Sacred & Strange
Welcome to Sacred & Strange — the official podcast of The Porch Missional Community & Coffee Roasters.
Hosted by Jason Urena, Sacred & Strange is a space where theology meets mystery, story meets spirit, and nothing is too weird to talk about. Each episode features honest conversations with guests from all walks of life—exploring the sacred moments that shaped them, the strange encounters that stretched them, and the passions that make them who they are. From deep theology to cryptids, church wounds to comic books, revival to the mundane, this is where the wild and the holy collide.
Brew a cup, open your mind, and join the journey.
Sacred & Strange
RELOADED: The Bride w/ Jay Urena & Levi Crognale
What does it really mean to be the Bride of Christ?
In this special throwback episode, Jay and Levi crack open one of the most powerful—yet most misunderstood—ideas in the entire biblical story: Covenant.
This isn’t a sermon. It’s a raw, unscripted conversation about the kind of relationship God invites us into…
Not a surface-level “Sunday Christian” thing, but a life-on-life, blood-bound, transformational covenant that stretches from Abraham to Jesus and all the way into our everyday lives.
Jay and Levi explore:
- Why being “the Bride” is far deeper than a metaphor
- How covenant always requires cost, commitment, and pursuit
- Why God is the ultimate Bridegroom who comes after us first
- How church culture has shaped (and sometimes distorted) our view of covenant
- What it looks like to die to ourselves in relationship—just like a real marriage
- And how Jesus embodies both the Bridegroom and the blueprint of the Bride
This episode will challenge the way you see church, community, and your walk with Jesus.
It’s intimate. It’s theologically rich. And it’s the perfect kickoff to a series that asks the question:
If we’re the Bride… are we living like it?
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:15 Throwback to Old Recordings
00:47 Upcoming Episodes and Announcements
02:13 Introduction to The Bride Series
03:17 Porch Talks: A New Way of Conversation
04:54 Understanding Covenant and The Bride of Christ
07:02 Personal Experiences and Church Culture
13:32 The Biblical Perspective on Covenant
20:01 The Cost of Covenant and Transformation
26:40 Challenges and Observations in Church Culture
31:48 Exploring Faith and Community
32:18 The Importance of Church Community
34:33 Covenant with Christ and His Bride
36:27 Biblical Narratives of Covenant
43:21 Jesus: The Fulfillment of Covenant
54:41 Risk and Commitment in Faith