Many claim to be followers of Christ, but they seldom read their Bibles; except to prepare a sermon, class, Bible Study, etc. Their prayer life, their alone time with God is inconsistent, infrequent, shallow, mechanical. Practiced, trained words can become mere theatrics without relationship; (intimate relationship with God) pleasing to the ear, but lacking substance.

     When will Christians learn that unbelieving hearts are not touched by Christian lingo, legalism, advertising, theology, haughtiness etc. Do your unbelieving friends and family remember you yelling at your spouse, stealing from your parents, not paying your debts, telling crude jokes, engaging in racial slures, making sexual inuendos etc. Do you then insist they confess Jesus to beat the devil?

     Jesus said whoever is without sin cast the first stone. He said to get the beam, not the splinter, out of our own eye before we try to remove the sliver from our neighbor’s eye. Where does the Bible tell us to grab a plumb line and start measuring our brother, our sister, our neighbor? Doesn’t the Bible say judge not least you be judged? If we tithe … before we tithe … doesn’t the Bible teach us to make things right with whoever we have hurt first?

     If we really love an unbelieving world, the way Jesus does, then we need to read the scriptures for ourselves and maybe we will come to the same realization that Oswald Chambers did. “He (Jesus) did not pay any attention to the moral degradation of the one or to the moral attainment of the other; He looked at something we do not see, viz., the disposition.”

     Disposition? Does the Bible teach us to be hospitable to others or irritable? Does the Bible teach us to be kind, gracious, merciful, patient or are we supposed to be arrogant, loud, jealous, pushy, proud? Are we supposed to be defensive or did Jesus tell his disciples not to take offense? An unbelieving world will not be changed by what Christians say, but by what Christians do. Is this why the Church makes so little impact on an unbelieving world? Did Jesus say go and make disciples or go build churches?

     If we want God’s perspective I believe we have to read scripture for ourselves. I do not believe the Bible is God, but I do believe it is a powerful pointer. Every year I find myself enjoying it more and more while getting more and more from reading it. Reading your Bible every day will have a cumulative, transformational effect. If you only commit to 15-30 minutes a day, every day, and remain faithful it will change your life.

     Jesus is the message for an unbelieving world, not religion, not legalism, not a list of rules, but Jesus. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ will do what nothing else can. Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

     Yukon Angel Productions began as a web address for my video business, but it soon went a different direction. My goal is to encourage people to lean into God. Starting each day with your mind turned and tuned to God will enrich your relationship with God and God’s creation.

     In 2006 I persuaded fifteen others to join me in a 'Community' Bible reading program with the goal of reading the entire Bible in a year. A rabbi once said, in (Pray As A Jew), if you do the same thing every day you will change your life. The little things you do or don’t do on a regular basis expand or restrict your capacity to spiritually invest in life. Investing in life means making room for relationships.

     A couple of years ago I started scanning the books I was reading and adding a little to each day’s web page. I had no plan. I was just expanding each day’s reading with other material and videos. My intention has always been that my web site visitors might find something of interest, amusement or thought provoking; something that might rekindle or start a conversation with God. God desires to be known and Paul tells his readers in Romans 1:20 that we are all without excuse. Romans 1:20 Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse;

     I’ve added the daily devotionals of Oswald Chambers and the poetry of the Anglican priest R.S. Thomas. I believe Thomas is the greatest Welsh/Anglican poet of our time and I think YAP represents the largest (free) source of R.S. Thomas poetry on the web. The poems of R.S. Thomas often represent my own efforts (and maybe yours) to process the silence we all encounter in our journey with and toward God.

     By the end of 2011 there will be around 2,000 videos on YAP from various sources. I like Worship House Media, The Work Of The People, Crosspoint Community Church and in March of this year, my new favorite, Recycle Your Faith. I also embed occasional videos from YouTube and Vimeo, including some of my videos.

     July 5, 2011 I started including The Book Of Common Prayer (Daily Office, Lectionary). This year I also added a couple of books on Midrash as well as a book by Warren Wiersbe.

