Blue Ocean Church Ann Arbor
693 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsWeekly messages and seasonal series from Blue Ocean Church Ann Arbor
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Episodes
08 Sep 2019—Jesus, the Gender-Bender and the Complementarity Myth
September 11, 2019 23:13 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBWe live under socially constructed ideas about gender and what it means “be a man.” But a closer look at Scripture reveals that Jesus was a gender bender. Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
01 Sep 2019—It’s a Wonder-Full Life
September 01, 2019 20:18 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBThe gift of wonder is essential for a journey of faith, no matter how old we are. Encouraging a life full of wonder for our children and embracing one ourselves will allow us to see God’s good realm around us, and rest in God’s love. This week’s guest speaker: Susan Shaffer, co-director of our children’s […]
25 Aug 2019—We Don’t Say, “You Can’t Play”
August 25, 2019 22:40 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MBGuest Speaker (and worship director) Cassie Brabbs draws from her experiences raising her three children, as well as her own childhood, to discuss the importance of learning empathy and inclusion.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
18 Aug 2019—The 3 Kinds of Empathy and Empathy Blockers
August 18, 2019 21:13 - 38 minutes - 35 MBEmpathy is a precursor to Jesus’ acts of compassion. Why is empathy in decline today, despite all the empathy hype? Understanding the 3 kinds of empathy and the 3 major empathy blockers. Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
11 Aug 2019—It Takes a Village: Empathy, Inclusion, and Wonder—Introduction
August 11, 2019 20:04 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBEmily starts out our new series by talking about what makes for a healthy spirituality using the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
04 Aug 2019—A Spiritual Journey
August 04, 2019 20:32 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBGuest speaker Josh Reimer shares his spiritual journey and stories from his life, beginning as a missionary’s kid in the Amazon jungle of Brazil. Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
28 Jul 2019—Staying in God’s Peace
July 28, 2019 23:54 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBGuest speaker Crystal Harding shares stories from her life experiences and finding the peace of the Holy Spirit in the midst of adversities. Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
21 Jul 2019—Fresh Wind: Connecting with the Body of Christ
July 21, 2019 21:17 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBEmily and guest speaker Carla Huff talk about the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries Conference they attended—painting the landscape of Christianity and how they see our church fitting in.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
14 Jul 2019—Earth, Dirt, Gardens: Finding God in the Extraordinary Ordinary—Praying in the Outdoor Cathedral
July 15, 2019 15:08 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBJesus did a lot of his praying outdoors. A natural instinct when we think of the earth as a temple, an outdoor cathedral. Here’s how to nudge your mind in that direction.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
07 Jul 2019—Earth, Dirt, Gardens: Finding God in the Extraordinary Ordinary—The Human-Divine-Dirt Connection
July 07, 2019 20:42 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBNothing is more ordinary than dirt, but it’s essential to our existence and the Hebrew vision of God emphasizes the divine-human-dirt connection. We’re all standing on holy ground.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
30 Jun 2019—Earth, Dirt, Gardens: Finding God in the Extraordinary Ordinary—A Work in Progress
June 30, 2019 20:52 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBThe Bible talks about God being a good gardener and people being like beautiful plants. The process of creating a beautiful flower garden is just that: a process. Flower gardens are never finished—they change, grow, and evolve—and part of our human quest is learning to accept some weeds, and even find beauty in them. Learn […]
23 Jun 2019—Earth, Dirt, Gardens: Finding God in the Extraordinary Ordinary—The Longing for Eden
June 23, 2019 20:28 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBWe learn a lot about God and spirituality from nature. Jesus often told stories that were earthy and used seeds and dirt and wheat and such as metaphors. The garden is one of the most important symbols in our tradition. The Bible uses the idea of the garden to describe a world as a sacred […]
16 Jun 2019—Lady Wisdom: Loud, Assertive, Sassy, Serious, Alluring, Playful
June 16, 2019 12:32 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBSometimes we need help adjusting our feelings about God. The depiction of God’s wisdom as a woman, replete with non-conforming traits, is a breath of fresh air and inspiration.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
09 Jun 2019—Pentecostal Freedom: To Speak Up and To Lean In Toward the Other
June 09, 2019 19:47 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBLove is the lean into the unfamiliar world of the other. Effected by the Spirit, given at Pentecost, empowering us to speak up when necessary.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
02 Jun 2019—Mid-Storm Peace
June 02, 2019 21:45 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBWe know that fear is contagious—we catch it from contact with others who are anxious/afraid. But Jesus saw that peace is also contagious—and that we can pass it on to each other.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
