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No Experts AllowedFourth Sunday of Easter (Year C) - 5/11/25Do you know that God cares about you? We hope so! We also hope that you'll reflect that care by caring for others. That's much easier said than done, however. What does that care look like? How can it be concrete? What is so enticing about online activism that keeps others at arm's length? What are a few concrete ways to care? In this episode, Jonathan and Seth discuss how we care for others "up close." We touch on all four appointed readings for this Sunday, too.
We're glad you're with us! This episode was recorded in...
2025-05-0520 minNo Experts AllowedFifth Sunday after Epiphany (Year C) - 2/9/25Hope takes the long view. It's not merely living in expectation of the following day but for an indeterminate time some distance away. The psalmist knows about this extended hope, declaring, "The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever" (138.8). For me (Seth, here), hope is in short supply. The news is as depressing as it's been. A bishop is attacked for asking for mercy. ICE raids took place in my hometown. January was a year long. What does it look like to have hope for the future? What does hope look like...
2025-02-0922 minNo Experts AllowedSecond Sunday after Epiphany (Year C) - 1/19/25There is a controversial book When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor... and Yourself. Written by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, it argues that providing relief and rehabilitation for others can create an unhealthy dependency. I (Seth, here) think these claims are overblown. However, helping can sometimes do more harm than good; I agree with that premise. Jonathan and Seth discuss that. What happens when someone accuses us of hurting when we think we're helping? How do we feel? What do we do next? Who do we listen to? And, if our gifts are "for the common...
2025-01-1327 minNo Experts AllowedFirst Sunday of Advent (Year C) - 12/1/24Although it's the Church's New Year, the lectionary texts focus on Jesus' return at "the end time." They're about Jesus' expected coming and what it looks like to be ready. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is praying for his letter's recipients. In Luke, Jesus talks about reading the signs of his return. What would it look like to pray for others as Paul does? And how could thinking about the end times help us to pray appropriately for others? Jonathan and Seth discuss these questions and how Martin Luther and Charles Wesley answered questions about their end-time actions in this New...
2024-11-2625 minNo Experts AllowedTwenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) - 10/27/24The theme of exile runs throughout the Hebrew Bible. While it's sometimes more explicit than others, scholars have argued that even when exile does not prominently appear, it was the lens ancient readers used to interpret the text. So, Jonathan and Seth talk about exile. They discuss its effect on ordinary people's lives, the deep longing it causes, and the joyous hope of being back together again. If we were not following the lectionary, this episode could (and maybe should) have been the first episode we produced.
We're thrilled you're with us! Have you had an experience...
2024-10-2122 minNo Experts AllowedNineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) - 9/29/24Lately, there has been a lot of coverage in the news about political factions. But factions appear more than just in the political sphere. Churches, of course, can develop them too. They're equally insidious and difficult to deal with in civic, and public life. So, Jonathan and Seth talk about how these divisions take place. They start small this week; they don't try to tackle the United State's political problems like they sometimes do.
We're glad you're with us! For whatever reason, our last episode took off. So, if you're joining us again, we're thrilled you returned...
2024-09-2427 minNo Experts AllowedFifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) - 9/1/24What is purity? What makes someone pure? How is it maintained and how is it restored? In this week's Gospel text, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees asking questions about the practice of ritual handwashing that they do to ensure purity. Jesus responds that "nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile" (Mk. 7:15). In James, however, true religion and the idea of purity seem much more active. It's about helping orphans and widows and keeping the outside influences at arm's length. So, again, what is purity? Jonathan and...
2024-08-2620 minNo Experts AllowedHoly Trinity Sunday/ The First Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) - 5/26/24Does the Trinity matter? Does it exist only to give professional theologians minutiae to argue about? Is it a manifestation of male-dominated, political church councils that should be thrown into the dustbin of history? Jonathan and Seth think it does more than describe how the members of the Trinity interact; it also expresses how people should interact. So, it more than matters.
Of all our episodes, this one seems the most appropriate to solicit listener feedback. We'd love emails about how you see the Trinity mattering, your favorite trinitarian heresy, or the best description of the Trinity...
2024-05-2023 minNo Experts AllowedSixth Sunday of Easter (Year B) - 5/5/24One way to think about the Psalms is as ancient Israel's hymnody. Like more contemporary songs, from Bach to Beyonce, one doesn't have to understand every part of it to appreciate it. There are some opaque metaphors; others seem clear. In Psalm 98, the whole chorus of creation joins in on the hymn. So, Jonathan and Seth discuss ways that we can make worship sound more like this image. How can we get more people involved? How rowdy can worship be? What might this look like in different contexts? This episode may have a more practical focus than some of...
2024-04-2919 min