Pod Be With You

Today, I (Aaron) am lucky enough to speak with Rev. Molly Baskette, Senior Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, CA, and author of several outstanding books. Her most recent is "How to Begin When Your World is Ending: A Spiritual Field Guide to Joy DESPITE Everything." 

"Field Guide" is a great description: this book is part survival guide for those going through some of life's most difficult moments. Also like a field guide, though, this will take you by the hand and make sure you don't miss anything wonderful. 

With grace and honesty (and only the occasional profanity), this conversation takes us through vulnerability, prayer, resurrection, angels, dancing, danger, brokenness, healing - and everything else that is the messy miracle of being together. 

It's Matthew's version of the call of the first disciples this week. But more than that, we are diving into a theological meditation on what calling means...that it is for all of us, that it is about journey, that "even Jesus" was called, and mentored, and knew what it was to follow. A few short verses, a whole lot of meaning. 

This Sunday is either Baptism of Christ, or Epiphany, depending on how you calendar. Today, we talk about both...and the journey that ensues. What guides, what drives, what inspires us as we step into a new year, with all the adventure and challenge  that holds? Join us for some old stories, and a new year, on Pod Be With You.

Here we are, hurtling toward Christmas and the end of 2022! But first, we pause on two figures: Joseph and David. Joseph as a model of self-giving love and remarkable trust, courage, and faithfulness. And David as another in the long line of ordinary, flawed, gifted people God calls to world-changing things. As always, we are challenged not only to celebrate what was, or look with faith for what will be, but to see ourselves as part of God's living work now. Happy Advent Sunday of Love, everyone!

Thia week, we're focusing on the stories of women, Mary and Elizabeth, Ruth and Naomi, and the Joy created by loving, faithful relationship. It's a cosmic saga, of which we are all a part, if we can just apprehend and nurture those moments when they enter our lives. Join us for Joy this week!

What do a camel-skin wearing, locust-eating prophet, and a Canaanite sex worker have in common? They are both a part of Jesus' family! It's the second Sunday of Advent, and that means we get John the Baptizer coming in and proclaiming peace with some challenging language. And, exploring Jesus' genealogy, we also find Rahab, who courageously fought for her own peace. Join us for an interesting exploration of both of these Biblical "characters."

We know it is good. We believe we "should" feel grateful. Parts of us yearn for gratitude and all of its spiritual relatives: peace, joy, contentment. So why is it so tough - so often fleeting and rare? This episode, we draw on our own experiences, as well as two books that have been formative for us (see below) for an honest conversation about gratitude. What is it? How do we get there? What are we doing that is getting in the way? If we can't force it, what can we do to create the conditions in which gratitude can grow? Thanks for joining us for this Thanksgiving special!

The Book of Joy
Grateful 

Whether we are celebrating the annual liturgical observance of Christ the King Sunday, or the final Sunday of the Stewardship Campaign, the theme for this Sunday is Hope...hope in the One who holds our future, hope in the power that One give us to make change, hope that Love and Justice will reign. Join us for this joyful, energizing discussion.

It's that time of year again, as we close in on the end of the Church Year, we will be celebrating with churches around the world, All Saints Sunday. It is the sacred time we set aside a Christians to name those who have passed in the previous year, to give thanks for their lives and their legacies, and to literally re-member them. This Pod Be With You we talk life, and death, and life everlasting, and the steadfast love and faithfulness of our God.

All of us get stuck sometimes, whether it is in our perception of ourselves and others, the circumstances of our lives, or our own heads. Stuck is a hard place to be. But our lectionary today, from the words of the prophet Joel, to a parable of Jesus, show us how to get unstuck, empowered, and moving in the right direction.