Searching the Sacred

Welcome back to Searching the Sacred. This season we won't be bouncing from passage to passage, but methodically moving our way through the book of Ruth.  Each week, not only will we have an episode for you to listen to; but for those who support us on Patreon, we have a discussion guide that allows you to join the conversation.  In this first episode we barely make it into verse 2! Famine drives this family into Moab, death leaves a widowed mother-in-law with no sons or a husband, and yet they persist. __ We started a Patreon site for those who would like to financially support this podcast. Click HERE to find our site and become a patron. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.  

The conclusion to our series on prayer and Season 3! What is the significance of daily bread, forgiveness of debts, and not being tempted and delivered from evil? How do these go together and what do they teach us about what it means to be human?  And stick around for a re-imagining of The Lord's Prayer based on the totality of our conversation.   __ We have started a Patreon site for those who would like to financially support this podcast. Click HERE to find our site and become a patron. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

We are rounding out season 3 with a special three-part conversation on prayer. In Matthew 6, Jesus is in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount and he talks about how and where and what to pray.  Part 2 of our conversation focuses on the first half of the Lord's Prayer. What does it mean that this prayer is communal? Why the gendered name for God? What does it mean to keep God's name holy? And why does Jesus use the word 'Kingdom'? So many good topics in this episode. In part 3 (coming later this week), we will focus on the second half of the Lord's Prayer.   __ We have started a Patreon site for those who would like to financially support this podcast. Click HERE to find our site and become a patron. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

We are rounding out season 3 with a special three-part conversation on prayer. In Matthew 6, Jesus is in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount and he talks about how and where and what to pray.  Part 1 of our conversation focuses on verses 5-8, which lead up to the Lord's Prayer. Jesus tells his followers not to pray like the hypocrites who are attempting to draw attention to themselves, or like the heathens who use many words trying to get their god to listen and respond.  How are we like the hypocrites and the heathens? What is prayer? In part 2 (coming later this week), we will focus on the first half of the Lord's Prayer.   __ We have started a Patreon site for those who would like to financially support this podcast. Click HERE to find our site and become a patron. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Why does God test Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac? This story is troubling on multiple levels...and has left many wondering what it could mean. We don't solve it, but we do enjoy asking some good questions.   __ We have started a Patreon site for those who would like to financially support this podcast. Click HERE to find our site and become a patron. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

What would it look like to reimagine Jesus by looking at two people who carried his name - Joshua and Isaiah?  The courage and strength expected of Joshua might be different from the battle-ready context that we often have assumed. And what does it mean to call people towards salvation when they have gone so far astray?   __ We have started a Patreon site for those who would like to financially support this podcast. Click HERE to find our site and become a patron. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.  

In John 21, the disciples - led by Simon Peter - are going fishing. Why? They've just witnessed the death and resurrection of Jesus, he's appeared to them at least two different times, and they decide to go fishing.  It's easy in these moments to judge the disciples behavior. Maybe we would like to think we would have done something more purposeful or spiritually minded. But do we really know how potentially confusing and challenging these days after Jesus returns would be?  And so we find the disciples fishing, and Jesus offers to make them some food. What could this moment be about?   __ We have started a Patreon site for those who would like to financially support this podcast. Click HERE to find our site and become a patron. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Welcome to Season 3 of Searching the Sacred. To get this season started, we have a special guest joining us...Sarah Nichols, a teacher with 40 Orchards. In this episode we explore 2 Kings 19 and the story of Elijah, who is running away from Ahab and Jezebel.  What is our relationship with power? How far would we be willing to run to find our souls? What might be needed for this journey? __ We have started a Patreon site for those who would like to financially support this podcast. Click HERE to find our site and become a patron. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Did you know that the Bible actually has the instruction to 'kill the passover'? Not the 'passover lamb', but just the 'passover'. And this phrase is in the text multiple times...even in the New Testament. What could this possibly mean? And what could the significance be for Jesus' invitation in the Upper Room? This special bonus episode is coming just prior to Holy Week 2022. We are joined by scholar and friend of the podcast, Nathan Fisher...our first guest appearance on Searching the Sacred! As mentioned at the beginning of the episode, we have started a Patreon site for those who would like to financially support this podcast. Click HERE to find our site and become a patron. Any monthly donation will come with a free PDF for how to host a Seder meal.  As mentioned in the middle of the episode, 40 Orchards is hosting a special Holy Week scripture circle focused on The Lord's Supper. This will take place on Wednesday, April 13th. You can sign-up HERE. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Pop Quiz... Where is the first use of the title priest, the first use of the word shalom, and the first place where bread and wine are offered together? If you guessed Genesis 14 and the story of Melchizedek...then you've been studying with 40 Orchards!  In Hebrews 5, the Christ is named as being in the line of Melchizedek. But who is this seemingly important, but rarely mentioned character? The story of Melchizedek can help us explore the story of Abram. The story of Melchizedek can help us unpack who Jesus is and the ever-present Christ. The story of Melchizedek can offer us questions about how we show up in the world. __ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

