Pod Be With You: Recent Episodes
Rev. Aaron James and Rev. Paige Wolfanger
Two progressive pastors (and many guests!) discuss scripture, real life, and whatever else inspires them. This podcast comes from First Congregational Church of Dundee, IL, and The Congregational Church of Batavia, IL with pastors Rev. Aaron James and Rev. Paige Wolfanger. We represent loving, joyful congregations that encourages us all to get together, get inspired, and get to work.
We're covering a lot of ground today! With Aaron out of town the next two weeks, we're previewing not only this Sunday, but June 21 and 28. We also cover Pride celebrations in Batavia and Dundee, reflecting on the nature of welcome and the challenge of unity and diversity in the Fox Valley. In Batavia, we're got three new stories: "A Church for All," "I'll Love You Forever," and "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," which will shape our next three weeks. In Dundee, we've got at least two stories to focus on: that of Zacchaeus and the other of the "rich young ruler." What happens when we say yes to Jesus and our life changes? What happens when we say no and it doesn't?
Thanks for your patience while we're away for two weeks. See you soon!
Our Summer Series' are off and running, and this week we will talk about Mark's story of the healing of the Woman with the Hemorrhage, the tale of The Velveteen Rabbit, and the power of love to connect, and heal, and transform. There's a lot to imagine as we take up some of our favorite stories this week, both Biblical and "secular." Join us if you can.
Pentecost, the wild, untamed unboundaried arrival of the promised Holy Spirit. It' s exciting, and inspiring, launching visions for the future and excitement for the present...and the Institution of the Church. Because, in order to hold on to what is good, there have to be some guardrails. The dance between Inspiration and Institution, Spirit and Stability, Freedom and Fence. It's all there in the text...so dive in.
This week, Jesus gets out of the way - or tries to, anyway. The disciples are once again waiting on him to work wonders, and it becomes clear they will never step into what is next while he is still there. So, after promising them the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to lead them into their new season, he is taken up into heaven - and they still need to be booted away from that moment, as they were getting stuck staring at the clouds. How about us? What kind of distractions do we use to keep us from the work to which Jesus called us? What would Jesus think of a Church that worshipped him (which he didn't ask his followers to do) but didn't live what he taught (which he did)?
What a week to be the Church! Here in Dundee, we're celebrating our 185th Anniversary, where we'll hear stories of our less-than-promising ancestors but grow in appreciation of the great legacy we have inherited. In Batavia, we're doing different church work: gathering for funerals and remembering the God in whom we live and move and have our being. In all this - in the blessed, the messy, the constancy and change - we look for the abiding love of God, who has seen us through this far, and will carry us into a faithful future.
The Gospel of John never disappoints. And this week's passage is a big one, touching on grief, comfort, empowerment, unity, and the work of building something that will last. We're in John 14:1-14, with a short side quest to 1 Peter chapter 2, as we explore together all of these themes, and more.
Two paths diverged in a yellow wood, and strangely went parallel to each other for quite a while. We are both going with different themes this Sunday, but the overlap is notable. One church will be observing Earth Day, another the lectionary's snapshot of the Early Church in Acts 2, and both led us to conversation about interconnectedness, what we owe other living beings, and the nature of community, be it a local faith community, or this world we live in. Join us as we traverse these paths...they go some interesting places.
This third Sunday of Easter brings us a strange (aren't they all?) post-resurrection appearance by Jesus to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In turn cryptic, funny, poignant, and profound, this story describes the powerful experience of divine inspiration - and challenges us to look for God at work in more places than we expect.
It's the Sunday after Easter, so it must be the story of Doubting Thomas. Which it is. but it is also so much more. It is the story of coming out of your fear, coming through your questions, finding the power, the confidence, the permission to go out and do good work in the world, Jesus' work, the work of justice, and compassion, and love. It's the next step after the resurrection...because that's really just the beginning of the story.
A classic story from the Gospel of John, an obscure and sassy comeback to the Pharisees from Jesus, and the fine balance between Justice and Mercy, held together by our faithful relationship with the Other. It's a good one for the last Sunday before the start of Holy Week, both Good News and Challenge.
The Good News for the 4th Week of Lent is Protection and Care for the Vulnerable, rooted in two amazing passages...the Law of Moses, found in Deuteronomy, and that Law lived out in practical action, demonstrated by Jesus blessing the children in the Gospel of Matthew. These are not mere children's stories, but the commitment of God to those most in need...will we follow in that path?
Our Good News story for this week is one that shows up in one form or another in each of the four Gospels, a rarity to be sure. Luke's version tells it this way: an unnamed woman, known to be a "sinner," crashes a dinner party at a Pharisee's house to wash Jesus' feet with her tears, dry them with her hair, and anoint them with costly perfume. It's an intimate, extravagant, uncomfortable act...much, actually, like God's love for us. And in a wonderful flip, also the way we are to love others. It's a lot to consider in Lent, but we have 40 days...so let's dive in.
Lent, historically, at least, is a bit of a heavy season, with an emphasis on penitence, and self-reflection, and those things that are "wrong" in our lives and the life of the world. This year, we're shifting our focus a bit, to the fundamentals of the Gospel...the Good things that are the Good News. And so we start today with Good News from two places in the text, which highlight how the Gospel can surprise us...the Wedding at Cana, and Jesus' Parable of the Mustard Seed. Join us to talk joy, potential, and the goodness of life.
We've reached another classic section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, the bit about salt and light. So familiar, so comforting, so...challenging?! But it is more than just a Sunday School song with neat little motions, it's about an entire way of life, bringing brightness and flavor to a dull and bland world. People will notice...and will be drawn to the source. But dull, bland, pointless...where does that get us? According to Jesus, not particularly far.
It's "Greatest Hits" week in the lectionary...foundational passages about what faith looks like in Micah 6 and Matthew 5. If someone were to ask, "What are the fundamentals of your faith," these are the places we might go. So simple, but so radical, in that they are rooted in the love of the Divine. Join us on the journey.
We're back, after a hiatus created by sickness, and travel, and the surprises of life. And today we are walking with Jesus beside the Sea of Galilee as he calls his first disciples. It's a familiar story, a Sunday School classic...but what is at the heart of it? Community, partnership, adventure, the call of the Kingdom of God? All of these things and more. It's a great story, a great adventure, a great call.
Part one of your delayed double-dose of Pod Be With You! With apologies for technical difficulties, here are two episodes to catch you up. Thank you for your patience!
And here's part two! This Bible study explores Advent hope and peace, but through the unlikely angle of fear, grief, expectations, legacy, and more. What do we have faith in? What are we working for? And how can we hold on to hope and become peacemakers in the face of so much stacked against it?
This week, two passages cut right to the heart of our faith as a way of life. We hear both from Matthew and Ephesians where God's heart is (hint: with the vulnerable) and how we will be: gentle, generous, tenderhearted, patient, and true. This moment demands of us a response - and this moment desperately needs people who see the world this way and live this way.
Two separate scriptures and themes from our pastors this week, but a real overlap, as we discuss reformation, righteousness, humility, and discerning what of our "old" treasures to hold on to, and what of our "new" is holy. It's a good one, folks, and timely, as reformation is happening around us and in us right now!
Another hugely challenging - even potentially dangerous - passage from the Gospel of Luke. This is a message for mature audiences only. "Increase our faith," the disciples demand. And what follows are two teachings from Jesus that will ask of them a great deal of faith.
In this episode we explore what Jesus might mean with these, as well as larger points about how we read scripture, the nature of authority within churches, and how our divided world no longer seems to share a reality, let alone common goals.
It's a familiar, if troubling parable...known to us as "The Rich Man & Lazarus." Troubling in what it suggests about the afterlife, challenging in what it says about wealth, conflicted, I would argue, in its view of righteousness. But it's the challenging parables that are often the most rich, most compelling. So, let's dive in together.
The Parable of the Dishonest Manager is Jesus at his most enigmatic - which is pastor-speak for, "We have no idea what he's saying." But if you want to hear us take some swings, here you go! A compilation of Jesus' teachings on money, power, and our relationship with God, this passage challenges us to live with clever integrity in an often confusing and corrupt world.
Jesus this week, as found in the Gospel of Luke, is not the Jesus we often think of, peaceful, and compassionate, and gracious. This Jesus knows what time it is, and is urgently trying to get those around him to look at the clock, too. His words are jarring, disruptive, and designed to wake folks up. It is a difficult saying, for a difficult season. Can we hear it?
Back after a hiatus due to traveling and health and what not, we have two amazing, and on the surface at least, contradictory Gospel stories. The first, Jesus telling his followers that they must practice denial, take up their cross, and follow. And the second, Jesus celebrating a wedding with flowing wine, warm fellowship, and I am sure dancing.
How do these go together?
Join us to find out!
This week, an obscure (to many Christians, at least) story about the prophet Elijah and the widow who fed him - a story that celebrates many risky leaps of faith. We'll also hear from Ecclesiastes - a teacher who reminds us that there is a time for everything. So what time is this? And how do we know?
In Batavia, our trend of meal-centric scripture continues. This week, what happens when our meal companions aren't our closest beloved, but are, instead, one of them? We know how much a meal means - which means it's easy to be disturbed by those we love eating with an "other" - even an enemy.
And in Dundee, we're exploring meals, too - specifically, communion. We always pray that this holy meal might make us "salt and light and leaven." Salt and light, yes. But leaven? How so? And when does Jesus tell us to be leaven? Well, if you've ever wanted to nerd out about rising agents (and beat a great metaphor into the ground!), then you've come to the right place.
