Music, Hope, Word, Prayer: Recent Episodes
East Brentwood Presbyterian Church
John Hilley, Lindsey Hinds-Brown, and Nate Strasser bring you thought-provoking, relevant words for today's world as well as scripture, and inspiring music.
Are you a parent struggling with a youth or young adult who is suffering from substance addiction? This episode features Yarnell Beatty, a Tennessee parent who lost his oldest son, 24-year old Alex, to a drug overdose in 2016. Yarnell discusses the dos and don’ts for parents wishing to pierce the anger that substance use disorder and mental health challenges can impose on families and how to preserve a loving relationship with a child who is struggling. Parallelling the parable of the Prodigal Son, hear how this father found self-forgiveness and a way to honor the life of his son by helping other parents avoid his tragic mistakes. If you are a parent with a youth or young adult struggling through addiction, Yarnell knows what you are going through, but more importantly, what you will go through. If you are an addiction treatment facility with programs for parents of addicted children, Yarnell is willing to tell his story and help parents navigate through inevitable anger. He is not a licensed counselor or mental health provider, just a parent who knows the effect of the disease on families and grief for the loss of a beloved son. You may contact him through East Brentwood Presbyterian Church, jhilley@ebpctn.org or directly at yarnellbeatty2021@gmail.com.
Would you cast your net again if you had already been fishing for hours with nothing to show? That’s a question that might make one think deeply about the habits in our everyday lives. This week John brings us into the story of Peter, who continued to cast his net though he had caught nothing all night long. John acknowledges in this week’s episode that much like Peter, we also encounter moments where we feel our nets are empty. However the story of Peter reminds us that, “Empty nets can catch what full ones can’t.”
If you could give your faith life a “tune up,” what would you focus on? What would you hope to strengthen or improve?
**Ash Wednesday has historically been seen as the beginning of 40 days of deprivation - of giving up - chocolate, wine, choice words, social media. In today's episode, Pastor John Hilley asks what you might take on rather than give up this Lenten season. Music director Nate Strasser plays "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" as well as a surprise song at the end that you're 100% guaranteed not to hear in any other Ash Wednesday podcast.
sanctifiedart**
It’s a new year so it’s fitting that today Pastor John is discussing what rituals and habits we hope to establish in 2024. Rituals mark sacred turning points in our lives. They can help us make meaning of celebrations, losses, and transitions.
So let's evaluate our lives, make plans and goals, and live this new year with biblical diligence, remembering that, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage" (Proverbs 21:5). But in all things let's also remember our dependence on our King who said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
Nate Strasser provides the music with a medley of “This is the Day of New Beginnings” and “Be Thou My Vision”.
When was the last time you were truly amazed? Amazement and awe are often precursors for joy. Pastor John has been thinking about how we can incite more joy in our lives and what are the needed practices. For starters, it helps to pay attention, which he wasn’t doing when Pastor John first met Major General (Ret. Marines) Charles F. Bolden, former astronaut and NASA Administrator. In this episode, John shares some awesome life lessons learned from the former astronaut, awesome encounters in the Scriptures, and how awe and wonder in our life leads to better health and overall awesomeness. (Check out Dacher Keltner’s Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life). As amazement goes in search of telling others, appropriately features “Go Tell It On the Mountain” (Will Coulam, Saxophone). (Some of this content was featured at our December 17, 2023 service.)
In this brief podcast the week before Christmas, Nate and John point you to a couple of treasured moments that will help you make room for joy this week. Here are links to the treasures they mention: Nate’s 12/17 Holiday Concert; Winter Solstice Night Reflection (Liturgy for the Weary); Mary’s Magnificat; Christmas Eve at our Barn, 3:30 p.m.; Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, 5:00 p.m.
How easy is it for us to seek our isolation or seclusion in response to the presence of an event that makes us feel weary? No need to worry, Luke 1:24-45 provides a clear picture of what that looked like for Elizabeth, as she had been unable to bring forth a child into the world.
Check out this week’s episode of Music, Hope, Word, and Prayer with John Hilley as he dives into seclusion as a response to weary seasons. There are many ways to maintain connection during seasons when it seems we’re best left alone — surely there’s a choice that fits us all!
“Can joy and pain coexist?” Is the question asked as we approach the 2nd Sunday in Advent.
On this week’s episode of Music, Hope, Word, & Prayer, John Hilley invites Coordinator of Faith Formation, Ajené Holmes, into discussion surrounding the coexistence of joy with pain.
As the 2nd Sunday in Advent approaches during a season characterized by joy but also pain for many, how do we maintain our connections to joy? Check it out on this week’s episode!
“Jesus in a new light,” is how some might describe the representation of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46.
On this week’s episode of Music, Hope, Word, & Prayer, John Hilley invites Coordinator of Faith Formation, Ajené Holmes, into a discussion around Jesus’ requirement of us to do unto the ‘least’ of us as we would do unto him. As the first Sunday in Advent approaches during a season characterized by giving, how can we meet the requirements of Jesus to feed the hungry, give to the poor, and visit those imprisoned? How can we live out what it means when we say we are a Matthew 25 Congregation?
the eye within the eye” was advice given to John Muir, famous naturalist and early advocate for wilderness preservation upon hearing the news of his temporary blindness at the age of 28. Thanks to my friend Ken Kovacs for pointing me to James Hunt’s book on John Muir (Restless Fires) and for making a connection between young Muir’s religious experience and All Saints Day which the church celebrates the first week in November when it reads Revelation 7:9-17 and Matthew 5:1-12. In this episode John Hilley muses on the importance of “paying attention” to the world around us and what - and who - may be lost in the shuffle of survival. This includes paying attention to the “saints” who have gone before us, remembered and forgotten, known and unknown. Referenced in this episode is the amazing podcast Field Trip and my sermon of November 5, 2023 focused on Matthew 5:1-12.
Music, Word, Hope and Prayer welcomes The Rev. Dr. Mike Gregg to talk about generosity. Mike is a pastor in the Baptist Alliance and now a therapist at The Pastoral Center for Healing on the campus of East Brentwood. This episode is a broadcast of his talk “Rich Towards God” based on Luke 12:13-21 about the man who tore down his barns to build bigger barns. We know how to build bigger and bigger storage units to hold all of our stuff. Jesus, in Luke’s Gospel, says that bigger barns do not really help anyone. What matters is that we learn how to be rich towards God. What does that mean? Could Jesus be pointing listeners to invest in communities rather than commodities?
Every once in a while we come across terrible stories in Scripture. Matthew 22:1-14 is one such story. Jesus tells a story about a wedding banquet that went awry and of a King who has hardened his heart with violence and expulsion. All too often, we hear traumatic stories of humans causing tremendous violence. In this episode Pastor John visits this hard to stomach passage from Matthew’s Gospel and does so against the recent terrorist attack by Hamas and the unfolding response by Israel, the consequences yet to be known, will affect us for decades to come. Referenced in this episode is the outstanding article by Debie Thomas “The God Who Isn’t” on this text from Matthew’s Gospel. Other references include: Jurgen Moltmann “Who is God for You?” and Ezra Klein’s podcast “Israel is Giving Hamas What it Wants.” . Music by Nate Strasser with guest Shoshana Kelner singing Shir Lamaalot (Psalm 121).
In this podcast, Rev. John Hilley explores Luke 24:13-27. It is there in verse 20 when the disciples said: “we had hoped he would be the one to redeem Israel.” There’s a crucial line in there that’s easy to miss. Will Willimon pointed it out. “We had hoped.”
In this passage, Jesus seems to be coming at the disciples. We had hoped. Is Jesus anti-hope? No, but in the exchange the risen Jesus has with his disciples it is good to look at our hopes. He is against “false hope.” He is our true hope. Such a true hope takes action, here, now.
Nate Strasser and flutist Max Dvorin provide the music for today’s episode with their rendition of “Bread for the World”.
We would like to think that the church can be a safe space. Many want, and with good reason, call into question whether it can be such a place – a place that is safe. After all, its history is uneven. It has a history of the gifts and leadership of some being celebrated denying others. Such as women. This episode affirms there should be no gender bias in the church when it comes to recognizing the contributions and leadership of women in the church. Pastor John looks at some of the biblical texts and textual criticism and incorporates the work of Diana Butler Bass and her sermon “All The Marys”; the scholarship of Dr. Elizabeth Schrader in the Peter Enns’ podcast The Bible for Normal People; Louisa Woosley; Anna Carter Florence’sPreaching as Testimony. Scripture: John 11 and Luke 10:38-52. Music provided by the Women’s Ensemble “We Will Rise Up Together.”
