We Chat about Conflicts
Matt and Merry chat about conflicts in the early years of the Jesus movement, and how they worked through them. We also chat about tv shows, predictable plots, jumping the shark, and avoiding social media.
Jul 03, 2022•56 min
Cocktails with Beers
Matt is a pastor in Maryland. Merry is professor of history. We get together in this virtual happy hour to chat about issues in Christianity and culture, as well as current events and trending issues. We are a married couple who try to keep things fun and light hearted as we banter about things as dumb as women wearing leggings or as serious as the war in Ukraine.
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Episodes
We chat about Roe V. Wade
The U.S. Supreme Court has recently overturned the 1973 ruling on Roe V. Wade. Now laws regarding abortions have been returned to the state and local governments. Matt and Merry crack open that big ol' can of worms and chat about what a Christian reponse to this may look like.
Jun 27, 2022•57 min
We chat about the Billy Graham Rule and being a professor
Billy Graham had a rule about never being alone in a room with a woman that wasn't his wife. We chat about how this rule has been adopted, revised, and distorted by some spiritual leaders today. We also chat about what it takes to be a college professor. And we also ponder how many times Jesus said, "Baby!"
Jun 20, 2022•57 min
We Chat about how stories of Jesus were spread and passed down
Matt and Merry chat about the oral tradition of Jesus of Nazareth before people started writing things down about him and his movement. How were the early stories of Jesus spread throughout Galilee and beyond? How were they passed down from one generation to the next? Why were they written down? We also chat about the January 6th hearings, our political leanings, and cheesy jokes about Matt's last name (Beers).
Jun 13, 2022•1 hr 5 min
We Chat about White Christian Nationalism
Matt and Merry chat about a new book called The Flag and the Cross. It is written by two sociologist, Philip Gorski & Samuel Perry, who look at the recent surge of "white Christian nationalism." We also chat about the making lapel pins, a game called "Pin the Flame Game," and discuss yet another church scandal.
Jun 06, 2022•1 hr 6 min
We Chat about Gun Control
Matt and Merry talk about mass shootings and gun control. We look at how some callous Christians are responding to recent events, how gun culture in rural areas has changed, and commas in the second amendment make it very difficult to interpret and apply to our current day (and few people ever mention the "well regulated" clause of the amendment).
May 31, 2022•1 hr 4 min
We chat about church abuse and intellectual theft.
Matt and Merry review the recent report released by the Southern Baptist Convention on their investigation into abuse. What they found surprised even them, but none of us. Also, a popular Sunday newspaper appears to be participating in plagarism and intellectual theft. We also chat about a new bourbon Matt tried recently, and what made it taste so weird.
May 23, 2022•52 min
We Chat about Bronies, rainy days at the beach, and current political divisions
Matt and Merry spent part of their week at the beach. But it was a bummer. It rained the whole time. Nevertheless, we lived our best life, and our daughter had the time of her life. We also got to see folks called Bronies who were attending a My Little Pony convention. Matt also went to church meetings for an annual assembly, and experienced how political divisions are affecting churches in your neighborhood.
May 16, 2022•48 min
We Chat about the Abortion Issue
We used to be known as Life on the Water, but now we're Cocktails with Beers. This newly named show is all about a husband and a wife carving out time in a busy week to catch up over a cocktail and chat with one another about both lighthearted and important issues. And for some reason we decided the first step of our newly named show should be right on the land mine that is the abortion issue. Enjoy.
May 09, 2022•54 min
Women Wearing Pants, The Critical Debate
Matt and Merry chat about a critical debate happening on social media over what women can wear to the grocery store. We also talk about the carnal feelings that arise when watching a Tom Cruise movie. How can we protect ourselves from this relentless assault on our freedom and moral virtues? And, Matt tries out his new sound board, which proves rather annoying to Merry.
Apr 25, 2022•46 min
What If Jesus Never Rose from the Dead?
What if archaeologists discovered a box full of bones, and they could prove conclusively that they were the bones of Jesus? How would that change your faith? Would it change the way you lived? Matt and Merry wrestle with this questions, and chat about how we are so focused on Jesus living again that we lose sight of the good news of what Jesus’ living had for us to begin with. If the empty tomb doesn’t change the way we live today, then Jesus rose from the dead in vain.
Apr 18, 2022•45 min
Lent: Needless or Meaningful
Matt and Merry talk about the season of Lent. Both of us grew up in a tradition that didn't practice this season, so we didn't go to a Lent serice at a church until we were well into adulthood. We chat about what we, two folk who grew up evangelical, think about Lent today.
Apr 11, 2022•57 min
Is Hillsong a Real Church?
Matt and Merry chat about Hillsong, their recent scandals, and whether or not they should be considered a church.
Apr 04, 2022•1 hr 8 min
TheoBros and Twitter.
Matt and Merry chat about folks called TheoBros, their social media presence, and their counterparts, The Exvangelicals.
Mar 28, 2022•33 min
Joseph #4. Bound to be free.
In our final installment to our Joseph series, Joe reconciles with his family. We also weigh in on the determinism vs. free will debate, and chat a little about gas prices, globalism, and the war in Ukraine.
Mar 07, 2022•1 hr 1 min
What should we think about Ukraine?
We talk about the war in Ukraine and what Christians should think about it all. We chat about chaos and creation, Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood, and how much God hates violence and war. We ask where God is when humanity insists on perpetuating violence, and ask what we should be doing when evil seizes the day.
Feb 28, 2022•58 min
Joseph #3. Ducks and Taxes
Jospeh overcame so much, but he couldn’t overcome the world. This week, Matt and Merry explain what they mean about that. Along the way, we talk about getting old, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s arms, and what the world would look like if we paid our taxes in ducks.
