If John the Baptist was calling for a baptism of repentance, why did Jesus insist on being baptized? This week, Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy focus on the purpose of Jesus' baptism, the importance of it being in the Jordan River, and how this is a story about doing things outside of the establishment.

Questions for Further Discussion:

Themes and Application

1. The clergy describe Jesus’ baptism as both continuity with John’s movement and a decisive shift away from it. Where do you see that continuity, and where do you see the break?
2. In what ways does this baptism scene function as the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, vocation, or “handing over” of authority from John to Jesus?
3. How does the idea of baptism as participation in God’s larger salvific plan challenge more individualistic understandings of faith?

Personal Reflection

1. Which image from the episode resonates most with you right now: water, Spirit, voice, wilderness, or new creation? Why?
2. How do you respond to the idea that becoming faithful is an ongoing process of “becoming and becoming,” rather than a completed state?
3. When you hear the words “beloved” and “well pleased,” do they feel earned, aspirational, or freely given? How does that shape your understanding of God?

Broader Spiritual Considerations

1. Fr. John raises concerns about how religious movements can become institutionalized and lose their radical edge. Where do you see this risk in the church today?
2. What does Jesus’ baptism suggest about leadership, especially spiritual leadership, in contrast to power rooted in authority, violence, or control?
3. How might this passage challenge churches to rethink baptism not just as initiation, but as vocation, solidarity, and mission?

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How could one small baby threaten a king? This week, Peter Walsh and John Kennedy read about the wise men, Herod, and the baby who changed their lives. What can we learn from Jesus' humble beginnings, how do scholars try to explain the Christmas star, and how does the beginning of Jesus' life foreshadow the end of it?

Questions for Further Discussion:

Themes and Application

1. Peter and John describe the story of the Magi as subversive and radical, not merely sweet or sentimental. What makes this story politically and spiritually disruptive rather than cozy or nostalgic?
2. The Magi are Gentiles who recognize Jesus before many of his own people do. Why might Matthew highlight outsiders as the first to honor Jesus, and what does this suggest about who “belongs” in God’s story?
3. Geography is described as theology. Bethlehem, Nazareth, Egypt, Jerusalem. How does place matter in this story, and what do these locations communicate about power, humility, and God’s purposes?

Personal Reflection

1. The Magi are attentive both to external signs (the star) and internal guidance (dreams). In your own life, which is easier for you to notice: outer signs or inner promptings? Why?
2. The phrase “they were overwhelmed with joy” stands out in a violent and fearful context. What does joy look like when the world is still dangerous or unjust?
3. The Magi literally change direction, returning home “by another road.” Have you ever experienced an encounter with God that sent you back into your life changed, even subtly?

Broader Spiritual Considerations

1. This story sets empire and kingdom in contrast. How does Matthew challenge conventional ideas of power, authority, and success?
2. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh echo kingship, worship, and burial. How does holding Christmas and the cross together deepen or complicate Christian faith?
3. Epiphany is about revelation. What does this story suggest about where and how God chooses to be revealed in the world today?

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How could one small baby threaten a king? This week, Peter Walsh and John Kennedy read about the wise men, Herod, and the baby who changed their lives. What can we learn from Jesus' humble beginnings, how do scholars try to explain the Christmas star, and how does the beginning of Jesus' life foreshadow the end of it?

Questions for Further Discussion:

Themes and Application

1. Peter and John describe the story of the Magi as subversive and radical, not merely sweet or sentimental. What makes this story politically and spiritually disruptive rather than cozy or nostalgic?
2. The Magi are Gentiles who recognize Jesus before many of his own people do. Why might Matthew highlight outsiders as the first to honor Jesus, and what does this suggest about who “belongs” in God’s story?
3. Geography is described as theology. Bethlehem, Nazareth, Egypt, Jerusalem. How does place matter in this story, and what do these locations communicate about power, humility, and God’s purposes?

Personal Reflection

1. The Magi are attentive both to external signs (the star) and internal guidance (dreams). In your own life, which is easier for you to notice: outer signs or inner promptings? Why?
2. The phrase “they were overwhelmed with joy” stands out in a violent and fearful context. What does joy look like when the world is still dangerous or unjust?
3. The Magi literally change direction, returning home “by another road.” Have you ever experienced an encounter with God that sent you back into your life changed, even subtly?

