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.
Feb. 9, 2025
805 | Coffee to Go | 5th Sunday After Epiphany | Year C
There are other ways to determine your abundance than just by counting what’s in your “net.” Sometimes our abundance lies in the gifts and skills with which God has blessed us. In today’s Gospel passage from Luke, the disciples end up with enough fish to fill two nets and sink their boats, only to have Jesus ask them to leave it behind and follow him. Jesus seemed to know that God’s abundant grace combined with their abundant gifts would be enough to do what they were being called to do...fish f...
Feb. 2, 2025
803 | Coffee to Go | 4th Sunday After Epiphany | Year C
We tell ourselves ‘It’s just not fair!’ ... when someone gets something they don’t deserve, especially when we think it ought to be given to us ... you know, the righteous ones! But Jesus was famous for turning things on their head, rather than doing things the way they “ought” to be done. It is, after all, the way of God’s reign. Too often we, like those who were in the synagogue when Jesus read from Isaiah, are amazed at Jesus’ words ... until we find that they’re words of challenge rather tha...
Jan. 26, 2025
800 | Coffee to Go | Third Sunday After Epiphany Year C
We don’t need a sermon, we need a call to action... and that’s what we get in the fourth chapter of Luke. And, it’s at the heart of the Community of Christ Mission Initiatives. In this episode of Coffee to God, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith talk about Christ’s brief appearance in the synagogue where he quotes from Isaiah, and then proclaims that “this has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The question is, were they listening? Are we? And, are we ready to hear it for what it is ... and respond...
Jan. 19, 2025
797 | Coffee to Go | Second Sunday After Epiphany Year C
How many 30-year-olds still do what their mother tells them to do? Well, maybe it depends on whether or not the mom is the “Holy Mother.” This week at Coffee to Go, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith take a dive into the Wedding at Cana, the story from the Gospel According to John that records Jesus’ first sign or miracle. And, it wasn’t “the devil that made him do it.” It was an act of justice strongly recommended by his mom. Listen in and find out why! Download Transcript Thanks for listening...
Jan. 12, 2025
795 | Coffee to Go | Epiphany 1 | Year C
Anticipation! If after reading that word, an old ketchup jingle started playing in your head, you’re probably not one of the younger listeners to Project Zion Podcast. If a jingle didn’t start playing in your head, you’ll just have to Google it. This episode of Coffee to Go is about anticipation, but there is no ketchup involved. Listen in as hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith, take a close look at the passage from Luke 3 about the Baptism of Jesus. Allow yourself, like the heavens, to be opened...
Jan. 6, 2025
793 | Coffee to Go | Epiphany | Year C
Today marks the celebration of the day in which the light of the world was revealed to all people ... when God’s presence was made manifest among us. One might expect such a special occasion to be attended by religious leaders ... at least the ones close by. But that’s not the way the story goes. Those who responded were likely astronomers from a foreign land. The unexpected revealed to the unexpected. Join hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith, for a look at Matthew’s story of the “Wisemen’s” visi...
Jan. 5, 2025
792 | Coffee to Go | Second Sunday After Christmas
“This little light of mine... I’m gonna let it shine...” That is part, after all, of what it means to follow Jesus. In this episode of Coffee to Go, Karin and Blake discuss the significance of the second Sunday after Christmas. They delve into the Gospel of John, emphasizing Jesus' divine nature and the role of John the Baptist in pointing to Him. Hopefully, you’ll get a sense of the importance of understanding "believing in His name" as a deep commitment to walk the same walk as Jesus. Downloa...
Dec. 29, 2024
791 | Coffee to Go | First Sunday After Christmas | Year C
Rag ‘n Bone Man, Rory Graham, put the words to song ... “I’m only human after all.” Too often, we put our heroes on pedestals, lauding only their good traits and overlooking their more “human” traits. This week’s passage from the Gospel of Luke gives us a glimpse into the human side of our greatest “hero,” Jesus. Join hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith for a look at the other side of the story. It doesn’t diminish the importance of Jesus and his ministry. Rather, it makes him a little more acces...
Dec. 25, 2024
790 | Coffee to Go | Christmas Year C
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 the real-life grit and struggle that the Holy Family encountered in and around the birth of Jesus, not to mention the radical nature of a God at work in the midst of an unsuitable place with those who would have been considered unsuitable themselves. Join Karin and Blake for...
Dec. 22, 2024
788 | Coffee to Go | Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C
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 with Jesus this week?” Well, technically, he’s there too! Listen in to experience the joy that Mary and Elizabeth share as they come together in support of one another away from all the chaos and watching eyes. How could two women in such unexpected circumstances possibly f...
