Best Relgiion Podcasts (2024)

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SERIES FINALE | Hope In a Vulnerable Baby: The Weird and Wonderful Story of Christmas (Luke 2:1-20) 30:29

2+ y ago30:29

30:29

"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace... for my eyes have seen your salvation."Old Simeon says these words when he sees eight-day-old Jesus presented in the temple. He has been waiting to see the hope of the world before he dies... and now he can go in peace. The sign from God that all will be well, that redemption for a hurting and…

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The Surprising and Subversive Genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17) 25:04

2+ y ago25:04

25:04

"An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham..."Wait! Don't roll your eyes!We tend to skip the genealogies when we read scripture, but family trees tell stories. What story does Jesus' tell?Basically, it tells the story that God chooses to be born through messy, complicated people into a messy and complica…

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The Magnificat: Carrying God Within Us (Luke 1: 46-55) 32:30

2+ y ago32:30

32:30

"Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name."That's a powerful self-affirmation for an unwed pregnant teen!An umarried teen girl, from long before Jesus until, sadly, today, could be called many things, but blessed isn't usually one of them.Mary was truly a badass.…

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Rolling The Stone Away From Our Hearts (John 11:32-44) 36:21

3y ago36:21

36:21

"Then Jesus began to weep."Jesus weeps with all of us.On All Saints Day, we remember our loved ones who have gone on before us. In some ways, this past year has been one of extraordinary loss. Covid-19 and other diseases have robbed us of beloved friends and family members. This pandemic has also taken some of our sense of normalcy and security. It…

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Faith That Heals, Not Faith That Harms (Mark 10:45-52) 36:27

3y ago36:27

36:27

"Go; your faith has made you well."Jesus says this after he heals the blind beggar Bartimaeus. What are we supposed to make of this verse?Faith healing verses have been grossly abused. Sometimes, the idea that faith can heal has been used to shame and frighten those who most need comfort and love. Saying "if you only believe and pray hard enough" c…

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Following Jesus: Do We Know What We're Getting Ourselves Into? (Mark 10:35-45) 37:54

3y ago37:54

37:54

"Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"That's an ominous question if ever there was one.John and James want to share in Jesus' glory, but little do they know what they are asking. The reality they are living through must be so disconnected from their expectations that they can't even process…

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Imagine All The People Sharing All The World (Mark 10:17-31) 27:16

3y ago27:16

27:16

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”And it’s probably easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is to resolve the technical difficulties that came along with this particular episode, too! At any rate, Lindsey lost first audio and then video, so Adam…

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Have a Faith Like A Child and Question Everything (Mark 10:2-16) 50:22

3y ago50:22

50:22

“Let the children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”These words of Jesus, so often repeated by well-meaning adults, are not always the most comforting words to children. When children sense the…

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Stumbling Blocks, Severed Limbs, and Living In Peace (Mark 9:38-50) 35:15

3y ago35:15

35:15

"Whoever's not against us is for us."It's refreshing to hear these words from Jesus, especially when we so often hear the opposite from our culture.The disciples try to stop someone from casting out demons because he isn't an official disciple, but Jesus stops his disciples from stopping him. Is the goal to compete and gain followers to your "side,…

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Servant Leadership (Mark 9:30 -37) 34:10

3y ago34:10

34:10

"Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”I can’t help but feel sorry for the disciples in this passage.By turns, they’re bewildered and then mortified. First, Jesus tells them that he’ll be killed and rise again three days later. What could he mean? The Messiah, the one who will lead them out of Roman rule and into an era …

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Satan and Crosses and Shame... Oh My! (Mark 8: 27-38) 35:58

3y ago35:58

35:58

"Get behind me, Satan!"Ouch. This is how Jesus answers Peter when Peter expresses that he doesn't want Jesus to die? Sounds rather harsh.Actually, a lot of Jesus's words in this passage sound harsh and hard ... There is no sugar-coating either his fate or that of his followers. How are we supposed to find blessing and "good news" when Jesus speaks …

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Filthiness is Next To Godliness (Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23) 37:12