Broader Spiritual Considerations

1. This story sets empire and kingdom in contrast. How does Matthew challenge conventional ideas of power, authority, and success?
2. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh echo kingship, worship, and burial. How does holding Christmas and the cross together deepen or complicate Christian faith?
3. Epiphany is about revelation. What does this story suggest about where and how God chooses to be revealed in the world today?

Want to have your question or comment featured on the podcast? Leave a voicemail on our Rev'd Up hotline! Call (203) 442-5002.

Learn more about St. Mark's at https://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org

Let's begin at the beginning! Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy journey through the prologue of John's Gospel. They discuss the importance of space and place for John's community after the temple fell, how this text helps us look higher to God while also seeing the ways God is here with us, and what it means to be children of God.

Questions for Further Discussion:

Themes & Application

1. The clergy describe John’s Prologue as poetry, theology, and cosmic vision rather than narrative. How does this shape the way you hear or preach this text compared to the Christmas stories in Matthew or Luke?
2. Elizabeth highlights the Prologue’s roots in Jewish wisdom literature and Genesis, especially in the context of Jewish Christians facing displacement and exclusion. How does this historical lens deepen or complicate the message of “the Word made flesh”?
3. John emphasizes Jesus as the new “dwelling place” of God’s glory, replacing the temple and tabernacle imagery. What does it mean to understand Jesus as the locus of God’s presence rather than a place?

Personal Reflection

1. The clergy repeatedly name a sense of awe, mystery, and even silence as appropriate responses to this text. When was the last time Scripture left you feeling undone or speechless?
2. Peter speaks about a “divine deficit disorder” in modern spirituality. Do you resonate more with transcendence (God is beyond everything) or immanence (God is here with us) in your spiritual life? Which do you feel you may be neglecting?
3. John raises the question of what it means to “become” children of God if we already belong to God. What practices or choices help you live more fully into that identity?

Broader Spiritual Considerations 

1. The conversation explores logos as a counter-logic to violence, division, and domination. How does John’s vision of the Word challenge cultural narratives built on power, fear, or exclusion?
2. The clergy discuss enlightenment as both seeing and participating in divine life. How does this understanding of spiritual “illumination” compare with other religious or cultural views of enlightenment?
3. Many spiritual traditions wrestle with the relationship between spirit and matter. How does this text speak into that question?

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Another dive into the Christmas story from Luke's Gospel highlights some important details we sometimes miss. Peter Walsh and Elizabeth Garnsey reflect on the historical accuracy of the enrollment, the importance of Bethlehem as the city of David, the symbolism of the swaddling cloths, and the powerful statement made by including the shepherds. Plus, does this story prove we need more Mary in the Advent lectionary?

Themes & Application 

1. Unexpected Signs and Places of Salvation: A manger rather than palace; shepherds rather than priests or rulers. Where might God be breaking in where we least expect today?
2. Witness and Response: How might we imitate the shepherds’ movement from encounter to proclamation?
3. Cosmic significance within everyday life: The “heavenly host” meets ordinary shepherds. What implications does this have for how we view our most ordinary contexts?

Personal Reflection

1. Pondering Like Mary: Mary “treasured and pondered” the events in her heart. Where in your life do you sense God inviting you to ponder rather than act quickly?
2. Signs and Confirmation: Elizabeth notes Mary needed confirmation from others. Have you ever received reassurance that strengthened faith? What form did it take?
3. Powerlessness and Vulnerability: The conversation reflects on vulnerability symbolized in the infant Christ. Where is vulnerability present in your own relationships or community, and how do you respond?

Broader Spiritual Considerations 

1. Mary as theologian and first interpreter: Peter proposes the infancy narratives may be rooted in Mary’s memory and theological reflection. How does imagining Mary as interpreter rather than passive mother expand how we read Scripture?
2. Divine orchestration vs. human agency: Caesar’s decree unwittingly serves God’s purposes. How should Christians understand history where divine purpose transcends human intent?
3. The hiddenness of God’s action: Why might God choose to act in humility rather than spectacle? What does this reveal about divine character and holiness?

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A potential public disgrace, a private dream, and one heck of a birth announcement! As we come to the close of Advent, Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy explore Joseph's angelic visitation. What would the cost have been for Joseph to break to break off his engagement, what do we miss by not reading Jesus' genealogy, and how will Jesus as "Emmanuel" be the fulfillment of God's desire for us?

