"It's up to you and me to care for this land and everyone and everything that calls it home." What can you do to address the exploitation of the poor, oppressed, and the created world around us? // James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress. Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it. // This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rev. Jim Keat, the Dig...
Aug 08, 2021•9 min
"I don't know how, don't know when, but I choose to believe we will know fullness again -- the fullness of hope again, the fullness of strength again, the fullness of love again, the fullness of purpose again." What fills you up when you feel empty? // Ruth 1:21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. // This episode was written and recorded by Minister Richard X III, the Assistant Minister of Faith Formation at The Riverside Church. It was produced by Rev. Jim Keat, the Digita...
Jul 25, 2021•13 min
“It is a great equalizer. No matter how smart or fit or on top of the world we may believes ourselves to be, everyone requires sleep." What is your relationship with sleep? // Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. // This episode was written and recorded by Rev. Lynn Casteel Harper. It was produced by Rev. Jim Keat. Background tracks include Barefoot by Podington Bear and The First Person Aw...
Jul 17, 2021•10 min
"Our communities are strongest when the voices of our disabled friends are heard." What voices do you need to be intentional to listen to? // This episode was written and recorded by Rev. Amanda Meisenheimer. It was produced by Rev. Jim Keat. Background tracks include Barefoot by Podington Bear and I'm So Glad that You Exist by Will Bangs. Visit www.trcnyc.org /BeStillAndGo to listen to more episodes from all seven seasons of Be Still and Go. Visit www.trcnyc.org /Donate to support this podcast ...
Jul 11, 2021•7 min
"For God so loved the world. And so we should too." What does "God bless America" mean to you? // "For God so loved the world." -John 3:16 ""I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing." -Genesis 12:2 "Blessed are the poor....Blessed are those who mourn....Blessed are the persecuted." -Matthew 5: 3, 4, 10 // This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rev. Jim Keat. Background tracks include Barefoot by Podington Bear, God Bless America by Kate Smith, Ripe ...
Jul 04, 2021•9 min
"The folks you are shutting out of the church today will be leading it tomorrow." -Rachel Held Evans What does it look like for churches to become safe spaces for all people? // This episode was written and recorded by Rev. Bruce Lamb, the Minister of Faith Formation at The Riverside Church. It was produced by Rev. Jim Keat, the Digital Minister at The Riverside Church. Background tracks include Barefoot by Podington Bear, Beneath the Willow by Andy Ellison, and Carry Me Along by Timber Choir. V...
Jun 27, 2021•8 min
"Today is a gift. The future we make: one breath, one word, each act of courage and kindness, sacrifice and solidarity—at a time. Love is risen to rule the world. Christ is Risen, O yes, risen in us, in the communion of saints, in the human family—of all colors, faiths, conditions, on every continent. We have only to see one another, in each other and love, love, love. And from that power comes justice, then peace." // This episode was written and recorded by Rev. Michael Livingston, the Interim...
Apr 04, 2021•7 min
"You are shining. At least, that’s how God sees you. You do not need a reality show or a makeover or an Instagram filter to be complete and whole and amazing." What does it mean for you to see yourself as "shining"? // 1 John 3:1-12 What marvelous love God has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who God is or what God is up to. But friends, that’s ex...
Apr 03, 2021•7 min
"No matter how bleak it gets the powers of evil will not win. That's why the Apostle Paul can ask, "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" Because Jesus has conquered them both and through bodily protest witnessed on an early Easter morning has defied and nullified their power." How have you seen the power of death and the grave defied and nullified in your life and the world around you? // 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your s...
Apr 02, 2021•10 min
"Maundy Thursday is about the food, the ritual, the sharing, but it's also about the love. It's the mandate, the mandāta, to love. To love each other the way that we are loved by God who came all the way down to be with us, to wash our feet, to cry out tears, to weep at the things that cause us pain, to love us on our worst days and our best." // John 13:34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. // This episode was wri...
Apr 01, 2021•9 min
“Our first temptation is to look at what new thing God is doing now rather than to look hard at the history, both ancient and contemporary, to face down the evil which we might not have created but from which we certainly benefit.” In your opinion, what is the evil that needs to be faced down from our ancient and contemporary history? // Isaiah 43:16-21 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, ...
Mar 31, 2021•8 min
"Having the mind of Christ is a way of knowing from a heart motivated by love, demonstrated by emptying ourselves and letting go of our position and privilege and everything we think we're entitled to and deserve, doing this all on behalf of others and on behalf of the entire world." In your own words, what does it mean to have the mind of Christ? // Philippians 2:5-11 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as...
Mar 30, 2021•10 min
"We realize that we are not the source of our power, that the power in us is not something we have to fuel with our own little bodies, that it's not energy we have to work up out of our own stores, but our true power comes from God. Our power is rooted in and nourished by the ultimate truth that we are each beloved children of God." What does it mean for you to be a beloved child of God? // Psalm 31:9-16 (The Sidney Psalter) Oh Lord, of thee, lett me still mercy wynne; For troubles, of all sides...
Mar 29, 2021•7 min
"Eternal God, whose word silences the shouts of the mighty: Quiet within us every voice but your own. Speak to us in these times of unprecedented challenge and remind us that there is no challenge, tragedy or hardship greater than your love. Amen." What do you hear God saying? // This episode was written and recorded by Rev. Debra Northern, the Minister of Parish Care at The Riverside Church. It was produced by Rev. Jim Keat. Background tracks include Button Mushrooms by Podington Bear and A Dre...
