Peace, One Friend at a Time

"I consider myself a disappointed child of God." Rev. Jill Keyser Speicher wrote those words in a short personal essay in the January/February 2026 issue of Messenger, the magazine of the Church of the Brethren. Not many people say that sentence out loud in church. Jill says it, and then she says the rest of it: she is also a precious child of God.Jill is a retired Church of the Brethren chaplain who served in hospice, hospitals, and retirement communities. She talks with Pastor Harry Jarrett about the two great disappointments of her life: the children she and her husband, Tim, longed for and never had, and a hip replacement that never healed, after twelve surgeries, which left her using a wheelchair. She tells about the innocent faith of her childhood, the "reward mentality" she had to let go of, and why she does not believe that everything happens for a reason. Harry names what he hears in her story: not a gospel of prosperity, but a gospel of presence.Then the room joins in. Class members ask about young women who no longer see motherhood as an expectation, about what her lowest point looked like and how she found her way back to God, and whether her picture of God changed. Jill describes a God who is not up in the clouds but down here, walking beside us. Harry connects her words to Jesus on the cross, and Jill offers a practice that helped her: read the psalms of lament, then write your own, because God can take it.This conversation was recorded in Pastor Harry's Sunday school class at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren in Weyers Cave, Virginia, with questions from the people gathered there. Produced by Grayson Preece.Run of show:0:00 Grayson's welcome0:27 Harry welcomes the room and introduces Jill2:04 Jill's Messenger essay, "A Disappointed Child of God"3:18 A milestone birthday and two great disappointments4:23 Life in a wheelchair at Brethren Village5:13 "I am a precious child of God"5:51 Jill's childhood faith7:40 Night school, nonprofits, and the American Cancer Society8:30 Longing for a child8:54 Wounded souls and the call to chaplaincy9:29 What are we teaching children about blessing?11:44 "Everything happens for a reason"? Jill does not believe it12:09 Seek first the kingdom, and when God says no12:54 Women in leadership, and the patient who wanted a male chaplain14:13 A gospel of presence, not prosperity14:59 Hebrews 11, Hannah, Elizabeth, and the Bible's happy endings15:53 Open and relational theology, and what seminary did to the Bible stories17:03 Naming disappointment out loud18:15 How it felt to publish something so vulnerable18:26 Angry at God, and realizing it is a relationship19:13 From a God who micromanages to a God who walks beside us20:41 "Our very own Joni Eareckson Tada" and questions from the room21:32 From the room: young women and the choice to have children23:46 From the room: the lowest point, and the way back to God25:13 Punishment, hidden sin, and the reward mentality26:41 Pat answers, "God is good all the time," and some ridiculous advice27:35 Millard Driver asks: did your idea of God change?28:35 Not up in the clouds, but down here walking with us29:21 Where to find the article29:40 Do you still consider yourself a disappointed child of God?30:22 Jesus on the cross, a disappointed child of God31:14 Psalms of lament, and writing your own31:49 Giving people words: Psalms and Lamentations32:35 Closing words: writing to help others34:09 We all grow through suffering34:39 Thanks for listeningFaith in Process on Substack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe

What does it mean to keep the faith when your faith keeps changing? Millard Driver came to Sunday school with a list: the beliefs his faith rests on, and how those beliefs have grown and shifted over a lifetime.Pastor Harry Jarrett opens with the Greek word pistis, the word our New Testaments translate as faith or belief, and then Millard walks through his convictions: that all that is finite is a manifestation of the infinite God, that the image of God and the Spirit of Christ live within each of us, that God persuades rather than compels, and that salvation looks like being transformed into the mind of Christ. He tells about a cold, clear night on his way to the barn as a boy, looking up at the Milky Way, and about the quiet, wordless contemplative prayer he learned through Richard Rohr and the Center for Action and Contemplation.Then the room weighs in. One member wonders whether this kind of hope comes easier to those of us who live comfortable lives, and Harry points to the long tradition of faith and theology born among the poor and the oppressed, drawing on Richard Rohr's book The Tears of Things. The hour ends on a friendly but real disagreement. Millard says transformation is the key. Harry says transformation needs a direction: toward the mind, the way, and the life of Jesus. And a reminder from the letter of James that faith without works is dead.This conversation was recorded in Pastor Harry's Sunday school class at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren in Weyers Cave, Virginia, with questions from the people gathered there. Produced by Grayson Preece.Run of show:0:00 Grayson's welcome0:26 Harry opens the class: pistis, faith or belief?1:39 Millard's question: how does one keep one's faith?2:34 Faith as a noun, faith as a verb, and which faith?3:44 "All that is finite is a manifestation of infinite God"4:26 The image of God within us: Genesis and John 15:31 God's work: reconciling all of creation6:00 God is love, born again, and the renewed mind7:03 Transformation, salvation, and the mind of Christ7:39 WWJD, or what would Jesus think and do?8:12 The kin-dom of God9:16 Richard Rohr and contemplative prayer10:05 Prayer without words11:17 A boy, a barn, and the Milky Way12:07 Growing past the beliefs we were taught12:40 Millard's faith statement: a paradigm shift, not a battle13:22 God persuades, God does not compel: "God stacked the deck"14:05 Harry: a talk about keeping the faith that is all about change15:33 From the room: following the Spirit, and faith is simple, people are complicated17:42 From the room: is this kind of faith easier for the comfortable?18:27 Theology born among the oppressed, and The Tears of Things20:31 Faith as a verb: trust, allegiance, and action21:08 When the gospel manages people instead of liberating them22:13 Where to find the book: the church library, the public library, and hoopla23:10 Millard: transformation is the key24:42 Harry: transformation toward what? Direction matters26:11 Faith without works, and stopping at belief26:52 Closing, and a pointer to Sunday's sermon27:10 Thanks for listeningFaith in Process on Substack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe

Most of us learned about the Wright brothers in school: two bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio, who taught the world to fly. Fewer of us learned that their father, Milton Wright, was a bishop in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, a Pietist movement with deep family ties to the Church of the Brethren, or that the brothers helped a young Black poet named Paul Laurence Dunbar get his start.In this episode, Pastor Harry Jarrett welcomes back Scott Holland, Professor Emeritus of Theology and Culture at Bethany Theological Seminary, to talk about a paper Scott presented this fall at the Heirs of Pietism in World Christianity conference at United Theological Seminary in Dayton. Scott asks whether something in the Wrights' spiritual DNA, a faith that prized imagination and was not afraid to dissent, helped them soar. From there the conversation turns to the church today: where our imagination has gone, why dissent so often gets demonized, and whether people who disagree can keep growing together instead of splitting apart.Along the way you will hear about Martin Boehm and Philip William Otterbein greeting each other in a Lancaster County barn with "Wir sind Brüder," Bishop Wright's principled stand against slavery, Gottfried Arnold's history of the church's so-called heretics, and Scott's invitation to love not only our neighbors but the questions they are asking.This conversation was recorded in Pastor Harry's Sunday school class at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren in Weyers Cave, Virginia, with questions from the people gathered there, including Faith in Process producer Grayson Preece.Run of show:0:00 Grayson's welcome0:42 Harry opens the second season of Faith in Process Sunday school1:30 Meet Scott Holland2:17 Scott's fall of conferences, and a paper for United Theological Seminary3:35 The Wright brothers paper, and Harry's Kill Devil Hills connection5:05 Heirs, not errors: the Heirs of Pietism conferences5:37 Discovering that the Wright brothers grew up United Brethren7:07 Writing a paper the neighbors would want to read8:06 A short history of the United Brethren: Boehm, Otterbein, and "Wir sind Brüder"9:57 Something in the spiritual DNA? Science, hospitality, and Paul Laurence Dunbar11:05 "Reason can only follow the paths first broken open by imagination"12:31 Where did the church's imagination go?14:25 Brueggemann's prophetic imagination, and why new ideas make us uneasy16:01 Has dissent been demonized?16:34 How the Wright brothers dissented from the glider men18:37 Moving the elevator to the back, and da Vinci's flying machines on paper20:04 Bishop Milton Wright, abolition, and dissent on principle21:36 Can dissenters stay instead of splitting?22:59 Did Milton Wright leave, or was he pushed out?23:52 Loving the questions your neighbor is asking24:46 Not just staying together: growing together26:07 Harry joins the On Earth Peace board, and justice-shaped peace27:10 Grayson's questions from the room27:37 How can we become "dissent literate"?28:53 Gottfried Arnold and the history of the heretics30:09 The inner journey and the outer journey; Whitman and Elias Hicks31:51 Every honest question adds something33:44 United Brethren and Church of the Brethren: what is the difference?36:00 Closing thoughts, and an open invitation to suggest topics37:16 Bethany Seminary and graduating without student loans38:16 Faith in Process and the call to ministry39:07 Thanks for listeningResources and links for this conversation: Faith in Process on Substack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe

Thirty years ago, a hibakusha, a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, spent a night in Brad and Sue Cox’s home in Lynchburg, Virginia. She spoke to a class of junior high students, and the Coxes never forgot her. Decades later, retirement age arrived, and instead of settling in, they opened the Brethren Volunteer Service Opportunities Book and found a listing for the World Friendship Center in Hiroshima. Only after they were far along in the process did they learn that their guest from thirty years earlier had helped found the very center they were about to serve.In this episode, Brad and Sue, the 43rd co-directors of the World Friendship Center, join Harry from their guest house in Hiroshima to talk about what it means to say yes to a calling in your sixties: teaching English to hibakusha in their eighties, hosting hibakusha testimonies for visiting students, and watching those testimonies ripple outward, from a ginkgo peace tree planted on a California campus to a college student who still calls it the most memorable day of her life. Along the way, Harry and the Coxes wrestle with harder questions too: whether the bombing was avoidable, what it means to be Christ-like versus simply calling yourself a Christian, and what nineteen months of daily dependence on strangers in a foreign country has taught two American retirees about grace.Brad and Sue’s two-year term ends this November, and the World Friendship Center still hasn’t found their replacements. If you’ve ever wondered what a second season of life could look like, this conversation might be the nudge you didn’t know you needed.Run of Show0:00 Cold open and welcome0:26 Meeting Brad and Sue from opposite sides of the globe1:34 How Harry found their story, and what “hibakusha” means2:31 Grandparent figures of BVS Unit 3363:01 Retiring, or rewiring? What led them to say yes4:34 Brad’s post-retirement classroom at Bridgewater College5:22 Sue’s teaching career, and a year in Germany6:11 Opening the BVS Opportunities Book6:43 Why Hiroshima: a hibakusha’s visit to Lynchburg thirty years ago8:14 The full-circle discovery: their guest helped found the World Friendship Center9:02 Barbara Reynolds and the founding of WFC in 19629:26 The motto: “peace, one friend at a time”10:21 WFC’s three founding purposes13:01 Building bridges of understanding, and how WFC’s mission differs from ICAN’s14:20 A normal day at the World Friendship Center16:06 Who’s in the English classes today, ages 6 to 8617:29 Why English class is really about friendship, and fighting dementia19:06 How a hibakusha testimony happens: coffee hour and the 9:30 talk20:06 The Sonoma State story: a 93-year-old survivor’s testimony24:04 “One of the most memorable days of their lives,” and a peace tree planted back home27:43 Was the war, and the bombing, avoidable? A peace church wrestles with history30:02 John Hersey’s Hiroshima, and the Harper’s Magazine rationale36:44 Preserving testimony as hibakusha age: the Pass It On Project38:45 A hibakusha walking tour, inspired by the Anne Frank House41:30 Motomachi High School: pairing art students with hibakusha survivors43:48 Faith in process: wrestling with where God was46:12 Christ-like versus Christian: what Japan has taught them48:38 Lessons in courtesy: bicycles, trains, and a society that thinks of others51:37 Their term is ending: the pitch for the next BVS couple54:06 The practical case for serving: housing, food, and healthcare56:37 Closing thoughts, and what comes next57:32 Final words: go look at the BVS Opportunities Book59:00 A personal tie to the Shenandoah Valley59:42 An open invitation to stay at the World Friendship Center guest houseResource GuideAuthors, books, and organizations mentioned in the conversation, with links for anyone who wants to go deeper.World Friendship Center, Hiroshimahttps://www.wfchiroshima.org/english/Brad and Sue’s host organization; guest house booking and background on all three founding purposes.World Friendship Center – Directors and Staffhttps://www.wfchiroshima.org/english/about-wfc/directors-and-staff/Confirms Brad and Sue as the 43rd Directors, term November 2024 to November 2026.Brethren Volunteer Service – World Friendship Center project listinghttps://www.brethren.org/bvs/projects/1129/The BVS project page for this specific placement; start here if you’re the couple Brad is recruiting.Barbara Reynolds and the founding of WFC (1962)https://h-s-o.jp/abe/post_en/08/Background on Reynolds’ peace pilgrimages and the hibakusha, including Miyoko Matsubara, who traveled and spoke with her.Miyoko Matsubara – correspondence with Barbara Reynoldshttps://www.hiroshimapeacemedia.jp/?p=135669More on the hibakusha who stayed with the Cox family in Lynchburg decades before they knew her connection to WFC.John Hersey, Hiroshima (1946)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_(book)The book Brad references as the turning point in American public understanding of the bombing’s human cost.Henry L. Stimson, “The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb,” Harper’s Magazine, February 1947https://www.asianstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/the-harpers-magazine-article-from-1947-the-decision-to-use-the-atomic-bomb-by-henry-stimson-to-accompany-peter-frosts-article-teaching-mr-stimson.pdfThe rationale piece Brad describes; published February 1947, not 1948 as stated in conversation (see producer notes).ICAN – International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weaponshttps://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2017/ican/facts/The disarmament organization Brad references; correct name and 2017 Nobel Peace Prize background (see producer notes).Motomachi High School hibakusha art programhttps://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/23/japan/hiroshima-atomic-bombing-students-paintings/The nearly 20-year-old program pairing art students with hibakusha to paint their memories.Green Legacy Hiroshimahttps://glh.unitar.org/The project behind the ginkgo “peace trees” grown from seeds of bomb-surviving trees, including the one planted after the Sonoma State visit. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 1, Part 1: Meet Mark and HarryWelcome to the first episode of Honest Conversations and Healthy Organizations, a new podcast produced alongside Faith in Process, releasing every other month. This series brings together two longtime friends who have each spent decades moving between the worlds of business and the church: Mark L. Vincent and Harry Jarrett.This first episode comes in four parts, and this is part one. Who Are Mark and Harry?Mark L. Vincent, Ph.D., EPC is the founder of Design Group International and Maestro-level Leaders, and founder of the Society for Process Consulting. A Process Consulting pioneer and Executive Advisor, Mark is certified as an Executive Process Consultant (EPC) and serves on multiple boards with an eye to their efficiency, relevance, and mission-centeredness.Mark’s distinguished career spans more than thirty-five years pioneering approaches to Process Consulting, executive leadership and organizational capacity-building, entrepreneurship, and professional development. His focus on a process approach to helping organizations and leaders live into their mission has led to successful adaptive change initiatives with more than 900 clients across varied domestic and international marketplaces.Beginning in the year 2000, Mark translated Dr. Edgar Schein’s formative academic work into the professional field of Process Consulting—co-creating what help looks like with clients, so that clients own what they say they want. He authored the foundational text “Listening Helping Learning: Core Competencies of Process Consulting,” which lays out the roadmap to partnership with clients and serves as the curriculum for Process Consulting certification.Mark specializes in working with accomplished leaders in the “Third Turn” of their careers—executives who are focusing on future value, succession, and legacy. He brings attentive listening, incisive questioning, and strategic resources to the integration of being and doing at the level of executive leadership. Through Maestro-level Leaders, he hosts advising cohorts specifically designed for leaders in transition, offering monthly cohort calls, individual advising, and regular in-person retreats—providing succession support not found anywhere else.Mark has worked extensively with churches and faith-based organizations, including substantial consulting work in the Mennonite Church and broader Anabaptist communities in Italy, Sicily, and across the United States. His unique background bridges both business and faith sectors, bringing deep understanding of both corporate dynamics and church leadership.Mark is also a member of the Sage Group Collective, which brings peers and experts to pressing opportunities and challenges through ninety-minute intensive panel sessions. He serves on the boards of Century Companies, 10x Connect, and the Center for Steward Leader Studies.A Boise, Idaho-based nomad, Mark is married to Patricia Teall Vincent, a life coach. Together they divide their time between family, work, and their blended family of six children and seven grandchildren spread from Boise, Idaho to Syracuse, New York. Mark is committed to “the hope of our grandchildren’s grandchildren.”His book about Maestro-level Leaders, titled The Maestro Effect: Future Value, Succession, and Legacy in Business was recently released. He currently serves as "Visionary and Convener" of Maestro Suite Advisors.Harry Walthall Jarrett, Jr., M.Div. is a unique bridge-builder who has spent his career moving seamlessly between pastoral ministry, international missions, entrepreneurship, and hospitality management. His rare combination of deep theological training, hands-on business leadership, and pastoral experience positions him to speak with authority about the intersection of faith and work, spiritual formation and organizational health, and the practical challenges facing churches today.Harry’s ministry career spans three