Sorry we're a week late in posting! But here's a reflection on various bible passages, exploring in particular the nature of prayer: is it getting God to do what we want? Is it beseeching a heavenly parent with a list of demands? And if not, what is it?
Our story today is that of Abraham and Sarah extending extravagant hospitality to a trio of traveling strangers, who turn out to be Divine. And, of course, there is blessing in the hospitality...not earned, but freely given, like the meal itself. It's a joyous, celebratory, funny tale about the gift that is welcome.
Trigger Warning: Includes a brief discussion of sexual violence around the Sodom and Gomorrah story that follows.
Two separate paths again today...one about Mental Illness and Mental Health, and one about the Spirit moving and working in the world, even when we're maybe not ready. Both firmly anchored in the testimony and witness of our Scriptures where, we believe in faith, the Spirit always has been at work, and continues to be. Join us to see what might be afoot.
It's the fourth Sunday after Easter, and we are talking sheep, shepherds, and disciples this week, with two different but connected paths. The first is the story of the resurrection of Tabitha by Peter in the Book of Acts. And the other is a meditation on Shepherd Leadership in John 10. The convergence of the twain? A life lived in love and grace, perhaps. Join us as we continue in this season to celebrate resurrection.
Two weeks after Easter, and John is still telling us resurrection stories! Which, of course, is only appropriate, because the new life we find in Christ isn't limited to one day once a year. This Sunday is an amalgam of references to other Gospel stories, the reconciliation of Peter, and the commissioning of him and the others to the work of the Kingdom. It's a lot...but the overarching theme is new life, rebirth, resurrection. Happy Easter indeed!
It's a Jesus Christ Superstar moment..."The rocks and stones themselves would start to sing!" Luke's version of the Triumphal Entry is on the pod today. There are no palms, no hosannas, no donkey, but there is resistance, and protest, and challenge all in the shouting and the silence. Both can be sacred and necessary in their moment, and yet both can also be counterproductive in others. How do we know when to lift our voices, and when to be still? Join us for this deep dive into Palm Sunday.
Zacchaeus is the story this week, the story of a rich tax collector who climbs a tree just to see Jesus. Again, we think we know what this story is about, but do we really? Is it about repentance? Coming back to your true self? Or not judging the life and work of another? Maybe, like our theme this entire Lent has suggested, it is all of these things, and more, a nuanced tale about the complexities of life in general, and the life of faith in specific.
It's a familiar story this week, "The Parable of the Lost Sheep." Or, as Amy-Jill Levine and Ben Witherington like to call it, "The Parable of the Sheep Owner Who Counts, and Seeks, and Celebrates." It changes the emphasis, the center of gravity, and maybe the way we understand this wonderful tale. At its heart, it's about a God who loves us more than we can possibly imagine...and that is Good News.
[AUDIO FIXED] This week, the very short, and in many ways abrupt, Parable of the Fig Tree. Jesus seems to be preaching the same themes as John the Baptist before him here, that time is short, repentance is essential, and bearing fruit a necessity. But, is that all there is? Is it about rest? Is it about nurture? Is it about patience? Is it about the Divine's delight in us? Well, if you read the scholars and commentators, the answer is "Yes, and then some." So listen, and see what you make of the Parable of the Fig Tree.
Are you a Mary or a Martha? That's the traditional question when it comes to Luke's story this week about the sisters and Jesus. But maybe that's not the right question to ask. This little story, only five verses, might be more about being in the moment than valuing some gift over others, or launching a faith versus works battle. It's far more nuanced, more compassionate, more relatable than all that. So, join us as we join Martha, Mary, and Jesus for dinner and some conversation.
It's Lent! And the Sanctified Art series we are using this season asks us to explore where God meets us, where our faith thrives, where we can find solid ground to stand...or, "Everything (in) Between." This week we dive into the story of the Good Samaritan, and ask ourselves, what is the distance between a Stanger and a Neighbor? How can we tell? How do we behave? What does it mean? It's complex, of course, messy, and ashy, and so very human. So, join us as we, with Jesus, turn our faces toward Jerusalem, and begin the journey of Lent.
The Transfiguration story that rolls around every year before Lent is a strange and wonderful one. But so is the very disturbing story that follows it, the story of Jesus, in the grit and the grime of real life, healing a child from possession. What are we to make of these tales? Maybe they're about mystery...maybe they're about Divine presence...maybe they're about the work of the Church, passed down from generation to generation. Maybe. Listen, and see what you think of Force Ghosts and Spiritual Warfare.
That's what this particular section of Jesus' Sermon on the Plain is all about...resisting the values of the dominant culture, resisting the urge to lash out, resisting oppression and evil. But we can only do it through training, through practice, through the difficult and often painful work of making the movements of grace again, and again, and again. And at the heart of it all...love, muscular, tangible, active love. Let's live into it!
Both the lectionary passages given to us this week, found in Luke's Sermon on the Plain, and Paul's words about the reality of the resurrection, are at heart about God's great yes...to the poor, the hungry, the grief-stricken, the struggling, those looking death in the eye. God is about life, abundant and bountiful, and both Jesus and Paul affirm that reality in our texts for Sunday. Differently, of course, but beautifully and strongly. Jump in to hear what they have to say.
Some classic Call stories this week, the Calls of Isaiah, Peter, and Paul. And a through-line that runs across all of them? "I'm not worthy." I'm not worthy. Not words we utter that often in the Progressive Church, but words I know we feel deep in our hearts. And Christ is there, saying, "Don't be afraid." Don't be afraid, friends, to answer, to intend, to do.
It's been a minute. And what could be more wonderful to come back to than the Apostle Paul's musings on love in 1 Corinthians 13? It feels like he wrote these words about how we are to be in the world, and with each other, with this time in mind. Easy? No. Necessary? Yes. Love, he seems to be declaring, should be, must be, at the heart of the Christian life.
Happy New Year! This week, we explore the different gospels' renderings of Jesus' baptism - especially that of the Gospel of Luke. Less of a public declaration and more of a private revelation, Jesus is reminded who and whose he is - all in the wake of John the Baptist's arrest and imprisonment. Jesus is praying about what's next, and the answer he receives is: "You are what's next. I love you - now get out there and get to work!" In some ways, this is the story of all our baptismal callings: "I love you. You have what you need to make a difference. Now go do it!" Like Jesus, this is a call we need, not even during challenging times, but especially.
It' s the second week of Advent, and our scriptures this week bring us the amazing and hope-filled stories of both Ruth and Naomi, and Mary, Mother of Jesus. And on of the things that resides at the heart of both of these wonderful tales is chesed, the indwelling faithfulness and commitment of God to us, and of us to each other. Join us for a journey through the scriptures today.
Thanksgiving can be hard...both the national holiday, and the act of gratitude. But Jesus, in our Gospel lesson for today, a clip from the Sermon on the Mount about worry, providence, and thanksgiving, offers us a solution. We can find ourselves poisoned by the negativity around us and within us sometimes, and gratitude opens us up to...more. More joy, more connection, more life. So join us today for a meditation on the power of gratitude.
It's time for All Saints Sunday, folks, one of the weirdest and, arguably, most wonderful celebrations in the Christian Year. We take a Sunday to remember and honor and grieve those who have died...but it's not a morbid service. It is an affirmation of legacy, and love, and life, the connections that still hold us together. Enjoy today's conversation, and maybe find a church on Sunday to enter in to the mystery that is life.
Welcome to the book of Job: one of the most fascinating and frustrating books in all our scripture. Famous, but often misunderstood, this ancient work of fiction brings us to questions of grief, accident, and loss. How do we make sense of life when it is so blatantly unfair, and God is absent and/or mysterious? Are we faithful simply to work a system of reward and punishment, or because righteousness is inherently good? What are the ways we are helpful (or profoundly unhelpful) to those in the midst of suffering? Do we truly believe God can handle the messiness of our rage and lament, when those are the only honest and holy responses? Job is a book that resists resolution and easy answers, but it will bring us to some timelessly important questions.
It's Worldwide Communion Sunday, and we are revisiting the vision of unity, abundance, and wholeness that is at the heart of what Communion is. This Sunday reminds us that this "togetherness" is not just a mystery, but something we live out daily in the way we enact our faith. Two Gospel stories this week...Zacchaeus, and John's version of the Feeding of the 5000...illustrate the heart of the Kingdom...welcome, plenty, transformation.
We talk often about how the Bible is written by many, many authors across many, many years, and so there will be differing perspectives, opinions, and voices contained within its pages. This a good thing, leading to depth, richness, and diversity.
But sometimes our scriptures speak loudly, with one voice. And this week is one of those times...James and Mark are both proclaiming the same truth about the ways of this world, and the ways of God's Realm. And though they employ different ways of communicating, the message is the same. Join us this week for a journey into pride and humility, power and servanthood, death and life.
James has a lot to say this week about the power, for both good and for evil, of speech. In twelve short verses, he drills down to the bedrock of the matter, that the words we speak and how we speak them can create, and nurture, and inspire, or they can destroy, and poison, and defeat. He bases this in solid Creational theology, and calls upon Christians to speak words of life. Good stuff. Join us as we explore the power of words.
In a shocking turn of events, we're on the same scripture passage this week! (And we will be at least throughout September.) We're taking a deep dive into the Book of James, notably Martin Luther's least favorite book of the entire Bible. We will be talking, faith, works, salvation, the Kingdom of God vs. the Kingdom of this World, and salty epistle authors. Fun! Join us!
The Whole Armor of God, and the blazing courage of the woman with a hemorrhage, are our topics today...and there is a lot of overlap. We talk first about the metaphor in the Letter to the Ephesians about God's Armor, and how that actually undermines a militant, violent interpretation of Christian faith. Then we go all in on courage, and how it is grounded in a profound trust in the Divine. You should join us for these interesting, interwoven exploration of the Word.
