Westview Christian Fellowship
79 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago -Westview is an inclusive learning community with an Anabaptist heritage where participation comes before perfection. Together we aim to develop a sensitivity to the call of love, peace, justice, reconciliation, hope, beauty, and in these, God. Assisted by dialogue and learning, we hope to orientate our lives to the “Good News” found in Christ’s life and teachings. During the week Westview is a community hub for women in the Queenston Neighbourhood. At Westview Centre4Women you’ll find the same guiding principles in practice as women from all walks of life are offered a safe place that encourages respect and dignity for self and others.
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Episodes
What if Mary was Raped? Part 2 with Caleb Ratzlaff
January 26, 2023 19:03 - 21 minutes - 29.6 MBRecorded January 15, 2023 There are four servant songs in and around Isaiah 49. According to the scholar Damon Garcia, serving God, for Isaiah looks like working for the liberation of the oppressed. The gospel of Mark reflects this idea in its portrayal of Christ as a suffering servant. In this message, Caleb takes the suffering servant motif a step further, comparing what servanthood looks like for Christ as opposed to Mary. Both, it’s argued, serve God by working for the liberation of the...
What if Mary was Raped? with Caleb Ratzlaff
December 23, 2022 14:13 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBRecorded Dec. 11, 2022. Content warning: this episode discusses sexual abuse and rape. Whether you want to believe Caleb's reading, that Mary is a victim of sexual abuse or not, the fact is, she's living in this context where sex is weaponized. Mary, like Christ's grandmothers, uses her body to rebel against the patriarchy. Rather than seeing the abuse as ending her story and genealogy, she calls the child and his birth a beginning -- "the salvation of Isreal." Like Tamar and Ruth, Mar...
What if Mary was Raped? Part 1 with Caleb Ratzlaff
December 23, 2022 14:13 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBRecorded Dec. 11, 2022. Content warning: this episode discusses sexual abuse and rape. Whether you want to believe Caleb's reading, that Mary is a victim of sexual abuse or not, the fact is, she's living in this context where sex is weaponized. Mary, like Christ's grandmothers, uses her body to rebel against the patriarchy. Rather than seeing the abuse as ending her story and genealogy, she calls the child and his birth a beginning -- "the salvation of Isreal." Like Tamar and Ruth, Mar...
Changing Hearts and Minds with Caleb Ratzlaff
December 19, 2022 19:04 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBRecorded Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. Over the last few Sundays, we've been working through a series titled "What, Where, When, Who, is the Church - personal reflections on what church means to us." In this episode, Caleb reflects on a lesson learned through this series. Specifically, Caleb talks about how Evangelicalism has inspired his foray into politics and to hold on to the belief that change is possible.
Grace Produces Abundance, Fear Perpetuates Poverty
August 31, 2022 15:13 - 16 minutes - 22.2 MBRecorded on August 2022: Luke 12 The rich fool in Christ’s parable takes the surplus produced by the earth and puts it in a barn. If having faith in God means believing that God is good and provides more than enough for even the wildflowers, then it’s hard to deny that the surplus produced by the ground is a gift meant to be shared with all. When the rich man hoards this gift, he deprives others of it. Another way of saying this is that by hoarding the abundance of the earth, the ri...
Jesus Learns from Mary and Martha with Caleb Ratzlaff
July 26, 2022 16:15 - 17 minutes - 23.5 MBRecorded on July 17, 2022: Luke 10:38-42 Mary and Martha teach Jesus how to apply his teachings in the real world. Both teach Jesus what it looks like for the last to be first and the first last. Mary does this by taking on the role of disciples, Martha, and all women through the centuries up to today who do double duty -- in the house and outside the home -- teach Christ what it means for men to follow Christ’s teachings.
May We Listen to the Maladjusted with Caleb Ratzlaff
July 26, 2022 15:30 - 18 minutes - 24.8 MBRecorded on July 10th at Westview: Amos 7 and Acts 1 May we, like Amos and Christ, listen to the maladjusted of our time; may we listen to all those who refuse or are denied the ability to adjust to our economic system, a system defined by exploitation.
