The Rev. Matt Rhodes welcomes The Rev. Dr. Jan Fuller back to discuss her new book, Blessings for Your Students: Prayers for Interfaith Communities in Higher Education (Church Publishing). An Episcopal priest with more than 40 years as a college chaplain, she currently serves as Co-Director of the MA in Chaplaincy program at Hartford International University. In this conversation the two discuss among other topics Dr. Fuller's experiences growing up in a multi-faith environment in the Middle Eas...
Sep 04, 2024•1 hr 3 min
The Rev. Matt Rhodes welcomes The Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim back to discuss her latest book, When God Became White . Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion in Indiana, Dr. Kim is the author or co-author of 24 books and one of the most widely sought-after public theologians in the world. In this conversation the two discuss among other topics key themes of the book, Dr. Kim's own experiences in dealing with the painful application of Christianity and misogyny against her and her fami...
Aug 25, 2024•35 min
The Rev. Matt Rhodes welcomes as his guest The Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery. Currently serving as the Dean of the Duke University Chapel and Professor of Homiletics and African and African American Studies, Dr. Powery is the author, co-author, or editor of more than a dozen books on scripture and preaching along with countless other journal articles. The two have a wide-ranging discussion on the subject of preaching including seminary preparation of the next generation of preachers, preaching in an a...
Aug 19, 2024•52 min
The Rev. Matt Rhodes welcomes as his guest The Rev. Carol Howard. A Presbyterian minister, author, columnist, and clergy and congregational consultant, she is the co-author (with James Fenimore) of the recently released "Wounded Pastors" (Westminster John Knox Press). The two have a wide-ranging discussion on various aspects of clergy health and vitality and the wounds suffered in ministry, using the book as a launching point. This conversation was recorded on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. You can fol...
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr 2 min
In this episode The Rev. Matt Rhodes welcomes back as his guest The Rev. Dr. Amy Butler. This is a bookend to their previous chat recorded in October 2023 prior to her book tour and gives the two an opportunity to engage in reflection about the tour, Pastor Amy's visits and conversations with readers, and how her experiences have inspired a new personal look at her book. The former senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church (Washington, D.C.), the Riverside Church (New York), and National City Chri...
Dec 04, 2023•34 min
In this episode The Rev. Matt Rhodes welcomes as his guest The Rev. Dr. Amy Butler. The former senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church (Washington, D.C.), the Riverside Church (New York), and National City Christian Church (Washington, D.C.), she currently serves as interim pastor of Community Church of Honolulu. She is also founder of Invested Faith and the author of the recently released "Beautiful and Terrible Things" (The Dial Press). In this powerful conversation the two discuss preaching, ...
Oct 06, 2023•51 min
The Rev. Matt Rhodes welcomes as his guest The Rev. Erin Jean Warde. An Episcopal priest, author, recovery coach, and spiritual director, she is the author of the recently released "Sober Spirituality: The Joy of a Mindful Relationship with Alcohol" (Brazos Press). The two discuss her work as a recovery coach and spiritual director as well as a number of themes from the book including mindful sobriety, support for those struggling with alcohol, and using the parables as a lens through which to v...
Sep 08, 2023•58 min
The Rev. Matt Rhodes welcomes as his guest The Rev. Dr. Jay Augustine, senior pastor of St. Joseph AME Church in Durham, North Carolina. A nationally-known preacher, lawyer, and social justice activist, he is the author of the recently released "When Prophets Preach" (Fortress Press), an exploration of the necessity and value of prophetic preaching in inspiring congregations to engage in civic and political - but not partisan - action. The two have a wide ranging conversation on various aspects ...
Jul 07, 2023•57 min
After an extended hiatus, new episodes of A Few Minutes With... are just around the corner! Our host, The Rev. Matt Rhodes, shares an announcement about his next special guest. Stay tuned to this channel for future episodes, and for video versions please visit and subscribe at YouTube.com/AFewMinutesWith.
Jun 29, 2023•1 min
The Rev. Matt Rhodes welcomes back Traci Rhoades, blogger, Bible study leader, community builder, and author of the just-released "Shaky Ground: What to Do After the Bottom Drops Out" (Morehouse Publishing). The two share a conversational journey through the book and explore the liturgical, prayer, and personal experiences and resources that are at its foundation. Among the many topics covered are the holiness of silence and solitude, the importance of remembering the value of community in the C...
Aug 26, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In this first episode of 2022, The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined by Becca Stevens, Episcopal priest, writer, social entrepreneur, founder of 10 non-profit justice initiatives, and founder and president of Thistle Farms. Her outstanding service has led to numerous honors, including being named a White House Champion of Change (2011) and a CNN Hero of the Year (2016). The two discuss the mission of Thistle Farms, an organization committed to aiding women survivors of addiction, trafficking and prosti...
Jan 14, 2022•44 min•Season 3Ep. 2
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by Traci Rhoades, blogger and author of "Not All Who Wander (Spiritually) Are Lost" (Church Publishing). The two discuss the very personal nature of this book and touch on a number of the themes she writes about including her journey through various denominational and faith traditions, easing the pain resulting from church and clergy transitions, the joy of incorporating various styles of prayer in personal devotions, and her experiences in building...
Oct 22, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 1
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Presbyterian minister, professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion and author of the recently released "Hope in Disarray: Piecing Our Lives Together in Faith" (Pilgrim Press). The two discuss the very personal nature of this book for her and touch on several of the topics she writes about including flipping what she refers to as the "hierarchy of hope," the need for - and fear of - engaging in meaningful efforts to p...
