Tag Archives: Author

Chapter-a-Day

Divine Bulletin Boards

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/2G4zLjkoYA9bJqiCCTJ61N?si=YfAXtEQLT3OpDyOIxxGtqg

But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
Esther 1:12 (NIV)

It was the first day of my sophomore year of high school. I walked into the drama room for my Acting II class. A poster on the bulletin board caught my eye. It was an audition notice for a movie being filmed locally. The production company was just a mile from the school.

How cool was that?

I decided to audition. I got a starring role.

It changed my life.

The production company was run by a former Hollywood filmmaker who had become a follower of Jesus. He moved to Iowa and began making faith-centered films. While on set I met a man who would spend two years discipling me. Ten years later the same man would hire me to work for the company that he and his wife founded. That job became my career. Thirty years later I own the business.

A poster in the Drama Room caught my eye.

Drama is an apt segue. Today, our chapter-a-day trek begins the journey through the book of Esther which is one of the most dramatic stories in the entire Great Story. In fact, every year – all over the world – Jews gather to read the story aloud and dramatize as massive audience participation production.

The most astonishing thing about the story of Esther is that God is never mentioned…at all. Not once.

But God’s hands are present and evident through the entire story, providentially guiding the events.

Just like He does in mine.

Whoever authored Esther was as masterful a storyteller as Shakespeare. Today’s chapter is the opening act. It is the set-up that sets the story into motion. Persian emperor Xerxes enters, and what an entrance it is.

An empire from India to Ethiopia (half the known world)
A 180-day festival to show off his vast wealth and splendor.
Bright gold
Luscious silk
Glittering jewels
Opulent palaces
Verdant gardens
A seven-day feast in which wine flows ceaselessly into cups of gold for every guest.

At the end of the feast, Xerxes calls for his queen, Vashti, to come out from her private ladies feast. He doesn’t call her for her companionship. He isn’t interested in sharing the moment with her.

He wants to put her beauty on display like all his other treasure — just one more possession.

Vashti says, “No.”

The king’s desire for Vashti is not romantic — it is possessive.

He wants beauty displayed.

Admired.

Owned.

Her refusal is electric precisely because it breaks the spell of indulgence.

The party stops.

The music falters.

The room goes cold.

One woman saying no exposes the emptiness beneath all that glitter.

It is one of Scripture’s quietest — and most powerful — acts of dignity.

The ripple effect sends a threatening shockwave through the greatest empire on the face of the earth.

The King who commands armies can’t command respect.

Vashti is swiftly stripped of her title and she is escorted to the exit stage left. With Vashti’s exit, the stage is cleared for a young woman named Esther to make her entrance.

One act of self-respect threatens an empire built on display and domination. It is life-changing for Vashti. It is also life-changing for Esther.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

In the quiet this morning, my mind wanders back to a poster that caught my eye as a fifteen-year-old high school sophomore. A poster that would alter the course of my entire life.

God is the author of life. He gave us a Great Story from Genesis to Revelation. That Story isn’t yet complete. We’re still living in it. The author is still at work. I am part of the same Story. My life is woven into its tapestry.

Jesus told His followers to never stop asking, seeking, and knocking.

Along my life journey, I’ve come to believe that a part of what Jesus meant was for me to live each day with my eyes, my heart, and my life open. Open to God’s providential hand as He authors the story.

An unexpected introduction.
A sudden turn in the road.
A phone call out of the blue.
An opportunity I never saw coming.
A poster that catches my eye.

God is authoring the Great Story. He’s also authoring my story if, in my free will, I choose make room and live expectantly.

Ask.
Seek.
Knock.

“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

And so I enter another day of the journey, eyes peeled, listening for the Author’s next cue.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

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These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!
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Chapter-a-Day

Light and Life

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In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV)

Wendy and I stumbled upon an internet meme yesterday that I had to dig into. It’s rooted in a 2016 research study at Northwestern University. studying fertilization. They discovered that when an egg is successfully fertilized there is a “zinc spark” When they captured this burst of zinc atoms and contemporaneous calcium waves under the microscope it created a flash of light.

How cool. Life and light.

Today, our chapter-a-day journey starts a pilgrimage through the book of Hebrews. The author of Hebrews has forever been steeped in mystery, but from the opening sentences there is no doubt what the book is about. Writing to a first-century Jewish audience, the book of Hebrews is written to provide a definitive answer to the question Jewish people had been asking since the days of Jesus’ ministry.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
Matthew 21:10 (NIV)

Jesus pressed the question to his disciples.

“Who do people say that I am?“

“Who do you say that I am?“

It’s now thirty-years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Jesus Movement has stirred up the Roman world and as it spreads there are more and more people, Jews especially, asking the same question about who Jesus is. No different than today, no different than when Jesus asked his disciples, depending on who you ask you might get a completely different answer. A prophet, a good rabbi, Elijah returned from the dead, or the Messiah.

The author of Hebrews begins with a direct proclamation. Jesus is the Son of God, “through whom He made the universe” and the “Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.”

“Let there be Light!” God shouts as creation begins in Genesis.

John started his version of the Jesus story in similar fashion:

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:3-4 (NIV)

Radiance. Glory. Light. Creation. Life.

Paul said in his letter to the believers in Rome: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20 (NIV)

Genesis.
John.
Paul.
The author of Hebrews.

All of them begin with the same nod.

“Who do you say that I am?”

God. Creator. Light. Life.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Promotional graphic for Tom Vander Well's Wayfarer blog and podcast, featuring icons of various podcast platforms with a photo of Tom Vander Well.
These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!
Chapter-a-Day

A Sage Warning

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“But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”
Numbers 32:23 (NIV)

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m currently writing a book about my business. I have spent over 30 years in the world of Quality Assessment (QA). You know, the ol’ “This call may be monitored for quality and training purposes.” I estimate that I’ve analyzed over 100,000 calls in my career. So the working title of my book is This Call May Be Monitored with the subtitle What Eavesdropping on Corporate American Taugh Me About Business and Life.

One of the things that has amazed me in my career is what people will talk about on the phone at work when they know their calls are being recorded. I’ve heard conversations about the sex orgy people participated in over the weekend. Ew. TMI! Once, I even got to talk to the FBI because a recorded call revealed that someone was spending time at work on the phone setting up their illegal drug operation.

One of the things I love about this chapter-a-day trek is that I’m constantly reminded of the source of what has become commonly known sayings and idioms. In today’s chapter, it’s the moral reminder I’ve heard since I was child: “Your sin will find you out.”

Sayings become cultural idioms when they are true. I can personally testify to the voracity of the saying “Your sin will find you out.” Not because I’ve caught people on a recorded line starting a drug business, but because I’ve repeatedly gotten caught making stupid decisions throughout my life journey. I have stories. Buy me a pint and I’ll share a few.

In today’s chapter, two of the twelve Hebrew tribes decide that they’d rather settle in the land east of the Jordan River where the tribes are currently encamped rather than crossing the river and entering the Promised Land and having land there. These tribes had huge livestock operations and the land was perfect for raising and grazing the herds.

This request was a potentially a serious problem for the larger Promised Land initiative. The request to stay put and not cross into the Promised Land could be seen as a matter of disunity that would discourage the other tribes. It brought up memories of the spies of 10 tribes refusing to cross into the promised land 38 years earlier. It hinted at the fact that these two tribes cared more about their possessions than God’s covenant promise.

In a compromise, the tribes agree to send their men into the Promised Land armed for battle and support the military effort until the job was finished. Moses agrees to the terms, but then warns the leaders of the two tribes that if they fail to keep their end of the bargain “your sin will find you out.”

It is a sage warning that has stood the test of time for thousands of years, even before phone calls were recorded for quality and training purposes!

In the quiet this morning, I simply find my heart and mind wandering back through painful memories of getting caught in foolishness and tragic decision making. Of course, I’ve also learned that pain is a great teacher if I am willing to let it instruct me.

As I head into this, another day, Jesus’ words echo in my soul this morning:

“…there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” Matthew 10:26 (NIV)

“For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.” Mark 4:22 (NIV)

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Promotional graphic for Tom Vander Well's Wayfarer blog and podcast, featuring icons of various podcast platforms with a photo of Tom Vander Well.
These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!
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Wayfarer Podcast

Podcast: “Strike the Match” with Kathie Evenhouse

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(WW) "Strike the Match" with Kathie Evenhouse – Wayfarer

On this Wayfarer Weekend Podcast, I interview Kathie Evenhouse, co-author of Strike the Match, Light the Fire. The book unpacks the “chain reaction of praise” that I’ve blogged about before. Kathie shares the impact this has had on her own life experiences and how praising God in every circumstance is the first step on the path to overcoming.

Chapter-a-Day

Answering “The Question”

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In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV)

“Who do people say that I am?” Jesus asked his closest followers one day. The boys gave various possibilities and arguments they’d heard debated over pita bread and humus among the locals in the cafe.

Jesus then asked his closest friends a more penetrating question.

“Who do you say that I am?” He asked.

Over 2000 years later that question still resonates and penetrates. It’s a blunt question Jesus asks, and it would seem He wants from me a blunt answer.

“Come on, Tom. Step up. Decide for yourself. Make a declarative statement, because it determines many things. Who do you say that I, Jesus, am? By the way, refusing to answer is an answer that tells me as much as if you just declare what you think and believe.”

When I was a young man I grappled honestly with the answer to this question. I think the answer can change for all of us over time. C.S. Lewis famously speaks of going for a bike ride. When he started the ride he didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah, and when he arrived at his destination he did. Such is the journey of faith.

I held a debate within my heart and mind over a long period of time. There were days when I would have answered “a good man,” “a prophet,” “a great teacher who was somewhat confused about the answer himself.” It was a cold February night in 1981 when I made a declarative decision that changed the course of my life. I came to what was basically the same conclusion Peter came to when Jesus first confronted his followers with the question:

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”

Hebrews is a letter that was intended to be dispersed specifically among the followers of Jesus scattered across the world who were also Jewish by birth and/or tradition. Who wrote the letter is a matter of long debate across the centuries, but whoever wrote it was educated and very knowledgable about the Hebrew scriptures (what we commonly refer to as the Old Testament). The purpose of this letter we call The Book of Hebrews is to lay out an answer to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” for Jewish believers.

This morning, I’m once again pondering Jesus’ question anew. While my basic answer to the question has never changed since that cold February night, the answer has grown, matured, deepened, and evolved. When I say today that I believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, it means something much fuller, richer and deeper than it did back then. I’m grateful for that, and meditate this morning on the journey that’s brought me from there to here.

It’s been five years since I last trekked through Hebrews on this chapter-a-day journey. I’m looking forward to treading familiar ground from a different waypoint in this life journey.

Books

Meet Kingman & Reed

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Confession: I am a terrible reader. There is a stack of “must read” books in my office that never shrinks. It remains a perpetual source of shame. For this reason, it took a while for me to make down the stack to my autographed copy of Officer Involved, the debut novel of Iowa author Bill Zahren. I’m so glad I got to it!

For the record, I love the mystery novel. I will always love Chandler and Hammet’s hard-boiled detectives. In my opinion, Sharon Kay Penman does not get enough credit for her historical Queen’s Man series. My heart, however, especially melts for those authors who can, tongue-in-cheek, make me laugh while compelling me to keep turning the pages. The greatest compliment I can give Bill Zahren is that he has officially joined the hallowed ranks of Gregory McDonald (Fletch) and Laurence Klavan (The Cutting Room) in my list of authors who can spin a great yarn while making me guffaw out loud as I read.

Officer Involved is set in Sioux City, Iowa. You read that correctly. Sioux land in northwest Iowa is not exactly known as a hotbed of mystery and intrigue. That’s part of the enjoyment. Despite the media’s constant, willful ignorance interesting things actually happen in flyover country. While we resent the snubs from both coasts, we also appreciate being left alone. Zahren is one of us. He gets this and uses it to make Officer Involved a novel with a unique setting.

Tom Kingman, deft investigative journalist covering the latest Iowa heat wave, finds himself an unexpected witness to a police shooting. Assistant District Attorney Hillary Reed asks Kingman to sit on some of the facts of the even to protect a much larger story. In return for his silence, Reed promises Kingman an exclusive once the larger story breaks. As suddenly as a midwest thunderstorm, the pair find themselves embroiled in circumstances far deeper and more dangerous than either anticipated. I chuckled and kept turning the pages as Zahren swept me along for the ride.

I had a lot of fun with the story and the budding relationship between Kingman and Reed. I appreciate the humanity Bill writes into both characters and the subtext to which he allows us to be privy. I found them not to be cookie cutter protagonists. In Officer Involved I was introduced to both Tom and Hillary, but finished the book wanting to know more about each of them, and I was itching to find out where Bill is taking us in future installments.

I have HUGE respect for Bill and his courageous leap into publishing. I’m so glad he followed his passion, brushed off the manuscript, repressed his doubts, and worked his butt off to introduce us to Kingman and Reed. If you’re looking for a good yarn for the summer reading list support a local author and enjoy Officer Involved!

Officer Involved is available on Amazon.

You can find Bill Zahren on Facebook and follow him on twitter @BillZahren.

 

Chapter-a-Day

Unexpected Events in the Narrative

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…after having heard that Lazarus was ill, [Jesus] stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
John 11:6 (NRSV)

One of the things that has always fascinated me about Jesus’ story, is the way in which Jesus is aware of the bigger picture of all that is happening in and around Him. There is a master plan that is being carried out. The conflict between Jesus and the religious powers-that-be has been growing for some time, but it is all part of the Great Story narrative that God has been authoring since Genesis. Jesus continually speaks and acts in a way to move the narrative toward its prescribed conclusion.

Life and death, death and resurrection are the grand themes of the Great Story. Jesus knows that events are falling into place. Characters are in their places and the cues are being called. Jesus will soon play His part in the grand climax of the story. He will die and then rise again to life in three days. For those who had ears to hear it, Jesus has been saying it all along…

“I will destroy this temple and raise it in three days.”

“Just as Jonah was three days in the belly of the fish, so for three days the Son of Man will lie in the earth.”

In today’s chapter, Jesus hears of Lazarus’ illness and chooses to stay right where He is. He is waiting for Lazarus to die. This is part of the story, though for Mary and Martha their brothers sudden illness and Jesus’ subsequent refusal to act must be both unexpected and frustrating. Jesus must allow Mary and Martha to suffer the grief and sorrow of their brother’s death, knowing the eucatastrophe that will ultimately allow them to experience the power of Life. The author of creation is a master artist and writer, and He is calling the shots. One dramatic miracle, the resurrection of Lazarus, will accomplish multiple layers of purpose:

  • Lazarus’ resurrection will foreshadow Jesus’ resurrection.
  • Jesus’ miracle will up the ante. He has revealed power of sickness and nature, but now He raises the stakes and will publicly reveal His power over death itself.
  • In upping the ante, He will force the hand of His enemies. They will feel compelled to go all in.

Over this past week, Wendy and I have experienced a small handful of unexpected life events that have us scratching our heads. We can’t see clearly where circumstance is leading for us or our loved ones, nor do we have focus regarding how these small events fit in the bigger narrative of our stories. This morning I am reminded, and encouraged, that the author of creation is a master story-teller, and I can trust that He is writing our own stories to fit perfectly into the Great Story narrative.

 

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Chapter-a-Day

The Significance of One Word

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For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Ezra 7:10 (NIV)

One of the things I’ve learned in the process of writing scripts is that words are not chosen idly. When writing what a character says, the writer is trying to capture and communicate that character’s voice. With an eye to what the story is trying to communicate as a whole, the author often chooses a word very carefully for a foreshadowing or subtle thematic effect. Actors, myself included, are notorious for playing fast and loose with the script (e.g. “I know it’s not word perfect, but I got the gist of it!“). Writing has made me a better actor as it’s made me pay more attention to the script and to be more honoring of the words the playwright crafted.

So it is that over the years I’ve increasingly found that when I’m reading God’s Message in the morning I experience a word jumping off the page at me. I try to pay careful attention when this happens because it generally leads me down important paths of thought and meditation. This morning it was the word devoted that jumped off the page at me.

Devotion is not just about duty or obedience. Devotion carries with it a component of the heart. There is a yearning and desire that comes with devotion. I thought what a great legacy Ezra left behind to be known as a person who devoted himself to studying, living, and teaching the earliest chapters of God’s Message.

This morning I find myself asking the question, “to what or whom am I devoted?”

Tom is devoted to _________________________.

When others observe my life, if they are asked to fill in the blank, what would they say? Am I devoted to things that matter? Things that make a positive difference in the lives of others? Things that are eternal? Or, am I devoted to silly things that are temporal and of no consequence? To what or whom am I devoted? 

Chapter-a-Day

Foreshadowing and Climax

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Megiddo Valley of Armageddon

You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. Ezekiel 38:15-16a (NIV)

The prophetic messages of Ezekiel in today’s and tomorrow’s chapter are part of a curious and mysterious niche of theological study known as eschatology, the study of prophecy and the end times. The vision and message in today’s chapter calls out a leader named “Gog” of the land of “Magog” from the “far north” who will gather a multi-national coalition of armies to march on Israel in a massive battle.

Most scholars agree that these chapters parallel the vision of John (Revelation 16) who names the location of this gathering of kings for a final great battle: Armageddon. The valley of Armageddon near the ancient town of Megiddo is in northern Israel which is now the site of an on-going archaeological study and a tourist center. I had an opportunity to visit several years ago and that’s the valley of Armageddon behind me in the picture above.

As fascinating as these prophetic matters are to ponder and discuss, I have come to a few conclusions about them along my journey. First, I have known many people who become so obsessed with these prophesies (it can be like solving a massive, unsolvable puzzle) that they get lost in it. I don’t quite see the point of getting so distracted by trying to understand these things that we ignore more important and current matters.

Second, in any story the idea of foreshadowing is to hint at what is to come in the climactic chapters without giving it away. As author of the Great Story being told in history, I think God intended these foreshadowing prophesies to give us a hint of climactic events to come but never intended us to actually understand all of these matters with certainty. No author wants us to know the details of the climax until we actually get to that point of the story.

Finally, I have come to believe that these foreshadowing prophetic messages are there to remind me that there is a bigger story being told in this life. When encountering the daily headlines and the ebb and flow of international events, I take solace in faith that things are being played out toward a prescribed chapter. We are not yet to that point of the story. And, I’m okay with that.

Chapter-a-Day

The Intriguing Person of the Prophet Elijah

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The upper part of The Transfiguration (1520) b...
The upper part of The Transfiguration (1520) by Raphael, depicting Christ miraculously discoursing with Moses and Elijah. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So [Elijah] did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 1 Kings 17:5-6 (NIV)

The prophet Elijah is one of the most intriguing characters in the entirety of God’s Message. He appears out of nowhere, has a brief ministry marked by miraculous events, confronts the evil and powerful King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel, and then disappears in a whirlwind.

Most people don’t realize it, but Elijah also figures into Jesus’ life and teachings. When asked who people that Jesus was, his followers respond that Elijah was a trending vote getter. Jesus told His followers that John the Baptist was the person of Elijah returned to restore all things. On the mount of transfiguration when Jesus was revealed in His glory, Elijah appeared with Him. Jesus referred to Elijah in His teaching on multiple occasions. While hanging on the cross, witnesses thought Jesus was calling out to Elijah.

As I read today’s chapter, I found it interesting that the miracles of Elijah seemed to strongly parallel the miracles of Jesus. The widows flour and oil never ran dry, much like the baskets filled with bread and fish when Jesus fed the crowds with His all you can eat fish fry by the Sea of Galilee. When Elijah takes the dead widow’s son into an upper room and bring’s the boy back to life, it is eerily reminiscent of Jesus going into the room of Jairus’ dead daughter bringing her back to life.

One of the things I have come to appreciate more and more in my sojourn through God’s Message is the connections, parallels, foreshadowing, and recurring themes that stretch across the entirety of the story that God has told and is still telling. I love that God is both an artist and an author. He is telling a story. It is His-story.