Lisa Harper's Back Porch Theology

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to explore one of my favorite pastimes, which is gathering around a table with a group of dear friends, sharing a great meal, and talking until the cows come home or someone starts flicking the lights! All too often meals in our post-post-modern culture are harried affairs that involve more staring at phone screens than looking at and listening to each other. Or else we’re gobbling fast food in the car while juggling a business call on Bluetooth. But gathering and eating and talking around the table was highly valued during the incarnate ministry of Jesus Christ. Table fellowship was the centerpiece of first century culture and community in the Ancient Near East. In his book, Tell It Slant, author and theologian, the late great Dr. Eugene Peterson, puts it like this: Jesus taught in the synagogues and preached in the temple, but settings of hospitality seemed to be Jesus’ venue of choice for dealing with kingdom matters. Case in point, one of the most beloved stories in the gospels – the feeding of the five thousand – revolves around a massive fish and chips miracle; the jaw-dropping salvation of a wee little man named Zacchaeus took place when Jesus invited Himself to Zach’s house for lunch; and the poignant scene where a profoundly grateful woman washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with oil from her alabaster box took place during a dinner party. Gathering around a table is often a harbinger for healing in the four gospel accounts. If you enjoy sharing a great meal with great friends – today’s episode is going to fit you like a glove. More importantly, if you ache to be welcomed to a meal with a group of folk who treat you like a friend, we pray Holy Spirit uses the next forty-five minutes or so to remind you that you always have a seat at God’s table. And His invitation isn’t simply to share a meal, y’all - it’s to move in and find your home in His unconditional love. So please grab a cup of coffee and your Bible – unless you’re picking burrs out of your naughty Goldendoodle puppy’s fur, of course – and come hang out on the porch with Ally, Dr. Howard, Belle and me.  Sight & Sound TV on demand at Sight-Sound.TV Or Download the App!  Save 25% on Dwell at DwellBible.com/Lisa

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to have an absolute – albeit perhaps convicting for the busy beavers among us – blast because we’re going to be exploring the biblical imperative of play. Dr. Brian Edgar, a professor at Asbury Seminary, explains it this way: Just as in everyday life work without play makes one dull, in the Christian life service without a playful relationship with God leads to spiritual dullness. Could it be that in the theological framework of school, our Creator Redeemer places as much value on recess as He does on reading, writing and arithmetic? Is it possible that enjoying something God created so much that we burst into belly laughter could foster as much intimacy with Him as Bible study? What would it look like to truly take our faith seriously but ourselves not so much? Today’s convo is riddled with giggles and doesn’t contain quite as many multi-syllabic theological terms as usual, but it’s a seriously important issue to consider how we can better embody the authentic joy that Jesus died to give us access to. Quite frankly, I think our lack of genuine, demonstrative joy is one of the biggest blemishes on the bride of Christ today and unfortunately is one of the reasons our witness doesn’t resonate with the watching world. So please grab of cup of coffee and your Bible – unless you’re dusting that super gross top side of your ceiling fans, of course – and come hang out on the porch with Ally, Dr. Howard and me. Don’t Look Back is available at ChurchSource.com/Christine.  Sight & Sound TV on demand at Sight-Sound.TV Or Download the App!  Save 25% on God’s Big Promises Bible at TheGoodBook.com/GodsBigPromises. Use code Lisa at Checkout.

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to excavate what could loosely be called one of the crown jewels of the Hebrew Scriptures because out of all the passages of the Old Testament that are referenced in the New Testament, Psalm 110 is the one that’s repeated the most often. Jesus uses it in Matthew’s Gospel account to confuse a crew of condescending Pharisees; Peter uses it as one of his main points when he preached the very first post Easter sermon from the Southern Steps of the Temple during the festival of Pentecost after which thousands of people put their hope and faith in Jesus Christ as the resurrected Messiah; and the author of Hebrews devotes almost an entire chapter to this petite Psalm that was a perennial favorite of early Christians. However, it can be perplexing if you don’t understand the prophetic nature of David’s ancient lyrics. Which is why Ally, Dr. Howard and I are going to do our very best to wipe the fog off this biblical windshield because it’s one of the keys to having a solid theological scaffolding and it’s foundational to maintaining our hope about the future. So please grab a cup of coffee and your Bible – unless you’re biting your fingernails because you just watched your sixteen-year-old pull out of the driveway and head toward school without you for the first time, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us. Don’t Look Back is available at ChurchSource.com/Christine.  Sight & Sound TV on demand at Sight-Sound.TV Or Download the App!  Save 25% on God’s Big Promises Bible at TheGoodBook.com/GodsBigPromises.com. Use code Lisa at Checkout.