The Holy Spirit and Intimacy, Moving Beyond Rage with Caleb Ratzlaff
June 18, 2022 15:30 - 14 minutes - 19.4 MBRecorded June 12, 2022: Acts 2: Let's not stop at rage but find places of safety, where we’re willing to be vulnerable for the sake of the marginalized, so that, with the power of the spirit, we might find the courage to imagine and build worlds where we all share in the abundance of our Creator.
The Holy Spirit and Rage with Caleb Ratzlaff
June 18, 2022 14:46 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MBRecorded June 5, 2022: Acts 2: Where is the holy spirit? The holy spirit is with those who are being persecuted and it’s there, it seems, to give them the power to say, "enough! We are done being abused. We deserve dignity, we desire salvation.”
Rereading Violence in the Old Testament With Caleb Ratzlaff
June 18, 2022 14:14 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBRecorded on May 22th: Joshua 7: The story of Achan and Christ are similar in the end result: both are publicly crucified for the sins of others. The difference is primarily found in who is telling the story, who is the interpretive key - Christ/the victim, or the one doing the victimizing?
Rereading Scripture with the Pregnant Self - Caleb Ratzlaff
May 10, 2022 18:16 - 13 minutes - 19.2 MBRecorded on May 8th: The Road to Emmaus: Mothers sacrifice their own bodies for the sake of the child they carry within them. There is a parallel here with Christ’s suffering on the cross. I wouldn’t say that the mother is a victim, indeed, this is probably the wrong way to characterize the experience, but she does sacrifice herself, her own body, for the sake of another. What I think we’re asked to do when we participate in communion is to remember how we are all pregnant with each other. ...
Rereading the Stories we Tell to Make Sense of the World with Caleb Ratzlaff
May 09, 2022 18:17 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBRecorded May 1, 2022. As Christ is rereading Scripture, the hearts of the two men on the road to Emmaus burn within them. They’re burning because they’re learning about themselves and what it means to be Jewish to a way that makes sense of the Easter event. As we reread the stories we tell about what it means to be Christian through Christ's eyes, we shouldn't be surprised to find that the stranger or non-Christian has been the host all along. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, i...
Who Does Christ Receive his Authority From? - with Caleb Ratzlaff
April 14, 2022 18:42 - 16 minutes - 22.7 MBRecorded on April 10. Who Does Christ Receive his Authority From? Answer: Mary of Bethany. The supper with Mary doesn’t look great. We have a bunch of men sitting around a table being served by two women, and then one of those women washes the main guy's feet only to have Judas mansplain to her why what she’s doing is wrong. This is patriarchy at its worst. How does Jesus respond?
Disrupting Business as Usual with Guest Patty Krawec
April 14, 2022 17:46 - 20 minutes - 28.2 MBRecorded on March 20th at Westview. A few months back Patty Krawec tweeted a challenge to churches to have her speak on the table-flipping scene in the gospels. Westview and Silver Spire United took her up on the challenge. We were very grateful for the opportunity to hear and dialogue with Patty on Sunday. You can find a video of her sharing on Silver Spire here and a transcript of her talk on her website. Patty Krawec is an Anishinaabe/Ukrainian writer and speaker from Lac Seul First Nat...
Stopping the Repetitious Violence of the Cross - Palm Sunday with Caleb Ratzlaff
March 21, 2022 15:56 - 15 minutes - 20.7 MBRecorded on March 13, 2022: As the Israelites celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, they do so hoping he will save them for colonial rule. The crowd, however, has forgotten what humble leadership looks like. When Christ does the work of a humble king, his humility makes him look more like a loser than a saviour and so the crowd rejects him. Disturbing business as usual during Lent is done so that I better recognize the ways my life and actions parallel that of Rome, the coloni...
Holding Space with Will Klassen
March 19, 2022 22:42 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBRecorded on Feb. 26th 2022: Will Klassen talks about letting go so we can all participate in outcomes.
Love’s Open Ended Ongoing Call of Embodiment, 1 Corinthians 15 with Caleb Ratzlaff
March 03, 2022 18:00 - 17 minutes - 24.2 MBRecorded on Feb. 20, 2022. I tend to believe that we’re all saved. Paul’s helpful for me because I believe that love calls to all, nothing we can do changes that fact: Jonah travels to the underworld, the teacher of Ecclesiastes losses the faith and blames God for all the evil in the world and yet the call to love finds them both. In this sense, we’re all, from the beginning, regardless of our actions or beliefs, in the process of being saved. Unfortunately, some chose not to believe th...
