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“He (Jesus) knew what they were thinking and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.”Mt. 12:25

Pour yourself a drink and join us for good times as we talk about pop culture, theology, and politics from progressive Christian perspective. 

A lot of Christianity
has it wrong. 
We are not broken. 

The podcast will be hosted by our Co-Executive Directors Mark Sandlin and Caleb Lines.  The Moonshine Jesus Show brings Progressive Christian perspectives on pop culture, theology, and politics while having a lot of fun.  We hope that this will be an entertaining, yet meaningful way to deepen your Progressive Christian journey!

Voting rights has been the central focus of the Democratic Party for the last month. Evangelical groups like the Family Research Council and the Faith and Freedom Coalition provide cover for Republican voter suppression efforts by arguing there is no biblical basis for supporting voter rights.

Celibacy was not compulsory until Pope Gregory VII declared such in 1074. However, inside information suggests that this edict was not about sex but inheritances and lots of free labor. Since celibate priests don’t have families, now their inheritances go to the church. Celibacy = money.

Herod, who is a ruler on a throne of power, and Joseph who is a peasant in an unconventional marriage. One man is powerful and one man is not. And yet the text only describes one of these men as being afraid. 

Join Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines of  University Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)/United Church of Christ, San Diego as he sits down with an indigenous leader to talk about sacred dance in indigenous traditions.

The Unfit Christian is a digital platform expressing the voice of progressive millennials of faith. The pastor behind it all, “Passuh” D. Danyelle Thomas, encourages her followers to “decolonize your faith” and practice it in their own way. 

Jesus is not my scapegoat / for any wrong I’ve done
It isn’t fair to place on him / what he had never done

Listen to the Eco-Hymn “Earth Aura with Miracle and louder” set to the tune of “Breathe on me, breath of God”

In this episode of Humankind, David Freudberg traveled to a Buddhist Monastery in rural Vermont, to hear the profound wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh, a soft-spoken Vietnamese monk, who tries to cool the fires of global conflict by advocating compassion, loving speech, and deep listening.

The religious culture in which Jesus lived was the sacrificial culture centred on the temple in Jerusalem. It provided the background to his thinking and that of most other Jews including Paul, and the idea of sacrifice continued to influence the thinking of the first Christians.

I was blessed at birth
And have struggled to reclaim the blessing
In my innocence, I was loved unconditionally
Simply for being me,

While it may look like there are individual trees in the above picture, quaking aspens grow in colonies of tens of thousands of trees, or stems, which are all connected by a single root system.

It ends with this sentence:  “Even on the days when I’m not sure I can believe it wholeheartedly, this is the story I’m willing to be wrong about.” And that humility suffuses the whole book. 

We are a little bit obsessed in our culture around ideas of worth and value. We spend so much of our time running after something, what we might call the “gems,” or running away from other things, the “pebbles,” in the hopes of having a sense of belonging, feeling worthy and valuable.

The parable good Samaritan helped his “neighbor.”
Jesus meant help everyone, especially those less fortunate than you.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the evangelical church saved me in every way a person can be saved. They introduced me to Jesus. They became the family my childhood family could not be. They loved and affirmed me. They educated me. They gave me a vocation. And they gave me exceptional opportunities of service. Although I left the evangelical church years ago for a more progressive expression of faith, I’ve always appreciated the gifts they gave me.

How should people honor Martin Luther King on this year’s observance of his holiday on January 17th? It depends.

As of this writing there is no clear assurance of the passage of two Voting Right Acts both stalled in that profoundly and structurally undemocratic institution, the U.S. Senate.

A Zoom dialogue with Dr. Roger Lipsey, Hammarskjold biographer ‘Hammarskjold: A Life’ published by University of Michigan, 2013. His ‘Politics and Conscience: Dag Hammarskjold on the Art of Ethical Leadership’ was published in early 2020 by Shambhala.

I would like to build on Carl Krieg’s recent essay in the resource section of the PC.org website entitled “The One You Feed.” His article reminded me of my past life as a political scientist studying public opinion and voting behavior.

It’s a scary thought, but true. To quote the Nazi, Joseph Goebbels, “If you tell a big lie often enough and keep repeating it, people will come to believe it.” A full 60% of Republicans today believe that Biden is not the President of the United States.

The attack on  the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was a low point in the ongoing struggle against dark forces in the American character. It was also another moment when leaders of Christian churches betrayed the message of Jesus while claiming to uphold Christian principles.

I wonder what the numerous losses our world has experienced in the past two years may have liberated us from. What joys may we discover in this liberation? In the freedom from the way things were? In the discovery of stars to guide us? In the joy we allow ourselves to take in each new birth.

“bell hooks has always been the truth. Now perhaps more than ever, it’s paramount that we lean into her work. On this day of her passing, let us celebrate the rich published legacy she leaves behind.”

In John 8, Jesus observes that when you know the truth, “the truth will make you free.”  In the Bible, truth-telling is an important matter.  Indeed, the commandment truth of the ninth commandment spells this out for us: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”.

These Sundays are Seasons of Creation Sundays, so, each different aspect of creation is the focus of each Church Service.  This Humanity Sunday gives the church a golden opportunity to celebrate the mysterious wonder and the beauty of humanity.

Woven into the fabric of the disturbing news that continually bombards us are those moments of humanity, mostly unreported, that tell us who we really are.

Smollett’s hoax exploited black trauma. Smollett testified that his assailants were white because one purportedly shouted “MAGA country,” then-President Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again,” and both men put a noose around his neck.

Blessed Christmas-tide even in a particularly bleak mid-winter. One carol includes a metaphorical rose blooming in darkest winter.

Jesus was best known for healing and exorcising. The crowds that came for medical help got more than they may have expected as they heard him speak about justice for everyone and love for neighbors and enemies. Spreading health and preaching compassion were at the heart of being the Prince of Peace.

Praying for others strengthens the bond of compassionate awareness. It may trigger other ways to help. Also, knowing that we are being prayed for or are in the thoughts of others while being wheeled into surgery does help, whether we believe in its causal power or not. We are not alone. Others are connecting with us, and we with them. Prayer is a form of participation.

The Reconstructionist is about an earthquake of loss one pastor experienced that led him to identify three major fault lines running through the foundation of Western Christianity. You’ll be invited to tour some of the wreckage as he names the fault lines and reconstructs a more sustainable faith.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.’s history in the United Church of Christ and the Civil Rights Movement go back years and reflect a legacy of justice orientation and activism.

With childlike wonder and anticipation, I too will be dreaming this holiday, less of a White Christmas than a multi-colored, trans-religious, trans-disciplinary, trans-“everything” world, one complete with an iconic (conic?) tree, party hat, and in a literary sense, megaphone.