Dec. 15, 2024
787 | Coffee to Go | Third Sunday of Advent Year C
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. Repent and change your ways. Quit putting yourself first. Take what’s yours, only what’s yours, and be happy. As we come close to Christmas and the arrival of the Christchild, join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith for a closer look at John’s instructions for being ready to ...
Dec. 8, 2024
785 | Coffee to Go | Second Sunday of Advent Year C
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 and Blake Smith for a look into how “the voice crying out in the wilderness,” wasn’t running from large scary animals, but rather towards the hope that was to come. In the words of Rod Stewart, “People get ready.” That is what Advent is all about anyway, isn’t it? Download Tra...
Dec. 1, 2024
783 | Coffee to Go | First Sunday of Advent Year C
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 between nations, our world is full of chaos, there are those who would like us to think that the end of the world is coming and that THIS is “the generation that will not pass.” But we know that God is with us, and because we have experienced God’s gracious hospitality in our ...
Nov. 24, 2024
781 | Coffee to Go | Proper 29 Year B | Reign of Christ
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, for this final episode in Year B of the lectionary cycle. Listen carefully as Pilate questions Jesus, and Jesus, in typical Jesus fashion, turns the tables ... answering questions with questions while pointing to a kingdom like no other. Then, take time to look for evidence of...
Nov. 17, 2024
779 | Coffee to Go | Proper 28 Year B
“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 it would all be coming down. Scary? Upsetting? Maddening? Perhaps all of the above. Bad stuff happens all the time, but in the midst of it, we have the assurance that we are not alone... and we ought to focus our attention on the hope that is resident within us because of o...
Nov. 10, 2024
777 | Coffee to Go | Proper 27 Year B
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 different things to the wealthy and the poor. And, in this case, the widow may have been the very source of the other’s abundance. Listen in as co-hosts Karin and Blake, sit across from the treasury with Jesus and ask some tough questions. In the end, they’ll let you decide what’s...
Nov. 3, 2024
775 | Coffee to Go | Proper 26 Year B
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. As it turns out, Jesus doesn’t mind the questions... as long as we’re asking the right ones. Like ... “what matters most?” Ultimately, like the Scribe, we’re on a journey. Who knows, we also may also may “not be far from the Kingdom of God.” Until we get there though, don’t...
Nov. 1, 2024
774 | Coffee to Go | All Saints Day
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 see and understand God. These are our “saints.” These are the ones we remember on All Saints Day. Many of them are no longer with us physically, some may even, at best, be unlikely saints. But, they are saints just the same. Join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith, as they h...
Oct. 27, 2024
772 | Coffee to Go | Proper 25 Year B
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 invites them to come. Join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith, as they point out the importance of focusing on and examining our own journey with Christ, rather than pointing the finger at those who have gone before. Like the disciples, we participate in silencing the voices of o...
Oct. 20, 2024
770 | Coffee to Go | Proper 24 Year B
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 first, you need to be last. Makes perfect sense...right? Grab a cup of coffee and join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith for another look into Jesus’ interactions with the disciples as told in the Gospel of Mark. Hurry... the good seats are going fast!! Download Transcript Th...
Oct. 13, 2024
767 | Coffee to Go | Proper 23 Year B
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 how that ended. Join hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith, for a look at that memorable passage from the Gospel of Mark. Maybe the problem wasn’t really money, but the power that money and other possessions have over us. Download Transcript Thanks for listening to Faith Unfilt...
Oct. 6, 2024
764 | Coffee to Go | Proper 22 Year B
“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 the days of Jesus, and it continues today. So, what does Jesus have to say about it? Join hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith, to get an idea of what is really behind the interchange between Jesus and some Pharisees in the 10th chapter of Mark. Don’t get too caught up in the...
Sept. 29, 2024
762 | Coffee to Go | Proper 21 Year B
“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 sometimes forget what and who is the focus of our journey. In those moments, our salt loses its “flavor.” Join hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith, for a look at what Jesus has to say about where our focus should be and how important it is to “have salt in [ourselves] and be at pe...
Sept. 22, 2024
759 | Coffee to Go | Proper 20 Year B
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’t see a need to ask any questions. Join hosts, Karin and Blake, for a walk through Mark 9:30-37 where the Twelve find themselves in that exact position. If nothing else, perhaps you’ll find comfort in knowing you’re not the only one who didn’t understand. Download Transcrip...