MPC Family
By MPC-Family
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Podcast Description
Sunday sermons from Montclair Presbyterian Church of Oakland, CA (www.mpcfamily.org). We are a family of open-hearted, open-minded, joyfully imperfect people. We know and share the radical hospitality of God. Affirming God’s love for the whole world, we work and pray for peace, justice and reconciliation. We are as contrary as Jesus.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
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1 |
Oh, the Choices We Make! | Rev. Beth discusses parallel healing stories from the Bible, relating them to her own stories of prayer and healing, and asking us to consider whether it's better to underestimate or overestimate God. | 2/13/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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2 |
From Grasshoppers to Eagles | Rev. Beth discusses Isaiah 40:21-31—a message of encouragement for those who feel that God is not present in their lives—and relates it to our lives, showing how God can (and does) give us 'wings of eagles'. | 2/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
More Exorcisms | Rev Beth discusses the common threads of exorcism stories in the Bible, focusing on how we are all called to name our demons and bring ourselves back into the community that God intends for us. | 1/29/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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4 |
A Caring Wind | Guest Preacher Rev. VInce Mok reflects on Exodus 14 (the parting of the waters) and the ways in which God's wind still blows in our lives, often in ways we don't expect, but always for the better. | 1/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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5 |
It All Depends On You | Rev. Beth reflects on Psalm 139, and how it means different things to different people—depending on how you feel about God watching over you. | 1/15/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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6 |
Dunked or Sprinkled and We’re Not Talking Doughnuts | Rev. Beth discusses Baptism as a symbol of being loved in this community. | 1/8/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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7 |
The One Thing in the New Year | Guest preacher Vince Mok discusses focusing on the present as the new year begins instead of dwelling on mistakes of the past, using the apostle Paul's life as an example. | 1/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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8 |
The Inn Keeper’s Wife | Christmas Eve In Bathrobe, Hair Wrap, and Wielding a Broom, Rev. Beth meditates on the nativity from the point of view of the Inn Keeper's wife. Scriptures: Luke 2:1-7 & Luke 2:8-20 | 12/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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9 |
Let It Be With Us | Guest preachers Mark Smith and Suzanne Johnson discuss the way that God has called them in their lives, in the context of Mary's response to Gabriel's message in Luke 1:26-38. | 12/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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10 |
What Are We Waiting For? | On the First Sunday of Advent Rev. Beth considers what it means to Waiting for the Messiah. Scripture: Isaiah 64: 1-9 | 11/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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11 |
Matter of Life and Death | Guest preacher Duke Robinson (pastor of MPC from 1968-1996) discusses our relationship with death, highlighting sections from his upcoming book "Create Your Best Life -- Kill the Grim Reaper". | 11/20/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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12 |
A Time for Justice and Healing | In this participatory, call-and-response style sermon, the MPC community explores themes of helplessness and loneliness, as well as the purpose and strength we draw from each other and from God. | 11/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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13 |
Race to the Starting Line | Guest preacher Talitha Phillips discusses the parable of the vineyard workers, focusing on the lessons it teaches about generosity, fairness, and "the last shall be first". | 11/6/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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14 |
The View from Mt. Nebo | Guest preacher Rev. Dr. Carol Miles reflects on Deuteronomy 34 and the difficult but inspiring lessons it teaches us about the nature of ministry. | 10/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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15 |
Trading in our Scorecards! | Rev. Beth continues last week's theme of conflict within a community and between individuals, reflecting on Matthew 18:21-35 and the lessons it teaches about forgiveness. | 10/23/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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16 |
This Messy Life We Live | Rev. Beth discusses conflict within church communities in response to Matthew 18:15-20, focusing on conflict roots and resolution, and particularly on the importance of reaching out to the person with whom we are in conflict. | 10/16/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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17 |
What Are We Doing? | Rev. Beth preached on Matthew 18:1-14 focusing on what we are teaching our children implicitly and explicitly. | 10/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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18 |
You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught | from South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein Montclair Presbyterian Church Chestnut Choir and Congregation | 10/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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19 |
Children Will Listen | by Stephen Sondheim Victoria Jensen and Jonathan Spencer, soloists | 10/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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20 |
Welcome to the BethEllen Show! | It's time for the BethEllen Show, featuring members of the MPC Youth Group describing their experiences on their recent Mission Trip to Oregon. And it ends with free gifts! | 10/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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21 |