We’ve been thinking a lot about this space we call “Church” and what makes it a welcoming place; an interesting place; a safe space. And that has meant asking ourselves can it be? Because it seems a lot of our church cousins are more interested in being anti- than pro- in their dialing up anger against the LGBTQIA+ community. That has been an extremely hard and painful pill to swallow for people who are gay AND Christian. People like Dr. Dionne Boyice who we talk about in this episode - the episode title “Whosoever” is inspired by John 3:16 and a community of faith in Kansas City Dr. Boyice started - and for us at EBPC as we strive to be welcoming and accepting. This episode takes a look at how we read the Bible, particularly what we call the ‘clobber passages” and how the church might pursue ways to be more inclusive. Nate Strasser shares a relevant story about the anger that is out there as well as the fitting music by The Many’s “All Belong Here.” (Service Notes: Respectful Conversations: Looking at Scripture in Fresh Ways; Reflections on Gay Marriage.)
Can the Church be a “safe space?” From the looks and sounds of it, the church can come across as more anti- than pro- (…anti-women, anti-science, anti-LGBTQIA+) and more judgmental and more hypocritical. Yep, we can be judgemental and hypocritical because the church is made up of individuals who are imperfect. But that is not all we all the church is. We can be places of welcome and open doors and we can show up at doors when there is a crisis, armed with a casserole. In this episode Pastor John Hilley talks about trends, headwinds we are facing and longings. He shares a story he heard from Roger Nishioka about what happened when a church showed up with casseroles. Yep, we can be judgmental, but the church can be a safe space – a place of relationships, a place that heals and not traumatizes. We haven’t given up hope.
“Is the mic on?” is how Dr. David Dark begins his soon to be released book We Become What We Normalize. This episode builds upon an interview Pastor John did during a recent Sunday morning church service (9/3/2023) on the themes of bravery and truthfulness and accountability touched upon in his book, on whether the church can be a “safe space”, and on his being a featured speaker at the Greenbelt Festival in the UK. https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/artists/david-dark/. We keep the mic going as David reflects on two Scripture passages in light of our human-ness and culture. Music provided by Nate Strasser.
Tags: Exodus 3:1-15; Matthew 16:21-28; @jdaviddark
Rev. John Hilley is joined by two special guests, Dr. Stephen Loyd and Dr. Monty Burks. In addition to briefly sharing their personal stories, they discuss the science of addiction and the barriers to gaining and maintaining long-term recovery including stigma and shame, deep-seated trauma and how communities of faith can play a significant role in opening the doors to those who are struggling and the ones impacted by that struggle. Dr. Lloyd and Dr. Burks will also be available at the IOAD Middle TN 2023 overdose awareness event, hosted by EBPC, on August 31st with representatives and info on available mental health and substance misuse-related services. For more details, go to www.ebpctn.org/ioad-middle-tn-2023.
East Brentwood Presbyterian Church's Pastor John Hilley invites two incredible people who have helped hundreds of individuals and families navigate addiction and recovery. Join us as Tracey Levine of Healing Housing ( www.healinghousing.org) and Jaime Gibbons of Integrative Life Center (www.integrativelifecenter.com) share a wealth of wisdom around addressing misconceptions, barriers, and resources in this time when we are losing a generation of people due to mental health disorders and substance misuse. If you are a leader in a church community or if you are an individual who struggles with addiction and has faced religious trauma, Jaime and Tracey provide wise and accepting words of advice. Their organizations are just two of the 30 community organizations that will be available at the IOAD Middle TN 2023 overdose awareness event, hosted by EBPC, on August 31st with representatives and info on available mental health and substance misuse-related services. For more details, go to www.ebpctn.org/ioad-middle-tn-2023.
You will hear from clergy folks like Pastor John that God is graciously present all around us. We have stories that bear that out. But truth be told, we also have to admit that it’s often hard to recognize that presence and we ask “where is God?”
When we feel like we are in the wilderness, it is easy to wonder where God is. The biblical character Jacob is on the run, having been sent out on a journey across unfamiliar places. He finds himself out in the wilderness as the sun is going down, exhausted. He takes a rock for a pillow and falls asleep in a place he never wanted to be. He dreams of a ladder so big it rises from the earth to the heavens, and dreams of angels ascending and descending and he receives assurances of God’s presence. When Jacob wakes, he says, “Surely God is in this place . . . and I did not know it.” If you are feeling like you are in the wilderness and asking this question, we invite you to listen as John Hilley speaks (23 mins.) and Nate Strasser plays “We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder.”
Tags: Howard Thurman/With Head and Heart; Luke Powery; Genesis 28:10-19/Artwork by John August Swanson “Dream of Jacob”
This episode takes a look at the word mercy. In the Bible, the word “mercy” is usually used in association with forgiveness or withholding punishment. Nashville songwriter Mary Gauthier has a powerful song about how we could all use a little mercy now (“Mercy Now”). Jesus once said: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." That is mercy talk. Join us as Pastor John talks about mercy and Nate Strasser sings a rendition of Gauthier’s “Mercy Now.” Thank you to Matt Skinner for introducing me to Levine’s poem and reminding us that our God is “abundantly merciful.”
Tags: Philip Levine, poem “The Mercy”/Matthew 11:16-30/ Bryan Stevensen Just Mercy/ Matthew Skinner
Behind this episode is the concern of how our faith in God makes a difference in our lives. And, in particular, when it comes to hospitality and welcoming others. Take for instance, where Jesus says to his disciples "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me” (Matthew 10:40). John’s message is inspired by something Diana Butler Bass recently wrote: “Hospitality is not just welcoming or being nice; it is sharing who we are and at the same time opening ourselves for others to share themselves with us. Every heart and table is to be open. It might just be our greatest witness and activism – nothing less than the extravagant welcome of God.” Nate Strasser provides a great simple hymn of hospitality, “I’m Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table.” The episode opens with Nate and John bantering on our tendency to overcomplicate life and even the teachings about Jesus on hospitality.
In today's episode, we are thrilled to bring in Rev Stacy Rector.
Reverend Stacy Rector is a native of Dyersburg, Tennessee, a graduate of Rhodes College and Columbia Theological Seminary. In 2006, she became Executive Director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, an organization whose mission is to honor life by abolishing the death penalty. Reverend Rector has served on the boards of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty and Community Shares Tennessee. She is also active in the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee. Stacy gave an impassioned reflection on the importance of compassion so we're excited to share that with you in the podcast along with Nate Strasser's musical selection "Compassion Hymn."
"It's Over...What Next?" is aimed at those who are facing a transition or uncertainty. Speaker Barbara Lundblad got John Hilley thinking with this line she used during a recent talk at the Festival of Homiletics as did an interview with organizational psychologist Adam Grant on uncertainty. The Scripture text draws from the 20th and 21st chapter of the Gospel of John, especially that wonderful story of Peter going fishing. Music by Nate Strasser: “This is the Day of New Beginnings.”
Tags: uncertainty; transition; retirement; rethinking something; redemption; Kate Bowler and Adam Grant podcast; Barbara Lundblad; John 20:19-23 and John 21:1-14
The Pentecost Story is a powerful story about how the gospel of Jesus Christ draws us together to hear the mighty works of God. It challenges us to ask ourselves: what barriers do we erect to limit its power to be at work in us? Why aren’t we together anymore? And what would it mean for others to see in our lives a witness that is apparent spiritually and practically. Pastor John's message is a little longer than normal because he came across such great voices to incorporate in his message such as Esau McCaulley, Willie James Jennings, and the life of the late Tim Keller who died this week. Texts: Ephesians 1: 16-23; Acts 2:1-21
Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-8). What a wonderful saying! But it is a poke in the eye to those of us self-sufficient types who will “do it myself.” This episode explores the feelings and thoughts prompted by this famous “I Am” saying of Jesus, particularly when it comes to our connectedness. Music by Nate Strasser with guest, Ellie Jones.
Tags: Debie Thomas’ Abide; John 15:1-8; “I can do it myself”; Connectedness; Surrender, not self-sufficiency.
