Author Archives: Rick Wadholm

Cambria: The Hebrew Poet

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

חבקני אם (Mom hugs me) שקני אם (Mom kisses me) שקני אב (Dad kisses me) חבקני אב (Dad hugs me) כי בי אהבו רב מאד (And they love me very much) Note the chiastic structure of the first four lines where the verb in … Continue reading →

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Prayers and Psalms (for Ash Wednesday)

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

May the Lord hear our cries! May the Lord grant redemption to the ends of the earth! May every tongue, tribe, people, and nation praise the Lord! He has forgiven us and we are forgiven! He calls to life…and we … Continue reading →

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Hermann Gunkel on the Holy Spirit

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

I have been reading Hermann Gunkel‘s first book Die Wirkungen des heiligen Geistes nach der populären Anschauungen der apostolischen Zeit und der Lehre des Apostels Paulus (Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1888) as part of my thesis research.*  It is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Holy Spirit | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

When the Bible Comes Alive

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

The first assignment of the semester for my Former Prophets class was to read Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings in two different translations and give me several pages of questions, comments, and insights about the texts. They could … Continue reading →

Posted in Former Prophets, preaching, translation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Daniel Diet, Ezekiel Bread, and Other Drivel

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

“Biblical” diets seem to be the fad of late (or maybe I’m just late to this news).  There are those who are promoting the Daniel’s Diet, or perhaps enjoy a loaf of some Ezekiel Bread (I’m not even making this … Continue reading →

Posted in Daniel, Ezekiel | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The Former Prophets: A Theological History

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

As I’ve been lecturing this winter semester (Providence University College) for my course “The Former Prophets” (i.e., Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings) we’ve had some wonderful discussions about what it means for this portion of Scripture to offer … Continue reading →

Posted in Deuteronomistic History, Former Prophets, History, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Kids and Blogging

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

You know that blogging is making an impact on culture when the PBS animated series Arthur has an episode COMPLETELY about blogging (it aired April 25, 2011)! The gist of the episode is that one character (Muffy) goes on vacation … Continue reading →

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What If All Is Not Well With My Soul?

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

I was thinking tonight…what if all isn’t “well with my soul”? This hymn which has meant so much to so many just doesn’t seem to do full justice to the need for self-expression in grief. It can at times function … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Hymns, Psalms | Tagged | 1 Comment

What About Bob?

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

I’m incredibly proud of my brother Bob (husband, father, missionary, professor, PhD student, programmer) and no less as I read his family update concerning Christmas and life (for now) in Missouri. [The following are his own comments from that letter, … Continue reading →

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Praying the Imprecatory Psalms

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Rick Wadholm

I have found it disturbing (to say the least) that some folks in the U.S. believe that the imprecatory psalms offer a prayer for our current president (from Psalm 109:8).  This is nothing if not disgusting abuse of the Scriptures … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayer, Psalms | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment