Commons Church Podcast

Upside Down Apocalypse is available July 5, 2022 In this series, we're going to take a look at a Jesus-centred interpretation of the book of Revelation. We'll start by talking about:01:30 Why it's important to interpret Revelation through Jesus06:04 The purpose of prophecy in the Hebrew tradition09:40 How John uses Isaiah as the structure for his writingIn future videos, we'll talk about the genre of apocalyptic literature and look at some of the key moments and images from the book of Revelation.Preorder links:US https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652664496&sr=8-1Canada https://www.amazon.ca/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= ★ Support this podcast ★

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well. ★ Support this podcast ★

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well. ★ Support this podcast ★

Cain and Abel is a compelling story and there are a lot of ways to read it. Here's an option that sees the characters as archetypes of human social development. Let me know what you think.

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well. ★ Support this podcast ★

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well. ★ Support this podcast ★

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well. ★ Support this podcast ★

Philippians 2***We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together! ★ Support this podcast ★

Heb 1***We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together! ★ Support this podcast ★

Ephesians 2:14-18***We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together! ★ Support this podcast ★

We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together! ★ Support this podcast ★

John 1:1-14***We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together! ★ Support this podcast ★

We have just through Easter and we are now in the season of Eastertide, the 50 day celebration of resurrection. And that’s lovely but I think for a lot of us that are steeped in the evangelical industrial complex our relationship with Easter can feel a little complicated.Sure, we love resurrection and we are glad Jesus died “for us” but sometimes there is this niggling feeling like it doesn’t quite add up.God is the source of this beautiful story of triumph and life and all the different ways that this story takes root in us but why did it happen in the first place?If resurrection was always the goal does that mean a death always had to happen and if that always had to happen, who gets credit, or perhaps better said, the blame for that death? ★ Support this podcast ★

We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together! ★ Support this podcast ★

Easter Sunday is here. Resurrection has come for us. Today we awake knowing that the story is not over. And it is a celebration!But this is also our first Easter Sunday gathering together to worship in three years, and we are ecstatic.The Christian faith is an Easter faith. That means it is ultimately a joyous and hopeful view of the universe. Christhas triumphed over the enemies of life and love. Death, and sin, and isolation, and despair have been given an expiry date. Love, and hope, and mercy, and grace have been given fully guaranteed futures.Celebrate with us this Resurrection Sunday. ★ Support this podcast ★

Everything depends on Jesus, his dying and rising life. Everything.With a clear sense of who Jesus is—God most clearly revealed to us—and aclear focus on what he has done for us through the cross and resurrection, we live now with a hope and confidence that cannot be undone.Holy Week is the time in the Christian calendar when we pay closest attention to this part of the story.In the same way, that the gospels slow down during Jesus' last week, helping us to notice every meaning-filled moment: we should not rush too quickly today. This is how God reverses death into life, despair into hope, violence into peace. And it does not come easily. ★ Support this podcast ★

John 9:1-7***Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us. ★ Support this podcast ★

John 6:15-21***Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us. ★ Support this podcast ★

John 6:1-15***Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us. ★ Support this podcast ★

John 5***Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us. ★ Support this podcast ★

John 4***Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us. ★ Support this podcast ★

Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us. ★ Support this podcast ★

“There is little doubt that our doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the least developed areas in mainstream Christianity.” —Alwyn MarriageWhether you’ve been around the Christian story for a while—or you’ve recently started exploring, there’s a certain mystique around the idea of God as Spirit.And that mystique is all the more compelling when we acknowledge that many of us feel some distance between Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit to his friends and our experience in the world. An advocate? To help us?So let’s be honest — the nature of the Divine is elusive.And just for the record, we’re not assuming that four sermons are going to answer all your questions.But we are going to explore some big theological ideas, all while contending that maybe... just maybe, you’re more familiar with the Spirit’s gentle touch than you think you are. ★ Support this podcast ★

In my mind talking about the nature of God shouldn't be an exercise in gatekeeping—all of our God-talk is provisional, after all. There are, however, some important ideas in the Christian imagination of God that we are attempting to preserve with the doctrine of Trinity. So let's talk about that. ★ Support this podcast ★

Acts 10 + 15 ***“There is little doubt that our doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the least developed areas in mainstream Christianity.” —Alwyn MarriageWhether you’ve been around the Christian story for a while—or you’ve recently started exploring, there’s a certain mystique around the idea of God as Spirit.And that mystique is all the more compelling when we acknowledge that many of us feel some distance between Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit to his friends and our experience in the world. An advocate? To help us?So let’s be honest — the nature of the Divine is elusive.And just for the record, we’re not assuming that four sermons are going to answer all your questions.But we are going to explore some big theological ideas, all while contending that maybe... just maybe, you’re more familiar with the Spirit’s gentle touch than you think you are. ★ Support this podcast ★

John 14***“There is little doubt that our doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the least developed areas in mainstream Christianity.” —Alwyn MarriageWhether you’ve been around the Christian story for a while—or you’ve recently started exploring, there’s a certain mystique around the idea of God as Spirit.And that mystique is all the more compelling when we acknowledge that many of us feel some distance between Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit to his friends and our experience in the world. An advocate? To help us?So let’s be honest — the nature of the Divine is elusive.And just for the record, we’re not assuming that four sermons are going to answer all your questions.But we are going to explore some big theological ideas, all while contending that maybe... just maybe, you’re more familiar with the Spirit’s gentle touch than you think you are. ★ Support this podcast ★

