Nate Strasser - Podcast Details

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Music, Hope, Word, Prayer[In] between our Intention and Our ActionLent is a season that invites us to be intentional. How will you grow closer to God and your neighbor?It is a time of strength training: what will you do to strengthen your faith? In this special Ash Wednesday episode we look at the space in our lives between our good intentions and our actions in an 11 minute message from Pastor John. This 20 minute episode includes scripture, liturgy around the imposition of ashes and a contemplative musical piece by Nate Strasser 2025-02-2724 min

Music, Hope, Word, Prayer"I See You"In today’s podcast, Pastor John brings in Becky and Noah Walton as conversation partners, who, when asked what people who are struggling need to hear, responded with, “I SEE YOU.”Here’s what else Becky shared:“My son is an addict—the hardest words I’ve ever spoken. I want to take this opportunity to speak to caregivers and anyone who feels lost and invisible, to say ‘I see you.’ I feel your pain. I know what it’s like to walk the halls at night doing overdose and suicide checks, praying with every step that tonight is...2025-02-0640 min

The Ezra Klein ShowThe Obamas Strike BackIs Obamaism making a comeback? Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, Michelle and Barack Obama electrified the crowd with the most powerful speeches of the week so far, and seemed to anoint Kamala Harris as the inheritor of their political movement. For this audio diary, I’m joined by my producer Elias Isquith to dissect those two speeches. We discuss what Obamaism was in 2008 and 2012, and what it means to pass the baton to Harris in 2024.Mentioned:“Biden Made Trump Bigger. Harris Makes Him Smaller.” by Ezra Klein“That Feeling You Recognize? Obamacor...2024-08-2139 min

The Ezra Klein ShowNate Silver on Kamala Harris’s Chances and the Mistakes of the ‘Indigo Blob’Risk has been on my mind this year. For Democrats, the question of whether Joe Biden should drop out was really a question about risk – the risk of keeping him on the ticket versus the risk of the unknown. And it’s hard to think through those kinds of questions when you have incomplete information and so much you can’t predict. After all, few election models forecast that Kamala Harris would have the kind of momentum we’ve seen the last few weeks.Nate Silver’s new book, “On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything,” is all about t...2024-08-131h 06

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerTune My HeartIf 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 othe...2024-02-1322 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWe Root Ourselves in RitualIt’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). ...2024-01-0418 min

The Ezra Klein ShowAre Democrats Whistling Past the Graveyard?A New York Times and Siena College poll released Nov. 5 showed Donald Trump leading Joe Biden in five of the six key swing states, with a notable jump in support among nonwhite and young voters. In response, Democrats freaked out.But then two days later, voters across the country actually went to the polls, and Democrats and Democratic-associated policy did pretty well. In Kentucky, Andy Beshear held the governorship. Democrats took back the House of Delegates in Virginia. And Ohio voted for an amendment protecting abortion rights.I asked Mike Podhorzer, a longtime poll skeptic...2023-11-141h 05

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWhat the Kingdom of Heaven Isn’t LikeEvery 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 fo...2023-10-1833 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerChurch: A Place that Is Pro-HopeIn 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...2023-10-0427 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerChurch: A Safe Space Because Jesus Said ‘Whosoever'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...2023-09-2030 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerIs the Mic On?“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...2023-09-0849 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWe Are All in Need of a Safe HarborWe like to think that the church is a “safe space.” We want it to be. But for many, there are too many traumas associated with church. And yet, we are hungry for safe spaces of connection, belonging, and growth. In this episode, Pastor John invites Tyler Spaid, a member at EBPC, to tell his and his family’s story (17 minute interview). Then John reflects on what it would be to gazes of grace rather than gazes of judgment. Nate Strasser provides the music that expresses our aim: All are welcome here/No divide, no fear /Of who yo...2023-08-3038 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerThe Whiff of Power and the Power of AuthorityHave you ever thought about the difference between power and authority? Often the words are interchangeable. But there is a difference. Maybe you got a whiff of power when you were a school crossing guard wearing the yellow sash, giving you power but not necessarily authority. We recognize the difference between those with power and those who, in living their lives, reflected the power of authority. People like Nashvillian Charlie Strobel whose life and witness we celebrated recently. In this episode, Pastor John and Nate Strasser touch upon the raw power of the father figure Logan Roy of the...2023-08-1640 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerAngels in the WildernessYou 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 do...2023-07-2632 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWe Could Use Some MercyThis 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 i...2023-07-1230 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerCome Sit Beside MeBehind 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...2023-07-0726 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerLooking for LaborersIn 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...2023-06-2727 min