At different points in our lives, God willing, we are called into what's next: a new level of maturity, or care, or discipline, or awareness. Maybe we're called over and over again before we finally answer. Maybe we need to run things into the ground, even, before we're ready to change. The good news (which we hear from four different bible stories in this episode) is that God is with us wherever we are, calling as Wisdom in the streets, welcoming us home as beloved children, and challenging us to grow up and make the most of the time we've been given.
We are on two different tracks again this week, but also again, they are surprisingly close...community, the human condition, the call of grace, repentance and transformation, found in the story of Jesus eating with sinners, and contrasted with the story of Herod's execution of John the Baptizer. It's all there in these two tales from the Gospel of Mark, who understands the siren call of power, and the power of God to transform.
103 sermons and four stories between the two of us, but all ways of celebrating the goodness of hope and healing. From the gospel of Mark, two intertwined stories of a desperate woman healed and a young girl raised from the dead - both of whom needed Jesus' power and great faith. And from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), two stories of powerful men struggling with some kind of mental/spiritual illness - both of whom needed time and the support of their communities to heal. Resonant and relevant, these stories still hit us where we live: squarely in the messy, blessed mix of humanity.
David and Goliath, Jesus calming the storm. Two passages, two messages, but both with similar themes. And not only similar, but immediately resonant: how do we weather the storms raging around us? Systems of domination and destruction, chaos and accident? How, in the face of real and legitimate fear, do we carve out space to be peaceful and good? And how, in the face of overwhelming challenges, can we do our small but essential part - and have faith that God will do what we cannot?
We are on separate paths this week, but paths that intersect at multiple points. Both Paige and Aaron are talking this week about the role of the Church and the Christian as parts of a larger community, how we are called to be witnesses to God's compassion, God's grace, God's love. Does that make it easy or non-controversial? Certainly not...but it is part of what it means to love your neighbor as yourself.
It's Trinity Sunday, so we'll stretch the boundaries of language and imagination, as we dive into the Oneness and Threeness of the Divine. Not found spelled out specifically anywhere in our Scriptures, the doctrine of the Trinity has much to teach us about God, about ourselves, about the journey we are on together.
It's Pentecost, people! And we are a Pentecost People. Which is the point. The arrival of the Holy Spirit, that pouring out, not just on a few chosen ones, but on all of us! Toward what end? Well, we talk about that in this episode, as well as the Tower of Babel, the Story of Creation, the Apocalypse, and the prophet Joel. A lot of ground is covered in just a few minutes, so jump on in!
We take a little journey into the mystic today, as we explore both the (S)onship of Jesus Christ, and his Ascension. These both are pillars of classic Christian theology, but have also over time served as stumbling blocks to some who struggle with the language of the literal. Join us as we break down some binaries, and step into the (im)possible this week.
This week, although the scripture passages are a bit different, the themes that Pastor Aaron and Pastor Paige or exploring are very much the same...connection, commitment, relationship, abundance, and joy. How do we stay connected to the Spirit? How do we live that out in our lives? How do we invite others? Join us for another hour of sparkling conversation.
In a shocking turn of events, the author of the Gospel of John is consistent with his themes and threads, and nowhere is that more than it is this week, when we dive into John 10 to talk about Good Shepherds, and John 15 to talk about Good Friends. It's about community, grace, empowerment, and the profundity of Divine Love. Join us if you can for this Johannine exploration.
It's the Third Sunday of the Easter Season, and so Salvation is on our minds...what are we saved from, to what are we delivered, and what is Jesus' role in this amazing work? The Disciples wonder this in their post-resurrection encounters with Jesus, and so do we from our spot in the 21st century. So, let's talk about it...
It's the second Sunday of Easter, and it's time to wrap up Peter's story. Or is it really? Because, although there is some resolution here, it is certainly not the end of Peter's narrative arc, or of Jesus', or of his followers. We end where we began, with "Follow me."
All of Holy Week in less than an hour? You came to the right place! In this episode of Pod Be With You, we cover not just the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday, but also Peter's experience of Holy Week and the Passion. It's difficult, and painful, and uncomfortable, but so very, very human. More than that, there will be resurrection on the other side, not just for Jesus, but for Peter, too. There is Good News even in the darkness.
Technically, this week is Part Two of last week's scripture. Immediately after Peter's proclamation that Jesus was the Messiah, he kind of puts his foot in it. Jesus has shared that when they go to Jerusalem, he will suffer and die. And Peter vehemently objects. But what is he really objecting to? This week, temptation, following, and the dual and dueling Kingdom of this World and Kingdom of Heaven.
We continue, this Lent, to journey with Peter as he journeys with Jesus. Today, a pivotal moment for Peter, and all of the disciples, as Jesus asks them the question "Who do you say that I am?" Revelation, connection, community, empowerment, celebration are all a part of this story, as Peter replies, "You are the Messiah, son of the living God." Join us as we parse some of this out, to find what it has to say about our journeys, too.
As we continue our exploration into the life and faith of Peter, we jump into (pun intended) the story of Peter and Jesus walking together on the stormy water of the Sea of Galilee. It's a tale about faith, about courage, about the power to do the impossible. Join us as we look at this vignette verse by verse, and discover what the text may have for us this second week of Lent.
This Lent, we are following Peter as he follows Jesus, exploring some of those central stories of the Gospel through Peter's eyes. And we begin today with the call of Peter, as found in Luke 5:1-11, that iconic passage where Jesus promises that Peter and friend will "fish for people." It's a great way to start a great story of faith, failure, joy, grief, forgiveness, empowerment, and God's great love for us all.
Even before Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to the mountaintop and back down again, there are a lot of ups and downs in their journey...spectacular moments of Divine power, and valley experiences of misunderstanding and faithlessness. But this event at the top of the mountain is an affirmation for them all...for Jesus, who is turning his face toward Jerusalem, for his Disciples, who will learn what it is to follow. Join us as we explore this strange and wonderful story on the cusp of Lent.
We pick up in Mark right where we left of last week...Jesus in Capernaum on the Sabbath. This time, four vignettes that give us a peek into "a day in the life." And, among the other things happening here, it's about restoration...the restoration of Peter's mother-in-law, the restoration of those seeking healing, the restoration of Jesus himself when he was tired and at his end. A wonderful passage about the sacredness of the daily lives we lead. Join us for this exploration.
The Gospel of Mark is so very strange and wonderful. This story of Jesus' life and ministry is so very different for the others, imbued with mystery and spiritual conflict. And today's passage, the tale of Jesus' first act of public ministry...casting out a demon...is so indicative of this difference. Join us today to talk about power, authority, and the reality of the spiritual in our world.
This week, we're focusing on Mary, and what has come down through the ages to us as The Annunciation...that short interaction in Luke between the Angel and Mary that made all the difference in the world. What kind of agency did Mary have here? What courage and faith does her acceptance reveal? What does this story have for us in a season where not all the news is good? Join us for an exploration of this pivotal figure in the Christmas story, and our faith.
It's the second Sunday of Advent, which can only mean one thing...John the Baptizer emerging from the wilderness to call us to repent. "Ugh," we say, "this isn't very Christmassy, not very peaceful." Or is it? Maybe real peace is not the absence of some things, but rather the intentional presence of other. And if so, how does repentance call us to embrace those things? A tricky passage with a powerful message is ours this week.
Have you ever heard of "ominous positivity?" It's a joke - saying good things in the most ominous way possible. Things like, "Everything will turn out fine. You cannot stop it." Or, "You will be ok. You have no choice."
Well, our Advent Sunday of Hope readings have an air of ominous positivity around them: good news and the promise of love, couched in warnings and lament. God's "Yes," but first, God's "No." Both our passages from Isaiah and Mark strip away a lot of false hope and leave us to rebuild from spiritual bedrock: surrender to a loving God working to reform us.
It's the week before Thanksgiving, so is it any surprise that our theme for this week's podcast is gratitude? And not just gratitude, but how that can flow out of us in profound generosity...of spirit, of time, of passions, of gifts. At the heart of gratitude is God's steadfast love and abundance, and when we reflect that in our lives, we are changed.
It's Bible Study time again, and this week we talk about the twin disciplines of wrestling and waiting, as we take on the story of Jacob wrestling with the stranger, and Jesus' parable of the bridesmaids. There's a surprising amount of overlap here, in struggle, in readiness, in discernment, in looking for the presence of God in those dark and scary places. Join us this week as we wrestle, and wait, and experience transformation.
Bible Study takes us in what appears to be two wildly divergent directions this week, in Jesus' rebuke against religious hypocrisy, and an unflinching conversation about death. That said, the thing these two have in common is precisely how we live, day to day, every day. Is it authentic, is it honest, is it loving? Join us this week as we dive into some of the deeper questions of the life of faith
This week, one of the most familiar and beloved sayings of Jesus, and then perhaps one of the more obscure figures of the Hebrew Bible. As different from each other as they may seem, both stories are about seeing the bigger picture, stepping out in faith in God, with courage and vision and grace. A wonderful pairing this week.
Aaron and Paige are on the same scriptural track this week, reading the story of Jesus and "the question of taxation" as told in the Gospel of Matthew. For a passage that is only eight verses long, this asks a lot of questions, perhaps, in good Jesus fashion, more than it answers. But maybe that's what discipleship is all about? Let's find out, as we dive into Matthew 22:15-22.
