A peaceful night with a star up above. A beautiful newborn wrapped in swaddling clothes. Kings…shepherds…clean, quiet animals watching quietly as they lay perfectly still. It makes for a nice story, but it also covers up the real-life grit and struggle that the Holy Family encountered in and around the birth of Jesus, not to…

Two expectant women, one old and one young, both wondering why God would choose them, yet both filled with joy … that’s where we find ourselves on this last Sunday of Advent. Karin and Blake are always asking, “Where are we with Jesus this week?” Well, technically, he’s there too! Listen in to experience the…

Unlike Micah, who responded politely when asked what God required of those who would follow, John the Baptist didn’t mince words or waste time worrying about people’s feelings.  He simply laid it on the line … for everyone. Repent and change your ways. Quit putting yourself first. Take what’s yours, only what’s yours, and be…

Lions and tigers and bears, Oh My! Wait. Scratch that.  How about, “sacredness, energy, and divine presence?” Maybe the wilderness isn’t so bad after all! Grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage and join host Karin Peter and Blake Smith for a look into how “the voice crying out in the wilderness,” wasn’t running…

It’s a new liturgical year, and we’re still journeying with Jesus.  As we enter the Advent season, we are reminded of God’s gracious welcome and hospitality … full of justice and mercy. From interpersonal division to wars between nations, our world is full of chaos, there are those who would like us to think that…

How often do we ask a question with a “hoped-for” answer in mind? That’s exactly what is going on in this week’s gospel lectionary passage when Pilate comes face to face with Jesus. Join hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith, for this final episode in Year B of the lectionary cycle. Listen carefully as Pilate…

“And the walls came a tumblin’ down.” Actually, by the time the Gospel of Mark was written they probably already had. But, imagine sitting outside the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, and having Jesus tell you that it would all be coming down. Scary? Upsetting? Maddening? Perhaps all of the above.  Bad stuff happens…

Mark’s telling of the story we have come to know as “The Widow’s Mite” is a story about faithful generosity… or is it? Maybe it’s really about Jesus pointing out economic injustices. Giving one’s “spare change” means different things to the wealthy and the poor. And, in this case, the widow may have been the…

Though it may have seemed like it, not everyone was trying to trick or test Jesus. Some actually just wanted to engage in honest dialogue with them.  That is the case with the Scribe in today’s passage from the Gospel of Mark. As it turns out, Jesus doesn’t mind the questions… as long as we’re…

We all have, or have had, people who have touched our lives and influenced us in positive ways. Because of them, something in us has changed … our own sense of worth, our worldview, the way we engage with others, the way we see and understand God. These are our “saints.” These are the ones…