We’ve titled today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology – How Do We Know When God Says Go – because we’re using the seasonal theme of “Back to School” to talk honestly about transition. Whether it’s graduating from one grade to the next, leaving home to strike out on our own, changing careers, saying goodbye to a relationship or a loved one, moving from one neighborhood to another, one city to another, one state to another or even from one country to another, we’re all going to come face to face with change on a regular basis whether we’re comfortable with it or not! So what does this divine love letter called the Bible reveal about when to leave and when to stay? Why are there 74 Selahs – or sacred pauses – in biblical narrative and when are we supposed to put our own proverbial cars in neutral instead of racing ahead? How can we learn to lean into the curves of this wild ride called life, especially when we can’t see around the corner of our circumstances? Speaking of wild rides, Ally and Dr. Howard are back in the BPT house today after taking their own summer breaks, which means this convo is going to be both rowdy and rooted in a deep love for each other, as well as for God and His Word. So please grab a cup of coffee – I’m still drinking mine iced because even though we’re cruising toward Fall, it’s still hot and humid in Nashville - and grab your Bible – unless your hands are sticky from braising brisket for a late summer barbeque, of course, and come kick up your feet on the porch with us! Check out the P O U R Over podcast each Monday, Wednesday and Friday wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is the final episode, – the compelling caboose, if you will - of our sizzling summer series called If God Is Perfectly Good Then Why Did ______ Happen? The brilliant spiritual diamond we’ve been examining from all kinds of angles is theodicy – which means the vindication of our Redeemer’s absolute goodness and providence in view of the existence of physical and moral evil. And the facet we’re going to gaze at today reflects our responsibility as Christ-followers to pursue unity in this wildly diverse community called humanity. Despite lots of Christian’s comfort zone, homogeny is not a characteristic of the New Covenant. In fact, the “every tribe and tongue” part of John’s glorious vision in Revelation negates our natural tendency toward tribalism. Following Christ’s ascension in the New Testament, it becomes increasingly clear that avoiding our own version of Samaria is no longer an option, nor is keeping our head in the proverbial sand. As Elie Wiesel (pronounced El-ee Wee-zell) soberly observed in his classic book “Night,” which recounts his experience in Auschwitz during the Holocaust, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Since Alli’s still unpacking boxes after she and Jonathan moved to a new house, my brilliant spiritual brother E.J. Gaines graciously agreed to guest host another episode. And quite frankly, there’s not too many people I respect more when it comes to dealing with difficult topics like theodicy and reconciliation with wisdom and grace. So please grab a cup of iced coffee and your Bible – unless you’re anxiously attempting to park a chunky, rental RV into a skinny parking space on what you thought would be an epic family road trip, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us!  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  Check out the P O U R Over podcast each Monday, Wednesday and Friday wherever you listen to podcasts

Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is the second to last episode of our sizzling summer series called If God Is Perfectly Good Then Why Did ______ Happen? The weighty and wonderful biblical truism we’ve been exploring is theodicy – which means the vindication of our Redeemer’s absolute goodness and providence in view of the existence of physical and moral evil. Frankly y’all the fact that the infinite, all-powerful Creator of the Universe allows us to question His character when we can’t see around the corner of our finite human circumstances underscores the immutability – the changelessness – of His compassion. A God who was anything less than perfectly good would surely fry fussy, fickle followers like us into grease spots of oblivion! Now since Alli - my five-foot-twelve spiritual wing-woman – is still up to her ears in bubble wrap, we’ve got another great guest host this week and I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to love the brilliant baritone of my spiritual brother E.J. Gaines! So please grab a cup of iced coffee and your Bible – unless you’ve got a white-knuckled grip on a shopping cart and are currently fending off other crazed parents in your quest to fill your child’s school supply list, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us!  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  Check out the P O U R Over podcast each Monday, Wednesday and Friday wherever you listen to podcasts

Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is the fourth episode of our sizzling summer series called If God Is Perfectly Good Then Why Did ______ Happen? We’re continuing our trek deep into the wild and wooly territory of theodicy – which is the vindication of our Redeemer’s absolute goodness and providence in view of the existence of physical and moral evil. Hillary Scott is back as our guest co-host because Alli’s playing hooky for a few more weeks – okay, okay, she’s not really playing hooky, she’s on a mission to unpack the last of what seemed like a mountain of moving boxes so as to get her family settled into a new house, and get their youngest son settled into a new school. And speaking of mission that’s the direction we’re headed today under the canopy of theodicy. In other words, what does it look like to lean into God’s kingdom purposes and live missionally when we feel like we’re languishing in a hot mess? How can we maintain momentum and keep moving forward into our own redemptive history and not get permanently stuck in disappointment or sorrow? So please grab a cup of iced coffee and your Bible - unless your hands are still clasped over your eyes after watching too much Shark Week, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us!  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co

Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is the third episode of our sizzling summer series called If God Is Perfectly Good Then Why Did ______ Happen? The spiritual rink we’ve been skating in for a few weeks is theodicy – a fancy word which simply means the vindication of our Redeemer’s absolute goodness and providence in view of the existence of physical and moral evil. In other words, how do we hang onto the fact that God is for us when everything in our life seems to be falling apart? If today’s episode was a song lyric, it could aptly be titled A Broken Hallelujah. Or if country music’s your thing, Jesus Take The Wheel. Speaking of country music, since Alli’s still in the midst of moving to a new house, we’ve recruited some really spectacular guest hosts to ride shotgun for the next few weeks and today’s is none other than my dear friend and the sweetest member of the 9-time Grammy-award winning trio, Lady A, Hillary Scott! So please grab a cup of iced coffee and your Bible - unless you’re in the backyard catching lightening bugs with your favorite kiddos, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us!  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co

Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is the second episode of our sizzling summer series called If God is Perfectly Good Then Why Did ______ Happen? The refreshing spiritual topic we’ve been swimming in is theodicy – a multi-syllabic theological term that means the vindication of our Redeemer’s absolute goodness and providence in view of the existence of physical and moral evil. And in this episode of our series, we’re going to focus on the freedom that accompanies trusting more fully in God’s immutable – unchanging – compassion. I don’t know about you, but true freedom didn’t come quickly or easily for me. Even though I put my faith in Jesus as my Savior when I was a little girl, it took me a very long time to trust Him as my Liberator. Even as an adult with a seminary education, I spent years bound by chains of shame. I deeply resonated with what Pastor Steve Brown wrote in his book: A Scandalous Freedom, “The similarity between real freedom and the freedom experienced by many Christians is the difference between the taxidermist and the veterinarian; while you do get your dog back, one collects dust while the other jumps, slobbers and barks.” Our sincere hope and fervent prayer is that God uses this conversation to help at least one precious saint finally shake loose from the formaldehyde of religiosity, shame, or paralyzing guilt. Alli is in the middle of her move and will be back with bells on soon, but Kyle Hebert – whose contagious joy captivated so many of you last week – has graciously agreed to guest host again. So please grab a cup of iced coffee and your Bible, unless you’re frantically clinging to a giant, inflatable couch-looking thingie while some sadistic boat-driver slings you mercilessly across a lake, of course, and come hang out on the porch with us.  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com

Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is the first episode of our sizzling summer series called If God Is Perfectly Good Then Why Did ______ Happen? We’re going to dive deeply into the biblical truism of theodicy – which is the vindication of our Redeemer’s absolute goodness and providence in view of the existence of physical and moral evil. The term theodicy was coined by a brainiac German dude named Gottfried Leibniz almost 300 years ago when he combined two Greek words theos – which refers to God – and dee-kay – which is the name of the Greek goddess of justice and therefore represents a sense of moral order. So the etymological scaffolding of theodicy is the framework through which we justify our Heavenly Father’s divine mercy in a human milieu that includes horrific immorality and cruelty. And since Alli - my five-foot-twelve spiritual wing-woman – is in the middle of moving to a new house, we’ve recruited some really spectacular guest hosts to ride shotgun because hers are big shoes to fill! And today’s guest host – my friend Chaplain Kyle Herbert – is uniquely equipped to testify how to hang onto hope during an especially long and dark night of the soul because he did 31 years of hard time – 22 of those at Angola, the infamous maximum-security prison in Louisiana. My spiritual brother Kyle’s joyful story of restoration - of learning to lean fully into God’s absolute goodness despite being incarcerated for over three decades - will leave you gob-smacked by divine grace. If your heart isn’t rejoicing by the end of this episode, you need to get an EKG, baby! So please grab a cup of iced coffee and your Bible – unless you’re picking a banjo at a summer bluegrass festival, of course – and come hang out on the porch with us!  Follow Us On Instagram! @BackPorchTheologyPodcast @LisaDHarper @AllisonAllen @Jim.Howard.Co  SAVE 20% by using code Lisa20 at ElevatedFaith.com