“There is little doubt that our doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the least developed areas in mainstream Christianity.” —Alwyn MarriageWhether you’ve been around the Christian story for a while—or you’ve recently started exploring, there’s a certain mystique around the idea of God as Spirit.And that mystique is all the more compelling when we acknowledge that many of us feel some distance between Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit to his friends and our experience in the world. An advocate? To help us?So let’s be honest — the nature of the Divine is elusive.And just for the record, we’re not assuming that four sermons are going to answer all your questions.But we are going to explore some big theological ideas, all while contending that maybe... just maybe, you’re more familiar with the Spirit’s gentle touch than you think you are. ★ Support this podcast ★

Toward. Away. Against: This is a really simple way to think about our default reaction to conflict, our stress reaction to conflict, and how as healthy humans we can choose to respond with the strategy that is most appropriate in any given encounter. ★ Support this podcast ★

The experience of the global pandemic has changed us. And it has changed our friendships. Some may have deepened, while others have dwindled without getting a solid chance to take root.Let's begin the new year with a conversation on that deeply personal connection with others we all long for but often struggle to cultivate.Friendship is essential to our humanity. It is also a gift that we are free to receive and to offer. Some friendships help us become our true selves.You might remember with fondness the name of your childhood buddy. You know what it feels like to let your guard down with that one person in your life. Afterall, they really care. And you are most certainly familiar with the pain of broken trust.So join us to take another look at friendship together. Let's discover more about ourselves and what it means to cultivate friendships in a world that feels increasingly lonely and polarized. ★ Support this podcast ★

The experience of the global pandemic has changed us. And it has changed our friendships. Some may have deepened, while others have dwindled without getting a solid chance to take root.Let's begin the new year with a conversation on that deeply personal connection with others we all long for but often struggle to cultivate.Friendship is essential to our humanity. It is also a gift that we are free to receive and to offer. Some friendships help us become our true selves.You might remember with fondness the name of your childhood buddy. You know what it feels like to let your guard down with that one person in your life. Afterall, they really care. And you are most certainly familiar with the pain of broken trust.So join us to take another look at friendship together. Let's discover more about ourselves and what it means to cultivate friendships in a world that feels increasingly lonely and polarized. ★ Support this podcast ★

The experience of the global pandemic has changed us. And it has changed our friendships. Some may have deepened, while others have dwindled without getting a solid chance to take root.Let's begin the new year with a conversation on that deeply personal connection with others we all long for but often struggle to cultivate.Friendship is essential to our humanity. It is also a gift that we are free to receive and to offer. Some friendships help us become our true selves.You might remember with fondness the name of your childhood buddy. You know what it feels like to let your guard down with that one person in your life. Afterall, they really care. And you are most certainly familiar with the pain of broken trust.So join us to take another look at friendship together. Let's discover more about ourselves and what it means to cultivate friendships in a world that feels increasingly lonely and polarized. ★ Support this podcast ★

The experience of the global pandemic has changed us. And it has changed our friendships. Some may have deepened, while others have dwindled without getting a solid chance to take root.Let's begin the new year with a conversation on that deeply personal connection with others we all long for but often struggle to cultivate.Friendship is essential to our humanity. It is also a gift that we are free to receive and to offer. Some friendships help us become our true selves.You might remember with fondness the name of your childhood buddy. You know what it feels like to let your guard down with that one person in your life. Afterall, they really care. And you are most certainly familiar with the pain of broken trust.So join us to take another look at friendship together. Let's discover more about ourselves and what it means to cultivate friendships in a world that feels increasingly lonely and polarized. ★ Support this podcast ★

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world. ★ Support this podcast ★

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world. ★ Support this podcast ★

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world. ★ Support this podcast ★

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world. ★ Support this podcast ★

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world. ★ Support this podcast ★

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. ★ Support this podcast ★

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. ★ Support this podcast ★

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. ★ Support this podcast ★

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. ★ Support this podcast ★

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. ★ Support this podcast ★

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. ★ Support this podcast ★

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. ★ Support this podcast ★

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. ★ Support this podcast ★

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. ★ Support this podcast ★

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. ★ Support this podcast ★

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. ★ Support this podcast ★

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”–Mahatma GhandiDoesn’t it feel like there’s a shortage of true happiness? Whether the news—or our own experience—or a string of rainy afternoons, we can find ourselves wondering why the world always seems to be frowning.Which is why—this summer—we’re striking out in search of some real, wholesome, happy-face-emoji moments. And in this series, we’re gathering individuals and stories from our community to answer the question “What makes you happy?”And we promise—You won’t be able to keep from grinning when you see what makes these people light up. You’ll head into Monday with a new awareness of how brightly Grace shines in the world. And you’ll be glad you joined us as we go looking for life-well-lived. ★ Support this podcast ★

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”–Mahatma GhandiDoesn’t it feel like there’s a shortage of true happiness? Whether the news—or our own experience—or a string of rainy afternoons, we can find ourselves wondering why the world always seems to be frowning.Which is why—this summer—we’re striking out in search of some real, wholesome, happy-face-emoji moments. And in this series, we’re gathering individuals and stories from our community to answer the question “What makes you happy?”And we promise—You won’t be able to keep from grinning when you see what makes these people light up. You’ll head into Monday with a new awareness of how brightly Grace shines in the world. And you’ll be glad you joined us as we go looking for life-well-lived. ★ Support this podcast ★