26 May 2019—Justice, Money, and Unearned Advantages: Perspectives from a Strange Parable
May 26, 2019 19:44 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBGuest speaker David Borger Germann, from Sanctuary Community Church in Iowa City, challenges us to be shrewd and wise with the wealth we possess and use it to promote justice and peace.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
19 May 2019—New Creation Stories: Our Wounds Here are Known There
May 21, 2019 16:14 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBThe post-resurrection appearances feature a surprise—Jesus in his full humanity showing his vulnerability, a sign that our wounds and his are connected.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
12 May 2019—Times of Transition, John 21
May 13, 2019 02:10 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBIn the time between Jesus’s resurrection and ascension, his disciples learned to relate to their rabbi differently. We can relate relate to times of transition in our own lives in three ways: by feeling powerless, by growing cynical, or by digging into the questions and emotions that arise in such times—discovering wisdom and spiritual maturity […]
28 April 2019—The Intersection of Faith and the Scientific Method
April 28, 2019 20:49 - 32 minutes - 29.3 MBOur guest speaker, Mike Liemohn, a University of Michigan Professor in the Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering Department, shares his understanding of the intersection of faith and the scientific method.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
21 Apr 2019—Jesus, His So-Called Friends, and the Dramas We Find Ourselves In
April 21, 2019 19:31 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBKen delivers our Easter sermon, in which communion replays the drama of scapegoating in light of the resurrection, so we can recognize this baffling phenomenon when we are right in the middle of it.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
14 Apr 2019—Black Jesus/White Jesus
April 14, 2019 21:03 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBIn our Palm Sunday sermon, Emily talks about the legacy of white supremacy and the impact it has on the way we tell the story of the gospel.Find Lenten resources and learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Week 6
April 14, 2019 05:02 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBThe podcast gives a brief summary of the conclusion of The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone, followed by a couple of questions to think about during the week and ending with a time of meditation. The conclusion is titled “Legacies of the Cross and the Lynching Tree.” Find additional Lenten Resources and learn more […]
07 Apr 2019—What’s the Meaning of the Cross & Resurrection?
April 07, 2019 21:15 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBEmily leads us through the story of the cross and resurrection using the lens of René Girard and scapegoat theory.Find Lenten resources and learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Week 5
April 07, 2019 05:03 - 16 minutes - 15.8 MBThe podcast gives a brief summary of chapter five of The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone, followed by a couple of questions to think about during the week and ending with a time of meditation.Chapter five is titled “Oh Mary, Don’t You Weep.” Find additional resources and learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including […]
31 Mar 2019—Four Scenes in the Life of Jesus: The Psychology of Scapegoating
March 31, 2019 20:01 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBFour scenes in the life of Jesus—his baptism, introduction to the Accuser, rejection by his village, family rejection—constitute an introduction to the Psychology of Scapegoating 101. How Accusation feels and how the spirit of Acceptance, Belonging and Delight feels. The Power of Jesus as Our Ally.Find Lenten resources and learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, […]
The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Week 4
March 31, 2019 05:03 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBThe podcast gives a brief summary of chapter four of The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone, followed by a couple of questions to think about during the week and ending with a time of meditation. Chapter four is titled “The Recrucified Christ in Black Literary Imagination.” Find additional resources and learn more about Blue […]
24 Mar 2019—Imitating Love
March 24, 2019 21:01 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBWe practice prayer to become more like God, imitating the desires of Love. We allow the river of the Spirit to slowly erode our ego so we become increasingly filled with love for more than just ourselves. Then we practice seeing this Spirit of Love in others and in the world around us.Find Lenten resources […]
The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Week 3
March 24, 2019 05:03 - 16 minutes - 15.7 MBThe podcast gives a brief summary of chapter three of The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone, followed by a couple of questions to think about during the week and ending with a time of meditation.Chapter three is titled “Bearing the Cross and Staring Down the Lynching Tree.” Find additional resources and learn more about […]
17 Mar 2019—We Cannot Forget Joseph
March 17, 2019 20:46 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBExodus 1 describes the spiritual dynamics of White Supremacy and Anti-Immigration Fever, driven by fear. Suggesting two simple actions we can consider to resist the spread of such fevers. Find Lenten resources and learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Week 2
