Roughing the Pastor

Episode 102: The Theology of The Next Five Years Wherein the Pastors return from a long hiatus to dig into where the church might be in five years hence.  Along the way there's talk of gorillas fighting polar bears, why it's crazy that the next president will most likely be over 80, and J's scheme to retire to Myrtle Beach with Tyler in ten years. “I'm like someone who is from Toronto: I can speak French, but I can also pass as an American.”

Episode 101: The Theology of Winter Movies Wherein J has the episode off as Tyler and Jimmy Dykstra walk through their top ten winter movies.  Along the way there's some talk how Harrison Ford hates making movies, why themes of fellowship and belonging are so important during this time of year, and why Jimmy picked Christmas movies for his list even though he doesn't like Christmas movies. “Yes, life is hard and it's not going to end up the way you want it to, but that doesn't mean that it's not good.”

Episode 100: The Theology of Christmas Movies Wherein Them Pastors bring the festive spirit and talk Christmas movies, each selecting three gems to highlight, and what those movies can tell us about the season.  Along the way, there's talk of the monarch of Christmas treats, Tyler annual tradition of buying J movies on iTunes, and an update on Whamageddon 2022. “I wanted to be him, I wanted the beard the way he has…” “I wanted to EAT HIM.”

Episode 99: The Theology of Spotify Wrapped Wherein Them Pastors are joined by the Marvelous Ms. Christian Na to breakdown the annual musical diary that is Spotify Wrapped.  Along the way, they discuss giant spiders that will haunt your dreams, why Apple Music is worth getting just for Joni Mitchell and Beyoncé, and what one album dominated half of J's top ten songs of the year.  There's talk of the meaning behind the music we listen to, the story that we are trying to tell with the music that we use to underscore our lives, and what that music tells us about ourselves in return.   “I guess I'm a curious person, looking at this, and I'm someone who is a mess, but doesn't mind it.  And that's kinda the story I'm seeing here. ”

Episode 98: The Theology of Thanksgiving 2022 Wherein Them Pastors get downright thankful - AGAIN!!  J & Tyler continue the RTP tradition of each choosing ten things from culture that they are thankful for over the last 12 months.  Along the way, they bring up the amazing fact that J's church has a roller rink in it, Tyler eats a sandwich, and everyone comes to terms with the fact that Ewan McGregor is the best.   “Yeah, we are bi-coastal (if you count the Allegheny River as one of the coasts).”

Episode 97: The Theology of Midnights (Taylor's Version)   Wherein Them Pastors return with special guests Christine Wagner and Jimmy Dykstra to dig into the latest record by Taylor Swift, the “concept album” Midnights.  Along the way, they consider albums Taylor should cover, the song to teach twelve year olds how to swear, the song J wants to see covers of on YouTube, and consider the merits and detriments of one Mr. Jack Antonoff.   “She's on the record the way LaCroix has actual flavor in it - it's the essence of Lana Del Rey. ”

Episode 96: The Theology of The Heat Wave   Wherein Them Pastors are back at it to talk about the joys and perils of extreme weather, where one is pro cold weather and one is pro hot weather.  Along the way, there's talk of unplowed roads, the armpit of humidity, and the politics of beard management.   “I like when someone can wear pants and a t-shirt, and another can wear a hoodie and shorts, and you don't feel like either of them is crazy.”

Episode 95: The Theology of Catching Up   Wherein Them Pastors are back after a break to talk about the beauty of catching up.  They get into a conversation about the nature of relationships and the value of those that can be “picked up where we left off” and how we use (and abuse) relationships in the church.  Along the way, there's a new opening set of questions, talk of why J & Tyler never see each other in person, the buzz word of deconstruction (and the value of doing it), and whether pastors can be friends with people in their congregations.   “…and a Jay-Z song was on.”

Episode 94: The Theology of The 2022 Oscars. Wherein we are back with a jumbo sized episode with Jimmy Dykstra filling in for J as we discuss the 2022 Academy Awards.     Along the way, there's some talk about the slap (but only inasmuch as to say that it's a very complicated issue that should start more conversation), a celebration of Our Lady of Gaga, and Jimmy is delightfully surprised by one of Tyler's favorite movies of the year.   “E.T. is a little sloppy.”

