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This is the second in a two-part series dealing with the hiddenness of God. In the first talk, "Why God Hides," Ross discussed the interplay between “atonement” (covering) and “apocalypse” (uncovering) as a framework for understanding how God reveals himself…and why he hides. In this, the second installment, Ross argues that Jesus, too, hides in order to be seen. Through the Parable of the Sower, we find that Jesus's communicative strategy is not merely to be the seed-planter of the gospel message, but also and perhaps more importantly, to be the master soil-tiller of the human heart so that the seed falls on fertile ground. Furthermore, as members of his body, we too can become the soil-tillers of one another. You can find this article and more content like it at Ross's Substack, PatientKingdom.com.

This is the first in a two-part series dealing with the hiddenness of God. In the first talk, "Why God Hides," Ross discusses the interplay between “atonement” (covering) and “apocalypse” (uncovering) as a framework for understanding how God reveals himself…and why he hides. An article of the same title was recently published in Mere Orthodoxy.  You can find more articles like this at Ross's Substack, PatientKingdom.com.

Ross hosts tech-entrepreneur-turned-polymath (and recent Christian convert) Jordan Hall for a conversation about the church, the commons, vocation, education, currency, community, & the future of civilization. To watch the video, or to find more content like this, visit PatientKingdom.com. Jordan Hall has a mind like few others. After a successful career as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur (retiring in his mid-thirties), he has since become a philosopher focusing on the relationship between technology and culture and the nature and future of civilization. Then, about a year and a half ago, he and his wife were baptized into the Christian faith (praise God). We met not long after that, through a mutual friend, and have kept in touch ever since.  In our first public conversation, Jordan and I consider his notion of “The Commons,” the sacred, the future shape of community, vocation, education, and the role of church as an antidote to what he calls “The Metacrisis.” Here’s a snapshot from our conversation: The Commons is more fundamental than the state or the market. The Commons has been largely lost physically, psychologically, and spiritually. As it turns out, the Commons is the same as the sacred. This is a gap that’s very difficult for most people to get across. It took me about a year to work my way through that, but that’s the actual reality. Or, to put it another way, the space is actually the sacred. And over time, it became known as the Commons. And then eventually the commons sort of dried up. So imagine a lake slowly evaporating. And the restoration of that is necessary from the point of view of simple proper geometry. Many, many things live in that category that have been evaporated into the either the state or the market or some combination of the two. So we live in the false dichotomy of the state and the market. Some people think that the market should do x, y, or z. Let’s go with education. Others say the state should do x, y, or z. Let’s say, education. But in point of fact, education is something that should be living in the Commons or the category of the sacred. A lot of interesting things come from that. The category of the sacred, as we know, is governed by relationship and relationality. One of the version of governance that is almost certainly proper to the category of the Commons comes from late Exodus where Moses establishes the hierarchy of Judges. But the point being that the judges are relational—they are embedded in and understand the local context. So notice that there’s an Executive, Legislative, and Judicial trinity as well. And the Judicial maps more closely with the Commons than either of the other two. So a Commons government is judge-led, to put it in a certain way. There’s a lot. When you think about it in terms of the concept of the economy—and I’ve been calling this “the divine economy” with tongue in cheek—you would then think about what it would look like when everybody is oriented toward their vocation. So, instead of people’s work being governed by the market (which is to say, where they can make the most money) or their work being governed by the state (which is to say, where some bureaucrat tells them to go based upon perhaps that bureaucrats best intentions), their work is governed by what in fact their actual calling is. And everybody is collectively working to help them discern that, and then helping them to cultivate their capacity to discern and then to deliver on their vocation. And that would be the divine economy. And you could imagine what would happen if more and more of life was actually living in that space; and that that particular space—the Commons—was perceived as more fundamental. Meaning render unto God what is God’s and then render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s...but in that order.

New Testament scholar Thomas Dixon joins us to talk about the surprising nature of divine wrath and election in Scripture, especially regarding the oft-misunderstood passage from St. Paul, Romans 9-11. Thomas and I begin the conversation by exploring the thesis of his new book, Paul and the Wrath: Divine Judgment and Mercy for Israel in Romans 9-11, that, in Paul’s thinking, as elsewhere in the Bible, divine wrath and mercy are not opposites. From there, we journey into questions of human and divine agency, the nature of “election,” and the possible problems with the typical Calvinist view of “double predestination." It starts off a little technical (we both appreciate nuance), but picks up steam as we go. Also, don’t miss the practical application portion near the end. Thomas is a wealth of knowledge—he’s translating on the spot from his Greek New Testament throughout—but more importantly, he’s a wealth of wisdom, love, and humility. It was an honor to converse with him on this difficult topic. Our hope is that it will help others more faithfully navigate these waters, and, of course, that it will help us love God more. In the words of Abraham Heschel, “the secret of anger is God’s care.” Enjoy! Don’t forget to check out the book: Paul and the Wrath  (Discount Code: 17FALL24 for 20% off your purchase!) To watch the video of this conversation or for more content like this, visit Ross Byrd's Substack at PatientKingdom.com