Feb 21, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Joseph #2. An Egyptian guide to interpreting dreams.
Matt and Merry chat about Joseph's rise to power in Egypt. We also discover the Egyptian book of dreams, an old text kept by one of Pharaoh's priests in the temple of the sun. And we use it to interpret some of our own dreams. You'd be surprised how hard it is to do that, butalso how coherent an interpretation could be.
Feb 14, 2022•49 min
Joseph#1. Sold into Slavery.
Matt and Merry begin a four part series on the story of Joseph. Not the Christmas Joseph, but the guy who wore the Technicolor dream coat. In part one, we chat about how Joseph's inflated ego and sense of entitlement got him into trouble with his brothers. Along the way, we chat about the best actors to hire for an audio edition of the Bible, as well as the importance of sibling position in determining success.
Feb 05, 2022•57 min
Cocktails with Beers. Sour Beers Edition
Matt and Merry try some fruity and tart beers from two of their favorite brewers. We're not big fans of sour beers. So, we're trying these to see if our favorite brewers can make a sour beer that we can actually like.
Jan 30, 2022•31 min
Militant Masculinity & Evangelical Christianity
Matt and Merry conclude their two part series on the role of women and men in American Evangelical Christianity. Last week, we covered the women, and this week we turn toward the men. We read Kristin Kobes Du Mez’s book called Jesus and John Wayne. In it, she talks about how the secular ideas of what it means to be a man have been largely adopted by American Evangelical Christianity. What has risen is an interesting blend of Christianity/ American Nationalism defined by aggression and militancy....
Jan 24, 2022•58 min
What the Bible Says about Women. The Making of Biblical Womanhood Review
What is the role of women in our society today? Some think that women should be just as free as men to choose to do what gives meaning to their lives. Others think women are subordinate to men, that women belong in the home being mothers and submissive wives. Then, there are those who are called "complementarians," who believe in divinely assigned family and societal roles for both men and women. We chat about all this as we discuss a new book called The Making of Biblical Womanhood. And listen ...
Jan 17, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Year in Review. What can we say? 2021 was a year.
Matt and Merry chat about the good things that happened this year, and we wonder how your year went. What are three positive things you experienced this year. That can be tougher than you think, especially two years into our current pandemic. We also look forward to what 2022 has to offer.
Dec 30, 2021•33 min
Cocktails with Beers. Xmas Beers Edition. Gingerbread Stout, Peppermint Porter, and Sugar Cookie
Matt and Merry try three cookie flavored and Christmas themed brews. We try Guiness' Gingerbread Stout, Southern Tier's Frosted Sugar Cookie, and Lexington's Bourbon Barrel Peppermint Porter. Along the way, we discover that everything tastes good when accompanied by a big plate of cookies.
Dec 24, 2021•36 min
Cocktails with Beers. Xmas beers edition. Southern Tier & Great Lakes Brewing
Matt and Merry taste Southern Tier's 2xmas Double Ale and Great Lakes Brewing's Christmas Ale. This should be interesting considering that Matt has an aversion to ginger ever since he had that run in with pickled ginger at a restaurant. He'll tell the story, and we'll figure out if either of these two beers are worth precious room in you stomach this Christmas.
Dec 21, 2021•27 min
Cheesy Christmas Movies #4. Dear Christmas
Matt and Merry chat about the 2021 Christmas movie called Dear Christmas. A woman who has a podcast about love and relationships has never found true love herself. But this year, when she goes home for the holidays it finds her. She keeps bumping into an old classmate, Chris Massy, aka Mr. Christmas. And what did we think of this movie? We'll tell you all about it. Along the way, we chat about holiday office parties, local productions of the Nutcracker, and who makes the best spicy chicken....
Dec 19, 2021•55 min
Cocktails with Beers: Christmas Beer Edition
Matt and Merry try some seasonal beer favorites. This week, we try Victory's Merry Monkey and Troeg's Mad Elf. Both are Belgian style ales brewed with all things Christmassy.
Dec 15, 2021•22 min
Cheesy Christmas Movies #3: The Santa Stakeout
Matt and Merry chat about the new made-for-tv Christmas movie “The Santa Stakeout.” We got a winner on this one. Joey Pantoliano didn’t disappoint, and neither did the rest of the crew. In short, we loved it, and we’re gonna tell you why. Along the way, we tell you how the Festival of Trains went, something called Santa Con, and the most famous actor to have appeared in a made-for-tv movie.
Dec 12, 2021•57 min
Cheesy Christmas Movies #2. A California Christmas. The cheese has gone bad on this one.
Matt and Merry review a popular Christmas movie from last year called A California Christmas. We are flabbergasted as to how this movie is so popular. It even has a sequel! Even the mouse in our house stopped watching 30 minutes in, and he loves cheesy things. The only thing we can think of is that the protagonist is a soap opera star who removes his shirt often, and the love interest wears daisy dukes, even when working in s@#$ stompers. A brave fashion choice. This is proof of how low a bar Ch...
Dec 05, 2021•57 min
Cheesy Christmas Movies #1. Love Hard. The Sexy Catfish
Matt and Merry chat about one of a 2021 made-for-tv cheesy movie release called Love Hard. A woman unlucky in love tries to find love on a dating app. None of the dates goes very well. Then, she falls head over heals for a guy named Tag. But when she meets him, he hilariously looks nothing like his picture. Predictably, they end up falling in love in the end. Along the way, we also chat about our Thanksgiving meal, why Advent gets in the way of Christmas, and how hard it is to celebrate Christma...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr
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