The Lectionary gives, and the Lectionary takes away. We have two very different passages to look at today, Matthew's version of the Parable of the Great Banquet, and Paul's wrap up of his letter to the Philippians. One is inspiring, and hopeful, and empowering, and the other is...well, not. What do we do when the scripture is difficult? We look at the big picture, just as Paul does. Join us for a deep dive into this week's Lectionary readings, and a few words on how we interpret the Word.
This week the lectionary gives us some tricky, challenging passages, both in Matthew and in Philippians, that have been historically (ab)used against Judaism. Despite the fact that neither Jesus nor Paul say, or even seem to imply these things, their words have been interpreted to suggest that Christianity supersedes Judaism as the language through which God is speaking to the world. Much wrong has been done with these passages. So, is there something inspirational and salvific in them. We think so, so join us on this journey.
Jesus and Paul leave it all out on the field this week. They both face real questions about authority and unity, belief and behavior. And they hold nothing back. For all the challenge of their words, they also offer a real way forward, into grace, into community, into love.
Our lectionary track brings us to some interesting places this week. In Philippians, we get a glimpse of what's really going on in Paul's life and mind as he is imprisoned and possibly facing death. His hope rings true, and inspires not just the Philippians, but also us. And our Parable for the day is a familiar one, a loved one, and a deeply challenging one about grace, and worth, and abundance. Join us for another journey through the scriptures today.
Following Christ isn't always roses and rainbows, isn't always easy. And so, this week, we get challenging words from both Jesus and Paul about what it means to live in community with each other. Hint: It's about putting the Other first. Not ever a simple thing, but vital to living out the love of God.
Jesus and Paul are on the same page today. (Well, every day, we hope.) Both the Matthew passage and the Romans passage in this week's lectionary are about how to love in community...in the good times, in the conflicted ones, and everything in between. It's not always easy, but it is always important. From the Prophets to the Apostles, the Law of Love is central to the life of faith.
In the Gospel lesson for Sunday, Jesus tells his disciples to follow him. But what exactly does that look like? Will it be all sunshine and roses, or is it a more challenging path? This leads us to the book of Romans, where Paul lays out what following Christ might mean, an optimistic list of actions that are anchored in Divine Love. Join us for a meditation on what it means to follow.
Pivotal moments are on our radar this week, those moments when we look at what is, and ask the question "What is most essential?" As Aaron continues his exploration of Acts, that question is asked by the Apostles at the Council of Jerusalem, as they make decisions that will change the face of Christianity going forward. And as Paige wraps up her musical summer sermon series, that question gets asked in the face of death...are we living our lives in a way that makes room for the most important things? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation on life, death, faith and transformation.
Two Bible stories this week with strangely similar themes...four friends lowering their paralytic friend down through a roof to be healed, and Peter's vision of a sheet being lowered from heaven filled with all sorts of animals, clean and unclean. This week is about breaking through boundaries, building up community, facing opposition, and being empowered by the Spirit to do the work. Join us for a far ranging discussion on Pod Be With You.
What do the Apostle Paul and Mary Poppins have in common? More than you might imagine! Today's Bible Study is about conversion, transformation, and lovingkindness toward those who can't necessarily give you anything back. Join us as we delve into the Acts of the Apostles and a little Disney maagic!
It's been a minute. But we're back this week with a Bible Study about being lost and found, yearning after God, God yearning after us, and the places where we find love, divine and human. We'll explore a contemporary country music song, an ancient text about welcome, and the radical openness of God.
We're back after a two week hiatus to dive into the Book of Acts. This week, some stories about that fine line between doing the loving work of God in the world, and desiring to control what happens. Wisdom from the pages of the scripture that is as true today as it was 2000 years ago.
One half of the Indigo Girls and the Apostle Peter compose our power team this week, as we celebrate Pride Month by exploring the stories of same sex couples in our scriptures, and then dive headfirst into the wild, wonderful weirdness of the Book of Acts. From Ruth and Naomi to the strange, disturbing story of Ananias and Saphira, we cover a lot of ground this week.
It may not be OFFICIALLY summer yet, but we are kicking of our Summer Series' this week. For Aaron this looks like an exploration of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, a fascinating and important look at the origin of the Church, and the work of the Holy Spirit. For Paige, it's Summer Soundtrack, taking some of our favorite "non-church" songs as a lens through which to view the scriptures and our faith. Join us as we begin these journeys together!
Welcome to Pentecost - one of the most important days of the church year! (And one of the least celebrated, relegated as it is to late spring/early summer each year). We even make a (tenuous) argument that this is the moment it was all leading to: God with us at Christmas, Jesus faithful life and modeled ministry - all a way of calling all humanity into the work of God. Come and celebrate God's empowering, disrupting, guiding Spirit - and get inspired!
You can't have Pentecost until Jesus goes away...but what are we to make of this strange, shiny story about Christ being bodily taken up into heaven? On its face, it doesn't seem like there is much for us as 21st century Christians. But there is a tremendously practical level to this tale, where Jesus hands over the mission...and the authority...and the power...to his followers. Daunting, and exciting, and still a mystery as we work to do the work even today.
We're going to the Acts of the Apostles this week with the Apostle Paul, for one of the greatest sales pitches in all of history. Here we see an authentic, subtle, yet bold Paul making the claim that God is our source, our purpose, our goal, and our journey, all in one. It's a beautiful speech, with great ramifications for how we can be Christians in a multicultural, multireligious world.
The Realm of God is so expansive, and this passage is about that! (Among many other things.) Here we find Jesus saying "Goodbye" to the Disciples, reminding them they are not alone, or powerless, or lost, but rather that God resides in, among, and through them. A great collection of verses for any Sunday, but especially poignant on Confirmation, which many churches will be celebrating this Sunday.
One of the most enduring images of God in our scriptures is the image of God as our Shepherd...protecting us, nurturing us, guiding us, loving us. It is an image of relationship, of care, of familiarity. So this week, we dive into Psalm 23 and John 10:1-10 to explore that metaphor just a little bit, as we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday.
It's the second Sunday after Easter, and we are still exploring Resurrection Sunday with the story of Jesus joining the disciples on the road to Emmaus. We say it every week, but it is apt in this case...there's a lot going on here. From mystery, to the Holy Spirit, to the Law and the Prophets, to gathering around the Eucharistic Table, there are themes for days. Join us for a wide ranging discussion of liminality, life, death, and ministry.
We've used it in worship, referred to it in the Podcast, and delved into the brilliant theology and creativity of the First Nations Translation of the Bible. Now we get to sit down and talk with one of the people working on the Hebrew Bible translation! Paige's dear friend from college, and a force to be reckoned with, Amy Allan. Join us for this fascinating interview
Beginnings and endings, our story in the story of Christ, life, death, resurrection, this is the week before us. It's an ancient story, one we've heard so many times before. And we enter into the drama once again, just as Christ has entered ours. A blessed week to you all.
Our Gospel Lesson this week, whether you're reading from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, is the story of Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. It's the performance that begins Holy Week, and quite literally provokes the events of Good Friday. Jesus asks us in this little bit of theatrical protest, just what does power look like? The answer surprised his contemporaries, and continues to call to us today.
It's a little Easter in this fifth week of Lent...the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, and Ezekiel's vision in the valley of the dry bones. So often we think of Lent as a sort of perpetual Good Friday, but this week's lessons are all about coming to life! There is a profound hope here, even if it requires waiting and work. God is at work in the world.
We are in Week 3 of Lent already, and that takes us to Paul's letter to the church and Rome to talk about suffering and hope, and then the Gospel of John to consider the intimate presence of God in the story of the Woman at the Well. There is, as always, a surprising amount of overlap between these passages. Join us as we travel Creator's Good Road together.
We're coming up on the second Sunday in Lent, so that must mean it's time for Nicodemus to visit Jesus. A Pharisee, he comes at night with genuine questions...Who are you? What are you up to? How can I be a part of it? Do I WANT to be a part of it? The ensuing conversation is literally some of "The Gospel's Greatest Hits," but do they mean what we think they mean? Let's find out together.
It's the first Sunday of Lent already, if you can believe that. And although we are looking at two different stories from the Bible...Paige, the Wedding and Cana, and Aaron, the "Fall" of Humanity...both provide an open door into this season of self-reflection, discipline, meditation, and re-orientation. Join us, as we begin this 40 day journey to the cross and the empty tomb.
Transfiguration comes around this time of year, every year, on the Sunday before Lent. And here it is again...with the themes of community, transformation, encouragement, empowerment, revelation, humanity, and baptism, all wrapped up in this strange and familiar story. Join us for an exploration of Jesus' mountaintop experience.
Jesus proclaims in the Sermon on the Mount, "You are the salt of the earth! You are the light of the world!" Great metaphors, but how do we make them real, get into the practical nitty gritty of being salt and light? A wide ranging conversation on a familiar passage. Join us.
No, it's not a dish at your favorite Chinese restaurant, but rather an exploration of this very familiar (and beloved) passage through the use of four different translations. Fear not! We don't read them all all the way through, but allow them to inform our discussion of a classic explication of what the Kingdom of God looks like in our midst. It's an amazing journey.
Today, I (Aaron) am lucky enough to speak with Rev. Molly Baskette, Senior Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, CA, and author of several outstanding books. Her most recent is "How to Begin When Your World is Ending: A Spiritual Field Guide to Joy DESPITE Everything."
"Field Guide" is a great description: this book is part survival guide for those going through some of life's most difficult moments. Also like a field guide, though, this will take you by the hand and make sure you don't miss anything wonderful.
With grace and honesty (and only the occasional profanity), this conversation takes us through vulnerability, prayer, resurrection, angels, dancing, danger, brokenness, healing - and everything else that is the messy miracle of being together.
