, Judas, and Mary Magdalene? How do we know that we can trust the books we have in our Bible today?

But before going there, Joe, thanks to a question posted on episode 2, ponders if he's going too intellectual and too historical.

By the way, if you want a more in-depth exploration of all this, check out the "Which Jesus?" link in the show notes.

What About the Bible?

Last week we looked at the story behind the story, a narrative that ultimately was universalized in the form of the Apostles' Creed (as well as the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds). This week, we expand from the Creeds and consider the Bible's role in the telling of the Christian story.

The Story Behind the Story

The eLife isn't an original story, rather, it's a retelling of an ancient one. So, what's the story behind the story?

This week Joe explores the formation of the Apostles' Creed, an ancient statement of faith that was used when somebody converted to Christianity and was baptized. This same statement of faith is what forms the foundation of the elemental life.

In the process, he also discusses early approaches to evangelism and the Council of Nicea, where, at least in common thought today, Jesus was voted to be God ... which is a major misunderstanding of what really happened.

The eLife Begins

Yes, it's finally here. Almost a year after launching the site and teasing out the idea, the eLife podcast is now off and running.

This week we'll lay out how the podcast connects to the book, talk about who the podcast is for, and give a quick glance at what's to come.

Thanks for the patience, I'm look forward to what's to come!

My Life in the Cycle

It's been months since the eLife podcast was supposed to launch and it's going to be a few more.

Part of the process of writing a book about the life of faith is having to apply the context to your own life and faith. As I've taken myself through the cycle personally, it's become clear that I need some extensive time in the fire.

Therefore, I'm taking a few months (or more) off from pastoral ministry to allow God to do this hard work in my life and prepare me for whatever it is that he has me in for on the other side.

Please keep both my family and I in prayer during this challenging time.