Crackers & Grape Juice +: Recent Episodes
Crackers & Grape Juice
the underground podcast brought to you by the same team that produces Crackers & Grape Juice
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Here is the first discussion of our Lenten study of Presence in the Modern World by Jacques Ellul with Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson.
Presence in the Modern World is Jacques Ellul’s most foundational book, combining his social analysis with his theological orientation. Appearing first in French in 1948, and later in English as The Presence of the Kingdom, it has reached the status of a classic that retains all of its relevance dealing with today’s challenges. How should we respond to such complex forces as technology or the state? How can we communicate with one another, despite the problems inner to modern forms of media? Do we have hope for the future of our civilisation? Ellul responds by describing how a Christian’s unique presence in the world can make a difference. Instead of acting as ‘sociological beings’, we must commit ourselves to the kind of revolution that will occur only when we become radically aware of our present situation and undertake ‘a ferocious and passionate destruction of myths’. In this way, states Ellul, we become the medium for God’s action in the modern world.
Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson has written, edited, and contributed to numerous books of both theology and fiction and has published hundreds of articles. She hosts the podcast Queen of the Sciences, writes the e-newsletter Theology & a Recipe and the substack Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Stories, and is the Founder of Thornbush Press.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com
Crackers & Grape Juice + is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Subscribers to CGJ+ are receiving a preview of the next episode of Crackers and Grape Juice featuring Emily Hunter McGowin. Subscribing to Crackers & Grape Juice + is one of the ways you can support the work of the podcast.
Christmas …
Hi Friends,
Here is the recording of Sunday’s sermon on Colossians by friend of the podcast, Dr. Ken Sundet Jones. And this is the perfect time to announce a project that Ken and Jason are coordinating in partnership with Grand View University, Mockingbird, and 1517: the Iowa Preachers Project.
Funded by the Lily Endowment, the Iowa Preachers Project is based in Iowa but not is not specific to preachers in Iowa. We will gather together a cohort of preaching fellows around our shared theological foundation and over three years equip working preachers to proclaim the gospel with clarity and passion.
We will meet three times in person, in Des Moines, Southern California, and Charlottesville, Virginia (Wahoowa).
Ken is the Director of the Iowa Preachers Project.
I am the Preacher-in-Residence (mentoring the fellows on a monthly basis).
Dr. Johanna Hartelius is also part of the team.
The best part— thanks to the Lily Foundation all costs for the Preaching Fellows will be covered. The program kicks off September 22 in Des Moines at Grand View.
Applications went live yesterday. If you’re a preacher and wouldn’t mind spending a little time with me, I encourage you to read more over on the program website.
Check out the project here.
If you’re a working a preacher, apply.
About the Project
Without a doubt, the church's place in the culture is in the midst of radical change, and its preachers face an unknown future. The Iowa Preachers Project at Grand View University provides a unique, supportive environment for the church's public proclaimers to hone their skills as well as a place to discover ways to deliver the gospel in this new environment.
In partnership with Mockingbird and 1517, and with funding from the Compelling Preaching Initiative of the Lilly Endowment, Inc., the Project focuses on building the Body of Christ and on building preachers' skills in delivering compelling messages that bring the word of God to their congregations and the world beyond.
Each year, the Project's preaching fellows are welcomed from across denominations, connect to faithful and worthy mentors and scholars, and explore the breadth and depth of the gospel with one another.
