Episode 18 - "Thomas, Tombs, Tattletales, and Time" Scripture: John 11:1-57 Description: This episode covers the raising of Lazarus. We start out considering whether Thomas is unfairly maligned and end knowing that Jesus definitely is. In the middle we consider how to understand the miracle and to remember to include Jesus’ humanity as we think of …

Episode 17 - Counting Sheep and Penguins Scripture: John 10:1-42 Description: In this episode, we account for sheep and penguins. It turns out, they both need to hear the voice of the one who loves them. We do too. Questions to consider if you are using this podcast for study: Whose voice would you recognize in any time or place? Why is that voice …

Episode 16 - I Once Was Blind Scripture: John 9:1-41 Description: In this Chapter, a favorite of John White’s, we look at the healing of the blind man, and the subsequent negative reaction that occurs all around him. We then ask questions about who was really blind in this story. Questions to consider if you are using this podcast for study: Why do…

Episode 15 - The Darkness Will Not Overwhelm Scripture: John 8:12-59 Description: We discuss the rising conflict between Jesus and the Jewish Leaders. We also address how Chapter 8 has falsely and tragically been used to justify anti-semitism. And we will close out this chapter reflecting on damaging theologies around suicide. If you or someone you…

Episode 14 - Stoned Scripture: John 8:1-11 Description: We stay focused on the story of the woman caught in adultery, who John White names Sindy. We recognize that all of us at one time or another have picked up a stone to hurl at others, and we name some of those stones that we hurl. Questions to consider if you are using this podcast for study: W…

Episode 13 - Water Thicker than Blood Scripture: John 7:1-53 Description: In this episode, we learn some background on the Festival of Tabernacles (aka the Festival of Booths). We also discuss the potential sibling rivalry between Jesus and his brothers. Then we consider how we all judge one another on external conditions - where we grew up, what o…

Episode 12 - The Chosen Scripture: John 6:26-70 Description: We are still in these same verses, but didn’t I mention last week that these were difficult teachings? We can’t just fly past them. In this episode, we will dip our toe into the debate around chosenness: are all people chosen by God, or just some? And does the chosen include Judas? Questi…

Episode 11 - Vampires and Cannibals Scripture: John 6:26-70 Description: Jesus is hitting the people with a hard teaching - eat his flesh and drink his blood. Many will turn away because of this teaching, but it will also give theological backbone to a central practice of the church: communion. Questions to consider if you are using this podcast fo…

Episode 10 - Bread and Water Scripture: John 6:1-21 Description: We look at two miracles (feeding 5000 and walking on water) and recognize that how you describe them matters - and reflects your own point-of-view, whether you are a Gospel writer or reader. So what do you think: was the feeding of the 5000 a miracle of creation or a miracle of genero…

Scripture: John 5:1-18 Description: We look now at the healing of the man at the pool of Bethsaida. Does the man want to get well or not? Questions to consider if you are using this podcast for study: We all have struggles in our lives, physical and mental, and we sometimes deal with them in very different ways. During times of struggle, when have …

Episode 8- Live the Difference Scripture: John 4:1-42 Description: We continue our discussion of the Woman at the Well, this time reflecting on what difference Jesus makes in our lives. How are we changed, and how do we live differently? Questions to consider if you are using this podcast for study: What do you think happened to Samanda after Jesus…

Episode 7 - A Woman of Good Repute Scripture: John 4:1-42 Description: In this first of two episodes on the Woman at the Well, we correct some mischaracterizations of this woman. How did we get these assumptions? They have more to do with our own judgments than with her. Questions to consider if you are using this podcast for study: What name would…

Scripture: John 3:1-36 Description: We continue our consideration of Nicodemus, and specifically look at what his story means to us. Then we turn to John the Baptist, and look at how we do leadership transitions in a healthy way. Questions to consider if you are using this podcast for study: If you or someone you know is wrestling with whether or n…

Scripture: John 3:1-21 Description: We look at a character that only appears in John’s Gospel, Nicodemus, who turns out to be important to us both and important as we consider the journey of unfolding faith. We begin by considering whether we think Nicodemus ever actually became a true follower of Christ, and then make our way through implications …

Scripture: John 2:13-25 Description: In this episode, we take a moment to think about the limits of interpretation of the Bible, and we discuss how John puts the flipping over table moment at the beginning of the story instead of at the end of the story like the Synoptics. We also wonder where the line is on making the church a business. Questions …

Scripture: John 2:1-12 Description: Jesus’ first miracle in the Gospel of John was turning water into wine in Cana, a miracle that he might not have even done without the urging of his mother. We look at the practical reality of Jesus through this moment, and also imagine the Eternal Banquet that is yet to come. Questions to consider if you are usi…

