🎙 Episode Description
 
Presence Over Distance: Faith, Belonging, and the Courage to Be Seen
In this moving episode of The Heart of Laguna, Father Will Crist welcomes the Rev. Courtney Mackey, pastor of Laguna Beach United Methodist Church. Together, they explore what it truly means to be present in a world shaped by isolation, division, and digital distance. From Courtney’s journey to Laguna following the UMC’s historic 2024 policy change, to a powerful shared reflection on presence, community, race, hospitality, and hope—this conversation invites us back into real relationship with one another.
This is an episode about radical welcome, authentic faith, and why love of neighbor may be the most urgent spiritual practice of our time.

📝 Show Notes
Guest: Rev. Courtney Mackey Pastor, Laguna Beach United Methodist Church Community leader, theologian of presence, advocate for radical welcome

🔹 In This Episode, We Explore:

• A Sacred Turning Point: Courtney and his husband, Geron, arrive in Laguna Beach following the United Methodist Church’s 2024 decision affirming same-sex marriage—finding sanctuary overlooking the Pacific.
• COVID and the Loss of Presence: How the pandemic taught us to live without physical presence—and why we still haven’t fully recovered from that loss.
• The Spiritual Power of Presence: Why people don’t just need answers—they need to be seen. “People may forget your sermon, but they never forget how you made them feel.”
• Church Beyond the Building: Beach cleanups, food distribution, public engagement, hospitality nights, and what it means to serve outside the sanctuary.
• Race, Fear, and Belonging: Courtney speaks honestly about raising Black sons in Orange County, navigating fear, and the urgent need for safe, loving community.
• Jesus as the Embodiment of Presence: From the wilderness tent to the temple to the incarnation—God’s story as a story of being with.
• Table Fellowship & the Lost Art of Gathering: Why eating together, reasoning together, and showing up together matters more than ever.
• The Danger of Performative Religion: Authentic presence vs. “bait-and-switch” faith. Why people long for what is real.
• Laguna Beach: Beauty vs. Belonging: Do people come here only for beauty—or also for kindness?
• Stereotypes, Outrage & the Media Machine: How division is monetized—and how relationships dismantle fear.
• Public Faith & Civic Courage: Why faith communities must show up at city council, in policy conversations, and in the real needs of neighbors.
• What Gives Hope Right Now: “All means all.” From affordable housing to interfaith cooperation to a growing sense that the tide is turning.

💬 Memorable Lines from the Episode

• “When we are present, there is no ‘other.’”
• “The church should never go back to the same after COVID—if it does, we learned nothing.”
• “People don’t need to be fixed. They need to be seen.”
• “We know they are Christians by their love.”

🌊 Core Themes

• Presence over performance
• Radical hospitality
• Belonging across differences
• Faith in public life
• Healing through relationship
• Courage in polarized times
• The Beloved Community

About the Show
The Heart of Laguna is a weekly conversation from KXFM in Laguna Beach. Each episode explores what holds us together when the world feels like it’s coming apart—through stories, spirit, and service from the soul of the city.🎙 New episodes every Wednesday morning on KXFM at 8:00.