A short story wrestling with the problem of "divine violence" in the Bible, specifically the stoning of the Sabbath-breaker in Numbers 15. A man is caught picking up sticks on the Sabbath, and the Lord tells Moses to have the people stone him to death. How could such a thing possibly be ordained by God? How should Christians think about such passages? Yuval Noah Harari's TED Talk clip that I mentioned My Substack: Patient Kingdom

This episode is a wild ride. What began as a straightforward movie review of a Disney animated film turned into an in-depth theological/philosophical/mythical journey from Prometheus to Aladdin to Rumpelstiltskin to Midas to Faust to Frankenstein to Adam to Cain to Gilgamesh to Satan to Jesus to Garth Brooks. There's a lot going on here. But I promise it's worth it, it fits together. Give it a listen and tell me what you think. "Let me say from the start, I'm not the kind of guy who hate-watches animated Disney films. I'm a true believer..." Read the Substack version here. Read the original published article on Mere Orthodoxy. Find more content like this and subscribe at PatientKingdom.com

A Parish Manifesto is a vision for the future of our evangelical churches in America. Two central streams run throughout Scripture in seemingly opposite directions: holiness ("being set apart") and inclusion ("bringing together"). Ultimately, these two streams flow together in Christ and in his church. Yet, in practice, sometimes one stream takes center stage. Joseph's blessed relationship with Egypt at the end of the Book of Genesis was an inclusion movement. The 20th Century heyday of Evangelicalism was a Joseph Movement. By contrast, Moses's departure from Egypt was the beginning of a holiness movement. The American Church today, I submit, is entering a Moses Movement. Again, the kingdom of God is ultimately about the marriage of inclusion and holiness. Both are needed. But the people of God must nevertheless prophetically discern different emphases from the Lord in different seasons. As such, I propose four characteristics for the future of the American church as it enters a Moses Movement, in which we reclaim holiness (without abandoning inclusion):   Parishes: Our churches should be neighborhood-based, encouraging people to re-embody their faith, worship, and obedience where they live, alongside their actual neighbors.Steeples: Our churches should be beautiful, holy places that point heavenward with beautiful, holy rhythms that point heavenward. Priests: Our churches must be led by priests, un-busy holy people, who represent God to the people and the people to God.People: The church, as the priesthood of all believers, can become its own divine economy, not centered on mammon but on mutual care and love of neighbor.Original Article in Mere Orthodoxy Abridged Version at Patient Kingdom For more content like this, visit and consider subscribing to my substack, Patient Kingdom, at www.PatientKingdom.com. God bless you all!

Over the past few years, in our Virginia Beach community, I’ve been exploring the question, “What does faithful participation in the body of Christ look like? Where do we begin?” In response, we’ve formed some very simple collective practices: Scripture, Prayer, Fasting, Church, & Authority.  We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here. Quite the opposite. We’re trying to rediscover the wheel, as though somehow along the way, the wheels of our church fell off and got lost, and we’ve just been dragging our collective faith across the ground by means of occasional energetic spurts of explanation and experience. To rediscover the wheels of the church means to engage in shared religious practices that bind us together and bind us to God. Historically, these practices—these “wheels”—have carried a lot of weight for a very long distance, much more than we could ever do of our own accord. Without them, it’s actually impressive we still have a church.  Impressive, but not sustainable.  Our current do-it-yourself, just-me-and-God brand of faith appears to offer “freedom” from the constraints of a seemingly legalistic religiosity. In reality, it often requires Navy-seal-level willpower and PhD-level intellect in order for individual believers to thrive. And if only the strongest wills and intellects can thrive, that’s an indicator we’re doing it wrong.  It doesn’t have to be this way. Many believers toil for years trying in vain to lift one heavy stumbling stone from their path. Some succeed. Some never do. Yet the simplest communal habits, if practiced consistently together, can move mountains. Would you consider joining us in committing to these five simple practices? To see the original article on which this episode is based, clicker here: "Rediscovering the Wheel" For more content from Ross Byrd, check out his Substack at PatientKingdom.com.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  — Mark 11:24 Prayer means asking. But asking is a more foreign concept to us than it might seem. Adults in the modern world don’t actually do a lot of asking. We press buttons and things appear. We take pills and things disappear. We wish for things. We work for things. But we don’t often ask, because…asking is a very vulnerable thing to do. The faith required to ask is different from the faith required to press a button or take a pill. Not faith in a mechanism, but faith in a Person, in a relationship. When a mechanism lets you down, it can be frustrating. But when a person lets you down, it can break a piece of your soul. And yet, there is no way around it. He will not give as a mechanism. He gives as a Father to a child, as a husband to a wife, as a friend to a friend. To “believe” means to trust. And trust is risky. Yet without trust, no relationship can exist. And no request can be answered. The original written version of this podcast can be found here: "Ask And It Shall Be Given" To discover more content by Ross Byrd, visit his Substack at PatientKingdom.com.