It's Matthew's version of the call of the first disciples this week. But more than that, we are diving into a theological meditation on what calling means...that it is for all of us, that it is about journey, that "even Jesus" was called, and mentored, and knew what it was to follow. A few short verses, a whole lot of meaning.
This Sunday is either Baptism of Christ, or Epiphany, depending on how you calendar. Today, we talk about both...and the journey that ensues. What guides, what drives, what inspires us as we step into a new year, with all the adventure and challenge that holds? Join us for some old stories, and a new year, on Pod Be With You.
Here we are, hurtling toward Christmas and the end of 2022! But first, we pause on two figures: Joseph and David. Joseph as a model of self-giving love and remarkable trust, courage, and faithfulness. And David as another in the long line of ordinary, flawed, gifted people God calls to world-changing things. As always, we are challenged not only to celebrate what was, or look with faith for what will be, but to see ourselves as part of God's living work now. Happy Advent Sunday of Love, everyone!
Thia week, we're focusing on the stories of women, Mary and Elizabeth, Ruth and Naomi, and the Joy created by loving, faithful relationship. It's a cosmic saga, of which we are all a part, if we can just apprehend and nurture those moments when they enter our lives. Join us for Joy this week!
What do a camel-skin wearing, locust-eating prophet, and a Canaanite sex worker have in common? They are both a part of Jesus' family! It's the second Sunday of Advent, and that means we get John the Baptizer coming in and proclaiming peace with some challenging language. And, exploring Jesus' genealogy, we also find Rahab, who courageously fought for her own peace. Join us for an interesting exploration of both of these Biblical "characters."
We know it is good. We believe we "should" feel grateful. Parts of us yearn for gratitude and all of its spiritual relatives: peace, joy, contentment. So why is it so tough - so often fleeting and rare? This episode, we draw on our own experiences, as well as two books that have been formative for us (see below) for an honest conversation about gratitude. What is it? How do we get there? What are we doing that is getting in the way? If we can't force it, what can we do to create the conditions in which gratitude can grow? Thanks for joining us for this Thanksgiving special!
The Book of Joy
Grateful
Whether we are celebrating the annual liturgical observance of Christ the King Sunday, or the final Sunday of the Stewardship Campaign, the theme for this Sunday is Hope...hope in the One who holds our future, hope in the power that One give us to make change, hope that Love and Justice will reign. Join us for this joyful, energizing discussion.
It's that time of year again, as we close in on the end of the Church Year, we will be celebrating with churches around the world, All Saints Sunday. It is the sacred time we set aside a Christians to name those who have passed in the previous year, to give thanks for their lives and their legacies, and to literally re-member them. This Pod Be With You we talk life, and death, and life everlasting, and the steadfast love and faithfulness of our God.
All of us get stuck sometimes, whether it is in our perception of ourselves and others, the circumstances of our lives, or our own heads. Stuck is a hard place to be. But our lectionary today, from the words of the prophet Joel, to a parable of Jesus, show us how to get unstuck, empowered, and moving in the right direction.
Story is our theme this week, as we dig into Jeremiah 29. On the same weekend we are celebrating Indigenous People's Day, we are given a text about the trauma, the grief, the pain of living in Exile. How do we tell that story? How do we listen to the stories of others? And how do we write the story that God desires for all God's people?
What are we doing? That's a fine question. For the last three weeks, Pastor Paige has explored justice in the scriptures, and this week we talk about putting it into direct, real action. And, with a Baptism and Communion coming up the Sunday, Pastor Aaron looks at the sacraments, not only what we THINK happens in them, but what how our thinking shapes what really DOES happen.
So what are we covering this week? Oh, nothing really, just the spiritual and physical implications of striving after wealth, and the nature of what it means to be human. Both Aaron and Paige are swinging big, as we cover 1 Timothy 6 and the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Join us as we grapple with some of the big questions.
That's the question for today, with both of our scripture passages for Sunday, "What Happens the Next Day?" Whether it is a question of creation and environmental justice, as Paige explores with Genesis 1, or the next chapter of the story of the Prodigal Son, a topic Aaron engages, there is always a next day, a next move, a next step closer to God and each other. We are deeply, fundamentally, intrinsically connected, and on this journey together.
This week, in a lot a ways, we're talking about the Spirit. Although we are both going in different directions with our sermons, the Holy Spirit of creation, creativity, and calling, is at the heart of the conversation, moving us to be transformed, even as we transform the world in which we live. Join us for a conversation the moves with the wind, as we explore transformation, work, dreams, and the presence of God in who we are and what we do.
Hey everyone! Your second-favorite host of Pod Be With You has returned! Aaron is back, and together he and Paige catch up on the last three months, exploring some of the blessings of sabbatical time. Then, we discuss Paige's latest "Sunday Funny" comic, taking on some light and breezy topics like divine providence, worry, and care. Thanks for joining us!
"Do not be conformed, but be transformed, by the renewing of your mind." What does Paul mean when he says this? How do we live into transformation and renewal? What might that look like? We dive into the Epistles, the mind of Paul, and how our perspective can change our world, and the world.
An understanding of history...where we came from...helps us to understand where we are, and maybe, where we are going. On this episode of Pod Be With You, a super short exploration of Christian denominations, with a focus on the United Church of Christ. We come from the Puritans, the Pilgrims, some cantankerous Germans, and some wild and crazy folks from the Western frontier. Join us for an exploration of our roots, so we can take wing.
As Christians, we say with our Jewish and Muslim siblings, that we are a "people of the Book." But what does that mean when the book in question is full of angels, and demons, and worldwide floods, and virgin births, and miraculous healings? How do we, as modern people, make sense of this, and perhaps more to the point, how does it apply to our lives right now, in 2022? Together we are going to explore a little history of how we got the Bible in the form we have now, and discuss interpretation, or how we understand it and put it into practice.
Both of the churches we serve are doing something a little bit different this week in terms of worship and liturgy, or literally, "The Work of the People." And so this prompted a conversation about worship itself, the brick and mortar buildings we call "church," faith and action and how those two things intersect, and what it means to have a God who does not dwell in houses built by human hands,
It's in the mid to high 80's out, the perfect time to celebrate Christmas! So put on your favorite ugly sweater, get a cup of cocoa, and join us for an exploration into the heart of the incarnation...what it is, what it means, and what it doesn't...we'll figure it all out in 30 minutes or less. (Yeah, right.) But truly, the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ is not just for Advent and Christmas, but something to be celebrated and lived into all year round.
We have another one of the wonderful parables of Jesus today, the story of The Great Banquet, a tale of welcome, hospitality, ang grace upon grace. Pretty straightforward, right? Well, if that were true, it wouldn't be a parable, now would it? Join us as we dive into Jesus' "Dinner Party Advice," and get another small glimpse of the Kin(g)dom of God.
The Parable of the Talents is well-known, and also notoriously difficult and disturbing. Two pastors, one parable, and a whole lot of exegesis! Let's do it, people...dive in, and see what might really be going on in Jesus' Parable of the Generous Lord!
In this episode of Pod Be With You, we tackle the hot potato that is HELL. Pastors Paige and Michelle dive into the history and scriptures behind this particular piece of Christian theology, and rethink its place in our doctrine. (Because God is Still Speaking, and we can do that.) Join us for an interesting journey into Sheol, Gehenna, and Dante's Inferno, as we ask the question, "What is Hell? And do I have to be afraid of it?"
At the core of the Christian faith is the call, as declared through the prophet Zechariah, to "administer justice." But what does that mean? One organization in the Chicago area is taking that call at face value, and providing legal aid for folks in need. Join us for an interview with Judy Miller of Administer Justice, who tells us how we, as the local church, can help make legal help accessible to all.
Family, friends, Church, community, all sound like wonderful ideals, full of lovely and loving relationships. But life isn't always the rose-colored reality we envision. Conflicts and confrontations happen. So, does the Bible have any practical advice about how to "love one another?" You bet it does! Join us for a lively discussion around "jerks," Jesus, and living into love.
This coming Sunday is Trinity Sunday, so join Michelle and Paige this week as we explore...and do our best to explain...what is at it's heart a holy mystery...the Trinity. Three person, one God, a whole lot of questions.
Sunday is Pentecost, when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. A mighty wind, tongues of fire, and descending doves are all ways we talk about the mystery of the Spirit. Join Pastor Michelle and Paige as we try to do just that, as we give thanks for this empowering, inspiring, uniting gift.
Sabbatical Summer is upon us! As you already know, Pastor Aaron has started his sabbatical last week. So, for the rest of the summer, I will be joining forces to co-host with Pastor Michelle McNamara from First Congregational United Church of Christ Downers Grove. This week, we are also joined by her colleague there, Pastor Scott Oberle, just days before the start of HIS sabbatical. We gather to talk about the sacramental moment that is the Christian funeral, about death, and about the hope of life and love everlasting. (Please forgive the audio at the very beginning of the recording...it clears up after a minute.)
Aaron is beginning his sabbatical, and I am left to my own devices! And so, for this first week, I have leaned on my friend and colleague, Laura Bernabei, Director of Children's Ministry at the Congregational Church of Batavia, to talk about children, their place in the Body of Christ, and what they can teach adults. Join us for this fun and important conversation!
We cover a lot of ground this week, beginning with Aaron's upcoming sabbatical (May 23-Aug 23). We take this time to reflect on rest as a pattern of God's creation, as a natural and necessary good, and as (for some) a real struggle in this time and place. And for Paige's Easter Season of sacramental life, we talk sacred commitments: holy vows, abundance and celebration. We yearn for connection, it seems - it's how we're made. And it is a means by which we come to know the flourishing joy that is God's vision for creation.
