My 50 Favorite Bible Passages

Passages that I've found particularly meaningful over the years and which I would recommend to others.

1. Romans 8:18-39—If I could have only one scripture passage to use for the rest of my life I believe this would be the one I chose.

2. Psalm 121—For generations this has been the traveling psalm for the Freeman family.

3. 1 Peter 2:4-10—The first time I became aware of this passage it resonated strongly with me, and has ever sense.

4. 2 Timothy 3:14-17—The passage with which my grandfather Freeman inscribed the Bible he and my grandmother gave to me when I was a child.

5. Micah 6:6-8—My personal mission statement.

6. Psalm 84—I wrote a play based heavily on this psalm and the notion of belonging to God.

7. Romans 14:7—In life and death we belong to God.

8. 2 Corinthians 4:1-12—(Especially verses 5-6.) What we preach is not ourselves; these are very liberating words for a minister to hear, and have long helped me clarify my sense of call.

9. Psalm 8—A long-time favorite and a reminder of God’s sovereignty over all creation.

10. Isaiah 6:1-8—Also very helpful in considering my call. This is the first of several Old Testament call stories on the list.

11. Luke 2:1-20—The familiar words of the story of Jesus’ birth remain relevant in any era.

12. John 1:1-5—Though John is not my favorite of the gospels, the words of this passage are very profound, pointing to Jesus (the Word of God) as vital to creation.

13. Matthew 28:16-20—Jesus’ “Great Commission” to his disciples.

14. Psalm 23—Though often read at funerals the words of this psalm are appropriate in any setting as a reminder of God’s love.

15. Hebrews 12:1-2—This passage serves to remind me of all those who have gone before me in the faith, especially my grandparents.

16. Habakkuk 2:1-4—For Presbyterians the “watchposts” of the faith are the font, the table, and the pulpit.

17. Isaiah 40:1-11, 27-31—Great words of hope.

18. Luke 1:46-55—A firm reminder that God is fully on the side of the dispossessed and downtrodden.

19. Ephesians 4:1-16—Full of imagery about the unity of God and of the faith.

20. Genesis 32:22-32—Jacob wrestled with God at the ford of the River Jabbok. In Hebrew the term for wrestling is to get dusty. What great imagery, God drawing close enough to humanity to get dusty with us.

21. Ezekiel 1—Another call story. The part of this that I love most is Ezekiel’s reaction to encountering God in the exile. He falls on his face.

22. Amos 7:14-15—Amos describes his sense of mission as a prophet of God.

23. Luke 4:14-21—The inauguration of Jesus’ ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth.

24. 1 John 1:8-9—If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves.

25. Acts 2:1-21—The day of Pentecost and the birth of the church.

26. Galatians 1:13-17—Paul’s account of his conversion to Christianity.

27. 1 Samuel 3:1-18—Samuel hears God’s voice in the night.

28. Mark 1:9-11—The baptism of Jesus.

29. Mark 16:1-8—The resurrection, which, in Mark’s account, is brief and almost ambiguous. As my colleague the Rev. Dick Hardie has said, the tension and excitement comes form knowing that Jesus is “our there, loose in the world.”

30. Isaiah 5:1-7—The song of the vineyard, God’s judgment of the people of Israel.

31. Galatians 3:27-28—All are one in Christ Jesus our Lord.

32. Amos 5:18-24—“Let waters roll down like waters…”

33. Jeremiah 18:1-11—Jeremiah and the potter working the clay.

34. 2 Samuel 11:27-12:15a—Nathan condemns David for his sin against Uriah.

35. Philippians 2:3-11—An appeal for humility in the example of Jesus Christ.

36. Micah 4:1-5—A beautiful image of the restoration of Israel “In days to come.”

37. Romans 12—A very rich and meaningful chapter.

38. Psalm 24—“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…” in the KJV. A profound statement of God’s glory.

39. Luke 8:40-56—Jesus heals Jairus’ daughter and the woman with the flow of blood, each of which shows Jesus’ willingness to accept even the lowest members of society into fellowship.

40. Matthew 5:1-12—The Beatitudes, a significant part of the Sermon on the Mount.

41. 2 Kings 5:1-19a—Elisha cures Naaman of leprosy.

42. Exodus 3: 1-4:17—The call of Moses.

43. Deuteronomy 6:4-9—The “Shema,” one of Judaism’s most sacred texts.

44. Genesis 1-3—God’s work of creation reveals a great deal about God and humanity.

45. Revelation 21:1-6—The new Jerusalem in the midst of a new creation.

46. Jonah—This entire book tells a story rich in detail and full of truth about God.

47. Acts 10—The conversion of Cornelius and his household.

48, John 3:16—A verse so familiar that it’s like an old friend.

49. Psalm 100—One of the earliest psalms I ever learned.

50. 1 Corinthians 4:1—I once had a plaque made to recognize the 50th anniversary of a colleague’s ordination. I meant to refer to 2 Corinthians 4:1, but wrote 1 Corinthians instead. Turns out this passage was more appropriate.

50 Greatest Events in History (Good or Bad)

My list of the 50 most important events (good or bad) in history (with the frank acknowledgment that I am a white, male, North American, Christian and that my background has a profound effect on how I see things).