It’s All Too Much: Ecclesiastes with Caleb Ratzlaff
February 25, 2022 19:07 - 22 minutes - 30.4 MBRecorded Feb. 13, 2022. Here Caleb gives an overview of Ecclesiastes, attempting to wrestle something meaningful from the meaninglessness of life. All our actions are never enough. We eat, we sleep, we die, we're forgotten and it's God's fault. Like the teacher of Ecclesiastes, Christ experiences alienation from God. It's possible to reread the ending of Ecclesiastes and a Christ-follower as follows: "What should we do when we're angry at God? When we’re confused and rightfully blame God...
Saved by an Abundance of Fish - Luke 5 - with Caleb Ratzlaff
February 18, 2022 16:34 - 22 minutes - 30.5 MBRecorded on Feb. 6, 2022. On a systemic level, Jesus’ first followers are driven by oppression and subsistence living to leave everything and follow him. The first disciples don’t fully understand the practical consequences of Jesus’ life of abundance — life is a gift meant to be shared. Jesus’ teaching and fishing tips offer an alternative to the disciples’ politics of fear and scarcity. Such an alternative is more than enough to convince the disciples to leave their subsistence work and fo...
The Parable of Jonah and the Fish, Part 2 with Caleb Ratzlaff
January 25, 2022 17:17 - 32 minutes - 45.2 MBThe Parable of Jonah and the Fish, Part 2 - a plagiarized sermon by Caleb Ratzlaff Recorded on Jan. 23, 2022. Caleb, using material from the podcast The Bible for Normal People, introduces the theme of justice in the book of Jonah. Specifically, Caleb asks along with the book, if justice looks more like punishment or mercy and what does repentance have to do it? By stressing mercy, the book of Jonah provides a counterbalance to other prophetic Old Testament texts that seem to lean toward...
Jonah Dies, Part 1 with Caleb Ratzlaff
January 25, 2022 17:09 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBJonah Dies, Part 1 - a plagiarized sermon by Caleb Ratzlaff Recorded on Jan. 16, 2022. Caleb, using material from the podcast, The Bible for Normal People, introduces the story of Jonah as a parable, specifically a parable about Isreal. Jonah's ordeal in chapter one leads to a new appreciation for God's relationship with the non-Hebrew world. In chapter two, Jonah sinks down to Sheol, the underworld. With a giant fish, God reaches down to the land of the dead and brings Jonah back to life...
The First Incarnation - John 1 with Caleb Ratzlaff
January 06, 2022 17:22 - 23 minutes - 32.1 MBRecorded on Jan. 2, 2022: “In the beginning was creative love and the creative love was with God and the creative love was God.” Love isn’t only transforming life into more life, but it’s also transforming death into life. Love seeks to transform those places of shame, anxiety, or oppression - such as crippling debt, the pressures of expectations, or the stresses of capitalism and the lie of scarcity. We discover the manger -- the word becoming flesh -- at night in moments of struggle. T...
The Third Sunday of Advent - Joy with Kathleen Metz
December 21, 2021 18:19 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MBRecorded on Dec. 12, 2021. Kathleen talks about ‘what is joy’ and ‘what gives her joy’. She proposes that joy is something deeper than happiness and can be an intentional act we carry out each day. Life isn’t easy but in its many experiences, we can learn to have joy and spread it effectively even during rough days.
Caleb Tries Not to Ruin Christmas - with Caleb Ratzlaff
December 09, 2021 16:52 - 22 minutes - 30.4 MBRecorded on Dec. 5, 2021 at Westview. In this message, Caleb explores three movements of faith - blind acceptance, doubt, and grace. Both blindness and doubt have their place and can be life-giving when guided by grace. Caleb recounts how he's experienced these three stages of faith through his relationship to the Christmas story. As a child, he blindly enjoyed the season before doubt showed him that the story is primarily about opposition to oppressive power structures and is almost defi...
