Searching the Sacred

Season 9 | Exodus 20 | The 10 Commandments This season we are going down the rabbit hole. We are going to start with Exodus 32 and the story of the Golden Calf. And then based on our conversation, we will see what sparks our next wrestle. Each episode will be it's own unique conversation, but one thing will lead to another and there's no telling where we might go. ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcas...

Season 9 | Exodus 32 | The Golden Calf This season we are going down the rabbit hole. We are going to start with Exodus 32 and the story of the Golden Calf. And then based on our conversation, we will see what sparks our next wrestle. Each episode will be it's own unique conversation, but one thing will lead to another and there's no telling where we might go. ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. A...

Season 8 | Matthew 23 | Woe to You! We often have a picture of Jesus as this kind-hearted, gentle, lamb holding, children loving Messiah. But Jesus had some sassy things to say. As we navigate our way through Lent, let's examine some of the more difficult things that Jesus said to people. ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle...

Season 8 | Matthew 16 | He Called Peter Satan We often have a picture of Jesus as this kind-hearted, gentle, lamb holding, children loving Messiah. But Jesus had some sassy things to say. As we navigate our way through Lent, let's examine some of the more difficult things that Jesus said to people. ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people...

Season 8 | Matthew 16 | Give Us A Sign We often have a picture of Jesus as this kind-hearted, gentle, lamb holding, children loving Messiah. But Jesus had some sassy things to say. As we navigate our way through Lent, let's examine some of the more difficult things that Jesus said to people. ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wres...

Season 8 | Matthew 15 | He Called Her A Dog We often have a picture of Jesus as this kind-hearted, gentle, lamb holding, children loving Messiah. But Jesus had some sassy things to say. As we navigate our way through Lent, let's examine some of the more difficult things that Jesus said to people. ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to...

Season 8 | Matthew 12 | Sassy Jesus: Brood of Vipers We often have a picture of Jesus as this kind-hearted, gentle, lamb holding, children loving Messiah. But Jesus had some sassy things to say. As we navigate our way through Lent, let's examine some of the more difficult things that Jesus said to people. ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all ...

Season 8 | Matthew 7 | Sassy Jesus: Planks, Specks, Dogs, and Swine We often have a picture of Jesus as this kind-hearted, gentle, lamb holding, children loving Messiah. But Jesus had some sassy things to say. As we navigate our way through Lent, let's examine some of the more difficult things that Jesus said to people. ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create c...

Bonus Episode | Romans 12 | Some New Year's Riz As we launch into a new year, what can Romans 12 teach us about doing life with others?  ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle through biblical texts, so that— together— we can expand each other’s experience of what is sacred, whole, and good. We search through the lens of sacre...

Bonus Episode | Luke 2 | The Complexity and Inclusivity of Christ This Advent Season, we will explore a few of the names given to Jesus at the time of his birth to Mary and Joseph. It's easy to read these familiar narratives and not linger on what might have been communicated in something as simple as a name.  ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for...

Bonus Episode | Luke 1 | The Weirdness of Most High God This Advent Season, we will explore a few of the names given to Jesus at the time of his birth to Mary and Joseph. It's easy to read these familiar narratives and not linger on what might have been communicated in something as simple as a name.  ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all peopl...

Bonus Episode | Matthew 1 | The Uniqueness of Emmanuel This Advent Season, we will explore a few of the names given to Jesus at the time of his birth to Mary and Joseph. It's easy to read these familiar narratives and not linger on what might have been communicated in something as simple as a name.  ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people...

Bonus Episode | Matthew 1 | The Naming of Jesus This Advent Season, we will explore a few of the names given to Jesus at the time of his birth to Mary and Joseph. It's easy to read these familiar narratives and not linger on what might have been communicated in something as simple as a name.  ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wre...

Bonus Episode! We are LIVE @ Art House North in St. Paul, Minnesota for a special episode of Searching the Sacred.  Those gathered on a crisp fall night in Minnesota were able to vote on the passage we discussed - AND - we created space to hear from the audience.  Patriarchal Drunkenness and Female Defiance | Esther 1 ____ This is a 40 Orchards podcast. At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create cir...

