Amidst global heartache, I turn to exploring of the struggles and triumphs of book writing. It's about embracing imperfection and finding the courage to 'suck' at something new. Let's navigate these challenges together on the Road to Rebekah.

Good news, Bible and the English Major fans! The podcast is back with new episodes starting in January. Find out what's coming by giving a quick listen here!

We conclude this series on John 8 with a conversation with Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw about her book, "Scapegoats, the Gospel through the Eyes of Victims." She helps us understand better ways to read the Bible and why English majors are the best. Those are her words, I promise!

Have you noticed Jesus' moves yet? He shows them off with the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law first. Then he repeats them for the accused woman. Individual results vary, but Jesus makes his point, and it's all about justice.

Noticing the Greek tragedy structure of this story shines a dramatic spotlight on its central theme. All the tragic goodness, including the crisis, climax, and fatal flaw, lies with the Pharisees and not with the woman, leaving the theme that usually distracts us backstage.

Historical interpretation has made the woman in this story the infamous star of the show. But when we do a little grammatical analysis, we see she functions far more like a prop for the Pharisees than a leading lady. How then, has she become the title character?

Of the privileged men in the Gospels, Jairus is one we can learn from. We're circling back to Mark's sandwich story of Jairus and the hemorrhaging woman because the theological meat in this story is not only faith but privilege. Who knew the Bible talked about such scandalous stuff?

Jairus, Nicodemus, and an unnamed lawyer all take their places in the Gospels to show us how blinding privilege can be. Wanna see Jesus? Look where he's looking: at the pain of the marginalized ones. For their own reasons, Mark, Luke, and John use the men to help us focus on the fringes.

The Samaritan Woman at the Well reports that her privileged male counterpart has gone missing. Could it be the Pharisee, Nicodemus? Investigate John's use of juxtaposition through characterization, plot, and mood to find her foil.

We conclude our Martha’s Story series with a conversation with Inés Velásquez-McBryde from The Church We Hope For. She talks about the ethics of who gets centered both by the words of the storytellers and by the actions of Jesus. In God’s upside-down kingdom, the margins become the middle.

Inspired by the Midrash of the ancient rabbis, Maren takes a crack at Biblical Fanfiction. What do you imagine the lawyer thought about Jesus' Good Samaritan parable? What if Martha heard it, too? And the bottom line question: can creativity can also be a tool in biblical interpretation? You decide.

Are we so familiar with the "good" Samaritan parable that we're too comfortable with it? Maren offers three readings that provoke the usual interpretation and point to the kingdom of God. Warning: the author has been walking around convicted for weeks. She hopes you'll join her.

A properly read parable has never caused a case of the warm fuzzies. Parables were meant to confuse and disturb, to help the audience question the ways of this world and engage in the counter-cultural kingdom of God. Find out how the lawyer, so certain of his righteousness, responds to a good tweaking.

Martha has suffered too long in her sister Mary's shadow. Let's compare her to the 70 followers Jesus sends out, and the self-righteous lawyer also found in Luke 10. What light can a good character foil shine?

Are you Team Mary or Team Martha? Luke’s story about the two sisters has left scholars debating for centuries, leading to character analysis paralysis. Let’s get past the heroine/villain question to find out what Jesus’ “one needed thing” is. Hint: it’s not the bean dip.

Welcome to a new season on a couple of sisters, Martha and Mary! Maren confesses how she used to see this story, and offers an apology. In the beautiful words of Mary Oliver, "Congratulations if you have changed." From "To Begin With, the Sweet Grass" by Mary Oliver

We conclude our series on John 4 with a conversation with Pastor and Spiritual Director DanaLee Simon. DanaLee and Maren use their spiritual imaginations to explore the mysteries of the Samaritan woman's story. Then DanaLee introduces us to spiritual direction practices to help us soak up some good Living Water.

An angelic tour guide takes the prophet, Ezekiel, on a trippy journey through a restored temple gushing with Living Water. John clearly digs the imagery because he uses it over six centuries later in his story of the Woman at the Well to reveal God's groovy side. Right on, Holy Spirit!

Gospel writer John knows a thing or two about romance. His Woman at the Well story contains the same juicy narrative elements as Rachel and Jacob's betrothal in Genesis 29. Scandalous, you say? Just like the extravagant love of God.

Hagar and the Samaritan woman talk theology at a watering hole and discover they share intriguing similarities. To find out why, we'll eavesdrop on their conversation, inspect John's motives for writing, and even uncover an ancient (chiastic) pyramid. Get ready to dig.