Perspectives: First Church San Diego Pastors Podcast

What happens when faith gets fused with politics and the church loses its prophetic voice?

In Episode 3 of The Landscape of the White Church & The American Nation, Rev. Trudy D. Robinson talks with Dr. Karl Martin about Christian nationalism, American exceptionalism, discipleship, and the struggle to keep the church’s prophetic voice alive in a divided culture.

Together they explore:

• How nationalism can silence t...

In Episode 2 of The Landscape of the White Church & The American Nation, Rev. Dr. Hannah Ka joins Dr. Karl Martin, Ph.D., turning deeper into the question of how faith and national identity intertwine in the United States.

If American exceptionalism shapes how we understand the nation, what happens when that belief begins to shape how we understand Christianity itself?

In this conversation, they explore Christian nationalism:...

In Episode 1 of The Landscape of the White Church & The American Nation, Rev. Dr. Brittany Juliette Hanlin joins Dr. Karl Martin, Ph.D. for a thoughtful conversation about American exceptionalism, Christianity, patriotism, and the role of the Church in public life.

What happens when devotion to nation begins to shape discipleship to Jesus? How do Christians distinguish between what is sacred and what is secular? And how might ...

Micah 6:8 is one of the Bible’s most quoted verses — but what does it actually mean to “do justice”?

In this episode, Rev. Trudy Robinson and Rev. Dr. Hannah Ka unpack the deeper context behind Micah’s famous words, exploring justice, sacrifice, liberation theology, ethics, humility, and embodied faith.

What sounds simple on a T-shirt turns out to be anything but simple. Together, the pastors of...

How do you fight for justice without losing kindness?

In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Rev. Trudy Robinson and Rev. Dr. Brittany Juliette Hanlin explore Micah’s prophetic vision of peace, justice, and loving kindness in a world shaped by conflict, fear, and division.

Through Micah 4:1-4 and the broader message of Micah 6:8, they wrestle with difficult questions that still resonate today:

• Can ki...

What do you do when every voice claims to have the truth?

In our current political division, social unrest, and conflicting perspectives, it’s hard to know what – or who – to trust. In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Rev. Trudy Robinson and Rev. Dr. Hannah Ka turn to an unexpected voice: the prophet Micah.

Though written over 2,700 years ago, Micah’s words feel strikingly relevant toda...

Apostle Paul: Was he right or was he wrong? Have Christians misunderstood him for centuries?

That’s what Revs. Trudy and Brittany explore in this conversation of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast. Join the two female pastors as they talk Apostle Paul, resurrection, salvation, end-times theology, Christian nationalism, and what matters most in following Jesus today.

The Apostle Paul is one of Christianity’s most deba...

What if faith isn't about having clarity, but about showing up even when you don't understand?

In this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Revs. Hannah and Brittany explore the story of Doubting Thomas in John 20:19-25 and offer a powerful reframe: What if Thomas wasn’t lacking faith but longing for a deeper, personal encounter with Christ?

Using their theological imagination, they make a case for Thomas’ ...

What if faith isn’t about pretending everything is fine—but about telling the truth?

In this episode of the Perspectives Podcast from First United Methodist Church of San Diego, Rev. Brittany and Rev. Trudy explore what it means to not be okay and why that honesty might be the beginning of real hope.

After Easter, when celebration fades and real life sets back in, many of us are left carrying grief, doubt, exhaustion,...

In this Lenten episode of Perspectives, Revs. Trudy D. Robinson and Dr. Hannah Ka explore Matthew 26:6–13, the story of the unnamed woman who anoints Jesus—and the uncomfortable truth it reveals about us: Why do we deflect when truth feels painful? Why do we “help” in ways that actually protect our own comfort?

As the disciples criticize what they call waste, one woman embodies a radically different respons...

Was Jesus resurrected in body or spirit? Does it matter? What does it mean for us today? That’s what Revs. Trudy D. Robinson and Brittany Juliette Hanlin discuss in this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast.

Throughout Lent, this series—The People of the Passion—has focused on the individuals surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion, not just as historical figures, but as mirrors for who we are today.

This...

Privilege might feel like a modern conversation, but Scripture has been asking the same question for centuries: What do we do with the access we have that others don’t?

That’s what Revs. Brittany and Hannah explore in this episode of Perspectives as they continue the Lenten conversation series: “The People of the Passion.” This week, they focus on the story of Joseph of Arimathea in Matthew 27:57-61: A weal...

What if a horror movie could teach us something about faith? In Sinners, music becomes a spiritual force that’s powerful enough to bring people together, challenge oppression, and even pierce the veil between life and death.

In this episode of Reel Theology: Where Film Meets Faith, Rev. Brittany and Rev. Trudy explore the film Sinners and uncover the powerful spiritual questions hidden beneath its supernatural story. It...

Reel Theology: Where Film Meets Faith — Oscar Season Conversations

How do we heal when trauma runs through generations like a crack in a foundation? In this episode of Reel Theology, Revs. Trudy and Brittany explore the Oscar-nominated movie Sentimental Value, starring Stellan Skarsgård.

Set in Norway, the film tells the story of Gustaf, a filmmaker attempting to reconcile with his daughters after years of a...

Reel Theology: Where Film Meets Faith — Oscar Season Conversations

What does it mean to live a meaningful life? Join Revs. Trudy and Hannah as they reflect on Academy Award–nominated movie Train Dreams. The quiet, contemplative film tells the story of Robert Grainier, an orphaned boy who grows into a railroad worker and logger in the early American West—living a life marked by hardship, grief, beau...

Reel Theology: Where Film Meets Faith — Oscar Season Conversations

What does an animated K-pop fantasy movie have to teach us about shame, grace, and spiritual healing? In this first episode of Reel Theology: Where Film Meets Faith, Revs. Trudy and Hannah explore the Oscar-nominated film KPop Demon Hunters – a visually vibrant story that turns out to be deeply theological beneath the surface.

Together, they unpac...

Power can be silent—or destructive. What happens when inaction allows injustice to continue?

In this episode of the Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Revs. Trudy Robinson and Hannah explore the Passion story through the lens of progressive Christian theology, reflecting on Matthew 27:11–24 and the theme “The Violence of Neutrality.”

Join them for a thoughtful Lenten conversation about how avoidance, sil...

Betrayal. Disillusionment. Survival. 

Before we condemn Judas, we might first need to admit how often faith turns transactional in our own hearts. Perhaps we have more in common with Judas than we previously thought. That’s what Revs. Hannah and Brittany discuss in this episode of our Lenten Series: The People of the Passion. They reflect on Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50 and the story of Judas … not as a cartoon v...

What happens when faith confronts us with responsibility we’d rather avoid? We get defensive – just like the priests of Jesus’ time.

That’s what Revs. Trudy and Brittany discuss this first episode in our Lenten Series: The People of the Passion. They start with Matthew 21:33-45, the Parable of the Tenants. Often read as a story about religious leaders rejecting Jesus, the parable is more layered – and...