Episode 93: The Theology of Wordle. Wherein Them Pastors return to talk about that curious thing that everyone has been posting about on social media - Wordle.   Along the way, there's practically a minisode's worth of talk about the Winter Olympics and an assignment for require listening to prepare for a future episode.   “They should do two person luge face to face because it's already ridiculous enough.”

Episode 92: The Theology of Taylor Swift Wherein Them Pastors are joined by TWO GUESTS - Christine Wagner and Jimmy Dykstra - for the long requested deep dive into the music of Taylor Swift.  Each of them bring their top five Taylor songs and compile a masterwork of a Taylor playlist (available for good times now on Tyler's Spotify) Along the way, there's some talk of why Hogwarts house is a better analytical tool than Myers-Briggs, the phantom guest of J's sister Jackie (whom he stole his top five from), and Tyler's admission that he is, shocking no one, a jerk.   “This was great.  This was very beautiful and also very weird at times, so that was fun.  I was glad to be a part of it.”

Episode 91: The Theology of TikTok Wherein Them Pastors are joined once again by the inimitable Rev. Cliff Haddox (@RevNGeek on TikTok & all things social media) to discuss the time travel app that is TikTok.   Along the way, there's some talk of why Jonah is a bible story that evolves as you do, the evolving nature of what the church can be, and how let the algorithm learn what who you are.    “I came out all this way, I should at least see you burn all these people to the ground!”

Episode 90: The Theology of Making Things Wherein Them Pastors are joined by the wonderful Rev. Cliff Haddox (@RevNGeek on TikTok & all things social media) to discuss the fine art of making things and how that helps us understand life, the universe, and everything a bit better.   Along the way, there is talk of Doctor Who scarves, saucy Myers-Briggs anecdotes, and the joy in screwing something up.     “Well, I guess everyone's getting Harry Potter wands for Christmas!”

Episode 89: The Theology of Ted Lasso Wherein Them Pastors discuss all things pertaining to the first two seasons of Ted Lasso - a show of hope, forgiveness, and the power to believe.    Along the way, there is talk of why someone would want to beat us up, why Scrubs was a great and terrible show, and the joy of a good Back to the Future reference.   “I can't imagine ever being mad enough at someone to hit them - even if they hit me first.”

Episode 77: The Theology of Thanksgiving 2021 Wherein Them Pastors create their third annual Thanksgiving time capsule, giving thanks for all the things that they appreciated in the culture throughout the year that was 2021.     Along the way, there is some talk of Thanksgiving All-Star food items and the best weekend after Thanksgiving foods, and the return of Whammageddon.   “I kind of like that you are taking notes through this, it feels like I'm in some sort of counseling session.”

Episode 87: The Theology of Burnout Wherein Them Pastors are joined by the Rev. Rebecca DePoe to talk about the very real and present issue of pastor burnout.   Along the way, there is discussion of the unclear nature of what is required and expected of pastors - video and computer skills, administrative skills, interpretive and oratory skills.  They also have hope that the season of the pandemic can help us to let go of some of the bad habits that pastor and churches had fallen into but should let go of.   “TikTok is so trashy.” ”No it's not.  It's just cats and people dancing.”

Episode 86: The Theology of Why Wherein Them Pastors talk the simple question of why things happen, doing a rather deep dive into the book of Job.    Along the way, there is an episode of Heresy Corner (wherein the devil is robustly discussed), discussion on why even terrible NFL teams are better than great college teams, and some of the worst things you can say to someone who is suffering.    “I called the hospital and said “I don't have $5000,' and they immediately said “how about $200?”.”

Episode 85: The Theology The Unknown Wherein Them Pastors talk about the fear that comes from not knowing what's going to happen.  There are tales  of COVID tests, tight rope walkers, and getting punched in the face.   Along the way, there is some deconstructing the phrase “close personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” why God's love is like a Game Genie, and an episode of the podcast within the podcast - “Jay's Hot Takes.”   “I've found as many birthday cakes as I have found monsters in my closet - which is exactly three.”

