Episode 1140
Where Is Your Holy Ground Today?
This podcast episode delves into the profound narrative of Moses and the burning bush, as recounted in Acts 7:30-34. We explore the notion of holy ground not as a physical location, but rather as a divine presence that can manifest in the most ordinary of circumstances. The discussion emphasizes God's attentive response to human suffering, illustrating how liberation is not merely a passive experience but an active call to engage with our communities. Furthermore, we reflect on the significance of recognizing our fears and doubts while responding to the needs of others, advocating for the idea that our imperfections do not disqualify us from participating in divine work. Through this lens, we invite listeners to identify their own holy grounds and to take tangible actions that contribute to the alleviation of distress in the world around them.
Takeaways:
- In the podcast, we emphasize the significance of recognizing that holy ground exists not merely in designated places but is, in fact, a profound presence felt in ordinary moments of life.
- We explore the notion that God, through the story of Moses and the burning bush, conveys the message that He is attuned to the suffering of His people and actively seeks to provide assistance.
- The discussion highlights the importance of engaging with one's environment and responding to the needs of others, as this reflects a genuine commitment to liberation and compassion in our communities.
- We assert that a progressive faith is characterized by the courage to confront suffering and to act upon it, rather than retreating into spiritual platitudes or denial of harsh realities.
- Our conversation underscores that the call to action often arises amidst personal struggles and imperfections, suggesting that our vulnerabilities do not disqualify us from participating in meaningful work.
- Finally, we encourage listeners to identify specific moments in their lives that they can treat as holy ground, fostering a deeper connection to both their faith and the needs of those around them.
Links referenced in this episode:
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...
- Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
- Relatable: You will have a couple of "points to ponder" from the text which will relate to your life
- Applicable: Every episode includes a way you can take action based on the reading
- A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
- A prayer for your day.
A companion resource to the Voice of God Daily Podcast is the “ABC Bible Study Guide” available by clicking HERE.
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available every day at VoiceofGodDaily.com on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcast directories.
You can help Dr. Brad attain his goal of getting a bit of the bible into two million ears by subscribing to "Daily Bible Refresh" on Apple Podcasts, leaving a five-star rating, and writing a review. More importantly please share with your network of family and friends about the "Daily Bible Refresh".
Please make listening to the "Daily Bible Refresh" a part of your daily life.
Remember… “All scripture is God-breathed and useful”(2 Timothy 3:16)
Transcript
Hello, my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.
Speaker A:In a bit I will read the New Testament lessons selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.
Speaker A:The reading is understandable.
Speaker A:I use the message version relatable.
Speaker A:Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable and with action steps you can take.
Speaker A:We pray and are done in less than 10 minutes.
Speaker A:It's all brought to you by voiceofgoddaily.com which is the home of your free personal Bible Study Guide, the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Method.
Speaker A: lionaires a million people by: Speaker A:You can help by saving and subscribing to the podcast and tagging your friends.
Speaker B:Here's today's reading and we are reading today from Acts 7:30, 34 from the Message.
Speaker B:Forty years later, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the guise of flames of a burning bush.
Speaker B:Moses, not believing his eyes, went up to take a closer look.
Speaker B:He heard God's voice.
Speaker B:I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Speaker B:Frightened nearly out of his skin, Moses shut his eyes and turned away.
Speaker B:And God said, kneel and pray.
Speaker B:You are in a holy place, on holy ground.
Speaker B:I've seen the agony of my people in Egypt and I've heard their groans.
Speaker B:I've come to help them.
Speaker B:So get yourself ready.
Speaker B:I'm sending you back to Egypt.
Speaker B:Well, my friends, that concludes the reading.
Speaker B:Let's get into this a little bit today and sit for a moment with with Acts 7:30 through 34 where it's a revisiting of Moses and the burning bush story.
Speaker B:Moses sees the flames.
Speaker B:Here's God saying, I'm the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Speaker B:And this is the part that gets me.
Speaker B:God tells him, you're on holy ground and I've seen the agony of my people.
Speaker B:I've seen heard the groans.
Speaker B:I've come to help them and get ready.
Speaker B:I'm sending you back.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:So this is heavy duty stuff for Moses and I think it's kind of heavy for all of us too.
Speaker B:So let's revisit this here.
Speaker B:Let's talk about it from a progressive point of view that cares about justice, compassion and honest faith.
Speaker B:Let's take a look at some points to ponder some teaching points.
Speaker B:The first one is this holy ground isn't a place, it's a presence.
Speaker B:The bush is in the wilderness.
Speaker B:There's no temple, there's no choir, it's not a church.
Speaker B:No perfect mood lighting, anything like that.
Speaker B:No music in the background, just sand, scrub and one nervous guy who's ready to run away.
Speaker B:And the holy, the holy God.
Speaker B:And God in himself shows up in ordinary places and imperfect moments.
Speaker B:For me, holy ground looks like the laughter of my granddaughters.
Speaker B:Or maybe like a hike in the woods with my wife for 34 years as we talk about life and our kids who are growing up and our grandkids.
Speaker B:And those moments are holy ground to me.
