Coffee To Go Episodes
Coffee to Go is a regular feature on Faith Unfiltered Podcast that invites listeners into the sacred rhythm of the Christian liturgical year. Hosted by Karin Peter and Blake Smith, each episode offers a thoughtful reflection on the seasons, scriptures, and holy days that shape our spiritual journey.
Whether you’re on your morning commute, taking a walk, or pausing for a quiet moment, Coffee to Go provides a companionable space for grounding yourself in the story of God — one sacred moment at a time.
Because sometimes, the Spirit speaks best in the spaces between… and a little coffee doesn’t hurt, either.
Whether you’re on your morning commute, taking a walk, or pausing for a quiet moment, Coffee to Go provides a companionable space for grounding yourself in the story of God — one sacred moment at a time.
Because sometimes, the Spirit speaks best in the spaces between… and a little coffee doesn’t hurt, either.
July 18, 2026
982 | Coffee to Go | Proper 11 | Year A
Belonging matters! What does it mean to find a place where you truly belong? Join hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith, as they explore Jacob's dream at Bethel (Genesis 28:10–19) as a story of pilgrimage, migration, and unexpected encounters with God's presence. Reflect on how our journeys—whether across borders, through life's transitions, or back to cherished places—shape our identity and reveal that our deepest home is found in God's abiding presence. Listen to more episodes in the Coffee to G...
July 11, 2026
971 | Coffee to Go | Proper 10 | Year A
Are you playing it safe with your life, or are you scattering your gifts with reckless abandon? In this episode of Coffee to Go, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith dig into the famous Parable of the Sower from the Gospel of Matthew. Positioned in the midst of "Ordinary Time"—the liturgical season built for growing in our discipleship—this scripture challenges us to look closely at the soil of our own hearts. Listen to other episodes in the Coffee to Go series. Download the transcript. Thanks f...
July 5, 2026
969 | Coffee to Go | Proper 9 | Year A
We could all use some rest... right? In this episode of Coffee to Go, Karin and Blake explore Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11 to move beyond the exhausting patterns of busyness, striving, and self-sufficiency into a life of rest, learning, and faithful discipleship. Reflecting on the image of "infants in faith," they discuss the openness, trust, and humility that allow us to receive God's wisdom and grace. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and settle in for a timely reminder that true whol...
June 28, 2026
968 | Coffee to Go | Proper 8 | Year A
Things are heating up in Rome! Paul's passionate challenge in Romans 6:12–23 pushes his listeners (and ours) to choose a life shaped by grace rather than the forces that pull us away from God's purposes. Join Karin and Blake as they unpack difficult biblical language around righteousness and slavery, reframing righteousness as radical mercy, compassion, and hospitality that go beyond what is expected. Listen in, and then reflect on the influences that control your life and consider what...
June 20, 2026
966 | Coffee to Go | Proper 7 | Year A
Although some people see it as such, grace is not a free pass to sin! In this episode of Coffee to Go, Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore the idea of "newness of life" offered through Christ. Together they wrestle with the tension between grace and discipleship, reminding listeners that grace is not a license to remain unchanged but an invitation to walk a new path. Join them as they reflect on how God's grace accompanies us every step of the journey toward transformation and freedom. Listen t...
June 18, 2026
964 | Coffee to Go | Proper 6 | Year A
This week on Coffee to Go, Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore the story of Abraham and Sarah, where hospitality, divine promise, and unexpected laughter intersect. Through Sarah’s famous exchange with God, they uncover the humor woven into scripture and reflect on how God’s presence accompanies us through uncertainty and surprise. The conversation invites listeners to consider what it means to welcome strangers, trust God’s promises, and find joy even in life’s most improbable moments. Join us ...
June 6, 2026
963 | Coffee to Go | Proper 5 | Year A
As the church enters Ordinary Time, Paul’s letter to the Romans invites us to wrestle with a timeless question: Is faith about following rules, or responding to grace? Karin and Blake explore Paul’s winding theological argument, uncovering how faith, grace, and God’s promises work together to shape lives marked by mercy and compassion. Along the way, they reflect on their own journeys from rule-keeping to grace-giving and challenge listeners to consider how extending grace to others might transf...
