Crazy Faith Talk

While we may well want to offer good programming to our children that directly speaks of our faith or essential Bible stories, we also want our children to learn how to live well in the world among neighbors, nature, and issues of the day. So in this episode, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve take a look at children's TV programs that aren't explicitly "Christian" but can be compatible with raising children with good social and emotional understanding, knowledge of the world, and how to deal with age-appropriate questions and situations. We'll highlight our impressions of shows like Bluey and Daniel Tiger as well as perennial favorites like Sesame Street on this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

In a new series for Eastertide, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve are looking at media that explore theme of faith or are compatible with faith for children--from TV and movies to books and other resources. We start taking a look at some classic faithful TV and video resources, exploring how faith formation includes not only Bible stories but also discipleship and how we teach our children to live out their faith as well. Listen in here for our newest episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

Surprises, reversals, and plot twists aren't just the random exception to the flow of Scripture: it's at the heart of the central event of the Christian faith! In the events of Holy Week, and most centrally, in the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have God's upside-down victory over the powers of death by dying, and the revealing of how "the stone that was rejected has become the chief cornerstone." Join us for this Holy Week episode and the conclusion of our series this Lent of "When the Bible Flips the Script" here on Crazy Faith Talk!

It's one of the most dramatic reversals in the whole Bible: the zealous persecutor of the church who is called by the risen Jesus to bring the Good News to the whole world as "apostle to the Gentiles." Saul's story is full of drama and twists, not only for his own change of perspective, but for the early church that had to decide if it would welcome someone who had so clearly been an enemy to become one of the family. It's a story about God's transforming power and the challenge to love our enemies as an essential part of the Christian faith. Join the conversation on this week's Crazy Faith Talk!

As Luke's Gospel tells it, Jesus begins his public ministry going back to his hometown to give a sermon in the synagogue, and at first is welcomed home warmly by the congregation. But the moment he starts talking about God's grace being shown to outsiders and even--gasp!--enemies, the friendly crowd turns hostile. What's going on in this story from the Bible, and what does it mean for our lives? Listen in and find out here on this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

Many kids in Sunday School remember the character of Jonah as simply "the guy who got swallowed by a whale." But the point of the whole story of Jonah isn't reducible to merely, "Don't disobey God or you'll be eaten by a fish." In fact, when the enemy people to whom Jonah was sent actually listened to his message and turned away from their violence, injustice, and rottenness, Jonah got mad because he didn't want God to show them mercy--and he has to learn about God's forgiveness in a way he wasn't prepared for! Check out the conversation in our ongoing series, "When the Bible Flips the Script" this Lent on Crazy Faith Talk!

Conventional wisdom has it that God is on the "side" of the powerful, the mightiest, and the ones with the biggest numbers, but the Bible gives us a recurring theme of God's choice to lift up the lowly and come to the aid of the weak. That's part of the unexpected reversal in the story of scrawny young David against the towering professional enemy soldier Goliath. And at the same time, for folks who know this classic of Sunday School and flannel board storytelling, it can be easy to think that God is always on "my" side, whatever that might mean. So join Sarah, Natalie, and Steve for a look at this well-known example of the Bible "flipping the script" and how to learn the right lessons from it in our own day, too. The conversation continues, here on Crazy Faith Talk!

The favored son ends up enslaved and then imprisoned, only to end up using his God-given ability to rise to prominence in Pharaoh's Egypt and save his family when famine strikes. It's the story of Joseph, and it's another story from the Bible that is not only full of dramatic reversals, but also that forces us to rethink what it means to have God at work in our lives. In this episode of Crazy Faith Talk, colleagues in ministry Steve and Natalie explore this story and how it challenges a lot of pop theology's mindset that "good things" are a sign of God's approval while "bad things" happening must be a sign of God's judgment. See how Joseph's story challenges that thinking and gives us a better way of seeing God in the midst of our troubles, on this week's Crazy Faith Talk!

