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:
- The Spanish artwork mentioned by Rick - Ecce Homo (García Martínez and Giménez)
- N. T. Wright’s “Surprised by Hope”
- Jürgen Moltmann’s “The Crucified God”
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/.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.