There was this time when Jesus was talking to his disciples and he said: “I am the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). If this was put as a question “Do you believe Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and that NO ONE comes to God except through him?” how would you answer? This verse can be problematic as it sounds so exclusive. Is Jesus the only way to God? This question you must answer yourself as to whether you believe it is true. Pastor John feels it is true, but here’s the thing: Jesus does not say how he is the way, the truth and the life—only that he is the way, the truth and the life and deep down that has something to say about how we accept and relate to others. And how we accept ourselves. Pastor John also believes it to be true what Richard Rohr writes in The Universal Christ: “there has never been a single soul who was not possessed by the (Universal) Christ, even in the ages when Jesus was not. Why would you want your religion, or your God, to be any smaller than that?” How can both be true and what does that mean for acceptance of ourselves and each other. Music by Nate Strasser.
Tags: Richard Rohr’s The Universal Christ; Rodger Nishioka; acceptance; salvation
What does belonging feel like to you? When have you sensed it? There’s something about belonging that’s hard to pin down. Belonging is more often felt before it can be described. But belonging is more than a feeling. Dustin Benac, writing as part of The Presbyterian Outlook’s “Belonging Project” writes that “Belonging is the condition of possibility for the life of faith to take material form.” That has Pastor John thinking about what Jesus may have meant when he said “I am the gate” and “I am the good shepherd” who protects them in the sheepfold and calls his own sheep and leads them out.” Belonging has a material form — relationship, shared life, and practices. Music: A special arrangement by Nate Strasser of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”
Tags: [John 10:1-10; Acts 2:42-47; The Presbyterian Outlook’s Belonging Project; Willie Jennings; Dietrich Bonhoeffer Life Together]
Episode Title: "The Incarnation of the Resurrection"
Description: From Pastor John's Easter Message: "The first Easter dawned on a world saturated with fear, haunted by death, shaken by God, and blessed by the loving actions of a few brave souls. All of which is to say, the first Easter feels a lot like this Easter in Nashville. And, for me, there is hope to be found in this comparison." Nate Strasser provides the music: ________
[Tags: John 20:1-18 (19) ; Debie Thomas; Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Nashville; Covenant School
Taken from a message shared on Palm Sunday in Nashville, TN but around here it feels like one long, crushing Good Friday following the recent tragic mass shooting. I got a text from a member of church that read: “It feels like we are in the wilderness with Jesus bewildered and depleted of energy…” Yep! It called to mind a series of devotional talks given in 1962 by the great Howard Thurman, regarded as the Chaplain of the Civil Rights Era. Called “At the Crossroad” Thurman portrays Jesus’ decision to go to Jerusalem for the last time as a crossroads dilemma. Should he go back home to a life of comfort? Or to Jerusalem where he will face the cross but also the crown of trusting God and following God’s divine will for his life. My“guest” is the words of Howard Thurman from his devotional talk as he asks the question: “Where are you headed?” It is a good question for us to ask of ourselves - and our community and nation - especially in light of these tragic and avoidable events. What is meant for us to decide if we will trust God and follow Jesus who parades into Jerusalem on a donkey? - John Hilley
Tags: Nashville Mass Shooting; Matthew 21-1-11; Howard Thurman’s “At the Crossroad”
Part of the current series “Seeking: Honest Questions for Deeper Faith” we visit the story of Jesus healing a blind man. It is a long story with its 44 verses. A meager 7 verses describes the empowerment and healing of a man born blind as Jesus takes on the identity of one who has experienced divine restoration. The lion’s share (33 verses) focuses upon the exhausting questions and bickering by the religious authorities of the day. This powerful story is a cautionary tale about how our certainty can prevent us from truly seeing people. It’s a cautionary tale about how, if we aren’t careful, our narrow imagination can harden into accusation and blame. It’s about how easily we can be threatened by new ideas or shifts in someone’s identity. Thankfully, this story is not just a cautionary tale, but a transformative one as Jesus’ encounter with the man meant that he was no longer required to live into the identity imposed upon him by a community who had no desire but to judge and condemn. This episode follows a Lenten series produced by @sanctifiedartllc and incorporates the work of their commentators along with artwork. Used with permission. Artwork: “Insight”; Artist Lisle Gwynn Garrity
Tags: [John 9:1-41; Gregory Porter’s “Take Me to the Alley”; Bruce Reyes-Chow; @sanctifiedart llc; the “spotlight effect on our libraries and librarians Baptist News Global; Tennessean)
Jesus crosses all kinds of boundaries by leading his disciples through a place off their beaten path - Samaria - where Jesus has a conversation with an ostracized woman (John 4:5-42). His question to her, "Will you give me a drink?," at a well in the noonday heat becomes an invitation to her for a new way of life. For the woman, to respond is risky, but life changing and, as the story goes, she "runs and tells" the others. This week's episode features guest speaker Paul Rein who reflects on this story and touches upon his volunteer work. Following a career in executive leadership in health care and other industries, Paul is the founding director of Inner City Rugby of Nashville (ICRON), a non-profit that uses rugby to develop leadership and educational opportunities for urban youth. As we listen, we might imagine finding ourselves at the well. Are we willing to care for our neighbors, seeking to not just quench thirst, but to find living waters that sustain us all? Paul Rein has. Nate Strasser provides the music.
We are all looking for truths that bear up the weight of our lives. And in the flood of stories we hear - especially the spiritual stories - we don’t quite know which to take seriously. Same with the questions that are asked. Today's episode has in mind the question of how do we begin again and the great spiritual story of Nicodemus and the recent event/awakening known as The Asbury Revival. This episode features an original composition by Nate Strasser based on the story of Nicodemus. Theme and Art used with permission from @sanctifiedart LLC.
Tags and Sources: John O'Donahue poem For a New Beginning; Laura de Jong "Curiouser and Curiouser" blog; Asbury Revival]
A twenty minute episode on Ash Wednesday about eternal and spiritual matters intended for listening while going about the daily tasks on this special day. Tags: Noticing; Humility; What’’s Your Legacy?’ Ashes and Dust. Music by Nate Strasser: “What Wondrous Love is This” and “Who Am I?”. Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-12
Maybe we’re wrong, but we sense that a lot of us have fallen into patterns that aren’t working for us. Or patterns that got us to where we are today, but will not get us to where we need to go. This episode explores how the ancient practice of Sabbath rest may be timely for us to hear when it comes to meaning, community, fun (yes fun) and of our need for a protective shell against the technological onslaught in our busy and often chaotic lives. John Hilley draws upon a little known gem of all of the thou shalt nots in the Bible (Leviticus 19) and is influenced by a wonderful podcast in which Ezra Klein and Jewish scholar Judith Sulevitz discuss the attraction the Sabbath holds for their life filled with busy work lives and young children. Here is the link to the Ezra Klein Show:: Sabbath and the Art of Rest.Music in today’s episode is by Nate Strasser “Down to the River to Pray.” As always thank you for your comments and sharing and for your financial support of this ministry.
Episode Description: Pastor John shares reflections on the words of Jesus to his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount while making connection to current events. For music,the choir from EBPC sings “Prayers of the People” by Ben Johnston-Krase.. Tags: Jesus and the Beatitudes; Micah 6:8; Advocate; Avi Poster; Professor Raj Nadella; Grief and Mourning; Memphis; Tyre Nichols; Kate Bowler’s Podcast with Bryan Stevenson]
To dream big, one has to be a little foolish, especially at first. There comes a time for crunching numbers and being practical, but you can’t truly think of all possibilities until you let go of your inhibitions for a bit and perhaps be a little foolish. Whatever big dreams we pursue hopefully are in line with what God calls us to do and who God calls us to be. You are called and you are enough to answer that call. John Hilley, looking at Jesus’ invitation for the first disciples to join him (Matthew 4:12-23), invites you to consider being a wise fool, even a fool for Christ. Musically, Nate Strasser plays his mashup of “Here’s to the Fools Who Dream” from La La Land with the old hymn “Trust and Obey.” Sources for today’s episode: Dr. Brian Blount (A Sermon for Every Sunday).