Speaker B:They're not churchy, as it were, but they hum with God's presence.
Speaker B:Progressive faith says we don't have to escape the world to find God.
Speaker B:We meet God in the end of the world, and especially in the cracks where tenderness and truth peek through a second point to ponder.
Speaker B:God hears your groans and sends us anyway.
Speaker B:I've seen the agony.
Speaker B:I've heard the groans, he says.
Speaker B:I've come to help.
Speaker B:To me, this is all about liberation.
Speaker B:And God's compassion isn't theoretical here.
Speaker B:It's action oriented.
Speaker B:And then comes the hard part.
Speaker B:So get yourself ready.
Speaker B:I'm sending you.
Speaker B:So to me, that's not only God talking to Moses, that's God talking to me and to you.
Speaker B:Because liberation is God's work.
Speaker B:And God's work means we are participants.
Speaker B:As you've listened to my podcast here on Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker B:Or maybe if you listen to my podcast called Cancer and Comedy.
Speaker B:You know, we talk a lot about hope and coping and humor, and cancer is a groaning thing.
Speaker B:It's literally and figuratively a hard thing to deal with.
Speaker B:And I learned from my community that it's not about denial.
Speaker B:It's about a decision to show up every day, hold hands, tell good stories, break the tension, stand up for equitable care and support.
Speaker B:Progressive faith doesn't spiritualize suffering.
Speaker B:It hears it, names it and moves toward it with love and courage.
Speaker B:One more point to ponder.
Speaker B:Calling grows us in the wilderness.
Speaker B:Not after you fix yourself.
Speaker B:It's during the process.
Speaker B:Moses is frightened nearly out of his skin is what it says.
Speaker B:And he's not auditioning for the hero part of a movie or something like that.
Speaker B:He's a person with a past.
Speaker B:He's got failures, he's got self doubt.
Speaker B:And yet the call lands him right there in front of God, hearing God's voice.
Speaker B:So if you're waiting to be perfect before you step into what love requires, you'll miss the burning bush that's right there beside you.
Speaker B:And a progressive view of this.
Speaker B:A progressive lens gives us permission to be human, to bring out your questions, to bring out what comes out of your therapy sessions, our messy family life, our calendars which are full, all the things we have, the good things and the bad things, and say yes to the next faithful step.
Speaker B:Courage isn't the absence of fear.
Speaker B:It's the presence of love, stronger than fear.
Speaker B:So what do we do about this?
Speaker B:Let's talk about some action steps.
Speaker B:Name one place in your life that you're going to treat as holy ground and maybe a person for whose groans you'll respond to.
Speaker B:The holy ground could be an ordinary space.
Speaker B:It could be a place in your home, your kitchen.
Speaker B:It could be a walk in your neighborhood or a park.
Speaker B:Or it could be a seat that you watch a ball game in and just pause for a few minutes, maybe three minutes, and whisper, I'm listening.
Speaker B:Then the groans identify a concrete need near you.
Speaker B:A friend in treatment, somebody who needs a ride, some food, a neighbor under financial stress, a local advocacy group that needs your support.
Speaker B:Or do something.
Speaker B:One small act.
Speaker B:A call, a meal, a donation, a volunteer moment, writing your representative about some injustice and make it small enough that you'll actually do it and loving enough that it matters.
Speaker B:In a moment.
Speaker B:We're going to pray together to conclude our time.
Speaker B:But I really want you to know that we have a great resource for you called the ABC 123 Bible study method.
Speaker B:And I hope that you go over to our website, voiceofgoddaily.com pick it up.
Speaker B:It's free to you.
Speaker B:Let's pray.
Speaker B:Oh God of burning bushes and quiet kitchens.
Speaker B:Thank us.
Speaker B:Thank you for meeting us in ordinary places, on the trails and hospital rooms, living rooms, with our families.
Speaker B:We need your presence today.
Speaker B:We need to hear the groans that we sometimes hide from or pretend to ignore.
Speaker B:Help us to hear them again.
Speaker B:The pain, the fear, the weariness, the endless appointments, the longing for good news.
Speaker B:Hold us gently and send us out bravely.
Speaker B:Give us eyes to see, holy ground under our feet and courage to move towards suffering with compassion.
Speaker B:Make our small actions part of our big liberation.
Speaker B:Bless caregivers, patients and all who stand in the gap.
Speaker B:Teach us to laugh again and to breathe again when we feel frightened and nearly out of our skin.
Speaker B:Speak our names and remind us we're not alone and we're loved.
Speaker B:We're sent.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker A:My friend, I am delighted you chose to join me for today's recipe reading.
Speaker A:The daily Bible refresh is completely listener supported.
Speaker A:Your gift goes a long way to getting the audible word of God from a progressive perspective into 2 million years.
Speaker A: A million people by: Speaker A:I would be so grateful if you would go to voiceofgodddaily.com and share your gift of any amount.
Speaker A:Thanks much.
Speaker A:My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your daily Bible refresh.
Speaker A:Please subscribe and tag your friends until tomorrow.
Speaker A:Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.
