The Collective Table

When Kris spotted a flyer for Food Not Bombs on a Provo street corner, he didn’t hesitate—he called the number right away. He already knew what the group stood for: feeding people, not profit. What he didn’t know was that this moment would set the course for the rest of his life.

In this episode of The Collective Table Podcast, host Jason Coker shares how Kris’s journey—from the punk rock shows of Provo, Utah to a two-year mission in Guatemala, to his work as a public librarian—reveals empathy as both a personal practice and a social force.

Raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kris began asking hard questions about faith, justice, and belonging. Punk rock offered community. Activism gave those convictions purpose. And the library became the place where it all came together—a space of radical inclusion where everyone belongs.

Through Kris’s story, Jason explores what sociologists call social infrastructure—the shared spaces that hold communities together—and how they mirror the very heart of empathy itself.

Curious. Courageous. Deeply human.
This is Kris’s story—and a testament to empathy as the quiet architecture of community.

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When Victoria first walked into the Oceanside Sanctuary Food Pantry, she wasn’t looking for a new calling, or even a job—she was just dropping off donations. But a simple invitation to help unload boxes changed everything. In this moving episode of The Collective Table Podcast, host Jason Coker shares how a simple act of kindness became another chapter in Victoria’s lifelong journey of compassion—and what her story teaches us about the enduring power of empathy.

From her parents’ immigrant journey from Costa Rica and Guatemala, to her own path through loss, burnout, and quiet resilience, Victoria embodies compassion in action. Along the way, Jason explores what science and scripture both teach us: that empathy is more than emotion—it’s the engine of compassion, courage, and community.

Featuring reflections from pantry volunteers and deep dives into research and gospel stories, this episode invites us to ask:
When does empathy call us to cross the boundaries of comfort, and when does it become the bridge that heals?

Quiet. Sad. Hopeful. This is Victoria’s story—and the story of how empathy transforms us all.

PS: The Collective Table is a production of The Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Click here to learn more about us and our mission

Holy Disruption: Reimagining Church with Rev. Amy Butler

What happens when the traditional model of church no longer fits the world we live in? In this thought-provoking conversation, Rev. Amy Butler, author of Holy Disruption, joins us to talk about what it means to courageously reimagine faith communities for our time.

Drawing from her experiences as a pastor and leader, Rev. Butler explores how declining attendance and shifting cultural landscapes—while challenging—can actually open doors for creativity, innovation, and renewed mission.

We talk about:

Why “holy disruption” is essential for spiritual growth and institutional renewal

Stories of communities breaking free from convention to embody God’s love in new ways

How social enterprise can fuel sustainable ministry and healing in the world

The personal courage it takes to lead change in faith spaces

Whether you’re a pastor, lay leader, or someone yearning for a faith that feels alive and relevant, this episode will leave you inspired to imagine what’s possible when we stop clinging to the past and start embracing the Spirit of disruption.

Rev. Amy Butler is the founder of Community Church of Honolulu and the former Senior Minister of The Riverside Church in New York City—the first woman to hold that position. Through her writing and leadership, she advocates for courageous faith, inclusive community, and creative expressions of God’s love in a rapidly changing world. Her latest book, Holy Disruption: Discovering Your Place in God’s Movement of Change, invites readers to see the decline of traditional structures not as loss, but as sacred opportunity.

Book: Holy Disruption by Rev. Amy Butler 

Follow Rev. Amy Butler: Website, Instagram

The Collective Table is a Ministry of The Oceanside Sanctuary Church in Oceanside, CA

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What happens when the faith you were handed no longer fits the world you live in? In this episode, Jenell sits down with David — a lifelong Christian, surfer, biologist, and father — whose story traces a journey from certainty to compassion.

Raised in a Southern California Baptist church, David learned early that being a “good Christian” meant having the right answers. But through science, parenting, travel, and loss, he began to see faith less as a system to defend and more as a posture of love.

From the cultural weight of purity culture and the fear of the rapture, to his daughter’s courageous questions and the painful beauty of walking alongside his son through cancer, David’s story is one of dismantling judgment and rediscovering Jesus’ radical empathy.

This episode invites you to consider: What if the real work of faith isn’t about saving others — but about seeing them?

Featuring reflective storytelling, honest conversation, and a few taco-loving moments of levity.

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What happens when a sensitive child is told—again and again—to “stop making mountains out of molehills”? In our first story of Season 11, Caroline shares a life shaped by deep feeling: the loss of her mother at 13, the sudden shutdown of grief in a home that prized stoicism, and the long journey to reclaim her God-given empathy.

Host Jenell Coker walks with Caroline through memories of a childhood spent raking shag carpet and hiding tears, a teenage faith shaken by grief, and the healing presence of a stepsister who affirmed that feeling deeply is not a flaw. Today, Caroline channels that hard-won empathy into her work with traumatized teens, embodying a quiet gospel of presence and love.

Along the way, Jenell reflects on the roots of “making mountains out of molehills,” the medieval Christian practice of holy weeping, and the radical possibility that our tears can become a conduit to the divine.

Listen as we explore how suppressed sensitivity can be transformed into a sacred strength—and why empathy just might be the most Christlike virtue of all.

