a Church Podcast

When we just want what we want and we’re too invested in the outcome, it’s hard to listen or see things from another perspective.  This is why we might need to learn how to take some observational distance from our own thoughts, desires and fears.  In the Bible the role of the prophet was to help the kings take a step back, before their own desire for power and power led to catastrophe.   How migh...

Why does the story end with fear and wonder?  Shouldn't we be left with wonder and courage?  Why doesn't the Gospel of Mark have a perfectly wrapped-up happy ending?     Support the show

This podcast is a recording from our interfaith lunch with our Jewish friends from Beth Shir Shalom.  Our special guest is Tasneem Noor who taught about some of the foundational aspects of her Muslim faith.   Support the show

Tasneem Noor is an award-winning author of “The Faith Connection: Your Journey Starts with Knowing Yourself.”   She received her Masters in Education in Student Affairs from UCLA and is the Program Director for NewGround: A Muslim Jewish Partnership for Change.  She specializes in communication across differences especially on difficult and charged topics.  For Tasneem, authenticity and courage ar...

Happy Easter!  Christ is risen!  The final resurrection photo in the gospel of Mark is beautiful.  But, of course, the pictures we hang on the wall rarely tell the whole story.   The same is true for the young man at the tomb who is fully dress and sharing a message of courage and resurrection.   Support the show

According to Psalm 1 it matters where we walk, stand, and sit.  In the gospel of Mark where Jesus walks, stands, and sits matters.  Jesus location and movement is a part of the message.  Where we've been and are also matters.  Some of us need to hear the message of service, while others need to hear the message of rest.  Some us need to hear the message of give, while others need to receive....

Good news in a story about pigs and demons?  Our guest, Jeff Chu, takes on a story that most preachers and pastors avoid.  The story is, no doubt, weird, but the message, as Jeff articulates it, is indeed good news.   Support the show

Jesus heals a blind man, but not entirely at first.  He goes from blind to blurry and then from blurry to full clarity.  Why didn't Jesus get it right the first time?    Support the show

Eating together is complicated, divisive and healing.   In three separate scenes in the gospel of Mark we see how eating at the table is all of these things. Support the show

Internal love and justice creates greater capacity within us for external love and justice.    Rev. Dr. Kikanza Nuri-Robins is a long time friend of First Pres.  She is a member of the Presbytery of the Pacific and also serves as consulting minister to Unitarian Universalist congregations.  When she is not at church, she works as a consultant to non-profit organizations like Heal the Bay and First...

It was a dark and stormy night... AGAIN.  Jesus will come walking on water, but this storm and the disciples fear isn't the same as before.  The storm is less catastrophic and the fear of the unknown is gradually giving way to the light.    Support the show

"It was a dark and stormy night..."  As long as humans have been telling stories rainstorms set the stage for whatever is wrong or will go wrong.   The Bible is no different.   Support the show

Our seemingly healthy tree just fell over!   Apparently under the surface, the roots were not healthy.  This had me thinking what it might look like for our relationships, work, faith, and society to be planted in healthy, life-giving soil?  More personally, is my life deeply rooted in the things that really matter?   Support the show

Jesus is out of his mind because politically, religiously and even in his own family he isn't conforming to expectations.  But conforming to one way of believing or belonging leaves too many people behind, which is why Jesus' redefines belonging to a family about something other than biology.  The Kingdom of God then for Dr. Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz becomes the Kin-dom of God, or the family...

When it feels like there’s a threat to us, our views or our way of life it’s not uncommon for us to lean into the worst parts of our humanity.   It's one thing to notice the hypocrisy and danger in a strange cult, it's another thing to notice it within our own faith or even within ourselves. Support the show

What happens if our religious words, images and ideas become too precious?  Do we ever stop to wonder how others might experience or understand our faith?  Do we even know what our favorite words mean?  Jesus talked about the kingdom of God coming near, but 2000 years later what images come to mind when we think of a kingdom?  Perhaps this is why Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would often pair ta...

It's 2024 and we are now living in an election year!  Too soon?   Whether we like it or not, it's here and it's worth reflecting on  how our faith might guide us and sustain us through the opportunities and challenges that this year will bring.   Support the show

Have you ever noticed that the birth stories of Jesus don't actually mention many of the animals that are often included in our Nativity scenes?  So, what happened to all the animals?    Support the show

Santa is a rather strange character if you're not familiar with Christmas traditions about a jolly old elf dressed all in red breaking into homes once a year to leave gifts.   Similarly, John the Baptist, is a strange character, in part, because we're not always familiar with the stories and traditions that help us make sense of his costume and weird behavior.  Support the show

What happens when the voice of the male religious leader is put on mute?  What happens when Christmas comes to turn our world upside down?  What voices will we hear?  This is a replay from a 2022 Advent sermon.   Support the show

Why do Christians have this bizarre ritual where we talk about bread and wine as the body and blood of Jesus?  And why does the meal focus on the death of Jesus instead of the resurrection of Jesus?  Perhaps like the young church in Corinth, we need to rediscover what this meal means for us and for our world.   Support the show

We've come to the end of 1 Samuel, which is really just a point of intermission.  It's an interruption in the story that gives us a moment to look back at where we've been and what we've learned.   Support the show

David is successful in this story because he notices and values those who are left behind.   While some want to exclude those who are exhausted and unproductive, David insists that God's generosity is for everyone.   Support the show

We're fortunate to have Rev. Dr. Grace Park as our guest preacher today talking about Jesus walking on water.   Support the show

Halloween is here, which means costumes, candy and scary stories.  Even in the Bible we have a ghost story that reflects a truly horrifying reality.  Thankfully even our most scary stories can have an after-life, if you will, that transforms the lesson from evil to good.   Support the show