Rev'd Up for Sunday

Jesus tells one of his most violent parables: tenants seize a vineyard, attack the servants sent to them, and finally kill the landowner’s son. But who actually calls for vengeance at the end of the story? Peter Walsh and Elizabeth Garnsey explore the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, its roots in the Hebrew Scriptures, the danger of treating God as something religion can own or control, and why this passage should never become ...

This week, the religious leaders challenge Jesus by asking, “Who gave you the authority to do this?” But Jesus turns the question back on them, exposing something deeper than a disagreement about authority. Peter Walsh and Elizabeth Garnsey ask what happens when the truth is right in front of us, but accepting it would require us to change. Through the Parable of the Two Sons, they explore the disruptive authority of Je...

This week, Jesus tells the story of workers who put in very different hours and somehow receive the exact same pay. Fair? Not exactly. And that's the point. Peter Walsh and Rob Schwartz explore what this parable reveals about our tendency to keep score, decide who deserves what, and turn someone else's blessing into our grievance.

Questions for Reflection

Themes & Application

1. The conversation connects the worke...

How many times do we really have to forgive someone? This week, Peter Walsh and Rob Schwartz explore Matthew 18:21–35, where the apostle Peter tries to put a number on forgiveness and Jesus responds by blowing up the whole accounting system. But the conversation quickly gets harder: Is forgiveness the same thing as reconciliation? What happens when someone continues to hurt us? And what are we supposed to do with a parable ab...

What happens when someone hurts us? Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 18:15–20 offer a surprisingly practical approach to conflict, accountability, and reconciliation. Peter Walsh and Rob Schwartz discuss why talking TO someone matters more than talking ABOUT them, how storytelling can break down tribal divisions, and why the goal of confrontation is less about winning the argument and more about regaining the person.
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This week, we move from Peter’s confession of faith to the difficult reality of what following the Messiah actually means. Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and Rob Schwartz explore why Jesus tells Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”, how love and good intentions can become stumbling blocks, and what it means to lose our lives in order to find them.

Questions for Reflection

Themes & Application

1. Peter&...

Who is St. Peter: faithful disciple, flawed human being, first pope, symbol of the Church, or somehow all of the above? Fr. Peter Walsh welcomes Msgr. Rob Kinnally of St. Aloysius Catholic Church for an ecumenical conversation about one of the New Testament’s most famous and contested passages. Together they explore Peter’s confession, the meaning of “the rock,” how faith grows and changes, and what Catholic...

This week, Jesus encounters a persistent Canaanite woman who refuses to take no for an answer. Peter Walsh and Elizabeth Garnsey wrestle with a provocative question: Does this woman learn something from Jesus, or might Jesus and his disciples learn something from her? Along the way, they explore what comes from the heart, the boundaries we draw around God’s mercy, and the surprising grace of having our point of view conquered...

What happens when we step out in faith but start to sink? In his final episode of “Rev’d Up for Sunday”, John Kennedy joins Peter Walsh and Elizabeth Garnsey to explore Jesus walking on water, Peter’s risky leap of faith, and what this story reveals about fear, failure, spiritual growth, and the surprising gentleness of Jesus. Along the way, the clergy reflect on the making of a disciple and the journey that...

When Jesus feeds five thousand people, is the greatest miracle the multiplication of bread... or the transformation of human hearts? John Kennedy and Elizabeth Garnsey explore one of Jesus' most familiar miracles through fresh eyes. They discuss abundance versus scarcity, the meaning of compassion, connections to Moses and the Eucharist, and what this story reveals about the Kingdom of God. Whether you've heard this Gospel a hundre...

What if the biggest spiritual truths are hidden inside the smallest stories? Elizabeth Garnsey and Rob Schwartz explore six memorable parables from Matthew 13, discovering how mustard seeds, yeast, treasure, pearls, and fishing nets reveal a Kingdom that grows quietly, transforms lives, and often goes unnoticed.

Questions for Further Discussion

Themes & Application

1. Throughout these parables, Jesus compares God'...

How does Jesus’ parable about wheat and weeds relate to the forces of good and evil , and what’s all this talk about fire?! John Kennedy and Rob Schwartz wrestle with this challenging parable while exploring themes of justice, patience, and the surprising humility Jesus calls us to embrace. What does it really means to leave judgement to God?

Questions for Further Discussion

Themes & Application

1. Why...

What keeps Jesus’ message from taking root in our lives? This week, Peter Walsh and Rob Schwartz dig through one of Jesus' best-known parables to uncover surprising insights about spiritual growth, distraction, doubt, and what it means to cultivate a heart that's ready to receive.

Questions for Further Discussion

Themes & Application

1. Peter suggests this parable is ultimately about the condition of the soi...

Jesus invites the weary to find rest, but what kind of rest is he actually talking about? This week, Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy explore one of Jesus' most beloved invitations and uncover why following him is both more demanding and more freeing than we often imagine. Along the way, they discuss burnout, Sabbath, spiritual pride, and why true rest begins by coming to Christ.

Questions for Further Discuss...

This week, Peter Walsh and Elizabeth Garnsey explore how hospitality, welcome, belonging, and small acts of kindness can transform both individuals and communities. From Abraham's hospitality to the challenge of modern isolation, they invite us to see Christ in those we welcome and to become people who help others belong.

Questions for Further Discussion

Themes and Application

1. How does Jesus redefine discipleship b...

"I Have Not Come to Bring Peace, But a Sword." Did Jesus actually say that? And if so, what did he mean? Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy tackle one of the most challenging passages in the Gospels. From family conflict and social justice to fear, courage, and the difference between false peace and true peace, this conversation might change the way you hear Jesus' words forever.

Questions for Further Discussio...

What does it mean to be sent into the world as participants in God's work? Peter Walsh and Rob Schwartz discuss the connection between proclamation and action, Jesus' deep compassion for those who are "harassed and helpless," and the transition from being disciples (learners) to apostles (those who are sent).

Questions for Further Discussion

Themes and Application

1. How do we recognize God's call even when we feel un...

This week’s reading brings us to Jesus calling Matthew the tax collector, dining with those considered outsiders, healing a woman suffering for twelve years, and raising a synagogue leader's daughter. Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy identify a common thread running through all these stories: mercy. Learn how following Jesus is a journey into greater mercy, deeper trust, and true spiritual freedom.

Que...

This week, we explore the Great Commission and the mystery of Trinity Sunday. Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy discuss the Trinity not simply as doctrine, but as a lived experience of self-giving love. Along the way, they wrestle with power, mercy, division, spiritual formation, and what it means to live as a community shaped by the presence of Christ.

Questions for Further Discussion

Themes and Applic...