decades, beginning with Youth Evangelism Service in Bari, Italy (1988-1989) and continuing as a missionary and church planter in Sicily with Virginia Mennonite Board of Missions (1991-2000). During his time in Sicily, Harry aided in the growth of church plants in Capaci and Brancaccio, formed a Mennonite church in Termini Imerese, and served as Founding Dean of the Italian Mennonite Discipleship School in Palermo, training national leaders serving six Sicilian Mennonite churches.Returning to the United States, Harry served as Associate Pastor of Praise Fellowship at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church (2001-2006), where he led the ministry from 40 to 240 members and attendees, and as Lead Pastor of Neffsville Mennonite Church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (2006-2013), where he supervised staff, provided pastoral care to 600+ members, and led the congregation through significant organizational transitions and renewed missional focus. Since 2013, Harry has been a member of the Church of the Brethren and has served the Shenandoah District as interim pastor at Leakes Chapel and Elks Run. He was ordained by Virginia Mennonite Conference in 1994.Following his pastoral role at Neffsville, Harry demonstrated entrepreneurial leadership through founding KyrieTech (2010), a consulting firm specializing in social media strategy and digital community management, and On Sunny Slope Farm (2013), a special events and wedding venue in Harrisonburg, Virginia, which he continues to operate with his wife Beth.From 2017 to 2022, Harry served as SMERF, Wedding, and Tour & Travel Sales Manager at Hotel Madison and Shenandoah Valley Conference Center. In 2022, he transitioned to Director of Sales with OCI Hospitality and the Harrisonburg Courtyard Marriott, where he was promoted to General Manager within months. He served in that role until returning to full-time pastoral ministry at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren in Weyers Cave, Virginia, where he currently serves as pastor.Harry is an active writer and podcaster, maintaining a Substack publication where he explores weaving faith, hospitality, and business into everyday life. He produces two weekly podcasts: Faith at Work and Faith in Process. He has taught in Eastern Mennonite University’s STEP program, co-created the Timothy Project for ministry formation, and served as moderator of the Atlantic Coast Conference.Harry earned his B.S. in Christian Ministries and Congregational Leadership (with a minor in missions) from Eastern Mennonite University (1991) and his Master of Divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary (2006). He is certified in Prepare and Enrich marital and premarital counseling.Born in 1964 in Charlottesville, Virginia, Harry grew up in Lynchburg but always considered Harrisonburg home, where his grandparents lived on the family farm. Harry and his wife Beth reside in Harrisonburg, Virginia. They have three adult children—Harrison (married to Hannah), Christopher (married to Savannah), and Sarah (married to Jeremy Whitmore)—and three grandchildren with one on the way. Harry’s hobbies include farming and gardening, cooking, fishing, and biking.Where This Series Is HeadedOver six bi-monthly episodes, Mark and Harry will have honest conversations about the challenges facing churches and pastoral leaders today, using a simple but clarifying framework: the difference between a condition, a persistent reality to be managed, and a problem, an issue that can actually be solved. Episode one sets the table. The episodes that follow will explore the locus of authority in a post-sola-scriptura world, declining participation, the leadership pipeline crisis, navigating controversy, and what faithfulness looks like in a season of institutional decline.Continue the conversation in Episode 1, Part 2. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe

What does it really mean to worship God — and can it happen anywhere besides a Sunday morning church service?In this third installment of their 12-part journey through Let Our Joys Be Known: A Brethren Heritage Curriculum, Pastor Harry Jarrett and producer Grayson Preece dig into one of the most fundamental questions of the Christian life: Why do we worship, and what is worship, anyway?Grayson opens by reflecting on worship as a deeply personal commitment — a simple, meaningful hour that anchors his week and connects him to community. Harry pushes that definition outward, drawing on his background as a missionary and pastor to reframe worship not as a one-hour weekly event, but as the ongoing practice of assigning worth — recognizing the sacred presence of God woven through all of creation, all of our relationships, and every ordinary moment of the day.The conversation wanders beautifully from a highway drive through the Virginia countryside to the starry sky on a late-night walk, from a formative season at Camp Bethel to a surprising dinner conversation with a man in Italy who was convinced he’d mastered the Ten Commandments by avoiding relationships entirely. Along the way, Harry and Grayson explore the Pietist and Anabaptist roots of the Church of the Brethren, the Christian mystical tradition’s understanding of God’s ever-present nearness, and why the experience of feeling absent from God is itself a form of awareness that God exists.The episode builds to a passionate argument Harry makes for something most of the Christian church has quietly let slip away: foot washing. It is, Harry contends, the one practice Jesus most explicitly commanded — and the one that is hardest to do precisely because it demands genuine vulnerability, humility, and trust. He believes it could radically reshape how Christians relate to one another and to God.Wherever you are in your own faith journey — whether you show up every Sunday or haven’t set foot in a church in years — this conversation will invite you to ask: When did I last notice God? And what was it that helped me see?RUN OF SHOW00:00 — Welcome & Series Introduction Producer Grayson Preece introduces the episode and places it as Part 3 of the 12-part Let Our Joys Be Known series.00:45 — Why Do You Come to Worship? Grayson shares his personal reason for showing up every Sunday — the power of a simple, repeated commitment to a community and a time.03:40 — The Hour on Sunday Harry references Nancy Beach’s book and reflects on how, for most people, Sunday morning is the only intentional hour spent thinking about God, faith, or theology all week.05:50 — Worship Beyond the Sanctuary Harry expands the definition of worship: its root meaning is “assigning worth,” and his pastoral vocation has pushed him to help people see God not just on Sundays but in the entire arc of life.07:00 — Acts 17 and “In God We Live and Move” Harry discusses the