Theological Foundations
From the moment of creation in Genesis to Revelation's Jesus the pale rider coming to battle with a sword in his mouth, God’s relationship with us is wrapped up in his Word. As John says of Jesus in his prologue, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The call of the preacher is to enter into the relationship between God and sinners as the mouthpiece through whom God speaks. Preachers may be many things, but they are first and foremost servants of the Word. As in the Lucas Cranach altarpiece of Martin Luther preaching, the church's public proclaimers point to Christ. The proclamation of the gospel is a peculiar kind of speech in which God uses preachers to deliver the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection to those who stand on the far side of the chasm of sin from God. This means that true preaching actually declares God’s mercy in the here and now. As the Swedish theologian Gustav Wingren wrote, “The preaching of the gospel is essentially the same as absolution. …It does not wait hopefully for faith to appear in a doubting soul, but brings faith about where it is lacking.” [Gospel and Church] There are all sorts of ways for words about God to be entertaining, engaging, or informative. But the actual proclamatory event does something more. God uses human words on the lips of preachers to change the hearer’s identity, status, and future. The clearest, shortest sermon appears in this kind of active language: “You are forgiven for Jesus’ sake.” This is a declaration to its hearers that God has made a decision about them apart from their achievements, attitudes, or piety — or to use Paul’s phrase, regardless of them being dead in sin. This proclaimed promise becomes compelling when the Holy Spirit uses it to create saving faith, that is, the restoration of a person’s broken relationship with God, first, but also the relationship with others and with the world. In The Freedom of a Christian (1520), Martin Luther argued that preaching shifts a person’s understanding of Christ: Jesus “is not simply ‘Christ’ but ‘Christ for you and me’ and what we say about him and call him affect us.” Preachers’ ability to deliver such an unmitigated promise depends on two things. First, preachers must know sin and death present in themselves. Second, they must themselves hear the gracious announcement of Christ “for you.” Preaching is best learned “in the middle of life’s crucible: in our brokenness, failures, and death.” [Ken Sundet Jones, “Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation: A Little Course on Preaching”] The existence of preachers today who have the courage to speak for God is evidence that the Spirit has entered into these low places again and again to make sure people today continue to be freed and raised to new life.
The Iowa Preachers Project at Grand View University gratefully partners with Mockingbird and 1517 with generous funding from the Compelling Preaching Initiative of Lilly Foundation, Inc.
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Join the Homebrewed Christianity & Crackers and Grape Juice podcasts for a unique evening of candid theological discussions over a pint at Petty Thieves Brewing Co.ahead of the 2024 General Conference of The United Methodist Church. A dynamic trio of thought leaders will join us: Dr. Leah Robinson, Rev. Dr. Will Willimon, and Rev. Derrick Scott.
This event is for anyone interested in theology and wants to engage in open conversations in a relaxed setting. We will delve deep into the pressing issues confronting the modern church in America. From societal challenges to internal transformations, these voices offer unique perspectives, sparking conversations on faith, culture, and the evolving role of the church in our communities. Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and explore theological topics in a casual and welcoming environment.
The event will not be live-streamed, but rest assured that because this is a live podcast recording, the audio will be available shortly after the event.
So, if you are heading to Charlotte for The United Methodist Church’s 2024 General Conference, I hope you’ll stop by Petty Thieves Brewing Co.
Get Your Tickets Now
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
The Crackers & Grape Juice team takes you through chapters 4, 5, and 6 of Rev. Fleming Rutledge's book, Help My Unbelief.
Crackers & Grape Juice + is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
Joined by Tony Robinson, the Crackers & Grape Juice team takes you through chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Rev. Fleming Rutledge's book, Help My Unbelief.
While you listen, if you have not done so already, do us a solid and help out the podcast.
Crackers & Grape Juice + is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Crackers & Grape Juice + is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.
Follow us on the three majors of social media:
https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuice
https://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuice
http://www.twitter.com/crackersnjuice
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
Joined by Tony Robinson and led by Teer Hardy, the Crackers & Grape Juice team takes you through chapter 8 of Francis Spufford's book, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprisingly Emotional Sense.
While you listen, if you have not done so already, do us a solid and help out the podcast.
Crackers & Grape Juice + is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.
Follow us on the three majors of social media:
https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuice
https://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuice
http://www.twitter.com/crackersnjuice
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
Joined by Tony Robinson and led by Teer Hardy, the Crackers & Grape Juice team takes you through chapter 7 of Francis Spufford's book, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprisingly Emotional Sense.
While you listen, if you have not done so already, do us a solid and help out the podcast.
