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What does it mean to say yes when the cost is public scandal?

In this Advent 4 episode, Pastors Bob Schaefer and Eric Damon are joined by comedians John Benkart (@johnbenkartcomedy) and Roy Gloeckle (@royjay.comedy) to wrestle with Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth—the version that centers not on Mary’s announcement, but on Joseph’s quiet, risky obedience.

Along the way, the conversation wanders (as it always does) through Catholic school memories, youth group survival strategies, church as therapy, bad choirs (said with love), ancient gossip, and whether the Bible ever allows God to act like Zeus (spoiler: no). Beneath the jokes, though, is a serious question Advent won’t let us dodge: Where is the good news in a story shaped by power, consent, and trust?

We talk about:

• Joseph as a model of righteousness that protects rather than punishes
• Why it matters that Jesus’ conception is not coercive
• Free will, foreknowledge, and whether God waits for consent
• What it means when men step back and women speak
• And why God provides not just a Savior—but a family strong enough to hold scandal and tenderness at the same time

As always, the Bible is taken seriously (but not literally in every word), Jesus is centered, and humor is treated as a legitimate theological tool.

If you’re looking for Advent hope that doesn’t skip the hard parts—or if church language has ever made you flinch—you’re welcome here.

Matthew 1:18–25 (NRSVue)

[18] Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. [19] Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. [20] But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” [22] All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: [23] “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” [24] When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife [25] but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

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Music: Trickster by Phat Sounds
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Season 3 kicks off with the return of our Resident Comic Theologians, Abby Evans and Erick Williams, as we dive straight into Matthew 11—the part where John the Baptist is in prison, Jesus sounds like Columbo, and nobody can agree how many Highlander films are canon.

Along the way we cover:

• Advent, aka the spiciest, wokest liturgical calendar season
• Why some churches still have a lone pink candle and whether that makes them heretics
• Macduff, belly buttons, Adam’s abdominal scars, and other things absolutely not in the text
• Jesus’s whole “go tell John what you see and hear” approach to evangelism
• Whether calling Jesus a capitalist or a socialist would make him flip a table (spoiler: yes)

And in a surprisingly heartfelt turn, we explore what it means that John doubts, Jesus doesn’t shame him, and the kingdom of heaven keeps turning everything upside-down anyway.

It’s theology, comedy, riddles, crickets, camel hair, and Erick insisting Jesus is basically the Riddler. (Will that preach? No. No it will not.)

Season 3 is here, and we’re already off the rails in the best possible way.

Matthew 11:2–11 (NRSVue)

[2] When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples [3] and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” [4] Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: [5] the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. [6] And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” [7] As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? [8] What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. [9] What, then, did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [10] This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ [11] “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

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Music: Trickster by Phat Sounds
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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In the Comedians with Pastors Talking Bible Season 2 finale, we start with bidets and end with Bob in wedge heels. In between, comedians Harriet Riley (@harrietrileycomedy) and Cassi Bruno (@cassi_dicci) bring stories of improv, sarcasm, and church-gone-sideways as we dive into Luke 13 and a Jesus who heals on the Sabbath like a first-century chiropractor.

• Eric insults the guests (twice).
• Harriet tries to become a bishop.
• Jesus breaks social norms.

It all builds to Bob’s unforgettable youth gathering tale that ends in a full teen-movie slow clap (see the photo evidence for yourself). Along the way we wrestle with what’s proper versus what’s right, why Sabbath is about freedom not fussiness, and how comedy and faith both thrive in the unscripted moments.

Season 3 will be here after a short breather, but don’t worry — we’ve got great stuff lined up during the hiatus, including a (FREE!) live comedy showcase at the Monroeville Public Library on Wednesday, September 17 (watch for clips and full content here and on YouTube all fall), and maybe even an unexpectedly spicy sit-down with a bishop emeritus.

This Week's Reading:

Luke 13:10–17 (NRSVue)

[10] Now [Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. [11] And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. [12] When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” [13] When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. [14] But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured and not on the Sabbath day.” [15] But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it to water? [16] And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” [17] When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things being done by him.

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

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Music: Trickster by Phat Sounds
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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It’s our last Short Take of the season, and Luke 12:49–56 is bringing the heat — literally. Jesus says he came to bring fire to the earth and division to households, not peace. We unpack what that means without sliding into persecution cosplay, and why this isn’t just a “Buddy Jesus” moment but a glimpse of a stressed-out, fully human Messiah.

Along the way, the conversation zigs: Strawberry Shortcake hair, Kim Possible vs. Wednesday Addams, Snickers ads for Jesus, and the cursed fig tree. Then it zigs again: Hebrew poetic parallelism meets the comedy “rule of threes,” Buddy Jesus meets the executed one, NOAA forecasts meet red skies at night.

And finally, the zag: political scenic routes, the real work of reading “the signs of the times,” and why following Jesus’ way will always create some friction. It’s absurd banter up front, deep biblical wrestling in the middle, and a few good puns at the end — classic CPTB.

