Trinity Grace TriBeCa Podcast artwork

Trinity Grace TriBeCa Podcast

105 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 14 ratings

Trinity Grace Church is a family of neighborhood churches in New York City committed to joining God in the renewal of all things. These sermons from our Tribeca parish explore what it means to follow Christ within the cultural context of New York City. Visit tgctribeca.com for more information.

Christianity Religion & Spirituality Spirituality
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Episodes

Advent I - Worship Fully

December 02, 2019 17:11 - 51.3 MB

As the church begins the journey of Advent Conspiracy we explore the connection between worship and desire and seek to stretch our understanding beyond the dualisms often associated by the idea of worship.

Save Yourself

November 26, 2019 04:59 - 61.7 MB

On Christ the King Sunday, why do we focus on the story of the crucifixion? In this sermon Michael distills the message surrounding Jesus at the cross to one phrase: “save yourself”. Jesus looks into the darkness of that deep human instinct and speaks a creative word which tilts the world on its side: “forgive them”.

Don't Panic

November 18, 2019 17:41 - 65.4 MB

When life is in a state of upheaval, we often need ways of talking about reality that give us some separation from it and enable us to face it with an open calm rather than violent panic. That is the role of apocalyptic language and this is the force of Jesus’ teaching in today’s gospel.

Life Beyond YOLO

November 11, 2019 17:43 - 75 MB

Jesus gets sucked into a heated debate which on the surface is about resurrection but actually reflects other psycho-social motivations. What cross-pressures shape our debates and what lies beneath them?

Gracious Light

November 04, 2019 17:26 - 52.2 MB

Pastor Michael explores an often ignored character of the Zacchaeus story: the critical crowd. Zacchaeus experiences a profound turnaround not because he was called out, or cancelled but because he shared a meal with a gracious story teller who also told the truth.

The Pharisees and the False Self

October 29, 2019 18:29 - 83.8 MB

The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is typically interpreted as a simple moral tale about humility and pride. But is more going on? Jonathan Merritt reads it as an invitation to choose the true self over the false self.

An Alternative Politics

October 21, 2019 16:40 - 74.8 MB

Politics: the way human community is ordered and organized under a particular governing body. Pastor Drew Jackson of Hope East Village shows us from Philippians 1 and 2 that the alternative politics of the Kingdom of God is a radically others-centered way of life. This is what the Apostle Paul calls humility.

The Power of Thank You

October 14, 2019 20:11 - 76 MB

Jesus heals ten lepers and only one returns to say thank you. Pastor Michael looks at the healing power of gratitude through the lens of science and the wisdom tradition this story represents.

Forgive WHAT!?

October 07, 2019 15:41 - 62.2 MB

Forgiveness sounds great until it threatens our sense of justice or seems cheap. In this gospel text, Jesus invites his followers to radical forgiveness that still tells the truth only without the energy of revenge.

You Have Everything You Need

September 30, 2019 16:43 - 82.2 MB

In one of Jesus’ most famous stories we have a great post-mortem reversal of the rich and poor. What was the rich man’s folly? What can we learn from his afterlife survival instincts?

The Parable of the Unjust Steward

September 23, 2019 16:16 - 65.6 MB

The Parable of the Unjust Steward is widely considered to be the most confusing and mysterious of all Jesus's teachings. TriBeCa parishioner and Professional Magician, Tyler Schwartz uses logic, magic, humor, and psychology to shed some light on this obscure parable.

Who Counts?

September 17, 2019 16:00 - 63 MB

In this sermon, pastor Michael offers a subversive interpretation on Jesus’ familiar stories of the lost sheep, coin and son. Drawing on the work of AJ Levine, we explore the invitation to begin counting those in our lives that are invisible or lost. Perhaps this is the repentance that angels rejoice over.

Holy Hate

September 12, 2019 04:29 - 56 MB

Why would Jesus ask us to hate our family and our lives to follow him? Especially in a world already saturated with hate? And give up all our possessions? Pastor Michael examines the original context of this teaching to propose the idea of a holy hate that gets us to love.

Making Room At Our Tables

September 04, 2019 22:01 - 66.7 MB

Jesus deconstructs the networking culture where social capital is the backdrop currency and invites his us to consider transgressing this system by making room at our table for people who don’t advance our social standing.