To see God in each other impacts how we live and move around. When people are going through the thresholds of life - a move, a new job, hardship - there are people and communities waiting on the other side, people and communities to anchor and hold a person in the nebulous spaces of change, uncertainty, and fear. It is a testimony to people seeing God in each other. Links to references: Ukrainian Violinst; Information on the Christmas Truce for Ukraine
Links on information about the Christmas Truce for Ukraine; Luke 1:46-59
Artwork: “Golden Cradle” by Carmelle Beaugelin. Used with Permission: Sanctified Art, LLC
We hear the words do not be afraid said a lot in the Bible, especially this time of year. “Fear” is one of the most popular keyword searches – for who of us doesn’t feel fear from time to time? John Hilley reflects on parental advice recently given and how the relationship between Elizabeth and Mary, mother of Jesus, points us to the strongest antidote to fear: the knowledge that we are not alone (Luke 1:26-38). Sources in this episode: Cole Arthur Riley’s This Here Flesh…; Charles Marsh’s Evangelical Anxiety. "Love Comes Running", a poem by Sara Are Speed, used with Permission by Sanctified Art LLC
This episode looking into Jesus’ family history was recorded just after Thanksgiving, a holiday known for family gatherings. You may find it of some comfort as John Hilley describes the messiness in the family history of Jesus. But no matter how messy the human story is, no matter how messy your family is, no matter how messy your life is, this Immanuel Child we welcome at Christmas has come to claim us. That we are no longer defined by the messiness in our lives, but by the one who writes our names into the branches of the family tree of the Immanuel Child - God with us - is good news. For music, Nate will play a great new song by Spencer Lajoye entitled "Plowshare Prayer". Artwork: Laura Wright Pittman, “The Genealogy of Christ” Used with permission. A Sanctified Art LLC, sanctifiedart.org. Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17. To support our podcast, we make it easy.
How are the boys and men in our lives doing? Men, how are you doing? How would you complete the sentence? Join us as we attempt answers to this question. Richard Reeves’ bestseller Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters, and What to Do About It has its answer in its title: we are struggling. Yes and no. Scripture sources for today: Isaiah 65:17-25 and II Thessalonians 3:6-15. Music: Nate Strasser sings Rich Mullins’ classic “If I Stand.” To support our ministry: https://www.ebpctn.org/ways-to-give.
The Rev. Edwin Arrison of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation joins us to talk about Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Four Loves: Justice, Jesus, Joy, and Jazz. Reverend Arrison, an Anglican Priest ordained in 1992 by Archbishop Tutu, was an anti-apartheid activist and President of the Interchurch Youth (ICY). Few people knew Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu better than Edwin, who walked beside “The Arch” through the turmoil and oppression of the Apartheid years.
Also in the podcast, music director Nate Strasser teams up with saxophonist Max Dvorin, bassist Louis Morrow, and drummer Joe Ennis to bring you two jazz tunes, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by Cannonball Adderly and “Dollar Brand” by South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim.
To see the full live-streamed service featuring The Rev. Edwin Arrison, follow the link below
https://www.facebook.com/EastBrentwoodPC/videos/651242300010062
Increasingly it feels like we are living in an either/or binary world on contentious issues and it is tearing us apart as we see people demean, dismiss and discount others who hold different views. We are not saying our listeners are guilty of such behavior (smile), but at the very least some of us are struggling with the snark monster that wants to take up residence in our own lives and homes. Jesus tells a story and mentions a word we need to hear: humility. This episode offers a bit of analysis and a bit of advice. There is a bit of bible study that may unsettle you as it challenges your view of who you think God accepts. These are unsettling times. If you are struggling to navigate in this broken world and you are interested in quelling the snark monster within you, then this episode has something for you. Resources: Luke 18:9-14); Diana Butler Bass’s Substack
How would you describe yourself right now, especially given all that we have faced the last couple of years: “Surviving” or as a “Survivor”? When we are in survival mode it is easy to see hope as wishful thinking. A survivor’s mindset, on the other hand, sees hope differently. It is active. It is practiced. We are calling it a Resurrected Hope in this episode and describe two ways survivors practice such hope: in friendships and in caring for others. Scripture Texts: Joel 2:23-32; II Timothy 4:9-22
One time Jesus told a story (Luke 18:1-8) about a persistent woman who wore down an unjust judge. Jesus told his followers this story so that they would pray always and not lose heart. The disciples likely needed to hear that inspirational message then and how we need to hear it today. Because it is so easy to lose heart. And it can be so hard to pray. This episode explores the subject of prayer and losing heart and what can be a barrier: our tendency to be drawn into our smartphones, in pursuit of an interruption for something - anything - to happen. Author Jeff Vogel calls this tendency to create an occurrence in our lives a “manufactured disruption.” Pastor John talks about how this tendency is a problem that affects us all and has implications for faith particularly when it comes to prayer and our desire - and need - for the Divine Disruptions. Speaker: John Hilley Musical Guest: Brian Cooney.
We welcome Dr. David Dark to this week’s podcast. His talk, “The Word of God is Not Chained,” is based on II Timothy 2:8-15 and was given on October 9, 2022. Themes in this talk: transformative justice; ways of knowing; the dangers of unexamined opinions and life. David shares with us about his recent conversation with Anthony Ray Hinton, who was wrongly convicted and imprisoned and served for over three decades on death row. We learn of his powerful story and how, despite wrongful conviction, he is a shining star of compassion and living hope among us. Nate Strasser brings us his stirring rendition of "What Does the Lord Require of You".
David David is the Associate Professor of Religion and the Art at Belmont University. To read more about this theme and David’s interview with Anthony Ray Hinton: substack. To support our ministry: https://www.ebpctn.org/give. #Transformativejustice
Today’s episode celebrates a new original song that came out of hardship and trauma. This song written by our own Liz Beatty and Nate Strasser is currently in the Top Ten of an International Song Contest that received over 20,000 submissions. Liz Beatty joins John Hilley and Nate Strasser and they share about the process of creating this song as well as the moving personal experiences that led to it. During this episode, several great resources are mentioned: the live broadcast of our worship service on October 2 that features great music and a message on the question “Where is God?” in the midst of suffering and hardship; Kate Bowler's work where you will find the blessing we used. If you would like to reach out to our special guest Liz Beatty to share a comment, concern, or be connected to resources, send a note to office@ebpctn.org and we will pass it on to her.
If you make a name for yourself, you become well known for something. For instance: Aaron Judge as a home run slugger; Whitney Houston as a great singer. (Teaser: Nate drops her name and an exciting feature film project he is involved in.) Once Jesus told a story about a rich man who made a name for himself and had everything, but we don’t know his name and a poor man who had nothing but who we know by the name Lazarus. It is a scary story with Jesus talking about money, death and hell, but we think there is something life altering and freeing as it challenges us to consider whether we believe more in what God finds worth in than we believe in the worth of our material lives. Pastor John touches upon Diana Butler Bass’s observations of the recent funeral of Queen Elizabeth and shares other stories. Musical Guests: Barb Hall and Peggy Rein. The question we are asking is: “Do you have an identity rooted in God? Is there a you beneath your material life? Are you about something bigger than you?” Thanks to Jason Micheli who raised this question and you will want to listen to what he has to say in his substack over at Tamed Cynic. Resources: Luke 16:19-31; Diana Butler Bass substack The Cottage; Link to support our work: https://www.ebpctn.org/give
Recorded with the anniversary of 9/11 in mind, we explore where we are Seeing Faith, taking us from a Little League baseball diamond to the 2001 World Series and to our own lives as we are looking for where we see faith in action. Seeing faith involves the outsized power of your small acts of kindness. Episode message: “I believe God is revealing God’s own self to us and that God is revealing God’s own self through us. Our purpose is to be attentive. Our purpose is to be reflective. Our job is to see. Our privilege is to reflect.” Nate Strasser adds his own arrangement of “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace.”
Lots of links for you to go deeper: Little League Playoff Isaiah Jarvis Video clip; Ray Charles singing America the Beautiful at the 2001 World Series; to financially support this podcast; Axios on the outsized power of small acts of kindness; Diana Butler Bass Substack “Bad History”
This episode has in mind those who find themselves trying to make sense of their lives, especially in terms of their work and their faith. We explore the idea that God is a calling God and pose the question: “do you feel that God has called you to anything?” It doesn’t have to be something BIG or anything specific; it is more a sense of how you see the world and your place in it. We bring in the writing of Richard Rohr in his book, Quest for the Grail, a book on men and spirituality. Recorded around Labor Day with its focus upon honoring workers and the need for rest, Nate Strasser invites Sierra Fermin to sing “All Good Gifts” from the musical Godspell. (Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3; 12:1-3)
The writer of the Book of Hebrews writes: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11). Another writer, in our time, Frederick Buechner - referred to as the C.S. Lewis of our generation -wrote about faith. He did so by listening to his life. What emerged, he said, were “whispers that organized themselves into a faith.” Buechner died earlier this month. His writings were deeply influential to Pastor John and he shares some stories and and shares some of Buechner’s writings about faith that hopefully speak to your own life and to your faith. Music Director Nate Strasser has composed an original song based on Buechner’s words. This podcast episode also draws back the curtain to speak about the faith of our ancestors who the writer of Hebrews appeals to, reminding us that we are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” and to run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” To find out more information and to support our ministry: https://www.ebpctn.org/. #FrederickBuechner, #ebpc, #listentoyourlife
This week we welcome Dr. Aaron Stauffer, Post Doctoral Fellow at Vanderbilt Divinity School. He explores the frames of mind we walk through the world looking through and how our viewing the world holds us back and keeps us separate from one another and from God. Aaron shares with John and Nate a little about his growing up in small town Kansas and of his graduate work at Union Seminary in New York City and then connects us with a story of George Washington Woodbey, an East Tennessee man in the post Civil War era who exemplified what happens when people, according to Aaron, “seek out the true Holy Spirit which calls us to each other and the work of human liberation.” This episode also contains the message he offered to East Brentwood Presbyterian Church (August 21, 2022). Nate Strasser sings “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness.”
