The New Awaken Kindness with DaRevsUSA, your hosts the Rev. Dr. Penny Taylor and/or Rev. Dr. Bill Ressl
Welcome to the New Awaken Kindness with DaRevsUSA with your hosts Rev Dr Penny Taylor, LCSW and Rev Dr Bill Ressl, LCSW. Each episode explores the challenge of this lived reality through the lens of goodness, hope, and love found in the scriptures of the Christian tradition. Episodes feature a message by Penny or Bill (or both) during a Sunday service. Penny and Bill bring a host of lived experiences into their message preparation - including over 35+ years of couplehood. Both are Ordained Ministers in the United Church of Christ (UCC) and co-served a local congregation for nearly 18 years. Both hold a Master of Divinity, Master of Social Work, and PhD in theology, ethics, and the human sciences. In addition to serving in the local church, Penny has also taught divinity and social work at the Chicago Theological Seminary, Loyola University Chicago, Aurora University, and North Park University. Similarly, Bill has taught bachelor, master, and doctoral level courses at the Chicago Theological Seminary, Aurora University, Dominican University, Elmhurst University, and North Park University. Today, in addition to being guest preachers in churches, they offer individual and couples therapy through their private practice CenterToAwakenKindness.com and offer innovative self-development tools through the Grow I Am Self-Development Active Learning Platform growIam.com Come join the journey and be sure to share it with others.
Episodes
In this episode - Bill’s message reminds us that it is not always easy to focus on the Divine – even Peter was called “Satan” by Jesus. In his message today, grounded in the gospel Mark, Chapter 8, verses 27-38, Bill explores why Jesus called Peter “Satan” through theological and historical foundations such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. This message was originally presented on Sunday, September 15, 2024 w...
In this episode Bill shares a Time for All God’s Children with the community of St Peters United Church of Christ in Lake Zurich, IL. Bill was initially perplexed trying to weave the Sunday scripture with the Sunday School teaching. The question kept playing in his head: What does Peter and Joseph have in common? Then the answer became clearly visible – a thinking hat can help! Listen and hear as Bill shares his answer presented du...
In this episode Penny explores the reality of being guided by the Spirit, listening for God’s Spirit, and being driven to do amazing things through Divine Love. Penny unpacks meeting Spirit guided people in a sacred space through the stories of Simeon and Anna as Joseph and Mary took baby Jesus to the temple to dedicate him to God. In this episode Penny shares a message grounded in the gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 22-40 with t...
In this episode Bill asks if you know the type… What type? Those type… the type Jesus talks about in today’s scripture. One that says yes – but does nothing. And the other type that Jesus talks about – the one who says “no way” but actually does what they have been asked. Bill also explores the space, functions, and people within the Temple in Jesus’ time as well as our God talk and God walk in today’s world. In this episode Bill s...
In this episode Penny and Bill examine being human and the challenge of being bothered by others and the realities of the persistence of asking and prayer. Think about living a prayer-filled life each and every day as well as each and every moment. Penny and Bill share a message grounded in Psalm 138 and the gospel of Luke, Chapter 11, verses 1-13 with the community of St Peter’s United Church of Christ in Skokie, Illinois on Sunda...
In this episode - Penny helps to see the time is now. Imagine a world filled with love – a love that fills people physically and spiritually. Penny looks at Jesus’ agenda – grounded in the movement of social justice and love. Yes, Jesus’ ministry was one of social justice, sharing love, and empowering people to stop social oppression while joining together to grow in love and justice. In this episode Penny shares a message grounded...
In this episode - Bill examines the dynamics and forms of life leading to growth or destruction – which do we value? Today we meet Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Judas who questions Mary’s actions of “wasting” expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. Mary had an intentionality to her actions – focused on love and Jesus that at times can seem a bit strange to the forms of society then and now. Bill shares a message grounded in the gospel of Jo...
In this episode - Penny and Bill delve deep into wine – Jesus’ first miracle changing water into wine at the wedding at Cana. Concerns can often arise at a wedding – and it did at a wedding at Cana that Jesus was at when the wine ran out. At first, he simply wanted to continue enjoying the wedding, but his mother encouraged him to create some wine. Jesus made the finest wine out of water. Feeling a little low – and who doesn’t once...
