Season 19: Lent Week 2 | Colonialism and Christianity: Bible Translation as a Work of Justice

This season we are focusing on justice as an aspect of spiritual formation and we believe Lent to be the perfect season to explore this connection. Using A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and the lectionary, we will look at various aspects of justice, its importance to God and why the modern church has often regrettably failed to live out God’s call to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”

In week two, Ruth and Transforming Center team member Tina Harris sit down with Terry Wildman, translator of the First Nations Version of the New Testament. The three discuss the tragic impact colonialism has had on indigenous people, the part Christianity has played in it and how he sees the First Nations Version translation as an act of justice. Terry also reads his translation of the lectionary reading in his own voice. This conversation is incredibly powerful and insightful. 

Lectionary scripture for this week:

Genesis 12:1-4a

Psalm 121

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

John 3:1-10 or Matthew 17:1-9

Mentioned in this episode:

First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament

Terry M. Wildman, of Ojibwe and Yaqui ancestry, is the Lead Translator and Project Manager of the First Nations Version. He serves as the Director of Spiritual Growth and Leadership Development for Native InterVarsity. He’s also the founder of Rain Ministries and has previously served as a pastor and worship leader. Together they are the GRAMMY-nominated and Nammy award-winning musical duo and recording artists known as RainSong.

Journey with us this Lent! Our season is inspired by A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and many of our guests are contributors to this resource. 

Music Credit:

Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist

Returning from Lent Music in Solitude

Support the podcast! This season, in addition to receiving overflow conversation from the episode, patrons at all levels will receive weekly reflection questions intended to help them journey through Lent with both the podcast and the resource A Just Passion! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!  

The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!