Libsyn Directory

Enfleshed

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

In our final Sunday during Pride month, we look into Paul's letter to the Galatians, ready to liberate it from theologies and assumptions that have been used to devalue our bodies and lives, and find freedom in a gospel of embodiment and connection. Dr. Carter will be away until July 9, while teaching a seminary cross-cultural immersion class in South Africa. www.TheLoftLA.org

Queerly Beloved

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

Small groups were essential in the creation and maintenance of The Methodist Church. They remain the bedrock of how we sustain connectedness in our increasingly post-religious society. For the members of the Westwood UMC Queer Group, it has been a balm for the soul. Please join Rev. Dr. Carter as he is joined in conversation with members of our Queer Group to discuss their faith journeys, the role our community has played in their journey, and where we need to continue to grow in order to continue becoming the unapologetically inclusive community we hope to be. www.TheLoftLA.org

TRANSubstantiation

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

Trans identity is more than just what pronouns you use. For Christians, trans identity pushes us to wrestle with what it means to be created in the image of God and the transformation that takes place every time we celebrate Holy Communion. Join Rev. Dr. Carter and Everest Harvey as they explore what it is about being trans that isn’t clicking for people. www.TheLoftLA.org

Never Consider Unclean What God Has Made Pure

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

We sometimes forget that no Gentiles (i.e., non-Jewish folks) were present to receive the pouring out of the Holy Spirit during the first Pentecost. To be sure, eventually there would be Gentile followers of the Way of Jesus, and those Gentiles would be baptized with the fire of the Holy Spirit. The story of the Gentile Pentecost teaches us that, despite our perceptions of ourselves, we are not qualified to determine who is and isn’t welcome at God’s table. This Sunday, we are celebrating Youth Sunday in The Loft. The Grapple youth will participate in worship by leading prayer, reading...

Flesh That Needs Lovin'

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

That human beings are created in the image and likeness of God has been a fundamental theological pillar in the history of Christianity. However, who images God and to what degree do they reflect God’s image has been a consistent point of contention. In our current social and political moment, queer persons are now facing the same scrutiny over whether they image God in ways that mirror what Black, female, disabled, and other nonwhite bodies have, and still are, facing. So what do we Christians really mean when we say that human beings are created in the image of God? www.TheLoftLA.org

The Theo-Politics of Us and Them

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

We are living through such a period of stark political polarization that the idea of a multi-racial, pluralistic democracy feels more like an idea than a tangible reality. Indeed, these are difficult, but not new times. Both the early Christian communities and those living with HIV/AIDS knew what it felt like to be cast as outsiders rather than members of their community. Is it possible to find healing and wholeness in the midst of such division? www.TheLoftLA.org

Grace, Redemption, & The Power of Letting Go

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

Life isn’t fair; this is a simple lesson that we learn in childhood. However, knowing that life isn’t fair doesn’t necessarily make responding to life’s unfairness any easier. How we respond to life’s unfairness shapes us in more ways than we often realize. We invite you to join us this Sunday as we explore how the biblical story of Joseph and the story of Jean Valjean from the musical Les Misérables show us how we can experience grace and redemption even when life has dealt us an unfair hand. www.TheLoftLA.org

Motherhood In America: No One Is Coming To Save Us

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

At its best, being mothering a child is likely one of the most rewarding things someone can do. And yet, the systems of society, both old and new, can make being the kind of mother you may want to be feel impossible. On this Mother’s Day, Rev. Dr. Carter will be joined by Rev. Blair Triggstad-Stowe to discuss what we can learn about motherhood from the musical Into The Woods and the biblical story of Hannah. www.TheLoftLA.org

Celie & Esther: The Courage to Speak

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

Celie is a young black woman growing up in rural Georgia in the early 20th century. Esther is a young queen and Jewish woman living under Persian colonialism around 450 BCE. Though they lived over two thousand years apart, their stories have unfortunate similarities that have stood the test of time. Patriarchy and sexism are not new, and yet what we see in their stories is that if you are faithful in an unfaithful world, you will find the voice that God has placed within you. www.TheLoftLA.org

Creation Care & The Wilderness Economy

The Loft LA - Progressive Christianity in Podcast Form

This Sunday, we’re celebrating Earth Day by reflecting on and reimagining our relationship with the land. After their escape from slavery and bondage, the Israelites are given the opportunity to build new economies that run counter to the Imperial Domination System they had seen within the Egyptian Kingdom. Against this social background, the wilderness narrative reveals the struggle of a people charged with cultivating a radically different way of living in community on the land. www.TheLoftLA.org

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