The Advent and Christmas seasons are over. Tis the season from some reflective criticism on what went well, where the Spirit worked, and what we could change next year. Episode Rundown: * Our Advent themes * Christmas Eve stories * Looking ahead to 2025

Retired Nazarene District Superintendent Kim Smith talks through a lifetime of pastoral lessons learned, both good and bad. ---In our final episode with retired District Superintendent Kim Smith, we talk lessons in pastoral ministry! Kim shares his decades of experience and both positive and negative lessons learned. Episode Rundown: Listening to t…

Rev. Kim Smith retired as the District Superintendent of Iowa District of the Church of the Nazarene. He's now returning to the pastorate in a small church restart. He shares his story & his approach to intentional missional relationships. --- We’re pleased to have Rev. Kim Smith join with the Jasons for the next two episodes of the Sacred and Smal…

Jason & Jason continue their two part series on liminality in the church by talking about the liminal relationship between a church and the community.

Jason & Jason start a two part series on liminality in the church by talking about the way small church pastors can speak prophetically to their congregations.

Join Alicia and Megan as they discuss preaching through Advent!

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is from Jan Richardson’s Circle of Grace We highly recommend Jerusha Neal’s Overshadowed Preacher Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount Other r…

SHOW NOTES Contact us to have a conversation about supporting the show: podcast@aplainaccount.org How to Eat Together as a Church, a webinar with Rev. Pardue and N4CC Jewish Voices for Peace on zionism. Our texts this week are ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ Our prayer this week is from Jan Richardson in Circle of Grace, a Book of Blessings for the Seasons Browse our cur…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are ⁠here⁠ Our prayer this week is “For Breaking Bread with Others” from ⁠Feminist Prayers for My Daughter by Shannon K. Evans ⁠ Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount⁠ Othe…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is “For A Faith Community” from Feminist Prayers for My Daughter by Shannon K. Evans A quick review of the historical context for eunuchs in the ancient world: https://www.britannica.com/topic/eunuch Two ancient references worth considering that highlight the non-binary reality of eunuchs…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is “We Are Baffled” from Awed To Heaven, Rooted in Earth by Walter Breuggemann N. T. Wright quote from Surprised By Hope: “Once we get the resurrection straight, we can and must get mission straight. […] People who believe in the resurrection, in God making a whole new world in which ever…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is from Liturgies For Hope by Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore – “A Liturgy For Those Embracing the Mystery of Faith” Disability Theology: My Body is Not A Prayer Request, by Amy Kenny N. T. Wright quote from Surprised By Hope: “Once we get the resurrection straight, we can and must get…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Listen to the text: YouVersioin Bible App, Dwell Bible Explore Alabaster Bibles Our prayer this week: Easter Sunday: While It Was Still Dark, by Jan Richardson Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https:…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “Blessing of Palms” by Jan Richardson Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount Other resources on our website: commentaries, discipleship, liturg…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: Awed To Heaven Rooted In Earth, Walter Brueggemann– “We Try As Best We Can To Live By Bread Alone” Also mentioned: “Caminante no hay camino” by Antonio Machado Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to s…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: A Liturgy for Giving Thanks from Liturgies for Hope: Sixty Prayers for the Highs, the Lows, and Everything in Between Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “For This Lovely Day” from The Lives We Actually Have Alicia’s Ash Wednesday playlist and Lent playlist A prayer of unknowing by Thomas Merton Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show h…

Two audio notes this week: There's a silent gap for several seconds at minute 20, but hang tight! It comes right back! Megan's audio during the prayer goes in and out. You can read the full text here: From The Lives We Actually Have, by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie "For when this pain doesn't make sense" God, I'm fumbling around for answers, reas…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is from The Lives We Actually Have Alicia’s Ash Wednesday playlist and Lent playlist Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount Other resources on o…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “A Travel Blessing” from Common Prayer: Pocket Edition “Epiphany Prayer” from Thin Places Everywhere: 12 Days of Christmas with Celtic Christianity. Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the …

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “There is a time to be born and it is now” – Awed To Heaven, Rooted In Earth by Walter Brueggemann “Christmas is for the brokenhearted.” - Chuck Summers “Every Valley (It’s Hard To Wait)” by Rain for Roots “How To Keep TIme” - podcast from The Atlantic Four Thousand Weeks: Time Managemen…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “A Liturgy For Those Waiting For A Dream To Come True” - Liturgies For Hope Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount Other resources on our websi…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “Blessing to Summon Rejoicing” by Jan Richardson from Circle of Grace “In Death Valley, A Rare Lake Comes Alive” New York Times Inciting Joy, by Ross Gay Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “For the Interim TIme” - To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue …. “For Those Who Bear Witness” - The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie “Jesus is what God has to say” - Brian Zahnd, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God Browse our curated booklists! Purchas…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “Blessing When the World is Ending,” Jan Richardson from Circle of Grace Alicia’s Advent playlist and Matt’s Advent EP Alicia mentioned Kintsugi pottery. Learn more about the beauty in the art of repair. Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a sma…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: Feminist Prayers For My Daughter “For a Faith Community” Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount Other resources on our website: commentaries, d…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is from The Lives We Actually Have – “Collective Grief” (p 74-75) Alicia mentions Dr. Mekel Harris’s Instagram account. Check out her full website here. Megan mentions Jan Richardson’s book, The Cure for Sorrow Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “Liturgy for Wresting with God” from Liturgies for Hope Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount Other resources on our website: commentaries, di…