3y ago37:12

37:12

"For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come... and they defile a person."Some pharisees and scribes are wondering why Jesus's disciples don't wash their hands before they eat. Jesus scolds them for teaching "human precepts as doctrines" and then explains that nothing going into a person from the outside can defile, but t…

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Communion is Anti-Cannibalism (John 6: 51 - 58) 38:09

3y ago38:09

38:09

"Those who eat of my flesh and drink of my blood abide in me, and I in them."Okay, Jesus. You've been going on about eating your flesh and drinking your blood for a while now, and it's getting weird."The Jews" aren't the only ones asking, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 2000 years later, plenty of Christians and people of other faiths …

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More Bread, More Life, But No More Exclusive Interpretations, Please! (John 6: 35, 41-51) 36:56

3y ago36:56

36:56

New Time! Join Jesus Unmasked on FB live Wednesdays at 11 am CT/ 9 am PT! Start your morning with Jesus and friends!"Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."More Bread of Life this week, but also more opportunities for exclusive interpretations of scripture that don't affir…

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Truth is the Bread of Life (John 6:24-35) 34:55

3y ago34:55

34:55

"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." -- Jesus."I am here because I stole something that was never mine to take -- precious human life." -- Daniel Hale.Whistleblower Daniel Hale is feasting on the bread of life.This week's Gospel has a powerful message, but too often it…

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Is Jesus Out of His Mind? (Mark 3:20-35) 36:38

3y ago36:38

36:38

"Who are my mother and my brothers? ... Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."Jesus's family is trying to "restrain" him, because rumors are starting to fly. He and his disciples are healing the sick and casting out demons, and the scribes are saying that the demons are only listening …

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What Is Salvation and What's Up with the Trinity? (John 3: 1-17) 34:42

3+ y ago34:42

34:42

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but so the world might be saved through him." These verses fall on Trinity Sunday, and the combination of the most famous Bible verses with one of the…

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Fire and Judgment... In A Good Way! Happy Pentecost! (John 15:26 - 16:26) 32:04

3+ y ago32:04

32:04

"When the Advocate comes... he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment."The Holy Spirit is Coming! Fire and speaking in tongues and a heavenly Advocate. What does it all mean?Pentecost was an ancient Jewish celebration before it became known as the birthday of the Christian church. It refers to 50 days after Moses led th…

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In the World But Not Of It – What Does That Mean? (John 17:6-19) 44:58

3+ y ago44:58

44:58

"The world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world."Ah, the infamous "Be in the world but not of it," saying. How dangerously these words have been misunderstood!In this final discourse to his disciples before his death, Jesus has a lot to say about contrasting his way with the way of the world.…

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Forget "Commands"; Jesus EMPOWERS Us to Love 42:23

3+ y ago42:23

42:23

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."What a beautiful commandment!But when you're struggling in your faith, especially when you're most familiar with exclusive interpretations that seem to shut most of the world off from God's love or salvation, and these interpretations cause anxiety or even dread... when you lon…

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Shepherding, Policing, and Transforming Everything 43:16

3+ y ago43:16

43:16

"I am the Good Shepherd... And I lay down my life for the sheep."Jesus the Good Shepherd serves, protects, and lays down his life for the sheep. At its best, policing is meant to serve and protect. Yet sheep are often not safe in the hands of most shepherds (who would look after them but also lead them to be sacrificed) and policing does not always…

1
Jesus Breaks In and Eats Fish 40:41

3+ y ago40:41

40:41

"Peace be with you."For what may be the millionth time, Jesus greets his disciples with these words of comfort and love. And they need it, for they were heartbroken and afraid. It's the first Easter evening, and Jesus's disciples are shut up away, when Jesus comes among them. "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?" Jesus a…

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Trust-But-Verify Thomas and the Power of Forgiveness 39:22

3+ y ago39:22

39:22

"Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."Far, far too often, these words, spoken to Thomas, are used to shame doubt and extol the virtues of an unquestioning faith. But deep faith seeks, explores, and questions, and that is exactly what trust-but-verify Thomas does. He has a scie…

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Jesus Our Mother: Transgender Day of Visibility and Unlearning Violent Atonement 38:35