Questions for Further Discussion:

Themes and Application

1. Much attention is given to Joseph as a central figure—his righteousness, his discernment, and his quiet obedience. What stands out to you about Joseph’s role in this story?
2. The genealogy in Matthew includes figures marked by scandal, outsider status, or complexity. Why do you think Matthew intentionally highlights these “messy” ancestors at the very start of the Gospel?
3. Peter noted that Matthew presents Jesus as both Son of David and Son of God. How do you hear these two identities working together in the story?

Personal Reflection

1. Joseph wrestles internally before receiving clarity through a dream. Can you recall a time when you had to make a difficult decision before having all the answers?
2. Dreams in Scripture are described as moments of divine communication rather than random mental activity. How open are you to the idea that God might speak through unexpected or liminal experiences?
3. Elizabeth notes that Joseph never speaks in the Gospel—he simply acts. How comfortable are you with faithful action that goes unseen or unacknowledged?

Broader Spiritual Considerations

1. The clergy describe Jesus’ birth as a new act of creation, echoing Genesis. What does it mean to think of salvation as God doing something entirely new rather than fixing something old?
2. The discussion raises questions about how Christians read Jewish Scripture responsibly. What responsibilities do we have when interpreting sacred texts that are shared across traditions?
3. As Advent draws to a close, how does this passage invite you to wait differently—not just for Christmas, but for God’s presence in everyday life?

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As John the Baptist sat in prison, he began to wonder if Jesus really was the Messiah he'd been preparing the way for. Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy address the doubts John had, how we react when life doesn't go as planned, and how scripture may sound different from person to person. Also, just as Jesus wasn't the expected Messiah, the clergy highlight how John wasn't the expected prophet.

Questions for Further Discussion:

Themes and Application

1. Jesus answers John’s doubt by pointing to what is happening — healing, liberation, good news to the poor. What “signs of God’s reign” feel most compelling or credible to you today?
2. The conversation notes that many people want a savior who fixes everything decisively. Why do you think a merciful, nonviolent Messiah can feel disappointing or insufficient?
3. Jesus calls John the greatest born of women, yet says the least in the kingdom is greater. What does that suggest about how God measures greatness?

Personal Reflection

1. What situations in your life have made you ask, implicitly or explicitly, “God, are you really here? Are you really the one I hoped for?”
2. Fr. John suggested that temperament and life experience shape which biblical themes feel alive to us. What life experiences have most shaped how you hear Scripture?
3. Jesus says people didn’t go to John looking for comfort or palace approval. Where are you tempted to seek comfort, status, or “palace religion” instead of prophetic truth?

Broader Spiritual Considerations

1. The clergy note that forcing the kingdom through violence isn’t Jesus’ way. What does Christian nonviolence look like in practice when injustice is real and urgent?
2. Fr. John contrasts Christianity with spiritualities that lack a strong vision of divine justice. Why does a justice-oriented God matter — especially in Advent?
3. John the Baptist’s role is to prepare the way and then step back. What might it mean for the church (or you) to “prepare the way”?

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Another season of Advent, another look at John the Baptist. Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy once again discuss this memorable figure who prepared the way for Jesus. How do John and other prophets set the tone for Advent, what are we to take away from John's fiery language, and how can this fire be both destructive and refining?

Questions for Further Discussion:

Themes and Application
1. What does “repentance” sound like when it’s about making space for God, not just feeling bad?
2. How might Jesus’ version of purity (humble, merciful, inclusive) reshape our priorities?
3. Fr. John connect John’s fire imagery to Malachi’s refiner’s fire—both purification and reckoning. When has “refining fire” in your life felt like healing? When has it felt like hard truth or consequence?

Personal Reflection
1. Where is your life “wilderness-like” right now (uncertain, stripped-down, waiting)? What kind of growth or meeting-with-God might be possible there?
2. Ezekiel’s promise shows up as a setup for Matthew: God giving a new heart and Spirit within. What would a “new heart” look like for you this Advent? What hard place in you might God be trying to soften?
3. John expects one kind of Messiah; Jesus comes differently. When have you found God working in a way you didn’t expect?

