Crazy Faith Talk

Do the books of the Bible which many people go to for their end-times theology (like Revelation, Daniel, and parts of Mark) ONLY refer to distant future events? Did they mean nothing for the hearers of their original historical contexts? Is it possible that these books spoke first to their own times and places, and then also speak a word of hope for us as well? And how might that change how we understand the role of these books in shaping our end-times theology? Join us for this concluding episode in our series, "Why Our End Times Theology Matters" here on Crazy Faith Talk!

When Jesus comes in glory, will his personality or character have changed? Should we fear that the Suffering Servant and Prince of Peace who lays down his life at the cross and teaches love of enemies will change tactics and become a conquering king or a violent tyrant? Why might people get that idea, and what really is our hope?

Sometimes church folk envision complicated timelines of events they believe must happen in world history in order for Jesus to come back (we explored this kind of thinking in our first episode of this series), and often those timelines involve assumptions about events pertaining to the modern nation-state of Israel. And sometimes, religious voices will take verses from the Scriptures originally about the ancient descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and interpret them to mean that anything the modern state of Israel does must be God's will--even though the prophets often critiqued the actions of ancient Israel's kings and society. So what are we to make of this? Is the modern nation-state of Israel identical with the ancient people of God? What about the large Jewish population all over the whole world who do not reside in Israel? And how can Christians avoid a theology that just reduces other people groups to being props or chess pieces in their schemes for end-times scenarios? These are some of the questions we'll explore on this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

We've all seen the classic poster with Uncle Sam trying to recruit soldiers for previous war efforts, with his severe look and the caption, "I want you!" But is that how God operates? Does God need our help to fight some cosmic battle in the future, or is the victory already won in Christ? And when the Bible talks about wearing the "armor of God" is that for some kind of literal, physical battle to come, or about letting our whole lives be prepared for being faithful witnesses to Jesus and daring examples of love? We'll explore these questions in this week's episode of our Eastertide series, "Why Our End Times Theology Matters," here on Crazy Faith Talk!

From action-packed summer blockbusters to pop culture references, people use the word "Armageddon" to talk about any cataclysmic disaster, real or imagined. But what does the word actually mean, and where does it come from? In this episode, colleagues in minister Erica, Natalie, Sarah, and Steve explore the history behind this word, the misnomer that it's about a grand future battle, and the way God really wins victory--by the sheer authority of God's Word, rather than human weapons.

Every so often, it seems there is a flare-up of folks worried about Jesus' coming again, or whether current events in the news could be triggering the end of the world. In this new series for Eastertide, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Erica, Natalie, and Steve will be exploring why a faithful and thoughtful end-times theology (sometimes called "eschatology") matters, and why it's worth being wise readers of Scripture rather than getting swept up in the latest talking point or fear tactic. In this first conversation, we'll ask the basic question, "Is there anything WE can do to speed up or slow down Jesus' coming again?" And if the answer is no, then what ARE we supposed to be doing with our lives in the mean-time?

While we often think of Mary, the mother of Jesus, around Christmas time, amid the stories of angels, shepherds, and mangers, the gospels and the book of Acts remind us that Mary was a presence throughout Jesus' ministry, that she persevered through the horror of the cross, and continued to be an important figure in the early Christian community as well. We'll consider Mary's example in discipleship in this final week of our Lent 2026 series.

While many think of the apostle Paul primarily as a theologian--someone who talked and wrote about what Christians believe--he also gives us a powerful example of Christian discipleship as a matter of taking the gospel seriously, and living out what we understand by faith. In this conversation, we'll explore how Paul's life story, journeys, and writing give us a glimpse of the kind of life we are called to as well!

Of course, Christians would look to Jesus as part of their faith, right? But is everything Jesus did in the Gospels meant to be copied? Are there some ways in which Jesus is unique? And if two people sincerely ask, "What would Jesus do?" and they get very different answers, what do we do about it? How do we take Jesus seriously as a model of our discipleship, and also find hope in Jesus' grace in all the times we fail? This week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk explores these questions and more.