May 30, 2026
961 | Coffee to Go | Trinity Sunday | Year A
Trinity Sunday invites us into one of Christianity’s most profound and challenging ideas: God as divine community. In this episode, Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore how our language for God shapes our understanding of the sacred, the importance of inclusive imagery for the divine, and why expanding our vocabulary can create space for more people to encounter God. Through thoughtful conversation and practical spiritual practices, they encourage listeners to experience the Trinity in fresh ways...
May 23, 2026
960 | Coffee to Go | Pentecost | Year A
What does Pentecost have to say in a world shaped by division, nationalism, and fear of difference? In this episode of Coffee to Go, Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore the story of Acts 2—not as a tale of spectacle, but as a radical vision of inclusion, diversity, and God’s Spirit moving beyond borders, labels, and walls. Together they reflect on the Spirit as wind, fire, and holy disruption, asking where divine presence is breaking barriers in our own communities today. Join the conversation a...
May 17, 2026
958 | Coffee to Go | Ascension Sunday | Year A
Wait. Rest. Bless. As Easter gives way to Ascension Sunday and the anticipation of Pentecost, this episode of Coffee to Go explores what it means to be “story bearers” of hope, love, and Christ’s witness in the world. Reflecting on Jesus’ final words to the disciples, Karin Peter and Blake Smith consider the sacred invitation to wait, rest, and receive before stepping into renewed purpose. In a culture that resists slowing down, they ask: What if waiting itself is a blessing? Join the conversati...
May 9, 2026
957 | Coffee to Go | Sixth Sunday of Easter | Year A
Sometimes we have to wrestle with tough passages and/or themes in scripture. The only option is to avoid them, and that’s never good. They’re in there for a reason. Join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith on this sixth Sunday in the Easter season as they wrestle with the difficult and often misunderstood themes of suffering, persecution, and hope found in 1 Peter 3:13–22. Get ready to challenge harmful interpretations that glorify suffering and instead explore how the early church found courage a...
May 3, 2026
955 | Coffee to Go | Fifth Sunday of Easter
Don’t put away your Easter decorations yet!! In this Easter-season reflection on the Gospel of John 14, Karin Peter and Blake Smith wrestle with one of Jesus’ most quoted—and often misunderstood—statements: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Together, they reframe this passage not as a boundary of exclusion, but as an invitation into a way of being shaped by compassion, trust, and divine presence. Through personal stories and theological insight, they explore how God’s promise of “dwelling...
April 25, 2026
953 | Coffee to Go | Fourth Sunday of Easter | Year A
Shepherds, and bandits and gates ... Oh my! In this Easter-season episode of Coffee to Go, Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore Jesus’ words in Gospel of John 10, where shepherds, bandits, and gates become powerful images for discerning the voices that shape our lives. Together, they reflect on what it means to recognize the voice of Christ—not merely in sound, but in the substance of compassion, justice, and love. Moving beyond rigid boundaries, the conversation reframes “the gate” as a way of l...
April 11, 2026
949 | Coffee to Go | Second Sunday of Easter | Year A
Step into the second week of the Easter season with Coffee to Go as Karin Peter and Blake Smith step out of the gospels and into the weekly lectionary scripture being used by Community of Christ as a focus for worship. This week, they explore the powerful message of 1 Peter—a call to live into a “living hope” even when faith feels difficult or uncertain. In a world marked by division, fear, and pushback, what does it really mean to follow Jesus beyond belief and into action? Tune in for a though...
April 5, 2026
947 | Coffee to Go | Easter | Year A
Step into the quiet mystery of Easter morning as this episode of Coffee to Go explores the resurrection story from Gospel of John 20:1–18. Beginning in the darkness before dawn with Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, the conversation reflects on how the Gospel’s movement between darkness and light mirrors our own journeys from confusion to understanding. Along the way, Karin Peter and Blake Smith invite listeners to consider how Christ’s resurrection meets us personally—sometimes in moments we re...
