TEN FOOT POLE

Pastor A.J. Houseman
  • 4.7 (12)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
TEN FOOT POLE

This podcast is for millennial skeptics, regular Sunday church goers, those who have given up on church, pastors, and explorers just wanting to learn a little more about the big book. Each week Rev. A.J. Houseman and guests will talk about Bible texts from the RCL and digging deeper into aspects of the week's texts that get glossed over or totally ignored in most preaching. The Bible has a lot of parts that are racy, uncomfortable, and sometimes downright horrifying. Let's talk about it.

  1. Ep 4.5 Silence from God with Pastor Andrew Rickel

    NOV 5

    Ep 4.5 Silence from God with Pastor Andrew Rickel

    The pinnacle text of terror, buckle up.  Pastor Andrew and Pastor A.J. dive into our last installment of the Judges study with the hardest violence for us to wrestle with: violence where God does not show up.  What do we make of this in our faith and our lives? This discussion is about the Levite’s concubine in Judges 19.  Discussion guide is available at www.tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges Discussion Questions: Do we accept this treatment of women as just a part of history? Or something systemic still at play? What do you make of the silence of God in this story? What do you make of the question of “theodicy”? The age old question of where is God? When and how does God show up? What agency is on us? Do we need to ask for help to receive it from God? How do we use the law to create our own society and what we want even if it’s contrary to what God may want for us? I.e. pick and choose Old Testament laws to enforce? Who is sacrificed at the altar of the phallocentric world? What is your working theology of violence in the bible after this study? What does this tell us about God? Other notes: “Homophobia and Masculine Domination in Judges 19-21” James Harding, University of Otago, New Zealand, published November 2, 2016 in the journal: The Bible & Critical Theory.  https://bibleandcriticaltheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/vol12-no2-2016-homophobia-and-masculine-domination-harding-662-2594-1-PB-1iuc3eo.pdf  Dr. Crystal Hall’s Women in Ministry and Money Workshop: https://www.crystalhallphd.com/events

    1h 13m
  2. Ep 4.4 Samson Gets A Haircut with Pastor Bre Roberts

    OCT 29

    Ep 4.4 Samson Gets A Haircut with Pastor Bre Roberts

    In our 4th installment of our Judges Study, we take a look at the second part of Samson’s story: the part where Delilah tricks him, cuts his hair, and he commits mass murder with his own suicide.  Where does God fit into all of this? Join Pastor Bre and Pastor A.J. in this heavy conversation about Samson’s final vindictive act.  Discussion guide is available on our website: tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges Discussion Questions: If Samson’s story is a literary story for the need for a hero in exile, what is the point of this story? What do you think Delilah’s agency is in this situation? The Devil? Saving her people? Just between a rock and a hard place as a woman? Does it matter who Delilah is or what her motivations are? Do you think that Samson’s actions are an act of deliverance? Does God allow these bad things to happen to them? Why? What does this mean for us? What does this tell us about God?

    58 min
  3. Ep 4.3 Samson: Hero or Villain? with Pastor Elise Anderson

    OCT 22

    Ep 4.3 Samson: Hero or Villain? with Pastor Elise Anderson

    We are in week 3 of our special Judges study about God-Ordained Violence.  We pick up this week with Samson.  Samson is a figure that has been held in high regard as a hero of Israel… but is he? Tune into this conversation with Pastor Elise to learn more about his story and the violence that surrounds this iconic biblical figure. Study guide for this episode is available at tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges Discussion Questions: 1. What have you learned about Samson in Sunday School?  How did this reading and discussion change your image of Samson? 2. Do you see Samson as a deliverer? Why would God ordain Samson’s actions of violence? 3. The slippery slope, what is the point of all of these stories in our scripture? 4. Is this violence God’s way or is it our way? 5. God still cares for Samson through all of his ups and downs.  What does this tell us about how God relates to us?   6. What does this tell us about God? Downloadable discussion guide: tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges

    51 min
  4. Ep 4.2 Gideon, the Dog Lappers, and God’s Glory with Pastor Kyle Bates

    OCT 15

    Ep 4.2 Gideon, the Dog Lappers, and God’s Glory with Pastor Kyle Bates

    In week 2 of our Judges: A Study of God-Ordained Violence, we pick up with the judge: Gideon.  Gideon has a large army to defeat their enemies but God wants them to do it with a smaller army to get all the glory.  Pastor Kyle gives us some great grace-filled insight into God and our relationship with the divine during troubled times.  Discussion guide at: www.tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges Discussion Questions: 1. How have you experienced the conditioning of men versus women and glorifying violence? 2. How do you hear that God wants them to get glory with a small army so they can’t have it themselves? Is this God ordaining this violence? Or is it what Pastor Kyle says, “if you want violence, I’ll give it to you,but it’s not what you need.” 3. “Power and violence are the things people want more than they want true wisdom, God offers the better and we keep taking the worse. We have as much free agency as we want and God says you can keep taking the bad as much as you want until you realize it’s just too bad for you.” Are these actions of God actually out of love? 4. Pastor Kyle introduces the threshing floor versus wine press metaphor. Are we trying to do it the wrong way and just missing God’s instructions? 5. Is God anti-violent or non-violent? Do you get that in the story of Gideon? 6. What does this tell us about God?

