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

What are the 8 most scandalous words in the Bible? Revs. Trudy and Hannah share their thoughts on that and more in this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast.

The female pastors continue investigating The Unexpected Divine. This time looking at “the spaces between us” – a progressive Christian reflection on John 1:14. Together, they answer why the first half of the verse (“the Word became flesh and lived among us”) continues to unsettle faith communities.

Through biblical study, lived experience, theology, and culture, the pastors wrestle with Jesus’ full humanity, the scandal of divine nearness, and what it means to glimpse God’s glory in ordinary life. This episode opens space for reflection and conversation about:

• The tension between panentheism, traditional doctrine, and lived faith
• Reshaping how we see ourselves and the world
• Why God dwelling among us is so scandalous
• How Jesus’ humanity challenges the way we live

We invite you to continue the discussion with these reflection questions:

1. How does the idea that Jesus lived a life just like us humans change the way you think about Jesus?
2. How does this understanding impact your everydayness?
3. With whom have you felt the Spirit of God?

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 Welcome & Introduction
01:06 John 1 verse 14 & “the Word became flesh”
03:36 “What if God were one of us?”
07:11 Relating to Jesus’ humanity
18:09 Panentheism – God within and beyond the world
27:43 Reflection Questions & Closing

What does transformation look – for our faith, our church, and our world? In this episode of Perspectives: FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Revs. Trudy Robinson and Brittany Juliette Hanlin continue the sermon series The Unexpected Divine with a deep, progressive Christian reflection on John 1:12–13. Together, they explore what it truly means to become children of God—not as a static identity, but as a lifelong, outward-facing process of transformation.

Through Scripture, lived experience, and historical context, the female pastors talk about faith the takes action. What happens when transformation doesn’t mean perfection but movement, justice, and change? This episode invites you to wrestle with:

• Transformation as an action, not just a belief.
• Awareness fatigue and why knowing isn’t the same as doing.
• The Kingdom of God as social, political, and spiritual renewal.
• Justice being central to the will of God.
• Whether Jesus himself experienced transformation.
• The tension between the will of God, the will of humanity, and the will of flesh.
• The limits of dualistic theology (spirit vs. flesh, sacred vs. secular).

Continue the conversation with these reflection questions:

1. What does it mean to become children of God?
2. What does transformation look like in your life?
3. How does your life reflect the will of God, as you know it?

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.

Short on time? Here are some meaningful timestamps to help you plan your lisenting.

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome & Introduction
02:40 What does “transformation” mean in Christian life?
08:40 Being moved by the world without conforming to it
12:30 Intentional, circumstantial, and ultimate will
16:30 “To become” – Incarnation, transformation, and being children of God
18:45 Was Jesus transformed?
23:00 Awareness, exhaustion, and why outrage alone isn’t transformation
29:45 The limits of dualistic theology
32:52 Reflection questions & closing

What if God’s love isn’t just “out there somewhere,” but flowing through every part of creation—even in people we struggle to welcome? In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Rev. Hannah and Rev. Brittany continue their series The Unexpected Divine, turning to John 1:3-4 to explore how life and light are woven into all creation.

Through Scripture, lived experience, and historical context, the female pastors of First United Methodist Church of San Diego reflect on what it means to recognize the Divine spark in every person – across disagreement, polarization, culture, and belief.

This conversation invites us to rethink how we see God, one another, and ourselves … especially in today’s divided world. In this episode, you’ll hear reflections on:

• The Divine spark (or sparkle!) present in every human
• John’s Gospel as a unifying vision across cultures and traditions
• How polarization clouds our ability to see God in one another
• Why kindness, presence, and even a simple smile can be sacred acts
• The radical Gospel claim that everyone is equal before God

Continue the conversation with these reflection questions:

1. Have you ever encountered God through a conversation you were avoiding or a person you had written off?
2. How has an unexpected relationship changed your understanding of love, grace, or truth?
3. Where do you see life and light breaking through in places the world has written off?

