Coffee To Go Episodes

A peaceful night with a star up above. A beautiful newborn wrapped in swaddling clothes. Kings...shepherds...clean, quiet animals watching quietly as they lay perfectly still. It makes for a nice story, but it also covers up ...

Two expectant women, one old and one young, both wondering why God would choose them, yet both filled with joy ... that’s where we find ourselves on this last Sunday of Advent. Karin and Blake are always asking, “Where are we...

Unlike Micah, who responded politely when asked what God required of those who would follow, John the Baptist didn’t mince words or waste time worrying about people’s feelings. He simply laid it on the line ... for everyone....

Lions and tigers and bears, Oh My! Wait. Scratch that. How about, “sacredness, energy, and divine presence?” Maybe the wilderness isn’t so bad after all! Grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage and join host Karin Peter an...

It’s a new liturgical year, and we’re still journeying with Jesus. As we enter the Advent season, we are reminded of God’s gracious welcome and hospitality ... full of justice and mercy. From interpersonal division to wars b...

How often do we ask a question with a “hoped-for” answer in mind? That’s exactly what is going on in this week’s gospel lectionary passage when Pilate comes face to face with Jesus. Join hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith, fo...

“And the walls came a tumblin’ down.” Actually, by the time the Gospel of Mark was written they probably already had. But, imagine sitting outside the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, and having Jesus tell you that...

Mark’s telling of the story we have come to know as “The Widow’s Mite” is a story about faithful generosity... or is it? Maybe it’s really about Jesus pointing out economic injustices. Giving one’s “spare change” means differ...

Though it may have seemed like it, not everyone was trying to trick or test Jesus. Some actually just wanted to engage in honest dialogue with them. That is the case with the Scribe in today’s passage from the Gospel of Mark...

We all have, or have had, people who have touched our lives and influenced us in positive ways. Because of them, something in us has changed ... our own sense of worth, our worldview, the way we engage with others, the way we...

The journey from Galilee to Jerusalem is long. The disciples have heard a lot, seen a lot, and done a lot ... including shushing and turning away marginalized persons who have come seeking Jesus. As usual, however, Jesus invi...

How many times did Jesus have to tell them, “It’s not about status!”? Just because society tells you that status matters, doesn’t make it so. But the disciples didn’t get it, and sometimes we too forget. If you want to be fir...

Money, money, money, money ... Money. The O’Jays said, “some people gotta have it.” (“For the Love of Money,” Philadelphia) But Jesus told the rich young ruler to go and give it all away, then, come follow him. We all know ho...

“I’ve Got the Power” is not just the name of a song by Snap played in clubs and on radio stations ... it has been a foundational principle for groups of people ... especially men ... since the days of Moses. It continued into...

“We are Companions on the Journey” ... a hymn sung many times in Community of Christ gatherings, and words we need to keep in mind as we navigate our personal spiritual journeys of life and faith. Like the disciples, we somet...

There is no such thing as a dumb question. At least that’s what some people say. There are, however, questions that, when asked, may make one seem less smart. What’s worse is when someone thinks they know the answer so doesn’...

Jesus’ ministry is taking a turn ... toward Jerusalem, and anyone who wants to be a follower will need to “take up [their] cross” and follow him. With each step toward “Jerusalem,” the cost of following gets more and more co...

Dive into the heart of the Christian tradition with us on "Coffee to Go." This week, we're in Mark's Gospel, witnessing Jesus' encounters with a Syrophoenician woman and a deaf man. Join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith as they unpack the complexity of Jesus' actions, the coexistence of our best i…

Leave it to the Pharisees to pick and choose which laws they want to follow while forgetting something a little more important ... the greatest commandments ... love God, and love one another. Join hosts, Karin Peter and Blak...

Hopefully, followers of Jesus can say, without hesitation, that they believe in Jesus, but is that enough? The world is crazy, and we are faced with so much that can challenge or even scare us. In this episode of Coffee to Go...

But I don’t want to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Do I really have to? Thank goodness Jesus talks in metaphor. What he really wants is for us to “abide” in him... to be so closely aligned with him that he becomes for us...

Believing things about Jesus is good. As a matter of fact, knowing what you believe about Jesus is a great place to start, but it’s not necessarily life-changing. It’s when you come to the point of believing in Jesus that thi...

What happens when we’re hungry for something, and it’s not what Jesus is serving? Many, if not all, have been in that place where we’re so hungry that, until we are fed physically, we can’t think about anything else...at leas...

Which came first, the chicken or the egg ... abundance or blessing. You may have what you believe is THE correct answer, but apparently, there are sound arguments for both. In this episode of Coffee to Go, hosts Karin Peter a...