Today, we visit a story in the Gospel of John where Jesus feeds the 5,000. It is a very important story in the Bible to understand Jesus as the "Bread of Life" and the answer to our anxiety over what I like to call "enoughness." Of feeling like we have enough. Nate Strasser brings in guest musician Matt Bogen to offer their arrangement of "Here I Am, Lord."
There is a lot of interest in prayer these days. And there are a lot of questions surrounding prayer: How do I pray? What is the purpose of prayer? Does prayer work? There are a lot more questions and in this episode John explores these and other questions you’ve likely asked before. All these questions can make prayer a playground for doubt…and for growth. Helping with these questions, John uses some of the writings and words of people who are much better equipped to handle these questions on prayer; among them are Anne Lamott, Franciscan Priest Richard Rohr, and Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury in England. And of course, Jesus who was asked by his disciples to teach them about prayer (Luke 11:1-13). Nate Strasser joins this podcast and offers a song composed by talented songwriter Josh Garrels entitled "Shall Not Walk Alone".
This episode centers upon a recent message Pastor John gave on abortion, wondering how our faith tradition (as “Presbyterians”) and the Bible can help us with this complex issue. Who of us doesn’t know someone with an experience related to this issue? Emotions are so strong, with many not knowing what to think – are they pro-… what? The way the discussion is framed; the terms are tragically inadequate. To be either “pro-life” or “pro-choice” - a forced choice - is a simplistic and misleading binary way to frame a serious, complex, and common issue facing so many women. Join us as we look at scripture passages (Psalm 139) and the experiences women face as John takes us to a needed, common ground: we trust women. Music Director Nate Strasser invites singer Ginny Swanson to join him to sing the song “Brave.”
**A few weeks ago, we celebrated the 4th of July and its homage to freedom. And, yet, individually and as a nation it feels like we are living through convulsions and trauma, not unlike Luke’s story of the Garasene demoniac (Luke 8:26-39). In this episode, we focus on how the practice of persistent incarnate love for God and for neighbor can restore us to our right minds. Jesus took on the empire and the traumatized community. Jesus also, in incarnate love, met the trauma of a man and brought healing. That man returned home to tell a story about what God has done in Christ Jesus.
Our music director Nate Strasser brings us two pieces of music in this episode, an arrangement of "Be Still My Soul" and an original composition based on today's theme and scripture passage.**
“I love you” are thought to be the three most important words. But in light of a story in the Bible (Luke 7:36-8:3), the words “I forgive you” may be the three most important words. As David Lose writes: “no matter how much we profess our love, we fall short (as does the other person). They are not - we are not- despite our best efforts fully loving persons which is why “I forgive you” end up being the three words that make the other three words even half believable.” Pastor John has heard from several listeners who wanted to know more about the matter of forgiveness. When you’ve been forgiven, all that is left is gratitude. And when you forgive others, all that’s left is freedom and possibility. Nate plays "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" for today's music.
Are you traveling this June? Or do you have your nose in a good book? This episode explores the encounter between the prophet Elijah - the Bible’s version of a Superhero - and a widow who becomes his safe haven and survival plan (I Kings 17:8-16). Whether you are traveling or reading in your lazy boy, John Hilley considers how the stories that come from strangers we meet along the road or in the pages of a good book might be just what we need in 2022. Nate Strasser brings us two musical numbers, "Holy, Holy, Holy" and a beautiful new piece entitled "Trinity Song".
Each year the church celebrates Pentecost. The story of Pentecost is about God showing up in unexpected ways and through unexpected people (Acts 2:1-21). These days things are happening faster than we can keep up with, let alone stomach or understand and yet, nevertheless, God continues to do a new thing in the lives of people and a community. John shares a travel story from Guatemala, our need for certainty in our world of technology, and the gift of God’s unexpected ways (14 mins) Nate provides a rousing rendition of Every Time I Feel the Spirit. Episode length: fill in length of time
It's a music director takeover on this episode as Nate Strasser talks glamping, cadbury eggs, and sacrifice and how they're all related. The passage for today's podcast is Romans 12 and Nate brings in guest violinist Kameron Myers for two beautiful songs.
This past Sunday, May 22nd, at East Brentwood was a wonderfully uplifting service as we gathered together around the words of Jesus and as we celebrated the contributions and gifts of the many volunteers who help us. There was our annual Blessing of the Bicycles – kids and adults brought their bicycles to church and wheeled them right into our sanctuary. This episode explores the promise of a very specific, utterly essential gift that is given us by Jesus: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:23-29). This episode is a recording of John’s sermon: “I Have No Idea How to Fly this Airplane.” Nate Strasser has perceptively connected the incredible Mavis Staples and her song “Your Not Alone” to this theme. If you are planning a summer trip, add this to your podcast library.
I think we can all agree parenting is getting harder all the time. Children are experiencing things we never imagined. How do we guide them? If you were going to share advice with your kids or grandkids or a younger person who trusts and looks up to you, what would you say? The Book of Deuteronomy (6:20-25) says: “When your children ask you why do you live the way you do, you are to tell them what matters to you.” Join John Hilley as he explores the assumption in this text and in life that if a child is going to become a grown up in this confusing world and lead a mature life, the child needs teachers and mentors. Just as we all do, no matter our age. Nate Strasser provides the music (“Red Sea Road”).
This episode takes content and music that was shared on Mother’s Day May 8, 2022 and introduces us to a heroine of the church – a woman who had two names. Some called her Tabitha; some knew her as Dorcas. Music for today’s episode is an original composition honoring the life of Rachel Held Evans.
John Hilley and Nate Strasser feature the music and themes of the wildly popular Disney movie Encanto, featuring music by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It’s a must listen - and enjoyable episode - even if you haven’t seen the movie and despite the heavy subject of our mental health (May is Mental Health Awareness Month). This episode is a little longer because the music is so good and the theme is so important and we DO need to talk about how God cares about our mental health and it is vital that we do, too. Join us as we look at the characters of Luisa (“Surface Pressure” 10:18), Bruno (“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” 17:12 ), along with Mirabel (“Waiting on a Miracle” 35:10) and Arubela. Scripture text: Psalm 30. We commend to you Ezra Klein’s outstanding podcast on trauma and his interview with the author of The Body Keeps the Score.
A special episode for Easter (April 17, 2022) featuring "Because He Lives" arranged by Nate Strasser and message by John Hilley, “An Expansive Life.” Hear the word Expansive and you think of possibilities. Easter is the possibility that comes with springtime. Or you think of advice like a good Ted Talk that expandsyour understanding. There is nothing “expansive”, however, in the Resurrection story as told in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:1-8). It abruptly ends with the women’s fear and silence and being scared. Scared for what? Was it that Jesus’ death meant their hopes and dreams died, too? Were they scared that if Jesus was not resurrected - their lives would become simpler again? Simple has an appeal, but do we want a simpler life or a fuller life experience? And if Jesus IS alive, if he has actually been raised like he promised would happen, then…How would YOU finish the sentence? One way John answers this question is that if the power of the risen Jesus is still loose in our world, then that means our stories are nowhere near done.
This episode reflects on the story that begins Holy Week: Jesus’ chaotic entry into Jerusalem riding on a colt. Join John Hilley as he talks about the nature of crowds (“Do you trust a crowd?”) and talks about Jesus as the colt whisperer and more importantly as the human whisperer who speaks to the deep longing within us that leads us to sing, speak out, join the parade. Scripture passage: Luke 19:28-40. Nate Strasser provides us with a musical medley chronicling the Passion Week journey.
