Percolating on Faith: Recent Episodes
Project Zion Podcast
Thinking about God and growing in faith—the journey never ends, but “Oh the places we will GO!” Beloved Community of Christ theologians Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith take us by the hand and guide us through the ins and outs of all the questions and doubts. Candidly authentic, grounded in tradition, and poignantly relevant this series is a keeper. BONUS: a series in a series—God Shots!
In January of 2023, our Percolating on Faith crew took a look at Epiphany, and we thought it was worth bringing back! This is an important day in the Christian community and marks the end of the Christmas season. Hear more about the history and its significance in today’s world from our spunkiest guests, Tony...Source
Believe it or not, marriage didn’t start with Christianity! Cultures across time and across the globe have long sought to understand the intricacies of human covenant relationship. In this episode of Percolating on Faith, host Robin Linkhart talks with Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith about the long journey that brought us, Community of Christ (and Christianity in general), to our current understanding of the sacrament of marriage. They look at historical background, theological shifts, and cultural traditions among other things, as they take this brief walk through time in an effort to bring clarity to the many multi-faceted questions regarding marriage.
Recommended for further study:
- Cambridge History of Christianity (6 volume)
- Volume 2 was especially helpful in preparing for this episode.
- Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church entry on matrimony
- Bibliography has good text recommendations.
- The Sacraments: Symbol, Meaning & Discipleship: 2022 Extract
- Available for purchase at heraldhouse.org.
- Full text (used) available from various sources online.
- “Exploring Community of Christ Basic Beliefs Commentary.” Chapter 12: Sacraments.
- Available for download at: cofchrist.org/resources/.
- What Does the Bible Really Say About Marriage?
- Available as a PDF, here
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Thanks for listening to Project Zion Podcast!Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!Intro and Outro music used with permission:
“For Everyone Born,” Community of Christ Sings #285. Music © 2006 Brian Mann, admin. General Board of Global Ministries t/a GBGMusik, 458 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30308. copyright@umcmission.org
“The Trees of the Field,” Community of Christ Sings # 645, Music © 1975 Stuart Dauerman, Lillenas Publishing Company (admin. Music Services).
All music for this episode was performed by Dr. Jan Kraybill, and produced by Chad Godfrey.
NOTE: The series that make up the Project Zion Podcast explore the unique spiritual and theological gifts Community of Christ offers for today's world. Although Project Zion Podcast is a Ministry of Community of Christ. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those speaking and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Community of Christ.
HAPPY 600TH EPISODE PZP!When is someone old enough to be baptized? How ought they to be baptized? Who ought to do the baptizing? These are questions that have been at the heart of conversations in Community of Christ for decades. And, although baptism is a sacrament we share with Christian traditions across the board, we have always had our own particular methods and guidelines. In recent years, however, there has been a growing desire to understand sacraments in a more inclusive way. In this episode of Percolating on Faith, Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith talk with host Carla Long about infant baptism in an effort to increase understanding about the history of this form of baptism. Download Transcript
Thanks for listening to Project Zion Podcast!
Intro and Outro music used with permission:
“For Everyone Born,” Community of Christ Sings #285. Music © 2006 Brian Mann, admin. General Board of Global Ministries t/a GBGMusik, 458 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30308. copyright@umcmission.org
“The Trees of the Field,” Community of Christ Sings # 645, Music © 1975 Stuart Dauerman, Lillenas Publishing Company (admin. Music Services).
All music for this episode was performed by Dr. Jan Kraybill, and produced by Chad Godfrey.
NOTE: The series that make up the Project Zion Podcast explore the unique spiritual and theological gifts Community of Christ offers for today's world. Although Project Zion Podcast is a Ministry of Community of Christ. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those speaking and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Community of Christ.
How do we make sense of all the evil in the world? It can’t be God, because God is love. And, it can’t be me, because I’m not capable of evil. There has to be some explanation. There has to be someone or something that we can blame! I know... “The Devil made me do it!” This is not a new conundrum. It’s been going on for millennia. Listen in as Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith give host Carla Long the inside scoop on how “Satan” came to take the blame for all of the evil in the world. Maybe it’s not the Devil’s fault after all.
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“The Bible tells us just what [God] wants us to know.” NOT!! Listen to this episode of Percolating on Faith to hear why, since the late 1700s, people have been arguing that, “if it’s written down, it must be true”... especially in relation to the Biblical text. Find out why taking such a position can be dangerous … not to mention incorrect. Discover ways to approach scripture from an honest and healthy perspective so you don’t end up in a “literal” trap.
Book Referenced in this episode:
- Jack Rogers,Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality, (Westminster John Knox Press, 2009)
- James Barr, Fundamentalism, (Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd, 1981)
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What better time than Valentine’s Day to talk about sex? In this repost of a Percolating on Faith episode, which originally aired in October of 2016, Carla speaks with Tony and Charmaine about sexuality, how we as a church are moving from a rule-based culture to one of principle-based responsible choices, how we have come a long way dealing with issues of sexuality and gender, and where we still need to improve.Recommended reading for additional info on some of these topics:
- Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament)
- The Church Through the Years, 2 Volume set by Dick Howard (cf. Chapter 35)
- Women's Reality by Anne Wilson Schaef
- She Who Is by Elizabeth Johnson
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What is a beguine? How could the life and work of a 15th-century mystic possibly relate to your desire to be in relationship with God? In this special subset episode of Percolating on Faith, Michael Wright returns to share his answers to these questions and more. Grab your coffee and listen in as Michael shares helpful insights that he gleaned from his in-depth study of St. Catherine of Genoa. Beware! Some of what you’ll hear is not for those with a weak stomach!