Season 7 | 2 Kings 4 | The GREAT Woman of Shunem To end our season on Daughters of the Hebrew Scriptures, we turn to 2 Kings 4 and the story of the Shunammite Woman. Is she wealthy? Is she smart? Is she fat (not my word...listen to the podcast)? Is she savvy? Is she simply well-to-do? She is definitely worth talking about! And if you didn't know the power of midrash to find meaning in the most una...

Season 7 | 1 Samuel 1 | Hannah Pours Herself Out Hannah is a complex person. We meet her in a time of despair. But she is persistent. She's willing to cross lines. She's willing to speak her truth. She's going to violate some customs. And her name means grace. Enjoy exploring her story with us! ____ Afterthoughts Something new this season is our invitation for you to join us on Patreon for our Aft...

Season 7 | Joshua 2 | The Hope of Rahab If one put together a list of the most influential women of the Hebrew Scriptures, Rahab's name would appear towards the top. She's in the genealogy of Jesus. She had a provocative occupation that catches people's attention. And her story comes at a pivotal time in the history of Israel, as they are in the process of leaving the wilderness and moving into th...

Season 7 | 1 Samuel 18 | The Tragic and Prophetic Life of Michal Daughter of Saul. Wife of David. It would be easy to breeze past the story of Michal as she is bound and wound around the lives of some of the more well-known people of the Hebrew Scriptures. But that would be a mistake. The complexity of Michal's life, and the powerful way in which she lives it - speaking truth to power, might be on...

Season 7 | Judges 4 | Deborah the Prophet Judge She's the only judge who is a woman. She's also the only judge who is a prophet. Maybe in a book with people like Samson and Gideon, we should have been paying more attention to Deborah all along.   What can we glean and learn from her posture and her position as the leader of Israel? ____ Afterthoughts Something new this season is our invitation for...

Season 7 | 2 Kings 22 | Listening to Huldah After years of neglect, the young king Josiah and his band of merry men, find a copy of the Torah in the Temple. They instantly panic and realize they are in need of wisdom. So who do they turn to? Huldah! Who? Exactly!  The story of Huldah is hidden inside the story of Josiah. But without Huldah, there is no Josiah. What can we learn from this dynamic a...

Summer Bonus Episode! The Parable of the Prodigal Son or the Lost Son or the Forgiving Father or the (you name it) has been preached on and spoken about as frequently as any parable that Jesus ever gave. But what happens if we kick at it a little bit. What happens if we wrestle with it? What happens when we remember other stories of brothers in the Hebrew Scriptures? What happens when we hear this...

Season 6 | Genesis 27 | Rebekah Changes Everything It's not an exaggeration to say that Rebekah changes the course of human history. She encourages Jacob to go and get the blessing from Isaac - the blessing that becomes the 12 tribes of Israel.  Her story and her bravery and her cunning should be the stuff of legend, but she's normally just a footnote.  This podcast packs so much into it. Enjoy th...

Season 6 | Numbers 6 | Seeking Shalom Shalom - It's one of those words we hear often and we think we know. But there are so many different ways it's been used. 'Peace' 'Restitution' 'Rebuild' From Deuteronomy to Numbers to Joel to Nehemiah.  What if shalom isn't something we give...but it's something we seek? What does it look like for 'peace' to be a verb and a noun?

Season 6 | Matthew 9 | Missing the Mark While eating with his new disciple, Matthew, and a group of Matthew's friends, Jesus gets confronted by some Pharisee's who don't like his choice of dinner companion.  The people at the dinner get labeled as 'sinners'. What does this mean and why might it be important for us to unpack? Jesus then talks about living in a way that brings wholeness, and not jus...

Season 6 | 1 Samuel 4 | Ichabod and the Adventure of the Captured Ark Did anyone know that there was an Ichabod in the Bible? What does his name have to do with the story of Israel? Why might this be an important reflection for us in our time? This might be a small and unknown passage, but it's loaded with good questions and insights.