Even though we think of them as heroes of the faith and might name church buildings after them, the disciples of Jesus were often outsiders in a number of ways. From Jesus' unlikely way of choosing his disciples rather than having them audition and prove their skills, to his inclusion of women among his followers and as witnesses of the resurrection, to his way of reaching out to outcasts like Zacchaeus and Matthew or former zealots like Simon, Jesus chooses outsiders to be a part of his movement. He still does.

Even with in ancient Israelite society, God raised up people from the margins who could speak difficult truths and see with clarity what the "insiders" might not be able to recognize any longer. That was the role of the prophets, who often had to be the ones brave enough to say when the emperor was wearing no clothes, so to speak. But beyond that, the message of many of the prophets also pointed to God's reach to include outsiders, as they reminded God's people of their calling to be a "light to the nations" to draw others into the presence and covenant of God. Join us for this week's conversation on Crazy Faith Talk!

When the Israelite spies preparing to take over Jericho are in danger of being found out, a resident of Jericho named Rahab helps to hide them and keep them safe from the authorities. She could have been viewed only as "the enemy" or looked down on for being a prostitute, but she ends up saving their lives and becoming an ancestor of Jesus himself, too! We'll explore more of the meaning of Rahab's story here in this week's conversation on Crazy Faith Talk!

In the Bible, the first person to give a name to God isn't a priest or an official prophet; it's not a king or a patriarch like Abraham, either. She is an enslaved woman from north Africa, Hagar, and God provides for both her and her child, Ishmael, even when they have been cast out by Abraham and Sarah--because that's how God operates. Join us for this next conversation in our series, "God Calls Outsiders!"

Recently many Christians celebrated the arrival of the Magi to find the Christ-child by the light of a star--and their story shows us yet again how often God seems intentional about drawing outsiders and calling the unexpected. This Epiphanytide, we'll be exploring a number of the stories in the Bible in which God calls outsiders, and we invite you to join us here on Crazy Faith Talk to consider what these stories mean for us today, too!

For all the fluff and shallow Christmas-season pop culture out there, there are some real treasures that sincerely do get something right about what Christmas means. In this episode of Crazy Faith Talk, our colleagues in ministry Sarah, Erica, Natalie, and Steve lift up some favorites that we keep coming back to.

There are COUNTLESS ways to celebrate the Christmas season, although a lot of them don't really have much to do with the birth of Jesus. So what do we make of them? Are they harmful or good? Permissible or forbidden? What do we make of cultural traditions like candy-filled Advent calendars or recent creations like Elf-on-the-Shelf? And how can we allow fun traditions not to crowd out the birth of Christ in our focus this season? Join us for this conversation on Crazy Faith Talk!

The church organ was unplayable and damaged, just a day or so before Christmas Eve--what would the congregation do for worship to celebrate the birth of Christ? A musical crisis gave rise to the composition of "Silent Night," which has now become a worldwide favorite carol of Christmas, but whose tune was first written to be played by guitar on a Christmas Eve where the more impressive instruments weren't available. What can this story tell us about how God accepts our meager gifts and meets us in our unimpressive ordinariness? Join this conversation on Crazy Faith Talk to close out our Advent 2025 series!

On a busy street corner in Toledo, Ohio, in 2018, a large weed grew up out of the curb, only to be decorated by passersby that Christmas season, until it became a local landmark and a place for charitable giving, all spontaneously. In a story that calls to mind both the classic "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" and the imagery from the prophets of the new sprout that comes up out of the dead stump of Jesse to be God's anointed Messiah, we'll explore what a curious one-time event in one city might mean for our own seeking the movement of the Spirit today.

For at least a night--Christmas Eve--at a handful of places along the trench lines of the war front early in World War I, peace broke out in No Man's Land, and warring armies paused to greet each other, sing, and even play games. How do we speak of God's presence in the midst of a war, even if the hope of peace only lasts for a brief time? Join us for this second conversation in our Advent 2025 series, looking at stories of the Spirit in this season.