Apostle Paul’s speech to the Athenians as a foundation for understanding God as permeating all of creation — a thread running through the Pietist and Anabaptist traditions that shaped the Church of the Brethren.08:00 — Seeing God on the Interstate Grayson shares a personal moment of divine awareness during a highway drive — turning off the music and suddenly noticing beauty, presence, and the sacred all around him.09:15 — Being in the Same Room Is a Miracle A reflection on the wonder of human presence and how those moments when the “veil” parts reveal something of the divine.10:00 — Does God Need Our Worship? Harry asks a provocative question: does God actually need us to worship? He reframes worship as building our own awareness and deepening our relationship with the divine, not informing God of God’s own greatness.12:00 — Worship as Preparation and as Remembrance Grayson and Harry discuss how the Sunday hour might function as both a launching pad for the week ahead and a space to recognize God in what has already happened — “That was God on Thursday.”13:50 — Camp Bethel and Worship in Creation A warm detour into the transformative experience of working at Church of the Brethren summer camps — and how an entire week immersed in relationship, community, and creation functions as extended, full-body worship.14:30 — The Three Relationships at the Heart of Faith Grayson names what he sees as a “holy trinity” for the camp experience: relationships with God, with creation, and with each other — and how none of the three can thrive in isolation.16:00 — Books Harry Is Reading Harry shares three books shaping his current theological reconstruction: Tony Jones’ The God of the Wild Places, and Richard Rohr’s Everything Belongs and The Universal Christ — all pointing toward a God who was already present, everywhere, before we arrived.17:30 — Noticing God as an Act of Worship The simple act of naming “I see God here” — in a person, a place, a moment — is itself worship.18:00 — The Absence of God and the Christian Mystics Harry draws on the Christian mystical tradition to suggest that even the feeling of God’s absence is a spiritual signal — you can’t miss what was never there. God is never absent; we are simply not always aware.19:20 — Personal vs. Communal Faith Grayson notices the language of “I” in worship discussions. Harry reflects on the tension between personal and communal faith, the risk of becoming a spiritual hermit, and the story of the man in Italy who followed all Ten Commandments — because he had no relationships to challenge him.22:40 — Foot Washing: The Ordinance We’re Missing Harry makes his most passionate case of the episode: that foot washing — the one practice Jesus most directly commanded — has been all but abandoned by the wider church, while the passive act of taking communion has become central. Why? Because foot washing requires you to do something. It demands vulnerability on both sides.25:00 — Grayson’s Camp Bethel Foot Washing Memory Grayson recalls the foot washing ritual at summer staff closing — who he would and wouldn’t ask, how intimate and unsettling it felt, and what that discomfort reveals about us.26:50 — What Foot Washing Could Do for the Church Harry’s bold claim: a regular, literal practice of washing one another’s feet could radically change the paradigm of the North American Christian church — binding people together in ways nothing else can.27:07 — Closing & Listener Invitation The hosts wrap up and invite listeners to order Let Our Joys Be Known through Brethren Press and to continue the conversation with a friend, with or without the book.RESOURCE GUIDE📖 The Series TextLet Our Joys Be Known: A Brethren Heritage Curriculum for Adults by Richard B. Gardner and Kenneth M. Shaffer Jr. — Brethren Press The 12-session adult curriculum Harry and Grayson are working through together. Designed for Sunday school settings, it explores the heritage, theology, and practices of the Church of the Brethren. 🔗 Order from Brethren Press: www.brethrenpress.com📚 Books Referenced in This EpisodeAn Hour on Sunday: Creating Moments of Transformation and Wonder by Nancy Beach A book exploring the deep, shaping forces that can make the Sunday worship hour a time of transformation and wonder — for both believers and seekers alike. Beach served as Programming Director at Willow Creek Community Church and later as a leadership coach. She is also the author of Gifted to Lead: The Art of Leading as a Woman in the Church. 🔗 Find on Amazon | Author’s websiteThe God of Wild Places: Rediscovering the Divine in the Untamed Outdoors by Tony Jones (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024) The story of a pastor’s journey out of the church and into the woods, in pursuit of the God he’d lost — paddling a canoe, hunting with his dog, butchering deer. Jones is also the author of Did God Kill Jesus? and The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life, and he hosts the Reverend Hunter Podcast. He teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary. 🔗 Find on Amazon | Author’s websiteEverything Belongs… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe

In this bonus episode of Faith in Process, Pastor Harry Jarrett and producer Grayson Preece take the podcast on the road to a retired ministers and spouses lunch at Bridgewater Retirement Community. With an introduction from Christy Doughty, Harry and Grayson tell the story of how Faith in Process began, why it is recorded as a live Sunday school class, and how a podcast can become a new kind of “cassette tape ministry” for the digital age.Harry reflects on returning to pastoral ministry after 13 years away, needing fresh theological fuel, and wanting a space where honest questions could be asked out loud. Grayson shares what happens behind the scenes as editor and producer, from cleaning up audio to shaping each episode into a more cohesive listening experience. Together they explain how Faith in Process tries to serve both the people in the room and those listening later, creating a local conversation that can travel far beyond Weyers Cave.The episode also includes a thoughtful question and answer time about podcasts, Substack, digital access, community, Sunday school, and how churches can use new media without giving up the importance of face-to-face conversation. Faith in Process is hosted on Substack and is also available through Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Run of Show00:00:08 | Welcome from Grayson Preece00:00:43 | Christy Doughty introduces Harry and Grayson00:03:47 | Harry welcomes the live audience at Bridgewater Retirement Community00:05:45 | Grayson introduces himself as editor and producer00:06:33 | How Faith in Process began00:07:20 | Harry’s return to ministry after burnout00:08:18 | What is a podcast?00:09:02 | Podcasting as a new cassette tape ministry00:11:29 | Why create a Sunday school class as a live podcast?00:13:34 | Recording, editing, and publishing through Substack00:14:17 | How Grayson became the podcast producer00:16:48 | What podcast editing actually involves00:20:01 | Intros, outros, music, and distribution00:22:31 | Why the podcast focuses on published authors and accountable words00:24:29 | Asking the questions pastors are often afraid to ask00:27:42 | Reaching out to authors, professors, and Brethren voices00:29:11 | Faith at Work and Faith in Process as weekly rhythms00:30:10 | Grayson on why hard questions matter00:31:48 | Religious trauma series with Lonnie Yoder00:32:14 | The original 18 to 35 audience and the actual audience showing up00:33:00 | Audience questions begin00:34:11 | How remote guests join by Zoom00:35:03 | Why the podcast is audio-only00:35:53 | What does “pod” mean in podcast?00:36:44 | How does podcasting build in-person community?00:41:17 | How to subscribe or follow on Substack00:44:42 | How to find Faith in Process on Apple, Spotify, and other apps00:46:11 | Do listeners need Substack?00:47:27 | How to find other podcasts00:50:14 | Podcast recommendations from the audience00:50:51 | Closing thanks from Harry00:51:49 | Grayson’s outro and invitation to keep processingPull Quotes from the Transcript“Faith in Process, the podcast where we talk with real people about how they process their faith in their writing, in their work, and in their everyday lives.”“A podcast is just a new-fangled cassette ministry that costs a lot less to produce.”“What if we created a Sunday school class for this sector of the congregation, but we did it as a live podcast?”“There were questions that I was either not allowed to ask or I was afraid to ask.”“We are doing things that do build community, do build engagement, do build face-to-face conversation, but it is augmented.”Resource GuideFaith in ProcessThe main podcast home for Harry Jarrett’s weekly conversations about faith as something alive, changing, and still unfolding. Available on Substack, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.Faith at WorkHarry’s sermon podcast and writing home on Substack. The Substack page describes Harry as producing both Faith at Work and Faith in Process.Pleasant Valley Church of the BrethrenThe home congregation for Faith in Process: Sunday’s Cool. Pleasant Valley lists its location as 91 Valley Church Road in Weyers Cave, Virginia, with Sunday School at 9:30 AM during September through May.Bridgewater Retirement CommunityThe setting for this bonus recording. Bridgewater Retirement Community describes itself as a retirement community in Bridgewater, Virginia.On Being with Krista TippettMentioned during the audience recommendation portion of the episode. On Being is associated with Krista Tippett’s long-running conversations about meaning, spirituality, ethics, and human life.Letters from an American by Heather Cox RichardsonMentioned as another podcast recommendation. Heather Cox Richardson’s Substack describes Letters from an American as a newsletter about the history behind today’s politics, and the Apple Podcasts listing describes it as her narrated newsletter.The Cottage by Diana Butler BassMentioned as a podcast and conversation space. Diana Butler Bass describes The Cottage as a newsletter on Substack, and its podcast listing frames it as “part retreat, part think tank” about culture, faith, and spirit.Faith in Process: Sunday’s CoolRecorded live on Sunday mornings at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren in Weyers Cave, Virginia. Hosted by Pastor Harry Jarrett.Join us in person or listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or Substack.Learn more about our congregation at pleasantvalleyalive.org This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Faith in Process, Pastor Harry Jarrett sits down with Millard Driver for a freeform conversation about power, responsibility, and the image of God. The conversation begins with the story behind the podcast itself: a friendship formed through lunch conversations, honest questions, and what Millard calls the gift of having a “soul friend.” From there, Harry and Millard explore what power is, whether it is neutral, and how every person carries some measure of power, whether they recognize it or not.Together with the Sunday school class at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren, they wrestle with the difference between power over and power with. Is power over always harmful, or can it serve the common good? How do we know when power becomes coercive, self serving, or abusive? What does it mean to use power in ways that are persuasive, loving, creative, and faithful to the way of Jesus?The conversation moves through examples from government, parenting, teaching, addiction recovery, incarceration, abuse, forgiveness, and even Spider Man and Cocaine Bear. Along the way, the episode keeps returning to a deeply Christian question: if we are created in the image of God, how are we called to use the power we have?Run of Show00:00:08 Welcome to Faith in Process00:00:35 How the podcast began through conversations with Millard00:03:21 Introducing the topic: power00:03:45 Soul friends, Celtic Christianity, and the gift of honest conversation00:05:09 Lonnie Yoder’s earlier comments on power00:06:19 Defining power as capacity, ability, authority, influence, and control00:08:15 Government, democracy, and power for the common good00:09:32 Power over, power with, and who gets the final word00:12:23 Millard connects the topic of power to his image of God00:13:26 Created in the image of God and created with intrinsic power00:15:03 Old Testament images of God, Jesus, and the God revealed in persuasive love00:17:44 Class discussion begins00:18:00 Parenting as an example of power used for good or harm00:18:38 Asking whether power serves the good of the other00:20:49 Richard Rohr, Everything Belongs, contemplation, and the true self00:23:03 Lonnie Yoder’s classroom example: the professor as the most powerful person in the room00:24:21 Spider Man and “with great power comes great responsibility”00:24:29 Everyone has power, whether they realize it or not00:25:01 Richard Rohr, prison, freedom, and agency00:26:39 Corrie ten Boom, Desmond Tutu, Jesus, and forgiveness as a form of power00:27:27 Alcoholics Anonymous and the power of example00:28:33 Why recognizing our power creates responsibility00:29:01 Cocaine Bear as an image of unrecognized, destructive power00:31:10 Abuse of power in academic settings00:32:45 Helping people recognize they are not powerless00:34:54 Safe community, shame, fear, and the courage to bring harm to light00:35:31 Closing the conversation00:36:10 Outro: continuing the conversation about power dynamicsResource GuideRichard