Happy Halloween week! I promise Ed did not wear his costume for the whole hour… (Vader is looking quite comfy in that crew neck)

We use this 1966 children’s classic to talk about faith, imagination, and the push and pull of sincerity v. cringe. Also, what *are* we to make of Lucy as a character?

As you listen, relish these beautiful images from the wordless interlude of the episode in which the World War I Flying Ace must creep through enemy lines. Stunning.

See you next time!

What fun! Music is a powerful creator of community, which we discuss in our kickoff to the conversation, followed by answers to four prompts:

* If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life

* Song that unlocks tears/emotion

* Song that saved your life

* Last song you shared with someone else

Troy Bronsink is a wonderful musician in his own right, and a deep and good human. And it’s always great to chat with my wingman Edward Goode. If you haven’t subscribed to their Substacks, do yourself a favor.

And here are our picks (plus some others we discussed) in playlist form: Spotify and Apple Music.

On the next PCPH! In honor of spooky season, Ed and I will riff on It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Next Wednesday, October 29 at noon EDT. Link.

Steady on.

Hi folks, here’s last Sunday’s sermon, a riff on one of my favorite Old Testament passages, in which Jeremiah makes an audacious real-estate purchase. I’ve preached on this text before, but always love revisiting it.

Steady on.

Thank you Nathan Webb, Emily Dunevant, Elizabeth Nordquist, Capitol Jill, Charlotte, and many others for tuning into our latest Pop Culture Pastors Hour with Edward Goode and our wonderful guest, Frances Wattman Rosenau! I encourage you to follow/subscribe to these great writers and thinkers.

This was a great conversation—very excited by these recommendations from my fellow pastors. I’ve got some reading to do…

We used this book of banned books via Pen America. And here’s the episode of the Moth podcast Ed mentioned on the topic.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into today’s live video!

Spoilers for Battlestar Galactica (miniseries, plus a little bit of the show as a whole), in which we talk AI, the true meaning of apocalypse, the role of religion, and the power and frailty of ordinary people. And will we ever get over 9/11?

Bonus nightmare: Roko’s Basilisk, a philosophical concept about AI that gives some people anxiety attacks when they hear it. Fun with game theory!

Thanks Ed for recommending this great show, can’t wait to watch the rest.

Coming up on Pop Culture Pastors Hour, we’ll be discussing Arrival starring Amy Adams and directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Today’s podcast offering is my sermon from yesterday, part of our congregation’s worship series, Brave: Faithful Living in Turbulent Times.

Focus, faithfulness, and weak foolish kings. And a man in his early 30s, with a wife and young children, who lost his life to political violence… but probably not the one you think.

The entire scripture text is here—this recording only includes the second part, but as you’ll hear, the first part is at least as important.

At the end of the audio you’ll hear me describe an activity in which people wrote down the answer to a question. The question is yours to ponder as well.

If you prefer to watch, here’s the video of the service, queued up to the sermon (but the whole service was lovely. Great music!).

Steady on.

It’s good to be back in the saddle! Thanks Edward Goode, I looooove this show and I loved this conversation about the power of story, beauty as a means of survival, and other favorite topics.

A few additional links. Here’s the scene where the characters dance as one of them raps a Tribe Called Quest song, and here’s the link to a very silly, extremely white ladypastor (cough) doing the same in a sermon on Palm Sunday last year.

And here’s the book Ed mentioned: The Fourth Turning.

Station Eleven is currently streaming on HBO/Max/whatever it’s called.

Our next PCPH will be Thursday, September 25 at noon EDT, when we’ll be chatting about the Battlestar Galactica miniseries. Link.

“Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Here’s a reflection on that famous verse, invoked so faithfully by MLK and others in the civil rights movement. Originally preached at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Herndon on September 7, 2025.

Big credit to Rebecca Solnit and her article on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

If this message speaks to you, please share it with friends and loved ones. And if you’re listening on a podcast app, rating and reviewing The Blue Room podcast is a great way to help others find our scrappy program on these here Internets.

Steady on.