How does Moses become MOSES? In Exodus chapter 2, we see Moses - son of Israelite slaves, raised in Pharaoh's palace - walk out the gate and see the burden of slavery on his people. And he reacts. This moment starts a chain reaction that launches Moses into the wilderness, to the land of Midian. And it's in Midian that God will prepare him to lead the people.  What does it mean to see? How do we wake up to the world around us that is unjust? What does it mean to leave all that we've known? How do we trust that God will continue to use us if we leave the familiar? ___ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Some stories are just so odd that it's just easier to ignore them and move on...why try to make sense of something or try to understand a spiritual truth about something that can't possibly be real?!  In Numbers 22, the people of Israel are on the verge of entering the Promised Land after 40 years in the wilderness. A neighboring king gets nervous as they approach so he hires a guy named Balaam, who is able to see visions and give prophecies, to go scare Israel away. God tells Balaam not to go, but he eventually goes anyway. On the way, the path gets narrower and narrower...and the donkey sees the angel of the Lord. The donkey avoids the angel, but Balaam (who can't see the angel) strikes the donkey on three separate occasions. At this point the Lord speaks to Balaam through the donkey!  Are we listening for what God has for us? Are we heading down a path that God might have warned us about, but we just don't seem to be getting the message? Are there donkeys in our lives that are trying to point us in the right direction?  This is a passage about discernment! Also...We put the 'explicit' designation on this podcast because we use the term 'ass' to refer to the donkey. This was done based on the translation we used. We didn't want to get into trouble...hence the label. We also wanted to catch your attention in case you listen to this in the presence of younger ears and aren't ready to explain how a donkey had a different name back in the day...or why Lisa seems to have a potty mouth! ___ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Jeremiah is called to be a prophet. But he's called to be a prophet of doom and gloom in the midst of one of the greatest reclamation moments of Israel's fraught history. The timing seems off. But what if the timing isn't off, what if Jeremiah is preparing the people for the unthinkable - exile. And in preparing them for exile, he's showing them that God is present, that God is still with them.  This conversation struck a few chords with how some may be perceiving of the church in America today (or at least some iterations of the church). And like Jeremiah, though the outlook may seem bleak, the fact that we are engaging these questions points to the hope we have for a re-imagination.  In this episode we spend time in Jeremiah 1 and Numbers 16 and 17 (but there's some confusion about which verses we read in Numbers 17...you'll see why).  ___ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Cain and Abel is one of those stories most of us have heard from childhood. And it's easy to see it as a classic tale of Good vs. Evil. But what if the story is meant so that we identify with Cain? What if the story of Cain is actually our story, my story, or the human story? In this episode we dive deep into Genesis 4. Enjoy! ____ This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.  

