a Church Podcast

The story of Ruth is written as a response to the anti-immigrant prejudice of the day.  In the time of Nehemiah, she is the illegal immigrant, who challenges the stereotypes placed upon her.  She is the voice of the most vulnerable and she is the voice of God.  How can the story of Ruth help us to see those who are different than us with more openness, more compassion and more kindness.   Support...

What does it mean to belong?  Ruth was an immigrant.  Like many people, Ruth encountered judgment, prejudice, and exclusion because she was seen as a cultural and spiritual outsider.  But without her, history and maybe even our own stories would look very different. Join us as we begin our new sermon series looking at the revolutionary story of exclusion and belonging in the book of Ruth.  Support...

We welcome the return of The Rev. Dr. Kikanza Nuri-Robins to our pulpit.  The Rev. Dr. Nuri-Robins works with people and organizations that are in transition — or ought to be.  Today she invites us to consider the big stones in Numbers 20 and Mark 16. Support the show

What does the simple / difficult practice of rest look like for us?  As a way of slowing down and paying attention is rest or sabbath, a legalistic rule or is it a gift of grace?  For a community of newly released slaves the sabbath was a profound sign and symbol of freedom.  Tricia Hersey says that that even today rest is an act of resistance and liberation.   Support the show

How do we consume information?  So far we've considered the spiritual practices of eating together (communion) and reflecting on highs and lows (the Examen).  Today we look at reading (Lectio Divina / Sacred Reading) to help us slow down and pay attention.   Support the show

We can find a history of Christianity and racism at the geographic and ideological site of the plantation.  But like Lucille Clifton's poem, Won't You Celebrate with Me, there is also a celebration mapped against the haunt.  In honor of Black History Month, this is a conversation with Victor Andre Greene about our tangled history of a Christianity used to enslave, and a faith embraced an...

There are all kinds of ways of being scattered.  Globally, refugees have been physically scattered away from their homes.  Relationally, we can feel scattered or distanced from family, friends or God.   And even our inner world can feel scattered or fragmented.  Is there are way for God to gather us back together and make us whole?  Support the show

For thousands of years humans have been sharing food and not just as a way of consuming enough calories so that we can survive.  Eating together is one of the primary ways of being family, of being friends and of being a community.  Eating together is a ritual or practice that has the power to form us, our relationships and our values in part because of how frequently it happens.  As a result, HOW...

Who has better vision?  A wise, well-known, spiritual figure or...  his donkey?  Epiphany is the season after Christmas when we try to figure out what to do with what is revealed in the light.  Will we become more aware, or will we choose to close our eyes?   Support the show

The season of Epiphany is a celebration of the light of God with us.  In this strange story the light reveals the poison of oppression and the light offers a way toward healing both then and now.   Support the show

We are in another Epiphany moment where the light of God with us is inviting us to see more clearly and honestly.  The darkness, however, will always fight back.  Herod responded to the light with violence.  Jim Crows laws followed the Emancipation Proclamation.  White supremacy fought back against the the Civil Rights Movement and today the darkness of racism and injustice is alive and well.  Dr....

The Magi or the wisemen come as stereotypes into  the Christmas story.  Based on past stories we assume that we already know them.  We know they are wrong, that they will be wrong and that we are right.  But then the story takes a surprising turn that will invite us into a new and greater openness and humility.   Support the show

Rev. Sue Fisher specializes in interim pastoral work and now serves as a guest preacher and mentor. For 13 years she led the Presbytery’s Nicaragua Partnership Team and has traveled to Nicaragua 8 times. She is a member of Speakers-by-the-Sea Toastmasters club. She sings with the Women's Chorus of El Camino College and loves gardening and traveling.     Support the show

Even though school is out for winter break, the gospel of Matthew wants us to pay attention to some math and spelling.  Through a spelling error we're supposed to notice that Christmas comes with rest and healing.  Through multiplication  we see that Jesus' birth invites us to enjoy and participate in "justice coming down like waters and equality like a never ending stream."  T...

We’ve been talking about patterns and repeated stories all the way through advent.  We begin with God’s generous and inclusive promise to BLESS ALL PEOPLE, but the stories soon fall into patterns of fear and greed that generation after generation bless only a few at the expense of everyone.   But then there are these courageous women who break those dysfunctional cycles in rather unorthodox ways. ...

The first verse is like a trailer to a movie that tells us the whole story.  Why keep reading or watching if we already know what's going to happen?  Generation after generation we keep making the same mistakes, so why would Rahab, the second woman highlighted in Jesus' genealogy, be any different?  Well, since we already here, why don't we give the story a few more minutes, just to...

We are stuck in a time loop.  Looking at Jesus’ family history as we prepare for Christmas is like getting caught in a story that keeps repeating, sort of like “if you give a pig a pancake” but this isn’t really a story that’s appropriate for kids.  This is Jesus' awkward and dysfunctional family history.  As we prepare for Christmas the gospel of Matthew wants us to notice a woman named Tama...

All of our families have their own awkward moments and stories.  Jesus was no different!  In fact his family history might more disfunctional than most.  Matthew prepares us for the birth of Jesus with a long list of Jesus' ancestors.  While boring to read on it's own, Jesus' geneology is full of wild family tales and secrets.  On this first Sunday of Advent we'll look at Genes...

For Christ the King Sunday, Rev. Dr. Tina Blair looks at Hebrews 2:10-18 and invites us to ask, "What kind of King?"   Support the show

How are we to read the Bible?  Are we searching for the one right eternal answer that will separate those who are right (us) from those who are wrong (them)?  Or is there room for different perspectives?  What if God’s Spirit could speak in a “choose your own adventure” way, with different paths all offering us something valuable?   Support the show

As things continue to unravel, God shows up angry and ready to curse the people.  But then Moses, confronts and challenges God's violence and in turn our human violence.   True power and strength, instead, are revealed in God's patience, love and grace.  If our faith story allows Moses to speak truth to God in this way, then perhaps we can have the courage to challenge all the powers in...

Rev. Dr. Sunny Kang speaking at the Installation of Rev. Tim Vance.  The Scripture text is Isaiah 27. Support the show

As we continue our journey through the wilderness things are beginning to unravel.  But there’s still hope as a group of spies explore the promised land.  Will the people keep moving forward into their new future or will their fear of the unknown pull them backwards? Support the show

You're watching TV and in a suprising moment a commerical comes on and, for some reason, it's 50 decibels louder.  You're startled and because you've been startled you get angry and because you feel angry you want someone to blame.  "Who has the remote control and isn't paying attention?!  Oh, I've got the remote control.  Well... why are commercials so loud anyw...

The people are being guided by a liberating God, but in many ways, they’re still following a God they didn’t know that well.  After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, the people assume that God must also be violent just like the gods of Egypt.  But if they’re going to discover God’s true character, it will be critical that we learn to welcome the outsider.   Support the show