The Faith and Science Podcast

These are the readings for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost; Genesis 25:19-34 and Psalm 119:105-112, or Isaiah 55:10-13 and Psalm 65:(1-8), 9-13, with Romans 8:1-1, and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.  This week's episode wrestles with our tendency toward short-term thinking, from Esau trading his birthright for a quick meal to the "rocky ground" in the Parable of the Sower that springs up fast but never...

These are the readings for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost; Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 and Psalm 45:10-17 or Song of Solomon 2:8-13, or Zechariah 9:9-12 and Psalm 145:8-14, with Romans 7:15-25a, and Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30.  This week the texts take us through the full range of human emotion — from Isaac's joy and grief, to Paul's inner battle, to Jesus' invitation to lay down our burdens and...

These are the readings for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost; Genesis 22:1-14 and Psalm 13, or Jeremiah 28:5-9 and Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18, with Romans 6:12-23, and Matthew 10:40-42.  This week we head underground and into the forest to explore mutualism — the stunning science of how plants, fungi, and bacteria are completely dependent on one another to survive. From nitrogen-fixing bacteria to the 15-...

These are the readings for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost; Genesis 21:8-21 and Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17, Jeremiah 20:7-13 and Psalm 69:7-10, (11-15), 16-18, with Romans 6:1b-11, and Matthew 10:24-39.  This week in the podcast, we explore themes of fear, rejection, and trust in God's presence even in uncomfortable or uncertain moments. Our science tie-in dives into the controversial 1721 Boston smal...

These are the readings for the Third Sunday after Pentecost; Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) and Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19, or Exodus 19:2-8a and Psalm 100, with Romans 5:1-8, and Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23).  "What if the key to understanding how God equips us was living inside your gut right now? This week we explore the fascinating world of the gut microbiome — the trillions of microorganisms that provision...

These are the readings for the Second Sunday after Pentecost; Genesis 12:1-9 and Psalm 33:1-12, Hosea 5:15-6:6 and Psalm 50:7-15, Romans 4:13-25, and Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26.  What if trust isn't just a spiritual virtue — but something written into your biology? This week we dig into the common thread of faith and trust that runs through Abraham's radical journey, Hosea's call to return, Paul's lett...

These are the readings for the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth or Holy Trinity Sunday.  The texts for Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth are 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Psalm 113, Romans 12:9-16b, and Luke 1:39-57.  The texts for Holy Trinity Sunday are Genesis 1:1-2:4a, Psalm 8, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, and Matthew 28:16-20.  This week the podcast asks a question that connects two very different celebrations —...

These are the readings for the Day of Pentecost. The readings are Acts 2:1-21 or Numbers 11:24-30, Psalm 104:24-34, 35b, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 or Acts 2:1-21, John 20:19-23 or John 7:37-39.  This Pentecost reflection explores how the Holy Spirit moves through the biblical images of wind, fire, and living water to bring change, renewal, and growth. Drawing from Acts 2 and other lectionary texts, t...

These are the readings for the 7th Sunday of Easter or the Ascension of the Lord. The readings for the Ascension are Acts 1:1-11, Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, Ephesians 1:15-23, and Luke 24:44-53.  The readings for the 7th Sunday of Easter are Acts 1:6-14, Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, and John 17:1-11. As the Easter season draws to a close and Pentecost approaches, this episode explores...

These are the readings for the 6th Sunday of Easter  The readings this Sunday are Acts 17:22-31, Psalm 66:8-20, 1 Peter 3:13-22, and John 14:15-21.  What if the answer to feeling alone and abandoned was literally written into your body? This week we explore how the immune system — with its T-cells coordinating the response and B-cells sacrificing themselves to protect the whole — mirrors the promi...

These are the readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter!  The readings this Sunday are Acts 7:55-60, Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16, 1 Peter 2:2-10, and John 14:1-14. What does it look like to live out an emboldened, Easter-transformed faith in the real world — even when the truth is hard to hear? This week we explore the courage it takes to deliver difficult messages, from the stoning of Stephen to the sobering...

These are the readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter  The readings this Sunday are Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, and John 10:1-10. This week we explore what migratory birds can teach us about following, learning, and thriving together. From the remarkable story of whooping cranes who must be taught their route by experienced elders, to the early church sharing everything for the common g...

These are the readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter  The readings this Sunday are Acts 2:14a, 36-41, Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19, 1 Peter 1:17-23, and Luke 24:13-35. This week we explore the Third Sunday of Easter through the lens of the Road to Emmaus story, where two disciples walk with the risen Jesus without recognizing him until he breaks bread. The podcast connects this theme of sudden recognition...

The readings this Sunday are Acts 2:14a, 22-32, Psalm 16, 1 Peter 1:3-9, and John 20:19-31. This week we dive into the Second Sunday of Easter and the familiar story of Thomas — but maybe not in the way you've heard it before. Rather than seeing Thomas as a doubter, we explore how his struggle mirrors something happening in his brain: neuroplasticity, the brain's remarkable ability to rewire and t...

These are the readings for Resurrection Sunday/Easter Sunday.  The readings for Palm Sunday are Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43, John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10.  The readings for Easter Evenings are Isaiah 25:6-9, Psalm 114, 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8, and Luke 24:13-49. This Easter Sunday, we dig into the resurrection accounts from John, Matthe...

These are the readings for 6th Sunday in Lent/ Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday.  The readings for Palm Sunday are Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29, and Matthew 21:1-11.  The readings for Passion Sunday are Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, and Matthew 26:14-27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54. This week we start with Palm Sunday beginning with shouts of 'Hosanna' and ends with cries of 'Crucify him' — and t...

The readings for 5th Sunday in Lent are Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, and John 11:1-45. This week we ask, "What do dry bones, a risen Lazarus, and the return of platypuses to an Australian national park have in common?" In this week's episode, we explores this subject by drawing powerful connections between the lectionary texts and real-world wildlife conservation success stories that...

The readings for 4th Sunday in Lent are 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 23, Ephesians 5:8-14, and John 9:1-41. This week we explore how the healing of the man born blind in John 9 challenges us to stay open to miracles rather than getting caught up in rules and technicalities — just like the Pharisees did. Drawing a striking parallel to the Prisma visual prosthesis, a cutting-edge microchip implant showin...

The readings for 3rd Sunday in Lent are Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-11, and John 4:5-42. This week we explore the texts through the lens of ecology and the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Drawing on the concept of indicator species and cryptic species, we unpack how Jesus sees the true value in someone her community had written off as insignificant. Just as eco...

The readings for 2nd Sunday in Lent are Genesis 12:1-4a, Psalm 121, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, and John 3:1-17 or Matthew 17:1-9. This week we wrestle with what it means to trust beyond what we can see, both in our faith and in the cosmos, as we explore the fascinating and mind-bending science of dark matter and dark energy. Just as Nicodemus struggled to grasp what Jesus was showing him, scientists tod...

The readings for 1st Sunday in Lent are Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Psalm 32, Romans 5:12-19, and Matthew 4:1-11. This week we explore how removing a single predator from a coastal ecosystem caused biodiversity to collapse by 50%—and what this ecological lesson reveals about Jesus's temptation, human hubris, and our interconnectedness with creation. This First Sunday of Lent episode challenges us to s...

The readings for Transfiguration Sunday are Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 2 or Psalm 99, 2 Peter 1:16-21, and Matthew 17:1-9. This week examines how human sight—limited to just 380-780 nanometers of the electromagnetic spectrum—mirrors our spiritual limitations, drawing parallels between our narrow visible range and Peter's reaction at the transfiguration. As Lent approaches, the episode challenges liste...

The readings for this week for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany are Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12), Psalm 112:1-9 (10), 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16), and Matthew 5:13-20.  This week in the podcast, we explore what it means to truly be "salt of the earth" and "light of the world" from Matthew 5:13-20, using science to illustrate why these metaphors matter. It challenges us listeners to move beyond going thr...

The readings for this week for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany are Micah 6:1-8, Psalm 15, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, and Matthew 5:1-12.  The readings for the Presentation of the Lord are Malachi 3:1-4, Psalm 84 or Psalm 24:7-10, Hebrews 2:14-18, and Luke 2:22-40.  This week we explore the Beatitudes and the Presentation of Our Lord through the lens of psychological well-being research. Discover how...

The readings for this week for the Third Sunday after Epiphany are Isaiah 9:1-4, Psalm 27:1, 4-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, and Matthew 4:12-23.  In this episode, we explore how Jesus transforms from cautious to bold after John the Baptist's arrest, fully stepping into his divine ministry as the "light of the world." Using the physics of wave-particle duality and research on how light affects our bra...