This Lent, join colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve as they look at God's habit of reversing expectations and turning tables in a new series we're calling "When the Bible Flips the Script"! In this first episode, we'll explore the biblical figure of Jacob, the sneaky schemer who burns bridges with his family members and then comes face to face with God and finds himself blessed and broken at the same time--and is given a new name and identity along the way. Listen in as we explore stories like these this Lent!

All through this series we have looked at more-or-less well known figures as examples of people who lived out their faith. From former presidents to pioneers of children's television to theologians of earlier centuries, we have looked at numerous ways people have taken their Christian discipleship into their lives, work, and witness. In this concluding episode we'll tell some personal stories of folks we have known in our own lives, and the ways they lived out their faith that have become living examples for us. Join colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve around the microphone for this episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

Although the names of reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley are pretty well known, the witness, theology, and work for unity done by Katharina Schutz Zell is lesser known. In this episode as we continue our series looking at people who lived out their faith in different ways, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve look at the life and work of this figure from Reformation history, and what her witness means for us in the age of social media and fragmented Christian denominations. Listen in here!

As our series highlighting the stories of people who lived out their faith continues, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve explore the life of a medieval polymath, Hildegard of Bingen, who was a composer, philosopher, mystic, healer, theologian, and advocate of creation care! We'll explore how Hildegard communicated theology through her music, how her perspective held together natural science and profound faith, and what her story might mean for us in the 21st century. Listen in here!

She was a 20th century American Catholic radical, working for the well-being of the poor, offering hospitality to the homeless, advocating for peace, and calling fellow Christians to live out their faith in concrete ways. Dorothy Day is one of those complex figures who challenges us, provokes us, and inspires us. And in this episode of Crazy Faith Talk, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve explore some of her life and faith as one more example of a life-story that sought to live out her discipleship to Jesus. Join us for this conversation as we wrestle with the convicting wisdom of the woman who said, "I only really love God as much as the person I love the least."

In this episode of our series looking at people who lived out their faith in various ways, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve explore the faith and legacy of Fred Rogers, beloved creator of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.  We'll take a look at how his work in children's public television was a form of his ministry as an ordained Presbyterian pastor, as well as his practical theology of neighborliness and unconditional love.  We'll also look at the ways Fred Rogers' unique voice found winsome ways to engage difficult topics, from the lingering specter of racial segregation to the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001.  We'll also look at the ways adults who grew up with Mister Rogers have been shaped in their practice of empathy, curiosity, faithful imagination, and hospitality.  Join us for this conversation on Crazy Faith Talk!

In this episode of our series looking at people who lived out their faith in various ways, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve explore the faith and legacy of Fred Rogers, beloved creator of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.  We'll take a look at how his work in children's public television was a form of his ministry as an ordained Presbyterian pastor, as well as his practical theology of neighborliness and unconditional love.  We'll also look at the ways Fred Rogers' unique voice found winsome ways to engage difficult topics, from the lingering specter of racial segregation to the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001.  We'll also look at the ways adults who grew up with Mister Rogers have been shaped in their practice of empathy, curiosity, faithful imagination, and hospitality.  Join us for this conversation on Crazy Faith Talk!

As we continue a new series for 2025 on people who lived out their faith, colleagues in ministry Natalie, Sarah, and Steve explore the life and legacy of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  From his life experience during and after the apartheid era in South Africa to his deep faith and accessible but profound theology, there is a great deal that the contemporary American church can learn from Tutu's witness today.  In this conversation we'll explore the nature of the Truth and Reconcilation Commission in South Africa, the concept of "ubuntu" in Tutu's theology, and the claim that "God has a dream." We'll also explore Tutu's fruitful partnership and friendship with the Dalai Lama and his witness as a voice for nonviolent response to tyrannical regimes.  Lots of good places to learn and be inspired, on this week's Crazy Faith Talk!

