Pontificating Pastors

This is the one where we talk about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. It's the one where Nate has no hot water, where we talk about the function of the church. Ultimately it's the one where we talk about death and resurrection!

In this episode, we are about to Witness Tyler's ordination. We talk about the Church with all its flaws, and the HOPE we see in the young people we have had the privilege to work with over the years! It's the one where Nate talks about the beauty of the church after a time of loss.

Ultimately, its the one where we decide to stick with the Church in spite of all her flaws!

This is the one right after Michael and Nate have spoken at a big youth event called Extravaganza, it's the one where we reflect on how God continues to bring us together to speak, it's alson the one where we wonder why? But ultimately, it's the one where we re-commit ourselves to podcasting because it brings us both a lotof joy!

We are baaaaack! And Just in time for your holiday travel! This is the one where Michael and Nate catch up after a several month hiatus! You asked for it internet, so here we are! Michael is back from sabbatical, Nate is doing stand-up comedy, and we both have been asked to do tag team sermons for a big youth event this spring! So we figured we should start talking to each other again!

This is the one where we keep rolling through the HOLY-Days! We talk about the idea that Christmas is not the end of the Holidays in the Church! We talk about Epiphany, Three Kings Day, Ash Wednesday, and even throw back to All Saints Day and All Hallows Eve! We talk about what it means to be shaped by the Church Calendar throughout the entire year!

We are dropping this one on Christmas because it is all about the whole reason we celebrate Christmas: God in the Flesh! We talk about why this understanding is SO important and why it matters that Jesus became ONE of US!

This is the one where Michael and Nate begin a series called the Holiday Specials! (No, we are not part of the "War on Christmas," the word literally means "Holy Days!") It is the one where we talk about what the season of Advent is, where we talk about learning to lament during a season of joy, where we talk about longing and waiting (which we aren't very good at!), and where we share some of our longings during this Holiday season!

We hope you will enjoy listening to this special series while you are on your way to grandma's house or even just when you need a break from family! (This is mostly a joke...) So season 6 is the Holiday specials from Pontificating Pastors!

This is the one where we are about to host our "5th Sunday Serve" at our respective churches. It gets us talking about the role of service in the life of the local church. It's the one where we talk about the sacrificial nature of Love, and where we discuss the fact that worship is much more than singing and preaching, but involves every aspect of our lives, including our service.

This is the one where we talk about that word we only use in church, "Fellowship." We talk about why fellowship is so important and why we tend to invest time and energy in things like coffee bars in the lobby and the "all church potluck!" We also talk about the courage it takes to be open to other people, and to bring something that even might me rejected. Our former intern, Caleb Miller, gets a shout out for his unique look at the potluck line, and we just generally have a good time talking about the unity we have in Christ!

In this episode, we talk about two parts of the service, the invocation and benediction. This is one about what those words even mean, and why they matter. It's the one where we think about whether it is actually possible to invoke the presence of God, and where we talk about being sent out into the world. Finally, it's the one where we talk about why we have these structured forms of worship each week!