Rohr, Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative PrayerHarry mentions listening to Richard Rohr’s Everything Belongs while reflecting on contemplation, the true self, and our tendency to manipulate other people or the world around us. The Center for Action and Contemplation describes the book as one of Rohr’s best known works on contemplative prayer and seeing through God.Anam Cara and the Celtic idea of the “soul friend”Millard refers to a Celtic Christian idea that everyone should have at least one “soul friend.” The Irish phrase often associated with this idea is anam cara, meaning soul friend. This as a kind of spiritual friendship where honest conversation, disagreement, prayer, and companionship can deepen faith.Spider Man and “with great power comes great responsibility”The class jokes that all good theology comes from Marvel comics after someone quotes the famous Spider Man line. The phrase is closely associated with Uncle Ben and has even been cited by Justice Elena Kagan in a 2015 Supreme Court opinion involving Marvel.Corrie ten Boom and forgivenessA class participant names Corrie ten Boom as an example of forgiveness in the face of great harm. Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who helped Jews escape the Nazis and later survived Ravensbrück concentration camp, became widely known for her witness to forgiveness and reconciliation.Desmond Tutu and restorative justiceDesmond Tutu is mentioned as another example of forgiveness and power. Tutu chaired South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a process that sought to confront apartheid’s harms through truth telling, accountability, and the possibility of reconciliation.Clean Air Act and Clean Water ActMillard uses environmental law as an example of public power used for the common good. The EPA notes that the basic structure of the Clean Air Act was established in 1970, with major revisions in 1977 and 1990, while the Clean Water Act took shape through major 1972 amendments to earlier federal water pollution law.Cocaine BearHarry uses Cocaine Bear as a humorous image of unrecognized and destructive power. The real story involved a black bear that died in Georgia in 1985 after ingesting cocaine connected to drug smuggling. The later movie takes significant creative liberties with that event. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Faith in Process, producer Grayson Preece steps into the host chair while Pastor Harry is away and talks with Ewan Benjamin, a graduate student in conflict transformation at Eastern Mennonite University and Conscientious Objection Fellow with On Earth Peace. Together, they explore what it means to be a conscientious objector, why the Church of the Brethren has historically taught that “war is sin,” and how young people, families, and congregations can begin preparing now.Ewan explains why conscientious objection is not just a private belief, but a practice shaped by community, documentation, spiritual formation, and courage. The conversation moves from personal conviction to Selective Service, from Brethren history to Civilian Public Service, from the Sermon on the Mount to present-day organizing, and from fear about the military system to hope rooted in conflict transformation.This episode is especially helpful for youth, parents, grandparents, pastors, Sunday school teachers, and anyone who wants to understand the Brethren peace witness in a changing world. Based on the uploaded episode transcript.Run of show00:00Welcome and introduction00:35Grayson hosts while Harry is away and introduces Ewan Benjamin01:20What conscientious objection means02:40Selective Service registration and the missing “CO checkbox”04:12How to document a conscientious objection claim07:25Why family, friends, and church community matter09:24Objecting to one war versus objecting to all war12:00A brief history of Brethren conscientious objection14:43World War II, alternative service, and Brethren Volunteer Service15:49Automatic draft registration and current concerns17:25Audience question: non-registration, risks, and consequences21:00How churches can support youth and teach peace23:53Biblical foundations for the Brethren peace witness27:42Just war tradition and early Christian nonviolence30:13God’s creativity beyond violence30:57On Earth Peace resources and closing invitation32:24Closing thanks and “Happy processing”Resource guide with linksChurch of the Brethren Conscientious Objection pageA denominational starting place for understanding conscientious objection, the Brethren peace witness, and available resources for youth and congregations.https://www.brethren.org/peacebuilding/co/Call of Conscience curriculumA Church of the Brethren curriculum designed to help youth explore peace, conscience, allegiance, and the practical steps of preparing a conscientious objector claim.https://www.brethren.org/peacebuilding/co/introduction/Church of the Brethren Conscientious Objector ToolkitA practical guide for creating a CO file, writing a statement of belief, documenting convictions, and preparing before a draft crisis.https://www.brethren.org/peacebuilding/co/toolkit/Center on Conscience & WarA national organization offering counseling, legal support, Selective Service information, and resources for conscientious objectors.https://centeronconscience.org/Center on Conscience & War: Selective Service informationA helpful resource for understanding registration, non-registration, state consequences, and conscientious objection.https://centeronconscience.org/selective-service-info/Selective Service System: Who Needs to RegisterThe official government page explaining who is required to register for Selective Service.https://www.sss.gov/register/who-needs-to-register/Selective Service System: Conscientious ObjectorsOfficial Selective Service guidance on how conscientious objector claims are handled if a draft is authorized.https://www.sss.gov/conscientious-objectors/Selective Service System: Automatic RegistrationOfficial Selective Service information about automatic registration connected to the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.https://www.sss.gov/about/On Earth PeaceThe organization where Ewan Benjamin serves as Conscientious Objection Fellow. https://www.onearthpeace.org/On Earth Peace Team pageEwan Benjamin is listed as the Robert C. and Ruthann K. Johansen Fellow in Nonviolence, Justice, and Peace.https://www.onearthpeace.org/teamOn Earth Peace: “I Object! Now What?”A May 17, 2026 online Sunday school session for youth, parents, grandparents, and church leaders exploring conscientious objection, Selective Service, and preparation.https://www.onearthpeace.org/2026_05_17_co_sunday_schoolCivilian Public Service and alternative service in World War IIA National WWII Museum overview of Civilian Public Service, the