A new series is starting here on Crazy Faith Talk, as we take a look at different life stories who embodied their faith in different ways, different settings, and different times.  Rather than being exhaustive biographies of these people, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve will touch on the dimensions of these lives that speak to our faith and how they sought to live out their own faith, while our colleague Erica takes a step back for a season to deal with some health issues.  As we start this series, we'll explore the faith of the recently deceased former president Jimmy Carter, and how his faith deeply, if also quietly, shaped his sense of vocation, his demeanor around others, and his character both in and out of office.

As the second half our mini-series on thelogies of giving and receiving, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Erica, Natalie, and Steve take a look at what it means, from a faith perspective, to be receivers of gifts--both from God and from others.  How can we get over our need to "get even" or "pay people back," especially when some gifts are simply given unconditionally?  How might we see others' need to give what they have to offer as a reason for us to make room for their contributions by being willing to receive their gifts?  And how does it change our faith persepctive to see God being gracious when receiving what we have to offer--even when our prayers are misguided, our offerings are tainted with selfishness, and our intentions are often mixed?  How, in other words, can we be gracious as both givers and receivers?  Listen in on this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

In the first half of a Christmas-tide mini-series about giving and receiving, colleagues in ministry Erica, Sarah, Natalie, and Steve are exploring a theology of giving... and of receiving.  What does it mean to think of God fundamentally as a Giver? What gifts of God have always been a part of our lives such that we might forget they are there or take them for granted?  How is our faith affected by seeing Jesus as the one whom "God gave" for the love of the world?  And how does it change our perspective on daily life to see all of our existence--and indeed the universe itself--as a gift that didn't have to be this way? Join us for this conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk!

In this final episode of our Advent series for 2024, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Erica, Natalie, and Steve explore one more dimension of the biblical notion of exile.  This time we'll look at how the New Testament writers see all of our present life right now as a sort of exile-within-the-world, and how each of us are aliens in the world who also care for the good and well-being of the world where we live.  We'll explore how the early Christians saw themselves as outsiders even in their home countries, how the body of Christ trascends borders, boundaries, and cultures, and how our faith can be enriched by the experience of Christians from other cultures, countries, languages, and times.  And in all of it we'll point toward the good news of Christmas, that in the coming of Jesus, somehow our exile has ended, too, as God has come to dwell with us.  Join us for this episode of Crazy Faith Talk--and a merry Christmas to you!

As we continue exploring the theme of hope in the face of exile this Advent, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Erica, Natalie, and Steve zoom out to creation itself, and to God's promise to make all creation new and to dwell with us.  Rather than just wishing for freedom from one empire or another--like Babylon in the history of Judah, or Rome in the time of Jesus--Christian hope is ultimately for all of creation to be renewed.  And in a sense, because of the ways human sin alienates us from one another, the world, and from God, all of life in the present world feels out-of-sorts and in "exile." So what we are most deeply hoping for is a renewal of creation as a whole, including us, and for God to be at home with us once and for all.  And that, it turns out, is connected to the promise of the Messiah who is the center of our Advent waiting.  So listen in to this week's conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk!

This Advent, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, Erica, and Steve are exploring the biblical theme of hope in times of exile as a way of better understanding what the coming of Christ meant for people in the first century, as well as for us today.  In this episode we explore the meaning of the Empire's presence in and around the backdrop of the birth of Jesus, and how traumatic it would have been in daily life to have foreign occupation constantly present for Jesus' family and the people longing for the Messiah.  How does that presence of the Roman Empire affect the meaning of Jesus' birth story, and what does it mean for us who hear these stories and see them as the center of our faith?  Join us for that conversation on this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

Every year, Christians around the world sing the ancient words from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” which continues, “…and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.”  So what did exile mean in the Biblical story, and what does it mean for our hope this season? What did it mean for the birth of Jesus that his homeland was under foreign occupation under the Roman Empire, or that he and his family had to flee to Egypt in a sort of exile as refugees escaping Herod?  And how do we see all of our lives as Christians lived as “resident aliens” or “exiles” awaiting the new creation when God makes all things new?  These are the questions we'll be exploring each week with colleagues in ministry Erica, Sarah, Natalie, and Steve this December on Crazy Faith Talk—listen in this Advent!

