The Unexpected Divine: Rethinking God in John's Gospel | Talk 1, When Eternity Comes to Us

What does it mean to say that “In the beginning was the Word” … and why does it still matter? That's what's being asked in this episode of Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast.

In this first conversation of a five-part series on the Gospel of John, Revs. Trudy and Hannah explore John 1:1 and the theme “The Eternal Now – God Beyond Time.” Together, they unpack John’s poetic and often confusing language to discover a radical idea at the heart of the Gospel: Eternity doesn’t pull us out of the world; God brings eternity into it.

Drawing from Jewish wisdom traditions, Greek philosophy, and early Christian theology, this progressive Christian Bible study from First United Methodist Church of San Diego invites listeners to see the Gospel of John not as rigid dogma, but as a story of surprise, disruption, and divine presence in unexpected places.

You’ll hear reflections on:
• What “the Word” (Logos) meant across Jewish, Greek, and early Christian cultures
• Why John begins with creation instead of Jesus’ birth
• Eternity as a present reality … not just a future promise
• Rethinking Jesus’ “I Am” statements beyond exclusion and certainty
• God’s ongoing work of creation within and around our life – even in chaos, doubt, and struggle

Continue the conversation with these reflection questions:
1. What does eternity mean to you?
2. How does eternity change your understanding of today, tomorrow or the future?
3. How do you understand Jesus as being the Word of God, and what does it has to do with us?

Join us online through Patreon (  / fumcsd  , in person at our weekly Convergence Discussion Group, or by sharing this conversation with someone you trust.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction - Why People Love (and Misunderstand) the Gospel of John
01:14 “In the Beginning Was the Word” (Reading John 1:1)
03:27 What “The Word” Meant in Jewish, Greek, and Early Christian Thought
07:49 Why John Feels Exclusionary (and Why It Might Not Be)
10:09 Eternity Comes to Us, Not the Other Way Around
14:23 The Unexpected Divine in Everyone
20:52 God Creates Out of Chaos (Then and Now)
22:41 Closing & Reflection Questions

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