Nobody wants to be religious anymore. Secular people often say they are “spiritual not religious.” Evangelicals often say, “Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship.” Sure, Christianity is about a relationship with God. But there's a reason the Bible is full of priests and temples, ceremonies and sacrifices, prayers and prophecies, covenants and commandments. Our relationship with God was meant to be a religious relationship. And it's time for Christians to become religious again. That's what this episode is about. You can find a written version of this episode on my Substack here: "Losing Our Religion." Want to read more from Ross Byrd? Become a free subscriber to his Substack: Patient Kingdom.

Good news! Podcast episodes are back! This one's an introduction to what I've been thinking and writing about lately. It's taken from a recent post on my Substack newsletter, Patient Kingdom. If you'd like to read more or receive weekly posts to your inbox, please visit PatientKingdom.com and subscribe. Thanks! - Ross Byrd

Why do Christians fast? I was recently asked to record a podcast on that very question as our VB community embarks on a 21-day season of prayer and fasting. Hope you enjoy. You can find the written version of this talk on my new website PatientKingdom.com. Subscribe there to receive weekly articles from me in your inbox. Hope you enjoy.

What does it mean that Jesus says of Peter, "Upon this rock I will build my church?" Especially since only a few verses later Jesus rebukes Peter with the words, "Get behind me, Satan!" This is just a TEASER clip from the brand new VB Fellows Podcast, which will be featuring live content from some of my lectures for the VB Fellows Program. Check it out and subscribe here: VB Fellows Podcast on Apple VB Fellows Podcast on Spotify 

First Q & A episode! Focusing on the theme of our problems with the God of the Old Testament. What do we make of the Old Testament's theme of religious violence (e.g. the wiping out of the Canaanites)?  How should we think about salvation for people outside of Abraham's family before Christ? Why does God seem so intent on judging and punishing all the time? What is the purpose of God's choosing one specific people to the exclusion of everyone else?  A couple of years ago, famous Christian author and pastor, Andy Stanley, declared that it was time time to “unhitch” Christianity from the Old Testament. Whatever he meant by that, it created quite a stir. People were offended. (Ok, I was offended.) But if you actually go and read a few chapters of the Old Testament--just turn to almost any page--you can kind of see what he means. Many of us became Christians because of our captivation with the person of Jesus. But compared to the Jesus of the Gospels , the religion of the Old Testament--and yes, even the God of the Old Testament--can seem unrecognizable. Our discomfort with the Old Testament has given rise to two major problems, which tend to converge and form a kind of vicious cycle: the first is a lack of knowledge. The second, a lack of trust. Personally, I'm more concerned about the second. Does it matter that the average Young Life leader has read very little of the Old Testament and/or knows almost nothing about it? Yes it matters. But you don’t have to be a Hebrew scholar or an expert on the Old Testament in order to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and share it with others. But if, already believing in Jesus, you open up the Old Testament and find a problematic religion you do not recognize and a problematic God you cannot trust...that is a bigger problem.  Inasmuch as we cannot recognize Yahweh in the person of Jesus (and vice versa), the vicious cycle of ignorance and mistrust will continue to erode our faith, so that, in the end, not even Jesus’s words and deeds will fully resonate. We’ll be tempted to pick and choose the parts of Jesus we like, just as we’ve already done with the rest of the Bible. Maybe we'll pick the parts that conveniently fit with our own personal narrative and unhitch ourselves from the rest. Of course, in some ways, we’re already doing this. So we have to backtrack, to dive deeper into the well (as I always say), which requires some patience--and a bit of bewilderment. But in the end, I guarantee it’s worth it.  Hope you enjoy! Special thanks to Mariel Kondas for the great question. Please keep the questions coming: [email protected]. Also, check out our new website: www.meresanity.com.

A friend of mine, who knows I’m a sucker for reading things I don’t understand, sent me an article the other day entitled "Our Improbable Existence Is No Evidence For A Multiverse" from the online magazine Scientific American. I sort of understood it. But mainly it got me thinking about science and religion and especially about our ongoing relationship with what we do not know: what the Bible often calls "mystery" and what scientists sometimes calls "randomness."  A thought: Without the ability to reckon with mystery, there is no human flourishing. Being a sane person means having the ability to deal healthily with the unknown and the unknowable--with God’s seeming “silence"--as Job did, and as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. This tends to be especially hard for modern people (think: coronavirus). Nevertheless, if we can't, we're going to find ourselves in a world that is less and less...sane. Questions? Thoughts? I'd love to hear from you. Email me at [email protected].  And check out our new website! www.MereSanity.com