Scripture: John 1:19-51 Description: Jesus has the ability to see and know us beyond external appearances. We look at the call of the disciples in this first Chapter of John and what it means for us to be seen like this. We also lift up some aspects of servant leadership, particularly the willingness to let others shine. Questions to consider if yo…

In this first episode, Dr. John White Jr., Chancellor Emeritus for the University of Arkansas, and Rev. Dr. Michelle J. Morris, Lead Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Bentonville, discuss the personal and professional connections they both have to the Gospel of John, before then diving into the Prologue of the Fourth Gospel, John 1:1-18. Q…

Safe Harbor Contemporary WorshipRev. Angela Cooley BulhofTitle: Back to Sunday School: Miriam's SongScripture: Exodus 1:8-2:10Par UUMC Lake Charles

Safe Harbor Contemporary WorshipRev. Angela Cooley BulhofTitle: Back to Sunday School: Joseph: Benjamin & Bros. - Saved By GraceScripture: Genesis 45:1:15Par UUMC Lake Charles

Safe Harbor Contemporary WorshipRev. Christopher HydeTitle: Back to Sunday School: JosephScripture: Genesis 37:1-4,12-28Par UUMC Lake Charles

Safe Harbor Contemporary WorshipRev. Angela Cooley BulhofTitle: Back to Sunday School: Jacob Wrestles With GodScripture: Genesis 32:22-31Par UUMC Lake Charles

Safe Harbor Contemporary WorshipRev. Angela Cooley BulhofTitle: Miracles of Jesus: The Life Giving Miracle of LoveScripture: John 11:1-45Par UUMC Lake Charles

Safe Harbor Contemporary WorshipRev. Angela Cooley BulhofTitle: Miracles of Jesus: Jesus the HealerScripture: Mark 10:46-52Par UUMC Lake Charles

Safe Harbor Contemporary WorshipRev. Angela Cooley BulhofTitle: The Miracle of AbundanceScripture: John 6:1-14Par UUMC Lake Charles

The Church Hoppers break down a statement by Ken Carter, the bishop of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, in which he gives 7 reasons "Why I believe The United Methodist Church will remain united." We, frankly, found the reasons unconvincing at best, and offensive at worst. So, we decided to do YET ANOTHER podcast about the Meth…

The Church Hoppers return to weigh in on the recent decision by the highest church court of the United Methodist Church that a jurisdiction of the church cannot appoint bishops in violation of the Discipline of the UMC. Sound complicated? It isn't...just a new headline for what has become an increasingly exasperating topic within the UMC. We discus…

This week we talk theories of the atonement of Jesus. We discuss some major models of atonement, many of them substitutionary and most of them blood atonement in some fashion. We talk about the illustrations we use to teach these theories and how they all get conflated. By no means do we address all theories of the atonement of Christ. But we do as…

HOME is our new "sermon series" where we break down what the phrase "spiritual home" or "church home" means to various people. In the series, we will hear the experiences of a lot of people who are at home today in a very different place than what they called "home" before. Join us and find yourself in their stories. This week, we talk with Scott. …

We interrupt our "sermon series" on HOME to sound off on the recent meeting of the Primates of the Anglican communion. In light of episode 047, we felt it a good supplemental episode. We feebly try to explain for the non-anglican layperson how the polity of the Communion works, and what exactly did and didn't happen at the Primates 2016 meeting in …

HOME is our new "sermon series" where we break down what the phrase "spiritual home" or "church home" means to various people. In the series, we will hear the experiences of a lot of people who are at home today in a very different place than what they called "home" before. Join us and find yourself in their stories. This week, we talk with Lissa. …

So on New Years Eve, Joshua and Wendy sat down to have ye old fashioned "Watch Night Service." Not clear on the details of all that? Don't worry, neither was Wendy. Not sure if it involves games and drinking? Don't worry, neither was Joshua. So we sat down together and talked about all the different religious ways that Christians can ring in the Ne…

This week, the Church Hoppers get a little preachy. To help wind up the church year, we thought we might share some sage wisdom with churches of all stripes about how to get rid of those pesky "wow, this church stuff really sucks" critiques. No, the sage wisdom doesn't come from us...although we are pretty sage and wise and stuff...but from a surpr…

This week we went to visit a Pagan worship service celebrating the Pagan new year, "Samhain" (sounds like "Sah-oo-in" in two syllables). Rather than becoming apostate heretics, we find ourselves at home in the Pagan rituals, as we draw the connections between what we've always done as Christians and the rituals based on those of older cultures, esp…

