Author Archives: kathleenkaschalk

Throughout the Old Testament there are discernable patterns to which all lead to the culmination of God’s promises with the birth of Jesus. While they are instances where direct prophecies are announced, most of scripture shapes what is to come. They are open-ended templates for fulfillment. As with Matthew’s citation of prophet Hosea, “Out ofContinue reading “Reflection 12: New Testament”

Numbers is a brash example of how God intends to make Israel into a great nation- at great expense. Despite raising the Isarelites out of their slavery in Egypt in Egypt they take it for granted, complaining before the Lord. Mundane aspects of everyday life, like eating manna, are despised. The people do not listenContinue reading “Reflection 11: Moses”

Purity is being in accordance with the natural order. The idea of purity stretches beyond that which is clean- to a coherence with social standards. As Mary Douglas writes in Purity and Danger, dirt is “matter out of place… it is the by-product of a systematic ordering and classification of matter, insofar as ordering involvesContinue reading “Reflection 10: Purity”

The term God can be used through more than one context. When Moses is told in the burning bush scene to spread His word and bring the Israelites out of Egypt, he is left with God saying, “I am who I am… I am who sent you.” In this passage of Exodus 3, God isContinue reading “Reflection 9: Who is God?”

Joseph plants the cup inside the bag of Benjamin as a test to the rest of his brothers. In the loss of Joseph, his maternal brother Benjamin, took on the full adoration of their father prizing the youngest born once more. Joseph who notices his brother’s absence concludes that his father has passed on thisContinue reading “Reflection 8: Joseph”

Jacob, weighed down by the forthcoming confrontation with Esau, first forces himself in isolation on the night of his wrestling. He sends away his loved ones while he remains “left alone.” Jacob intentionally makes himself further forlorn- a choice of autonomy before he begins his struggle. Yet, out of the darkness, appears “a man,” purposefullyContinue reading “Reflection #7: Jacob”

To preface, this is my understanding of religion, one which cannot fully encapsulate the scope of all religious practices nor address every element of its worship. Religion- in a basic premise- is rooted in the belief that there is a divine entity, one that is deserving and worthy of praise. Religion implies a faith inContinue reading “Reflection 6: Religion”

Faith is unavoidable as faith attempts to answer the questions that perplex the whole of society. Humans inherently seek solutions, to feel as though they can reason and use logic to understand what confronts them. As Wilken’s describes with Augustine, there is a difference between the act of knowing and believing. No one can knowContinue reading “Reflection 5: Faith”

God made the seemingly abhorrent request of Abraham- to sacrifice his son Issac- as the final test of his worship. Abraham follows his request up until the point where God himself shows mercy, allowing an animal to be sacrificed in the place of his “loved” son. Although the request appears brutal, God- and God alone-Continue reading “Reflection 4: Genesis 11-22”

The creation story detailed in Genesis 1-3 continues on, plaguing the human race, continuing into Noah’s story of the ark. When Eve deliberately defies God, humans lose the inherent sense of innocence that God created them with. A fissure between God and the human race begins to widen with the story of Cain and Abel.Continue reading “Reflection 3”