Over the years I’ve stopped listening to music in favor of podcasts, and my favorite format conjures up the feeling of sitting in the corner of someone’s kitchen, listening to friends talk about a topic. that they like. Even when it’s just me and my headphones and I may never meet the hosts, I participate in their conversation.
Church history for idiots (CH4C, as they call themselves on social media) is exactly the kind of podcast I love. Although they aren’t historians, Thomas and John are Arizona pastors from the Reformed tradition who are interested in church history the way some guys do football and action movies. When thinking about church history before this podcast, I immediately turned to martyrs and saints, individuals from ancient times who had something to do with shaping theology.
This is an unfortunate and narrow view. Is the story of a man who died in a Nazi concentration camp following an act of Christian sacrifice part of the history of the Church? What about the work of Celtic missionaries? Or the Salem witch trials? Yes and yes. Even the controversial traveling preachers of the last century deserve mention. Viewing the history of the Church as a simple fact rather than a way to interact with our fellow believers is to isolate us.
CH4C occasionally invites guests who are just as enthusiastic as our hosts. Conversations are always informal but informed. Sure, they sometimes use inappropriate words and phrases for the pulpit, but they’re clearly having a good time, which doesn’t mean it’s all fun and games. Jesus warned us in John 18 that the world would hate us because it first hated it, and we were chosen to be aligned with it. Most of these stories resonate because they remind us of how hateful the world can be or how God can use sinners for His greater glory.
Through honest reflection and sincere honesty, Thomas and John find meaning and application for believers today. I never feel like the lessons are added or pre-planned or even organically developed. And what they discover is as much for them as for their listeners.
One of CH4C’s goals is to help believers today see themselves as part of an ongoing legacy of faith. Protestants do not revere saints as Catholics do and as a result have completely ignored some amazing and inspiring true stories. It is important to remember that much of what we know about the Saints actually happened and is part of the conversation God has with His Church across time and distance.
We are not alone, even with our headphones.