alternative service program shaped by the Historic Peace Churches.https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/conscientious-objectors-civilian-public-serviceShoes of Peace: Letters to Youth From PeacemakersA Brethren Press collection of letters from peacemakers written for younger readers.https://www.brethrenpress.com/product_p/9780871780454.htmBrethren Volunteer Service historyA Church of the Brethren overview of Brethren Volunteer Service and its history.https://www.brethren.org/bvs/history/Seagoing Cowboys and Heifer ProjectA resource from Swarthmore’s Peace Collection on seagoing cowboys, Civilian Public Service, Brethren Service Committee, and the Heifer Project.https://www1.swarthmore.edu/library/peace/conscientiousobjection/CPSResources/SeagoingCowboys.htmlThe Church of the Brethren and War by Rufus D. BowmanA bibliographic listing for the historical work referenced by Ewan in the conversation.https://www.journal33.org/salvjudg/html/chrwar.html This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Faith in Process, Pastor Harry Jarrett welcomes Scott Holland, Professor Emeritus at Bethany Theological Seminary, for a rich conversation about Rubem Alves and the roots of liberation theology.Together, they explore why Alves matters, especially for listeners who may never have encountered his work before. Scott introduces Alves as an early and often overlooked voice in liberation theology, then follows the arc of his thought from justice for the poor and marginalized toward a wider vision of life, beauty, embodiment, imagination, and what Alves called an “erotic exuberance for life.”This episode moves beyond abstract theology into questions that feel urgent today. What drives us to seek justice in the first place? Why does beauty matter in Christian faith? What happens when churches care more about souls than bodies? And how might younger adults, artists, pastors, and seekers hear Alves as an invitation to recover a more integrated life?The conversation also touches on theopoetics, psychoanalysis, war and nonviolence, the inner life, and the tension between the life drive and the death drive in both culture and church. Along the way, Scott offers accessible entry points for anyone who wants to begin reading Alves for themselves.If you have ever felt that faith has become too dry, too rigid, or too disconnected from beauty, art, desire, and human flourishing, this conversation opens another way.Run of Show00:00 Opening and producer intro. Grayson explains that this episode begins before the usual formal introduction.00:00 to 09:16 Pre-conversation. Harry and Scott talk about church planting, ministry in Italy, Brazil, Bethany students, and Scott’s early connection to teaching Rubem Alves.09:16 to 11:34 Harry’s formal welcome and setup for the episode on Rubem Alves.11:34 to 13:28 Who Rubem Alves was, why he matters, and his place in liberation theology.13:28 to 17:59 “Erotic exuberance for life,” Eros and Thanatos, and why ethics alone is not enough.18:00 to 19:10 “Outside of beauty, there is no salvation” and Alves’s challenge to narrow church thinking.19:10 to 23:27 Connections to Bart Ehrman, Thomas Jay Oord, the inner life, psychoanalysis, and theopoetics.23:27 to 28:25 Beauty, ugliness, Easter, embodiment, and “I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body.”28:25 to 32:45 Gnosticism, crusading theology, the body, Jesus and Socrates, and why resurrection matters.32:45 to 38:27 Grayson’s questions on younger adults, art, joy, integration, and listening to the inner life.38:27 to 41:12 Where to start reading Rubem Alves and how Bethany’s theopoetics program connects.41:12 to end Closing reflections, church banter, and final signoff.Resource GuideRubem AlvesA Brazilian theologian, educator, writer, and psychoanalyst, Alves is widely recognized as one of the early Protestant voices in Latin American liberation theology. His legacy has also grown through interest in theopoetics and theological imagination. The Instituto Rubem Alves serves as an official home for his legacy and writings.The Poet, the Warrior, the ProphetThis is probably the best starting place for listeners who want to enter Alves’s thought. Scott specifically recommends it in the episode, and it remains one of the key English language introductions to his theological and poetic voice.Transparencies of EternityA short contemplative work by Alves that includes the chapter Scott references, “Outside of Beauty, There is No Salvation.” This is a strong follow up for listeners drawn to the beauty, contemplation, and spiritual imagination themes in the episode.Tender ReturnsScott recommends this as a gentle, contemplative collection for devotional style reading. The volume was assembled after Alves’s death by his daughter Raquel Alves and gathers short translated writings.I Believe in the Resurrection of the BodyThis book becomes especially important in the episode because Scott reads from it to explore embodiment, nonviolence, and resistance to forms of theology that diminish the body. It is a central text for the Easter and embodied faith themes in the conversation.Bethany Theological Seminary, Theopoetics and WritingScott points listeners toward Bethany’s theopoetics work as a place where Alves’s legacy continues to be taught and explored. Bethany currently offers both a Master of Arts in Theopoetics and Writing and a certificate option.Bart Ehrman, Love Thy StrangerHarry mentions Bart Ehrman’s recent work on altruism and Jesus’ expansion of neighbor love. This could be a useful side path for listeners interested in ethics, neighbor love, and how Jesus reshaped moral imagination.Thomas Jay Oord, A Systematic Theology of LoveHarry also mentions Thomas Jay Oord’s recent work as another conversation partner for themes of relationality, love, and theology beyond rigid systems. That makes it a good companion resource for process minded listeners.Oscar Cullmann, Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead?Scott references Cullmann’s classic contrast between Socrates and Jesus to underscore why Christian faith should not dismiss the body. This is a helpful background text for the embodiment section of the episode.On Earth Peace and Matt GuynnScott briefly mentions former Bethany student Matt Guynn and his connection to peacebuilding work shaped by theopoetic imagination. Listeners interested in practical peace work may want to explore On Earth Peace.Faith in Process: Sunday’s CoolRecorded live on Sunday mornings at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren in Weyers Cave, Virginia. Hosted by Pastor Harry Jarrett.Join us in person or listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or Substack.Learn more about our congregation at pleasantvalleyalive.org This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe