Hidden Gems: How deconstruction can help us find deeper meaning

Hidden Gems: How deconstruction can help us find deeper meaning

For most churches these days, the Old Testament is a collection of exciting and shocking stories for kids’ Bible class. When we’re older, we assume we’ve learned what the stories have to teach us and we hardly ever revisit them from an adult perspective. An unexpected upside of deconstruction can be that, when we DO re-think these OT stories, there are layers upon layers of meaning.

Intro

• Steve (somehow) falls asleep in the MRI
• Pandora
• Iron & Wine
• Parkinson's disease
• United Church of Christ
• Plymouth Congregational church
• Nathan’s renovating in the dark

Story of Uzzah

• Uzzah - 2 Samuel 6:3–8

Why Uzzah?

• Responsibilities of Levi’s sons - Numbers 3
• “…curtain of the temple was torn in two…” - Matthew 27:50-51
• Hebrews 9
• “Approach God with confidence” - Hebrews 4:16
• “if the ministry that brought death…ministry of the spirit bring life” - 2 Corinthians 3

Why tear things down?

• Cardboard building blocks
• Nathan’s house has secret, magical rooms
• Jewish Mysticism
• Nadab & Abihu offering strange fire - Leviticus 10
• Achan’s story - Joshua 7
• Noah’s story - Genesis 6-9
• Lot’s story - Genesis 19
• Podcast: the Bible for Normal People
• Book: “How the Bible Actually Works” by Peter Enns
• Book: “Faith After Doubt” by Brian McLaren
• “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” - Matthew 11:28-30