April 4, 2026
946 | Coffee to Go | Holy Saturday | Year A
Time seems to slow to a crawl when we find ourselves waiting for something ... even when we know it will come. Again, we imagine what it would have been like for those whose hopes had seemingly been crushed by the crucifixion of the one in whom they’d placed all their hopes. They didn’t know. We wait because we know... they were lost. They didn’t understand, so they didn’t know there was anything for which to wait. Don’t take the waiting for granted, use it as another opportunity to prepare for ...
April 2, 2026
945 | Coffee to Go | Good Friday | Year A
Everything in his life and ministry brought him to this day... and the opposition thought they had won. But we know the story doesn’t end here, and we can call it Good Friday. Unfortunately, for those who were present on that day, there was little good about that day. Join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith for a reading of the Good Friday story from the Gospel according to John and a blessing. Then, let us wait together. Listen to more episodes in the Coffee to Go series. Download the Transcri...
April 1, 2026
944 | Coffee to Go | Maundy Thursday | Year A
It’s the night before the Passover... the last night that Jesus will have with the disciples ... to be their leader and to give them advise ... and instead of a lecture, he takes off his outer robe, kneels in front of them and washes their feet. It makes you wonder if what you value in a leader or strive for in your own leadership qualities is what Jesus had in mind. Join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith, as they help us think more deeply about what we value in ourselves and in others. Listen ...
March 28, 2026
943 | Coffee to Go | Palm Sunday | Year A
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, but this familiar story carries deeper layers than we often notice. In this episode of Coffee to Go, Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore Matthew’s account of Jesus entering Jerusalem through insights from New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine, revealing the bold risk and intentional symbolism behind the moment. Amid the chaos of a crowded Passover festival and the watchful presence of Roman power, Jesus’ humble procession on a donkey becomes a striki...
March 21, 2026
941 | Coffee to Go | Fifth Sunday of Lent | Year A
As Lent draws to a close, this episode of Coffee to Go reflects on the powerful story of the raising of Lazarus in Gospel of John 11. Hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore what the story reveals about grief, faith, and the surprising ways God’s presence meets us in life’s most difficult moments. Rather than seeing suffering as something caused by God, they consider how moments of loss can become opportunities for God’s love and healing to be revealed. The conversation invites listeners to as...
March 14, 2026
939 | Coffee to Go | Fourth Sunday of Lent | Year A
In this episode of Coffee to Go, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore the powerful and complex story from Gospel of John 9:1–41, where Jesus heals a man born blind. As they wrestle with difficult questions about blame, suffering, and faith, the conversation moves beyond ancient assumptions to examine how modern people still search for someone to blame when life goes wrong. Together, they reflect on what it means to truly “see”—and how spiritual blindness can show up in judgment, labels, and...
March 7, 2026
937 | Coffee to Go | Third Sunday of Lent | Year A
In the middle of cultural tension, gender barriers, and social division, Jesus chooses conversation, compassion, and connection—revealing living water where others might only see boundaries. Together, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith invite listeners to hear the story with fresh ears, imagining the real voices, emotions, and lived experiences behind the text. The episode highlights how belonging can come before believing and how one unexpected encounter can spark a powerful witness of faith. As...
Feb. 28, 2026
936 | Coffee to Go | 2nd Sunday of Lent | Year A
On this Second Sunday of Lent, Coffee to Go journeys into Gospel of John 3:1–17 and the midnight questions of Nicodemus. What does it really mean to be “born from above”—and why are we so desperate for clear, concrete answers? Hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore the tension between certainty and trust, grace and effort, and the radical claim that God’s love is for the whole world—not just the “right” believers. Instead of clinging to John 3:16 as a simple formula, they invite us to linger ...
Feb. 21, 2026
934 | Coffee to Go | First Sunday of Lent | Year A
Hungry? How well would you hold up against temptation if you had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 days and someone offered you a loaf of bread? Be honest! Lent is here and, of course, it’s the time of year when we intentionally focus our life in relationship to life of Jesus, and consider the things that distract us from our covenant of discipleship. No wonder folks in the olden days covered themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Being honest with ourselves can be hard, and saying, “the devil...