No Experts Allowed

We have a lot of stuff. Compared to most of the world, those capable of listening to podcasts are doing quite well. We often, however, do not think of ourselves as wealthy. After all, some are much more affluent than us. We don't have private planes, yachts, or entourages. So, how do we read Jesus' remark, "Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven...

CW: discussions of abuse, painful marriages, and scripture that people have used to trap women in harmful situations While our episodes often touch on serious topics, this one deserves the content warning above. We mention these potentially triggering topics, but they're not most of the episode. Instead of trying to wrestle with texts about marriage's permanency, Jonathan and Seth zoom out. They d...

Lately, there has been a lot of coverage in the news about political factions. But factions appear more than just in the political sphere. Churches, of course, can develop them too. They're equally insidious and difficult to deal with in civic, and public life. So, Jonathan and Seth talk about how these divisions take place. They start small this week; they don't try to tackle the United State's p...

One of the defining characteristics of the Psalms is that they have little historical context. Dating them is incredibly tricky. Scholars often rely on how language develops as much as they do historical artifacts. Because of this limited historical data, they're endlessly applicable; it's why they resonate today. Jonathan and Seth discuss Psalm 1, which could be read as an introduction to the ent...

We use our tongues a lot. We use them to swallow, speak, and help us chew food. They're the strongest muscle in the human body relative to its size. It likewise, has an outsized impact on our lives. The words it forms can edify or eviscerate. So, Jonathan and Seth discuss words and speech this week based on James' comment that "the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits" (3:5)....

Everyone has a name. One can change their name, use a nickname, like or dislike it, but they have a name. What does it mean to have a "good name"? And how do we develop one or protect it? Jonathan and Seth discuss names and reputations this week. They talk about how creating a lasting reputation may take a long time. And what do names have to do with God? What does this passage tell us about God's...

What is purity? What makes someone pure? How is it maintained and how is it restored? In this week's Gospel text, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees asking questions about the practice of ritual handwashing that they do to ensure purity. Jesus responds that "nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile" (Mk. 7:15). In James, however, true rel...

Families often shape one's faith. Frankly, that can be both positive and negative. Families can pass down unhelpful, harmful theologies. They can also spur someone to ask questions. As a mom recently told Seth, her son asked, "If Jesus breathing on someone can give them the Holy Spirit, can he also fart on them?" On a more serious note, Jonathan and Seth discuss who in their family had an unyieldi...

The Bible is packed with "wisdom literature." It's most often associated with books from the Hebrew Bible, but some scholars have argued that James and portions of Ephesians fall under the umbrella of "wisdom literature" too. So, what is it? Does Jesus produce wisdom literature? What happens if we apply the lens we ordinarily use for wisdom literature to Jesus' words? Jonathan and Seth discuss how...

One of Seth's life rules is that we should always be wary when people want fewer ethics. Codes of ethics are also in the news, as President Biden proposes a binding code of ethics for the Supreme Court. In Ephesians, Paul lays out some rules for the community to follow. Could this be a source of ethics in the modern world? Could it, at least, be a start? And what happens when we don't follow them?...

This episode's text immediately follows last week's text about David raping Bathsheba. Because of that, this episode may also be triggering for some. Like last week, feel free to skip this episode and join us next week when we return to discussing the appointed gospel text. David is now forced to live with the consequences of his actions. Even his power cannot insulate him from Nathan's rebuke. Wh...

Content Warning: This episode discusses David raping Bathsheba. We understand that may be triggering and we hope you’ll tune in next week. King David has a lot of power. He’s “the guy” to lead Israel. His military conquests are legendary. His kingdom is as big as Israel will ever be. He uses that power, however, to control and rape Bathsheba. In this episode, Jonathan and Seth discuss power. How d...

Some of the most important jobs are dirty, tiring, and overlooked. Such was the life of a shepherd in first-century Palestine. With countless sheep to watch and threats to assess, there were no showers or Dr. Scholl's orthotics for support during long days on their feet. In this episode, Jonathan and Seth revisit the concept of shepherds, drawing parallels to modern-day teachers. They ask what les...

