No Experts Allowed

Christian communities have read John’s account of Jesus identifying as the good shepherd for over 1,000 years. Unlike most Sundays, even the psalm relates to the gospel reading (rather than the first reading). So, true to form, Jonathan and Seth ask a lot of questions about shepherds: who are like modern shepherds? Can one identify an uncommitted hired hand? What if we focus on the sheep?

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Jesus’ followers are startled, confused, and scared. The one they’ve been following was killed like a common criminal, laid in a tomb, and now lives again - not as a ghost, but someone who really lives, laughs, and lunches. So, what now? Jonathan and Seth discuss this “what now.” What happens after you make a seemingly life-altering mistake? What happens after a loss? What happens after some type of resurrection?

We hope you saw the eclipse safely and we’re so glad you’re with us.

Each year, the Gospel reading for the Sunday after Easter is the story of “doubting Thomas.” The other readings, however, emphasize living in a community. Jonathan and Seth discuss why living in community can be so formative, why communities matter, and what the contemporary church might learn from the early Jesus-following movement.

They discuss a framework called “The Life Cycle and Stages of Congregation Development” by George Bullard, which can be found here.

We’re immensely thankful you’re with us; we don’t take it for granted!

He is risen! He is risen, indeed! On Palm Sunday, we talked about what it looks like to experience joy, about momentarily putting our pains, perils, and problems in the backseat. On Good Friday, we talked about leaning into our pain and that of others. What does it look like to integrate them? How does it look for the disciples in the aftermath of the resurrection? This Sunday's question seems to get at the heart of the Christian life: how are joy and pain mingled and how is God in the midst of them?

We're praying for a meaningful Holy Week, a joyous Easter spent with those you care about, and new life springing up in expected ways. And, as always, we're glad you're with us!

Another short and sweet episode, Jonathan and Seth talk about what it looks like to sit in suffering as the disciples. How do we make room for suffering when we're unsure when or if it ends?

Again, we're praying your Holy Week is a blessing.

As promised, this episode is short and sweet. It's primarily a long, beautifully written prayer by Jonathan aimed at helping us move into Holy Week and see Jesus' humble service as a paradigm for our own.

We hope you have a blessed Holy Week.

Palm Sunday has to do a lot of heavy lifting. To help, most services are divided into the liturgy of the palms and the liturgy of the passion. This isn't true historically, however. Now, most people cannot (or will not) come to church on Good Friday, Palm Sunday has to link Jesus' triumphal entry with his crucifixion and lead into Easter.

Luckily for us, podcasts don't suffer that problem. People can listen whenever, so this episode focuses only on the triumphal entry. We have more, short, sweet episodes coming on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Easter's episode follows the usual rhythm.

Edit: This episode should have gone live on Monday (3/18), but some guy who looks, sounds, thinks, and acts like Seth made a mistake with the upload date. He apologizes!

"What happens when it breaks?" asks Jonathan. In this Sunday's readings, covenants break and Jesus' Spirit seems broken too. Jonathan and Seth discuss how God responds to brokenness, why a theology of brokenness matters today, and what the Gospel has to say to those of us whose hearts may be broken. These passages, perhaps more than any other Lenten ones, are dark and reflective. They'll lead us to the (momentary) joy of Palm Sunday.

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The contrast between light and darkness often appears in Scripture, particularly in the appointed passages for Lent 4. These texts and this theme, however, have been used historically to praise whiteness and to denigrate those with dark skin. Jonathan and Seth discuss that pitfall, how it encourages binary thinking, how darkness can be seen as positive, and how God deigns to work with people rather than alone.

As always, we're glad you're with us!

The Old Testament reading for this Sunday is the 10 Commandments. The appointed Psalm extolls the God's law. In the Gospel reading, Jesus sees money changers and sellers using the temple-goers as profit-makers. Upset, Jesus drives them out of the temple. Jonathan and Seth discuss the law, and why Jesus might be so upset at this longstanding temple practice of selling goods and services inside the temple. They pray to close the episode.

We're glad you're with us and hope you're having a meaningful Lenten journey.