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.

What does it mean to say that “In the beginning was the Word” … and why does it still matter? That's what's being asked in this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast.

In this first conversation of a five-part series on the Gospel of John, Revs. Trudy and Hannah explore John 1:1 and the theme “The Eternal Now – God Beyond Time.” Together, they unpack John’s poetic and often confusing language to discover a radical idea at the heart of the Gospel: Eternity doesn’t pull us out of the world; God brings eternity into it.

Drawing from Jewish wisdom traditions, Greek philosophy, and early Christian theology, this progressive Christian Bible study from First United Methodist Church of San Diego invites listeners to see the Gospel of John not as rigid dogma, but as a story of surprise, disruption, and divine presence in unexpected places.

You’ll hear reflections on:

• What “the Word” (Logos) meant across Jewish, Greek, and early Christian cultures
• Why John begins with creation instead of Jesus’ birth
• Eternity as a present reality … not just a future promise
• Rethinking Jesus’ “I Am” statements beyond exclusion and certainty
• God’s ongoing work of creation within and around our life – even in chaos, doubt, and struggle

Continue the conversation with these reflection questions:

1. What does eternity mean to you?
2. How does eternity change your understanding of today, tomorrow or the future?
3. How do you understand Jesus as being the Word of God, and what does it has to do with us?

Join us online through Patreon, in person at our weekly Convergence Discussion Group, or by sharing this conversation with someone you trust.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Introduction - Why People Love (and Misunderstand) the Gospel of John
01:14 “In the Beginning Was the Word” (Reading John 1:1)
03:27 What “The Word” Meant in Jewish, Greek, and Early Christian Thought
07:49 Why John Feels Exclusionary (and Why It Might Not Be)
10:09 Eternity Comes to Us, Not the Other Way Around
14:23 The Unexpected Divine in Everyone
20:52 God Creates Out of Chaos (Then and Now)
22:41 Closing & Reflection Questions

What does baptism really mean—and why was Jesus baptized at all? That’s what Revs. Trudy and Brittany tackle in this episode of Perspectivs FUMCSD Pastors Podcast.

The two female pastors of First United Methodist Church of San Diego explore Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13–17 through a progressive Christian lens. Together, they reflect on baptism as both a risk we take when we step toward God and a commitment we live out as we step back into the world.

This thoughtful conversation explores the dynamic relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist, the symbolism of the Jordan River, and why Jesus’ baptism wasn’t about sin but about solidarity, humility, and embarking on a new chapter. The pastors also unpack why the baptism ritual still matters today, especially in progressive faith communities.

Whether you identify as Christian, spiritual-but-not-religious, or are simply curious about faith beyond dogma, this episode invites you to reimagine baptism as a reminder that you are already loved and still being called forward. Episode topics include:

• Why Jesus insisted on being baptized
• Repentance vs. transformation
• Water, movement, and new life
• Is baptism required for salvation?
• Communal ritual and remembering our baptism today

Continue the conversation with friends and family, at our in-person Convergence group, or online at our Patreon channel with these suggested reflection and discussion questions:

1. What do you believe is the connection between sin and new life?
2. What do we gain, and what do we lose, in the belief that Jesus was sinless?
3. Why do you think Jesus was baptized by God?

Short on time? Use these timestamps to jump to a specific topic:
00:00 What Does Baptism Change? Introducing “Stepping In, Stepping Up
02:40 Jesus and John the Baptist: Cousins, Calling, and Possible Rivalry
05:30 Repentance vs. Transformation: Naming Problems and Living Solutions
08:00 Baptism in Jesus’ Time: Who It Was For and Why the Jordan River Matters
10:40 The Power of Water: Movement, Disorientation, and Renewal
11:45 Why Was Jesus Baptized If He Was Divine?
17:30 What Baptism Means Today: Commitment, Not Cleansing
22:40 Remembering Our Baptism in Community
26:30 Reflection Questions for Today