Teachings and Writings

Here you will find a variety of resources I’ve created over the years, from sermons to videos to blogs and more.

Sabbath-Related Videos

A recent sermon I preached on the Sabbath at Church of the Servant, Grand Rapids, MI, based on Psalm 92, the Bible’s Sabbath Psalm.

Part 1 of a 4-Part series on Sabbath, created during the pandemic in conjunction with Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church and Ryan and Megan Boes. Find Parts 2-4 in the Sabbath playlist.

A pre-recorded Sabbath sermon I preached for Oakdale Park CRC in June 2020, shortly after the murder of George Floyd. Based on Genesis 2.1–3

Find more videos on my YouTube channel’s Sabbath Playlist.

Writings ~ Sabbath and Otherwise

Click the links below to read blog posts and articles I’ve written on Sabbath, formational encounters with creation, shame, biblical performance, and more.


A macro shot of a daisy-looking flower. Sabbath allows us to slow down enough to see the small beauties around us we so often overlook.

Sabbath Blog Posts

“The Sabbath, Food, and Creation Care,” Reformed Journal Blog, 11/1/20

“The Sabbath, Work, and Refreshment,” Reformed Journal Blog, 11/8/20

“The Sabbath, Time, and Presence,” Reformed Journal Blog, 11/15/20

“It’s About Time,” Reformed Journal Blog, 11/22/20

“A Sabbath (Re)Orientation,” Retreat Where You Are Blog, 10/11/20

“Sabbath: It’s About Time,” Retreat Where You Are Blog, 10/18/20


An image of a great blue heron in flight over a marsh.

Essays on Life, Theology, and Memory

“Learning Lament: Remembering Tina,” Reformed Journal, 3/8/21

“Ben’s Quad Aflame (Notes on Shame),” Reformed Journal, 5/31/21

“Cosmic Companionship,” Reformed Journal, 8/30/21

“Apprenticeship in Words-Making-Worlds,” Reformed Journal Blog, 8/15/20

“Unseen Grace: Lent in the Book of Exodus,” Reformed Journal 3/1/11


Travis West teaching in a Biblical Hebrew classroom in front of a white board filled with Hebrew paradigms

Academic Articles

“Advanced Biblical Hebrew: How to Design L2 Input to Facilitate Comprehension of a Biblical Text,” Hebrew Higher Education, 2024

“The Art of Biblical Performance: Biblical Performance Criticism and the Old Testament Narratives,” in Journal of Biblical Text Research 47 (October, 2020) 301–327.

“Hospitality of the Heart: How Changing Our Metaphor Can Change Our Relationship With the Bible,” in Before the Face of God: Essays in Honor of Tom Boogaart (2019).

“Kinesthetic Language Learning: How an Accident Led to a Revelation,” Digital Commons @ George Fox University, 2016

Videos About Hebrew, Scripture Enactment, and Theological Reflections

One of my passions is teaching Biblical Hebrew in ways that are playful, embodied, interactive, and fun. You don’t have to go to seminary to learn Hebrew—and you don’t have to get an ulcer doing it, either.

Another passion of mine is biblical enactment, often called biblical performance criticism. Engaging the Bible through drama reveals layers of meaning inaccessible to silent readers.

My YouTube channel houses hundreds of videos that will help you learn Biblical Hebrew, discover theological and exegetical insights informed by the Hebrew, and explore the ancient and sacred art of biblical performance.

Click the images to explore different playlists.