Faith in the Cracks

At the ascension we were told to wait and pray. At Pentecost the Spirit came to empower. Now we are sent. Matthew 28 and the Great Commission to go and make disciples, Luke 10 and the sending of the 72. We too are sent into the world to make a difference and share the light and love of Christ. Support the show

Summer brings a change in temperature and also a change in the rhythms of life. Let's pause to remember the differences and the joys of summer and remember that the pace of life sometimes means to slow down and enjoy the world around you.  Support the show

Sometimes I struggle to let God handle things. I pray and I try to surrender worries or problems that are beyond my control, but I find that often, way too often, I pick them back up...repeatedly. Why is it so hard to let God handle life's big problems? Support the show

The story of the Ascension of Jesus in Acts 1 is one of my favorite. There is a line where the angels have appeared alongside the disciples who have watched Jesus ascend and they ask "Why are you standing looking toward heaven?" Basically, it is a reminder to the disciples they have been given a new mission and need to allow the Holy Spirit to work within them to transform them into what...

In Acts 17, Paul encounters an altar to an unknown god in Athens. He then goes on to talk about the God he knows. The God Paul speaks of cannot be confined to temples or altars, his God is bigger and more mysterious and unknown, yet at the same time, God is closer than our breath.  Support the show

Psalm 23 is a familiar passage for many. It is a reminder that we are tended by the Great Shepherd. What does it look like to allow ourselves to be tended? To be led and restored. To know we do not walk through darkness alone, but that God is always with us? Let yourself be tended this week so that you may tend to others as well.  Support the show

Happy Easter! He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! And pastors everywhere are tired. Many services but a good tired. The joy of Easter is that love triumphs. The women found the empty tomb and in their fear they were also overjoyed. May we go tell others that Jesus has risen and may we let love win! Support the show

As we enter Holy Week, many churches were filled with shouts of Hosanna! and people waved palm branches. Some churches also read the passion story of Jesus before Pilot. And while some churches will observe Holy Week and hold services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to remember the upper room and washing of feet as well as the crucifixion and the denial of Peter, some will not. Some churches wi...

In her book "The Soul's Slow Ripening" Christine Valters Paintner talks about the practice of Three Essential Things. Finding those values that speak to who we are called to be in a particular season of life. Those things may change as we move from season to season or period of time in our life. What is essential for us in our 20's may change in our 60's and it is ours to...

Do you remember memorizing things when you were growing up? Poems, Bible verses, songs? There is a difference when we memorize things and when we learn them by heart. To learn something by heart, we let it become a part of who we are, we know it deeply and it shapes how we respond in the world  What are verses, phrases, or stories that you know by heart? How does that help in your daily life? Supp...

Sorry about last week. But honestly, it felt garbled and haywire. This week has not been much better. The war, the rising cost of things, the human lives lost. We are not yet in the Kingdom of God. We are not yet to the fulfillment of the promises of God, but we are called to keep working for justice and mercy. To do the small everyday acts to bring about goodness in a world where there is lots of...

The beginning of Lent starts with Jesus fasting in the wilderness for 40 days before being met by the adversary. Hungry and tired, Jesus is met with tests that begin with If you are the Son of God...prove it. Yet Jesus knows that his identity is in God and therefore relies on God and not on self sufficiency.   Eleanor Hamilton, a pastor in Scotland has a Facebook page called "Whispers of Grac...

On Transfiguration Sunday, we stand on the mountaintop — glimpsing the radiant glory of Christ before turning toward the ashes of Lent. In this episode, we explore the movement from light to dust, from revelation to repentance, and from spiritual highs to faithful presence in ordinary days. Transfiguration reveals who Jesus is: radiant, beloved, holy.  Ash Wednesday reminds us who we are: fragile,...

In Matthew 5 as Jesus continues his sermon on the mount, he tells those listening "You are the salt of the earth;...you are the light of the world." Not you will develop into these things, but you are. You already have what it takes to flavor the world, preserve the good and heal the hurts. You already have the ability to shine forth and banish the darkness. What does it mean for us to b...

We are at the turning point of winter. This time has been recognized by many cultures, across many centuries and across many continents. Imbolc, St. Brigid's Day, Candlemas and Groundhog Day all arrive in the first days of February and mark a turn toward spring. Winter is not yet done, however ne hope, new light, and new life are beginning to come forth.  Support the show

 In Matthew’s Gospel, the first disciples leave their nets, their boats, and their families to follow Jesus—immediately. What gives someone the courage to step away from what’s familiar into the unknown? In this episode of Faith in the Cracks , we explore what it means to recognize God’s call, to trust when we can’t see the whole picture, and to take the next faithful step when clarity is still un...

What does peace really mean when justice is unfinished? In this episode of Faith in the Cracks , we listen again to Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and reflect on his warning about “negative peace”—the calm that comes from avoiding tension rather than confronting injustice. From Birmingham in 1963 to Minneapolis today, we explore how faith is tested in moments of disruption, a...

  In this episode of Faith in the Cracks , a scene from War Horse becomes a mirror for our own moment: two enemies stepping out of the trenches to show compassion in the middle of war. Reflecting on recent events in Minneapolis and the deep divisions they have exposed, we name the tragedy of lives lost, the danger of becoming entrenched in opposing narratives, and the ways our humanity can slip fr...

As 2025 comes to a close, we pause to reflect on where faith has met us this past year. May we look back and see God at work in our lives. And as we look ahead to 2026, let us trust that God has gone ahead and as we ask God to make ways were there were none before, we seek to be open to the unexpected ways in which God can move within our lives.  This podcast will take a two week break and return...

Joy and Light have been a theme in the previous weeks. this week, we welcome the joy and the light of the Christ Child into the world. May we step back from the crazy of Christmas as see God's presence in the fragile and vulnerable Christ Child.  Support the show

As we enter the 4th week of Advent and as we are in midst of Hannukah, light continuing to grow is a central them. With recent events like the shooting in Australia, we see darkness rear up, but we are reminded that light, although it starts small, grows as the flame is passed. The light grows through each act of hope, each act of love, each act of peace. May we be the light in the world and share...

Advent is the first season of the liturgical year in the church. It is a time when we wait for the Christ child to be born again and we wait for Christ to come again. It is a time when we wait and we talk about where God is at work in us and around us. Waiting is not about sitting around doing nothing, it is about watching, being aware and ready to see the unexpected delights of God. What are you...

The Apostle Paul in writing to the young churches of the New Testament always expresses his gratitude for them. Amidst the conflict in the communities and the turmoil of Paul's life, he always gave thanks. Gratitude can steady us in stress and chaos. When anxiety wants to pull us away from what's good, practicing gratitude can help to quiet our fears. For what are you thankful? Support t...

If you have been outside, you have noticed leaves everywhere. Bags of them on the side of the street, leaves still covering the lawn, and leaves lazily floating downward. They remind me of God's relentless grace. Leaves keep coming, like God's grace. Unearned, uncontrollable and endlessly abundant. As you look at the leaves, remember God's grace falls where it will and it is already...

 Drawing from 2 Thessalonians 2 and Julian of Norwich’s assurance that “all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well,” this episode explores how faith can flourish in the cracks—where life is messy, uncertain, and still held by God.  Support the show