Knowledge and Certainty, Part 2 with Jared Klassen
November 25, 2021 16:04 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBIn part 2 of Knowledge and Certainty, Jared revisits the topic of epistemology, the study of the nature of knowledge, by giving a short history of western society’s ways of answering the question “how do we know what we know?” He discusses traditional, modern, and postmodern thinking, and, with that history in mind, once again addresses his own personal journey with apologetics. We often hold very different beliefs and values, differences that are further complicated by the fact that we don’...
What is Sacred about being Harmed? Mark 10:35-45 with Caleb Ratzlaff
November 17, 2021 20:18 - 27 minutes - 37.6 MBRecorded on Oct. 17, 2021, Caleb asks "what texts that call us to suffer, serve, or even to be a slave mean for marginalized people that have already experienced so much suffering?" How does this question inform our reading of Jesus' prediction of his death and explanation of the crucifixion?
The 11th Commandment: Do Not Defraud - Mark 10 with Caleb Ratzlaff
November 05, 2021 15:06 - 23 minutes - 31.8 MBRecorded on Oct. 10th Caleb discusses the story of the rich young man and what it takes to get into the neighbourhood of God. Do not defraud: do not be afraid to stop the unjust accumulation of wealth even if such work comes with persecution, as Jesus says it will in Mark 10. Our hope: learn to share and you will receive, Jesus claims, a hundred times as much — homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — now in this present age as well as the age to come.
Riches Are Not the Product of Hard Work, Proverbs 10:1-22 with Caleb Ratzlaff
September 29, 2021 14:14 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBThe following is a message shared at Westview on Sept. 5, 2021. Here Caleb gives a close reading of Proverbs. 10:1-22, arguing, with the help of his professor, Calvin Seerveld, that Proverbs can be read not as a collection of isolated sayings, but as cohesive poetic units. When read this way, the Proverbs sits more comfortably in the wisdom tradition and the trajectory that moves through Jesus. Proverbs 10 is concerned with the heart rather than the right knowledge and doctrine or about...
Knowledge and Certainty with Jared Klassen
July 15, 2021 14:04 - 12 minutes - 17.2 MBJared shares some of his journey in coming to terms with ambiguity and the limitations of human knowledge, pondering how we know what we know, and how certain we can really be of it. He suggests some ways that we can address the issue, both in general as well as from a Christian standpoint. "As Christians, our primary calling isn’t to be right, or to hold the correct doctrine."
God’s Love in Our Ordinary Lives with John Derksen
July 12, 2021 13:38 - 22 minutes - 30.7 MBIn this episode, John reflects on Scripture, his own life, and how the spirit reveals God’s love in our ordinary lives.
Pentecost and Participating in the Final Judgement with Caleb Ratzlaff
July 08, 2021 16:00 - 22 minutes - 30.6 MBRecorded on June 23rd 2021. In this message, Caleb explores the expansive and equalizing work of Pentecost, suggesting that the birth of the church is the beginning of the final judgement. As such, we are called to participate in the judging how to live in response to God's spirit of love and justice in the world. In the Pentecost story we discover that the equitable distribution of wealth and the destruction of social hierarchy are the first areas of our life together that we are to seek t...
Religion Free Sacredness with Will Klassen
June 17, 2021 14:54 - 28 minutes - 39 MBWill begins by introducing a story he wrote about heaven to the lectionary verses for May 9th 2021. Here he talks about finding the sacred in the ordinary asking us, like the angel asked the disciples at the ascension, why we look toward heaven? The important stuff, Will argues, happens in the substance of daily life.
Why Can't We Be Friends? with Caleb Ratzlaff
June 10, 2021 16:05 - 26 minutes - 35.7 MBLeaning on an insight by Casey Overton, an activist and contributor to enfleshed.com, Caleb reflects on how the song "Why Can't We Be Friends?" by WAR sheds light on the meaning of John Chapter 15. In John 15 we read: “And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” So how do we know that you’re abiding in love, living the love commandment? In this world, in Christ’s world, when essential workers ask for a...
