September 2023 – UMC.org Podcasts

The Entanglement of The UMC with White Supremacy

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In the new book, “Our Hearts Were Strangely Lukewarm,” author and retired United Methodist pastor John Elford calls out the white American Methodist church for its involvement with White Supremacy since the 18^th century to the present. In this podcast episode, Dr. Ashley Boggan D. and Elford discuss the denomination’s troubled history and also share how United Methodists today can take a stand for racial justice in our churches and communities.

Learn more about or order a copy of “Our Hearts Were Strangely Lukewarm,” at JohnElford.com.

Learn more United Methodist history by visiting umhistoryhub.teachable.com.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/archivesandhistory.

[118] Artificial intelligence and your spiritual journey

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Are you ready to explore the intersections of artificial intelligence and spirituality? Join us on the latest episode of Compass as we dive into the impact of AI on the Christian spiritual journey.

We navigate the potential benefits and pitfalls of integrating AI into our everyday spirituality, play around with AI Jesus entities, and hear how Jay Cooper and the congregation of Violet Crown City Church have utilized artificial intelligence as part of their community life.

Here are a few key takeaways from this episode:
– AI can serve as a powerful tool for exploration and learning.
– It’s essential to remain skeptical of the limitations and potential biases AI may carry.
– The Christian spiritual journey is a beautiful, messy, and deeply personal endeavor. It is not about finding easy answers or relying on technological shortcuts.

In this episode:
(00:00) Exploring our use of artificial intelligence
(02:35) AI can inform Christian practice; limitations explored.
(06:52) AI Jesus on Twitch answers theological questions with patience and humor.
(09:14) Texting with AI Jesus
(11:55) Meeting with Jay Cooper and AI in Violet Crown City Church
(19:49) What happens in AI-generated worship
(26:36) AI and messy spirituality
(32:39) Artificial intelligence replacing pastors?
(43:47) New technology has always faced skepticism. AI can be helpful in certain areas, like communication and SEO.
(47:14) AI and prevenient grace

Compass is a production of United Methodist Communications and is produced by Ryan Dunn and Michelle Maldonado.
See episode notes and more episodes at www.umc.org/compass

Moving beyond limited words for a limitless God

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Words matter – even the ones we use when we talk about God – or perhaps especially the ones we use to talk about God. Meg Lassiat from The United Methodist Church’s General Commission on the Status and Role of Women discusses how words can limit or expand our relationship with God and how Scripture points us to a broader understanding of who God is.

More information and a full transcript of this conversation are available here.

Have a question or comment? Email us at gysis@umcom.org

Connect with The United Methodist Church by visiting UMC.org.

MyCom podcast Ep. 089: The Written Word is Dead, Right?

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“The king is dead! Long live the king!” On today’s episode of the MyCom Church Marketing podcast, Dan takes us on a journey to revisit the relevance of the written word. Reports of the written word’s death have been greatly exaggerated.

For more info about Dan Wunderlich go to:

https://www.defininggrace.com/

This episode of the MyCom Podcast is sponsored by United Methodist Higher Education Foundation. To learn more go to: https://umhef.org/

It is also sponsored by Discipleship Ministries – Creating a Narrative Budget – The Story Behind the Numbers. Find out more at:
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/creating-a-narrative-budget-the-story-behind-the-numbers

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[117] Does the Bible contradict itself? With Josh Scott

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Rev. Josh Scott, author of “Bible Stories for Grown Ups” explores with us the paradoxical possibilities of the Bible’s ancient narratives. We dive deep into the serious question of faith: “What do we make of the seeming contradictions and inconsistencies in the Bible?” Josh helps us see how asking these tough, discomforting questions can become catalysts for spiritual growth.

Josh Scott (he/him) has been a pastor for the last two decades. The focus of his work is reimagining, reframing, and reclaiming faith. For the past severak years, Josh has served as lead pastor at Gracepointe Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Gracepointe is leading the theological development and practice of Progressive Christianity. Josh is also the author of “Bible Stories for Grown Ups”.

For more spiritual practices and inspiration for your spiritual journey: www.umc.org/compass

In this episode:
(00:00) Welcome to Compass: the Divine in the everyday
(02:53) Bible interpretation revelation during college religion class.
(08:28) Thinking Bible, notes, resources, observations, sharing.
(11:45) Bible contains contradictions but fosters meaningful conversations.
(18:42) Bible’s errors don’t discredit its importance.
(21:20) Favorite sections: gospels, Paul’s genuine letters
(27:11) Mark: The earliest and shortest gospel, full of movement. Ends with an empty tomb and a rumor. Failed discipleship is comforting.
(34:00) New book in April, contextualizing scripture stories.
(35:23) Gratitude for growth in sermons over time.

Quests, community and faith: Online gaming with a mission

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Sharing our faith where people commonly gather is a concept as old as John Wesley. The Rev. Dr. Adam Sowder believes, if Wesley were alive today, the founder of Methodism definitely would be gaming on Twitch, chatting on Discord and streaming his sermons across social media. Methodist Gaming, which Adam started, is an online community found on streaming platforms like Twitch. Adam shares how church is happening at Methodist Gaming and how we also can find connection in these digital spaces.

More information and a full transcript of this conversation are available here.

Have a question or comment? Email us at gysis@umcom.org

Connect with The United Methodist Church by visiting UMC.org.