In this episode - Penny explores the sacred reality of God’s profound love. Share love and be an instrument of God’s peace and love – or share violence and anger? It’s a choice here and now. Experience something new – experience profound love… the sacred reality of God’s love that is very real and alive here and now. Share the power of love made visible in Jesus’ baptism. Share love. It’s not hard to do. It is possible. Start today...
Welcome. In this episode, Penny and Bill share together the reality that Christmas is much more than one day – it can be a lived reality of hope, peace, love, and joy every day. Our podcast today is a story set to music. A story that encourages each of us to prepare the way of the Lord in our life, today, here and now. To begin to live the love that is Christ’s message, a love that is capable of being made visible in each of our li...
In this episode - Bill talks about the choices we make in life - how we are an individual in life and how we participate with others. Bill unpacks understandings of individuation and participation through the Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother. Courage from deep within opens possibilities of new life. Love offers a path of understanding through the most difficult moments. Renewal is possible. Come let us explore how even the s...
In this episode, join Penny as she explores Jesus as the Good Shepherd - our Ultimate Concern, who knows us by name. Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows us. Jesus knows us by name, by voice… he knows each of us intimately. He knows our struggles and joys. Jesus knows the flock and each of us is already part of the flock – all we need do is accept it. Believe it! Let’s be more loving and focused on having a relationsh...
In this episode - Penny and Bill explore taking time to smell the flowers – taking time to be with God. Do we take time for God? Jesus did. Take Time to smell the flowers, aka sabbath time. Explore the amazing story of Jesus taking some time to be with God and reading from the scroll of Isaiah. Learn how God’s grace is all around if we open our eyes. Let’s take some time for God. Penny and Bill share a message grounded in the gospe...
In this episode - Bill dives deep into renewal in this season of Eastertide. Why now? It’s Eastertide! Let's explore… A new reality has begun – it is here. How do we live into this new time? What does it look like? Do we doubt like Doubting Thomas? Do we simply return to what we did in the past – or do we look beyond and live into today’s new possibility? Celebrate the new reality in front of us – and remember, yes it can be hard… ...
In this episode - Penny examines blindness as Jesus heals a man born blind with mud made from his spit. Imagine seeing the world for the first time by breaking the barriers of blindness. The local community questions what is happening – who did it – why? They knew the blind man as a beggar, not part of their community - although he knew them. He lived with them, heard their stories, and had always been very present in the community...
In this episode – Penny talks about a special guest. The crowd is wild. Jesus is walking by. Let us share the story. It is time to celebrate our relationship with God. We are in a time of turmoil – and like the days of old we are invited to tell the story so each generation can hear it, share it, and live Christ’s love. Come, let your light shine! In this episode Penny shares a message grounded in the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 21,...
In this episode - Penny and Bill look at the dramatic story of God opening the sky. Imagine ~ the sky opened! Why did God open the sky? Was God happy or mad? Did God say anything? Explore the amazing story of Jesus’ baptism when the sky opened, a dove appeared, and a voice spoke from the heavens saying: “I am well pleased.” Why was God pleased? Is God pleased with us today? Join Penny and Bill as they reflect on what God said at Je...
In this episode - Penny examines inviting God to be present as we mix it up sharing simple gifts of peace and love. It’s about gratefulness - believing and sharing it forward. Discover God’s peace through sharing simple gifts with one another, such as sharing peace and love in unity together. Share the gifts God has given for the glory of God in all the diversity of life. We are each unique, with unique gifts to share and to use fo...
In this episode - Penny delves into life’s reality – it’s a choice… be bad or good. Each of us can do either. What would a Good Shepherd do? What does civility look like? What type of world do we wish to live in… to create… to leave to a future generation? Do we follow the model of the Good Shepherd or who else? Come – let’s explore. Let your life shine as an example of the Good Shepherd. Be present with Christ here and how – let y...
In this episode - Bill focuses on the painful daily struggle… do we corrupt another day or work toward healing? Every day every person has a choice… do we continue to expand the ills of otherness made visible in the world through oppression, disenfranchisement, and disempowerment - or do we spend the next 24 hours working toward loving one another – our self, our family and friends, and our enemies. A new day is possible here and n...
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