The New Awaken Kindness with DaRevsUSA, your hosts the Rev. Dr. Penny Taylor and/or Rev. Dr. Bill Ressl

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...

In this episode - Penny and Bill explore how following the star, God’s call for your life, invites sharing your treasures with the world. Examine the story of the Magi, the 3 Kings, the Wise Ones, who followed their star and shared their gifts. What if they had given up or not shared their gifts? What star do you follow? What treasures do you share? Penny and Bill share a message grounded in the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, verses...

In this episode - Penny explores Mary’s gratefulness at the empty tomb of Jesus. …It was a dark morning. Jesus was dead. Mary visits the tomb and discovers it empty. Jesus’ body is gone! Who took it? Mary runs back to tell the other disciples. They run to the tomb. Upon entering the tomb, indeed Jesus’ body is gone. The disciples return home. Mary stays at the tomb. Weeps. Two angels and a gardener appear… Penny shares a message gr...

In this episode – Bill explores that Loneliness is very real. It can strip us of our humanness. Bill shares his thoughts on changing loneliness into solitude – a choice? Is it possible? Is there a difference? Expanding upon the theological thought of systematic theologian Paul Tillich, Bill looks at the difference between these two experiences and looks back to a story of an old Christian Brother from high school. Loneliness can ta...

In this episode - Bill delves deep into solitude, the cousin of loneliness, recognizing that we are never alone. Loneliness can destroy us – solitude holds us together. For where two or three are gathered Christ is present – but how can that be if we are all alone? Bill looks to scripture for an answer… the Advocate is ever present with us. So what? Bill unpacks the Good News – in solitude Christ is present. Bill shares a message g...

In this episode - Penny focuses on where to find strength and support in difficult times, especially in the painful experience of the death of a friend. Penny reflects on how Jesus shared time, had empathy, and consoled his friends – Mary and Martha. All were distraught at Lazarus’ death. Jesus reminds his friends that if you believe you need not worry about anything – then Jesus tells Lazarus: “Come out!” Lazarus rises from the de...

In this episode - Penny explores the peace that healed the disciples who were in lock down, paralyzed by doubt and fear. Have you ever experienced that type of fear and the peace that heals? The disciples were hiding in fear. Jesus had died on the cross. Doubt and fear filled their hearts - so they hid. Jesus appeared to them and said: “Peace be with you.” He was not angry. He was not filled with hatred that he had been betrayed by...