Church Potluck: A Smorgasbord of Christian Curiosity

Send us Fan Mail I had the honor of delivering the baccalaureate address to this year's graduates of Berry College. I was grateful for the kind words of affirmation I received afterward. One colleague, David Barr, called it "a love letter to Berry and Jesus." That description really touched me. Here's how AI describes it in a sentence: "A deeply personal, reflective, and s...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to be a person, and who gets to decide? This episode dives headfirst into one of the most deceptively simple—and quietly explosive—questions in ethics, theology, and science. Is personhood limited to humans, or does it extend to animals, artificial intelligence, corporations, or even extraterrestrial life? Along the way, we wrestle with why defining personhood by...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s Church Potluck is a powerful crossover episode with American Angst . Dale McConkey is joined by fellow United Methodist pastors Rev. Ash McEuen and Rev. Karen Kagiyama , along with political scientist Dr. Michael Bailey , for a wide-ranging conversation about immigration, protest, and what it means to follow Jesus in public life . The discussion begins with the real-wo...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s Church Potluck looks a little different than usual. With guests postponed and a winter storm rolling across the country, Dale flies solo—no roundtable conversation, no lively banter, just a thoughtful monologue shaped like a Bible study. The focus, however, could not be more timely. Few topics divide Christians today more deeply than the question of power —Christian na...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Church Potluck , Dale McConkey welcomes a bundle of chaplains for a thoughtful, funny, and deeply moving conversation about what chaplains do—and how their ministry differs from that of congregational pastors. Special guest Rev. James Henderson —a priest in the Anglican Church of North America who serves as both a hospital chaplain and an Air Force chaplain—join...

Send us Fan Mail On this final day of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar , we pause at the heart of Christmas itself. In this short, reflective episode, Dale returns to a cherished family ritual: reading Luke’s nativity story and pondering what it truly means that God enters God’s own creation— “puncturing time and space” in the most humble and human way imaginable. From the machinery of empire to...

Send us Fan Mail As Christmas draws near, this episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar turns to one of the most beloved and awe-filled traditions of the season: Midnight Mass . Dale is joined by Dr. Christy Snyder , our resident Catholic expert, to explore why this service holds such deep meaning—not only for Catholics, but across many liturgical Christian traditions. Dr. Snyder describes Mi...

Send us Fan Mail As the Church Potluck Advent Calendar draws near its conclusion, Dale is joined once again by Dr. Michael Papazian for a fascinating exploration of a tradition deeply rooted in his own faith: the Armenian Blessing of the Water , celebrated on January 6 as part of Theophany . In the Armenian Apostolic Church, Christmas, the baptism of Jesus, and the visit of the Magi are woven toge...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar , Dale is joined once again by Rev. Dr. Valerie Loner , pastor of Rome First United Methodist Church , for a joyful and surprisingly theological conversation about the Blessing of the Animals . Often associated with St. Francis of Assisi and typically celebrated in October, this beloved ritual takes on fresh meaning when viewed...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar , Dale is joined by Rev. Chris Barbieri  for a moving and compassionate conversation about the Longest Night Service , sometimes called Blue Christmas or The Darkest Night . Set near the winter solstice, this service creates sacred space for those who carry grief, loss, or heartache during a season often filled with forced chee...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar , Dale is joined by the always evocative and thoughtful Dr. Michael Bailey for a wide-ranging conversation about why sacred Christmas music so often resonates more deeply than its secular counterparts. Dr. Bailey offers a gentle but compelling reflection—not rooted in nostalgia or piety, but in musical depth—suggesting that the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar , Dale is joined by Rev. Dr. Valerie Loner , pastor of Rome First United Methodist Church, for a thoughtful and warm conversation about the Chrismon Tree —a familiar Advent symbol whose meaning is often seen but not always understood. Together, they explore how this white-and-gold tree, adorned with repeated Christian symbols,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar , Dale is joined once again by Rev. Chris Barbieri to explore the charming and lesser-known Italian Epiphany tradition of La Befana , the Christmas Witch. Blending Christian theology with local folklore, La Befana tells the story of a grandmotherly figure who encounters the Magi on their journey to find the Christ child. After...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar , Dale welcomes back the always-thoughtful Dr. Michael Papazian to explore the rich and often unfamiliar Coptic Christian traditions of fasting during Advent . Rooted in the ancient Church of Egypt—whose history stretches back to St. Mark himself—the Coptic Church approaches fasting not as deprivation, but as a communal spiritu...