In many Christian traditions, when new disciples are baptized or affirm their faith, they are explicitly asked if they will speak and act in ways that seek peace and justice for all people. That might look different for each of us, but we can learn something about this calling to work for the good of those who are suffering and speak to help end mistreatment from the story of Moses, who spoke up to Pharaoh to set the enslaved Hebrews free. Join us on this episode of Crazy Faith Talk to see how Moses' calling to speak up for the sake others might give direction to us!

In much of the ancient biblical world, it was taken as a given that one must show hospitality and genuine welcome to strangers who come to your door. That's visible in the early storytelling in Genesis when Abraham welcomes the three divine visitors, but it also becomes a central theme in the Torah when Israel is commanded to welcome foreigners and treat them the same as their own citizens, because they were supposed to remember what it was like to be mistreated as foreigners. In this week's episode we'll look at care for the stranger as an essential part of Christian discipleship, and where that theme shows up elsewhere in Scripture. Join us for this week's Crazy Faith Talk!

In our previous series, we explored how God has a way throughout the Bible of calling unlikely and unexpected people to belong... but what exactly is the life we have been called into really all about? That's what discipleship is all about, and in this new series for Lent, we're going to explore several big ideas of what it looks like to be a disciple, starting with a classic description from the prophet Micah, who summarized it as "doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God." What could that look like in our lives? Join us for this new conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk to find out more!

The entire book of Acts traces the course of the followers of Jesus reaching across boundaries in increasingly wide circles, "beginning in Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The Christian community, in other words, has always been one to take seriously God's desire to call outsiders and draw all people in. We'll explore that story as it unfolds in Acts in this final part of this series on Crazy Faith Talk!

Even though we think of them as heroes of the faith and might name church buildings after them, the disciples of Jesus were often outsiders in a number of ways. From Jesus' unlikely way of choosing his disciples rather than having them audition and prove their skills, to his inclusion of women among his followers and as witnesses of the resurrection, to his way of reaching out to outcasts like Zacchaeus and Matthew or former zealots like Simon, Jesus chooses outsiders to be a part of his movement. He still does.

Even with in ancient Israelite society, God raised up people from the margins who could speak difficult truths and see with clarity what the "insiders" might not be able to recognize any longer. That was the role of the prophets, who often had to be the ones brave enough to say when the emperor was wearing no clothes, so to speak. But beyond that, the message of many of the prophets also pointed to God's reach to include outsiders, as they reminded God's people of their calling to be a "light to the nations" to draw others into the presence and covenant of God. Join us for this week's conversation on Crazy Faith Talk!

When the Israelite spies preparing to take over Jericho are in danger of being found out, a resident of Jericho named Rahab helps to hide them and keep them safe from the authorities. She could have been viewed only as "the enemy" or looked down on for being a prostitute, but she ends up saving their lives and becoming an ancestor of Jesus himself, too! We'll explore more of the meaning of Rahab's story here in this week's conversation on Crazy Faith Talk!

In the Bible, the first person to give a name to God isn't a priest or an official prophet; it's not a king or a patriarch like Abraham, either. She is an enslaved woman from north Africa, Hagar, and God provides for both her and her child, Ishmael, even when they have been cast out by Abraham and Sarah--because that's how God operates. Join us for this next conversation in our series, "God Calls Outsiders!"

Recently many Christians celebrated the arrival of the Magi to find the Christ-child by the light of a star--and their story shows us yet again how often God seems intentional about drawing outsiders and calling the unexpected. This Epiphanytide, we'll be exploring a number of the stories in the Bible in which God calls outsiders, and we invite you to join us here on Crazy Faith Talk to consider what these stories mean for us today, too!

For all the fluff and shallow Christmas-season pop culture out there, there are some real treasures that sincerely do get something right about what Christmas means. In this episode of Crazy Faith Talk, our colleagues in ministry Sarah, Erica, Natalie, and Steve lift up some favorites that we keep coming back to.

There are COUNTLESS ways to celebrate the Christmas season, although a lot of them don't really have much to do with the birth of Jesus. So what do we make of them? Are they harmful or good? Permissible or forbidden? What do we make of cultural traditions like candy-filled Advent calendars or recent creations like Elf-on-the-Shelf? And how can we allow fun traditions not to crowd out the birth of Christ in our focus this season? Join us for this conversation on Crazy Faith Talk!

