
Wayfarer
By Tom Vander Well










The Microscope & the Wide-Angle Lens (CaD Matt 22)
For me, the most powerful spiritual lesson in today’s chapter is not under the microscope but in the wide-angle lens. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 22. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Life’s Chorus (CaD Matt 21)
In today’s chapter, the crowd plays a significant role. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 21. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

“I Want to See!” (CaD Matt 20)
Today, I complete my 59th lap around the sun. In the quiet I hear God’s Spirit whisper to my spirit the same question He asked of the wife of Zebedee. The same question He asked the two blind men.
“Happy birthday, Tom. What do you want me to do for you?"
A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 20. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.


Recitation and Relationships (CaD Matt 18)
Sometimes the traditional, yet out-of-date, wording of famous passages like The Lord’s Prayer are like a comfy old sweatshirt that wraps you in the warmth and comfort of something familiar which has been with you and seen you through long stretches of life’s journey. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 18. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.


He Walked Away (CaD Matt 16)
Along my chapter-a-day journey over the years, I’ve learned that spiritual lessons are found in Jesus’ actions as well as His words. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 16. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Traditions: Serious and Silly (CaD Matt 15)
In the quiet this morning, I love the fact that Jesus poked the big dogs from Jerusalem regarding their rabid hypocrisy when it came to their traditions. Less than a week after Good Friday, I’m equally reminded that these same rabid, big dogs will quite literally kill Him for it.
A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 15. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.




The Great Omission (CaD Matt 11)
In the quiet this morning, I find myself thinking about the spiritual posture that Jesus is asking of John. It is a kneeling, open, and surrendered posture. It is the same that He has demanded of His disciples and anyone else who would follow, including me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 11. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.



The Revival I Missed (CaD Matt 8)
While I was in high school, a spiritual revival broke out. I and my friends in our holy huddle had nothing to do with it. Zero, zip, zilch, nada. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 8. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.


“How Not to Be a Dick” (CaD Matthew 6)
When our friend Nathan was entering adolescence, I read a review in theWall Street Journal of a clever little book of etiquette for boys by Meghan Doherty called How Not to Be a Dick. We gifted it to our young friend. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 6. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.



Arrogant Luxury (CaD Matt 3)
We live in very unique times. In fact, I believe that we are in one of the most tectonic shifts in the history of Christianity. It is, perhaps, the most significant shift since the Reformation. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Connected (CaD Matt 2)
In the quiet this morning, I’m reminded that the connections I find in the text aren’t just trivial literary observations. There are spiritual truths present here that are true for me today. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Matthew the Quirk (CaD Matt 1)
I love that God uses the uniqueness of every individual’s experience, personality, giftedness, and temperament for the good of the whole. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Videos mentioned in today’s episode:
https://youtu.be/7IUL9yq0We8?si=pRq-8wHDmrIpz7ub
https://youtu.be/kxduwZpLcCM?si=8YjE6VHvleyYiDwv

Dedication (CaD Lev 27)
The further I get in my spiritual journey, the more I come to understand that the extent of my generosity is a leading indicator of the depth of both my spiritual understanding of the economics of God’s Kingdom, and my gratitude for God's insane generosity towards me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 27. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.





Ritual and Spiritual (CaD Lev 22)
Other than some relatively loose leadership structure mentioned by Paul, there is nothing in scripture that hints at anything like what “church” became once Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 22. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.


Who Changed? The Parent or Child? (CaD Lev 20)
One of the hardest things for modern readers of the Great Story to grapple with is that the God of Leviticus seems so different and hardcore than the teachings of Jesus. I think it’s easy to lose sight of who really changed between the two. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 20. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.





“Acky” (CaD Lev 15)
When something was dirty or nasty or something you shouldn’t touch, our wee daughters called it “acky.” This became a euphemism for when they did the number two in their diapers. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 15. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
YouTube video referred to in today’s podcast:
https://youtu.be/u7-ps9QBAGk?si=_xvDB2DavuhbhyD8


“Unclean!” (CaD Lev 13)
Today’s chapter is strange, repetitive, and more than a bit boring for modern readers. It is all about skin diseases and mold. But there’s more here than meets the eye. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 13. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Video referenced in today’s podcast:
https://youtu.be/jbkSRLYSojo?si=EVu0pU-dvXX-f1mb




“New Things Come” (CaD Lev 9)
In the quiet this morning, I find myself marveling once again at how God’s message is consistent even as He communicates it differently at different points of the Great Story. A chapter-a-day podcast from Leviticus 9. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
