In this episode of Perspectives, Rev. Trudy and Rev. Hannah delve into the gift of growth, asking how much of our growth is based on personal action versus Divine intervention. It’s all part of this multi-episode topic of Divine Gifts. They begin by looking at two parables taught by Jesus – a method He regularly used to gently invite people to contemplate, ponder, and grow. On the surface, these parables seem straight forward but when you dig deeper, more and more is revealed. Especially when it comes to how much growth we can personally control. Is personal, spiritual growth, or the growth of the Kingdom of God something that truly just happens? Or is work required? If growth naturally happens, is there anything we’re truly called to do as Christians? Hit play to hear what Rev. Trudy and Rev. Hannah think. Our weekly Bible Study discussion group, Convergence, is currently taking a break for Summer. But we invite you to ponder and discuss the following questions with your friends and family: 1. When was a time when you experienced great spiritual growth? What prompted that growth? 2. How easy is it for you to think about this act of change or growth as a gift of God, something that all we need to do is look for it and receive it, much like grace or forgiveness?
In this episode of Perspectives, Rev. Trudy and Rev. Brittany continue the discovery of the Divine gifts that God brings to us. Today’s gift: Deconstruction – specifically through an institutional lens. They begin by looking at a passage in Mark where Jesus redefines the institution of family. It’s the perfect example of how the process of deconstruction (and reconstruction) is nearly guaranteed to hurt at least some of those involved. But sometimes discomfort and hurt is necessary to decenter a dominate narrative so we can hear and speak to the voices of those on the margins – the oppressed – so that the gospel can be centered around “the least of these.” Racism, sexism, poverty, ableism, and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit – all of this and more are discussed in this week’s episode. So, take a deep breath and get ready to be challenged! Our weekly Bible Study discussion group, Convergence, is currently taking a break for Summer. But we invite you to ponder and discuss the following questions with your friends and family: 1. Does the church, as we know it, need to be deconstructed and reconstructed? If so, what aspects of the church? 2. Is reconstruction possible without deconstruction? 3. Do you think deconstructing institutions is inherently violent?
Join the women clergy of First Church of San Diego in their multi-episode exploration of “Divine Gifts” with Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast. In this episode, Rev. Trudy and Rev. Hannah continue the discovery of the Divine gifts that God brings to us. Today’s gift: Clarity. They begin by looking at two stories of Jesus on the Sabbath, challenging misconceptions of the pharisees and Judaic laws. From this scripture reading, they discuss the shifting power dynamic when it comes to how to prioritize the rules, the conflict between seeing the heart of God’s law, made from love for people, and the need to institutionalize the law so we don’t break the rules. They make the case for looking at Scripture and holy laws with a 21st century mindset –detecting the biases and partiality that exists and having healthy conversations on whether it should still be that way. How can we stop being an institutionalized church, imparting specific expectations on others that gatekeep access to God’s love? It’s a lot to consider – we hope you join in the discussion talking about the acts of grace that we receive from God that open our hearts and minds for us to see and experience the world differently. Our weekly Bible Study discussion group, Convergence, is currently taking a break for Summer. But we invite you to ponder and discuss the following questions with your friends and family: 1. What benefit do laws hold for us as society? 2. Are there laws that irk you? What are they and why do they bother you? 3. What relationship do you think Jesus had to the law? 4. What relationship do you think Christians have to the law?
Join the women clergy of First Church of San Diego as they start a new multi-episode exploration of “Divine Gifts” with Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast. In this episode, Rev. Hannah and Rev. Brittany talk about opening ourselves to the divine gift of wonder and surprise. They use the story of the pharisee Nicodemus from the Gospel of John. Nicodemus visits Jesus in the secrecy of night to gain one-on-one time. During the interaction, he gets confused by Jesus’ language of “anothen”, often interpreted as “born again” or “born anew”, failing to move beyond the surface meaning of the words to get to a spiritual meaning. We come into conversations with others – and with God – bringing our existing knowledge and convictions. And that certainty can hinder us from seeing something new and surprising in life. But when we relax our understanding of what’s possible, we may gain a fresh new surprise from the Divine. We’ll continue to dive deep into the Divine gifts through our next several episodes. Talking about the acts of grace that we receive from God that open our hearts and minds for us to see and experience the world differently. We hope you join us! Our weekly Bible Study discussion group, Convergence, is currently taking a break for Summer. But we invite you to ponder and discuss the following questions with your friends and family: 1. Do you like surprises? 2. Have you been surprised by God? If so, how? 3. What questions about faith and God when you’re alone at night?
Join the women clergy of First Church of San Diego as they continue their exploration of “Becoming Better Humans” with Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast. In this episode, Rev. Hannah and Rev. Brittany dissect the Pentecost story, our understanding of the Holy Spirit, and how the Holy Spirit impacted the lives of the early Christians, as well as our lives today: • Is the Holy Spirit truly fire and wind? Or can we interpret it as something different? • Did the Holy Spirit act as a literal language interpreter or was there something else at play? • How does the Holy Spirit intervene to help us communicate and interpret each other today? It’s a conversation about community, connection, and the universal language of love. All elements of our multi-episode theme: Becoming Better Humans. Want to join the discussion? We invite you to our weekly Bible Study discussion group, Convergence. Taking place on our church campus in the Mission Valley neighborhood of San Diego or through Zoom. Get additional details online: • In Person: https://www.fumcsd.org/convergence • Zoom: https://www.fumcsd.org/convergence-online For this episode, we’ll be discussing the following questions: 1. Have you had experiences of the Holy Spirit when you’re with other people or more when you’re alone? 2. What have you learned from others who speak differently than you do? 3. Who do you have a hard time understanding and/or listening to?
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