In this final episode of our series, "Questions We'd Like to Ask God," colleagues in ministry Erica, Sarah, Natalie, and Steve wrestle with the matter of two millennia Christians have been waiting for the coming of Christ in glory.  Why has Jesus not come back yet? And is that a matter of the fixed timing of God's plan, or somehow is it up to human choices or actions?  Is there anything anybody can do that would delay or speed up Jesus' coming?  And when we say Jesus is coming again, do we mean to say that Jesus is missing now--or that he is present in hidden ways and we are waiting for the fullness of his presence to be revealed?   How might our whole conversation be affected by our experience of time as a limited beings compared to God's way of being?  All of these questions and more are part of the wrestling this week on Crazy Faith Talk!

For as long as human beings have been seeking the divine (which is probably pretty much from the beginning), we have been arguing about the right ways to talk about God, how to understand God, and how to identify God.  Sometimes we argue with spoken debates or written theses (maybe posted on a door), and sometimes we have launched wars (we call "holy") in the name of getting God's identity correct.  So... how does God feel about all of this?  In our next episode within the "Questions We'd Like To Ask God" series, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Erica, Steve, and Natalie explore what God might say about the ways we divide ourselves over God and the right ways to talk about God.  Join us for this conversation, here on Crazy Faith Talk!

In this November's series, "Questions We Want to Ask God," colleagues in ministry Erica, Sarah, Steve, and Natalie are getting to lob out the BIG questions we still wrestle with.  This time, the question is, "What (that human beings do) breaks God's heart the most?" And over the course of this conversation we'll explore what the Scriptures suggest matters most to God, and what it even means to suggest that God's "heart" can break.  We'll look at times in the Bible where the writers talk about God grieving or being sorrowful, and what that might mean for how we make choices in our daily lives as well. Join us for another in-depth conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk!

In a new series this November, Crazy Faith Talk is welcoming an additional voice around the table and posing questions we have always wanted to ask God. In addition to our regulars, Erica, Sarah, and Steve, we welcome Natalie, who is a seminary intern learning ministry in the congregational setting where Steve serves, and we're glad to have her around the microphone!  In this episode, we'll explore why God gave human beings free will--and what that might or might not mean in different theological traditions.  Does God's omnisicences (knowing all things) including our future undercut the idea that we are free to choose, or are our actions predetermined?  Why would God give us the ability to kill or harm others if God's commandments forbid those?  And, once we open the can of worms about human freedom and God's will, if as Scripture seems to say God "wants all to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus," is God OK with not getting what God wants in the end, or is God determined to accomplish God's purposes?  As you can imagine, this conversation takes us in some pretty interesting places, and we invite you to join us for this conversation and a new series here on Crazy Faith Talk!

In a sense, Jesus' disciples are meant to be forever learning: there is always deeper to go, and there are always new adventures on which Jesus invites us to accompany him.  But at the same time, Jesus' disciples do move from being solely students to becoming teachers and leaders as well. In Matthew's Gospel, for example, there is a well-known scene after the resurrection in which Jesus directs his disciples now to go outward in all directions and "to all nations" not only to baptize people, but to "instruct" them to follow in his way of life--in other words, to become a new generation of apprentices of Jesus.  And now, twenty centuries later, that's our calling still.  So, what does it look like to be apprentices who become teachers and leaders for new and growing disciples, while we also still continue to grow and learn?  That's where this concluding episode of our series, "Discipleship as Apprenticeship," will take us, as pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve gather around the microphone to discuss what it could look like to see ourselves as simultaneously disciples and teachers.  Listen in on this week's "Crazy Faith Talk"!

If following Jesus were a short sprint on a clear track, it would be easy.  But in reality, discipleship is a lifelong marathon on rough terrain, and it involves the ongoing challenges of dealing with setbacks, obstacles, and course corrections.  How does Jesus help his disciples, both in the Gospels and today, to face the obstacles in our path as we follow him?  Join us for this latest conversation in our fall series, "Discipleship As Apprenticeship," as pastors Sarah, Erica, and Steve explore how we follow Jesus while acknowledging that we sometimes miss the mark, miss the point, and miss our chances to do what Jesus is calling us to do.  Join us for this conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk!

It's not just WHAT Jesus does, but HOW he does it.  And it's not just about head-knowledge but training our hands and hearts to live out what we believe.  As we continue this fall's series on Discipleship as Apprenticeship to Jesus, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve now look at how Jesus models for his disciples practices like prayer, fasting, and giving, and how he teaches us still today how to see our relationship with God from a perspective that lets those be authentic rather than performances or rote rituals.  Listen in to this conversation for insights on how we can let our spiritual lives be honed and trained in the same direction as Jesus' example for his disciples in this episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

In this, their 400th episode of Crazy Faith Talk, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve look at the central teachings of Jesus as the beginnings of our apprenticeship to him.  We'll see how the parables of Jesus and teachings like the Sermon on the Mount are not merely "head knowledge" or trivia to be memorized for a test, but a whole new way of seeing the world and understanding our relationship to God, from which we then act, speak, and follow.  Join us for another round of conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk!

In a new series for this fall, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve are taking a look at what it means to be disciples of Jesus, and in particular to see ourselves as apprentices who learn Jesus' way of life.  In contrast to so much of our wider culture that persuades us to see ourselves as paying customers (who are thus "always right," and can take our business elsewhere if someone says or does something to challenge us...), Jesus calls us to let go of our old assumptions, prejudices, habits, and practices to learn his way of life.  What could that look like for us, and what did it look like for the first disciples of Jesus as he called to each of them?  Join us for a new round of conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk!

In this finale episode of our series on people in the Bible we would (or wouldn't) want to be, we'll look at the less-familiar story of Phoebe, whom Paul commends at the end of his letter to the Romans as a fellow leader in the early church. Phoebe is only mentioned in two verses of the whole Bible, but it is likely that she was the one carrying Paul's letter to the Romans and actually read it in Rome out loud to the gathered community, also probably giving the first explanation, commentary, or preaching on it.  And even though later many voices would try to prohibit women's leadership, Paul certainly seems to have no problem with her role here--he doesn't feel any need to defend, explain, or apologize for sending her.  He just assumes that the Christians in Rome will welcome her with open arms!  How does Phoebe's story give us a glimpse into life in the early church?  What might her story say to us about the seemingly ordinary ways God works through us?  Listen in to this conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk to find out!

In our current series exploring biblical figures we want to be (or know we can learn from), we'll explore what it would have been like to be Esther (from the biblical book of the same name).  Esther lived centuries before Jesus and thousands of years before us, and yet so much of her faith-story is like ours.  Like Esther, we often struggle (and stumble) through our discernment of what God is calling us to do or how our faith is leading us to act, and also like Esther we each have to wrestle with how to use the platforms and privileges we have for the sake of others who are endangered, as well as knowing how and when to speak up.  If you've ever wished for a note on your pillow from God but instead had to learn to recognize God's direction in the counsel of others and the calling in your consicence, then this conversation might be a helpful one for you!  Join pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve around the microphone for this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

In this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk, pastors Sarah, Erica, and Sarah begin a round of conversations highlighting people in the Bible they would like to be, or would want to have some part of. And to get this started, we'll take a look at Saint Paul, famously known as apostle to the Gentiles and the voice behind a large part of the New Testament.  He can be bold and confident, and yet sometimes he struggled to be heard with respect and struggled with finding his place in God's work amid suffering, imprisonment, and adversity.  What would have been the benefits of being Paul--and what would have been the challenges?  Listen in and find out more here on this week's edition of Crazy Faith Talk!

This week, our series "Who We DON'T Want To Be" takes a look at Simon Peter, the fisherman-turned-apostle who talked a good game and often had half-right answers, only to misunderstand or let Jesus down when it counted.  This week, Steve explores why he struggles with the story of Simon Peter, and colleagues in ministry Erica and Sarah offer grace for all of us who struggle and stumble our way through being disciples of Jesus.  Join us for another faithful conversation here on this week's Crazy Faith Talk!

In this series we've just recently started here in these late summer days, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve are asking the question, "Who do you NOT want to be from the Bible?" And each week, we'll feature a different biblical character, while these friends around the micophone try to persuade one another either to be, or not to be, in that character's shoes (or sandals). This week, we'll take a look at the towering figure of the Torah, Moses, who is remembered both as liberator from slavery and lawgiver for the freed Israelites, but who also had to endure an awful lot of difficulty and drama.  What can we learn from Moses' life story, and how can we respond when we are in positions of leadership and times of critical action?  Listen in and find out on this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

In a new series kicking off here in these late days of summer, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve are exploring biblical characters we would not want to be, and maybe why they wouldn't be so bad after all.  Getting things started, a look at how difficult it must have been to be the mother of Jesus--exactly because he was the Messiah, and she had been told that ahead of time!  What challenges would have been there with her unusual pregnancy?  What heartaches did she have to endure?  How different might it have been to parent Jesus compared with Mary's later children? And what kind of faith do we learn from Mary's story and words in the Scriptures?  Join us for this new conversation and new series here on Crazy Faith Talk!

At the end of the last book of the Christian Bible, there is a vision of a wholly renewed creation, a "new heavens and a new earth," in which mnay peoples (plural) from every language, tribe, and nation are gathered into God's presence, and when heaven comes to earth, for God's dwelling to be among us completely. In light of that promised future, Christians are freed to be open-eyed, honest and realistic about the limits, failings, and flaws of every human government and every nation on earth.  Because we haven't tethered our faith in Jesus to a political party or a national government, we can be honest when governments mess up, and we don't have to give up hope into despair in the elections when our candidates lose.  We are also equipped to live in the tension of doing what is in our power to make positive change in our own lives, neighborhoods, and communities, while not being overwhelmed by the burden of assuming the fate of the universe rests on any one person's efforts. We can't achieve the kingdom of God by lobbying, and we don't have to believe the false notion that any candidate or party has God's endorsement--they don't.  All these topics, and more, as pastors Sarah, Erica, and Steve take a final look at the separate of church and state here on Crazy Faith Talk!

As we keep thinking through the value of having a separation between church and state in the United States, pastors Sarah, Erica, and Steve spend some time looking at the biblical picture of the church as a multi-national community.  From the time of Paul's letters (the earliest documents of the New Testament!) onward, we see the early church choosing to include people from other nationalities, cultures, and languages without making them "assimilate" into the practices of ancient Judaism first. That is, Gentiles were welcome as Gentiles!  And running through the Bible, from prophets like Isaiah through to the end of Revelation is a picture of many nations all gathered as God's beloved community.  We'll look at the ways it can be both a challenge and also a blessing that the church is always bigger than one nation, government, or territory, and some of what we have learned by listening intentionally to people whose background, culture, and nationality are different from our own.  Join the conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk!

As we continue our summer series exploring why the separation of church and state is good for both sides of that arrangement, we explore the way our voice as Christians can be a helpful check and balance on the actions and decisions of government.  Most folks who have lived in the United States understand the concept of how we are supposed to have "checks and balances" within government itself, in the separated powers of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.  But what if the role of the church, either collectively or individually, can have a similar check-and-balance for the state, precisely because the church doesn't wield governmental power?  What if, like the prophets of ancient Israel, it's exactly because we are on the outside of the halls of government that we can be a voice that holds government accountable?  And how would we lose that ability to offer prophetic critique if we were a part of the established government bureaucracy?  These are the places our conversation is going today--join us this time here on Crazy Faith Talk!

