No Experts Allowed No Experts Allowed

Does the Trinity matter? Does it exist only to give professional theologians minutiae to argue about? Is it a manifestation of male-dominated, political church councils that should be thrown into the dustbin of history? Jonathan and Seth think it does more than describe how the members of the Trinity interact; it also expresses how people should interact. So, it more than matters.
Of all our episodes, this one seems the most appropriate to solicit listener feedback. We'd love emails about how you see the Trinity mattering, your favorite trinitarian heresy, or the best description of the Trinity you've heard (or frankly anything else). We'd love to hear from you at noexpertsallowed@gmail.com

While each member of the Trinity plays an equal role in the Godhead (to say anything else has been heresy since at least 381), in practice, the Holy Spirit often gets the least attention in mainline circles. What would focusing on the Holy Spirit for a Sunday look like? What words could we use throughout the church year to expand our names for God? Jonathan and Seth discuss just this as we end the Easter season.
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Life's complicated. There's a myriad of choices to be made daily. Many we make unconsciously. Others keep us awake at night as we fret over the options. In the appointed psalm for this Sunday, there appears to be a clear distinction between those who are good and evil. How does one know, however, which category they're in? Jonathan and Seth discuss how we can tell if we're following God. Is it possible? If so, how can we correct course? Like many of our episodes, this one gets at the heart of discipleship.
In the background, you may hear Seth's wife, Patty, playing joyfully with their dog Marshall. We, too, are overjoyed you're with us!

One way to think about the Psalms is as ancient Israel's hymnody. Like more contemporary songs, from Bach to Beyonce, one doesn't have to understand every part of it to appreciate it. There are some opaque metaphors; others seem clear. In Psalm 98, the whole chorus of creation joins in on the hymn. So, Jonathan and Seth discuss ways that we can make worship sound more like this image. How can we get more people involved? How rowdy can worship be? What might this look like in different contexts? This episode may have a more practical focus than some of our previous ones. We hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
Thank you for listening, as always. We're overjoyed to have you with us, and you can reach us at noexpertsallowed@gmail.com.

"Love" gets thrown around all the time. "I love ice cream," says Seth. We've talked many times on this podcast about God's love. 1 John, again, emphasizes love this week. So, too, does the appointed Acts reading that narrates the Ethiopian eunuch's baptism. Jonathan and Seth ask: What does this story tell us about God's limitless love? Who are the eunuchs of today? Who are people who we, despite our best intentions, don't think belong in the church?
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Christian communities have read John’s account of Jesus identifying as the good shepherd for over 1,000 years. Unlike most Sundays, even the psalm relates to the gospel reading (rather than the first reading). So, true to form, Jonathan and Seth ask a lot of questions about shepherds: who are like modern shepherds? Can one identify an uncommitted hired hand? What if we focus on the sheep?
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