The Community of Creation with Justin Eisinga
June 07, 2021 18:19 - 23 minutes - 32.9 MBUsing the lectionary verses, Justin asks the question, “if we are to look within our own tradition to find the resources to love the land again, we must read the Bible with bent towards foundational teachings of harmony and care for all of creation.” Justin encourages us to find ways to include creation within our worship, not only as an representative for the divine, but as an active participant, guiding us into the love of Christ. Cahoots Festival: https://www.cahootsfest.ca Wild Chur...
Getting Angry in the Name of Jesus: Acts 3 and 4 with Caleb Ratzlaff
May 11, 2021 16:14 - 24 minutes - 33.1 MBRecorded on April 25th, 2021 Caleb discusses Acts chapters 3 and 4. Jesus replaces the question “Who is the Greatest?” with the question “Who is my neighbour?” In Acts we see the disciples continuing this story, embodying what it means to be Jewish followers of "the way." The healing of the cripple on the door step of the wealthy elite confirms Jesus’ authority to (re)interpret the Jewish story. Being an act of true charity that addresses the root causes of inequality, the healing also cont...
The Ban, Nazis, and Mennonites with Tom Friesen
May 03, 2021 19:09 - 36 minutes - 50 MBRecorded on April 11th, 2021: The ban is not widely practiced in our modern Mennonite communities anymore, but historically every Anabaptist group has practiced it in some form or another. Many of us might be inclined to see this history as irrelevant to our current lives. However, Tom looks at this and other histories that we might prefer to ignore and explores how our histories shape us. He shares his thoughts and experiences on how the historical practice of the ban is still relevant to o...
Carrying Narcan on the Road to Emmaus with Caleb Ratzlaff
April 08, 2021 14:18 - 23 minutes - 32.4 MBRecorded at Westview on April 4, 2021: The challenge for us is to recognize the resurrected Christ without the need to be confronted by the crucifixion, something the male disciples fail to achieve. We pray our eyes are opened to the ways we participate in systems that benefit some at the expense of others before this abuse brings our world crashing down around us. And we can start this work by putting aside our own expectations about how the world should look long enough to appreciate the c...
Mystical Hope with Grazia Shepard
April 07, 2021 19:06 - 12 minutes - 16.9 MBRecorded on March 28th at Westview's zoom service. Grazia shares from her heart, thinking through mystical hope, what it's meant to her this Easter, and how this Easter is different from others.
Choose Mystic Hope for Lent with Caleb Ratzlaff
March 12, 2021 19:39 - 20 minutes - 27.5 MBRecorded at Westview on Feb. 14, 2021: Mystic hope is difficult to grasp, but it’s more than simply a desire for good outcomes, it’s a way of being in the here and now that holds on to life, however fragile and vulnerable it might be. The woman who anoints Jesus for burial finds a way to hold on to life even when she knows it’s about to be snuffed out.
Why are Anabaptists so conservative when it comes to women? with Carol Penner
February 21, 2021 20:39 - 49 minutes - 68.6 MBRecorded at Westview on Feb. 14, 2021 this episode featured Carol Penner. Carol Penner teaches and writes in the area of practical theology and after many years as a pastor in various Mennonite congregations, she joined the faculty at Grebel. Her research interests include feminist theology and Mennonite peace theology, and abuse issues. She has a popular blog of her worship resources at www.leadinginworship.com. In this discussion, Carol asks “Why are Anabaptists so conservative when it...
The Priesthood of All Creation, John 21: with Caleb Ratzlaff
February 04, 2021 01:25 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MBDuring the Winter of 2021, we're taking some time to reconnect and reevaluate our Anabaptist heritage. Caleb continues the series by talking about a central doctrine of the Anabaptist movement called "The Priesthood of all Believers." Caleb reflects on how this doctrine has the power to level hierarchical systems of power. And how in John chapter 21, we see the potential for this doctrine to reach beyond itself, moving from a Priesthood for all believers to a Presithood of call creation. All...
An Anabaptist Historical Overview: Part 2, With Ruth Brown Martens
February 01, 2021 19:27 - 40 minutes - 56.3 MBDuring the Winter of 2021, we're taking some time to reconnect and reevaluate our Anabaptist heritage. We want to honour this heritage by mining it for its moments of light and uncovering the times it has fallen short. In this way, we can dig deep into the fertile soil of our past while learning from mistakes. By exploring Anabaptism, we hope to better appreciate the diversity of the congregation at Westview. John and then Ruth kick this series off with a historical overview.