This week we visit the second largest group to come from Joseph Smith's movement. Formerly they were known as "The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" or RLDS, but since 2001 they have been known as "Community of Christ." We discuss the strange and intriguing history of this "not the Utah Mormons!" sect that, today, ordains wom…

This week we stop to look back at one year of church hopping. We gather round while Wendy delivers a scary children's sermon, just in time for Halloween, and then we get closer to the campfire to tell the real horror stories of church life (in a fun way, of course) : 1. "The Day They Passed Me Over for Communion" 2. "The Day the KKK Came to Church"…

This week we return to worship with our Presbyterian friends; This time, a congregation of the PCUSA. We explore their history, with a musical journey through the high points of their 20th century milestones. We discuss some of the recent developments that led this denomination from being a fundamentalist affirming group in the early 1900s (during …

This minisode is a letter from an insider in one of the sects that we visited. This letter was from a listener who is a Primitive Baptist Pastor. First, he tells us, YES, there ARE Primitive Baptists listening! We're always surprised to find out just who enjoys listening. Then, he goes on to tell us all the stuff we got wrong (Joshua still can't be…

This week we visited an old-school Primitive Baptist church. We talk about the anti-missions Calvinist history of the Primitive Baptist sect and the reason you don't hear about them much nowadays. We finally break down TULIP so you can understand it, sort of (and you'll either hate TULIP or hate our explanation of it...sorry Presbyterian friends). …

This week we visited with our neighbors at the Church of the Nazarene. We explore their Weslyan holiness roots and talk about some of the surprising details of their church. We worship very slowly and "worshipfully" with their praise team and take a look at a different way of doing "prayers of the people." Finally, we listen to a 20 year veteran of…

This week we traveled to a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) called Wiley College, behind the Pine Curtain of East Texas. There we found a United Methodist affiliated institution built on the hotbed of the civil rights movement, stretching even back to its very founding. You may have heard about part of the struggle in Marshall, Texa…

This week we are joined by Verdell, a United Church of Christ minister and doctoral candidate in communications at Howard University. He joined us for a podcast about creating more worship spaces for LGBTQ African Americans on Episode 015. We discuss an area he has studied and experienced, evangelical culture. We discuss what the historical roots o…

This week we visited a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We talk about the recent history of this denomination since its beginnings in the Stone-Campbell movement. In this episode we'll answer these questions about the CCDOC: Are the Disciples conservative or liberal? Was Jim Jones REALLY a Disciples minister? Will they ba…

This week we travel deeper into Texas culture and further and further away from our comfort zones to visit a Cowboy Church. We talk about the origins of the cowboy church movement and how they are often undercover denominational churches. We talk about why there is a big lack of racial diversity in said churches, and why niche marketing might be be…

This week we packed our bags and hit the road in search of God's ONLY true church upon the Earth. Let me tell you, it isn't where I would've put it if I were God. But as our brethren and sisteren in the Church of God (Restored) will probably tell you, I'm definitely not God...so what would I know? We discuss this unique sect, their holiness code th…

This week we joined our Southern Baptist neighbors for church. We begin the episode by saying that we couldn't visit a convention of churches founded by slaveholding motivations without talking about the terrorist attack at Emanuel AME church in Charleston South Carolina. We discuss the uncomfortable and damning silence of white Protestant churches…

Episode 031 Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Frozen Chosen, Whiskey, and Predestination. After a few weeks of silence from us (damned cracked laptop screen) we FINALLY return with an amazing, over-the-top, *ahem*, very decent, orderly, and stiff review of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Don't confuse this small, conservative sect of Presbyterian…

Episode 030 Pentecost w/the Pentecostals (Assemblies of God), Memorial Day, and Cocktails This week we revisited our Pentecostal friends, but this time with the Assemblies of God denomination. Wendy's sister, Carla, joins us to share our cocktail of the week (in place of the wine of the week) and it is delicious. We discuss a brief history of the A…

Episode 029 Catholics, condoms, communion, and Christendom This week we went back to a familiar place for us, a Catholic Mass. We talk about the history of the Catholic church which basically hits the high points of all Christian history...well, drunk Christian history anyway. We discuss the evolution of the Catholic church and the beliefs that set…

Our special Cinco De Mayo bonus episode is a short word from us about Baltimore. We talk about why we aren't going to cover the events in Baltimore and give our full East-Texas white people perspective. We point you to voices of people you SHOULD listen to and gain a broader perspective. And we stand in solidarity with those activists who are on th…