What if God’s love isn’t just “out there somewhere,” but flowing through every part of creation—even in people we struggle to welcome? In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Rev. Hannah and Rev. Brittany continue their series The Unexpected Divine, turning to John 1:3-4 to explore how life and light are woven into all creation.

Through Scripture, lived experience, and historical context, the female pastors of First United Methodist Church of San Diego reflect on what it means to recognize the Divine spark in every person – across disagreement, polarization, culture, and belief.

This conversation invites us to rethink how we see God, one another, and ourselves … especially in today’s divided world. In this episode, you’ll hear reflections on:

• The Divine spark (or sparkle!) present in every human
• John’s Gospel as a unifying vision across cultures and traditions
• How polarization clouds our ability to see God in one another
• Why kindness, presence, and even a simple smile can be sacred acts
• The radical Gospel claim that everyone is equal before God

Continue the conversation with these reflection questions:

1. Have you ever encountered God through a conversation you were avoiding or a person you had written off?
2. How has an unexpected relationship changed your understanding of love, grace, or truth?
3. Where do you see life and light breaking through in places the world has written off?

Join the conversation by sharing this episode, reflecting with someone you trust, or connecting with the Perspectives community online through Patreon and in person at the weekly Convergence Discussion Group.

What does it mean to say that “In the beginning was the Word” … and why does it still matter? That's what's being asked in this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast.

In this first conversation of a five-part series on the Gospel of John, Revs. Trudy and Hannah explore John 1:1 and the theme “The Eternal Now – God Beyond Time.” Together, they unpack John’s poetic and often confusing language to discover a radical idea at the heart of the Gospel: Eternity doesn’t pull us out of the world; God brings eternity into it.

Drawing from Jewish wisdom traditions, Greek philosophy, and early Christian theology, this progressive Christian Bible study from First United Methodist Church of San Diego invites listeners to see the Gospel of John not as rigid dogma, but as a story of surprise, disruption, and divine presence in unexpected places.

You’ll hear reflections on:

• What “the Word” (Logos) meant across Jewish, Greek, and early Christian cultures
• Why John begins with creation instead of Jesus’ birth
• Eternity as a present reality … not just a future promise
• Rethinking Jesus’ “I Am” statements beyond exclusion and certainty
• God’s ongoing work of creation within and around our life – even in chaos, doubt, and struggle

Continue the conversation with these reflection questions:

1. What does eternity mean to you?
2. How does eternity change your understanding of today, tomorrow or the future?
3. How do you understand Jesus as being the Word of God, and what does it has to do with us?

Join us online through Patreon, in person at our weekly Convergence Discussion Group, or by sharing this conversation with someone you trust.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Introduction - Why People Love (and Misunderstand) the Gospel of John
01:14 “In the Beginning Was the Word” (Reading John 1:1)
03:27 What “The Word” Meant in Jewish, Greek, and Early Christian Thought
07:49 Why John Feels Exclusionary (and Why It Might Not Be)
10:09 Eternity Comes to Us, Not the Other Way Around
14:23 The Unexpected Divine in Everyone
20:52 God Creates Out of Chaos (Then and Now)
22:41 Closing & Reflection Questions

What does baptism really mean—and why was Jesus baptized at all? That’s what Revs. Trudy and Brittany tackle in this episode of Perspectivs FUMCSD Pastors Podcast.

The two female pastors of First United Methodist Church of San Diego explore Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13–17 through a progressive Christian lens. Together, they reflect on baptism as both a risk we take when we step toward God and a commitment we live out as we step back into the world.

This thoughtful conversation explores the dynamic relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist, the symbolism of the Jordan River, and why Jesus’ baptism wasn’t about sin but about solidarity, humility, and embarking on a new chapter. The pastors also unpack why the baptism ritual still matters today, especially in progressive faith communities.