The Burdens That Bend

August 28, 2019 19:25 - 56.6 MB

Pastor Michael looks at the story of the crippled woman and asks the question, “how can we be liberated from the burdens that bend our souls low?” and “how can we be a liberating force in the world by simply paying attention?”

Waiting for God

August 14, 2019 20:30 - 61.2 MB

What kind of awareness does God want us to live with? How can we live both with sorrow and joy, care for both the living and the dying, at once? By waiting for God to surprise us by waiting with others in the midst of whatever they’re experiencing.

Ties of Life

August 08, 2019 23:05 - 58.9 MB

Preacher Peace Lee explores what it means to be human and fully alive by juxtaposing the way of the rich man, in the parable of the rich fool, with the way of God through the birth, life, and death of Christ Jesus.

Give Us This Day

July 31, 2019 19:38 - 44.8 MB

Prayer and spirituality can have some interesting connotations for us as Christians. We explore some of the gifts of a life of prayer, and the reformation of our conscious mind.

In The Moment

July 26, 2019 20:18 - 33.2 MB

Do you ever find yourself trapped in the torrent of past memories or future anticipations? What are we missing when we are so distracted? Pastor Michael considers how the invitation of Jesus cuts through the clutter and helps us become attentive to who is right in front of us.

Difficult Mercy

July 15, 2019 18:23 - 53.9 MB

Pastor David Gungor dives into the parable of the Good Samaritan and asks the challenging question of “Who is my neighbor?”

Journey To The Center

July 13, 2019 17:28 - 70.7 MB

“Pastor Michael looks at the sending of the 72 disciples as an invitation to journey to the center of God’s dream through encountering the other.

Single-Tasking Spirituality

July 04, 2019 19:51 - 67.5 MB

Michael explores the aggressive focus of Jesus journey to Jerusalem and how these hot edges prove difficult for those who seek to begin his way. But perhaps these hot edges bring the “one-thing” into focus for a lifelong journey toward love.

Differentiation not Domination

July 04, 2019 19:49 - 53.8 MB

Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers speaks from Galatians and the Gospel of Luke. She currently serves as Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's Canon for Evangelism and Reconciliation.

Love Triangle

June 17, 2019 18:00 - 54.8 MB

On Trinity Sunday Pastor Michael suggests that the idea of God as Trinity is less like a Rubix Cube to be solved and more like an invitation into a better story.

Holy Translation

June 10, 2019 18:25 - 62.7 MB

Pastor Michael explores the dramatic story of Pentecost and reflects on our world’s need for a Spirit that dissolves imperial instincts and drives us beyond our groups.

Two Visions of Power

June 04, 2019 21:44 - 46.9 MB

Shauna invites us into a conversation about two visions of power: one that commodifies, objectifies, and dehumanizes, and one that gives freedom and dignity—the way of Jesus. 

Reimagining Peace

May 28, 2019 21:04 - 66.2 MB

Jesus encourages his disciples to put his teaching into practice and to prepare for a peace that requires imagination.

Finding Judas

May 20, 2019 16:06 - 52.9 MB

Jesus gives a new command to love one another in the face of betrayal, abandonment and death. The empty seat at the Last Supper prompts us to consider who is missing at our tables or perhaps who is missing us?

In God's Hands

May 13, 2019 19:43 - 37.3 MB

In this sermon Pastor Michael explores the powerful inclusive message intrinsic to Jesus' actions and the mesmerizing metaphor of the hands of God

When Easter Seems a Cheat

May 06, 2019 19:48 - 61.7 MB

Sometimes Easter isn't about joy, sometimes we find ourselves unable to shout "Alleluia."  Well, the early church didn't feel so great about the Resurrection either.  And when worse came to worse, they realized that Easter was less about feeling happy and more about fishing from Caesar's lake and setting a new table of thanksgiving where all are welcomed and fed.

Daring Thomas and the Danger of Single Storyism

April 29, 2019 03:22 - 86.8 MB

What happens when you tell a single story about a person and it defines them? “Doubting Thomas,” that’s what. In this message, Jonathan Merritt reexamines the post-resurrection narrative in John 20 with fresh eyes.

Experiencing Easter

April 24, 2019 20:11 - 52.1 MB

Pastor Michael explores how the risen Christ is experienced in places of ambiguity and vulnerability bringing hope and healing.

