Betrayal. Disillusionment. Survival.

Before we condemn Judas, we might first need to admit how often faith turns transactional in our own hearts. Perhaps we have more in common with Judas than we previously thought. That’s what Revs. Hannah and Brittany discuss in this episode of our Lenten Series: The People of the Passion. They reflect on Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50 and the story of Judas … not as a cartoon villain, but as a mirror of our own hearts.

They ask: Why did Judas betray Jesus? Was it really about money? Or unmet expectations? Disappointment? Survival within a broken system?

We will all make mistakes, we all sometimes turn down the wrong path, so perhaps Judas’ story is more about the hope available to us all instead of the story of a villain. Join the female pastors of First UMC of San Diego as they explore:

• The tension between relationship and convenience
• The link between unmet expectations and resentment
• Emotional distancing as self-protection
• How systems enable betrayal
• Why Judas may represent something deeply human in all of us

Judas isn’t just “the betrayer.” He is a disciple, a friend, and someone invited to the table — even knowing what he would do. And that might be the most hopeful part of the story.

Continue the conversation by reflecting with someone you trust or connecting with the Perspectives community online through Patreon and in person at the weekly Convergence Discussion Group.

Reflection questions for Lent:

1. Where have I reduced devotion to a transaction?
2. Where do I quietly distance myself from friends in order to protect my resources?
3. What expectations do you need to shift or let go of to follow Jesus?

Limited on time? Jump ahead to these pivotal moments.

Timestamps
00:00 Opening Reflection: “Before we condemn the betrayer …”
01:07 Scripture Reading of Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50
04:10 Relationship vs. Money – Is Faith Transactional?
06:35 Betraying Jesus… and Ourselves
07:52 Systems, Power, and Institutional Betrayal
10:09 “Friend” – Emotional Distance in the Garden
15:51 When Expectations Turn Into Resentment
18:10 The System Behind the Betrayal
19:16 The Open Table – Grace for Judas (and Us)
22:02 Lenten Reflection Questions & Closing

What happens when faith confronts us with responsibility we’d rather avoid? We get defensive – just like the priests of Jesus’ time.

That’s what Revs. Trudy and Brittany discuss this first episode in our Lenten Series: The People of the Passion. They start with Matthew 21:33-45, the Parable of the Tenants. Often read as a story about religious leaders rejecting Jesus, the parable is more layered – and more uncomfortable – than we tend to admit.

Why does Jesus tell such a violent story? Why does the landowner keep extending grace? And why do the religious leaders get so defensive? Perhaps the answer to the questions is because the parable isn’t about Jesus defending his authority – it’s about us.

Join the female pastors of First UMC of San Diego as they wrestle with:

• Why we should resist easy interpretation of Biblical parables
• The power dynamics between empire, authority, and faith
• Why grace feels unreasonable – and how to maintain hope when we struggle to extend it to others
• What defensiveness reveals about who we serve

Lent invites us to honest self-examination. This week we ask:

1. What makes you question authority?
2. How can you question authority in ways that reflect God’s nonviolence and benevolence?
3. How do you not become defensive when you’re being held accountable?

Join us as we consider whether we are living as grateful tenants or defensive ones. Continue the conversation by reflecting with someone you trust, or connecting with the Perspectives community online through Patreon and in person at the weekly Convergence Discussion Group.

Limited on time? Jump ahead to these pivotal moments.

Timestamps:

00:00 Opening Question – “Who Do Our Actions Serve?”
01:12 Reading Matthew 21:33-45
03:10 The Violence & Logic of the Parable – Why This Story Feels Strange
06:00 Authority, Empire, and Anti-Semitic Misreadings
08:48 The Defensive Heart – When Accountability Hits a Nerve
15:31 Who Is Your Authority? Faith vs. Empire
22:30 Lenten Reflection & Final Questions

Will we ever fully know and understand God? And if we could … would that even be God?

In this final episode of our Unexpected Divine conversations, Revs. Brittany and Hannah explore John 1:18: “No one has ever seen God. It is God, the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.”

Through their conversation, the female pastors of First United Methodist Church of San Diego use poetic theology, humor, and real-life reflection to wrestle with:

• What it means that Jesus “exegetes” (reveals) the heart of God
• Why mystery is not a weakness of faith, but its depth
• How Jesus reshapes our understanding of transcendence
• Why not knowing everything about God doesn’t excuse us from justice
• Whether Christocentrism is compatible with Jesus’ own ministry
• How diversity in religions may reflect the vastness of the Divine

From TikTok analogies to the Grand Canyon, from Mary & Martha to Sankofa, this conversation invites us into a faith that is expansive, relational, and beautifully unfinished.

Reflection Questions:

1. What does Jesus show us about God?
2. Which ideas about God have shaped my faith, and which no longer help me grow?
3. What does it mean that God is not “seen” but is still “made known”?

Join the conversation by sharing this episode, reflecting with someone you trust, or connecting with the Perspectives community online through Patreon and in person at the weekly Convergence Discussion Group.

Limited on time? Jump ahead to these pivotal moments. Timestamps:
00:00 Opening Question – Can We Ever Fully Know God?
00:46 “No One Has Ever Seen God” – What Does John Mean?
02:51 Jesus as the “Exegesis” of God
06:28 Have We Seen God Through Jesus?
12:32 Jesus Wept – The Heart of God Revealed
16:52 If We Can Explain God, Is It Still God?
20:57 Is Christocentrism Compatible with Jesus?
24:53 Reflection Questions & Final Thoughts