Host: Carla LongGuest: Michael Wright
Other episodes where you can hear Michael:
- Toward the Peaceful One (Ep. 335)
- Fair Trade (Ep. 198)
- Community Circle (Ep. 522)
- John Avendet, The first Italian Missionary of the Reorganization (Ep 476)
- Love in the Time of Coronavirus (Ep. 269)
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How does one find hope in the midst of the suffering and evil that are present in our world? Why do we blame God when there are things we can do to make a difference? Join Carla, Tony and Charmaine as they discuss Liberation Theodicies’ answer to these questions and more ... and how their focus on Jesus’ understanding of systemic injustice calls us to move from theory to action.
Recommended by Tony and Charmaine for further study: Why is There Suffering: Pick Your Own Theological Expedition by Bethany Sollereder
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Our Percolating on Faith crew is taking a look at Epiphany! This is an important day in the Christian community and marks the end of the Christmas season. Hear more about the history and its significance in today's world from our spunkiest guests, Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith.
Host: Carla Long Guest: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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The Christmas story is one we are familiar with, but what do the 4 separate gospels actually say about the nativity scene? What is tradition? What is the context? How do the stories differ? Tony and Charmaine are here to walk us through the Christmas story as part of our Percolating on Faith series.
Host: Carla LongGuest: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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Where is God in the midst of evil and suffering? Percolating on Faith is exploring various theodicies that attempt to answer this question. In this episode, they focus on process theodicy.
Host: Carla Long Guests: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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Where is God in the midst of evil and suffering? Percolating on Faith is exploring various theodicies that attempt to answer this question. In this episode, they focus on the Jesus narrative theodicy.
Host: Carla Long Guests: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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Percolating on Faith is back with another look at the great mystics of Christianity. Today we are introducing you to St. Francis of Assisi.
Host: Carla Long Guests: Laurie Gordon
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Where in God in the midst of evil and suffering? Percolating on Faith is exploring various theodicies that attempt to answer this question. In this episode, they focus on protest theodicy, which is rooted in lament found in the Hebrew tradition.
Host: Carla Long Guests: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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Where in God in the midst of evil and suffering? Percolating on Faith is exploring various theodicies that attempt to answer this question. Today, they are focusing on Augustine's Theodicy and how he approached sin, suffering, and calamities.
Host: Carla Long Guest: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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Where in God in the midst of evil and suffering? Percolating on Faith is exploring various theodicies that attempt to answer this question. Today, they are focusing on Irenaean Theodicy which explores the idea that human suffering is from God and allows humanity to grow.
Host: Carla Long Guest: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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Percolating on Faith is back with another look at the great mystics of Christianity. Today we are introducing you to Julian of Norwich. Julian's work, "The Revelations of Divine Love" remains an important text for spiritual seekers and offers a theological understanding of a God that is rooted in boundless love for all creation.
Host: Carla Long Guests: Tony Chvala-Smith
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Today Percolating on Faith continues to explore mystics, but we are bringing the conversation a little closer to home. David Hyrum Smith and Ed Guy are two mystics from within the Restoration tradition that continue to impact Communtiy of Christ today. Learn about their lives and legacies from a special guest who some would also consider to be a modern day mystic in Communtiy of Christ.
Host: Carla Long Guest: Dave Brock
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Percolating on Faith is taking a look at some of the great mystics of Christianity. Today we are introducing you to Hildegard of Bingen. Born in 1098 Hildegard, was a writer, poet, preacher, and mystic who was granted Sainthood in 2012. Her work continues to impact Christianity and modern New Age culture today.
Host: Carla Long Guest: Mary Jacks
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Percolating on Faith is introducing you to some of the great mystics throughout time! How have mystics contributed to the Christian tradition and what importance does their influence have today? Stay tuned for future episodes that take a deeper look into some of the most influential mystics.
Host: Carla Long Guest: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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On this important episode of Percolating on Faith, Tony and Carla explore the theological reasons for Christians to be actively engaged in the work of anti-racism.
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Host: Carla Long Guest: Tony Chvala-Smith
This month's Percolating on Faith conversation is a blast from the past! Today we're talking about the preaching charts RLDS missionaries used as they taught the church's theology in the early to mid 20th century.
See the preaching charts for yourself on the video of this podcast. Download Transcript
Host: Carla Long Guests: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
Community of Christ has been called "wishy-washy" or a church where "anything goes" but are we really? Today as part of our Percolating on Faith series, we're exploring the "big tent" or "wide umbrella" analogies that are rooted in our core values that have been with us since the beginning of our movement.
Host: Carla Long Guest: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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In this episode, our Percolating on Faith team shares about deconstructing faith and faith transitions. They speak from their personal stories as well as the deconstruction Community of Christ has experienced as a denomination. Recognizing that God shows up even in our deepest questioning, they offer hope for those going through a faith transition.
Host: Carla Long Guest: Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith
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