The church organ was unplayable and damaged, just a day or so before Christmas Eve--what would the congregation do for worship to celebrate the birth of Christ? A musical crisis gave rise to the composition of "Silent Night," which has now become a worldwide favorite carol of Christmas, but whose tune was first written to be played by guitar on a Christmas Eve where the more impressive instruments weren't available. What can this story tell us about how God accepts our meager gifts and meets us in our unimpressive ordinariness? Join this conversation on Crazy Faith Talk to close out our Advent 2025 series!

On a busy street corner in Toledo, Ohio, in 2018, a large weed grew up out of the curb, only to be decorated by passersby that Christmas season, until it became a local landmark and a place for charitable giving, all spontaneously. In a story that calls to mind both the classic "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" and the imagery from the prophets of the new sprout that comes up out of the dead stump of Jesse to be God's anointed Messiah, we'll explore what a curious one-time event in one city might mean for our own seeking the movement of the Spirit today.

For at least a night--Christmas Eve--at a handful of places along the trench lines of the war front early in World War I, peace broke out in No Man's Land, and warring armies paused to greet each other, sing, and even play games. How do we speak of God's presence in the midst of a war, even if the hope of peace only lasts for a brief time? Join us for this second conversation in our Advent 2025 series, looking at stories of the Spirit in this season.

As we begin a new series corresponding to the church year season of Advent, colleagues in ministry Natalie, Sarah, Erica, and Steve are exploring stories from different eras and settings where the Spirit of God moved in people's lives--sometimes in life-or-death situations, and sometimes in more lighthearted ways. Join us for our first story, involving a blackout on a German train and the light of Hannukah candles in the dark.

Intuitively, there seems to be a connection between mercy and forgiveness, at least in the abstract. But how do we manage to practice forgiveness toward others while also being merciful to people who have been hurt and still have wounds, who might still be struggling to forgive someone who has wronged them? How does mercy affect our thinking about forgiveness? Join us for our concluding conversation in "The Meaning of Mercy"!

At first blush, mercy and justice seem like opposites: justice is all about giving people what is due to them and ensuring what is fair, and mercy often involves giving people more than they deserve! So how these two relate? What is the goal of justice? And in times of conflict, can we speak of just wars? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation on this week's Crazy Faith Talk!

In times when many are especially struggling with access to food or help with making ends meet, plenty of people want to offer assistance. But how can we offer care that truly meets the needs of people, and how can we use our resources and time in ways that support both the physical needs of neighbors and also honor their worth and dignity as people? How does mercy show up in our public life? That's our conversation this time on Crazy Faith Talk!

The Christian claim is not only that God is merciful, but that we are called to be "merciful as your Father is merciful." In this episode, colleagues in ministry Erica, Sarah, Natalie, and Steve explore how God's kind of unconditional, enemy-embracing love becomes the pattern for our lives, even when it's difficult--and even when we don't want to even recognize those we might deem as "enemies" in our real lives. Join us for this conversation here on Crazy Faith Talk!

Plenty of folks know the song, "Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound," but... what are we actually singing about? When it comes to the grace and mercy of God, what do we mean? Does grace only show up in our lives once we have come to faith in Jesus, or gotten baptized, or gone to church? Does grace mean that God leaves us as we are, with our rough edges and persistent struggles with sin? What can we learn about grace from mama monkeys and cats? Today's conversation takes us in all these directions--and more!

It's one of those words that Christians toss around frequently--in prayer and liturgy as well as in our action in the world--mercy. But what exactly are we talking about when we talk about "mercy"--is it a feeling, a mindset, a character trait, an action? And how is God's mercy supposed to connect to our actions and posture in the world? Are there times when mercy doesn't "feel" warm and fuzzy, and are there times when mercy toward those who are being harmed also means a word of protest against those who are causing harm? All of these questions help us get our bearings in this new series on Crazy Faith Talk!

In this concluding episode of our series on "Profiles in Courage" from church history, we look at the witness of Anne Hutchinson, who crossed an ocean to follow a pastoral voice she found compelling, then taught in small groups for women and men in a time when women's leadership was typically forbidden, and then risked exile for speaking up against what she saw as the bad theology of other pastors in her community in the New World, leading to an early argument for religious freedom in colonial-era America. Join us to find out what we can learn from the story and example of Anne Hutchinson!