You hear the phrase “Brazen Acts of Beauty” and what comes to mind? Through music and spoken word Nate Strasser and John Hilley explore this theme in light of the vulnerable, beautiful story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with oil (John 12:1-8). A brazen act of beauty these days can simply be paying attention and considering what another person is going through. We invite you to expand your mind and heart for the next twenty or so minutes and explore this theme. Music: “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. (Here is the link of the Ukrainian violinist that is referenced during the podcast.)
Worthiness is usually conferred in awards given and in money earned. Join John Hilley and Nate Strasser as they reflect on the recent Academy Awards brouhaha and as John reflects on our relationship to money in light of the biblical stories from Isaiah 55 and a parable of Jesus (Luke 13). Money concerns run in the background of our lives like ambient noise until something breaks through and makes us think again, not just about money, but about our relationship with it.What is your spiritual story when it comes to generosity, and how it is intertwined with your relationships, and how you interact with others in the world? Music in this episode: India.Arie’s “Worthy”, Sierra Fermin, soloist. Artwork: Lauren Wright Pittman @sanctifiedart
God is our refuge. There is nothing that can separate you from God, or could keep God from gathering you in, protecting you fiercely. Jesus’ lament forJerusalem is surprising given how he is treated by Jerusalem. And yet, no matter how much we try to separate ourselves from God, God will run to protect us. God’s love for us is fuller than we can imagine.
There is a lot to rejoice about right now, turning the corner on COVID #s and with Spring around the corner…and yet there is a lot to feel uncertain about. The being in the desert kind of uncertain. But what if this time isn’t about getting out of the desert? What if we are called to dwell in our doubts, fears, anxieties, and uncertainty? What if we are meant to stand in solidarity with those trapped in their own wilderness? Like the people in Ukraine? Pastor John takes a look at the uncertainty we are feeling and what we can learn from Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). We have a chance to show resolve, sacrifice, resilience and humanity, just as Jesus did and just as the Ukrainian people are showing to the world. Nate Strasser provides music and Jamie Bradley provides the vocals. If you like the song “Shallow” from A Star is Born, this episode is surely one to listen to.
Your journey with God is not a performance. It can be intimate and rewarding in ways that aren’t necessarily measured. We invite you to begin your journey with God this Lent by listening to this special podcast. We’re flipping the script on Lent from being understood as a perfectibility project or an imposed sacrifice of denial. You are invited to pursue the wealth of the inner life which reframes the paradigm that God is outward or beyond us. Instead, we invite you to consider finding God by turning inward, recognizing that God is connected to everything. God wants you, authentically. You are enough. Come as you are, with all that you are. Expansive faith - a full to the brim kind - is possible when we break open old faith. John Hilley provides the reflection. Nate Strasser provides the music. Lindsey Hinds-Brown enriches the conversation. Journey with us.
We are pleased to welcome as our guest Dr. David Dark, professor at Belmont University in Nashville, TN and also author, cultural critic, and friend. Against the backdrop of Jesus’ teaching to “love our enemies” (Luke 6:27-38) David shares stories and insights that take us off our guard in God’s big story of love when it comes to “turning the other cheek.” David shares a hopeful and practical message of how we can react to toxic personalities and behaviors and become someone who more fully reflects the image of God that is in all of us.
The Beatitudes are the cornerstone of Jesus’ teachings. Beatitudes means “blessed.” But what Jesus has in mind is not what most of us have in mind when we think blessed. In this episode, Pastor John looks at Luke’s version of the beatitudes, where Jesus proclaims blessings and woes. We claim God’s blessings. Yet, we cannot avoid the woes, those places and things we’d like to ignore or imagine don’t exist. Likely, we have found ourselves stretched between both categories and living in them both simultaneously. In a time when we sort, categorize and dismiss, Pastor John shares that Jesus cares less about sorting us out than welcoming us to live in the tension of all of these experiences of fullness and emptiness, laughter and pain and urges us not to fear being cancelled, only to make room for God’s love. Musically, Nate Strasser will bring us a beautiful setting of the Beatitudes written in 1985 by David Haus.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “If Christ is not raised, then your faith is in vain” (I Corinthians 15). If it could be said that the whole of the Christian faith stands or falls with any one claim, the claim that God raised the crucified Jesus from the dead is that claim. Pastor John found himself thinking about this as he sat beside a church member who was in her final hours. It got him thinking about faith – his, yours, and ours. By faith, Paul was not talking about what we think. It’s more than what we believe; it is how we live. Resurrection is not just for life beyond the grave. Resurrection is new life now. That’s why Paul says, our labor is not in vain and it is what we want to share in this episode. (John mentions the writing of Conrad Kanagy in this episode. Here is the link to his blog which you might find as interesting reading.) Music: "I Will Rise" and a medley of songs.
What will you be known for? Jesus says love is what the world needs from us. The world needs us to treat one another in a way that is noticeable. It’s our mission. The Apostle Paul was adamant that divisions don’t define us and that we are nothing without love. In this episode we are looking at the great “love chapter” of I Corinthians 13 and an important word that we might be known for: koinonia. Koinonia is life together in unity and where authentic love is expressed. These are things worthy of being known for. Pastor John provides the message and Nate Strasser provides a medley of songs. (Background texts: I Corinthians 13; Luke 4).
We are underway with a series called Ekklesia where we are examining what is the purpose and key functions of the church in these days. EKKLESIA is the Greek word for church. In this series we are asking questions such as: What is our purpose? What is our use? Or maybe we could say like Amanda Gorman, Is the effort “still worth it”? This series is important as we discern what purpose God has for us as we emerge from our own challenging time.
Pastor John recently visited Matthew 25, a feeding station for hungry people and it has him thinking about one of the key functions of the church: to serve. Join him and Lindsey and Nate for this episode that was recorded on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend and features powerful music, including “Up to the Mountain.” John reflects on our purpose, especially that of the church, which is to gather around the powerful texts of Scripture (John 2, I Corinthians 12, and Matthew 25), and then to “scatter” being Christ’s Body in service in the world. The Greek word is diakonia. May it be a word that shapes your identity and actions.
We are living through a time when all the stories the larger culture tells us about ourselves are being rewritten: the story of what the United States is; what it means to be a man or a woman; what it means to be a child; what it means to love oneself or other people. And what it means to be the church. Some say the church is being dismantled; others say the church is aging out, no longer relevant. Regardless of our assessment of the church, we are all looking for what can be a comfort and a guide. In this episode Pastor John touches upon what is core to the church while acknowledging its pitfalls and of the Spirit of God that names our true identity and addresses our spiritual hunger. That has us going to the water’s edge as we follow Jesus to the Jordan River (Mark 1). This episode features a medley of river-based themes (“River to Pray”) and “Into the Jordan” (Briana Tyson, vocalist).
In this episode we explore the idea of paths forward - both those that seem easy but more importantly, the ones that are a little more ambiguous. Today’s scripture takes us on a road trip with the Three Wise Men, the Magi, as they search for the Christ Child. I imagine that, for the Magi, following a star to Bethlehem was not easy. However, I also imagine that the hardest part might have been not knowing where the road would lead. We are not always the best versions of ourselves when we are faced with uncertainty or changing plans. Facing the unknown pulls on every ounce of our anxiety and fear. Fortunately for us, we worship a God who is gracious beyond imagination and meets us on every twist and turn of the road home.
Home is not necessarily a place, but where we find authentic belonging. In this episode, we find Jesus pursuing his education in the synagogue, increasing in his wisdom even as a young man. After the Passover festival, he strays from his birth family to dwell in the Temple, listening to the Rabbis and asking questions. Jesus claims and takes up space, choosing to dwell where God has chosen him to be. Similarly, we all need homes of our choosing— people and places that welcome us just as we are.
Today’s episode is about joy. It’s not always easy to find in this world and sometimes even in our own homes. But here’s what we hope you can come to believe about joy: that even on our worst days, even if we’re not choosing it, joy has a way of finding us, if only we’re open to it. And when we’re open to it, that little bit of joy can make all the difference. Because when love comes to visit, joy comes too. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth’s home (Luke 1:39-45) has us thinking about our own homes, potential travel home that awaits us this Christmas and most especially about joy.