The Ezra Klein ShowWhy This Economist Wants to Give Every Poor Child $50,000“Wealth is the paramount indicator of economic prosperity and well-being,” says the economist Darrick Hamilton. He’s right. Policy analysis tends to focus on income, but it is wealth that often determines whether we can send our kids to college, pay for an illness, quit a job, start a business or make a down payment on a home. Wealth is also the source of some of our deepest social inequalities: The top 10 percent of households in the U.S. own about 70 percent of the nation’s wealth, and the typical Black family has about one-tenth the wealth of the typical...2023-06-2352 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerIt’s Over…Now What?"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 a...2023-06-0126 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerAbide. Remain. Stay. ConnectJesus 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’...2023-05-1729 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerI Am the Way, the Truth and the LifeThere 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. P...2023-05-1027 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerThe Structure of BelongingWhat 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...2023-05-0331 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerThe Incarnation of the ResurrectionEpisode 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 2023-04-1233 min

Music, Hope, Word, Prayer“What Can We Do as a People of Faith?” A Conversation with Jon Roebuck on the Impact of Gun Violence from a Faith Perspective”This week’s podcast is different from our regular weekly format because this week is different. Nashville feels different and something has changed in our community and in our lives in light of the tragic shooting at Nashville’s Covenant Presbyterian Church and School. John Hilley invites Dr. Jon Roebuck, The Rev. Charlie Curb Center for Faith Leadership at Belmont University and the former Senior Minister of Woodmont Baptist Church for 17 years to join him as his guest. This episode names our collective sense of grief and the connective tissue that connects us as Nashvillians. We discuss how people in t...2023-03-3139 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerSeeking: Honest Questions for Deeper Faith "Will You Give Me a Drink?"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...2023-03-1519 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerSeeking: Honest Questions for Deeper Faith How Do We Begin Again? 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. Ta...2023-03-0731 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerSpecial Podcast Episode of Music, Word, Hope and Prayer Ash Wednesday 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 2023-02-1920 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerDear God: ‘Help!’ I Need to Rest but I Don’t Know How!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 th...2023-02-1531 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerFoolish or Wise Fool?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 co...2023-01-2527 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerThe Boys and Men in Our Lives are Doing Just Fine...Sort OfHow 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 mini...2022-11-1630 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerJustice, Jesus, Joy, and JazzThe 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 Enn...2022-11-1037 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerUnchainedWe 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 s...2022-10-1134 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerA World in Harmony: International Songwriting Finalists Spotlight Mental Health AwarenessToday’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...2022-10-0538 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerSeeing FaithRecorded 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 reflec...2022-09-1430 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerFeel Called to Anything?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...2022-09-0829 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerListening to Your LifeThe 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 sp...2022-08-3131 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerThe Spirit of God Reframes Our Limited FramesThis 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...2022-08-2426 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerYour GiftToday, 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."2022-07-3129 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerHow Do I PrayThere 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...2022-07-2728 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWe Trust WomenThis 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...2022-07-1832 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerConsecrating the ChaosA 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 sto...2022-07-1532 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerSafe Haven for Each Other 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, "Hol...2022-06-1430 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerGlamping, Cadbury Eggs, and SacrificeIt'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. 2022-05-3119 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerI Have No Idea How to Fly This AirplaneThis 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 remi...2022-05-2529 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWhat Do We Tell Our ChildrenI 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...2022-05-1826 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWe DO Talk About BrunoJohn 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 vita...2022-05-0538 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerAn Expansive LifeA 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 expands your 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 scare...2022-04-2029 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerEven the Stones Cry OutThis 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. 2022-04-1327 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerBrazen Acts of BeautyYou 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 refer...2022-04-0626 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerYou Are WorthyWorthiness 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...2022-03-3029 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWhat If It Isn’t About Getting Out of the Desert?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...2022-03-0927 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerSpecial Ash Wednesday Episode: “Flipping the Script this Lent from Denial to Grace”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...2022-03-0228 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerLife at the Intersection of Blessings (and Woes)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, Pasto...2022-02-1633 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWhat Do You Want to Be Known For?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 k...2022-02-0137 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerHomesickWe 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 21:25-36 as 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".2021-12-0128 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWhat Do You Want Me to Do for You?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 ask...2021-10-2724 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerYour Words MatterWe 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 r...2021-09-1529 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerTracing the Letter J with our Lives While Living in a K Shaped WorldHave 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 me...2021-08-2518 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerSabbath Reset 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. 2021-07-2822 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerWith Malice Toward NoneIt’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.2021-07-0727 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerThis is MeEpisode 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...2021-06-3038 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerListen, Listen, ListenEpisode 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 lik...2021-06-1627 min

