Hashcast

Matthew's Gospel ends our liturgical year with three intense parables, back to back to back.

After the Ten Bridesmaids comes the brutal Parable of the Talents, where unsettling images emerge of what the kingdom of heaven is supposed to be like. Like last week, we'll continue to lean on Robert Farrar Capon's magnificent book as we trek through these desolate parables of judgment.

Sometimes, the best thoughts come after dark. Van Gogh said the night was often more alive and richly colored than the day – there's truth in that.

Listen in on one of our newest segments, where Jason shares wisdom from different sources as we approach this coming Sunday's lectionary text: Jesus' Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids.

Pastors Tuhina, Tim, and Jason discuss the upcoming and perennial holy day, All Saints' Day, what it means to write your *own* beatitudes, and how remembering the dead can open up new ways of seeing life.

Hashcast is back from a short break with a few relevant episodes from our vault.

First up: the upcoming Lutheran high holy day of Reformation.

This is the second part of our conversation with the ever-thoughtful Professor Richard Swanson, as we dive ever deeper into the story which beings Jesus' Passion in Mark's Gospel: the unnamed woman anointing Jesus' body beforehand for its burial.

We sat down with theologian, professor, philosopher, author, translator, and all-around lovely man, Richard Swanson, to dive deep into the Gospel account of an unnamed woman anointing Jesus at the home of Simon the leper.

Tim and Jason talked with the lovely Rev. Chris Schaefer about the upcoming Pentecost 17 excerpt from the Book of Jonah – how creation can serve as a prophet, how difficult forgiveness is (especially if you're the one who was wronged), and what to do with a story as beautifully, radically queer as Jonah's.

Jason and Tim sat down with the lovely Rev. Nikkeya Berryhill to talk about a spiritual response to the recent outpouring of grief over the deaths of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, among others. Where do we go when our consequential artists die whilst artificial artistry is on the rise? How do we stay human in a world of thinking machines?

The AC Three discuss the context of the oft-cited "where two or three are gathered" quote from Jesus coming up in the lectionary this week, how critical it is to confront things head on (especially in a church), and why Dr. King was right when he said white moderates too often want a negative peace (the absence of tension) instead of a positive peace (the presence of justice).

The AC Three are in-house to talk Pentecost 14 – how Peter can be so right and then so wrong (so quickly), what it means to take up our cross in a world addicted to swords, and how Jesus doesn't conform well to our constant, concerted attempts to un-complicate him.