Crackers & Grape Juice + is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.
Follow us on the three-majors of social media:
https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuice
https://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuice
http://www.twitter.com/crackersnjuice
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
Joined by Tony Robinson and led by Teer Hardy, the Crackers & Grape Juice team takes you through chapter 6 of Francis Spufford's book, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprisingly Emotional Sense.
While you listen, if you have not done so already, do us a solid and help out the podcast.
Head over to https://www.crackersandgrapejuice.com.
Click on “Support the Show” and become a patron.
For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.
Follow us on the three-majors of social media:
https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuice
https://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuice
http://www.twitter.com/crackersnjuice
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
Joined by Tony Robinson and led by Josh Munnikhuysen, the Crackers & Grape Juice team takes you through chapter 4 of Francis Spufford's book, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprisingly Emotional Sense.
Here’s the prayer Tony prayed at the end of the recording by John O’Donohue:
While you listen, if you have not done so already, do us a solid and help out the podcast.
Head over to https://www.crackersandgrapejuice.com.
Click on “Support the Show.”
Subscribe to CGJ+ or become a patron.
For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.
Follow us on the three-majors of social media:
https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuice
https://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuice
http://www.twitter.com/crackersnjuice
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
Joined by Tony Robinson and led by Tommie Marshell, the Crackers & Grape Juice team takes you through chapter 3 of Francis Spufford's book, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprisingly Emotional Sense.
While you listen, if you have not done so already, do us a solid and help out the podcast.
Head over to https://www.crackersandgrapejuice.com.
Click on “Support the Show.”
Subscribe to CGJ+ or become a patron.
For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.
Follow us on the three-majors of social media:
https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuice
https://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuice
http://www.twitter.com/crackersnjuice
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
Joined by Tony Robinson, the Crackers & Grape Juice team takes you through chapter 2 of Francis Spufford's book, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprisingly Emotional Sense.
This session was particularly special as Josh Munnikhuysen covered the song Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley.
Join us for the next session - https://crackersandgrapejuice.com/unapologetic/
While you listen, if you have not done so already, do us a solid and help out the podcast.
Head over to https://www.crackersandgrapejuice.com.
Click on “Support the Show.”
Subscribe to CGJ+ or become a patron.
For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.
Follow us on the three-majors of social media:
https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuice
https://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuice
http://www.twitter.com/crackersnjuice
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
Joined by Tony Robinson, the Crackers & Grape Juice team takes you through chapter 1 of Francis Spufford's book, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprisingly Emotional Sense.
Watch the video Josh shared at the end of the sessions:
Join us for the next session - https://crackersandgrapejuice.com/unapologetic/
While you listen, if you have not done so already, do us a solid and help out the podcast.
Head over to https://www.crackersandgrapejuice.com.
Click on “Support the Show.”
Become a patron
Subscribe to CGJ+
For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.
Follow us on the three-majors of social media:
https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuice
https://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuice
http://www.twitter.com/crackersnjuice
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
On this episode of Crackers and Grape Juice + we have session 1 of Bonhoeffer for Troubled Times. This is a four-week course with the irascible Dr. Jeffrey C. Pugh.
This course explores the roles, both good and bad, that Christianity played in one of the most horrific chapters of human history, the Shoah. Tracing the history of Christian anti-Semitism through two thousand years of history, this course shows how a majority of the church in Germany was prepared to support Hitler and embrace his call for racial purity. Drawing specifically on the German Church struggle between the “Deutsche Christen” and the Confessing Church, we explore why the church failed in the face of such a political onslaught, even though there were individuals, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who paid a high price for their resistance.
There’s still time to sign-up and join us. This will be the only session made available to those who have not signed up.
Register Today
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe
Welcome to the super-secret podcast from Crackers & Grape Juice. To kick things off, we’ve gone into the vault, to a conversation with Rev. Kenneth Tanner. Ken joined David (the Minion), Johanna, Jason, and Teer to discuss his essay about the debt he owes for his love of language.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe