Episode 55: Rev. Joe Kim, Food, and Faith

This week we are joined by Rev. Joe Kim, who helps us work through the letter “F.”
Joe has served as the Lead Pastor of Bothell United Methodist Church since April 2018. Prior to that, Joe was the Director of Children’s Rights Advocacy at the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., where he focused on policy and advocacy efforts to combat human trafficking and promote equal education opportunities for all children.

With Joe, we tackle the following “F” topics:

Food & Faith

  • We discuss how the pandemic led Joe to discover a passion for cooking food at home with his family and learning the joy of discovery, creativity, and “ownership” with his children when it comes to preparing and eating food

  • How the restaurant industry is showing the church how to face the new normal, coming out of the pandemic

  • Joe shares his vision for a restaurant church that would feature a common table setting and a shared family meal from the mind of a top-notch chef

Filthy Rich

  • We talk about the Great Space Race and Rocket Measuring Contest of the Billionaire Class, and whether there is any benefit to be gained

  • We discuss the differences in approach between each mission and Billionaire (Branson vs. Bezos vs. Musk) and their connection to the common good, if any

  • Why simply taxing them more won’t ever work, and how the approach to taxing them and their enterprises will require a creative new tax approach (we even offer some ideas) because the current tax burden falls on the employees, not CEO’s or the corporation.

Football

  • Though we are talking “F’s” in this episode, we discuss Aaron Rodgers who appears not to give any this offseason

  • We briefly discuss the revelation that he was offered the largest contract in NFL history—and turned it down

Fantastic Failure

  • We discuss the hottest new serial style podcast, “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” by Christianity Today

  • We examine the draw toward charismatic, authoritarian leaders

  • We revisit the early 2000’s through 2015 period discussed in the podcast, plus our own small perspectives on when we realized Mark Driscoll was a bad egg

All this PLUS our usual amount of foolishness and frivolity!

Pertinent Links

Learn more about Joe and connect with his church: Bothell UMC

Order the coffee Joe is drinking: Mt. Comfort Coffee

Check out the podcasts Joe listens to on a regular basis: The Ringer Network and The Dave Chang Show

Listen to the beautiful and amazing Korean music Joe references, a band called LEENALCHI, combining ancient Korean musical storytelling (pansori) with modern K-Pop elements

Check out the podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill from Christianity Today

Read the book The Pastor: A Crisis, by Bradley Jersak and Wm. Paul Young

Follow and interact with The All That’s Holy: Blue Collar Podcast on Facebook and Twitter

Follow and buy music from At The Speed of Darkness on Bandcamp and Instagram.