Downward Mobility

April 15, 2019 19:36 - 55.1 MB

On this Palm Sunday, David Gungor explores the themes of Jesus’ triumphal entry in Jerusalem.

The Spirituality of Bread

April 08, 2019 19:30 - 64.9 MB

What does it mean to trust God's provision for our life? AJ Sherrill, lead pastor of Mars Hill church, explores what it means to see God's provision and care in the context of our daily bread.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

April 01, 2019 16:27 - 51.6 MB

Shauna Niequist invites us to consider the ways in which we see glimpses of ourselves in the three characters of the parable—in the younger son’s rejection of the father’s love, but also his humility, the elder son’s loyalty, but also entitlement and deal-making, and the father’s compassion, affection, and generosity. 

The Hope (and Risk) of Change

March 25, 2019 18:09 - 66.3 MB

“Repentance” is about meaningful change, but how does this work? Pastor Michael explores the process of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction through the lens of our gospel story.

Foxes, Hens and White Supremacy

March 18, 2019 16:43 - 75.2 MB

How do we respond when we feel threatened? Pastor Michael reflects on how these two images used by Jesus connect with our struggle against white supremacy today.

De-centering Ego & Empire

March 11, 2019 22:48 - 71.8 MB

Pastor Michael Rudzena explores the temptation of Christ on the 1st Sunday of Lent and invites us to consider how we can de-center the voices in our lives that undermine divine love.

Between Sleeping & Waking

March 04, 2019 18:43 - 64.8 MB

Is the goal of spirituality ecstatic moments of wonder? How is spirituality good for our world? On Transfiguration Sunday, pastor Michael explores the significance of this story for a spirituality for the 21st century.

The Hardest Kind of Love

February 26, 2019 05:23 - 75.6 MB

What does it mean to love our enemies? How do we do it? Why should we do it? In this sermon Drew Jackson examines this most challenging command of Jesus through the witness of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life.

Plain Sight

February 18, 2019 18:50 - 77.1 MB

Pastor Michael reflects on Jesus as cutting against the grain of how most in his time (and ours) interpreted the ups and downs of life. What if we are most open to compassion, to love, to God because of our pain? What if our addiction to the consolations of money, food, amusement and fame buffer us from Divine Love?

The One That Jesus Loved

February 11, 2019 15:09 - 62.2 MB

Why did the first disciples leave everything and follow Jesus? Why would we do the same? The famous story of the fishermen who left their nets reveals the answer: an abundance of love, and an abundance of grace.

The Punchline is Grace

February 05, 2019 16:50 - 64.2 MB

In this sermon Michael shows us how Jesus ends his Scripture reading with grace rather than vengeance and then drives his audience to lynch-level rage with his provocative inclusion.

Going Public

January 31, 2019 17:26 - 64.7 MB

The Gospel of Luke has Jesus going public in his home town and what we get is a powerful window into his sense of mission and the possibilities this mission holds for our church, city and world.

A Baptism of Love

January 22, 2019 20:03 - 73.6 MB

What if baptism wasn’t a ritual of entry into an exclusive club, but a grace-filled threshold of commitment that affirmed we are indeed Beloved and propelled us to pursue Dr. King’s vision of the borderless, Beloved Community?

Love Beyond Calculation

January 15, 2019 19:12 - 57.3 MB

Michael looks at Jesus’ first miracle as a clue to the essence of life’s meaning and a metaphor for the move away from a spirituality of empty calculations to one of brimming joy.

A Journey Toward Light

January 08, 2019 00:38 - 59.7 MB

In our Epiphany series “Love Has A Face” Michael reflects on the story of the Magi who follow a star to Christ asking how each character can inspire us in our time.

When Losing is Finding

December 31, 2018 23:08 - 54.6 MB

In this sermon pastor Michael explores how spiritual growth works and what Mary what Joseph’s loss and discovery teaches us.

Love Says Yes & No

December 27, 2018 21:48 - 44.3 MB

On the fourth Sunday of Advent Pastor Michael asks, “How did Mary’s quiet ‘yes’ to God become a revolutionary ‘no’ to the oppressive conditions of the world?”

Surely, this is Rome

December 18, 2018 22:42 - 45 MB

In this week's sermon Evan Coles reflects on what Peace means in an era of globalization and how the values of this day and age, even the most virtuous values, cannot sufficiently pave the way to Grace without Christ's intervention.

Books

The Prodigal Son
1 Episode