This Week's Reading:

Luke 12:49–56 (NRSVue)

[49] [Jesus said,] “I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already ablaze! [50] I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! [51] Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! [52] From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; [53] they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” [54] He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain,’ and so it happens. [55] And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. [56] You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

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Music: Trickster by Phat Sounds
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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This week, our sacred text is drawn from Luke’s Gospel—an invitation to stay awake, gird one's loins, sell one’s possessions, and fear not. But when Bob insists on reading it in the King James Version, all theological decorum unravels. Eric breaks. Cassi drowns in a sea of “comeths.” Harriet, ever the Anglican, remains composed for nearly three verses.

What follows is an hour of exorcisms, sheep-based theology, bribed sacraments, purse allegories, and one shockingly tender meditation on where Jesus keeps his treasure. (Spoiler: it might be you.)

Our guests—comedians Harriet Riley (@harrietrileycomedy) and Cassi Bruno (@cassi_dicci)—bring impeccable chemistry, mischievous insight, and just the right amount of blasphemous glee. Between them:

• A childhood of mumble-singing in the Church of England
• A Roman Catholic confirmation funded via Nonna
• And a shared improviser’s instinct to play with the unexpected.

Bob confesses his shift from Drew Barrymore to Demogorgon crushes. Eric holds the line on foot-washing Christology. And together, we try (with some success) to answer the question: What’s the good news here, really?

This Week's Reading:

Luke 12:32–40 (NRSVue)

[32] “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. [33] Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. [34] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [35] “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; [36] be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. [37] Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. [38] If he comes during the middle of the night or near dawn and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. [39] “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. [40] You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

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Email us at cptbpod@gmail.com.
Find us at @cptbpod on most social media platforms.
More at linktr.ee/cptbpod

Music: Trickster by Phat Sounds
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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This week on Comedians with Pastors Talking Bible: Short Take, our resident comic theologians Abby Evans and Erick Williams join Bob and Eric to face down one of Jesus’ sharpest parables—and things get weird fast. We’re talking Luke 12, where a man tries to rope Jesus into a family inheritance dispute and instead gets a barn-burning sermon on greed, mortality, and the dangers of talking to your soul like it’s your pet.

Erick goes full spice mode with riffs on socialist God, Bill Maher impressions, and ergot poisoning conspiracies. Abby brings it back to earth with thoughtful insight (and a college roommate story). Bob reframes the parable’s economics with a sharp eye for what Jesus is really condemning. And Eric—well, Eric gives us his sorry face. (Don't miss the video.)

Along the way:

• What is your soul’s name?
• Can greed wear a collar and talk about microphones?
• And does Jesus ever just not want to parent your sibling fight?

Whether you come for the theology or stay for the absurdity, this one’s full of good grain and better laughs. Just don’t forget whose barn it’s in.

Plus: Abby’s upcoming shows, Erick’s close call with pastoral ministry, and the biblical origins of “Eat, drink, and be merry”—spoiler: you’ve been quoting the bad guy.

This Week's Reading:

Luke 12:13–21 (NRSVue)

[13] Someone in the crowd said to [Jesus], “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” [14] But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” [15] And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” [16] Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. [17] And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ [18] Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ [20] But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ [21] So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

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Email us at cptbpod@gmail.com.
Find us at @cptbpod on most social media platforms.
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Music: Trickster by Phat Sounds
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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This week on CPTB, we're joined once again by chaos chemists Tim Ross and Alex Stypula—because once clearly wasn’t enough. We talk Lego addiction, the linguistic challenges of translating the Bible into Klingon, and what prayer is actually for (besides soothing Tim’s persecution complex).

Plus: Alex dreams of a Catholic Dune reboot, Eric accidentally makes a serious theological point, and Bob tries to keep the podcast from collapsing into a milk-fueled singularity.

This Week's Reading:

11 [Jesus] was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”, Perseverance in Prayer 5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. 9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asked for an egg, would give a scorpion? 13 If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

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Email us at cptbpod@gmail.com.
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Music: Trickster by Phat Sounds
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Jesus stops by for dinner, and suddenly everyone’s got opinions. This week, Bob, Eric, Abby, and Erick dive into Luke 10:38–42 (the classic Mary and Martha showdown) and explore what hospitality really means—spiritually, socially, and awkwardly.

Expect:

• A spicy takedown (and redemption) of performative hosting
• A surprising theological defense of love languages
• Jazz riffs on Jesus, chores, and whether Martha just needed a podcast

Also featuring: plastic-covered furniture, Lazarus Lincoln, sacramental sarcasm, and possibly too much kombucha.

Pull up a chair (not the nice one), and let’s talk Bible.

This Week's Reading:

Luke 10:38–42 (NRSVue)

[38] Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. [39] She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. [40] But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” [41] But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, [42] but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

Join the community!
Email us at cptbpod@gmail.com.
Find us at @cptbpod on most social media platforms.
More at linktr.ee/cptbpod

Music: Trickster by Phat Sounds
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.