We're coming up on the third Sunday of Easter already, and in our scriptures and our worship, Resurrection is real! In Paige's congregation we explore the sacramental moment that is Confirmation, as we celebrate and nurture the gifts of the Spirit that make the Church the Church. And in Aaron's congregation, it is healing and hope, in the story of Christ's reconciliation with Peter by the lakeside. Join us as we continue to talk about the ways we embody our faith, live it out, and witness to the love of God.
It's the Easter Season! And we cover EVERYTHING in 43 minutes...life, death, resurrection, healing, the nature of the sacraments, the power of the Holy Spirit, and Pentecost! Whew. Join us for a recap of Holy Week, a taste of the Easter Season, and a preview of Pentecost, as we celebrate resurrection, rebirth, new life.
"Ah, Holy Jesus, How Hast Thou Offended," is one of the great and traditional hymns of the season. This week, as we explore Palm and Passion Sunday, we talk a little about exactly how he did offend...how we got from shouts of "Hosanna" to "Crucify Him" in one week. Because Jesus was busy that week, provoking and prodding with God's justice, freedom, and radical love. Join us on this episode as we journey with Jesus to Jerusalem.
We're on our fifth week of Lent, and the last of our senses, the sense of Touch. And with that, two wonderful Bible stories about the power of Touch, to heal, to connect, to make whole. But the Church's history with Touch, and our larger culture's is not as simple as these stories, at least on the surface, make it appear to be. Join us this week for the sense of Touch, and a far-ranging discussion on the last of our five senses.
Have you heard? We're coming up on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which means the sense we are celebrating and exploring is Hearing. There are so many stories in the Bible where this sense takes center stage, from healing stories in the Gospels, to call stories throughout the scriptures, to the music and praise of the Psalms. Join us this week as we talk about the power of music to shape our lives, the spiritual practice of silence, and the joy of a relationship with the Divine.
This one, the sense of smell, may seem like the strangest of the bunch, at least at first. But as we dive into the scripture, we find that smell is a powerful metaphor for the holy, a trigger for memory, a statement on the impermanent and the transcendent. Join us this week to talk about perfume, incense, sharpened number two pencils, and the power of smell to take us to a different place altogether.
"We walk by faith," wrote St. Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth, "not by sight." But do we? The sense of sight is such a fruitful metaphor in our scriptures for what it means to perceive, the apprehend, to gain spiritual insight and understanding. This week, as we study the sense of sight, we will explore the Psalms and the Gospel of Mark, and talk about wonder, about awe, about limitation, about disappointment, about the incremental coming to life and awareness that is our journey this Lent. Join us if you can.
Lent has begun, and with it, the Sermon Series that our churches, the Congregational Church of Batavia, and the First Congregational Church of Dundee, are both exploring...a reclaiming, and maybe even celebration, of what it means to be embodied. The Church has a long, conflicted relationship with the body, but it is the way in which we get to know, and connect with our world, including other people and God! This Sunday, as we observe Communion, we start out exploring the sense of taste, what the Bible has to say about it, and they ways in which God feed and nurtures us. We hope you can journey with us this Lent.
It's Transfiguration Sunday once again! But Luke adds a little to this familiar tale, because it doesn't end when Jesus, Peter, James and John come down the mountain. Because there, they meet a boy in need, and Jesus uses what happened on the mountaintop to do the work necessary on the plain. A great story for the season, for our time, and for our lives.
Jesus' Sermon on the Plain in Luke has a lot of familiar sayings..."Turn the other cheek," "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and "Do not judge, and you will not be judged," just to name a few. But how well do we really know this passage? What is it really about? Join us as we talk about agape love, breaking the cycles of abuse and violence, and Jesus' Third Way of resistance.
This is a first for us...not that we don't occasionally rant about things...we just don't normally record it. But today, mostly in good fun, we take aim at a recent New York Times opinion peace that tells churches they "should" drop their online worship services. We talk Pauline theology, logic, pastoral care, and congregational polity, and the challenges of weighing many different needs and opinions in a diverse community in this episode of Pod Be With You. You SHOULD join us!
The story seems so simple...a miraculous catch of fish, a sacred calling, the beginning of discipleship. The moral of the story is "Answer the call!" Right? But what does it mean to be called? What is vocation, really? Is "to do" the same as "to be?" A conversation about calling, and answering, and the daily walk of faith.
Without diagramming the entire book of 1 Corinthians, we dive into the salient parts for today's discussion of 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, the Love Chapter. It's about community, and connectedness, and compassion, and above all, the animating love of the Holy spirit. Join us for a far-ranging conversation about St. Paul, what it means to be part of the body, and what True Love looks like.
In the spirit of a recent clergy gathering, and the start of a brand new year, we are taking the opportunity to look at where we have been as the Church, where we are, and where we are going. Hope, fears, dreams, vision, and a whole lot of the Holy Spirit. Join us for a conversation that reaches a lot of topics, and takes us a lot of places.
Well, it happened: Covid has come to the James house! We're all ok (and hope to stay that way) but it also means we're on Zoom today. But if you can stand the funky audio, we've got a great bible study on a famous and rich story: Jesus turning water into wine during the wedding at Cana. What do we make of this extravagant miracle? What does this sign say about who God is and what God cares about? Thanks for being with us!
It's a familiar story...maybe too familiar, in fact. We think we know all there is to know about the Three Kings and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But what's really going on here and what's it all about? Jump into Epiphany with us, as we explore the journey of the Magi, as found in Matthew 2:1-12.
We're a little more than a week out from Christmas, and do we have a lot to say...about the New Year, about Advent, about the Magnificat, about Christmas Eve! (And all of it, of course, is germaine to the season.) Join us this week for a little of this, a little of that, and a whole lot of Christmas.
Can you believe we're already getting ready for the second Sunday of Advent? Time seems to be hurtling by, and us with it. But this week, a pause, as we listen for the voice of one calling from the wilderness, "Prepare!" But what are we preparing for, and how do we do it? Join us this week as we talk John the Baptizer, repentance, peace, and hygge.
This week, two stories of disruption and uncertainty - both of which, in their own way, challenge us to be faithful. They force us to face hard things: delayed promise, unfulfilled needs, a scary world, and everything we can't control. And then they call us to be open and courageous, patient and present for the meeting of our moment. These convulsive pains we're feeling - are they birth pangs or death throes? The answer, of course, is yes - both of these things are happening. Both are valid, and both need to be attended to as the work of ministry. These days, we are all chaplains and we are all midwives.
Once again, Mark packs a whole lot into very few verses. What looks like a simple call to give sacrificially is actually a pointed critique of the abuses of religious institutions, and a call to thoughtful, intentional, daily stewardship. With Mark, it's never simple. Join us this week for a deep dive into the story of the Widow's Mite.
What a time! This weekend mixes the sacred, the secular, the Christian, the pagan, life and death in one glorious, slightly anarchic festival. In church, we are holding together endings and beginnings, and everywhere, we are playing with identity, power, humor, and fear. All of this brings us out of our individual routines into the blessed mess of community, in search of what is real and right - or at least a lot of fun!
This week it's a simple story, with a whole lot going on...the tale of the healing of Bartimaeus. It calls back to the stories that have preceded it in the last month, while at the same time looks forward to what happens next in the Gospel of Mark, the Triumphal Entry. The story is about faith, about vision, about Self, about the Kingdom of God, about having the courage to speak up. Join us for an exploration of all these things, and more, as we dive into Mark 10:46-52.
We are in the book of Job this week, and the Gospel of Mark, respectively. Both passages, although quite different, speak to the cultural moment we are in. Job, although one of the oldest texts in the bible, engages directly with the grief and pain that seem to be so prominent in our world and in our personal lives right now. And Jesus in Mark speaks directly to the systems of domination that surround us, and call us into new and different ways of being. God is still speaking in both of these texts as we investigate what happens when worlds collide.
It's a seemingly simple question the man has for Jesus..."What must I do to inherit eternal life?" But Jesus' answer is anything but simple. It is rich, and complex, and in many ways, decidedly uncomfortable. Join us as we discuss camels, the eyes of needles, and what it might take to live a whole, abundant life.
It's all about courage this week...whether we're exploring the story of Esther and her defense of the Jewish people against an existential threat, or diving into Jesus' prophetic sayings in Mark 9 about boundaries and defending the vulnerable, the courage to risk is at the heart of this week's lectionary. Join us for two wildly different, yet profoundly intersecting passages about standing for what's right and good where you are, as who you are.
There's a whole lot of everything happening here in Mark 9:30 - 37...another prediction of Christ's passion and resurrection, another time the disciples don't get it, another teaching moment about the Kingdom of God. It may sound like "We've been there, we've done that," but put all together, these short eight verses upend the whole transactional system of power that the world tells us we have to participate in. Here, Jesus shows us another way, God's way.
Part three of our mini-series on salvation explores six more ways Christians have answered the question, "What are we saved from?" Maybe you've only heard one version of this story in your life, but whatever that one was, it isn't the only way. There is no one way - just many ways of expressing who we believe God is to us. All of them right, all of them limited, all of them true, all of them incomplete. So, if you ever wanted to listen to two pastors talk for nearly an hour, only to conclude that this is all beyond us, this just might be the episode for you!