Whether you identify as Christian, spiritual-but-not-religious, or are simply curious about faith beyond dogma, this episode invites you to reimagine baptism as a reminder that you are already loved and still being called forward. Episode topics include:

• Why Jesus insisted on being baptized
• Repentance vs. transformation
• Water, movement, and new life
• Is baptism required for salvation?
• Communal ritual and remembering our baptism today

Continue the conversation with friends and family, at our in-person Convergence group, or online at our Patreon channel with these suggested reflection and discussion questions:

1. What do you believe is the connection between sin and new life?
2. What do we gain, and what do we lose, in the belief that Jesus was sinless?
3. Why do you think Jesus was baptized by God?

Short on time? Use these timestamps to jump to a specific topic:
00:00 What Does Baptism Change? Introducing “Stepping In, Stepping Up
02:40 Jesus and John the Baptist: Cousins, Calling, and Possible Rivalry
05:30 Repentance vs. Transformation: Naming Problems and Living Solutions
08:00 Baptism in Jesus’ Time: Who It Was For and Why the Jordan River Matters
10:40 The Power of Water: Movement, Disorientation, and Renewal
11:45 Why Was Jesus Baptized If He Was Divine?
17:30 What Baptism Means Today: Commitment, Not Cleansing
22:40 Remembering Our Baptism in Community
26:30 Reflection Questions for Today

Happy New Year from the clergy women of the Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast!

In this special 10-minute mini episode, Revs. Trudy, Hannah, and Brittany of First United Methodist Church of San Diego reflect on the past year of Perspectives and share what makes this progressive Christian podcast meaningful to them.

They also look ahead to 2026, offering their hopes and dreams for the podcast as it enters its third year, including deeper conversations with Scripture, engagement with hard and overlooked texts, and expanding dialogue with voices from other faith traditions.

Bonus Invitation: Listeners are invited to join us for an in-person celebration of Perspectives on January 25, 2026, at First United Methodist Church of San Diego. We’ll share food, community, and a few behind-the-scenes bloopers. Learn more at: https://www.fumcsd.org/gathering.

To listen to more episodes and connect with the Perspectives community, visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fumcsd.

Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast is a progressive Christian podcast where women pastors explore Scripture, theology, faith, and life in an honest, thoughtful, and welcoming way.

What does it mean to sit with ancient Christmas songs in a complex, imperfect world? In this special episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, all three clergywomen – Revs. Trudy, Hannah, and Brittany – gather in the studio to reflect on the Advent season and their four-part series, Our Advent Mix Tape.

Together, the pastors of First United Methodist Church of San Diego explore how Christmas music and ancient songs of Scripture can hold both darkness and hope – and how the season invites us into deeper ways of loving the world. The conversation invites listeners into deeper, more honest Christmas reflections on:

• Surprises that emerge while exploring Christmas songs
• Favorite Christmas songs and the spiritual gifts music offers
• Naming both the struggle and beauty of the season
• Living out light, hope, peace, joy, and love beyond Christmas
  

A special Christmas gift: The pastors have curated a Spotify playlist, Our Advent Mix Tape. Listen here: fumcsd.org/mixtape. We also invite you to connect with our podcast community on Patreon, where you can chat with other listeners and go deeper in your reflections.

What do we sing when the world feels uncertain? In the final track of Our Advent Mixtape, we turn to Zechariah’s Advent song – the Benedictus (Luke 1:68–79) – and listen for the hope and joy that can still be found in seasons of darkness. In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Rev. Trudy and Rev. Hannah explore that very question. It's a digital Bible conversation led by the female pastors of the First United Methodist Church of San Diego.

The two pastors reflect on the power of sacred songs to carry faith through seasons of fear, exile, and oppression, and how these songs can bridge old and new faiths, deepen spiritual imaginations, and help God break through the darkness in our lives today. As Advent invites us to wait, listen, and sing anew, this conversation asks:

• What might salvation look like in our daily lives?
• Where do we see God’s light breaking through now?
• And how do we pass on hope and joy—to our children, our communities, and our world?

