Pod Be With You

This week, in a lot a ways, we're talking about the Spirit. Although we are both going in different directions with our sermons, the Holy Spirit of creation, creativity, and calling, is at the heart of the conversation, moving us to be transformed, even as we transform the world in which we live. Join us for a conversation the moves with the wind, as we explore transformation, work, dreams, a...

Hey everyone! Your second-favorite host of Pod Be With You has returned! Aaron is back, and together he and Paige catch up on the last three months, exploring some of the blessings of sabbatical time. Then, we discuss Paige's latest "Sunday Funny" comic, taking on some light and breezy topics like divine providence, worry, and care. Thanks for joining us!

"Do not be conformed, but be transformed, by the renewing of your mind." What does Paul mean when he says this? How do we live into transformation and renewal? What might that look like? We dive into the Epistles, the mind of Paul, and how our perspective can change our world, and the world.

An understanding of history...where we came from...helps us to understand where we are, and maybe, where we are going. On this episode of Pod Be With You, a super short exploration of Christian denominations, with a focus on the United Church of Christ. We come from the Puritans, the Pilgrims, some cantankerous Germans, and some wild and crazy folks from the Western frontier. Join us for an explor...

As Christians, we say with our Jewish and Muslim siblings, that we are a "people of the Book."  But what does that mean when the book in question is full of angels, and demons, and worldwide floods, and virgin births,  and miraculous healings? How do we, as modern people, make sense of this, and perhaps more to the point, how does it apply to our lives right now, in 2022?  Together we ar...

Both of the churches we serve are doing something a little bit different this week in terms of worship and liturgy, or literally, "The Work of the People." And so this prompted a conversation about worship itself, the brick and mortar buildings we call "church," faith and action and how those two things intersect, and what it means to have a God who does not dwell in houses bui...

It's in the mid to high 80's out, the perfect time to celebrate Christmas! So put on your favorite ugly sweater, get a cup of cocoa, and join us for an exploration into the heart of the incarnation...what it is, what it means, and what it doesn't...we'll figure it all out in 30 minutes or less. (Yeah, right.) But truly, the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ is not just for...

We have another one of the wonderful parables of Jesus today, the story of The Great Banquet, a tale of welcome, hospitality, ang grace upon grace. Pretty straightforward, right? Well, if that were true, it wouldn't be a parable, now would it? Join us as we dive into Jesus' "Dinner Party Advice," and get another small glimpse of the Kin(g)dom of God.

The Parable of the Talents is well-known, and also notoriously difficult and disturbing. Two pastors, one parable, and a whole lot of exegesis! Let's do it, people...dive in, and see what might really be going on in Jesus' Parable of the Generous Lord!

In this episode of Pod Be With You, we tackle the hot potato that is HELL. Pastors Paige and Michelle dive into the history and scriptures behind this particular piece of Christian theology, and rethink its place in our doctrine. (Because God is Still Speaking, and we can do that.) Join us for an interesting journey into Sheol, Gehenna, and Dante's Inferno, as we ask the question, "What...

At the core of the Christian faith is the call, as declared through the prophet Zechariah, to "administer justice." But what does that mean? One organization in the Chicago area is taking that call at face value, and providing legal aid for folks in need. Join us for an interview with Judy Miller of Administer Justice, who tells us how we, as the local church, can help make legal help ac...

Family, friends, Church, community, all sound like wonderful ideals, full of lovely and loving relationships. But life isn't always the rose-colored reality we envision. Conflicts and confrontations happen. So, does the Bible have any practical advice about how to "love one another?" You bet it does! Join us for a lively discussion around "jerks," Jesus, and living into lo...

This coming Sunday is Trinity Sunday, so join Michelle and Paige this week as we explore...and do our best to explain...what is at it's heart a holy mystery...the Trinity. Three person, one God, a whole lot of questions. 

Sunday is Pentecost, when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.  A mighty wind, tongues of fire, and descending doves are all ways we talk about the mystery of the Spirit. Join Pastor Michelle and Paige as we try to do just that, as we give thanks for this empowering, inspiring, uniting gift.

Sabbatical Summer is upon us! As you already know, Pastor Aaron has started his sabbatical last week. So, for the rest of the summer, I will be joining forces to co-host with Pastor Michelle McNamara from First Congregational United Church of Christ Downers Grove. This week, we are also joined by her colleague there, Pastor Scott Oberle, just days before the start of HIS sabbatical. We gather to t...

Aaron is beginning his sabbatical, and I am left to my own devices! And so, for this first week, I have leaned on my friend and colleague, Laura Bernabei, Director of Children's Ministry at the Congregational Church of Batavia, to talk about children, their place in the Body of Christ, and what they can teach adults. Join us for this fun and important conversation!

We cover a lot of ground this week, beginning with Aaron's upcoming sabbatical (May 23-Aug 23). We take this time to reflect on rest as a pattern of God's creation, as a natural and necessary good, and as (for some) a real struggle in this time and place. And for Paige's Easter Season of sacramental life, we talk sacred commitments: holy vows, abundance and celebration. We yearn for...

We're coming up on the third Sunday of Easter already, and in our scriptures and our worship, Resurrection is real! In Paige's congregation we explore the sacramental moment that is Confirmation, as we celebrate and nurture the gifts of the Spirit that make the Church the Church. And in Aaron's congregation, it is healing and hope, in the story of Christ's reconciliation with P...

It's the Easter Season! And we cover EVERYTHING in 43 minutes...life, death, resurrection, healing, the nature of the sacraments, the power of the Holy Spirit, and Pentecost! Whew. Join us for a recap of Holy Week, a taste of the Easter Season, and a preview of Pentecost, as we celebrate resurrection, rebirth, new life.

"Ah, Holy Jesus, How Hast Thou Offended," is one of the great and traditional hymns of the season. This week, as we explore Palm and Passion Sunday, we talk a little about exactly how he did offend...how we got from shouts of "Hosanna" to "Crucify Him" in one week. Because Jesus was busy that week, provoking and prodding with God's justice, freedom, and radical l...

We're on our fifth week of Lent, and the last of our senses, the sense of Touch. And with that, two wonderful Bible stories about the power of Touch, to heal, to connect, to make whole. But the Church's history with Touch, and our larger culture's is not as simple as these stories, at least on the surface, make it appear to be. Join us this week for the sense of Touch, and a far-ran...

Have you heard? We're coming up on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which means the sense we are celebrating and exploring is Hearing. There are so many stories in the Bible where this sense takes center stage, from healing stories in the Gospels, to call stories throughout the scriptures, to the music and praise of the Psalms. Join us this week as we talk about the power of music to shape our live...

This one, the sense of smell, may seem like the strangest of the bunch, at least at first. But as we dive into the scripture, we find that smell is a powerful metaphor for the holy, a trigger for memory, a statement on the impermanent and the transcendent. Join us this week to talk about perfume, incense, sharpened number two pencils, and the power of smell to take us to a different place altogeth...

"We walk by faith," wrote St. Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth, "not by sight." But do we? The sense of sight is such a fruitful metaphor in our scriptures for what it means to perceive, the apprehend, to gain spiritual insight and understanding.  This week, as we study the sense of sight, we will explore the Psalms and the Gospel of Mark, and talk about wonde...

Lent has begun, and with it, the Sermon Series that our churches, the Congregational Church of Batavia, and the First Congregational Church of Dundee, are both exploring...a reclaiming, and maybe even celebration, of what it means to be embodied. The Church has a long, conflicted relationship with the body, but it is the way in which we get to know, and connect with our world, including other peop...