Welcome back to Searching the Sacred. We are excited to launch into our second season by exploring Psalm 1! I'll be honest. As we get Season 2 off to a start, this first episode took a minute to find it's footing. But all the groundwork that was laid in the beginning made for a wonderful reflection and meditation on what seemed to be a simplistic poem.  And this is the nature of poetry, sometimes it's a slow burn and takes a few attempts.  "Delight in the way and direction of the Living Presence that was and is and always will be."   This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Happy 2022!! Let's dive deep into Genesis chapter 1 to discover what God could be teaching us about how things begin and how we are invited to co-create with God.  As we start the new year, let's reflect on what God may be inviting us into...maybe a space to reflect and hold where we have been, maybe a space to start birthing something new, or maybe a space to get to work doing the thing that God has been calling us towards for some time.    A couple books that were mentioned in this episode: Man's Search for Meaning (Viktor E. Frankl) The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation   This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.  

Continuing our Advent theme from the previous episode, we dive into the poetic words of Mary from Luke 1. Oftentimes called the Magnificat, we explore the profound and prophetic nature of Mary's words and how they resonate with us today. We also look at Hannah's story and the prayer she utters as her long-awaited son, Samuel is chosen to be raised in the temple.  How do their words impact our world? Who can really sing these words? What does it mean for us to be close enough to hear them still?   In this episode we reference and/or read from a few books... First Nations Version: https://firstnationsversion.com/book/first-nations-version/ The Particulars of Rapture: https://www.amazon.com/Particulars-Rapture-Reflections-Exodus/dp/080521237X God Speaks Through Wombs: https://www.amazon.com/God-Speaks-Through-Wombs-Unexpected/dp/1514002671/   This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.  

Luke starts his gospel, not with the story of Mary and Joseph, but with the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth. We wrestle with what it means for Zachariah and Elizabeth to be named 'righteous' and the miraculous encounter that Zachariah has while in the temple. How can their story help prepare us for Advent and the coming Christ?    This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

In this episode we talk about the third day of creation from Genesis 1...the waters are held back and dirt appears. What does it mean for God to see that this as good? Before plants spring forth, before humans are formed from the dust...how is this too good? And who likes the anticipation of ice cream?! It seems like Lisa and Jason do!!!!!   This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Exodus 20 is known for being the chapter about the 10 Commandments. But what about a few key verses that come after this important list? There's talk about an altar of dirt, not exposing your nakedness when you ascend the steps...what is all this about?  In this episode, Steph, Lisa, and Jason jump from Exodus 20 to passages in Exodus 19, Genesis 2, and Genesis 9...just to name a few.    This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards, with Steph and Lisa, invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

In Episode 2 of this inaugural season, we explore Jeremiah 29. The people of Israel are in exile in the land of Babylon, and through the prophet, God instructs the people to seek the peace of the city. Questions abound... what would it feel like to be in exile, what does it mean to plant new gardens in a foreign land, what is Shalom, and what does it mean to Seek the peace ...we wrestle with these and many more.   This podcast is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith… 40 Orchards invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, where you will likely be led by Steph or Lisa, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.

Welcome to Episode 1 of Searching the Sacred. This podcast is for the curious, the doubters, and the hope-seekers.  In this inaugural episode, Steph, Lisa, and Jason explore Exodus 33 as a reference point for why searching is normal and why the sacred can be found.    Searching the Sacred is a partnership between 40 Orchards and Processing Faith. 40 Orchards invites people to wrestle through Biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concepts of midrash. In a 40 Orchards study, every question is safe, everyone is welcome, and every voice is valued. We believe there's room for all of us. No person and no question is off limits—because we know that together we can expand each other's experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.  You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40orchards.org. Processing Faith is a space created by Jason Steffenhagen for people to do exactly that…process their faith. It's not one thing…but more like a good recipe. It's like 1 part pastoral care, 1 part theological exploration, and 1 part wrestling with all the questions.  You can learn more about Processing Faith and sign-up for a free 45 min session by going to processingfaith.com.