Episodes

In the midst of troubling times, we invite you to find a moment of peace. Join us for a special guided meditation honoring the lives and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Let go of assumptions and tension as we reflect on resilience, diversity, and our shared human story. How can you listen more deeply to stories different from your own this week? Listen to more episodes in the Awaken to God’s Presence series. Download the Transcript. Thanks for listening to Faith Unfil...

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...

If loving nature and the environment makes us “tree huggers,” then so be it! In this episode of Climate Brewing, host Susan Oxley sits down with Lorrie Long, whose lifelong love of the natural world has grown into a deep commitment to environmental stewardship and community action. From her early experiences sensing the Spirit of God in the rugged landscapes of Wyoming to her current work with the Lamoni Area Green Team, Lorrie shares how faith, responsibility, and grassroots collaboration inter...

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...

Something new is brewing at Faith Unfiltered, and this is it... Reclaim with host Jessica Pycior. In this premier episode of Reclaim, Jessica invites listeners into a deeply embodied and expansive vision of faith through the life and witness of Pastor Jenny Lowndes—artist, athlete, spiritual leader, and advocate. In a rich and honest conversation, Jenny reflects on what it means to live with authenticity, embracing every facet of her identity as a sacred expression of God’s work within her. From...

The road to Emmaus, a familiar story opens into a deeper invitation: what if Christ is already walking beside us, unrecognized? In this Easter reflection, Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore how divine encounters often come disguised in ordinary moments—through conversation, hospitality, and the breaking of bread. Together, they wrestle with the ways distraction, assumption, and expectation can blind us to God’s presence, even as our hearts quietly burn within us. This episode offers a thoughtfu...

What does it really mean to be religious—and who gets hurt when belief goes unexamined? In this thought-provoking episode, Jack and Shannon dive into big, uncomfortable questions about faith, power, and the real-world impact of theology. From challenging harmful interpretations of suffering to exploring whether “faithful disagreement” has limits, the conversation pushes beyond easy answers into the messy, human reality of belief. It’s honest, nuanced, and an invitation to wrestle with faith in w...

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...

In this meaningful second half of the conversation between host Robin Linkhart and her guest, Mary Cusack, Mary shares a deeply personal journey through grief, faith, and the search for belonging—ultimately discovering a spiritual home that celebrates her fully. From wrestling with exclusion and institutional barriers to experiencing profound connection through communion and community, her story is both honest and transformative. With courage and vulnerability, Mary reflects on finding purpose l...

All around us, creation is coming to life as spring breaks forth. In this episode of Awaken to God’s Presence, host Robin Linkhart, encourages participants to find calm through deep breathing and reflection on new life emerging in early spring. She guides listeners to breathe in new beginnings and release past burdens, emphasizing the quiet, unfolding nature of resurrection and new life. Accept the invitation for self-reflection on personal growth and small stirrings of change ... lean into ligh...

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...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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...

From a devout Catholic childhood in Brooklyn to the hard questions of identity, addiction, and faith, Mary Cusack’s story is one of honesty, struggle, and remarkable resilience. In this deeply personal conversation with host, Robin Linkhart, Mary reflects on growing up surrounded by the rituals and beauty of Catholic devotion while wrestling with the painful belief that who she was might be incompatible with the God she loved. Her journey reveals how faith can endure—even when everything you tho...

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...

Grab a cup of your beverage of choice and settle in for Faith Unfiltered Podcast’s newest addition. In this introductory episode of Second Cup, hosts Jack Hindle and Shannon McAdam invite listeners into thoughtful, honest conversations about faith, doubt, and the questions that shape our lives. Drawing from their very different backgrounds, they explore what it means to be religious, Christ-like, or simply human in a complex world. Along the way, they reflect on how curiosity, art, and lived exp...

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...

Grab a beverage and settle in at The Cafe, part of the Brewed Awakenings series, where panelists Nicole Sherer and Mary Cusack explore what it truly means to pursue peace in today’s polarized world. Drawing from different generations and life experiences, they reflect on how peace is practiced not only through public action like nonviolent protest, but also through everyday choices, courageous conversations, and personal transformation. From college classrooms to community activism, the discussi...

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...

This week on Faith Unfiltered Podcast, host Karin Peter sits down with Phil Caswell, Andrew Bolton, and Jewell Bolton to dive into the life of Apostle Kisuke Sekine, a true pioneer who helped transform Community of Christ into a global movement. From janitorial service for Boy Scouts to the Council of Twelve, Sekine’s legacy is a masterclass in humility and cultural bridge-building. The original lecture can be found here. Listen to more episodes in the Cuppa Joe series. Download the Transcrip...

From its very beginning, Community of Christ has looked to continuing revelation for guidance and direction for the path ahead. And, we have not been disappointed. Surprised at times...yes. Disappointed … no. As those called to be a prophetic people, it is important for us to discern … to patiently listen to God’s leadings as we seek to fulfill Christ’s mission in the world. Join host Wendy Brian as she leads us in patient listening through the practice of centering prayer. Original post date: ...

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 ...