The (Lieben)GOOD LIFE

First Loved. A Message for Biblical Studies, Theology, and Christian Ministry Majors Academic Chapel September 5, 2025 Kelly D. Liebengood, Ph.D. Dean, School of Theology and Vocation Scripture Reading “Beloved,...”  (Pet 2:11; 4:12; 2 Pet 3:1, 8, 14, 3:17; 1 John 2:7; 3:2, 21; 4:1, 7, 11; Jude 1, 3, 17, 20; see also Heb 6;9; Eph 1:6; 5:1; Col 3:2; 2 Thess 2:13.) Proclamation  There’s a word in the New Testament that is too often treated as a throwaway, a pleasantry that serves to fill the awkward space as the author transitions from one idea to another. The word, as you may have guessed from our Scripture reading, is beloved.  The word is particularly prominent in key rhetorical moments in the Catholic Epistles (James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude; see references in note 1). And at the center of the Catholic Epistles is a reminder that Jesus is the beloved, the one who has always been loved, and who in turn loves as an extension of his belovedness (2 Pet 1:16-21). We learn...

* A Reflection on Jesus' encounter with two men on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-27) Lent is usually the time of year that could be described as "confrontational." We roll up our sleeves and ask God "to search us and know our hearts; too try us and know our thoughts; to see if there is any idolatrous way in us; and to lead us in the right way (adapted from Psalm 139:23-24)." We are more intentional about setting aside time in our days to consider the ways in which our lives do not conform to the words of Jesus and the revelation he brings to us in the Epiphany. We are more deliberate about self-examination, seeking to pay closer attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away (Heb 2:1). And over the course of those 40 plus days of auditing, we become acutely aware of all the ways we "fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)."  Easter is a welcome relief! Yes, we fall short, but God has bridged the gap, defeating the one who has the powe...

  Practice "Where are you?" It’s an honor to be here, to be asked to encourage ministry leaders who serve here and in this region. I stubbornly and doggedly am convinced that pastors, shepherds, teachers, spiritual directors  in all their forms and degrees do the most important job in the world.  The greatest challenge of ministry is finishing—and finishing well. How do we become people that can endure till the end? Better yet, how can we become people who thrive?  I don’t pretend to have the answer to this question. But I would like to share with you a practice that I have found to be sustaining and life giving. Orienting Your Day with “Where are you?” For the past three years (with varying degrees of consistency), I have incorporated a practice into my morning routine—one that emerged both as a result of my study of Genesis 3, but also from becoming more aware of some of my own self-sabotaging patterns. Rather than starting my day journaling about all the things I...

The Book of Revelation is about "works."  To be more precise, the Book of Revelation is about how works are a condition for journeying successfully through the wilderness of Babylon (Revelation 17-18) into the Promised Land of the New Jerusalem/New Garden (Revelation 21-22).  We get a glimpse of the importance of the work that disciples of Jesus are called to by attending to two images of Jesus in the opening chapter.  Two Orienting Visions of Jesus In Revelation 1:5-6, we see that the accomplishments of Jesus are described after the pattern of Exodus, that paradigmatic event that demonstrated YHWH's power to deliver his people. In John's description, the death of Jesus functions like the blood of the Passover, liberating (literally "loosing" or "unbinding") God's people from the tyranny of sin. Just like the first exodus, this liberation comes with a responsibility, work to do: the work of being priests to the God and Father of Jesus Christ.  ...

One of the reasons I enjoy researching and teaching in the latter part of the New Testament (e.g., 1-2 Peter, Hebrews, and Revelation) is because these often unfamiliar texts say things in ways that we are not accustomed to hearing them said, especially as it relates to how we conceive of life in Christ. And sometimes this different way of saying things runs up against what we "know" to be true.  In my most recent go-around at teaching Revelation, I have been struck by this simple, pervasive, and yet often-overlooked fact: John's Apocalypse is about works!  To be even more precise,  John's Apocalypse is about being saved by works! In the midst of the fantastic and perplexing imagery of Revelation, especially in chapters 6-20, it is easy to loose the forest for the trees. But, as I will try to show (in the next three posts), the majestic extravagance of Revelation 4-5 and the shocking horror of the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls are in the service of this most fun...

Each new academic year, approximately 20 million students will attend college in the United States. The demographics reveal that these students are as diverse as they have ever been. And yet, even though these 20 million students bring with them as many different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, they nevertheless all share one thing in common: they all come to college to find their place in this world. This quest to find one’s place in the world comes in the form of a number of different questions that students ask as they step onto the college campus: Who am I? Why am I here? What is the point of life? Is there a point to life? Do I belong? Where do I belong here? Who are my people? What am I going to do for a living? Who will I marry? (Will I ever marry?) Who will my friends be? (Will I make any friends?). In other words, each year students come on to our campus seeking to discern three inter-related themes: identity, purpose, and belonging. This is part of what makes the...

What Do We Study the Bible for? An Introduction Why do we study the Book of Revelation (or any other biblical studies course offered in our curriculum)? What is knowledge of the book for ? What should we seek to get out of engaging with Scripture? How we respond to these questions will depend, in part, on the vantage point from which we read Revelation (or any other biblical text). If you consider yourself to be a follower of Jesus, the life you have been called to is a life in which you have been invited to receive and enjoy God's love and in which you have been called upon to faithfully participate in God's life of love for the sake of the church and the world. And that reality undergirds, shapes, and animates how we read the Bible. We catch a glimpse of this life we have been invited into in what is perhaps an unexpected place, the prayer life of Jesus. Prayer is often where we find one's deepest expressions of want, longing, and desire, where we learn what matters most...