Jesus didn’t say, “Meet me at the temple.” He said, “Follow me.” And he meant right then and there. So, what does it mean to follow Jesus today? How might God be calling you to respond—and why are we still standing still?

In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Rev. Trudy is joined by Garrett Doss-Ganucheau, Director of Stewardship & Development at First United Methodist Church of San Diego, to explore Mark 1:16–20 and the call of Jesus’ first disciples.

From recognizing God’s persistent nudges to discovering how our everyday work can serve a greater purpose, this conversation explores why following Jesus is about more than Sunday worship or financial giving. It’s about how we use our gifts, show up in the world, and respond when the Spirit calls us somewhere new.

In this episode, we explore:

• Recognizing God’s call: What happens when a nudge from the Spirit just won’t go away?
• Faith and work: How can we use our professional skills and everyday gifts to serve God?
• Beyond sacred and secular: What if there’s no such thing as a “secular” job?
• Following Jesus into uncomfortable places: How might faith lead us beyond our comfort zones?
• Faith as a shared journey: What does it look like when pastors walk alongside people rather than stand above them?
• A church that keeps moving: Why must we keep listening and adapting to meet the needs of today?

This is the first episode in our “What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus Today?” series. Next, we’ll turn our attention to the church’s mission and ask: What is the church here to do today?

Reflection Questions

1. Where might the Divine be calling you to go or do in life?
2. How important is it to follow that invitation?

Continue the Conversation

Whether you're exploring progressive Christianity, deconstructing your faith, studying the Bible, pursuing justice, wrestling with theology, or simply asking honest questions about Scripture, we invite you to join the conversation:

• Convergence discussion group (Sundays at 12 PM)
• Join our Patreon community

Timestamps

00:00 Why Is Jesus Calling Us to Follow?
01:11 The Call of the First Disciples | Mark 1:16–20
02:57 Why Did the Disciples Follow Immediately?
04:27 Recognizing God's Nudges in Your Life
06:58 What Does Stewardship Really Mean?
08:26 Bringing Your Career and Gifts to the Church
10:19 Is There Really Such a Thing as a Secular Job?
12:13 What's Different About Working for a Church?
15:28 Following Jesus Into Uncomfortable Places
17:54 Pastors as Fellow Travelers, Not Just Leaders
19:20 Why the Church Can't Stay in One Place
21:33 Jesus Still Calls: What’s Your Response?
22:29 Reflection Questions: Where Is God Calling You?

When we're in the dark, God's word can still come to us … but it may be a hard, messy word. And sometimes, hearing that word means being willing to tell the truth about what we see around us, even if that hurts.

In this episode of Perspectives, Revs. Trudy and Brittany turn to the prophet Jeremiah and ask what it means to listen for God when the message isn't easy, comforting, or what we want to hear.

Jeremiah was called while he was young to deliver a difficult message to his people. His prophetic ministry involved truth-telling, resistance, suffering, and hope. And his story raises questions that still matter today.

In this conversation, the female pastors of First UMC San Diego explore:

• What young people can see and hear differently
• What it means to be called to speak a difficult truth
• Why churches sometimes avoid preaching from the prophets
• How Jeremiah 29:11is often taken out of its larger context
• Why using God as a scapegoat for suffering and injustice is dangerous
• How interpretations of scripture can be used to justify blame, exclusion, and Christian nationalism
• What “society is you” means for our agency and responsibility
• How prophets can take many forms, even outside of religious context

This episode wraps up our four-week series, “God Is Still Speaking: Listening in a Noisy World,” exploring what the voice of God might sound and look like in our lives today. Previous episodes explored God’s quiet nudges and whispers, dramatic interruptions and visions, and what we do when God seems silent.

Whether you're exploring progressive Christianity, deconstructing your faith, studying the Bible, pursuing justice, wrestling with theology, or simply asking honest questions about Scripture, we invite you to join the conversation.

Reflection Questions

1. When life feels constricted, what can you do to look for something new emerging?
2. Is God in any part of part bad news?
3. What burns in your heart that you can’t keep to yourself?

Continue the Conversation

Connect with our faith community in person or online as you reflect on the themes of this episode:

• Convergence discussion group (Sundays at 12 PM)
• Join our Patreon community

Timestamps

00:00 God speaks in the darkness: Jeremiah's hard word
01:33 Jeremiah's call and the challenge of being young
06:52 “Society is you”: agency and responsibility
08:10 Jeremiah, the “weeping prophet,” and the cost of truth-telling
10:31 Why churches don't always preach the prophets
12:40 Jeremiah 29:11 and the problem with prosperity theology
16:27 When we use God as a scapegoat
17:08 Christian nationalism and the “chosen people”
24:38 Prophets today: paying attention to what is happening
28:48 Three questions for reflection

What do we do when God is silent? When we pray, ask for help, and nothing seems to change? Can arguing with God actually be an act of faith?

In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Revs. Trudy and Hannah explore the book of Habakkuk and what this ancient conversation with God might teach us about faith, doubt, injustice, and waiting for answers.

Habakkuk’s story is different than the other prophets. He doesn't quietly accept suffering. He asks God, “How long?” He questions what God is doing, challenges God's response, and brings his anger, anguish, and frustration directly into the relationship. And when God answers, the response doesn't immediately make things better.

Instead, Habakkuk invites us into the uncomfortable space between what is and what we hope will be—a place where faith may mean staying engaged with God even when we don't have answers.

In this conversation, the female pastors explore:

• Why lament can be an expression of faith
• How we can talk honestly with God during times of distress
• Whether questioning or disagreeing with God can be part of faith
• How Habakkuk challenges our certainty about what is “righteous”
• Righteousness as faithfulness and relationship with God, instead of a code of morality
• The danger of assuming we know exactly what God is doing

This is the third conversation in our four-week series, “God Is Still Speaking: Listening in a Noisy World,” exploring what the voice of God might sound and look like in our lives today. Next week, we'll turn to Jeremiah 33:1-3 and “A Word in the Darkness.”

Whether you're exploring progressive Christianity, deconstructing your faith, studying the Bible, pursuing justice, wrestling with theology, or simply asking honest questions about Scripture, we hope you'll join the conversation.

Reflection Questions

1. Can arguing with God be an act of faith? If so, have you ever?
2. What do we do with God’s silence?
3. Do you love God or do you love the blessings of God?

Continue the Conversation

Connect with our faith community in person or online as you reflect on the themes of this episode:

• Convergence discussion group (Sundays at 12 PM): https://www.fumcsd.org/events
• Join our Patreon community

Timestamps

00:00 What do we do when God is silent?
00:53 Habakkuk: a prophet wrestling with silence and suffering
01:18 “How long, O Lord?” — Habakkuk's lament
02:32 Who was Habakkuk?
05:19 When God's answer doesn't make things better
07:41 Can we question or disagree with God?
09:30 Challenging our certainty about what is “righteous”
13:20 Staying in relationship with God without having answers
16:42 Our narrow view of what is righteous
20:40 Finding faith in the middle of uncertainty
24:16 Reflection questions: God's silence, faith, and blessings