     I am a certified spiritual director for George Fox Evangelical Seminary and private clients as well as what Dean Chuck Conniry calls, "Our resident videographer." I received my Masters in Divinity from George Fox on April 28, 2008, as well as my certificate in Spiritual Direction.

     As I said in the beginning, YAP was created for my video editing business, Yukon Angel Productions. My primary video client was and continues to be George Fox Evangelical Seminary, but I am always looking for new clients and new relationships. Lily and I usually do three or four weddings a year in addition to other video requests. Please see my Clients page.

     Feel free to contact me with questions regarding spiritual direction, Christian counseling, video projects, or writing projects.

     The name Yukon Angel Productions comes from our two Great Pyrenees, Yukon and Angel. They both passed away in the summer of 2005. Yukon died of bone cancer and Angel died a couple weeks later of a broken heart.

     Willliam J. Federer is a nationally known speaker, best-selling author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc., a publishing company dedicated to researching America's noble heritage.

     Toward the end of 2010 I began adding excerpts from his book that correspond to that particular day. I don't believe we should live in the past, but we should certainly respect it. Click Here for a link to his web site.

William J. Federer. American Minute

     We are daily bombarded by quotes. I like quotes that turn my thoughts toward God. I cannot think about two things at once and I find my days are much better when I am intentional about what I'm thinking about. Telling myself I will not be anxious, I will not let my feelings be hurt, I will forget it ...; this kind of negative thinking does not work for me. I need my I won'ts to be I wills. I need my mind to be busy with the things I want to think about. So I like thinking about quotes.

... from here, there and everywhere

     Reading a couple of Proverbs each day can sharpen your discernment. Read this each day and you will read the entire book of Proverbs in one year.

     I confess I like Jewish things; Jewish history, Jewish violin music, Jewish accents, Jewish contributions to humanity; so why not use Stern's English version of the Tanakh (OT) and B'rit Hadashah (NT). I use the NRSV for Bible reading.

Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible-OE
: An English version of the Tanakh (OT) and
B'rit Hadashah (NT) (1st ed.). Clarksville, Md.: Jewish
New Testament Publications.

Working toward Christian perfection ...
with fear and trembling

     My Utmost for His Highest is a classic of devotional literature. Discover the wisdom of Oswald Chambers who challenges you to give yourself fully to God. This is my third time through and it always seems new.

     Reading a daily reflection / devotional from Oswald Chambers each day often helps me to be intentional about what I choose to think about and what I try to discard.

     In February of 2010 I started adding the poetry of the great Welsh poet R.S. Thomas to each day's Bible Reading page.

     His poetry stimulates my thoughts of God and my own relationship with God's silence. If confronted with God's presence who would not submit? It is what we do with God's silence (which we call absence) that underscores the reality of whether or not we have a relationship with God.

     I believe that Yukon Angel Productions is the largest free ( web ) source of R.S. Thomas poetry.

     Joseph wore a coat of many colors, a metaphor, I think, that can be applied to much in life. I tend to lean into metaphors, stories if you will, more than doctrine or dogma. Therefore I am not uncomfortable when I encounter people who believe differently from me. I hope I can learn from everyone. If I had listened to some conservative friends I would never have experienced the wonderful music of Enya or ventured into the Gemara. So, likewise I do not apologize for reading what some of my open minded friends call too conservative.

     I like diversity, but whether I am reading something from Dallas Theological Seminary or the Talmud, I believe that staying in the Scriptures keeps me gounded and helps me to keep my eyes fixed and focused on Jesus Christ, looking neither to the right or the left and leaning not unto my own understanding.

     With that being said, please don't get in a huff over something you read or watch at Yukon Angel Productions that you disagree with. If life were all green lights it would be a disaster. We need yellow lights to make us slow down and approach with caution and even those red lights that tell us to stop are necessary. Wait and let the cross traffic proceed and then you can move forward again.

