First-Plymouth Church's Podcast

This week, the Church traditionally celebrates All Saints—a day to remember those who have died. In many cultures, this is a moment of deep reverence and remembrance, a time to recognize the ways our ancestors are still “with us.” This Sunday, Pastor JC invites us to reclaim this ancient feast day as a source of strength—to become the saints that future generations will need.

We rush through our lives, often unaware that a higher state of being is available to us—a state of peace, calm, and deep connection with all life. The radical message of the Apostle Paul is that this way of being becomes possible when we simply accept Christ into our hearts. So, what are we waiting for?

Jacob's life was a wild rollercoaster filled with many ups and downs, twists, and turns. At a crucial point, he finds himself by the River Jabbok, where he wrestles with an angel all night long. After this struggle, his chaotic life begins to settle into a more peaceful moral clarity. Dr. Keck will interpret Jacob's wrestling match as an existential encounter with his own ego—an experience through which Jacob learns to transcend himself and engage more fully with others.

There is so much evil in the world, and we often feel powerless against it. This week, Pastor JC invites us into an ancient story where the disciples also felt powerless in the face of evil. Jesus offers a way to approach moments like this—an invitation that still speaks to our lives today.

We often talk about faith in God, but rarely about the faith of God. Our God has faith in us and remains steadfast. Dr. Keck will explore the faith of God, the difference between faith and belief, and the hiddenness of God. Through all the mistakes and missteps of religion—our attempts to grasp God—we ultimately learn to let God grasp us.

This week, Dr. Keck will unpack one of the most famous lines in scripture: “The love of money is the root of all evil.” The word radical comes from a root meaning “to get to the root of something,” so this line is literally radical. Together, we'll explore how it is not just a warning, but a bold idealism meant to open our minds to new possibilities.

So much disorientation, so much pain, suffering, anguish, and so many questions fill our days. It can feel as if God's song—the redemptive, life-giving, soul-sustaining rhythm—is muted and hard to hear. How are we to sing this song? We are not the first generation to ask this question. This week Pastor JC invites us into an ancient song: a song of lament, a song of reality, that becomes a song of liberation and healing. It is an invitation to keep singing the song of love, especially in these days.

The central symbol of Christianity is the cross. It is almost unfathomable that a method of execution could become a powerful symbol of love and forgiveness. Yet somehow, the old rugged cross has come to represent a cosmic event that ensures the safe journey of our souls. Join us this weekend for a spiritual exploration of the meaning of the cross.

The ancient stories of the Bible reveal a community searching for both their identity and God's. This week we meet a God who seems to stir up havoc, yet also brings healing. In our own lives, we may feel that God causes the chaos around us—but those feelings are part of the journey of faith. Pastor JC will lead us into an ancient story that invites us to see God as the one who heals, no matter how dis-eased or broken we may feel.

The ancient stories of the Bible reveal a community searching for both their identity and God's. This week we meet a God who seems to stir up havoc, yet also brings healing. In our own lives, we may feel that God causes the chaos around us—but those feelings are part of the journey of faith. Pastor JC will lead us into an ancient story that invites us to see God as the one who heals, no matter how dis-eased or broken we may feel.

Luke 14 is the classic text used to describe the high cost of discipleship. It seems to say that if you truly want to follow Jesus, you must give up everything else. Sure, it sounds rousing to shout, “I'm ALL IN!”—but what does that really mean? And isn't it okay to dip a toe in the water first? Dr. Keck will suggest that Jesus would also welcome those who are just checking him out.

We make choices every day, and the ancients were no different. The choices we make for ourselves impact the lives of those around us. Choosing life for ourselves should not come at the expense of life for our neighbors. This week, Pastor JC invites us to reflect on human flourishing—what it looks like and the practices that could make flourishing possible for all.

Steadfast, humble and joyful: Three key virtues in a disrupted world “Polycrisis” is a term that became popular in the early 2020s as a way to refer to the overlapping effects of such things as: Covid, war, surging debt levels, inflation, climate change, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, democratic erosion and growing inequality. This weekend we will explore how in a time of polycrisis it is essential to reclaim some basic virtues such as steadfastness, humility and joy.

Remembering is a key theme through the story of faith and yet we know how is easy it is to forget. This week in the midst of our current situation we are called to take a moment and to remember where we have seen God at work in our lives. Along the way we are cautioned about the many ways we numb, make excuses, and have selective memories, about the ways we forget. Unforgetting, reconnects us to each other, to our true selves, and to divine life. It frees us in ways unexpected.