Understanding Church

There is an old Mac Davis song called It’s Hard to be Humble that begins, “Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” This satirical song points out how quickly we determine our place as above that of others. At times we believe that the blessings we have received are of our own making, due to our brilliance and good works. Pastor Dan Smail and Wendy Farone discuss the importance of understanding the true meaning of being humble…it’s harder that you think!

Mac Davis-Hard to Be Humble with the Muppets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-07_2DWfEmQ 

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control. These are the Fruits of the Spirit. These are the attributes of a person living in accordance with the scripture (Galatians 5:22-23). Pastor Dan Smail and Wendy Farone discuss these attributes and how they apply to your life so that you can participate in these gifts and share them with others. 

Should you go to church? Yes, for a lot of reasons! By the way, guilt is not one of them. Pastor Dan Smail and Wendy Farone share several reasons why you should come to church. The church community and the learning of the scriptures can bring fulfillment and blessings into your life. Who doesn't need that in their lives!? Listen to an honest and realistic conversation about the gifts of being a part of a church community. 

What does the word "mysticism" conjure up in your mind? And what does it have to do with church? In this episode, Pastor Dan Smail, Associate Pastor Ellen Lundie, and Wendy Farone discuss the true meaning of mysticism and what it could mean for our lives in faith? We will talk about some historical women mystics (yes, women!) and that you may already be one!!

The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard (2014) Documentary https://youtu.be/LAP6Ka_pZRI

Books

• Hild: A Novel (The Light of the World Trilogy) by Nicola Griffith (fictionalized) (Easy Read!)
• Women Mystics in Medieval Europe by Emilie Zum Brunn & Georgette Epiney-Burgard
• Two Kinds of Love: Martin Luther’s Religious World by Tuomo Mannermaa
• Theology of the Heart:The Role of Mysticism in the Theology of Martin Luther by Bengt R. Hoffman
• Luther and the Mystics by Bengt R. Hoffmann 

The Third Commandment is Do not take the Lord your God’s name in vain...But, what does that really mean? Are we being told to stop swearing or is it more than that? In this podcast, Pastor Dan Smail and Wendy Farone discuss two main points about this commandment: First, that we probably break it a lot in the language we use and secondly, we have to be cautious when we use the Lord’s name to make promises. We discuss something that seems so simple and expand it to enhance our life in Christ, the quality of our communities, and the quality of our worship. 
Reference: Carmen Joy Imes (2019). Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai still matters. IVP Academic.

In this episode, Pastor Dan Smail and Wendy Farone discuss the Book of Jonah. We tend to think of this story as being about a cute whale and a man inside who gets spit onto the seashore. But, the Story is SO not about a whale. or spit, for that matter.  The 'big fish' is actually called Leviathan, a sea creature.  There is no whale! Discussion focuses on the biblical intent of the writer of the book and it may change how you view Jonah. But, most of all, it may change how you feel about forgiveness and mercy.

Do you get road rage? Jealous of the neighbor's vacations?  We are tempted by a force within us that tells us that we aren't enough, that we need to do more, have more, work harder or react to a situation in an emotional way. In this podcast, Pastor Dan Smail and Wendy Farone discuss the true meaning of temptation, the underlying root cause of our response to temptations and how to practice a Spirit-led way of approaching those sparks of negative emotion within us.  Jesus models for us how to follow him as disciples and how to deal with temptation. 

Aces High by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3337-aces-high
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Pastor Dan Smail and Wendy Farone are joined by Director of Music, Laura Henri, to discuss the importance of communion with Christ and each other through music in worship. We found out some secret talents of our Bethlehem pastors, too! Lots of links in the show notes to explore!

Living Lutheran Transcribing Our Musical Heritage https://www.livinglutheran.org/2021/05/transcribing-our-musical-heritage/our musical heritage - Living Lutheran

Palestrina: Missa pro defunctis [Requiem]: II Kyrie  https://youtu.be/m9pIrwWg7PM

Martin Luther said, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 53). 

Johanne Sebastian Bach, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”

So...I forgot to hit record! I left in the outtake!  Take Two! In this episode Pastor Dan Smail and Wendy Farone chat with Bishop Kurt Kusserow serving the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod. Discussion focuses on what a synod is and does and how it fulfills the mission "To serve, connect & equip ELCA congregations in southwestern Pennsylvania to tell the story of Jesus."  Further, we discuss "vocation" and how we can serve others using our God-given talents. Here is a Spiritual  Gifts Assessment Tool to help you figure out yours! 

In this podcast, Pastor Dan Smail and Wendy Farone discuss “the point” of a parable. Jesus was genius in His design and approach to teaching in this way. We discuss three main parts to look for in a parable including a complete thought, a point being made (spiritual wisdom), and a deeper understanding of the truth. The book, Luther’s Aesop, is linked below as are the 2 Bible Project videos with even more information about parables!!

Watch: How to Read the Parables of Jesus Video | BibleProject™

The Purpose of Parables Podcast | BibleProject™

Luther's Aesop (Early Modern Studies): Springer, Carl P. E.: 9781612480008: Amazon.com: Books