     This is my first time reading this devotional, but I agree with what a reader on Amazon wrote:

     "This is an awesome collection of daily devotionals from some of the superstars of Christianity. Each day takes up one page, so it takes only a couple moments to read. It starts out with a short Bible verse, then a one-page devotional from one of the great Christian thinkers. Some of the persons quoted include C. H. Spurgeon, George Whitefield, Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostorm, George H. Morrison, Jonathan Edwards, Martin Luther, Alexander Maclaren, John Bunyan and more. Highly recommended."

     As I understand it, after the Bible, this is the most read Christian book in Christian history, yet I was not introduced to it till seminary. What a shame.

     Starting in February of 2012 I want to revisit this gem taking a slow and thoughtful approach.

     February 12th, 2011 is the beginning of Swimming In The Sea Of Talmud. As of 11/20/11 this book has five reviews on Amazon and they are all five stars. Below is the Amazon reader's comment that motivated me to read the book.

     Along with the Jewish Bible (the Tanach), the Talmud is central text of Judaism. Consisting of two components, Mishnah (oral law) and Gemarrah (Rabbinical discussion of the Mishnah), the voluminous words of the great Rabbinic Sages expound on every conceivable subject and their rulings make up the whole of modern Jewish practice and belief. It is the Talmud that turned the ancient worship of the God of Abraham by the nation of Israel into the religion of Judaism. Although learned Jews spend their lives immersed in Talmud study, for less knowledgeable Jews it is a sorely and unfortunately neglected area of Jewish study. Indeed, many modern Jews would be hard pressed to explain exactly what Talmud is. Their are many reasons for this of course, but certainly a primary one is that the language style and method of the Talmud is virtually incomprehensible to the untrained mind. (even in translation) Although the Talmud is divided into tractates dealing with broad subjects such as prayer, damages, relations between the sexes, holy things etc., it is not truly subdivided in the way in which we moderns are accustomed. There is no index and laws and rulings on different subjects are found throughout the work. Thus while a "sugya" or section of Gemarrah may begin by discussing a certain mishnah, it will soon be sure to ramble in a thousand directions as the words of different sages with different opinions are recorded with no reference to when they lived or when they spoke or often, whose opinion prevailed. Even the most advanced rabbinic students of Talmud need help comprehending the meaning, turning to the great Rashi or to their own teachers. Immersing oneself in Talmud is truly like being lost in an open sea. And yet the Talmud is chock full of wisdom and exciting insights that have real meaning for our lives, even today. This is why the Talmud should be studied by all Jews (and even non-Jews) who are interested in understanding Judaism.

     And yet for most of us, studying the text from a traditional source such as the Steinsaltz translation and commentary, is out of the question. The language of the Talmud is so terse, the style and methods of the Rabbis it quotes so ellyptical, as to seem an elaborate code. This book is an excellent introduction for the uninitiated into the swirling sea of Talmud. After a brief introduction to the style and method of the Talmud, the authors, Conservative Rabbis, divide the book into sections, each one representing a tractate. They then take a sampling of the thousands of sugyot available for each tractate, printing a literal translation of the Mishnah and/or Gemarrah with additional explanatory language in brackets to make it more (although still not clearly) comprehensible. Next is a paragraph that explains what the sugya means, what the Rabbis are trying to say. Often, the explanatory section will fill in details or background that a more advanced student will be aware of that gives the section meaning. Finally in a "drash" or teaching section, the authors put the words of the Talmud into a modern context through use of a story or example that shows how the ruling or discussion can apply to our modern lives. In this way, as Yeshiva students do, we can see how the Talmud is not just a seventeen hundred year old book that we study historically but a living breathing work of art and religious thought that can continue to give meaning to our lives.

     Anyone interested in Judaism or the Jewish religion that does not already have a familiarity with the study of Talmud should begin with this book. It is lively, entertaining and easy. You will not be sorry.

Katz, M., & Schwartz, G. Swimming in the Sea of Talmud: Lessons for Everyday LIving Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society.

     On June 8th, 2011 I will start reading Searching for meaning in Midrash. Below is an Amazon reader's take on the book.