Send us Fan Mail In this Advent Calendar episode of Church Potluck , Dale welcomes back fan-favorite Dr. Michael Papazian to explore the ancient and surprisingly familiar tradition of the O Antiphons . Dating back to the early church, these short sung or chanted prayers connect modern worshipers with centuries of Christian faith and anticipation. Together, Michael and Dale unpack how the O Antipho...

Send us Fan Mail In this warm and joyful episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar , Dale welcomes first-time guest Mary Ángel Castillo Obando , a Berry College student from Costa Rica, to share two beloved Christmas traditions from her home country. She first discusses the all-day, extended-family ritual of making tamales—known in Costa Rica as La Tamaleada . Mary Ángel then describes the cel...

Send us Fan Mail What if the most audacious claim of Christmas isn’t the angels or the star—but the humility that God exhibits when taking on flesh? In this reflective solo Advent episode of Church Potluck , Dale explores the astonishing pattern that runs from the manger to the cross: God choosing vulnerability over power. From shepherds as first witnesses, to refugees fleeing violence, to a Messi...

Send us Fan Mail In this warm and quietly fascinating Advent conversation, Julianne Bailey introduces listeners to St. Lucy’s (St. Lucia’s) Day , a beautiful Scandinavian tradition centered on light in the darkness . Drawing on her Swedish family heritage, Julianne explains how December 13 is marked by candles, white garments, wreaths, and special sweet bread—customs shaped by both early Christian...

Send us Fan Mail Discover the powerful story behind Our Lady of Guadalupe and why this 16th-century apparition of Mary remains one of the most beloved symbols of faith, hope, and cultural dignity across the Americas. Dr. Michael Papazian joins Dale to unpack the history, miracles, and cross-cultural beauty of the Guadalupe tradition—from Juan Diego’s encounter to the imagery that still moves milli...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the Christmas story is no longer something we just think about , but something we step into ? In this episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar , Dale is joined by Ginger Binkley , a longtime friend and ministry partner from Mount Tabor United Methodist Church, to reflect on the beauty and purpose of live nativity scenes . Together, they explore why churches...

Send us Fan Mail What if one of the most familiar Christmas songs isn’t childish at all—but deeply, quietly profound? In this solo Advent reflection, Dale revisits The Little Drummer Boy and traces how its meaning shifted for him over his lifetime—from a dark claymation special in childhood to a moment of unexpected theological depth in a college Christmas service. Exploring humility, offering wha...

Send us Fan Mail Dive into the rich flavors and deeper meaning behind The Feast of the Seven Fishes —an Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition rooted in Catholic fasting and joyful anticipation. In this episode, Dale is joined by Rev. Chris Barbieri , who shares both cultural background and personal insight into this seafood-centered vigil meal that prepares families for Midnight Mass. Together...

Send us Fan Mail  In today’s Church Potluck Advent Calendar episode, we explore one of the most beautiful—and most misunderstood—Catholic celebrations: the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Dr. Christy Snider joins us to clarify what this feast actually commemorates (spoiler: it’s not about Jesus’s conception) and to unpack the rich theology behind Mary’s own conception in the womb of her mother...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s Church Potluck Advent Calendar episode, we explore a beautiful and often-overlooked Christmas Eve tradition: the Moravian Love Feast. Rev. Chris Barbieri joins us to share both the history and the heart behind this centuries-old practice—part hymn-filled worship service, part shared meal, and wholly focused on community. Chris walks us through the Moravian story, from t...

Send us Fan Mail HAPPY SAINT NICHOLAS DAY! In this third and final St. Nicholas episode of the Church Potluck Advent Calendar, Dr. Jordan Rowan Fannin helps us move from shoes and stories into the deeper spiritual meaning of the saint behind the season. On this Feast of St. Nicholas , Jordan explores why his legendary generosity endures—not because of miracles or grand gestures, but because of sma...