Broader Spiritual Considerations
1. Matthew has John confront Pharisees/Sadducees—the elite—and the clergy connect this to how sin often lives in systems. What modern “systems” might need repentance more than individuals?
2. In this passage, the authorities are described as keeping people from holiness through shame, cost, and exclusion. Where do you see religion (or culture) functioning as a gatekeeper today? What does it look like to “prepare the way” by removing barriers for others?
3. Baptism at the Jordan is framed as a return into promise—restoration for a people. What might communal restoration look like in our time? How could the church embody a “second chance” for people and communities?

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This week, our clergy encounter the Bible passage that has everyone so worried about the rapture! Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy discuss the shocking scenarios Jesus illustrates, explain how to keep awake and keep hope alive during trying times, and teach how to live as people of God's kingdom.

Questions for Further Discussion:

Themes and Application
1. What does it mean to “live with the end in mind” without becoming fearful or fixated on predictions?
2. One theme is living awake amid distraction, consumer culture, and sleepwalking through life. What are the most common “sleepwalkers” in your week—habits or forces that dull your spiritual awareness?
3. Advent is portrayed as strength-building through hope → peace → joy → love. What spiritual “muscle” feels most in need of attention for you right now?

Personal Reflection
1. When you hear “keep awake,” what emotions come up first—comfort, pressure, curiosity, anxiety, resistance?
2. The clergy discuss endings that arrive unexpectedly—death, loss, doors closing, sudden change. What “unexpected hour” have you lived through, and how did it shape you?
3. John mentions the tension of embarrassment around future-oriented eschatology. Are there parts of Christian belief that you feel hesitant to talk about? Why?

Broader Spiritual Considerations
1. John brings in Augustine’s idea that history is opaque—we can’t read God’s timetable through current events. What are the dangers of assuming our era is uniquely “the end,” and what are the dangers of ignoring real crisis?
2. The podcast holds two truths together: the world is broken, and God keeps coming into it. How do you keep those both alive without collapsing into cynicism or denial?
3. Advent begins by naming chaos, violence, and instability—and yet it’s a season of hope. What does it mean spiritually to begin hopeful waiting in a world that feels unsteady?


Learn more about St. Mark's at https://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org

Want to have your question or comment featured on the podcast? Leave a voicemail on our Rev'd Up hotline! Call (203) 442-5002.

Learn more about St. Mark's at https://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org

The Gospel lesson for Christ the King Sunday shows us Jesus being mocked on the cross and his famous words to the repentant thief: "Today you will be with me in paradise." Peter Walsh and John Kennedy explain why this is the perfect piece of scripture for Christ the King, how this is a lesson in divine humility, and why we should be cautious about exclusively believing the kingdom is on Earth or elsewhere.

Questions for Further Discussion:

Themes and Application:

1. Kingship Reimagined: What does this passage teach about God’s power expressed through humility rather than dominance?
2. Forgiveness in the Face of Violence: What stands out to you about Jesus offering forgiveness before anyone repents?
3. The Meaning of Paradise: Jesus’ promise of “today you will be with me in Paradise” reframes heaven as companionship with Christ.
    How might this reshape how we think about death, hope, or eternal life?

Personal Reflection:

1. Opening the Heart: The clergy describe salvation not as a transaction but as an opening of the heart. Where do you sense your own heart opening—or resisting—God’s love?
2. Responding to Mockery and Pain: What experiences in your life make it difficult to respond with the mercy and restraint Jesus shows here?
3. Paradise as God’s Presence: If Paradise is walking with the King—presence, companionship, intimacy—when have you sensed moments of “Paradise” in this life?

Broader Spiritual Considerations:

1. The Nature of Salvation: The clergy critique overly formulaic views of salvation. In your own understanding, what is salvation for? How might this passage broaden or complicate your theology of who is saved and how?
2. Love as the First Word: Peter suggests Christians often lead with sin rather than love. What might change—within the Church, or in the wider world—if love were always the first word?
3. Living Between the Gardens: If Eden represents our origin and Paradise our fulfillment, what does it mean to live faithfully in the “in-between”—in a world marked by both beauty and brokenness?

Want to have your question or comment featured on the podcast? Leave a voicemail on our Rev'd Up hotline! Call (203) 442-5002.

Learn more about St. Mark's at https://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org