He was instrumental in organizing the March on Washington at which Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered, and was a part of a precursor to the Freedom Rides that attempted to desegregate bus lines across America, and yet many don't know his name or story. But Bayard Rustin was not only an important figure in the Civil Rights movement, but also he insisted on keeping it committed to non-violence in its practices and civil disobedience. And he also knew what it was like to be on the margins of that movement because he was openly gay in a time when that brought a great deal of stigma, even within the civil rights movement. Join us for this week's profile in courage, on Bayard Rustin.

In the midst of the German occupation of World War II, a village full of ordinary French citizens took it upon themselves to hide and protect Jewish refugees from the clutches of the Reich. And they did it, not because a bishop had ordered them to, but with the guidance of their faith and pastoral leadership, they recalled their own experience having been persecuted before and saw the need to take action for others who were in danger. In this week's "profile in courage," we'll look at the witness of the people of Le Chambon in France, and what their story might teach us when we are called upon to practice courageous compassion for others who are particularly in harm's way. Join us on this episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

Some people know the figure of Saint Francis from stories of his chosen poverty or care for animals (and even preaching to them, in some stories). But there's another episode told about Francis of Assisi that models courage in facing "the other" even when it is risky--the story of Francis seeking a meeting with the Sultan during the time of the Fifth Crusade. In this week's episode, we'll explore how this story about the famous monk gives us guidance for being open to conversations with people who do not share our faith, and how we enter those conversations with curiosity and grace... and a healthy dose of courage.

She approaches Jesus while he is on the way to heal someone else, at a point of desperation after twelve years of suffering, and her name wasn't even recorded for us. Yet her willingness to step forward and say "Jesus' goodness and healing are for me, too," is preserved in Scripture as one more profile in courage for us to look at. This week, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Erica, Natalie, and Steve take a look at the witness of this woman we'll call "Sally" and see what her story might mean for us.

He's a towering figure in the New Testament (even though his name means "little"!) remembered for his numerous letters, his bold missionary journeys, and his endurance through brutal persecutions. But we don't often think about the bravery that Paul the apostle had to use before all of that, simply to admit his old way of thinking was wrong, and to be willing to let the risen Christ turn everything upside down in his life. In this week's "profile in courage," we'll look at the courage it takes to be open to new ideas, to consider that we might be wrong, and to make room for the Spirit to lead us in new ways. Check it out here on Crazy Faith Talk!

In a scene that feels like the climax of an action movie like John Wick or Die Hard, this lesser-known "judge" of ancient Israel plots a daring attack on an enemy king who was oppressing the Israelites that inspired them to fight back for their freedom. His name is Ehud, and if you've never heard his story, this is one that's worth getting to know. Join us for this week's "Profile in Courage" as colleagues in ministry Erica, Sarah, Natalie, and Steve explore another biblical figure who shows us how to be brave. Listen in here!

In a new series for this fall, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Erica, Natalie, and Steve take a look at figures in the Bible who offer us surprising pictures of bravery, often in unexpected ways. We start this series with the story of Abigail, a less-well-known figure in the book of 1 Samuel who is brave enough to avert a massacre from a young David, to prevent her husband from being foolish, and to be a peacemaker. What might it look like in our lives to be courageous peacemakers? Join us for a conversation about Abigail to find out on this week's Crazy Faith Talk!

While human beings go about their busy lives making money, going to work, buying and selling stuff, and tracking the markets, vast worlds of life are buzzing and blooming in our back yards, blissfully unaware of how the Dow Jones is doing, and yet gloriously reflecting the goodness of God. In this final conversation of our "Divine Fingerprints" series, Sarah, Natalie, and Steve talk about the spiritual practice of spending time in nature, from church prairie meadows to front porch moments, on this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

What can we learn about God from the creepy crawlies and eight legged arachnids we find in the corners of our living room or spinning webs between branches of trees? And what possible living parables of Christ's self-sacrificial love could we find in the smallest of creatures around us, even if we are usually tempted to squish them? Join us for this week's conversation on Crazy Faith Talk as we explore spiders as one more example of divine fingerprints!