Welcome to The Collective Table, the podcast of The Oceanside Sanctuary Church, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy. Each week we share a Sunday teaching that connects scripture to the bigger conversations happening in our community and beyond.

This fall we launched a new series: “Unseen Witnesses.”
The biblical narrative is often dominated by a few famous names, but what about the countless others whose stories are just as powerful? In this series, we uncover the lives of lesser-known biblical figures who lived on the margins—yet whose faith and actions inspire hope, compassion, and justice.

Each episode explores the narratives of courageous women, marginalized outsiders, and quiet heroes who modeled compassion and fought for justice. These unseen witnesses challenge us to live more justly, love more deeply, and recognize God’s presence in unexpected places.

This week’s message, “Old Rags and Worn-Out Clothes”,  taught by Jason from Jeremiah 38:7–13, 39:15–18, was recorded on Sunday, September 21, 2025 at The Oceanside Sanctuary (OSC) in Oceanside, CA.

Listen now to discover how these overlooked stories invite us into a deeper experience of faith, hope, and justice.

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Welcome! You’re listening to The Collective Table, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy. Presented by The Oceanside Sanctuary Church, this monthly episode brings you inside our live book club conversations with today’s most thought-provoking authors of progressive Christian theology—diving deeper into their work and exploring the questions that move us forward.

This month, we’re joined by David W. Congdon to discuss his book "Who is a True Christian?". Together we explore how polarized claims about “real” Christianity reveal deep anxiety over religious identity, the ways conservative movements have sought security through doctrine, culture, and politics, and how we might reimagine a more inclusive understanding of Christian faith today.

This book club gathering was recorded on September 4th, 2025.  

To learn more about our community—or to support the work we do—visit us at oceansidesanctuary.org.

Learn more about David W. Congdon and Support his work:
• Order "Who is a True Christian?"
• Check out his Website

Unseen Witnesses: Stories of Hope, Compassion, and Justice from the Margins of Scripture

Welcome to The Collective Table, the podcast of The Oceanside Sanctuary Church, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy. Each week we share a Sunday teaching that connects scripture to the bigger conversations happening in our community and beyond.

This fall we launched a new series: “Unseen Witnesses.”

The biblical narrative is often dominated by a few famous names, but what about the countless others whose stories are just as powerful? In this series, we uncover the lives of lesser-known biblical figures who lived on the margins—yet whose faith and actions inspire hope, compassion, and justice.

Each episode explores the narratives of courageous women, marginalized outsiders, and quiet heroes who modeled compassion and fought for justice. These unseen witnesses challenge us to live more justly, love more deeply, and recognize God’s presence in unexpected places.

This week’s message,"So Moses Listened",  taught by Jason from Exodus 18:13-27, was recorded on Sunday, September 14, 2025 at The Oceanside Sanctuary (OSC) in Oceanside, CA.

Listen now to discover how these overlooked stories invite us into a deeper experience of faith, hope, and justice.

Learn more or support our work: https://oceansidesanctuary.org

The Collective Table is back! In this introduction episode, Jason & Jenell Coker are kicking off the Season 11 conversation in a way that couldn’t be more timely—or more provocative. In a moment when empathy itself seems to be “on trial,” they ask: Why is empathy worth defending?

From recent evangelical critiques like Allie Beth Stuckey’s Toxic Empathy to Albert Mohler’s claim that empathy “elevates feelings above God’s truth,” the hosts explore why some Christian leaders are suspicious of our shared human capacity to feel and understand one another. Together, Jason and Jenell unpack what empathy really is—both the emotional and cognitive dimensions—and why research shows it’s essential for mental health, civic life, and a just society.

Then, they take a theological turn: looking at Jesus’ tears in John 11, the God who weeps, and the incarnation as the ultimate act of divine empathy. Could it be that when we choose to empathize, we’re actually participating in the very nature of God—becoming more divine?

This episode sets the stage for an entire season of powerful storytelling. Over the next six episodes, you’ll hear real-life journeys of people in our own community who embody empathy in transformative ways—challenging us to listen deeply, believe others’ experiences, and discover empathy as a radical expression of Christian faith.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts—and join us as we make the case for empathy as the way of Christ.

PS: The Collective Table is a production of The Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Click here to learn more about us and our mission!

Welcome to The Collective Table, the podcast of The Oceanside Sanctuary Church, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy. Each week we share a Sunday teaching that connects scripture to the bigger conversations happening in our community and beyond.

This fall we launch a new series: “Unseen Witnesses.”
The biblical narrative is often dominated by a few famous names, but what about the countless others whose stories are just as powerful? In this series, we uncover the lives of lesser-known biblical figures who lived on the margins—yet whose faith and actions inspire hope, compassion, and justice.

Each episode explores the narratives of courageous women, marginalized outsiders, and quiet heroes who modeled compassion and fought for justice. These unseen witnesses challenge us to live more justly, love more deeply, and recognize God’s presence in unexpected places.

This week’s message, “A Little Cake,” taught by Jason from 1 Kings 17:8–16, was recorded on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at The Oceanside Sanctuary (OSC) in Oceanside, CA.

Listen now to discover how these overlooked stories invite us into a deeper experience of faith, hope, and justice.

Learn more or support our work: https://oceansidesanctuary.org