No Experts Allowed

Tenth Sunday After Pentecost (Year B) - 7/28/24

Content Warning: This episode discusses David raping Bathsheba. We understand that may be triggering and we hope you’ll tune in next week.

King David has a lot of power. He’s “the guy” to lead Israel. His military conquests are legendary. His kingdom is as big as Israel will ever be. He uses that power, however, to control and rape Bathsheba. In this episode, Jonathan and Seth discuss power. How do people acquire power? How do we know someone has power? How can we use it appropriately?

We’re glad you’re with us. It gives us the power to keep recording (see what we did there?). 

Ninth Sunday After Pentecost (Year B) - 7/21/24

Some of the most important jobs are dirty, tiring, and overlooked. Such was the life of a shepherd in first-century Palestine. With countless sheep to watch and threats to assess, there were no showers or Dr. Scholl's orthotics for support during long days on their feet. In this episode, Jonathan and Seth revisit the concept of shepherds, drawing parallels to modern-day teachers. They ask what lessons we can learn from shepherds, how we have been shepherded, and what it means for Jesus to be frequently compared to a shepherd.

This episode was recorded before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. That event and last week's gospel text (Mark 6:14-29) evidence the messiness and violence of humanity. The world was messy in Jesus' time; it's messy today. But it's this sordid world that God wants to be in. God loves this chaotic, complex world and we continue to pray for it too.

So, we're glad you're with us, as always.

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) - 7/14/24

The Church and secular governments have a storied history, occasionally acting as coconspirators in plans to concentrate power among a few and sometimes being deeply adversarial. There's also the enduring challenge of untangling the Church from the government after they become "roommates". To make it more complex, opposite trends have simultaneously occurred in different places. Can they learn from each other, however? Can the lessons be positive? Jonathan and Seth explore these questions in this week's episode, which might - true to form - ask more questions than it answers.

A podcast without listeners is like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If we probe the depths of theology and speak prophetically against those intent on hurting others, but we do not have listeners, we have nothing. So, we're glad you're here!

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) - 7/7/24

Boasting can make both friends and enemies. With the right amount of boasting, one can bolster other's opinions of them. Too much, the boast-er is seen as arrogant, rude, or haughty. Paul, rather, "boast[s] all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me" (2 Cor.  12.9). What does boating in weakness look like? What does boasting look like when one has been trained to embody humility? Should Christians boast? Paul does, after all. Jonathan and Seth discuss a theology of boasting in this week's episode.

We're glad you're here - as always. This week, Jonathan went through a struggle to get this episode out. The recordings sounded like robots took over the episode. We're also thankful he powered through and we could bring this episode to you!

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost (Year B) - 6/30/24

There is much to lament if one looks around; there are also many reasons for hope. How are our laments and our hopes intertwined? Are both necessary? How does trust in God influence how we cry out, dream, despair, or get to work? Jonathan and Seth discuss these questions based on the only joyous section of Lamentations. And while this episode touches briefly on the Gospel reading (Mark 5:21-43), the interplay of despair and hope continues there too.

We're glad you're with us wherever you are on the continuum of deep despair and radical contentment. And we hope this episode resonates with you. If you're enjoying our podcast, a review helps others find us.

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost (Year B) - 6/23/24

Do you have any unexpected relationships? Ones that make you think, "I don't know how this happened" or that you believe are misunderstood or misconstrued from the outside? In this week's episode, David and Jonathan seem to have an unexpected relationship. David is, at first, an outsider to the royal family and Saul is overtly antagonistic to him. Jonathan seems like he should be David's competitor, not his friend! What might their relationship tell us? How might it help us live in an increasingly antagonistic and divisive society? Can it offer us any hope as election season ramps into gear?

We're so glad you listen. And if this podcast has been meaningful for you, we'd appreciate it if you'd tell others about it, share it on social media, or write us a review. All of that helps spread the word - about this podcast and God's overflowing love.

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost (Year B) - 6/16/24

"What's good?" can be more than a greeting, but a way of thinking. In this Sunday's appointed lectionary text, Jesus tells short parables about seeds. In the first, someone scatters seed on the ground; it grows, and the sower harvests it. Next, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to the tiny mustard seed that grows into a large shrub. Jonathan and Seth discuss seemingly small, positive actions happening today. What's good around the world that isn't getting enough attention? What's good that has the potential for a large impact? What's good and worth highlighting?

What's good in your life? We hope our podcast is part of that answer, but we're glad you listen wherever we rank in life's pleasures.

Third Sunday After Pentecost (Year B) - 6/9/24

There are various famous "falls": Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," The Fall of Rome, the fall season, etc. Theology has discussed a different kind of fall, one that affects not only the Usher family, a single civilization, or trees, but one that leaves a permanent scar on humanity. What does it look like to read the story of "The Fall" in context? What about reading it through a lens of grace rather than condemnation? Jonathan and Seth attempt to do just that as they wrestle with how the world was created as good and still groans for redemption.

We're so glad you listen. As much as Jonathan and Seth enjoy making these podcasts, they would be worthless without an audience!

Second Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) - 6/2/24

Are you a rule breaker? Jesus was. In the appointed Gospel reading for this Sunday, Jesus claims that King David was, too. But they don't break just any rules, run stoplights, or commit petty theft. They break rules that prevent human flourishing. Jonathan and Seth discuss "making good trouble" and how prioritizing people grows from our calling as Jesus' followers.

This episode is a day late because Seth had his days mixed up. He apologizes! We're so glad you're with us nonetheless.

Holy Trinity Sunday/ The First Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) - 5/26/24

Does 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 you've heard (or frankly anything else). We'd love to hear from you at noexpertsallowed@gmail.com