The Central Cast

Central Avenue Church
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  • CHRISTIANITY

Central is a healing and inclusive spiritual community for those hurt by religion and seeking the sacred. We are a fully affirming community that discusses challenging spiritual topics, reflects through progressive Christian liturgy, communes over food and drink, and serves our neighbors.

  1. 5D AGO

    2/8/26: Moral Clarity & Courage: A Pastor's Call to Resist

    In this episode Aaron unpacks Matthew 12 and redefines the "unforgivable sin" as calling compassion and liberation evil. He critiques spiritual bypassing and evangelical moral relativism, connects faith to historical fights against fascism and civil rights, and urges moral clarity, courage, and activism as essential expressions of faith. The episode closes with questions for reflection and a call to collective action.

    47 min

  2. FEB 1

    2/1/26: Finding Sanity in a World Gone Mad: Lessons from James Cone

    In this episode the host explores rising anxiety and the search for hope by turning to Black church wisdom and the work of Dr. James Cone. Topics include the cruciform meaning of the cross, how faith and story sustained resistance to white supremacy, the idea of a present-focused "cruciform" faith, and how historical lessons from the Black community can guide our fight against contemporary fascism while nurturing solidarity, compassion, and action.

    44 min

  3. JAN 18

    1/18/26: Radical Humility: Self‑Doubt, Trauma, and the Gospel

    The hosts explore Jesus’s radical humility (the Beatitudes, Philippians, and the cross) as a way to reframe weakness, and discuss vulnerability, power dynamics, rest, and the healing power of connection and compassion.

    1 hr

  4. JAN 4

    1/4/26: Life Review: Finding Hope After a Year of Fires and Loss

    In this episode the host leads a life review of 2025, reflecting on the Eaton and Palisades fires, political turmoil, community upheaval, and personal stories of trauma and recovery. Guests share how they found strength, faced loss, and began rebuilding their lives. Key themes include grief and healing, chaplain wisdom that "it won't always feel this way," faith as a source of hope and love, Romans 8, perseverance, and the power of community care as the group looks toward 2026 with a benediction of love and justice.

    34 min

  5. 12/21/2025

    12/21/25: Jesus the Refugee: Rethinking the Nativity

    Aaron reads Matthew’s nativity and argues Jesus began life as a refugee fleeing state violence, linking the story to the Exodus tradition. The episode challenges sanitized readings of scripture and urges Christians to care for migrants and the oppressed. Ultimately it affirms that love — not empire — has the final word.

    25 min

  6. 12/14/2025

    12/14/25: What Is the Meaning of Life? Four Paths to Purpose

    In this episode the host tackles the timeless question: what is the meaning of life? He outlines four overlapping ways people find meaning — the religious, the metaphysical, the social, and the material — and explores how each can sustain us. Stories and reflections include faith and deconstruction, a mystical view of being the universe experiencing itself, the power of relationships and politics, and finding joy in ordinary pleasures like sports. The episode emphasizes our ability to create meaning, the importance of community, and offers a hopeful benediction to commit to love, justice, and the courageous embrace of life.

    39 min

  7. 12/07/2025

    12/7/25: Peter Rollins: Communion of the Broken: Grace, Symptoms, and Shared Lack

    Peter Rollins starts with a parable about a mystic, an evangelical pastor, and a fundamentalist who each meet Jesus in the afterlife. From that story Peter explores three kinds of unknowing, the paradox that the divine can share our lack, and how that insight reframes salvation and love. The conversation contrasts community, the commons, and a deeper communion forged around shared wounds and symptoms, using AA as an example of radical acceptance. The episode closes with a short guided reflection inviting listeners to imagine a circle of people and the burdens they carry.

    1h 3m

  8. 12/03/2025

    11/23/25: Beyond Binaries: Luke’s Hidden Image of Male Intimacy

    This episode examines a censored detail in Luke’s story of Lazarus and the rich man — the original Greek term kolpon, often translated as "bosom," which evokes male intimacy, nurture, and vulnerability — and explores how gender norms, translation choices, and cultural expectations shape who we are allowed to be. The conversation expands into personal stories and audience reflections about gender as a social construct, how binaries limit everyone (including men), and how younger generations practice a more inclusive "and" thinking. The episode closes with a benediction inviting listeners toward love, justice, and humility.

    40 min
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About

Central is a healing and inclusive spiritual community for those hurt by religion and seeking the sacred. We are a fully affirming community that discusses challenging spiritual topics, reflects through progressive Christian liturgy, communes over food and drink, and serves our neighbors.

Information

  • Creator
    Central Avenue Church
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    The Central Cast