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

What happens when God interrupts us in the middle of uncertainty, fear, and doubt? In Isaiah 6, the prophet Isaiah encounters God in a dramatic and terrifying vision—and responds, “Here I am. Send me.”

In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Rev. Hannah and Rev. Brittany explore what Isaiah’s calling might teach us about hearing God, encountering God, recognizing our shortcomings, receiving grace, and responding when we sense a call to act.

Isaiah’s encounter with God doesn't happen in a peaceful or predictable moment. His calling comes at a time of political uncertainty and fear, and his response begins with an honest acknowledgment of his own shortcomings. That honesty becomes pivotal in his encounter with God’s grace and his ability to respond to God’s call.

What might Isaiah’s story have to say to us today? What if we have become so accustomed to the routines of faith that we no longer expect to encounter God in unexpected ways? And what if the things we see as our shortcomings, mistakes, or “unclean lips” can become places where God meets us, transforms us, and calls us forward?

As the female pastors reflect on Isaiah’s calling, they consider what it means to listen for God in the midst of uncertainty, to bring our whole selves into sacred spaces, and to move beyond shame toward grace and action.

In this conversation, they explore:

• Why Isaiah's encounter with God is so dramatic—and even terrifying
• What Isaiah's “unclean lips” reveal about shame, humility, and human shortcomings
• Why confession can open us to experiencing God's grace
• Whether we really expect to encounter God when we enter a familiar worship space
• How we can become so comfortable with religious routines that we stop listening for God
• Why God's blessings are meant to extend beyond the walls of the church
• How our mistakes and shortcomings can become part of the work God calls us to do
• What it means to respond to God's call before we know exactly where it will lead

This is the second 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 Habakkuk and explore “The Long Silence”

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. What keeps us from listening with humility?
2. How can we acknowledge our own shortcomings while navigating disappointment in the actions of others?
3. What helps you stay grounded when the present reality doesn’t give you much hope?

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 When God Interrupts Us
00:20 Isaiah’s Dramatic Encounter With God
05:11 When Encountering God Is Beautiful—and Terrifying
07:23 What Isaiah’s Humility Teaches Us
10:23 Confession, Shame & Receiving God’s Grace
12:44 Do We Expect to Encounter God?
14:45 God Doesn’t Bless Us Just for Ourselves
16:49 Is God Bigger Than the Church?
18:54 “Whom Shall I Send?” → “Here I Am. Send Me.”
22:56 Can Our Shortcomings Become Gifts?
25:23 Reflection Questions

In a noisy world, it can be hard to hear anything—let alone a whisper from God. So how do we know when God is speaking? And what gets in the way of our ability to listen?

Kicking off Season 4 of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast and our four-week series “God Is Still Speaking: Listening in a Noisy World,” Revs. Trudy and Brittany explore the story of Samuel’s call in 1 Samuel 3:1-10—and what this ancient story might have to say to us today.

Samuel hears a voice calling his name but doesn’t recognize it as God. Eli, exhausted and caught between his responsibilities, his family and his faith, initially doesn’t recognize it either. Together, the female pastors of First UMC of San Diego explore what it means to listen for God when we’re overwhelmed, uncertain or simply too tired to hear.

In this conversation, they explore:

• Why it can be so difficult to hear God
• How exhaustion, anxiety and the competing voices around us can drown out God’s voice
• What God’s voice might actually sound or feel like—and how we might recognize it
• The tension between what God wants, what we want and what others want from us
• What Samuel and Eli can teach us about healthy leadership, mentorship, and making space for something new
• Why endings and periods of uncertainty can be part of making room for what comes next

The story of Samuel reminds us that God’s voice may not always come as a dramatic revelation. Sometimes it is more like a whisper—a persistent feeling, question, conviction or invitation that we can't quite let go of.

This is the first 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 Isaiah 6:1-8 and “A Voice in the Temple.”

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. How do you understand God’s silence and God’s voice?
2. What voices are competing for your attention right now, and which ones have you allowed to carry the most weight?
3. When have you experienced an unexpected interruption that, in hindsight, may have been an invitation to something new?

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 Are we missing God’s whispers?
01:29 Samuel hears a voice in the night
04:11 Why is God’s voice so hard to hear?
06:38 When the demands of life drown out God
09:50 Are we simply too exhausted to listen?
12:23 What healthy leadership looks like
16:54 What does it mean for God to speak to us?
17:38 What does God’s voice sound and feel like?
20:45 Hearing God amid anxiety, corruption and social turmoil
22:21 “The lamp is still burning”
25:51 Reflection questions

What does the story of David and Goliath really teach us about faith? Is faith simply believing that God will help us defeat our “Goliaths”—or is something deeper happening when we face fear, uncertainty, and circumstances beyond our control?

In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Revs. Trudy and Hannah explore 1 Samuel 17 and the story of David and Goliath through the lens of faith, Scripture, progressive Christianity, and the challenges of our world today.

David and Goliath may be one of the most familiar stories in the Bible, but it is much more complicated than a simple underdog story. Beneath the familiar tale are questions about political change, power, technology, fear, biblical storytelling, and the evolving relationship between God and the people of Israel.

The female pastors of First United Methodist Church of San Diego ask what this ancient story can teach us about Christian faith in a changing world – especially when the “Goliaths” in front of us seem overwhelming.