Adagio from Sonata #1 for solo violin – in G minor | by J S Bach On the occasion of his 80th birthday Richard Larsen plays violin | 10/2/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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22 |
The Gospel According to Burning Man | Rev Beth muses on the Burning Man Festival: its philosophy, geometric growth, community style--and encourages comparison with MPC. | 9/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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23 |
Lessons Learned | On the tenth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, members of the Faith Trio—Rabbi David J. Cooper, Dr. Rahim Nobahar, and Rev. Beth Buckingham-Brown—discuss lessons learned from a Jewish, Muslim, and Christian perspective. | 9/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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24 |
What On Earth is The Will of God? | Rev. Beth discusses Romans 12:1-2 and the questions it raises about the 'will of God': how it relates to free will, how to discern your own path, and how to best meet the needs of the wider world. | 8/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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25 |
Are We Not Desperate Enough? | Noting that even Jesus changed his mind when confronted with the faith of a desperate Canaanite mother, Rev. Beth talks about change in the church. "This story is an invitation to you." Scripture Matthew 15:21-28 | 8/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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26 |
How Is Your Heart? | Posing the question "How Is Your Heart?" Rev. Beth reminds us that one of Jesus' most important teachings is that there is where God lives. Scripture: Matthew 15:10-20 | 8/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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27 |
It’s As Easy as Walking on Water | Rev. Beth Buckingham-Brown and the should-be-Rev. Lisa Larges reflect on their parallel journeys walking the troubled waters of the Presbyterian debate on inclusive ordination standards. Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33. | 8/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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28 |
Gerber for Grownups | Guest Preacher Talitha Phillips discusses two parallel Bible stories -- manna in the desert and the feeding of the five thousand -- and asks: who are we in these stories, and what do they tell us about nourishment, sharing, and community? | 7/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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29 |
Check Out the Website | Rev. Beth invites the congregation to help create a parable on the theme "the realm of God is like..." Scripture: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-49 | 7/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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30 |
Wheat or Weed | Reflecting on the parable of the weeds, Matthew 13: 24-30, and 36-43, Rev Beth challenges the congregation to consider our own "Wheatiness" and "Weediness" and to ask ourselves in what ways we nurture growth and in what ways we are getting in the way. | 7/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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31 |
Eat, Drink and Be Merry | Guest preacher Rev. Dr. Carol Miles discusses the 'Parable of the Rich Man' in the context of Ecclesiastes, reminding us of the core message of both: do not worry, enjoy your life, and depend on God. | 7/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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32 |
No More Sacrifices | On More Light Sunday, Rev. Beth discusses Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac, and how that lesson can be applied to the current tragedy of LGBT children being 'sacrificed' by their parents because they believe it's the Christian thing to do. | 6/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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33 |
Three Stories | On Trinity Sunday, Talitha Phillips reminds us that the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible and tells the stories of these ways of knowing God. | 6/19/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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34 |
Be Compost | On Graduation Sunday, Rev. Beth gives her 'commencement speech', reminding us all to be like compost for the world: adding richness and life to everything around us. | 6/5/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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35 |
The Fascination of What’s Difficult | Kim Rankin, MPC Music Director, discusses the challenges of J.S. Bach's life-- and his tendency to immerse himself in them-- to set the context for the MPC Choir's performance of his Mass in G. | 5/22/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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36 |
Only Six Days Left | Rev. Beth considers predictions of Judgement Day this coming Saturday: the historical background, the key players in the current situation, some reasons for its popularity, and how progressive churches (such as MPC) can respond. | 5/15/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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37 |
Closed and Locked Doors | Drawing on the Scripture John 20:19-31 Rev. Beth looks at the decisions of the Early Church and talks about what it means to be Easter People in a Good Friday world. | 5/8/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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38 |
So What? | Asking the question "So What - Easter?" Rev. Dr. Beth Buckingham-Brown discuses Matthew 28:1-10 in her Easter Sunday sermon. | 4/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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39 |
Palm Sunday Dramatic Reading | With Rev. Beth providing context, Marge Nicholson and Tom Debley do a dramatic reading of the Palm Sunday story based upon Matthew 21: 1-11. | 4/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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40 |
Can These Bones Live? | Rev. Beth discusses Ezekiel 37 - the 'dry bones' reading - focusing on how we can be life-giving to others, and on recognizing our own need for God's living breath. | 4/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 40 Episodes |
