Common Space

Alamo Heights UMC

Common Space, hosted by Chris Estus, Ryan Jacobson, and Darrell Smith, is a podcast where three pastors and friends discuss listener questions about the Bible, the Church, and faith in general.

  1. 14 JAN

    Free Audiobook Excerpt of ‘Spiritual But Not Anxious’

    Because two of our Common Space hosts, Darrell Smith and Chris Estus, will lead the first-ever course over Darrell’s latest book, ‘Spiritual But Not Anxious,’ we thought this would be a perfect time to share a free preview of Darrell’s audiobook with you listeners! Get ‘Spiritual But Not Anxious’ here: https://www.darrellsmith.org/spiritual-but-not-anxious Register for the course—offered in-person and remotely—before it begins on January 18, 2026: https://ahumc.org/learning/ Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review to help us reach more people! We need your questions! Email commonspace@ahumc.org or visit https://ahumc.org/questions to submit your faith-related questions. Email us at podcasts@ahumc.org or visit ahumc.org to learn more about Alamo Heights UMC.

    23 min

  2. 17/12/2025

    The Holiday Special | Episode 13

    That’s right! This episode is all about Advent and Christmas. Trees, holiday origins, wreaths, and more—our hosts unpack it all. On a sincere note, the Common Space podcast hosts and producers would like to thank you for another wonderful year of community and connection. We are so grateful that this podcast has become another place to further inspire questions and conversations. All things considered, we are still at an early stage of our journey together, but we can’t wait to keep moving forward and chopping it up in the coming year! Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review to help us reach more people! We need your questions! Email commonspace@ahumc.org or visit https://ahumc.org/questions to submit your faith-related questions. Email us at podcasts@ahumc.org or visit ahumc.org to learn more about Alamo Heights UMC. Recommended Resources: ‘National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation’ (1989) ‘Spiritual But Not Anxious’ by Darrell Smith ‘The Family Stone’ (2005)

    24 min

  3. 30/11/2025

    The Stories We Tell | Episode 12

    In this episode, our hosts answer a listener question regarding the Bible and provide more context for how we view and treat the books it contains today. It’s complicated, to be sure, but it is worth unpacking the depth, history, and everything in between. Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review to help us reach more people! We need your questions! Email commonspace@ahumc.org or visit https://ahumc.org/questions to submit your faith-related questions. Email us at podcasts@ahumc.org or visit ahumc.org to learn more about Alamo Heights UMC. Recommended Reading: ‘Hearing God’ by Dallas Willard ‘The Storytelling Church’ by Jeff Barker ‘Reading the Bible Again For the First Time’ by Marcus Borg

    22 min

  4. 30/10/2025

    Why We Pray | Episode 11

    On this episode, our hosts answer some of your questions about prayer. Because prayer can be so much more complex than we think. It means a lot of different things to different people. But maybe that’s also part of what makes it so special? Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review to help us reach more people! We need your questions! Email commonspace@ahumc.org or visit https://ahumc.org/questions to submit your faith-related questions. Email us at podcasts@ahumc.org or visit ahumc.org to learn more about Alamo Heights UMC. Recommended Reading: ‘The Awakened Brain’ by Lisa Miller, PhD ‘Learning to Pray’ by James Martina ‘Celebration of Discipline’ by Richard J. Foster ‘The Heart of Prayer’ by Rupert Spira

    32 min

  5. 18/09/2025

    Between the Suns | Episode 10

    Wrapping up our current exploration through some of the Genesis narratives, our hosts conclude the journey with one of scripture’s central figures: Jacob. There’s no shortage of takeaways from Jacob’s tales. From wrestling to manipulation and family drama—Jacob’s got it all! Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review to help us reach more people! We need your questions! Email commonspace@ahumc.org or visit https://ahumc.org/questions to submit your faith-related questions. Email us at podcasts@ahumc.org or visit ahumc.org to learn more about Alamo Heights UMC. Recommended Resources: ‘God Was in This Place & I, I Did Not Know’ by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner Rabbi Sacks’ Writings on Jacob: https://rabbisacks.org/archive/?s=jacob The Laundry List – 14 Traits of an Adult Child of an Alcoholic: https://adultchildren.org/laundry-list/

    26 min

  6. 19/06/2025

    From Transaction to Provision | Episode 9

    One of the most shocking stories in scripture is that of Abraham and Isaac. You know the story: In Genesis, Abraham is visited by an angel of God, who instructs Abraham to sacrifice his son. Strangely, Abraham immediately obeys and begins a journey up a mountain with Isaac to do just that. What do we do with this story today? In this episode, our hosts unpack the context of this wild tale, share its absurdities, and invite listeners to interpret it differently. Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review to help us reach more people! We need your questions! Email commonspace@ahumc.org or visit https://ahumc.org/questions to submit your faith-related questions. Email us at podcasts@ahumc.org or visit ahumc.org to learn more about Alamo Heights UMC. Recommended Resources: ‘Not in God’s Name’ by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks ‘Breathing Under Water’ Chapter 3 by Richard Rohr “All Directions” Music Video by Son Lux

    34 min

  7. 30/04/2025

    Towers and Tongues | Episode 8

    What happens when God looks down and finds a group of people trying to build a tower that reaches the heavens? In this episode, our hosts dive into the story of “The Tower of Babel.” Is this narrative really only about language, or could it be about much more? And what could we take away from the text today? Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review to help us reach more people! We need your questions! Email commonspace@ahumc.org or visit https://ahumc.org/questions to submit your faith-related questions. Email us at podcasts@ahumc.org or visit ahumc.org to learn more about Alamo Heights UMC. Recommended Reading: Genesis 1-11 ‘Genesis for Normal People’ by Jared Byas and Peter Enns

    24 min

  8. 21/03/2025

    The Eighth Day | Episode 7

    We're no longer kids shown bright, colorful displays of Noah's Ark and cartoons depicting the tale. So, what do we do with the Bible's flood narrative(s)? Should we take the story at face value and not dive deeper for the core of the story's message? In this episode, our hosts do just that—they dive deeper. Chris, Ryan, and Darrell unpack the flood written about in Genesis, provide cultural context, and tell us why hope—despite a divine disaster that wipes out the world—is what it's all about. Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review to help us reach more people! We need your questions! Email commonspace@ahumc.org or visit https://ahumc.org/questions to submit your faith-related questions. Email us at podcasts@ahumc.org or visit ahumc.org to learn more about Alamo Heights UMC. Recommended Reading: ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’ by Unknown ‘Genesis for Normal People’ by Jared Byas and Peter Enns ‘Theology of the Old Testament’ by Walter Brueggemann ‘Spiritual But Not Anxious’ by Darrell Smith

    28 min
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About

Common Space, hosted by Chris Estus, Ryan Jacobson, and Darrell Smith, is a podcast where three pastors and friends discuss listener questions about the Bible, the Church, and faith in general.

Information

  • Creator
    Alamo Heights UMC
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Show Website
    Common Space