Musings

Thoughts on Biblical and Theological Themes, as well as Other Things

recent posts

  • Vol 1:5 – Jesus! God with Us? — What If God Was One of Us?

    I concluded my last post with the following statement: “the next post offers some thoughts on how God became one of us in the person of Jesus, dwelt among us, for the purpose of restoring our breathing, restoring us (even, to re-story our lives), so that we might catch our breath again and be able to breath deeply – celebrating and giving praise to The One whose name we breathe.”

    Perhaps before I get into that, it might be important to think about the relationship between the One Who Is, Who is Being itself, the One whose name is expressed by the action of breathing and Jesus, whom John proclaims as God becoming one of us (John 1:14) and Matthew expresses as God with us (Matthew 1:23).

    (more…)

  • Vol 1:4 – Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the LORD

    The book of Psalms ends with this declaration: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD (YHWH).”

    If you read through the last posts, you’ll note that God’s name is an action, rather than a noun or a verb, that God’s name (with its close connections to the Hebrew verb “to be”) is unpronounceable because God’s name is not spoken, but it rather breathed. Understanding that God’s name is the action of breathing in and out, we come to realize that God is at the center of all that is living – but more so than that – God is at the center of all that is. The psalmist declares that all that breathes, in coming to grasp the enormity of God’s presence is to give praise to God.

    (more…)

  • Vol 1:3 – A Metaphor for Life, or Perhaps More Than a Metaphor

    One of the metaphors I have used for life and ministry has to do with breathing. The act of purposeful breathing is something that brings calmness to us, helps us to destress, decrease our heart rate and blood pressure – all important things for me as I age. Yet, also, in that breathing is foundational for living, I also regard breathing as a metaphor for the spiritual life.

    (more…)

  • Vol 1:2 – If God’s Name is Breathed, What Does the 3rd Commandment Mean?

    The third commandment of the Ten Commandments expresses, ““You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7, NIV). In my last post I stated that God’s name is an action, in fact it is expressed through the act of breathing (see August 12, 2025, Vol 1:1 – God’s Name is an Action!). If that is indeed the case, then how can we, do we, misuse God’s name, if the act of breathing expresses the name of God?

    (more…)

  • Vol 1:1 – God’s Name is an Action!

    Have you ever wondered what God’s name is?  It’s not “God” because that is more or less a generic term – a term used to describe something or someone we cannot describe.  We give this that which is indescribable the term generic term “God.”  But the term “God” comes nowhere close to naming God.

    There is no awe, no wonder, no nuance, no hidden presence, no glory.

    (more…)