The Nexus Podcast

Robbing Rembrandt & Stormy Seas (S12 Episode42)

I want to tell you the familiar Bible story of Jesus calming a storm at sea by way of a painting and the story of the biggest heist in North America’s history. I know it will be both fun and thoughtful for us.

Thinking Inside the Box (S12 Episode41)

If you had the privilege of sitting through any kind of brainstorming meeting over the past 25 years or so, chances are you heard this phrase at some point: “We just need to think outside the box.” It is a pithy little saying, and its meaning is obvious enough. The person who said it probably didn’t love the ideas being generated and wanted to inspire others to expand their thinking. Fair enough. Sometimes we need that reminder.

But this Sunday I want to make a case for the opposite: thinking inside the box. To do that, I want to tell you a marvelous story about a religious work of art from one of the greatest artists of all time. Just because we are given a box to work within, doesn’t mean we can’t create something beautiful. Embracing the limitations of the “box” might liberate us from a lot of shame and pressure. It might even make us more grateful.

Power Moves (S12 Episode40)

A lot of attention has been given lately to the role that power plays in relationships and more broadly in society. Power exists and people obtain power through a myriad of ways, some more fair than others. So, how should power be used? This Sunday I want to show you a classic ‘power move’ the apostle Paul made during his lifetime. He isn’t subtle about it either. It almost feels mafia style. And yet, I want to contrast Paul’s use of power with one of his contemporaries. Both were responding to remarkably similar situations and there are both similarities and striking differences in their approach. In looking at both, I think we are given a fantastic primer on the nature of power and how it should be used. I hope this Sunday is meaningful for all of us and a great conversation starter.

Experiments in Prayer (S12 Episode39)

I want to speak about prayer this week. If you are anything like me, prayer is a struggle. I just find it hard. And yet, it seems important for the person of faith. Over Lent I participated in a prayer experiment, and I want to share with you some of my learnings from those forty days of prayer.

A Sermon About Soup Sunday (S12 Episode38)

After two long, long years without a Soup Sunday friends, it is back! That is right folks, this Sunday we reclaim the wonder of sharing soup together. Do remember that we are out at Steckle Farm this week, not at the Conrad Centre. We are meeting there at 10:30am. So please join us and bring a chair…and a bowl…and a spoon. Don’t forget your chair and bowl! Also, this is not a potluck. If you haven’t been asked to bring soup, you get to just come, receive and enjoy the soup and the morning. So I really hope you will join us.

In fact, so excited am I about Soup Sunday that I wrote a whole sermon about it. This Sunday morning is a meditation on the beauty of Soup Sunday - why it is important, why we need it, and what we can learn from it. I hope to see you Sunday!

Easter Sunday - Resurrection Conjecture (S12 Episode35)

For the past two years we have had to celebrate Resurrection Sunday online. No longer! Friends, I am excited to finally be together again for Easter Sunday. This year, I want to toss around some resurrection conjecture. That the tomb was empty is a revelation. But what does it reveal? This Easter I want to explore the four things the empty tomb reveals and the four things it points towards. And so, for the first time in two years, I hope you will make a point of being together with us for the Sunday at the heart of our faith. I can’t wait to see you then!

Good Friday - Temptations, Trajectories and Trials (S12 Episode34)

Between Jesus' triumphant arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the victory of Easter Sunday, lies gruesome Good Friday. That the day is “good” at all is not intuitively obvious. As such, it is a day we cannot rush past. When Good Friday is skipped, resurrection celebrations can often start to feel cheap. The day and event ask us to linger there because the cross is the epicenter of Christianity and what makes it strangely scandalous. So, join us as we linger around the cross and the particular temptation that took Jesus there.

Finding Strength and Courage (S12 Episode33)

For this Sunday, we are heading into the sixth and final week of Lent, which brings us to Palm Sunday as we journey towards Finding Strength & Courage.
 
This week’s playlist is an eclectic selection of songs to help us reflect on the themes. You can find the playlist here on Apple Music or on Spotify.
 
In terms of art and film, I will just say I have truly kept the best for last. This piece, Christ’s Entry Into Brussels in 1889, is, I believe, one of the greatest religious portraits ever created. The piece is enormous, 14x8 feet, and comes as a parody of Palm Sunday, and yet it captures something incredibly profound. We witness here a masked mob carnival procession of clowns and marching bands, welcoming the arrival of Christ. But Jesus here is a lonely figure, distanced from the crowd, all but ignored. The artist, James Ensor, is making a point still as relevant as ever. The message and implications of Palm Sunday are still ignored today. I will be reflecting on this work a lot this week and next, referencing it in my teaching this Sunday as well.

For those interested in film, I will boldly say it – there is no greater reflection on faith in film than Terrence Malick’s masterpiece A Hidden Life. I can only beg and plead with you to make this film part of your Lent or Holy Week. Your faith life will be immensely richer for having experienced it. The film is gorgeous, profound, unsettling, and one of the greatest reflections I have ever seen on what it means to be Christian. Variety said of the film, “Cinema at its mightiest and holiest. A movie you enter, like a cathedral of the senses.” I will say no more except to plead again for you to make time for this film sometime before Easter. Watch the trailer here.

Into the Sublime (S12 Episode32)

For our fifth week of Lent, we are journeying Into the Sublime. If there is ever a week to immerse yourself into the arts, this is the one.
 
Like last week, the playlist for this week is truly wonderful and takes you to many “shivers down your spine” moments. From the opening chorus of ‘Oh Happy Day’ to ecstatic classical pieces, this playlist is worth your time. You can find the playlist here on Apple Music or on Spotify.
 
For those who find art a useful companion for reflection, this piece by Caspar David Friederich is just so rich and calls for deep contemplation. This is his work Monk by the Sea. I have made this the homescreen on my computer and internet browser. I will be referencing this work in my teaching this Sunday.

For those interested in film, check out Ron Fricke’s Baraka. It is a documentary with no narrative and no voice-over. And my oh my is it a trip. It simply an exploration of our world via a compilation of natural events, life, human activities, and technological phenomena shot in 24 countries on six continents over a 14-month period. The film tries to capture “the power, rage, and essence of life itself.” It is one of the most memorable films I have ever watched. Click here to watch the trailer and here is a clip of one of its many mesmerizing and memorable scenes, Kecak, a Balinese-Hindu dance and music drama.

Nuance in the Nitty-Gritty (S12 Episode36)

This Sunday, Brad presents you with a trial case, where you will all serve as jury members. Yes, there will be a vote.  You will hear the true story around a unique trial case and then asked to vote whether you think the defendant should be found guilty or not.
 
The trial story comes with a purpose; to showcase for us the need to bring nuance to many of the discussions and subjects that often divide us today. Further, it demonstrates how the New Testament presents us with three different responses to a challenge the early church faced: what to do with meat sacrificed to idols. Now, that issue isn’t particularly relevant for us today, but that the New Testament has three distinct responses to the challenge is telling. It indicates that in the life of a church, very few things are cut and dry. And there is much for us today to learn from that. The New Testament’s framework helps us reconsider how we think about lots of hot button issues: from cannabis to sexuality, abortion to politics.