Feb 17, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 5
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by The Rev. Dr. Will Willimon, professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Duke Divinity School. The author of more than 80 books, he has been named one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world and along with Henri Nouwen is the most frequently read writer by pastors in mainline Protestantism. The two engage in conversation about his recently updated and re-released book “...
Dec 12, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 4
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by The Rev. Dr. Jan Fuller, university chaplain at Elon University. The two discuss her early years growing up as the daughter of missionaries in the war-torn Middle East, her call to college chaplaincy, and the many crucial ways chaplaincy is of vital importance to students and larger collegiate communities. She also reflects on her time as a student of Henri Nouwen at Yale University and the lessons she continues to learn from her time studying wi...
Nov 16, 2020•51 min•Season 2Ep. 3
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by Julie Bogart, creator and owner of Brave Writer, an online writing and language arts program. With the sudden shift to virtual and homeschool learning as a result of the pandemic, many parents are struggling with this new face of education and seeking resources to help them through this time. Julie, who homeschooled all of her children, created Brave Writer as a way of providing a community of support along with original resources for parents and...
Sep 25, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 2
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by The Rev. Jack Gilpin, Episcopal priest and actor, who after more than three decades of work on the stage and in television ("Billions," "Law and Order," "Madam Secretary," "Succession") and film ("The Juror," "Funny Farm") discerned a call to the ministry and was ordained a priest in 2012. The two discuss his faith journey and call narrative, his unique bi-vocational work in the parish and on screen, and how his ministry, Christian faith and acti...
Sep 14, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 1
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by Senator John Danforth, who in his career has served as a practicing attorney, the 37th Attorney General for the State of Missouri, a three-term member of the United States Senate, the 24th U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, a special envoy to Sudan, and a special counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice - all while living a vocation as an ordained Episcopal priest. The two discuss his discernment journey, the role of faith in the public squ...
Jul 29, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 10
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by The Rev. Dr. Gayle Fisher-Stewart, interim rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. and a former 20-year police officer with the city's Metropolitan Police Department. The two discuss the just published "Preaching Black Lives (Matters)," a collection of sermons and essays which she edited and contributed to about the need to preach prophetically about and against the sin of systemic racism and the need for widespread and committe...
Jul 22, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 9
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by The Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, Lutheran pastor, New York Times bestselling author, and speaker and podcaster. Nadia and Matt discuss clergy fatigue and lament, her new podcast ("The Confessional"), and how her version of Jesus' Beatitudes may be a guide for what the Church might do in a post-pandemic world. This conversation was recorded on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.
Jul 01, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 8
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by The Rt. Rev. N. T. Wright, former Bishop of Durham (Church of England), current senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall (Oxford), and one of the world's preeminent New Testament scholars. The two discuss Bishop Wright's most recent book, "God and the Pandemic," and reflect on the scriptural basis for what the Church's response can be in times of crisis and how we can begin to shift our focus from "Why is this happening?" to "What can we do?" This...
Jul 01, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 7
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by The Rev. Dr. Katie Hays, founder and lead evangelist of Galileo Church (Disciples of Christ) in Fort Worth, Texas. Katie is the author of the recently-released "We Were Spiritual Refugees: A Story to Help You Believe in Church." The two discuss the history and life of Galileo Church, how we as Christians can reach out to the "non-churchy" and encourage them to turn and see what the Church is doing, and the idea of - like Jesus - extending dangero...
May 28, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 6
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined in this episode by The Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College and the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury (2002-2012). The two discuss the idea of resurrection during this time of pandemic and physical separation and its impact on the individual and Church levels. They also consider how resurrection may reveal itself through liturgy and worship in the future. This conversation was recorded on Thursday, May 7, 2020. Soundtrack: "Shenandoah," pe...
May 14, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Bob Grip, former president of the International Thomas Merton Society, joins The Rev. Matt Rhodes for a conversation on Merton's life and call to solitude in his hermitage at the Abbey of Gethsemani. They also reflect on the words of Merton from two special clips included in this video. More information on the ITMS can be found at www.merton.org, while more on the Cistercian community at the Abbey of Gethsemani can be found at www.monks.org. This conversation was recorded on Thursday, April 30, ...
May 14, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 4
The Rev. Matt Rhodes is joined by The Rev. Laurie M. Brock, rector of the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Lexington, Kentucky and author of "Horses Speak of God" (Paraclete Press). The two use the book, rooted in her experiences with riding and showing horses, as the framework for a conversation on adaptability and change, recognizing the value of boundaries, and where God is to be found in this time of pandemic and distancing. Mother Laurie blogs at revlauriebrock.com and can be followed...
May 14, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 3
The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, joins The Rev. Matt Rhodes for a conversation on the deeper meaning of Holy Week during this time of separation. She also revisits a talk given in 2007 on how the Church will change in this millennium as a result of technology and gives a word of encouragement to ordained and lay leaders during this time of pandemic. This conversation was recorded on Monday, April 6, 2020. Soundtrack: "Shenandoah," performed b...
May 14, 2020•17 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The Rt. Rev. Frank Griswold, 25th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, joins The Rev. Matt Rhodes for a conversation on spirituality and living into our Christian vocation during a time of separation. They also consider what the future of the Church may look like given the current and innovative uses of technology during this time of isolation. Bishop Griswold's latest book is "Tracking Down the Holy Ghost: Reflections on Love and Longing." This conversation was recorded on Thursday, April ...
May 14, 2020•17 min•Season 1Ep. 1