    1 hr
  5. Ep 4.1 Deboarh, Barak, and the Tent Stake with Rabbi Evan Ravski

    OCT 8

    Ep 4.1 Deboarh, Barak, and the Tent Stake with Rabbi Evan Ravski

    Rabbi Evan and Pastor A.J. dive into the first part of our new study of God-ordained Violence.  We outline some background information for Judges, talk about the specific story that takes place under the leadership of the Judge Deborah, including a tent stake through the head.  The next 5 weeks will include uncomfortable conversations around violence that happens in the Bible, God’s role in this, and how do we respond.  This episode talks about Judges 4:12-24.  You can download the study guide materials at https://www.tenfootpolepodcast.com/judges  Discussion Questions: 1. Before we start, how do you perceive violence in the Bible? 2. How do you theologically understand “God-ordained” violence in the Bible? 3. How do you perceive Jael’s actions? Hospitality? Hospitality in times of war? 4. What is your theological understanding about the 5th commandment? In times of war? 5. Listening to Rabbi’s perspective on this violence, what differences do you notice in your own theology? 6. What does this tell us about God? Other notes: 1. Visual for Song of the Sea/Song of Deborah: https://www.museumofthebible.org/magazine/collections/yom-va-yosha-and-the-song-of-the-sea   2. ELCA Social Statement on Peace: https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/PeaceSS.pdf?_ga=2.58500010.1204821829.1726546425-502595238.1726546425

    1h 25m
  6. Ep 3.30 God's Sharpie with Bishop Bill Gohl

    JUL 16

    Ep 3.30 God's Sharpie with Bishop Bill Gohl

    We have reached the end of season 3 and with it, some tough questions.  The "circumcised" or "uncircumcised"? Who is in, who is out, and who is closer to God?  Spoiler alert, no one.  The author of Ephesians draws us in to ask some very important questions of our time and face head on what it means to put the hostility in our world to death on the cross. This is no small feat.. join with us in this hard conversation.  Pastors A.J. and Bishop Gohl discuss Ephesians 2:11-22 for Sunday, July 21, 2024. Discussion Questions: 1. What hostilities do we (you) need to put to death? 2. What do Paul's words say to us in our current reality? 3. How do we understand the grace that is given to both sides? 4. What is our role in the storm as followers of Jesus? 5. Where is the Good News? DISCLAIMER: This episode was recorded before the shooting at former President Trump's campaign rally. Though, I think it should be taken into consideration in light of these words from Ephesians.

    47 min
  7. Ep 3.29 Sacrificed on the Altar of Power with Pastor Andrew Rickel

    JUL 9

    Ep 3.29 Sacrificed on the Altar of Power with Pastor Andrew Rickel

    Pastors A.J. and Andrew go on some long tangents but bring us home to some super powerful topics.  John the Baptist is beheaded on a sacrificial altar of power.  Many people in our world are sacrificed on similar altars. Who is sacrificed? What privileges do we have and how do we recognize them and understand them in our world? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus in the world filled with altars of power?  We dive into Mark 6:14-29 for Sunday, July 14th, 2024.  Discussion Questions: 1. Who is being sacrificed in the story? 2. Who gets sacrificed in your community? 3. What is your privilege biography? 4. How does this affect how you see the world? 5. What is our call as followers of Christ? 6. What's the Good News?

    1h 9m
  8. Ep 3.28 Uh Rape is NOT Hospitable with Pastor Emily Tveite

    JUL 2

    Ep 3.28 Uh Rape is NOT Hospitable with Pastor Emily Tveite

    Pastor Emily and Pastor A.J. veer away from the lectionary once again to talk about a bit of an uncomfortable topic: the destruction of Sodom.  Join in this conversation as we dispel the homophobia in this text and discuss the true issue at play here: hospitality.  What does it mean for us to be hospitable as children of God? Dive into our conversation about radical welcome in the name of Christ. Discussion Questions: 1. What does hospitality mean to you? 2. What does it mean that God values hospitality so highly? 3. What are grey area decisions that we have to make? 4. What does it mean to be hospitable in the church? 5. What covenant would you come up with as a community?

    50 min
See All (99)

Trailers

4.7
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

This podcast is for millennial skeptics, regular Sunday church goers, those who have given up on church, pastors, and explorers just wanting to learn a little more about the big book. Each week Rev. A.J. Houseman and guests will talk about Bible texts from the RCL and digging deeper into aspects of the week's texts that get glossed over or totally ignored in most preaching. The Bible has a lot of parts that are racy, uncomfortable, and sometimes downright horrifying. Let's talk about it.

Information

  • Creator
    Pastor A.J. Houseman
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Pastor A.J. Houseman
  • Show Website
    TEN FOOT POLE

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada