Here are the audio recordings of a few lectures I gave as a part of our Introduction to the Bible series in the fall of 2019
The First has to do with the Old Testament Books of the Law (recording picks up half way through):
This next one has to do with the Old Testament Books of the Writings:
And this last one has to do with the New Testament and the letters of Paul:
Enjoy!
The Rev. Noah Van Niel
November 10th, 2019
The Chapel of the Cross
Proper 27 (C): Haggai, 1:15b-2:9; Psalm 145: 1-5, 18-22; 2 Thess 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38
I know what you’re thinking: Who is Haggai? You’d be forgiven for wondering this, because the book of Haggai is easily overlooked. It’s just two chapters long, and doesn’t even fill two pages. It’s squeezed in right between Zephaniah and Zechariah, near the end of the Old Testament. If it wasn’t for Handel turning a couple of these verses into a memorable Bass recitative in his Messiah, it is possible this book would have been completely forgotten by modern readers.
Continue readingThe Rev. Noah Van Niel
November 3rd, 2019
The Chapel of the Cross
The Feast of All Faithful Departed (C)
What happens when we die? It’s a question, as a priest, I’m asked a lot. It is, after all, the great mystery that has plagued (or inspired) humankind since the dawn of time. Yet I rarely hear sermons on it because I think, frankly, most priests are as unsure about it as anyone else. It’s perfectly reasonable to believe in eternal life and still have a hard time articulating exactly what it looks like. But given that tonight we mark The Feast of All Faithful Departed—or as it is more commonly known All Souls’ Day—the closing act of this autumn triduum where the veil between this world and the next wears especially thin, and the spirits and specters of All Hallow’s Eve give way to the triumphs of All Saints, to the solemn remembrance of all those whom we have loved and lost which is our work this hour—I thought I might offer a few of my own ideas, based on my own experiences, prayers, and engagement with Scripture and the teachings of our Church, on what happens when we die.
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