Music, Hope, Word, PrayerGathering the PiecesThe 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.2021-06-1624 min

What a Hell of a Way to DadYou Can’t Vaccinate a Rock, Drill Sergeant!This week, Nate and Francis discuss the recent news that the military may require service members to take the covid-19 vaccine (much like it requires other vaccines) now that the FDA has approved it. So, why does the military have, on average a 30% refusal rate for the vaccine? And what really is going on with vaccination in the US? (source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/01/military-may-revisit-making-covid-19-vaccines-mandatory-after-fda-grants-approval.html?fbclid=IwAR1AOgpMr4DAiNm4Rbm1eXg31QH5mtTRQiBuCFt4hbRAJv2vX4um-rHvyWQ) Also discussed: has the military actually helped reduce the risk of extinction for one species of w...2021-03-041h 00

Pup Sports PodcastPSP Weekly Players Show LC TigersNate Alford sits down to talk with Volleyball player KK Horn, Football player Austin Reid, and Soccer player Maria Strasser. PSP is looking forward to watching all three sports compete in their upcoming playoff games. Go Pups!2019-10-3142 min

Liz BergPodcast #318: Rumbleweed from Apr 12, 2017Peter Kris - "Jacumba" - Jacumba Greater Than Or Equal To - "Moonrunner" - Vortex Hank Wood & the Hammerheads - "Spooky" - Live on WFMU for Hello Children with Faye, 2/19/2017 Alpha Jaguar - "Rumbleweed" - Super Seismic AWOTT - "Na Potehu Telu" - Live at WFMU with Scott Williams, 3/27/2017 Demoiselle Döner - "Bark as Hell (excerpt)" - Dog Wave Steve Combs - "My Radio is Broken" - Etaoin Shrdlu RoccoW - "Ace of Clubs" - Ace of Clubs Creo - "Memory" - Memory Simon Mathewson - "Zyx" - Some Dance Tracks Tartu Popi Ja Roki Instituut - "Shangri-La" - L...2017-04-141h 21

Detour - The Unofficial PodcastBoston: Fenway-Kenmore - The Red Sox and Saving FenwayDiscover how neighbors and fans came together to save America's most iconic ballpark, even before the curse was broken. Starting Location View Google Map of Starting Location 530 Commonwealth Ave Duration 50 minutes Description Fenway Park is neighborhood ballpark, but it was almost torn down in 1999. Since 1912, more than 100 years of baseball history has been written here as Red Sox fans have rooted on their team through the good years and the bad. But in the 1990's there was a push by team ownership to knock down...2015-02-0242 min

The Comedy On Vinyl PodcastEpisode 85 – Mark Proksch on The Two Sides Of The Smothers Brothers You’ve seen Mark Proksch on The Office as Nate. You might have been fortunate enough to see Kenny Strasser, Yo-Yo Master. He’s generally just brilliant and funny, but he also picked The Smothers Brothers, finally bringing me back to something I have memorized most of. It gets comfortably nerdy herein, even if he doesn’t have anything to plug. Enjoy! Host: Jason Klamm Producer: Mike Worden This Week’s Guest: Mark Proksch K-Strass Buy The Two Sides of The Smothers Brothers Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesom...2014-02-2756 min