     The Oral Torah was handed down for generations from Moses. It is the complement to the Written Torah. Keep in mind that the original Torah was written without vowels or punctuation; the implication being that there had to be an oral Torah to understand the written one. Midrash refers to stories and details from the Oral Torah that clarify and add to stories in the Torah. The Oral Torah wasn't codified in the Talmud until about a millennium ago when anti-Semitism was so intense it appeared that the Oral Torah would be lost to posterity.

     This book is presented in an easy concise format. The authors explain all of the Hebrew words that are used. The actual Biblical texts are juxtaposed with the Midrashic texts for easy comparison. Then each is followed by a D'rash, a short commentary. The root word of d'rash means to investigate. A lot of Christians tend to shy away from Jewish commentaries and such books are rarely sold in Christian books stores, even though Christians believe in the Hebrew Bible, the so called Old Testament. This is unfortunate because they are really missing out on a lot. Very few Christian ministers were able to answer my questions pertaining to the Hebrew Bible. A couple of ministers I consulted had never even heard of the story of Tamar and Judah in Genesis 38. The Jewish people are named for Judah/Yehuda.

Katz, M., & Schwartz, G. Searching for Meaning in Midrash: Lessons for Everyday Living Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society.

     On July 5, 2011 I started including The Book Of Common Prayer (Daily Office, Lectionary).

The Episcopal Church. Book of Common Prayer Lectionary

     This year, 2011, I also began reading the daily devotional, On This Day. Yes, I like devotionals; short readings that turn my mind from horizontal thinking to vertical thinking. Below is one day's reading, one of my favorites.

     He was an Anglican, then a Puritan, then a Separatist, then a Baptist, then a “Seeker.” He quarreled with civil leaders, frustrated church leaders, and loved the Indians. He founded an American colony and established the first Baptist church on American soil. Most of all, he trusted the overruling providence of God so much that he named a city in honor of it.

     Who was he? He was Roger Williams, born about 1603 in England. He grew up in London near a square in front of Newgate Prison, famous as the site of execution for condemned heretics. Young Roger witnessed many such executions, and he developed an abhorrence for the persecution of those with differing religious beliefs. As an 18-year-old, he worked as recording secretary in a British courtroom, transcribing the cases of heretical prosecution. By the time Williams graduated from Cambridge, he was a powerful preacher and a relentless advocate of religious liberty.

     In 1630 under King Charles I, Williams was infuriated by the treatment given his friend, Dr. Alexander Leighton, a Puritan—life imprisonment, heavy fine, defrocking, public whipping, ears cut off, nose split on both sides, and branding of a double SS (for “Sower of Sedition”) on his face.

     With righteous wrath, Williams began preaching and writing against the church/state unions and their resulting policies of coercion and persecution. Finding himself at risk, he accepted an invitation from Puritans in Boston and embarked secretly on a ship for America December 8, 1630. But he found Puritan leaders in America also intolerant. They, too, sought to impose their beliefs through legal constraint. One night news reached him that authorities were plotting to seize him and return him in chains to England. Bundling himself against the cold, he fled through the snow into Indian country. On the shores of Narragansett Bay, he purchased land from the Indians and there he founded a settlement, naming it Providence, where all could worship in freedom. There he established the first Baptist church in America. And there he established the colony of Rhode Island.

     John said, “Master, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But we told him to stop, because he isn’t one of us.” “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “Anyone who isn’t against you is for you.”
--- Luke 9:49,50.

Morgan, R. J. On This Day 365 Amazing And Inspiring Stories About Saints, Martyrs And Heroes

     I have a strong interest in anything Jewish. Jewish violin music is especially appreciated. On October 6, 2011, I want to start reading Rabbi Hartman 's book on Maimonides.

     During April of 2010 we had to move from a large house to a small apartment so I gave away over 400 books and many teaching Cassette Sets, mostly to Goodwill. No one in my family reads much and certainly no one cares much about the roots, history or theology of my biblical faith, sigh. Despite that, I still have a few books that I will slowly give away. I'm ready to reread many, but as long as people I respect keep recommending books to me, like this one, ... I probably won’t.

Rabbi David Hartman, Maimonides, Expanded Edition: Torah and Philosophic Quest.