3+ y ago38:35

38:35

"Behold your mother!" When Jesus speaks these words, he uses his dying breath to place his mother in the care of his beloved disciple. But he also declares to the world that he is our mother, giving birth to our new, fully human selves through his blood and labor and breath-taking pain (pain that literally takes his breath away). This year, Transge…

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When God's Glory Really Sucks 39:13

3+ y ago39:13

39:13

“Jesus Unmasked” is now a FB live as well as a podcast! Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too.“Father, glorify your name.” “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”When we think of g…

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"For God So Loved The World": Why This Is Good News For EVERYONE 39:33

3+ y ago39:33

39:33

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life."Have you ever heard these words recited faithfully, reverently, as if they are supposed to be the most comforting words anyone could ever hear... and felt scared and isolated instead?This is perhaps the most famous verse…

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Jesus's Kickass Mercy in the Temple 34:04

3+ y ago34:04

34:04

“Making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle.”It’s raging Jesus! This is the fiery, zealous Messiah we’ve been waiting for, bursting in, whips blazing …right?Every now and then, a meme of this scene pops up in social media, with a caption: “When asking ‘What would Jesus do?” remember that turning over …

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Live In Such A Way As To Piss Off The Powers That Be 38:21

3+ y ago38:21

38:21

“Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”Ouch. This is probably one of the harshest things Jesus says. Maybe even harsher than “Get behind me, Satan!,” which he also says in this passage. This is a…

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Good News; It's Lent 36:47

3+ y ago36:47

36:47

Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too.Good news; it’s Lent!What, Lent doesn’t sound like good news to you?Actually, we’re not sure if Jesus considered it “good news” either when, just after hi…

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Jesus Lights The Way Through Darkness To Love 42:56

3+ y ago42:56

42:56

“Jesus Unmasked” is now a FB live as well as a podcast! Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too.O, Shiny Jesus!This is the Gospel for Transfiguration Sunday, the Sunday before the Lenten journey…

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The Gospel Wouldn’t Have Gotten Anywhere Without Women 34:18

3+ y ago34:18

34:18

Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too.“Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the feve…

1
The Badass Authority of Knowing You Are Loved 28:21

3+ y ago28:21

28:21

Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too!“What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him?”What in the world does this mean?What kind of aut…

1
Starting Anew; Leaving the Old Behind: A Special Inauguration Day Jesus Unmasked 33:32

3+ y ago33:32

33:32

Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too!“Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”Immediately. That’s how quickly these fishermen leave their nets and their families and everything they kn…

1
The Call of Discipleship 28:28

3+ y ago28:28

28:28

Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too!“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Can’t you just hear the skepticism and disgust in Nathanael’s question? How could the leader Israel has been lon…

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Baptism: Immersing Ourselves In A New Life of Love 36:17

3+ y ago36:17

36:17

Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too!“And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, …

1
Merry Christmas! The Love that Banishes Fear 25:27

3+ y ago25:27

25:27

We begin with an overview of a vast, sweeping Empire and an Emperor who wants to tax all whom he has conquered. In the Roman world, Caesar was understood to be the Son of God… But we quickly zoom in on a tiny barn in the middle of nowhere. Our focus is redirected; our perspective shifts. God comes not in the form of power, but in the form of a tiny…

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The Magnificat: Mary’s Courageous Love 27:57

3+ y ago27:57

27:57

“My soul magnifies the Lord,” Mary sings with joy, “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. … Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.” What extraordinary words from a newly pregnant, unmarried 14-year-old girl at a time when such a condition could mean death or shunning! It’s amazing to meditate on Mary. Even before pregnancy, th…

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Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord! 27:46

3+ y ago27:46

27:46

“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” These are the first words of the first Gospel (historically, not in order of appearance), and it’s so easy to miss their subversive power. But make no mistake: these words are a political throwdown! In the time of the Roman Empire, the “gospel” was the message of a conquering army to…

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Sheep, Goats, and Judgment 29:13

4y ago29:13

29:13

Some interpretations of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25: 31-46) are downright terrifying. It seems to condemn the “goats” – “accursed” nations – to eternal damnation. Terrible fear-based religious violence and persecution has come from the idea of eternal hell. So where’s the “good news?” Translations and context make all the dif…