Episode 84: The Theology Going Up The Hill Wherein Them Pastors tell tales of going outside to find God by going up hills.  There is peril, Rottweilers, hot dogs drinking out of hats, giant boulders, and the beauty of the unplanned experience.   Along the way, there is talk of the best burger between Pittsburgh and DC,  flying across the country to combat sadness, and the bike boom of the pandemic.   “Just getting on a bike and saying ‘I don't know what's going to happen' is really fun.”

Episode 83: The Theology of The Best Laid Plans Wherein Them Pastors return from a months long hiatus to talk about false starts, unintended paths, and how we can make the most of them.   Along the way, there is talk of what they've been up to - Tyler's new found adoration of Taylor Swift, the tale of J's job opportunity that never materialized, and the long awaited return of their beloved house elf, Bartleby.   “#StickItToScooter”

Episode 82: The Theology of Tattoos Wherein Them Pastors are joined by tattooer Stacy Fevinger to talk about the art and meaning behind tattooing and the connection and intimacy that's involved in the process.  Along the way, there's talk of the B-52's being the right kind of weird, the best two film versions of Beauty and the Beast, and grandmothers that cheat at cards.   Originally recorded using wax cylinders and period technology from the Edison Laboratory in New Jersey, this episode was thought to be lost to the ether due to a corrupted file, but was reconstructed with great care by Bartleby the House Elf over the course of several months.  Please excuse the audio quality.  Bartleby did his best.   “Don't let anyone lie to you - every tattoo hurts.”

Episode 81: The Theology of Sad Songs Wherein Them Pastors are kick off Season 3 of the podcast with a long gestating episode about sad songs (and why they are so good).  Along the way, there's talk about personal tragedy, record buying as a coping strategy, the healing that singing a song together can do when nothing else makes sense, why it's okay to be sad, and why “Hey Ya” is one of the saddest songs ever written.   Also worth noting (per our fact checking House Elf Bartleby) virtually every date Tyler cites in this episode is wrong - e.g. Automatic for the People was actually released in 1991, etc. - so take note of that oversight.   “Get your eyeliner ready - it's about to run on this one.”

Episode 80: The Theology of How The Sausage Gets Made Wherein Them Pastors are joined by Dr. Carl Anderson once again to talk about that age old question - What do pastors DO all day?  The trio talk about the process of writing and preparing a sermon, some different approaches to longer themes they are trying draw out, and the hope for how the congregation will respond.  Along the way, there’s some Tom Hanks movie talk, J’s disdain for the word “pedigree,” and Tyler’s recurring issue with pastors who cry on cue.   “Jesus says ‘Shut up, you idiot.’ - that’s a paraphrase.”

Episode 79: The Theology of Lenten Practice Wherein Them Pastors ruminate on the season we are entering into, what it means to practice, and why we are even doing it.  Along the way, there’s talk of harrowing drives in the snow, skipping the Super Bowl, fancy boxes that watches come in, and why the church should never be the same after this.   “In Lent, we wear ties.”

Episode 78: The Theology of 2020 Wherein Them Pastors look back at the year that was, and particularly on the value in separating the good from the bad in a year that was more than what any of us expected.  Along the way there is talk of Tyler’s calendar hack, J’s love for a good pep talk, why Cancel Culture isn’t quite the answer, and how time in quarantine can yield its own hidden blessings.  There’s also some brief Wonder Woman 1984 reflections and Tyler’s TV comfort food that is the show Night Court.  We also begin #FalconWatch2021.   “Pampers Diapers wants you to know that ‘Black Lives Matter.’”

Episode 77: The Theology of Insurrection Wherein Them Pastors return to unpack the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol and the place (or lack thereof) for insurrection from the church.  Along the way, there is some important discussion about the Kool-Aid Man, J’s realization that his office is sound proof, potential time travel, questions about the 2nd Amendment, and visits by Creative Writing Tyler, Historian Tyler, and Devil’s Advocate Tyler.   “When you start to put clothes on the Kool Aid Man, it makes me question, ‘was he naked up to this point’??”