Home is where we live out the whole tapestry of life - the good and bad - the mundane and extraordinary. Home is more than a destination, not merely a building with four walls an assortment of projects to be done, but rather a space where life happens. And it is a place we do invite guests (or don’t because we are embarrassed because of the mounds of dirty laundry and dust. This episode invites you to take a look at your own home and our “church home” here at East Brentwood. We explore the beautiful ancient prophecy of Zechariah (Luke 1:57-80) announcing how God is making God’s home with us - a home saturated with hope, peace, love and joy.
We all have a deep longing for our home to be made whole, made right, and made well. The world is not as it should be. Nor are we. We all know homesickness. John Hilley visits Luke 21:25-36as he reflects on the theme of “Homesickness” at the start of the journey of Advent. Nate Strasser plays an instrumental version of the famous song "Homeward Bound".
In this podcast being recorded just before Thanksgiving, we are thinking about about thanking. We are thinking about gratitude and we are thinking about home. “Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior.” writes Anne Lamott. Today’s theme is on how we can set the table of our lives for a renewed practice of giving thanks. Our Thanksgiving List builds upon Romans 12:9-18.
Some of you may be listening to this podcast while traveling home. Or you are in the kitchen making preparations, getting ready to receive family at your home. Home isn’t ultimately a destination. It’s where life happens. It’s about the pets buried in the backyard and the pencil marks on the closet door showing how tall the kids have grown. It is about the thanksgiving meals we’ve shared at the table, whether thanksgiving meals or casseroles to comfort our grief. Home is where we live out the whole tapestry of human existence, good and bad, mundane and extraordinary, regret and gratitude. Thinking about gratitude and home, what better song comes to mind than Phillip Phillips: “Home” which is featured in this podcast. And we have a great suggestion on how to have more meaningful conversations around your thanksgiving table.
We have heard before that there is purpose in pain and suffering; in fact, we seek it out. We ‘feel the burn’ at the gym. Heck, we keep buying Ikea furniture in which we pay for the pain to spend hours poring over their directions, using choice words while assembling. And then there is an illness survived or a financial difficulty overcome which we determined was worth the cost if it resulted in something positive, some newfound wisdom or personal accomplishment. But the math doesn’t always add up in a predictable way and when it comes to life and faith we find ourselves feeling at times disoriented, frustrated and longing for a past in which we knew how the math worked. This episode explores how great love and “necessary” suffering can move us into a new stage of life. Jesus likened it to “birthpangs” (Mark 13:1-8).
In this episode we talk about dogs, caregivers, who is caring for the caregivers. We welcome to this podcast Susan Rohleder - a member of our church, a caregiver, and a trainer of service dogs – to talk about her work with dogs and about how we can support the caregivers all around us. Caregiving touches almost every person and every family and in very different ways and so this podcast will be helpful, even for those who prefer cats over dogs! You will also hear about the biblical characters of Naomi and Ruth and of Ruth’s agency. Through Ruth’s agency, God brings about surprising new circumstances, coming from people who often appear from out of nowhere, from outside our usual circles and our usual sets of expectations. The same happens in our own lives. Check out the pictures of the dogs that are featured in our podcast and to hear Pastor John’s reflection: click here.
This episode includes a monologue sermon from October 31st when Rev. John Hilley took on the persona and dress of John Calvin who lived in the 1500s.
In the spirit of Halloween and also All Saints Day , it was fun to dress up as the Reformer – known by many names dour, dull, irrelevant for the 21st century – and to cast him in a different light. Feeling that he had something instructive to say to the many who are disillusioned by what is going on in the world and in the church. With world leaders gathering in Glasgow to discuss Earth’s peril from human impact on Earth happening at the same time of All Saints Day and Halloween, this talk introduces some of Calvin’s work on beauty along with our responsibility.
Saints – such as those like John Calvin or ordinary ones like those we know living today, and especially ourselves - are imperfect people. But Christians don’t remember these men and women because they were perfect. We remember them because, like us, they were broken, selfish and fearful, yet God wrought beauty and light through their lives.
A long time ago, Jesus – on his way to an appointment – stopped, stood still, and asked a man alongside the road: “What do you want me to do for you?” The man, a blind beggar, was Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). It is said that we walk through our lives waiting for someone to ask us a good question. Jesus asked a good question. Join us for Nate Strasser’s music and as Pastor John visits Jesus’ important question. It is our hope that this episode helps you with living into the answer to this question or whatever important question that is being asked of you.
This Children's Sabbath we are thrilled to welcome Matthew Paul Turner, the New York Times best-selling author of What is God Like? to join in a conversation about both the challenges children face and the gifts they offer us as a community of faith. Join us as we search for ways to inspire change that will improve the lives of ALL children.
We've been talking about how to feed joy and find peace. What better voice to add to our conversation than with The Rev. Wilma Jakobsen. Wilma is Chaplain at the famous Volmoed Retreat Centre in South Africa and was one of the first women to be ordained into pastoral ministry in South Africa - in her case into the Anglican Church by her mentor Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Pastor John invites her to share memories of her deep friendship and working with Desmond Tutu who literally has written the book on "The Book of Joy." Wilma has some pearls of advice on how each of us can build a house of joy. This episode coincides with the 11th Annual Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture which we hope you will watch https://events.tutu.org.za/
Each year on the first Sunday in October, we observe World Communion Sunday, a day that is organized around the idea of sharing a meal together. It is a remarkable claim that when we come to the table we move from being separate to being one, and for the whole worldwide community of faith to come together as one.
Jesus didn’t get to his sick friend Lazarus in the nick of time before he died. The stone had been rolled shut across the tomb for four days by the time Jesus arrived and called his friend to “Come Out”! If you have ever been to the Holy Lands, you can visit the tomb of Lazarus. But you don’t have to travel there to get a sense of the experience of being in the tomb. When we are in the “tombs” how we want Jesus to sit down beside us and hold our hands and to reassure us that everything is going to be ok. Over time it is easy to become comfortable in our despair and with how things are --- maybe because we have come to prefer the misery we know to the mystery we do not. This episode seizes on Jesus’ words to his friend: it is time to “come out!” of the tombs we have created to experience the joy that awaits us.
In this episode we look at prayer. Jesus said, “when you pray…” Prayer may come easily for some listeners, but likely it is hard, if not infrequent, for many others. And then there are all of these questions surrounding prayer: Who is the God we encounter when we pray? Is prayer for God or for us? What happens to us when we pray? This episode is based upon James 5:13-20 and explores these questions and the matter of prayer and how prayer might matter for you. Music: “The Lord’s Prayer.”
We have all heard the aphorism: “Sticks and Stones may break our bones, but words will never hurt me.” It is simply not true. Long after cuts and bruises and broken bones have healed, hurtful words still wound us. James, in his little book in the New Testament, says words matter because of the damage they can do (James 3:5-12). In this episode Pastor John speaks to this reality but also how words matter because they can heal and build up. And he encourages us all not to wait around for someone else to step forward in this time of rancor and bitterness, but for good people to speak bravely and loudly words of hope, peace, and truth. Music provided by the choir of East Brentwood Presbyterian Church and Nate Strasser. Lindsey Hinds-Brown offers centering prayers.
“To be is to do”said Socrates. “To do is to be” said Jean-Paul Sartre.
“Do-be-do-be-do” sang Frank Sinatra. “Don’t just have faith… do faith” wrote James in his book in the New Testament. In this episode John Hilley plays with the age old tension between what is more important: our belief and our words or our actions. He imagines a conversation between Jesus and James (who is thought by some to have been the brother of Jesus) as imagines Jesus delivering this line: “Actions matter but remember the measure of any ONE’s work will never match the measure of my grace.”
We are starting a new series called “Practical Wisdom from James: Timely Wisdom for Our World Today.” The Book of James is a short book in the Bible. It is unique in the New Testament for its focus on actions. In chapter 2 verse 17, James writes that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” In this series, we explore four ways that faith is lived according to James. Together, we will see how James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the early Christian church in Jerusalem, provides practical wisdom for how we follow Jesus today. For this podcast, the practical wisdom is “Listening Matters.” (James 1:17-21)
These days with all that is going on around us it seems like we are not able to influence a lot and we don’t have a lot of control over our lives, but there is practical wisdom in this short little book about how we might be able to change and what we could become if we took to heart that our listening matters, our actions matter, our words matter, and our praying matters.
Together, we will see how James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the early Christian church in Jerusalem, provides practical wisdom for how we follow Jesus today.