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Talents Shouldn’t Be Buried (But Imperial Greed Should Be!) 29:50

4y ago29:50

29:50

In a world where money equals power and upward mobility is the ultimate sign of success, those who seek another way, a message of hope to the poor and downtrodden, would hardly expect Jesus to reinforce a brutal status quo. Yet a surface reading of The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30) might seem to suggest that. A master leaves and entrus…

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Share Your Oil! Changing Our Perspective from Win-Lose to Abundance 29:23

4y ago29:23

29:23

In the first podcast after the election, the lectionary gives us the perfect challenging text! The parable of the 10 Bridesmaids (Matthew 25: 1-13) appears to be about being prepared for anything – a good lesson for turbulent times in the wake of the 2020 election! But there’s much more to the parable than might first meet the eye! Lindsey and Adam…

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It’s All About the Beatitudes, Baby! 43:09

4y ago43:09

43:09

It’s the final podcast before the election, the lectionary for All Saints Day. It’s about time for some blessings! All Saints Day reminds us that we are all saints beneath the veneer of ego, since at our core we are made from and for Love. We are called to remember that we are caught up already in eternal life, eternal relationship with God and eac…

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The Ultimate Authority Affirms Same-Sex Unions 33:29

4y ago33:29

33:29

Pope Francis has come out in affirmation of same-sex unions! In doing so, he is fulfilling the greatest of the commandments, to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That’s what this week’s lectionary, Matthew 22:34-46, is all about, and Adam, Lindsey, and friends are celebrating! Jesus’s interrogators…

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God, Empire, Taxes…Oh My! 25:46

4y ago25:46

25:46

In this episode, Lindsey and Adam discuss Matthew 22: 15 - 22. Pharisees and Herodians teamed up to entrap Jesus. After buttering him up, they asked him whether or not it was lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor. Jesus has them produce a coin, asks whose image it bears, and then tells them to give to the Emperor what is the Emperor’s and to God what …

1
Getting Kicked Out of the Wedding Banquet 31:05

4y ago31:05

31:05

In this episode, Adam and Lindsey discuss Matthew 22: 1 - 14. A king threw a banquet and no one came. So, the king burned the city to the ground, and then invited new guests. No one dared refuse! But one got kicked out for wearing the wrong outfit. What are we to make of this terrifying story? Do we tie ourselves in knots trying to justify the king…

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Wicked Tenants and a Merciful God 36:23

4y ago36:23

36:23

In this episode, Lindsey and Adam discuss Matthew 21: 33 - 46. Jesus tells a parable of a landowner who leased his vineyard to tenants. But when the landowner tried to collect the produce, the tenants killed his servants and even his son! What will that landowner do? Does this parable challenge our understanding of a nonviolent God and universal sa…

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Why Prostitutes and Tax Collectors are First in God’s Kingdom 36:06

4y ago36:06

36:06

“Jesus Unmasked” returns, now a FB live as well as a podcast! We warmly invite you to join the conversation every Wednesday afternoon at 5 CT / 3 PT on the Raven Foundation Facebook page! Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves …

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9th Sunday After Pentecost: From Emptiness to Abundance (Feeding 5000+) 23:24

4y ago23:24

23:24

Imagine your cousin and friend has just died for speaking truth to power. You know you can’t be silent, and you’re pissing off all the same authorities. So you know your hour is near. You are weary, grieving, and yet you know you’ll have to continue to speak out for a better world. But first, you need to get away from the maddening crowds and spend…

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7th Sunday After Pentecost: Jesus Was A “Weed” 27:37

4y ago27:37

27:37

“In gathering the weeds, you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both grow together…” If we would only pay attention to what Jesus is telling us to do, we wouldn’t need to worry so much about that scary stuff at the end! For the seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Adam and Lindsey reflect on one of the more seemingly frightening parables of Jes…

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6th Sunday After Pentecost: The Sower Sows Love 26:44

4y ago26:44

26:44

So remember, if you’re not fertile ground for the seed, the devil will take you away! This is not good news… and it’s not the Gospel. For the sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Lindsey and Adam discuss an oft-misunderstood parable and how interpretations of it can be dangerous or life-giving depending on the perspective from which it is approached. This…

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