The Church and secular governments have a storied history, occasionally acting as coconspirators in plans to concentrate power among a few and sometimes being deeply adversarial. There's also the enduring challenge of untangling the Church from the government after they become "roommates". To make it more complex, opposite trends have simultaneously occurred in different places. Can they learn fro...

Boasting can make both friends and enemies. With the right amount of boasting, one can bolster other's opinions of them. Too much, the boast-er is seen as arrogant, rude, or haughty. Paul, rather, "boast[s] all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me" (2 Cor.  12.9). What does boating in weakness look like? What does boasting look like when one has been traine...

There is much to lament if one looks around; there are also many reasons for hope. How are our laments and our hopes intertwined? Are both necessary? How does trust in God influence how we cry out, dream, despair, or get to work? Jonathan and Seth discuss these questions based on the only joyous section of Lamentations. And while this episode touches briefly on the Gospel reading (Mark 5:21-43), t...

Do you have any unexpected relationships? Ones that make you think, "I don't know how this happened" or that you believe are misunderstood or misconstrued from the outside? In this week's episode, David and Jonathan seem to have an unexpected relationship. David is, at first, an outsider to the royal family and Saul is overtly antagonistic to him. Jonathan seems like he should be David's competito...

"What's good?" can be more than a greeting, but a way of thinking. In this Sunday's appointed lectionary text, Jesus tells short parables about seeds. In the first, someone scatters seed on the ground; it grows, and the sower harvests it. Next, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to the tiny mustard seed that grows into a large shrub. Jonathan and Seth discuss seemingly small, positive actions happe...

There are various famous "falls": Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," The Fall of Rome, the fall season, etc. Theology has discussed a different kind of fall, one that affects not only the Usher family, a single civilization, or trees, but one that leaves a permanent scar on humanity. What does it look like to read the story of "The Fall" in context? What about reading it through a...

Are you a rule breaker? Jesus was. In the appointed Gospel reading for this Sunday, Jesus claims that King David was, too. But they don't break just any rules, run stoplights, or commit petty theft. They break rules that prevent human flourishing. Jonathan and Seth discuss "making good trouble" and how prioritizing people grows from our calling as Jesus' followers. This episode is a day late becau...

Does the Trinity matter? Does it exist only to give professional theologians minutiae to argue about? Is it a manifestation of male-dominated, political church councils that should be thrown into the dustbin of history? Jonathan and Seth think it does more than describe how the members of the Trinity interact; it also expresses how people should interact. So, it more than matters. Of all our episo...

While each member of the Trinity plays an equal role in the Godhead (to say anything else has been heresy since at least 381), in practice, the Holy Spirit often gets the least attention in mainline circles. What would focusing on the Holy Spirit for a Sunday look like? What words could we use throughout the church year to expand our names for God? Jonathan and Seth discuss just this as we end the...

Life's complicated. There's a myriad of choices to be made daily. Many we make unconsciously. Others keep us awake at night as we fret over the options. In the appointed psalm for this Sunday, there appears to be a clear distinction between those who are good and evil. How does one know, however, which category they're in? Jonathan and Seth discuss how we can tell if we're following God. Is it pos...

One way to think about the Psalms is as ancient Israel's hymnody. Like more contemporary songs, from Bach to Beyonce, one doesn't have to understand every part of it to appreciate it. There are some opaque metaphors; others seem clear. In Psalm 98, the whole chorus of creation joins in on the hymn. So, Jonathan and Seth discuss ways that we can make worship sound more like this image. How can we g...

"Love" gets thrown around all the time. "I love ice cream," says Seth. We've talked many times on this podcast about God's love. 1 John, again, emphasizes love this week. So, too, does the appointed Acts reading that narrates the Ethiopian eunuch's baptism. Jonathan and Seth ask: What does this story tell us about God's limitless love? Who are the eunuchs of today? Who are people who we, despite o...