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here (Megan is reading from the Common English Bible) Our prayer this week: “A Liturgy For Those Who Worship The Wrong Thing” from Liturgies for Hope Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/…

As we move from Pentecost to Ordinary time, we celebrate the beauty in the ordinary and take extra time for rest and play. We'll be taking a break from regular podcasting, but will be back in your feeds soon! Meanwhile, there are amazing resources continually available every week on our ⁠website⁠: commentaries, discipleship, liturgics, music. Our q…

Ascension of Our Lord | Acts 1:6-14 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is In the Leaving from Circle of Grace Join us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/aplainaccount Some commentaries assisting in Easter season: Jerusha Matsen Neal on workingpreacher.org and Acts by Willie Jennings (Belief Series), Acts by Beverly Roberts Gaventa (Abingdon…

Sixth Sunday after Easter | Acts 17:22-31 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is “A Liturgy for those Who Worship the Wrong Thing” (from Liturgies for Hope by Elledge & Moore) Join us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/aplainaccount Some commentaries assisting in Easter season: Jerusha Matsen Neal on workingpreacher.org and Acts by Willie Je…

Fifth Sunday after Easter | Acts 7:55-60 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is from Every Moment Hoy, “A Liturgy for Grieving a Death due to Violence” Join us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/aplainaccount Some commentaries assisting in Easter season: Jerusha Matsen Neal on workingpreacher.org, and Acts by Willie Jennings (Belief Series),…

Fourth Sunday after Easter | Acts 2:42-47 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is from Blessed Be Our Table by Neil Paynter Join us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/aplainaccount Some commentaries assisting in Easter season: Jerusha Matsen Neal on workingpreacher.org and Acts by Willie Jennings (Belief Series), Acts by Beverly Roberts Gaven…

Easter 3A | Acts 2 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is from The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler Join us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/aplainaccount Some commentaries assisting in Easter season: Jerusha Matsen Neal on workingpreacher.org and Acts by Willie Jennings (Belief Series), Acts by Beverly Roberts Gaventa (Abingdon NT), …

Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is from Circle of Grace by Jan Richardson Join us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/aplainaccount Browse the rest of our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount Other resour…

Palm Sunday A | Matthew 21 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “Jesus Weeps” by Malcolm Guite in the collection Word in the Wilderness … While we lament yet another school shooting in the news cycle this week, we remember that Jesus weeps over all of this too. There have been several commentators that mention a Roman custom of a show…

SHOW NOTES: Lent 5A | Psalm 130 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: For When You Need a Little Hope, The Lives We Actually Have by Jessica Richie and Kate Bowler We talked about Homeboy Industries and the work of Fr. Gregory Boyle. Megan mentioned his book The Whole Language, and both Megan & Alicia recommend Tattoos on the Heart. Jo…

SHOW NOTES: Lent 4A | Psalm 23 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “A Liturgy for Those Who Are Too Busy” from Liturgies For Hope, by Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore For more about Brueggemann’s categories for Psalms, check out Spirituality of the Psalms. For more about using the psalms in prayer, we suggest Psalms For Praying: An…

In this bonus episode, we invite you to tune in to a conversation about a new book from APA publishing: Trenches and Tables by Michael R. Palmer

SHOW NOTES: Lent 3A | Psalm 95 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “A Liturgy for the Morning After a Bad Decision” from Liturgies for Hope by Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore Join us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/aplainaccount Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us an…

SHOW NOTES | Lent 2| Psalm 121 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week is excerpted from the prayer titled “Benediction” from A Rhythm of Prayer by Sarah Bessy We spoke briefly about pilgrimage during this episode– if you’re curious to learn more, Alicia recommends exploring the blog & podcast from Lacey Clark Ellman at www.asacredjourney…

Lent 1A | Psalm 32 Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: "Travel Blessing" from Common Prayer, Pocket Edition Check out Poetry Unbound. Some of Megan’s favorite episodes feature poetry by Ada Limón, Natalie Diaz, and Lucille Clifton. Alicia also recommends the newly published book collecting together 50 poems from the podcast project. …