This is the last week in our respective summer series, and we've got some big ideas to discuss. The last book at FCC Dundee, by David Zahl, is called, "Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion And What To Do About It." (Whew!) Its a fascinating book about how religious we can be about "non-religious" things - and how we are searching for meaning, purpose, identity, belonging, and a sense of our own "enoughness" everywhere. And for Pastor Paige's last stop "on the road," there isn't an arrival, but another sending-out: Jesus' Great Commission. All of this challenges us with some great questions: what are we looking for? Can we get there from here? Where is the good news in all of this?
Taking a break from our short series on salvation, we tackle some uncomfortable things this week. Pastor Aaron explores Psalm 10, and righteous lament, while Pastor Paige travels with Saul to Damascus, and talks about what we do when everything is upside down, and an answer isn't apparent. Both places that are difficult to be in, but are part of the spiritual journey.
With Pastor Paige on a well-deserved break, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Jim Halverson, PhD, a member of FCC Dundee and a professor at Judson University. Jim has particular expertise in Medieval Christianity, the Reformation, and world history, and he brings that knowledge to bear on our questions about salvation: What are we saved from - and how? How have we answered these questions differently through the ages? How is our cultural context - our lived experience - reflected in how we think about God? All this and a lot more (yikes - it's kind of a long episode)! We hope you find this interesting and inspiring!
A small detour from following our Summer Series pattern, we are taking some time to follow up on a topic we touched on a few weeks ago...Salvation. What is it? What are we saved from? What are we saved to? How does it all work, anyway? This language is at the core of our faith, but what does it really mean? Pastors Paige and Aaron begin a mini-series on this important and interesting topic.
We're back! After a week away, we are returning to an exploration of the Summer Series we are doing. This week, Pastor Aaron is reading "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants," by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It's a series of essays that encompass all the various parts of Kimmerer's experience as a botanist and a member of the Potawatomi Nation. On this episode, we focus on the power of our creation narratives to mold and shape us. And the Roadtrip Summer Series takes Pastor Paige to the story of The Good Samaritan, a story that is so familiar that it has become woven into the very cloth of our culture. This story is about us, for better or for worse, and we listen carefully as we hear Christ say, "Go and do likewise."
Another deep dive into our Summer Sermon Series, Paige gets to wax rhapsodic about her favorite Hebrew Bible story of all time, the tale of Ruth and Naomi, and the covenant that make with each other. Aaron is reading "Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence" by Diana Butler Bass. This book is a exploration of just some of the ways we come to know Christ, and an attempt to reclaim them for ourselves and our faith.
A special request for input from you! We want to hear about those things that you want to hear about...questions you have, guests you'd like us to have on the pod, topics you would like to explore, anything. Just email us at podbewithyoupodcast@gmail.com.
This week on Pod Be With You, Aaron explores the book "Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others," by Barbara Brown Taylor. In this book, Taylor celebrates the beauty and wisdom of what other faiths have to teach us, as well as how they can enhance the practice of our own. And the Roadtrip series takes us to Jericho, a troubling and difficult story that brings up questions of violence and colonization, but also offer hope in the absurdities of life.
Astonishments...part of the subtitle of the book Aaron is reading this week (World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil) and a great description of the pillar of cloud and fire that lead the Hebrew people our of Egypt. Because that is what we are talking about today, the awe and wonder of those places where the Divine peeks through at us. They are everywhere. Do we have the eyes to see?
There is much overlap between the Sermon Series this week, as we explore Rev. Dr. Sarah Griffith Lund's book about marriage and mental illness, "Blessed Union," and the story of Jacob wrestling with God (an angel? his conscience?) in Genesis 32. Struggle is real, for all of us, and so is the power of reconciliation and relationship. Join us for a (longer) meditation on mental health, covenant, struggle, and love.
Above and below is our theme this week, as we both continue with our Summer Sermon Series. Pastor Paige continues on the Roadtrip with the story of Jacob and his dream of a great ladder connecting heaven and earth. Then Pastor Aaron picks up the cosmological theme with an investigation into Rob Bell's book "Love Wins," a look at the place of heaven and hell in Christian theology. Join us this week for a wide ranging conversation about sin, grace, and the places where God finds us on the journey.
We are in week two of our Summer Series, and we explore saying yes with the patriarch Abram, as God calls him into an unknown but blessed future. It is frightening and thrilling all at the same time when God beckons us into a new way of being. And we also discuss "How to Do Nothing," a book by Jenny Odell, which asks us, among other things, to pay attention to who and what id vying for our attention, our time, our very selves. What do we say yes to, and what can we say no to? It's a wide ranging conversation this week about faith, courage, living into who and what you are called to be, and whose voice you listen to.
This week sees the start of our Summer Series, and so for the next 12 weeks, you will get two for the price of one. Paige will explore how it is that God meets us on the journey in her Roadtrip series, while Aaron reads a book a week to gain new perspectives and ideas. Join us this week for Adam and Eve leaving Eden, and Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans.
It's a familiar on this week...the story of the Pharisee Nicodemus coming to Jesus under the cloak of darkness to ask his questions about God, faith, and what it means to be born of the Spirit. We think we know what this one is all about...but do we really? John 3:1-17 is a rich story about curiosity, courage, and the uncontrollable movement of the Spirit.
Pentecost is upon us once again...the rush as of a violent wind, the tongues of flame, the speaking in all the languages of the known world, a wonderful and powerful story about the arrival of the Holy Spirit. But was does this old, familiar story mean to us today, now? How does the Holy Spirit move and work in our lives in the 21st Century? Together, we explore that question as we dive into Acts 2:1-21.
If we had to choose one passage to describe, to explain what the project of Christianity is all about, it might be John 15:9-17, abide in God's love, and love one another. It sounds so simple, but there is much going on here...it's about love, and joy, and friendship, community, and care, and growth. It is about being formed in the very character of God for the good of the world. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to love as God loves.
For such a wonderful, uplifting, lifegiving passage as John 15;1-8 is, there have been a lot of interpretations that come out of it that are anything but. So this week, we tackle some of those ideas, as well as get to the heart of what Jesus is talking about here...bearing fruit in love.
This week we investigate one of Jesus' famous "I am" statements, "I am the Good Shepherd." What exactly does it mean to be the Good Shepherd? Is it about abundant life, leading and protecting the sheep, laying down one's life? Pastors Aaron and Paige explore all this, and more, in this week's episode of Pod Be With You.
Today we are grateful to be joined by Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, Senior Minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Indianapolis, and author of "Blessed Union: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness and Marriage". Together, we unpack some of the challenges we face regarding mental illness, holy relationships, and the church - including stigma, ignorance, and lack of access to care. At the same time, we share signs of great hope, and encourage one another to tell our true stories with faith and love. We are not alone, and there is much that faithful individuals and churches can do to create a safer, more compassionate, and more just world for those with mental illness.
Find "Blessed Union" wherever you buy books, and many more resources at sarahgriffithlund.com.
It's the second Sunday of Easter, and we have a lot to talk about...the role doubt plays in a healthy and vibrant faith; heaven, hell, and the ever-present Kingdom of God; the freedom of forgiveness; the empowerment of the Holy Spirit; the affirmation of Thomas; and through it all, the question "What's next?"
This week, perhaps more than any other, celebrates the fullness of faith: togetherness and separateness, fulfillment and betrayal. And, of course, death and new life. These perennial themes resonate even more fully this year, as we grieve what we have been through and celebrate our slow but inexorable recovery. Wherever this takes us, God is with us - so let's have a blessed Holy Week!
We're back on the same track, as we meet the perennial challenge of the familiar, but strange, story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is a moment loaded with celebration, hope, impending tragedy, political provocation, and so much more. It is a glimpse, if only fleeting, of the radically alternative Kingdom of God. And what does any of that have to do with this moment?
This week Pastors Aaron and Paige explore God's radical love in action. The Good Question series takes us to the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus' call for his followers to love not just their friends, but also, and maybe especially, their enemies, and what that means in practical terms. Next, the Promises, Promises series dives into another Hebrew Bible Covenant, this one found in the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. There we discover, again, God's astonishingly faithful love and forgiveness for humanity. In both cases, it is God's Radical Love that is being proclaimed.
Three wonderful (and weird) Bible stories this week, as Pastors Paige and Aaron continue exploring their Lenten Sermon series. First, a strange story about grumbling Hebrews and snakes in the wilderness lead us to take on idolatry, sin, and what to do when God doesn't answer prayer the way we expect. Then, two healing stories from the Gospels look at asking for help from both sides of the question. We know it's hard to have so much asked from us, but might it be even more difficult to be the one doing the asking?
It's Lent, so that means another twofer! As Pastor Aaron continues exploring Jesus' great questions, this week we dive into the story of the Gerasene demoniac, and Jesus' question to him, "What is your name?" It's about identity, and God knowing us and loving us not in spite of who we are, but because of who we are. And Pastor Paige engages with one of the most well-known, if not best understood passages, the 10 Commandments. There God promises not only freedom, but purpose and community. Join us for a fabulous far-ranging discussion.
First in a series of twofers this Lenten season, Pastor Aaron dives into one of Jesus' great questions to the two disciples he meets on the Road to Emmaus, "What are you talking about as you walk together?" And Pastor Paige explores the Abrahamic Covenant, and what happens when it takes 25 years to see a promise fulfilled.
A reflection on the start of one of our favorite seasons - and how different it is this year. How can this season be spiritually rich - even challenging - without further wearing us out? Well, we start by remembering that God's got this, and God's got us.
Transfiguration comes up every year at this time, and every year we struggle to make sense of this strange and difficult passage. But as we dive in, we discover it is about who we are, and where we live...it is about journey, about comfort, about empowerment, about community. So join us for this interesting, and more importantly relevant, discussion of what it means to be transformed.
