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The Word Made Fresh

The Word Made Fresh

Written by: The Riverside Church NYC
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 The Word Made Fresh is a weekly Bible study and sermon prep resource that explores an upcoming narrative lectionary text from a progressive point of view.Copyright The Riverside Church NYC Christianity Ministry & Evangelism Spirituality
Episodes
  • What If Faith Started with Curiosity Instead of Certainty? // The Word Made Fresh (Acts 17:16-31)

    What If Faith Started with Curiosity Instead of Certainty? // The Word Made Fresh (Acts 17:16-31)
    Apr 28 2026
    What if faith wasn’t about proving you’re right—but staying curious?

    This week on The Word Made Fresh, Rev. Adriene and Rev. Jim explore Acts 17, where Paul finds himself in Athens surrounded by unfamiliar beliefs, practices, and altars—including one to an “unknown god.”

    Instead of condemning or correcting, Paul does something unexpected:
    He affirms.
    He connects.
    He gets curious.

    In a world shaped by division, certainty, and the need to win, this conversation imagines a different way of engaging across difference—one rooted in humility, openness, and mutual transformation.

    They also wrestle with:
    • What it means to embody faith (not just think it)
    • How other traditions can deepen—not threaten—our own
    • Whether the real “conversion” in this story might be Paul himself

    And maybe most importantly: What kind of God are we proclaiming if that God fits neatly inside our own box?
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    24 mins
  • Paul, the Slave Girl, and the Cost of “Freedom” // The Word Made Fresh (Acts 16:16-34)

    Paul, the Slave Girl, and the Cost of “Freedom” // The Word Made Fresh (Acts 16:16-34)
    Apr 23 2026
    A few weeks after Easter, we return to the pulpit with a challenging and deeply honest conversation about Acts 16—the story of Paul, Silas, and a slave girl.

    But what if we’ve been reading this story wrong?

    Instead of focusing on Paul and Silas, Rev. Adriene Thorne invites us to center the unnamed enslaved girl—her exploitation, her “liberation,” and the unsettling question: what actually happened to her next?

    This episode wrestles with:
    • When “doing good” can still cause harm
    • The cost of liberation without long-term care
    • How power, gender, and class shape whose stories matter
    • Why the church struggles with suffering, lament, and complexity
    • The danger of turning every hardship into a neat redemption story

    This is not a feel-good sermon preview. It’s an invitation to sit in the tension, ask harder questions, and develop a deeper, more honest faith.

    Because sometimes suffering isn’t redemptive.

    Sometimes it’s just suffering.
    And maybe the work of the church is learning how to stay present in it—together.
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    19 mins
  • Ecological Conversion: Is the Church Missing the Point? // The Word Made Fresh (Acts 2)

    Ecological Conversion: Is the Church Missing the Point? // The Word Made Fresh (Acts 2)
    Apr 15 2026
    What does Acts 2 have to do with Earth Day?

    In this episode of The Word Made Fresh Rev. Jim sits down with Rev. Derrick Weston—pastor, author, and leader with Creation Justice Ministries—to explore a bold and timely sermon: “Recruiting Terrorists.”

    This conversation dives into the idea of ecological conversion—a transformation of faith that moves beyond belief into action. Why has the church often stayed silent on environmental justice? What happens when faith challenges systems of power, profit, and exploitation? And how do we expand our understanding of “neighbor” to include not just people, but the planet itself?

    From Pentecost and mass transformation in Acts 2 to modern climate crisis realities, this episode challenges Christians to rethink what it means to follow Jesus in a world facing environmental collapse.

    You’ll explore:
    • Why environmental justice is a core faith issue
    • The danger of “comfortable” justice that doesn’t disrupt systems
    • How climate change is already impacting everyday life
    • The theological roots of ecological responsibility
    • What true conversion looks like today

    If you’ve ever wondered how faith connects to climate, justice, and real-world action—this conversation is for you.
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    19 mins
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