Mar 28, 2021•7 min
"We need a God who is in the water with us, a God who isn't afraid to get her clothes wet, a God who will gather friends and strangers on the beach to form a human chain to reach us where we are, stay with us as long as we need, and bring us to safety." Where have you found God recently? // This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rev. Jim Keat. Background tracks include Button Mushrooms by Podington Bear. The cover of Bridge Over Troubled Water is by Bella River Music. Visit www.trcn...
Mar 27, 2021•15 min
"We are not journeying alone. We are interconnected. We are each others' teachers." Who are you learning from during this season? // John 12:20-33 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unles...
Mar 26, 2021•10 min
"Be still my heart and go forth to create." What is your heart leading you to create? // Jeremiah 31:31-34 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Isra...
Mar 25, 2021•6 min
"It is an act of worship to tell God what kind of spot we're in. Lament is not just something we can do. It is way of worship we are called to." When was the last time you practiced lament? // Psalm 22:1-18 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you...
Mar 24, 2021•7 min
If you have been Bathsheba. If you didn’t consent. If you have never told anyone or if you have, if you have restitution or justice or you don’t. My God is big enough to write a Psalm to you. My beloved, What happened to you was wrong It was not your fault And you don’t have to make sense of why it happened I should have rescued you I will do what it takes to restore you I will not walk away from you Even if you are very angry. Even if you are finished with me. I will love you until the end. // ...
Mar 23, 2021•8 min
"Faithful waiting means paying attention, listening with compassion, acting with intention, and trusting that it doesn’t all rely on you or me." What can you learn from polar bears? // Psalm 130 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hop...
Mar 22, 2021•8 min
"We need Lent for such a time as this to remind us that nothing in this world is permanent and lasting; only God is forever. We need Lent for such a time as this to recommit ourselves to work for a just and peace-filled world because our world needs God’s healing touch." In your own words, why do we need Lent this year? // This episode was written and recorded by Rev. Phil Tom. It was produced by Rev. Jim Keat. Background tracks include Button Mushrooms by Podington Bear and Evelyn by Godmund. V...
Mar 21, 2021•6 min
"God is jumping out of bed at the sound of our first cry. God is picking us up out of our crib, holding us gently and whispering to us lovingly. And God is there when the evening continues to fall, when we can't seem to go back to sleep, when we cry all night long. When evening falls so hard, God will comfort us." How have you found comfort in the midst of a trying time? // This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Rev. Jim Keat. Background tracks include Button Mushrooms by Podington ...
Mar 20, 2021•13 min
"God’s goal is to heal the world and to liberate the world from oppression that enslaves and violence that kills." In your own words, what is God's goal? // John 3:14-21 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world...
Mar 19, 2021•8 min
"Although the pains and injustice of life exist all around us and given how this story from long ago is constantly replayed throughout human history and will continue, most likely, to be played, we do have one who is held high, indeed, for all to see. Thanks be to God." Who do you turn to when you experience the pains and injustice of life? // Numbers 21:4-9 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The peopl...
Mar 18, 2021•9 min
"Sorrow, pain, and loss will come to us but what we do with them and what we allow them to do with us is a choice. So surrender. Lament. Allow yourself to break open. Allow your heart to expand until it includes everyone. Erase the boundaries between you and the world. They are false boundaries anyway." When was the last time that you allowed yourself to break open? // Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment ...
Mar 17, 2021•7 min
"Just like the Psalm says, we can cry to God in our trouble, and God will save us from our distress. Because God has hands -- they're attached to our wrists. Our human innovation and ingenuity to heal this world and all of us in it is the work of God. " Where have you seen God at work in the world through the innovation and ingenuity of the people around you? // Psalm 108:19-20 Then they cried to God in their trouble, and God saved them from their distress; God sent out God's word and healed the...
Mar 16, 2021•7 min
“We are called to live in the house of God and the house of God is among those who are suffering.” Who are you praying for? And with whom are you praying? // Psalm 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confid...
Mar 15, 2021•9 min
"We are not called to live in isolation with our peace and calm but to share the fullness of life’s experiences with others on the journey. By sharing in the pain, joy and fear of life, there is a 'place for deepest dreaming' and, with the Spirit, 'there is always room to share.'" How are you finding stillness in your life? What does creating space add to your life? // This episode was written and recorded by Rev. Bruce Lamb, the Minister of Faith Formation at The Riverside Church. It was produc...
Mar 14, 2021•9 min
"This gospel is willing to look at pain but not romanticize it, and push towards incremental and partial healing. Just like the pockets of joy we find in the midst of our own pain and suffering, our own loss and trauma, even when we are down and out, may we take a cue from our Christian ancestors and, if only during this Lenten season, try not to romanticize or fix it, but just sit in the complexity of this moment in time, that it may usher in its own incremental or partial healing. May it be so...
Mar 13, 2021•11 min
"It looks like someone was finally fed up with the money changers profiting on every trade and the dove sellers exploiting the poor. About time someone did something! A riot is the voice of the unheard, right?" Who is exploiting the poor in our world today? And who do you see doing something about it? // John 2:13-22 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Mak...
Mar 12, 2021•7 min
