Sacred-ish

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Vayeshev, Genesis 37:1–40:23

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Parashat Vayishlach, Genesis 32:4-36:43

Send us a text

Christian Nationalism is in disharmony with Christianity. Pastor Joshua will talk about the egregious co-opting of Christianity by many in our country including and especially in our government who are ignoring and actually contradicting the lessons Jesus actually taught. 

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua talks about the cycles of life and grace during the trying times.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Parashat Vayetze, Genesis 28:10-32:3, a convoluted incestuous story of Jacob, including the ladder to God, Jacob's wives, his children, and the trouble he has with his father-in-law, Laban.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Parashat Toldot, Genesis 25:19-28:9, which begins the story of Isaac's family, including sons Jacob and Esau.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Chayei Sarah, Genesis 23:1-25:18, about the death of Sarah and Abraham's purchase of the Cave of Machpelah as a burial plot. It then tells the story of Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, which results in Isaac marrying Rebekah. The Parashat concludes with Abraham marrying again, to Keturah, before his death and burial next to Sarah.  

Send us a text

November 9th is the anniversary of Kristallnacht, a German state-coordinated series of violent attacks against Jews. The lessons of that history, including the normalization of hatred and the danger of inaction, resonate profoundly today. Pastor Joshua will look to his secular and religious Jewish roots seeking inspiration to fight fascism today.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Parashat Vayera (Genesis 18:1-22:24)

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1–17:27)

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads and comments on the second Parashat in the book of Genesis chapters 6:9 - 11:32. It includes the stories of Noah's Arc and the Tower of Babel.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua starts the Torah from the beginning with Bereshit - "In the beginning." It is the book of Genesis, Chapters 1:1-6:8.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua talks about the moment we are in with it's authoritarian creep as well as the new programming the Unitarian Universalist Association has introduced to "Meet the Moment."

Send us a text

The final Parahot before the reading of the Torah starts again are Ha'azinu (Deuteronomy 32:1-52) and V'Zot HaBerachah (Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12). They end the Pentatuch with God calling the people of Israel foolish ingrates and  threatening them with punishment if they don't follow his commandments and revere him alone. God also tells Moses that he will not be entering into the chosen land with the Israelites.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua talked about the Universalist Heritage of Unitarian Universalism and how it connects through social justice work into the 21st Century.

Send us a text

Joshua reads Vayelech (Deuteronomy 31) the penultimate speech of Moses to the Israeli's before he reads the Second Poem of Moses (Ha'azinu) which will lay out all the curses God will inflict upon the Israelites if they don't obey him.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20), one of the final speeches Moses gives to the Israelites preparing them to hear the curses that will befall them if they don't follow God's commandments.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8 about curses if the Israelites should not submit to God's authority and obey God's commandments and the blessings if they do.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Deuteronomy (Devarim) 21:10 - 25:19 in which much is laid out about rules/commandments including a number of reasons for stoning people to death to rid the Israelites of evil.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua talked about belonging at a church in Michigan a few years ago.

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9. 

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua reads Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17, Parashat re-eh (meaning "see").

Send us a text

The Torah, also known as the Hebrew Scriptures, or the five books of Moses, is read annually in Jewish synagogues from cover to cover (or the equivalent of covers for a scroll). Pastor Joshua has decided to take this on, reading the Torah literally and interpreting it through his context as a culturally Jewish atheist Unitarian Universalist. A new parashat, or chapter, is read Ever Sabbath (Shabbat). The Torah portion for this week, August 16, 2025 is Parashat Eikav, which tells of Moses addressing the Israelites and emphasizing the importance of keeping God's commandments in...

Send us a text

Pastor Joshua preached this sermon at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Monica in 2024. He combines the UU principle of "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part" and the UU value of love at the center. 

Send us a text

This was one of my first professional sermons preached at Unitarian Universalist Church of East Liberty in Michigan in 2019.

Send us a text

This was an interview I did back in 2020 for an earlier podcast I had. It is with Abby Stein, the transgender activist, author, speaker, and scholar.

Send us a text

This was a talk I gave in 2022 at the Chautauqua Institution in their Hall of Philosophy as a guest of the UU Fellowship of Chautauqua. It was originally called "Freedom and Other 'Ineffable' F Words”, but the Fellowship preferred I change that title.