Episode 76: The Theology of Thanksgiving 2020 Wherein Them Pastors create their second annual Thanksgiving time capsule, giving thanks for all the things that they appreciated in the culture throughout the year that was 2020.  Along the way, there some talk of food temperature preferences, the dual roles of pastor and movie producer, and a subtle reminder that J likes Superman more than Batman.   “Outside of jokes about butts and smooches, it never really gets that crass.”

Episode 75: The Theology of The 2020 Election Wherein Them Pastors sift through the rubble of the presidential election and try to make sense of it all, focusing on themes of patience, civility, truth, and trust.  Along the way, there’s talk of what what we love best about being pastors, some Historian Tyler talk about the electoral college, and the three things that need to change in this country in the next decade or so to make things run better (but probably aren’t going to happen).  “Most voters are holding their nose when they are voting - in every election.”

Episode 74: The Theology of Christian Music with Carl Anderson Wherein Them Pastors are joined once again by the indefatigable Carl Anderson to talk about the oft maligned world of Christian music.  The break down the good,  the bad, and the ska of it all.  Along the way, there’s talk of the perfect walk up song to the pulpit, what it’s like to where a clergy collar, and why Carl has gotten next level with his “dad joke” abilities.   “That should be on your business card - ‘Rev. Dr. Carl Anderson: Loud and Jesusy’.”

Episode 73: The Theology of Reboots 2: The New BatchWherein Them Pastors are back from an unscheduled month and a half off to reboot the podcast and fire things back up!  They talk about storytelling and why it can be important to have different voices tell us the same story in new ways.  Along the way, there some room for talk of pandemic fatigue, losing track of time, the perks of being old, and Tyler’s general distrust of coaches. “The power of grace is at any point along the way looking at life and saying this isn’t the story I wanted to tell - and to take it in a different direction.”

Episode 72: The Theology of Black Panther Wherein Them Pastors have returned and are joined by the brilliant Ralph Lowe to discuss the loss of Chadwick Boseman and the modern day classic Black Panther.  Along the way, they discuss a new development in J’s personal grooming, the importance of T’Challa’s accent, and why having why having Bilbo Baggins as a pointless character in Black Panther is so important.   “It’s an affirmation of black beauty, black presence, and black power - in a way that is affirming, not diminishing any other power.”

Episode 71: The Theology of Back to the Future Wherein Them Pastors are again joined by Rachel Jones to talk about the 1985 classic Back to the Future.  Along the way, there is taxonomy talk, a brief detour about how believable Superman’s disguise as Clark Kent really is, and a cat throws up.  Plus talk about fate, destiny, and why none of them would change the bad tragedies of the past. “I probably would not be doing what I’m doing right now if I hadn’t done what felt like a huge, monumental mess up at the time.”

Episode 70: The Theology of Animal Crossing Wherein Them Pastors are joined once again by pre-Dr. Rachel Jones to talk about the joyous phenomenon that is Animal Crossing.  Along the way, they talk about weird names of animal groupings, playing NHL on easy, the beheading of John the Baptist, and trying to find the rails. “It feels like the game points out what our natural instincts are, and we keep running away from that in our regular life.”

Episode 69: The Theology of Newspapers Wherein Them Pastors are do an impromptu guest-less episode due to some technical difficulties with the episodes they thought they had all lined up.  Instead, they discuss the value of physical newspapers and the overall concept of presence - particularly in the midst of social distancing.  Along the way, there’s talk about the best game plan for outsmarting a genie, the cosplay genius of John Lewis, the best sign at J’s going away party, and the proper way to hold the New York Times.   “You can maybe eat a donut the next day, but if you try to eat a donut like five days later it’s actual garbage.”