In this conversation, they explore:

• Why David and Goliath is more than a children’s Sunday School story
• How storytelling shapes our faith and our understanding of Scripture
• The political, social, historical, and technological changes reflected in 1 Samuel
• How God works through imperfect, complicated people
• The difference between faith and naïve optimism
• What happens when our “armor”—technology, power, status, or certainty—fails us
• How faith can help us face fear without becoming paralyzed by it
• What it means to “see what you can’t see” and trust in God’s presence

Perhaps the biggest question is this: Would David’s faith still have mattered if he had lost?

This episode is the final conversation in our five-week series, “What We Really Mean When We Talk About…”, exploring complicated theological concepts and what they mean for our lives today. Previous episodes explored grace, forgiveness, love, and peace.

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. What does this story tell you about God?
2. What are the ‘Goliaths’ in our world that convince us that they are the only reality that matters?
3. How do you weaken the power of God in the face of difficult circumstances?

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

Time Stamps

00:00 What does David and Goliath have to do with faith?
02:53 David and Goliath: More than a children’s story
04:27 The historical and political world of 1 Samuel
07:40 Why this story is much more complicated than it seems
11:07 Was the David and Goliath story added later?
16:04 David faces Goliath: The battle begins
18:30 Faith, fear, armor, and the power of God
21:33 Would David’s faith matter if he had lost?
25:26 What faith really means: Seeing what we can’t see
27:26 Reflection questions for your own faith

What if peace isn’t avoiding conflict but instead facing it without losing ourselves in the process?

In this episode of Perspectives, Rev. Drs. Hannah and Brittany explore what we really mean when we talk about peace through the story of Daniel—who continues to pray even when doing so puts his life at risk. Daniel doesn’t find peace by escaping a chaotic world. He finds a way to remain grounded in his faith, his values, and his sense of self while living amid political pressure, injustice, and uncertainty. So, what does Daniel have to teach us about finding peace when the world around us feels anything but peaceful?

Together, the female pastors of First United Methodist Church of San Diego explore:

• Why peace isn't the same thing as serenity, comfort, or the absence of conflict
• How faith can help us stay grounded when circumstances are chaotic
• The difference between peaceful resistance and passive compliance
• What it means to hold onto your identity and integrity in an unjust world
• How mindfulness and prayer can help us remain present rather than consumed by fear
• Why “keeping the peace” can sometimes protect injustice
• How we can cultivate inner quiet without withdrawing from the world
• What it means to find moments of joy and peace in the midst of heartbreak and struggle

Reflection Questions

1. When does “keeping the peace” actually protect injustice?
2. What is the difference between peaceful resistance and passive compliance?
3. Can peace include conflict?

This episode is part of our five-week series, “What We Really Mean When We Talk About…”, exploring complicated theological concepts and what they mean for our lives today. Next week, we'll explore what we really mean when we talk about faith. Whether you're deconstructing your faith, exploring progressive Christianity, pursuing justice, or simply asking honest questions about Scripture, we hope you'll join the conversation.

Continue the conversation:

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

Time Stamps
00:00 What if Peace Isn't the Absence of Conflict?
01:36 Daniel Chooses Faith in the Face of Danger
04:45 What Jealousy Can Teach Us About Knowing Who We Are
06:26 Faith, Integrity, and Living Under Political Power
07:20 Peace Doesn't Require a Perfect Situation
08:14 From a Meditation Retreat to the “Concrete Jungle”
11:15 Finding Joy and Peace in the Midst of Heartbreak
12:36 Is Daniel Practicing Mindfulness?
13:27 Peace Doesn’t Mean Giving Up the Fight
20:25 Peace Isn't Comfort—It Can Exist in Conflict

What does love actually look like when it’s difficult, uncomfortable, or undeserved?

In this episode of Perspectives, Revs. Trudy and Brittany explore what we really mean when we talk about love through the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet in John 13:3–9. And there's a particularly difficult question at the heart of the story: Why would Jesus wash Judas’s feet—even knowing Judas would betray him?

Together, the female pastors of First United Methodist Church of San Diego discuss:

• How Jesus turned an ordinary act of hospitality into something radical
• Why love can feel uncomfortable and vulnerable
• The challenge of both giving and receiving love
• Why unconditional love is so difficult for us
• What it means to love someone who may hurt or betray us
• The difference between love, grace, and forgiveness
• How vulnerability and community shape the way we experience love
• What it means to follow Jesus on a journey to a more open and expansive heart

Reflection Questions

1. When has love called you to do something that seemed ridiculous or unreasonable to others?
2. What makes it difficult/uncomfortable for you to let others love and care for you?
3. Who has shown you a kind of love that changed the way you understand love?

Continue the conversation:

This episode is part of our five-week series exploring “What We Really Mean When We Talk About…” – giving us the opportunity to reflect upon and explore tricky theological concepts. Next week, we'll explore what we really mean when we talk about peace. Whether you're deconstructing your faith, exploring progressive Christianity, pursuing justice, or simply asking honest questions about Scripture, we hope you'll join the conversation.

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

Time Stamps
00:00 Love Is More Than What You Say
01:47 Why Would Jesus Wash His Disciples’ Feet?
04:00 Why Love Can Be Radical, Ridiculous & Uncomfortable
06:15 Why Receiving Love Can Be So Difficult
08:32 Love Requires Vulnerability
09:41 Why Did Jesus Wash Judas’s Feet?
12:25 Why Is Unconditional Love So Hard?
13:53 Love, Grace & Forgiveness: What’s the Difference?
20:44 Love Isn’t a One-Way Street
22:54 Are You Better at Giving or Receiving Love?