This summer on Crazy Faith Talk, we're taking a look at the separation of church and state in the American experiment, and why it's a good thing.  Around the table as usual are pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve, and this week, we're looking at the possible dangers of a church or religious faith taking control of the wheels of government.  While some might think it would only mean getting to have Christmas trees or nativity scenes in town squares, history suggests that there are LOTS of ways state power gets abused and faith groups become corrupt when they overtake the role of government.  Historically, that includes the disaster of the Crusades in medieval Europe the "doctrine of discovery" during the age of colonization, as well as the restrictions of opportunties and rights for women or minorities in post-revolution Iran.  And even in the present moment in America, there are faith groups who identify as "Christian nationalists" who are advocating for repealing women's right to vote.  All of those examples raise the question, "Which church would be in power?" if a church were to overtake the state--and maybe that concern tells us exactly why it was a wise idea not to establish a state church in our founding documents.  Should everything that we think of as a "sin" also be a crime punishable by the state?  Who gets to decide what count as those sins?  And what can Christians learn about the temptation to dominate with secular power from the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness? These kinds of questions and more are all up for discussion on this week's Crazy Faith Talk!

This week on Crazy Faith Talk, we continue our series exploring the separation of church and state by looking at what happens when governments overstep their bounds and claim to speak for God (or the gods). Whether it's pagan empires like Pharaoh's Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon, or the Roman Empire of the first-century, or even the kings of Israel and Judah claiming God's endorsement for everything they did, there are lots of biblical examples of the dangers of a government claiming to have divine approval for its agenda.  And similarly, much of the history of the 20th century, from the state church of Germany in the 1930s to the censored churches of communist countries today, reminds us that there are good reasons not to let the state overtake the role and the voice of faith groups.  Join us for this conversation as pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve look at why a separation between church and state is a good thing to have here on Crazy Faith Talk!

Should the government get to dictate what the correct belief in God is?  Should the church be able to punish people with jail time for incorrect theology or unorthodox biblical interpretation?  Are there good reasons why the Founders of the American experiment chose deliberately NOT to establish an official religion when the United States was formed?  These questions kick off a new series for this summer as pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve look at the separation of church and state, and why at least these three Christian faith leaders think it's a good idea--precisely as Christians--that we do not have an "official religion" in the United States.  In this first episode we'll set the table for the rest of this series, looking at where the language of "separation of church and state" came from, and how the lessons of centuries of religiously-affiliated wars in Europe prior to the drafting of the US Constitution informed those leaders like Jefferson when they insisted on "a wall of separation" between church and state.  We'll also look at how important voices from church history in our various traditions lay the ground work for seeing the work of the church separated from the work of the government.  This will be an important and, we hope, a valuable series to listen to this summer--check it out here on Crazy Faith Talk!

In this final episode of our series on the Psalms, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve explore ways to use the psalms in our own individual and corporate lives.  While there are some parts of the Scripture we may struggle to come back to for multiple readings (let's be honest, it's hard to be inspired by genealogies or records of how long different kings reigned for), the psalms continually invite us to pray using their borrowed words, or to let them be a springboard for our own new conversations with God.  Whether it's personal spiritual journaling, praying the Hours with others in community, or simply taking the time to pause in your day long enough to break up your to-do list with prayer, the psalms can be a great resource for continuing to walk with God day by day.  Listen in for some ideas in your own life here on Crazy Faith Talk!

In this week's episode, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve take a look at a difficult group of psalms in the Bible--those that wish for revenge or cursing on the enemies of the ones praying.  For many of us, we wouldn't have even known this was in the Bible, and for others, we just don't know what to do with such angry--and often violent--words brought to God!  So in this conversation, we'll explore some ways to deal with these psalms, how they might give voice to pain that needs to be expressed somehow, and why it's good news that God is free to respond to our prayers in whatever ways God sees fit, even if it's not what we asked for or wanted.  Join us for this week's episode here on Crazy Faith Talk!

As they continue exploring the poems and prayers in the biblical book of psalms, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve take a look today at the royal psalms, often used in enthronement or coronations in ancient Israel's life, which asked for God's blessing and help for their kings and for long dynasties of continuity in their rule. To American ears, used to the constant turnover of elections and trained to be skeptical of monarchies, these psalms can sound strange or confusing.  And yet, as we look closer, there is something truly beautiful in this sort of prayer for the common good, for the doing of justice, for wisdom for leaders (especially in times when the people didn't have a choice in who led them), and ultimately for a hope in God as the real sovereign regardless of who sat on the throne.  Join us for this conversation and what these ancient prayers might mean for us today in our lives, here on Crazy Faith Talk!

There are a few essentials for a good traveling song: it needs to help make the trip go quicker, it needs to be memorable for people to sing along, and it helps make the journey as much of a memory as the destination.  Well, ancient Israel had its own set of traveling songs, at least for the times when the people would be going up to Jerusalem for worship at the Temple at festivals and other special occasions. They're called "songs of ascent," and they're a subset of the Book of Psalms.  They were used as people made the journey "up" (literally, since Jerusalem is on hill elevated above all the surrounding territory) for worship, and they have a way of drawing people into the act of worship, while marking out the miles along the way like a good traveling song.  Learn more about these songs and why they matter in this episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

In their ongoing series this summer on the psalms, pastors Sarah, Erica, and Steve take a look at the laments in the Psalms.  These prayers, poems, and songs feel like the blues--they name the times when our worlds fall apart, when we feel abandoned (even by God), and when our hearts are heavy.  And rather than discouraging us from lobbing those feelings at God, the psalms of lament actually give us permission to bring whatever is on our hearts and minds to God!  Join us for a conversation about how we are invited into raw honesty and authenticity with God, rather than needing to sugar-coat our thoughts about God or see life only through rose-colored lenses, and how biblical lament can be a gift for us that actually brings us closer to God, this week on Crazy Faith Talk!

In our new series this summer exploring the psalms, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve now take a look at different kinds, or genres, of psalms. And in this episode our conversation takes us to psalms of praise and thanksgiving.  In a sense, these kinds of prayers and songs seem obviouus--when you are happy or something is going well, sometimes the joyfulness just bursts out of you, after all.  But it is worth exploring how these psalms call attention to WHY God is worthy of praise.  That might include the times life is going well, but maybe it's also thanks for the times God has brought us through difficult times, or remembrances of what God has done in the distant past as a reminder of what God can do in our present situations.  The psalms of praise also highlight WHO God is--the One who cares for the marginalized, who lifts up the lowly, who deflates the arrogant, who feeds the hungry with good things, and who cares about justice and mercy.  We'll also explore how reading and praying the psalms of praise and thanksgiving can open our minds to keep singing new songs of praise and offering up new words of thanks for what God continues to do in our lives and in the world.  Check out the conversation here on this week's Crazy Faith Talk!

In a new series for the summer, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve invite you to get to know the psalms better.  While many people know phrases or selections from the psalms (like, "The Lord is my shepherd," or "Be still and know that I am God..."), this is a book that is often underused and possibly misunderstood.  So as we begin this series, we'll explore why it can be valuable to "borrow words" from someone else's prayer life, or to use pre-written wording in corporate worship. And we'll also look at how the psalms "work" as poetry--and what that means for how we read and understand poetry.  This series will offer food for the mind and the spirit--join us on this deeper dive into the Psalm here on Crazy Faith Talk!