What can we learn about our connection to God from our relationships with our pets? How do pets help us see our connection to other creatures that are a part of God's creation, and how might that help us better understand the storytelling in Genesis about human beings and animals, as well as our responsibilities to care for the world and the life within it? Join us on this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk to learn more!

From the expansiveness of the ocean to the flowing motion of the river to the refreshment of a summer rain shower, water can remind us of the majesty, justice, and grace of God. In this episode of our series, "Divine Fingerprints," we look at how different experiences with water in creation--as well as in the swimming pool and baptismal font--can point us to dimensions of God's character and our place in relationship with God and all creation.

In our current series, "Divine Fingerprints," colleagues in ministry Natalie, Sarah, and Steve are looking at signs of God's character traits in creation, from elements of nature to plants growing in the garden to, in this week's episode, the little brown birds in the parking lot. This week we'll learn about killdeer birds, and how a surprising trick that mother killdeers play on predators offers a glimpse of Christ-like love and victory over death, if you know where to look. Listen in on this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

In a new series this summer, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve are looking for signs of God's goodness in the world around us--divine fingerprints. From the garden to the wild things in nature to moments or creatures in the world that have taught us something about God, we're learning to recognize the presence of God in creation. In this first episode, we look at a theology of abundance and sharing in the gift of lemon balm. Listen in here!

After all the rabbit holes and deep dives of this series on "last things" and apocalyptic literature, what does it all mean--and is there any good news? YES! The bottom line is this: the Christian story doesn't imagine God saying, "Good luck for now with all the trouble, because you're on your own until I pluck the lucky few up from earth and meet you in heaven," but rather ours is the God who goes with us through it all, in the lions' den and the fiery furnace, through the valley of the shadow of death, and among us in the trials and tribulations of life amidst the powers of evil in the world. That's our hope, and that's where we'll go on this episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

You don't need to be a Bible scholar to have heard of "the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" or to be nervous about the number 666. Many people have heard of those concepts without knowing where they came from, much less what they mean. So in this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve do a deep dive into some of these well-known but poorly-understood figures from the Book of Revelation to explore what they mean in their original context. Check it out here!

One of the most difficult books to understand in the New Testament is the one we call "Revelation." It's full of strange creatures, jarring imagery, musical numbers (seriously!) that feel like a Broadway show, and a handful of letters from Jesus, too. Trying to make sense of this book on our own can feel like navigating a wilderness without a guide. So this week on Crazy Faith Talk, colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve offer a brief guided tour for making sense of this book. Join us for this week's episode!

Many of the biblical books that seem to focus on the "end times" use strange symbols, outlandish images, and repeated patterns. It turns out they are written in a genre of literature that was deliberately figurative, highly coded, and like a lot of 20th century sci-fi or dystopia, written with a view toward what was going on in the writers' current times. Understanding how "apocalyptic literature" works makes it a great deal easier to make sense of books like Revelation. Find out more here on this week's episode of "Crazy Faith Talk"!

In our new series, "Back to the Future: A Hopeful Look at Last Things," colleagues in ministry Sarah, Natalie, and Steve are taking a closer look at a theology of the end times. Last week, we introduced the claim that the teaching of a secret "rapture" wasn't biblical, but actually only goes back about 200 years in Christian history. So what about those passages that sound like they are describing a rapture where some go to "meet the Lord in the air" and others are "left behind"? Join us for a deep dive into these texts to see what's actually happening--in this week's episode of Crazy Faith Talk!

For many people, both inside and outside the church, their picture of "the end times" comes from pop culture books and movies rather than a careful reading of Scripture. Meanwhile, many Christians don't know much at all about "last things" because nobody has ever talked or preached about it as a subject, so they assume that what they've heard on TV must be their belief, too. In this new series on Crazy Faith Talk, Sarah, Natalie, and Steve will explore what the Bible does--and doesn't--say about last things, including the recent invention of the notion called the "rapture," where ideas like that come from, and how to faithfully read Scripture passages about God's promised future. Join us for this opening conversation today to set the table for this series!