An Anabaptist Historical Overview: Part 1, With John Derksen
February 01, 2021 19:24 - 23 minutes - 32.9 MBDuring the Winter of 2021, we're taking some time to reconnect and reevaluate our Anabaptist heritage. We want to honour this heritage by mining it for its moments of light and uncovering the times it has fallen short. In this way, we can dig deep into the fertile soil of our past while learning from mistakes. By exploring Anabaptism, we hope to better appreciate the diversity of the congregation at Westview. John and then Ruth kick this series off with a historical overview.
The Sword that Pierced Mary's Soul with Caleb Ratzlaff
January 04, 2021 19:06 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MBRecorded on Jan. 3, 2021, Caleb speaks on Luke 2:22-40, the story of Simeon and Anna. In this story, we find clues that Jesus will lead Isreal into a new way of being in the world but will diverge from the pattern set by David and Joshua. Jesus will listen to his parents and grow in wisdom and favour. We learn how Jesus’ life and mission are grounded on Mary’s sacrificial love. His life, like ours, rests on a mother’s sacrifice.
Remembering Joseph with Victor Ratzlaff
January 04, 2021 16:52 - 18 minutes - 25.9 MBRecorded on Dec. 20, 2020, Victor speaks on Matthew 2:13-23 sharing about Joseph and his own relationship with tradition in the Mennonite church.
Mary Could have Said "No" with Caleb Ratzlaff
December 15, 2020 18:55 - 15 minutes - 10.6 MBRecorded at Westview on Nov. 29, 2020. In this episode, Caleb Ratzlaff discusses Luke 1:38-56. In this passage, Mary consents to partner with God in a very specific way, she says yes to being Jesus’ mother. Caleb discusses the implications of the vulnerability inherent in the incarnation. Mary could have said "no." Mary says yes to God and for her, this means committing to raising a son who is willing to give his life in an effort to transform society into the type of world described in Ma...
Separating the Meat Birds from the Hens with Victor Ratzlaff
December 08, 2020 16:21 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBRecorded at Westview on Nov. 22, 2020. Victor Ratzlaff reads Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the Sheep and the Goats. This is Victor's first episode and our 20th! Like all parables, the parable of the sheep and the goats aims to shake us from our complacency and get us to think about what it means to embody Christ's teachings. In our context, as we move into Advent, this parable talks in concrete terms about how the incarnation, how Christ, is found in food, water, clothing, strangers, ...
We’ve read the Parable of the Talents Wrong, We Need to Listened to 7-Year-olds with Caleb Ratzlaff
November 18, 2020 16:06 - 19 minutes - 13.9 MBRecorded at Westview on Nov. 15, 2020. Caleb gives rereads the parable of the Talents, arguing that we've read it wrong, very wrong. At the end of the podcast today, Rosilee Sherwood shares a beautiful reflection on peace that was composed by her 7-year-old students. If you only have 3 minutes, skip to minute 17.
A Grace-filled Bible with Heather Morgan
November 18, 2020 15:15 - 26 minutes - 19.2 MBRecorded on Nov. 8, 2020, at Westview Christian Fellowship. In this episode, we are honoured to hear from Heather Morgan. Heather shares parts of her life story, particularly her learning from LGBTQ+ Christians with groups such as Generous Space and https://wildgoosefestival.org/. These relationships invited Heather to wrestle with her reading of scripture and the world that told her she can't celebrate her trans child. Heather provides for us a grace-filled reading of scripture that has bee...
Advent, the Incarnation, and the Trinity with Ruth Brown Martens
November 16, 2020 15:15 - 24 minutes - 17.9 MBRecorded on Nov. 1, 2020, at Westview Christian Fellowship. In this episode, Ruth shares some of the insights she gleaned through her experience of Advent and the readings she’s been doing this year. Ruth focuses on the incarnation and the trinity, arguing the desire for a relationship built into the Trinity itself is expressed in the Incarnation and is something that’s always been. Be warned, the audio in this episode is poor, we need to get a new microphone for the pulpit.