Have you ever considered how you - your behaviors, choices, and actions - are part of God’s redemptive activity in this world? This episode is the final in a series of reflections on Jesus’ saying “I am the bread of life” (John 6) and in this episode we are looking at what it means to be the bread of life to a hungry world. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said of God’s redemptive activity that “Christ is for us” and so we who follow Christ are to be “Christ for others.” Pastor John provides an eight minute overview of a longer talk of what he means by tracing the letter J (yep, “J” is for Jesus but also the ancient word “Jubilee”) in a world the Wall Street Journal says is underway with a “K Shaped Recovery” in which a few of us lucky ones are doing well while many more are on the downward economic slope of the K. Often it feels like we are powerless to change much in our world, but we can influence what is around us when God is at work through us..
This episode is inspired by an illuminating podcast by Christian entrepreneurs Andy Crouch and Dave Blanchard in their Redemptive Edge podcast. So we hope you will enjoy our brief episode featuring Nate Strasser’s music and then be sure to listen to the Redemptive Edge podcast.
In this episode, we welcome Dr. Jaco Hamman Professor of Religion, Psychology and Culture and Director of the Program in Theology and Practice at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Prodigious author and avid motorcyclist who has crisscrossed this country and Canada multiple times, he introduces us to the scriptural witness of God, who Hamman names Earthroamer, and to six qualities of traveling. Whether you are traveling great distances or staying local and no matter our age or condition of our bodies you will find nuggets for your life as he takes us through the six movements of travel: anticipating, leaving, surrendering, meeting, caring, and returning.
In this episode, we continue our series called The Bread of Life with the subtitle “Fuel for the Road ahead. Coming off the summer travel season, so many of us got used to watching the fuel gauge and making sure our distance to empty stayed large enough to avoid a disaster of running out of gas. But sometimes it is harder to keep our own personal fuel tank filled for the road ahead we call life. In this episode, we look at the story of Elijah and his moment of exhaustion to understand how Jesus in his proclamation that he is the bread of life gives us an endless supply of the fuel we need for the road ahead to keep up sustained for the work we are invited to do. So if you are feeling a bit like Elijah and want to lay down and take a nap in the shade rather than fight the good fight, listen in for insight into how we might encounter Christ, the bread of life, in times of Sabbath rest that refuel us and strengthen us for new beginnings and the journey ahead of us to do the work we are invited to do because of who and whose we are.
There is a connection between the importance of rest and your own life reflecting the abundance of God. In this episode, we will provide you with a prompt followed by some wonderful music by Nate Strasser. It is our hope that you will use this gift of time and music to listen and look for God’s healing and restorative presence in your life. Jesus gives us permission to take care of ourselves. Following the podcast, think about how this Sabbath experience has equipped you to reenergize your faith and turn it into action.
This episode introduces the theme of Jesus as the Bread of Life who came to address our deep sense of scarcity and not-enoughness by becoming the bread of life that was enough to satisfy ancient, deep hungers and to replace what Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann refers to as the “bread of affliction.” John Hilley’s talk builds upon two scripture passages - Isaiah 55 and John 6 – and invites us to recognize that our pantries are stocked with the bread of abundance and how we are invited to share the “good bread of abundance” with those who dwell in affliction by our ministries of compassion, by the good work of justice, by our embrace of neighbor.
Jesus shows his weary disciples that he gets it: “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” (Mark 6:30-56) Are there any words in all of Scripture more welcome to tired followers?
Jesus gives us permission to take care of ourselves. Is this invitation to rest an invitation to laziness? Or is it a form of resistance? Rest is a gift from God that helps prepare and launch us into who and whose we are called to be...not a tool to use in a battle against what is. We invite you to take a collective breath and acknowledge that while rest is not something we are called to live in forever - if done in God's presence and grace, rest is an important gift that can offer us renewed strength and readiness for the mission and life we are called to live!
This episode features two favorites: the famous story of King David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant (II Samuel 6:1-20) and the much beloved song “Lord of the Dance.” A part of this famous story overlooks an important piece of information that leads to David dancing alone. This year has felt like we have all been dancing alone, missing out on joy and happiness. John Hilley revisits this famous story and takes to heart Adam Grant’s insightful words that it is time for some “collective effervescence.” What in the heck is collective effervescence? Described as the sense of energy and harmony people feel when they come together in a group around a shared purpose, it is the synchronicity you feel when you slide into rhythm with strangers on a dance floor, cousins at a religious service or teammates on a soccer field. And during this pandemic, it’s been largely absent from our lives. It’s time to learn to dance again…together. Thank you for joining us and here is Adam Grant’s article.
It’s the weekend of the Fourth of July, when we remember our history --or put more accurately need to learn, or re-learn, our history -- the history of freedom and our wrestling with what freedom means for all people. This episode of word, prayer and music recalls the Apostle Paul’s words “For Christ has set us free” in Galatians 5 and a little known speech in which President-Elect Abraham Lincoln referred to the American people as “almost chosen.” John Hilley reflects on what that peculiar ascription “almost chosen” might mean and speaks of the importance of character and self-control.
Also in this podcast, we’ll hear Nate Strasser’s version of “With Malice Toward None” from the movie Lincoln composed by John Williams.
Episode 6 of Music, Hope, Word, Prayer. What people say about you says more about their minds than about your soul, making it easy to confuse your condition and your character. But, they are not the same, nor to be confused. Listen as John Hilley speaks about the pressure we all face to live within the limitations people design about your life, about your call, and who you area as a human being as he recalls the story of a courageous woman in scripture (Mark 5:21-43) and the moving song “This is Me” from the movie The Greatest Showman. Joining Rev. John Hilley is Nate Strasser (singing “Rise Up”), and Lindsey Hinds-Brown as they offer a time of worship reflecting on the power of faith, prayer, and what it really means to have a life well-lived.
Episode 5 of Music, Hope, Word, Prayer. Join Rev. John Hilley, Nate Strasser, and Lindsey Hinds-Brown as they offer a time of worship reflecting on the power of faith, prayer, and what it really means to have a life well-lived. To help us, we are going back to the pages of Scripture (I Samuel 8:1-18:9) to learn from the person of Saul – the first king in Israel We can learn from our “worst” and “best” moments in life and Saul certainly had his share of “worst” moments. But he had a “best” moment, too, and it involved listening. By, listening we are much more likely to hear what God wants from us in this moment. John Hilley reminds us something he heard said: “I think we need to be a bit like Saul and listen. It’s time to hear some voices that don’t often have the social power to speak” (Tom Are). Nate Strasser offers a variation of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
East Brentwood Presbyterian Church is prayerfully considering becoming a Matthew 25 congregation. To learn more about EBPC’s commitment to
becoming a Matthew 25 congregation or the significance of Juneteenth, visit us at our website ebpctn.org. We invite you to join us in answering
Christ’s urgent call to be a church of action, where God’s love, justice, and
mercy shine forth and are contagious.
The title of Episode 4 of Music, Hope, Word, Prayer is taken from a line in Toni Morrison's book Beloved. It aptly describes "Hannah's Song," the beautiful song Hannah sings in I Samuel 2:1-10 as she looks back over her life and voices the aspiration we all have: to have the pieces of our life given back to us in all the right order. Join Rev. John Hilley, Nate Strasser, and Lindsey Hinds-Brown as they offer a time of worship reflecting on the power of faith, prayer, and what it really means to have a life well-lived.
You have permission to be larger than the people who surround you, greater than the expectations which bore you and more than than other people who are like you. You can be totally unique and absolutely special. You can flip the script and change the narrative. You can improvise and be creative. This is what doubt and fear don't want you to know!
In this podcast, we hear from two of our high school seniors, Jasper Vasilevskis and Alex Kurbegov as well as a special music from Jasper Vasilevskis and Brynn Giantassio as they prepare to graduate and begin a new chapter of their lives.
“Because the Christian God is not a lonely God, but rather a communion of three persons, faith leads human beings into the divine communion. One cannot, however, have a self-enclosed communion with the Triune God- a "foursome," as it were-- for the Christian God is not a private deity. Communion with this God is at once also communion with those others who have entrusted themselves in faith to the same God. Hence one and the same act of faith places a person into a new relationship both with God and with all others who stand in communion with God.”
― Miroslav Volf, After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity
Because the life of faith is a life that takes courage, it is important to confront the unknown with commitment and faith because, of course, we can never know now what we will know and experience at some point in the future, looking back!
So on the birthday of the church, we asked “If the first disciples knew what would happen, would they have embraced all that would come next? If they had known then what we know now, would they have stepped out in faith that day?
What about us? Are we ready to step out in faith?