March 17, 2019 05:03 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBThis podcast gives a brief summary of chapter two of The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone, followed by a couple of questions to think about during the week and ending with a time of meditation. Chapter two is titled “The Terrible Beauty of the Cross and the Tragedy of the Lynching Tree.” Find […]
10 Mar 2019—What We Learn From Suicidal Pigs
March 10, 2019 23:43 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBWith the help of René Girard’s scholarship, we take a look at the story of the Garasene Demoniac through the lens of scapegoat theory. This is the first sermon in our Lenten series.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Week 1
March 10, 2019 06:02 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBEmily begins the podcast series by giving a summary of chapter one of The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone. In this chapter, Dr. Cone asks us to draw a parallel between Jesus’s death and the lynchings of more than 5,000 black people between 1880–1940. And he invites us to consider the paradox of the […]
The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Intro
March 05, 2019 23:14 - 4 minutes - 4.42 MBFor Lent this year, our church read The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone. This is a brief intro to the six-part podcast series. Find additional resources and learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
03 Mar 2019—Lent Preview: An Alternative Approach to Time
March 03, 2019 20:58 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBLent is a season for shaping us toward life-enhancing connections: to God, ourselves, others, the wide world. Want to get the most out of Lent and help others do the same? Here are some ways to do it.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
24 Feb 2019—What’s It Feel Like to Experience God? Discerning When We Can Trust Our Own Minds
February 24, 2019 21:42 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBEmily and Caroline talk about how we can learn to better discern our God-experiences. They also talk about what it’s like when you’re not sure you can trust your own mind. There’s a great variety in how human brains are wired, and this conversation explores the God-encounters, psychosis, and how people who are neuro-atypical might […]
17 Feb 2019—What’s It Feel Like to Experience God? (And how might we notice it happening more often?)
February 19, 2019 17:05 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MBWe can experience love without noticing it. Same with experiencing God, “in whom we live and move and have our being.” A look at a high intensity experience, drawing inferences for more subtle, less-intense ones.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
10 Feb 2018—What’s It Like to Experience God? Week 2
February 10, 2019 23:36 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBGuest Speaker Ben shares his personal experience of God throughout his life in this week’s message.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
03 Feb 2019—What’s It Like to Experience God? Small Steps in the Dark
February 04, 2019 00:19 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBGod speaks to people in myriad ways. We integrate spiritual disciplines and practices into our lives so we learn to better discern God’s presence and nudges, as well as to better experience the one-ness of being held within God. It’s mystical territory we’re exploring, but humans through the ages witness this kind of relationship with God. In […]
27 Jan 2019—The Short Stories of Jesus: The Parable of the Surprising Salaries
January 28, 2019 00:20 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBThis story allows us to enter into a world that operates on generosity rather than greed, ambition, and competition. It invites us to experience a world in which those who stand ignored and underutilized by society are nevertheless of great value to God—worthy, regardless of their circumstances, to live with dignity each day. It beckons us to […]
20 Jan 2019—The Short Stories of Jesus: A Man Had Two Sons
January 20, 2019 20:32 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBThe stories of Jesus aren’t just “about something”—they do something. This one helps us look at our rivalry addiction…and as we do, opens space for God to offer to help us—to do the work that makes the party enjoyable.Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
13 Jan 2019—The Short Stories of Jesus: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
January 13, 2019 22:16 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBThe parable of the pharisee and the tax collector is a challenging one. As soon as we begin to side with the actions of either character—believing that one is more right or more wrong, that one is more justified or less deserving of God’s mercy than the other—then the story has us right where Jesus wants us […]
06 Jan 2019—The Short Stories of Jesus: Leaven Hiders & Party Throwers
January 06, 2019 22:30 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBWhat does one of Jesus’ shortest parables and the story of how the American Psychiatric Association changed its mind on homosexuality have in common? The answer is hidden in plain sight. Learn more about Blue Ocean Faith, including service time and location, at a2blue.org.
30 Dec 2018—St. Nicholas Stories and Traditions
December 30, 2018 19:57 - 10 minutes - 9.72 MBMany of our Christmas traditions are drawn from stories and folklore surrounding St. Nicholas, a saint from what is now modern-day Turkey, known for his concern for the poor. Worship Director Cassie Brabbs shares a St. Nicholas story from her childhood, along with other Christmas memories and an encouragement to keep some traditions alive throughout […]