Episode 68: The Theology of LGBTQI+   Wherein Them Pastors are joined by the inimitably helpful and knowledgeable Sierra Van Dijk to talk about all things LGBTQI+!  Along the way, they talk about what they’d like to do TEDx talks on, representation on television, why ABBA is a really great band, and Tyler gets to tell his favorite joke about Engineers.   “The church doesn’t understand much outside of traditional, straight marriage.”

Episode 67: The Theology of Hamilton Wherein Them Pastors are joined by the wonderful Sofia Na to talk about a little musical called “Hamilton.”  Along the way, we hear Sofia’s spot on impersonation of an unsung Muppet, recount the tale of the Singing Bee Duel from 2016 that shocked the world, and puzzle over some interpretations of the father mesmerizing final  five seconds of the musical.    “This is a musical that raps about banking policy??”

Episode 66: The Theology of Transition Wherein Them Pastors are back together again to bring you some big news of J’s new job.  Along the way, we hear a bit about Tyler’s trip out west, living in between the end of one thing and the start of another, and what church you should go to if you need to use the bathroom.   “Did you pass them a note during study hall saying ‘Yes, I will go out with you’?”

Episode 65: The Theology of the Best of the 1980s Wherein Them Pastors (or half of Them Pastors) are joined by chronic guest Jimmy Dykstra to discuss the best movies of the culture saturated decade that was the 1980s.  J was called out on a secret mission, but Jimmy brings the heat with a list of 30 great movies from the last decade that he never lived in. “At a certain point, movies and art are reflection of God’s spirit in this world and in human creativity and experience.”

Episode 64: The Theology of Black Lives Matter Wherein Them Pastors welcome the brilliant Ralph Lowe, Director of Justice Ministries at Pittsburgh Presbytery, to talk about why black lives matter, the trouble with anytime we reframe away from that message, and why relationship is the key toward systematic change.  We have a full fledged conversation about the value of the time we are in right now, and some of the right and wrong ways that we can respond to it.  Along the way, there’s some talk of the glory of MC Hammer’s 2 Legit 2 Quit tour, why using the character Snake is basically cheating at Smash Bros, and one final (brief) entry in the “CrossFit is not a sport” saga. “Nothing burps better than bacon.”

Episode 63: The Theology of Why We Love The Church Wherein Them Pastors welcome the Rev. Charissa Howe to the show to talk about the church - not just what’s wrong with it, but why we still love it.  Along the way, there is talk of the cultural value of Walt Disney and William Shakespeare, why Fozzie Bear is the Ringo of the Muppets, and whether or not CrossFit is a sport.   “I don’t want to live in a world where there’s no ’Sk8ter Boi’.”

Episode 62: The Theology of Mover Scott Wherein Them Pastors are joined by super special guest, Scott Durbin of the Imagination Movers!  We talk with Scott about what it’s like to start up a children’s show and band and how that became a true calling to teach kindness and curiosity to young people.  Along the way, we talk about Scott’s experience growing up as the son of a pastor who was a hospital chaplain, why Mover Scott is a variation on Will Ferrell, how great music doesn’t have to be limited to a certain age, the importance of Mister Rogers, how fortune cookies can preach the best sermons, and why Daredevil is such a great super hero. And we don’t talk about Fight Club. “Failure is part of the process,; failure informs future decisions and future actions.” [Stick around after the outro for some bonus Movers questions and a special treat from J.]

Episode 61: The Theology of Finding Yourself Wherein Them Pastors are joined once again by friend of the show Jimmy Dykstra to talk about Jimmy’s two month road trip, and why the mystique of going on a journey to find yourself resonates so much.  Along the way there’s talk of who Jimmy is really named after (hint, it’s a pirate and a boss), what Jesus was actually writing in the sand, and the power of a well placed pop song from the mid-90s when you don’t have the emotional bandwidth to process an overwhelming experience. “The aloneliness of it should not be underestimated.”