Continue the Conversation & Reflection

There is so much to explore with this rich song. We encourage you to continue the conversation with friends and family, our online Patreon community, or our in-person Convergence discussion group. Here are some reflection questions for you to explore:

1. What does salvation look like in your daily practices?
2. Where do we see God’s dawn breaking right now?
3. What is faith for you?

Join us next week for a special Christmas message!

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Zechariah’s Song

02:20 Reading of Luke 1:68-79 – The Benedictus

03:40 Bridging of Two Traditions – Jewish Hope & Early Christianity

06:26 Silence, Listening & Being Pregnant with Hope

11:04 Songs of Faith in Fearful Times

19:18 Passing on Hope: Parenting, Faith, and Peace

22:27 Closing and Reflection Questions

Feeling the weight of uncertainty, turmoil, or transition this Advent season? You’re not alone—and neither was Mary. As she moved toward the birth of Jesus, facing risk and social stigma, she still found the courage to sing the very first Christmas carol: Mary’s Magnificat.

In this week’s conversation, Rev. Hannah and Rev. Brittany from First United Methodist Church of San Diego explore Mary’s bold, justice-filled song that’s sometimes described as a female punk rock Christmas anthem. Found in Luke 1:46–55, the Magnificat isn’t sentimental or soft; it’s a prophetic cry that challenges power, confronts injustice, and lifts up the marginalized.

Whether you identify as Christian, spiritual-but-not-religious, skeptical, or simply curious, this episode invites you to reimagine Mary not as a quiet figure in a nativity scene but as a courageous young woman leading an uprising of love.

It’s the third track of Our Advent Mix Tape, the female pastors’ exploration of lesser-known songs of Christmas – and the powerful gifts they deliver. This week’s gift: Love.

Join us to explore:

• Why cultivating a trusted community matters
• Mary’s journey of questions, accepting, assuring, and praising
• The danger Mary faced as an unwed, pregnant teen in the ancient world
• How the Magnificat flips the status quo and proclaims radical, prophetic hope

There is so much to explore with this rich song. We encourage you to continue the conversation with friends and family, our online Patreon community, or our in-person Convergence discussion group.

Here are some reflection questions for you to explore:

• If Mary's song were sung today, what specific injustices, hopes, and transformations would she name?
• What song is God inviting you to sing even if your voice trembles?
• How does Mary's love for her child expand into a vision for a world turned upside down?
• Why does true justice-seeking love often feel disruptive rather than comforting?
• How can we practice love today in ways that are tangible and lifegiving and not just symbolic?

Join us next week for the final track in this mix tape! And be sure to get the first two tracks: Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Season 3 Episode 13 & 14.

How do we achieve hope and salvation when we’re surrounded by darkness? That’s what Revs. Trudy and Hannah ask as they enter week two of Our Advent Mix Tape. For inspiration and wisdom, they turn to Isaiah’s prophetic song, which sings praises of thanksgiving for salvation during a time when the Israelites are exiled. Despite their dark circumstances, Isaiah’s song invites the Israelite to image when lightness could be – a way to inspire hope in others to take radical moves to bring about change.

The song, found in Isaiah 12:1-6, also highlights individual as well as communal praise and thanksgiving, speaking to the need for both personal and community salvation, a core component of Methodist theology: “There is no personal holiness without social holiness” – a phrase popularized by John Wesley. Through the course of the digital Bible study conversation, the female pastors of the First United Methodist Church of San Diego look closely at Isaiah’s metaphor of the wells of salvation, and ultimately ask:

• What does salvation look like today?
• What does Isaiah’s song mean to us in 2025?
• Is there a universality to salvation that’s available for all cultures and faith traditions?

We invite you to continue the pastors’ conversation as you journey through Advent. Join our in-person Convergence group, visit our Patreon Channel, or gather friends and family to discuss these reflection questions:

1. What is salvation for you?
2. How is your salvation related to the salvation of the community?
3. How do you participate in salvation?

Want to hear the rest of Our Advent Mixtape? Join us for all four episodes (Season 3, Episodes 13-16) for reflections on the Advent and Christmas promises of peace, hope, joy, and love. New episodes drop Sunday mornings.