top of page
Mike Rynkiewich
Reflections on Scripture, Anthropology, and Mission
I'm excited to share with you my experiences and insights about different topics related to my fields of study. Join me on this journey of exploration and discovery.
Latest posts
Women with a Story to Tell: Esther, 2.
You got a feel for the problems with patriarchal imperialism last week. The king thinks that he can do no wrong. He has a group of rich and powerful men around him as sycophants (suck-ups) and army officers who are trained to believe everything he says. The result is that the people, like you and me, have no representation at all at the highest levels. Things only get done as a personal favor from the king, not through proper courts and agencies. Notice that, in the first two
Michael Rynkiewich
3 hours ago4 min read
Jeremiah 16.b. Strange Behavior.
We learned last week that Jeremiah not only prophesied (preached) but he also performed the word of God. That is, he conformed his behavior to demonstrate the word of God; perhaps for those who were hard of hearing. That’s a joke, but too true as a metaphor. Maybe the people who refused to hear the word of God would believe it if they saw it. Here are some additional instructions for Jeremiah about how to perform as a prophet. 16: 5-9. For thus says the LORD: Do not enter th
Michael Rynkiewich
3 days ago6 min read
Women with a Story to Tell. Esther,1.
Hadassah, ‘myrtle’, that is her given name, but we know her as Esther, ‘the star’. The book, Esther, is one of only two books in the Bible that are named for a woman. The other book is Ruth, whose story we have already considered in this series of devotionals about women in the Bible. We will have several devotionals about Esther, the people around her, her social and political context, and why she is an outstanding woman. It is a complex and revealing story. I should note u
Michael Rynkiewich
Jun 175 min read
Jeremiah 16.a. The Prophet Performs the Word.
Would you like to be a prophet? You’d better think again. There is pain there that eats up your life. Perhaps that is why the prophet Amos loudly proclaimed: “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ Now then, hear the word of the LORD” (Amos 7: 14-15). We know, because he told us, that Jeremiah was from a
Michael Rynkiewich
Jun 145 min read
bottom of page