Episode 60: The Theology of Sentimentality Wherein Them Pastors are joined by the Rev. Dr. Carl Anderson to talk about the trials and travails of sentimentality in the church.  Along the way there’s talk of Michael Jordan, milk in paper bags, J’s fateful meetings with Mario Lemieux, Tyler’s brain rebooting because he can’t remember a movie, youth group games named after Carl, and marathoning as a way of being the church.   “I find it fascinating to watch ESPN try to talk about anything when there’s no sports.”

Episode 59: The Theology of Heaven & Hell (Two Perspectives)   Wherein Them Pastors go into a vacuum to each give you their perspectives on heaven and hell.  Along the way, they talk about the best movie trailers to the worst movies, the best sport to watch (that isn’t one of the big five), and how J is reverting back to his IUP days in the midst of this quarantine.   “God doesn’t send people to Hell.”

Episode 58: The Theology of Vinyl Records   Wherein Them Pastors dive into their record collections to opine on the experience that vinyl brings that requires slowing down and being present in a way that we don’t often make space for.  Along the way there’s talk of Tyler getting sick in the midst of the quarantine, getting stuck in elevators with a whole pot of coffee, and why driving a van filled with sleeping people is the worst.    “This record has a time - this record is best played in the morning…”

Episode 57: The Theology of Prayer Wherein Them Pastors talk about the beautiful,  confusing, and often difficult practice of prayer.  Along the way, they talk about how the Imagination Movers and The Leftovers are getting us through the quarantine, the dream of owning a dolphin or a polar bear, what the TikTok algorithm tells you about yourself, and the guilt of non-essential Amazon purchases. “…a parrot just might be a jerk you have to take care of for the rest of your life.”

Episode 56: The Theology of Knives Out Wherein Them Pastors split up and Tyler is joined by Pre-Dr. Rachel Jones to have a spoiler talk on the movie brilliant 2019 movie Knives Out.  But first, J & Tyler have a robust conversation about movies they saw that they were too young for at the time, and try on a few new rapid fire questions for future guests.  There’s also some residual enneagram talk, and more Chris Kattan mentions than you would expect. SPOILERS BEGIN AT 26 MINUTES IN! “I don’t know if you’ve heard this, but newsflash everybody: the knives are not in anymore - the knives are out.”

Episode 55: The Theology of The Enneagram Wherein Them Pastors are finally joined by the Rev. Brian Wallace, Enneagramist extraordinaire for a full fledged breakdown of the Enneagram.  Along the way, you get a robust dissection of what makes good hot wings, Tyler’s refusal to accept that Toy Story could be considered a Disney movie, and a thorough bonus break down of the Myers-Briggs.  84 minutes of infotainment brought to you in spite of a global pandemic and a poor internet connection. “I’m about to throw my computer against the wall.”

Episode 54: The Theology of Twins Wherein Them Pastors are joined by two separate guests.  First, Jay Peffer joins them to talk about high school band, theater kids’ traditions, and how the Rockin’ Roller Coaster at Disney World marks one of the last gasps of rock and roll.  Then, Justin Manon sneaks in through the air ducts to talk with J about fostering, adoption, and what it’s like to be a parent to twins. “There’s a unique chaos that exists in the parenting of twins that you almost have to live it to experience it.”

Episode 53: The Theology of Social Distancing Wherein Them Pastors kick off season 2 of the podcast in the midst of a global pandemic and sheltering at home.  They look at what Social Distancing means for us, as well talking about shameful eating, the weirdness of doing church remotely, emulating Ben Gibbard, cheating at NBA 2K20, and why living in the exile isn’t aways such a bad thing.  The episode concludes with contributions from several guests letting us know what community looks like even when we are in isolation. “This cup represents the bottom of the pot, and it’s only 1pm.  My heart’s going to explode!” [Corrected]

Episode 52: The Theology of the Podcast Wherein Them Pastors wrap up Season 1 of RTP by looking back at a year of podcasting.  They walk through some of their favorite moments in the podcast so far, why Tyler is still drinking out of a water bottle he bought ten years ago at a gas station, and how the podcast has helped them get to know people better who they always wanted to know. “It says on it ‘Light My Fire,’ which I just noticed.  So that’s exciting.” [Don't worry, Season 2 starts next week!]