Music, Hope, Word, Prayer

Can the Church be a “safe space?” From the looks and sounds of it, the church can come across as more anti- than pro- (…anti-women, anti-science, anti-LGBTQIA+) and more judgmental and more hypocritical. Yep, we can be judgemental and hypocritical because the church is made up of individuals who are imperfect. But that is not all we all the church is. We can be places of welcome and open doors and...

“Is the mic on?” is how Dr. David Dark begins his soon to be released book We Become What We Normalize . This episode builds upon an interview Pastor John did during a recent Sunday morning church service (9/3/2023) on the themes of bravery and truthfulness and accountability touched upon in his book, on whether the church can be a “safe space”, and on his being a featured speaker at the Greenbelt...

We like to think that the church is a “safe space.” We want it to be. But for many, there are too many traumas associated with church. And yet, we are hungry for safe spaces of connection, belonging, and growth. In this episode, Pastor John invites Tyler Spaid, a member at EBPC, to tell his and his family’s story (17 minute interview). Then John reflects on what it would be to gazes of grace rathe...

Episode Description: I think we can all agree parenting is getting harder all the time. Children are experiencing things we never imagined. How do we guide them? In the Bible it is written “When your children ask you why do you live the way you do, you are to tell them what matters to you” ( Deuteronomy 6:20-25) .  We explore the assumption in this episode that if a child is going to become a grow...

Have you ever thought about the difference between power and authority? Often the words are interchangeable. But there is a difference. Maybe you got a whiff of power when you were a school crossing guard wearing the yellow sash, giving you power but not necessarily authority. We recognize the difference between those with power and those who, in living their lives, reflected the power of authorit...

Rev. John Hilley is joined by two special guests, Dr. Stephen Loyd and Dr. Monty Burks. In addition to briefly sharing their personal stories, they discuss the science of addiction and the barriers to gaining and maintaining long-term recovery including stigma and shame, deep-seated trauma and how communities of faith can play a significant role in opening the doors to those who are struggling and...

East Brentwood Presbyterian Church's Pastor John Hilley invites two incredible people who have helped hundreds of individuals and families navigate addiction and recovery. Join us as Tracey Levine of Healing Housing ( www.healinghousing.org ) and Jaime Gibbons of Integrative Life Center ( www.integrativelifecenter.com )  share a wealth of wisdom around addressing misconceptions, barriers, and...

You will hear from clergy folks like Pastor John that God is graciously present all around us. We have stories that bear that out. But truth be told, we also have to admit that it’s often hard to recognize that presence and we ask “where is God?”  When we feel like we are in the wilderness, it is easy to  wonder where God is. The biblical character Jacob is on the run, having been sent out on a jo...

This episode takes a look at the word mercy . In the Bible, the word “mercy” is usually used in association with forgiveness or withholding punishment. Nashville songwriter Mary Gauthier has a powerful song about how we could all use a little mercy now (“ Mercy Now” ). Jesus once said: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke u...

Behind this episode is the concern of how our faith in God makes a difference in our lives. And, in particular, when it comes to hospitality and welcoming others. Take for instance, where Jesus says to his disciples "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me” (Matthew 10:40). John’s message is inspired by something Diana Butler Bass recently wrote:...

In today's episode, we are thrilled  to bring in Rev Stacy Rector.  Reverend Stacy Rector is a native of Dyersburg, Tennessee, a graduate of Rhodes College and Columbia Theological Seminary. In 2006, she became Executive Director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, an organization whose mission is to honor life by abolishing the death penalty. Reverend Rector has served on t...

Everyone will find something of interest in this episode, but especially men. Parents who have boys will, too. This episode covers a lot of ground as does Pastor John’s guest, Dan Davis, who has walked thousands of miles of trails in the North Carolina mountains.  Dan is legendary in the professional camping world, a trusted mentor to young men. He is a sage guide to men and families, helping them...

"It's Over...What Next?" is aimed at those who are facing a transition or uncertainty. Speaker Barbara Lundblad got John Hilley thinking with this line she used during a recent talk at the Festival of Homiletics as did an interview with organizational psychologist Adam Grant on uncertainty. The Scripture text draws from the 20th and 21st chapter of the Gospel of John, especially tha...

The Pentecost Story is a powerful story about how the gospel of Jesus Christ draws us together to hear the mighty works of God. It challenges us to ask ourselves: what barriers do we erect to limit its power to be at work in us? Why aren’t we together anymore? And what would it mean for others to see in our lives a witness that is apparent spiritually and practically. Pastor John's message is...

Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-8). What a wonderful saying! But it is a poke in the eye to those of us self-sufficient types who will “do it myself.” This episode explores the feelings and thoughts prompted by this famous “I Am” saying of Jesus, particularly when it comes to...

There was this time when Jesus was talking to his disciples and he said: “I am the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6) . If this was put as a question “Do you believe Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and that NO ONE comes to God except through him?” how would you answer?  This verse can be problematic as it sounds so exclusive...

What does belonging feel like to you? When have you sensed it? There’s something about belonging that’s hard to pin down. Belonging is more often felt before it can be described. But belonging is more than a feeling. Dustin Benac, writing as part of The Presbyterian Outlook’s “Belonging Project”  writes that “Belonging is the condition of possibility for the life of faith to take material form.” T...

Episode Title: "The Incarnation of the Resurrection" Description: From Pastor John's Easter Message: "The first Easter dawned on a world saturated with fear, haunted by death, shaken by God, and blessed by the loving actions of a few brave souls. All of which is to say, the first Easter feels a lot like this Easter in Nashville. And, for me, there is hope to be found in this co...

Taken from a  message shared on Palm Sunday in Nashville, TN but around here it feels like one long, crushing Good Friday following the recent tragic mass shooting. I got a text from a member of church that read: “It feels like we are in the wilderness with Jesus bewildered and depleted of energy…”  Yep! It called to mind a series of devotional talks given in 1962 by the great Howard Thurman, rega...

This week’s podcast is different from our regular weekly format because this week is different. Nashville feels different and something has changed in our community and in our lives in light of the tragic shooting at Nashville’s Covenant Presbyterian Church and School. John Hilley invites Dr. Jon Roebuck, The Rev. Charlie Curb Center for Faith Leadership at Belmont University and the former Senior...

Part of the current series “Seeking: Honest Questions for Deeper Faith” we visit the story of Jesus healing  a blind man. It is a long story with its 44 verses. A meager 7 verses describes the empowerment and healing of a man born blind as Jesus takes on the identity of one who has experienced divine restoration. The lion’s share (33 verses) focuses upon the exhausting questions and bickering by t...

Jesus crosses all kinds of boundaries by leading his disciples through a place off their beaten path - Samaria - where Jesus has a conversation with an ostracized woman ( John 4:5-42 ). His question to her, "Will you give me a drink?," at a well in the noonday heat becomes an invitation to her for a new way of life. For the woman, to respond is risky, but life changing and, as the story...

 We are all looking for truths that bear up the weight of our lives. And in the flood of stories we hear - especially the spiritual stories - we don’t quite know which to take seriously. Same with the questions that are asked. Today's episode has in mind the question of how do we begin again and the great spiritual story of Nicodemus and the recent event/awakening known as The Asbury Revival....