1. The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (c. 4-37 AD)

2. The birth of the Church at Pentecost and conversion of Saul to Christianity (c. 37 AD)

3. The dawn of Greek Civilization (and ultimately Western culture) (c. 1600 BC)

4. Guttenberg’s invention of moveable type (1455 AD)

5. Martin Luther launches the Protestant Reformation (1517 AD)

6. Dawn of Egyptian culture (3414 BC)

7. Hammurabi’s Code is history’s first system of laws (c. 1760 BC)

8. The fall of Roman Empire (476 AD)

9. United States Declares Independence (1776 AD)

10.. Birth of Muhammad (c. 520 AD)

11. Constantine converts to Christianity (312 AD)

12. Birth of William Shakespeare (c. 1564)

13. Columbus sails west (1492 AD)

14. The Wright Brothers prove that human flight is possible (1903 AD)

15. Germany’s invasion of Poland and the beginning of WW2 (1939 AD)

16. The Holocaust (1939-45 AD)

17. The signing of the Magna Charta (1215 AD)

18. The French Revolution overthrows the French monarchy (1789 AD)

19. Assassination of John F. Kennedy (1963 AD)

20. Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968 AD)

21. The Silicon chip is invented ushering in the modern computer age (1959 AD)

22. Aristotle writes Poetics, the first detailed account of drama (c. 335 BC)

23. Small pox vaccine developed (1700’s AD)

24. Jonas Salk develops a polio vaccine (1952 AD)

25. The US drops atomic bombs on Japan (1945 AD)

26. The Berlin Wall comes down ending the Cold War (1990 AD)

27. D-Day landings in France (1944 AD)

28. Washington and Rochambeau defeat Cornwallis at Yorktown (1781 AD)

29. First human to walk on the moon (1969 AD)

30. The Tale of Genji the world’s first novel, is written in Japan (c. 1021 AD)

31. Birth of Alexander the Great (356 BC)

32. Henry Ford perfects the assembly line (1913 AD)

33. The Russian Revolution overthrows the Tsar (1917 AD)

34. Jessie Owens wins gold at the Munich Olympics to Hitler’s embarrassment (1936 AD)

35. End of Apartheid in South Africa (1990-93 AD)

36. Development of the motion picture camera (c. 1880 AD)

37. Stalin becomes leader of the Soviet Union (1924 AD)

38. Civil Rights march at Selma, Alabama (1965 AD)

39. India gains independence from Britain (1947 AD)

40. Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England (1558 AD)

41. Elvis Presley records “That’s All Right” (1954 AD)

42. First TV broadcast takes place in London (1926 AD)

43. The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show (1964 AD)

44. Live Aid concerts for African famine relief organized by Boomtown Rats front man Bob Geldoff (1985 AD)

45. The attack on the World Trade Center in New York (2001 AD)

46. Great Chinese Famine kills anywhere from 15 to 40 million people (1958-62 AD)

47. United Nations founded (1945 AD)

48. Antonio Meucci invents the telephone (c. 1871 AD)

49. Native slavery abolished in Spanish American colonies (1542 AD)

50. Oil discovered in the Middle East (1908 AD)

My 50 Favorite Songs of All Time

1. “A Day in the Life” The Beatles
2. “Revolution” The Beatles
3. “Imagine” John Lennon
4. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” The Who
5. “Nothing From Nothing” Billy Preston
6. “London Calling” The Clash
7 “Year of the Cat” Al Stewart
8. “Stairway to Heaven” Led Zeppelin
9. “Don’t Stop” Fleetwood Mac
10. “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” Simon and Garfunkel
11. “Instant Karma” John Lennon
12. “Hello Goodbye” The Beatles
13. “Rebel, Rebel” Davie Bowie
14. “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” U2
15. “Cars” Gary Newman
16. “Listen Like Thieves” INXS
17. “Rock the Casbah” The Clash
18. “Graceland” Paul Simon
19. “Hey Jude” The Beatles
20. “Shattered” The Rolling Stones
21. “Silly Love Songs” Wings
22. “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You” George Harrison
23. “Rocking In the Free World” Neil Young
24. “Whip It” Devo
25. “52 Girls” The B52’s
26. “Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me” Warren Zevon
27. “Burning Down the House” Talking Heads
28. “Let It Be” The Beatles
29. “Break On Through” The Doors
30. “Peace Train” Cat Stephens
31. “Message In a Bottle” The Police
32. “Radio, Radio” Elvis Costello and the Attractions
33. “Finest Work Song” REM
34. “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” George Harrison
35. “Anarchy in the UK” The Sex Pistols
36. “I Wanna Be Sedated” The Ramones
37. “We Will Rock You” Queen
38. “Would I Lie To You?” Eurythmics
39. “1999” Prince
40. “Mama Said Knock You Out” L L Cool J
41. “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” John Mellencamp
42. “S.O.S.” Abba
43. “No Brain No Pain” Hall and Oates
44. “Band on the Run” Paul McCartney and Wings
45. “It’s a Heart Ache” Bonnie Tyler
46. “I Want You to Want Me (Live)” Cheap Trick
47. “Good Vibrations” The Beach Boys
48. “Fire” The Ohio Players
49. “Middle of the Road” The Pretenders
50. “The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald” Gordon Lightfoot