What kind of power are we after - and why? Do we even realize the power we have? These days it is easy to feel powerless - especially when we are cut off from so many of those things that fill us up. So how do you connect with the power of God's Spirit - or simply find the power to endure?
We hope this music brings you as much warmth and light as it did for us when we live-streamed this concert. Enjoy and share!
What a story: Jesus' "debut" in the Gospel of Mark. He teaches with authority; he casts out demons with authority. The people are astonished, and his fame begins to spread. So what would any of that have to do with our healing today? Quite a lot, we think - we hope you think so, too!
A silly story about some serious things: the brilliant satire of the book of Jonah. It's a delightfully absurd send-up of common prophetic tropes, and an enduring testimony to the power of humor to tackle weighty topics. Including, here, redemption, justice, and mercy. Our hero petulantly stumbles into playing a part in Ninevah's redemption - and even, despite his best efforts, his own.
Let's reclaim the word "awesome," shall we? This psalm is a love song to a transcendent Creator, a wandering walk through wonder at both the nearness and beyond-ness of God. This God knows us better than we know ourselves, and loves us more than we can imagine. Do we really believe it?
This episode was born out of many different spontaneous conversations that we wanted to capture as one. So here, Michele Clark, Digital Media Coordinator at FCC Dundee, interviews me (Aaron) with some big questions: What is it like being a pastor in changing, divisive times? How do you decide what to say in a sermon? What's it like being a pastor and a parent? Is church itself going to survive?
Let's see how this goes . . .
This week, a story of an impossible yes, and love finding a way. When the good news shows up looking like bad news, the ferociously faithful Mary says, "Let it be" - and began a world-changing story. With a week until Christmas, this is the right story to hear!
We hope you enjoy the audio from our recent Jazz concert here at FCC Dundee. Bill O'Connell and his ensemble offered a collection of sacred and secular favorites for the season. Whether you're running errands or just need a great soundtrack for wrapping presents, this should do the trick!
Video of the concert can be seen on our YouTube channel and Facebook page.
In a Christmas story too often by, for, and about men, our story lingers this week on two women: one expecting and the other expectant, embracing in love and joy. They had the faith to see their story - their fulfilled promises - as part of God's story. Can we?
This conversation with Rev. Leah Robberts-Mosser focuses on Jubilee Cafe - a weekly, free, restaurant-style meal served as a ministry of Community United Church of Christ in Urbana-Champaign, IL. Even as they adapt to COVID restrictions, this meal helps those struggling with food insecurity and social isolation. Perhaps most of all, in bringing together what are often fractured segments of our society, this ministry offers a foretaste of the heavenly feast - a joyful vision for this week. Find out more at https://community-ucc.org/jubilee-cafe/
On this second Sunday of Advent - our Sunday of Peace - we had the joy of welcoming a string quartet, composed of Ray Ostwald, Joe Malmquist, Wendy Evans, and Mark Kuntz. They offer four pieces in this service: wonderful arrangements of some of our Advent and Christmas favorites. A short sermon - a reflection on what it means to be a peace-maker - begins at about 14:45. Thank you for listening!
Please welcome our first guest! Nicole Havelka is an ordained minister and yoga instructor, whose consulting practice focuses on leading individuals and institutions through change with mindfulness, resilience, and purpose. Which sounds like exactly the kind of expertise we could use right now. This conversation took us to fascinating and helpful places - thanks, Nicole!
This is a time for waiting and preparation - and sometimes the waiting is easier. But peace requires action, preparation - real work. So even as we celebrate peace, experience peace, and wait on the fullness of peace, we are also called, with John the Baptist, to prepare the way. This is a time to be peace makers.
This week's sermon on decision fatigue and defiant hope begins at about 9:45. Also, don't miss Linda's wonderful offering of "Of the Father's Love Begotten" just before - about 7:20 in. Thanks for listening!
Some more worship! Mark's singing some fantastic songs, and the scripture and sermon start at about 13:50. Thanks for listening!
A little bit of everything this week (sounds like Thanksgiving already)! A conversation about the coming holidays, the spiritual work to hold together grief and gratitude, and a remarkably contemporary spiritual diagnosis from the book of Deuteronomy . . . Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Here's something new: audio of a recent worship service at FCC Dundee (Nov. 8). You'll get some music, prayer, sermon and more. For those looking for the sermon, it begins at about 16:10. Let us know what you think at ajames@fccdundee.com - thanks!
We may think we know the Parable of the Talents, and what it's about. But do we? There is so much going on in the text about abundance, faithful practice, and risk. Now. more than ever, these are words we need to hear.
Welcome back, Paige! We've got a story with teeth this week. What happens when a moment arrives and you're not prepared? How can we stay vigilant this long, and what does it really mean to wait faithfully?
Today, for many of us, light is easy - flick a switch, pay your bills. We don't have to think much about it or even know much about where it comes from; for the right fee, we can have it on demand. But for most of human history, that's not how it worked. Light was fire you had to make happen, plan for, protect, and nurture. Light was hard work, then - which made it a lot more like real faith, and real life.
Nothing influences people like people. Sometimes, that means we get ourselves into trouble. But it may also mean that we have more power to change the world than we ever thought.
Scared and bored is a dangerous combination. The people of Israel are tired of waiting, so they lose their patience and lose their nerve. And in the quintessential moment of idolatry, they make a golden calf to worship, and throw a huge party. How'd that go, do you think?
Soon, Pod Be With You will come to you both from FCC Dundee and the Congregational Church of Batavia. This is because Pastor Paige has accepted a call to be Batavia's next pastor - and while we're sad for us, we're happy for her. Here, we discuss all of it together: gratitude and grief, excitement and loss, beginnings and endings.
Here in his letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul encourages the member to live in unity together, as they are one in the Body of Christ. How are they to do this? Through the self-emptying love modelled by Jesus in his life, death, and resurrection.
Years ago, I took a beginning pottery class. It was fun, and frustrating, and I learned a lot about the art and patience. This experience gave me interesting insight into the Biblical metaphor of God as a potter.
Fear is a normal part of the human experience. But God is there, with outstretched hand, to calm our fear. Can we do the same for others?
What if the grace of God was so radical we resented it? What if it was so wonderful we found ourselves willing to reject it? How can the love of God be unfair? And what if we were willing to cling to our ideas of fairness, even at the expense of grace? That's a lot for a story about day laborers, but here it is!
For a minute, I let my inner crabby old man out for a rant about Fantasy Football. Which isn't about Fantasy Football at all, really, but about all those trivial things that take our time, money, and attention. Because that's where discipleship starts: attention.
Paul, ever the pastor, tries to counsel a community struggling to live faithfully amidst difference. Sound familiar? He challenges them to both hold fast to their convictions and to honor those of others - all in the name of loving relationship.
The calls that change us come from within and without. And often enough, they come, not in miracle or majesty, but in everyday, small, insistent signs. Are you listening?
We are always led by something; to be a disciple is to choose what - or who - that is. And that may mean saying no to some things that keep us from our greatest "Yes."
Love is the summary, fulfilment, and source of the law, Paul says (sounding a lot like Jesus as he does). And if we want a way forward, here it is, over thousands of years: love your neighbor as yourself. Can we lead and love this way?
Where do we find time for silence, for settledness, for God - even in the craziness of Cowboy Camp?
All around us are stories of miraculous transformation. Something almost imperceptible is at work in our midst, and is bringing something unexpected, delightful, and bursting with life!
Just because you cannot see something does not mean that God isn't at work. There was life itself in this determined little tree.
You may know this as a wedding scripture - which isn't wrong. But this charge to live with un-hypocritical love is actually much more radical and challenging than we often give it credit for. These are words we need right now.
What holds us together? Where do we need to be repaired? And where do we go when that's what we need?
"God I thank you that I am not like other people." Once you hear it, you'll hear it everywhere. But how's that working for us?
More often than not, our most profound evangelism doesn't come through words, but through actions. Hearts and minds are changed when others see the love of God alive in us.
Simple, but not easy. This week, here's a metaphor anyone can understand, but not everyone is living out: we are members of the same body. We are in this together, and we need one another. Can you believe that?
Fear and faith are not necessarily mutually exclusive; we can be very afraid of something and still step out in faith. In fact, maybe fear is what makes faith, faith.
Wow, there's a lot here. Maybe a bit more than usual, but if you stick with it, we think you'll find it worth it. At issue here are tradition, hypocrisy, gender relations, prophetic protest, prejudice, and more - all culminating in another life-saving healing.
Another miracle, as resonant and rich as the one that came before. Here, Jesus takes time for self care, Peter takes a leap of faith, and the disciples all see another layer of this man they are following.
In this continuing season of covid, it is likely we are all tired. The Prophet Isaiah reminds us that God will give us the strength we need to get through the storm.
Life can stir up a lot of emotions and thoughts in us. It is okay for us to take some time, space, and silence to settle and ground.
We've got a history of dividing ourselves up into separate clubhouses - and yet the greatest challenges remind us that we are all on the same team. Can we do our part?
Based on an old Christmas Eve sermon, this devotional reminds us once again that God is with us. The Christmas story may not be the sweet, easy story we've made it, but it does promise us again that there is a message for us - an angel for us. Not even in times like these, but especially. So go shine!
Adapted from a sermon preached in 2016, this devotional reminds us that God's promise has always been borne forward by unpromising people - good news for when we're feeling unpromising ourselves.
This classic miracle story is also a serious challenge and a fascinating study in power, inequality, grief, and compassion. Paige and Aaron explore the wider context of this story and its modern meaning and relevance.
Thanks for listening to our first-ever episode! We can't wait to see where this journey takes us. More coming soon!