In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk picky eaters, casual racism, George Floyd, and Brendan the Navigator. Also, Dave presses some steel while Sarah reheats some frozen garlic bread. Click here (https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/health/picky-eaters-wellness/index.html) to read CNN's report on picky eating. Click here (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/opinion/how-to-talk-to-a-racist.html)to read The NY Times piece on How to Talk to a Racist Click here (https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/may/...
Jun 01, 2020•1 hr 1 min
In which Dave, Sarah, and RJ talk Calvin and Hobbes, dirty dishes, prayer science, and oscillating faith. Also, RJ risks domestic discord to rearrange the silverware, and Confetti Egg Condon make a cameo. Click here (https://www.polygon.com/comics/2020/5/13/21254476/calvin-and-hobbes-comic-strips-books-quarantine) to read Chuck Wendig's article on "Calvin and Hobbes and Quarantine." Click here (https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-dishes-will-never-be-done/2020/05/19/e558ef5a-965e-...
May 26, 2020•1 hr 6 min
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk middle school meddling, Waffle House fisticuffs, worthless baseball cards, and weird Christians. Also, Dave gets cut from a basketball team (or two). Click here (https://www.newsweek.com/2020/05/22/bestselling-author-judith-warner-how-parents-screw-their-middle-school-kids-1501869.html) to read an excerpt of Judith Warner's new book, And Then They Stopped Talking to Me Click here (https://twitter.com/redditships/status/1260126130687881217) to read about the full...
May 18, 2020•1 hr 3 min
In which RJ, Sarah and Dave talk guilty pleasures, quarantine fatigue, 1st century exorcisms, and eccentric branches of the welfare state. Also, Dave turns to ebay while Sarah lets them eat cake. Click here (https://mbird.com/2020/05/the-acquittal-of-our-guilty-pleasures/) to read Ian Olson's article on The Acquittal of Our Guilty Pleasures Click here (https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/04/groundhog-day-horror-movie-quarantine/610867/) to read Megan Garber's appraisal of Groundhog ...
May 10, 2020•1 hr 9 min
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk Michael Jordan, productivity epiphanies, and Kierkegaard's glorious failures. Also, Dave goes full Regency while Sarah expounds on Russian dynasties. Click here (https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/4/27/21237752/michael-jordan-the-last-dance-legacy) to read Brian Phillips' piece on Michael Jordan the Story Versus Michael Jordan the Man. Click here (https://www.wired.com/story/question-productivity-coronavirus/)to read Laurie Penny's essay on how Productivity Is N...
Apr 30, 2020•1 hr 2 min
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk corona shaming, prepared forgiveness, parental anxiety and essential churches. Also, RJ finally finds out how the cow ate the cabbage. Click here (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/opinion/coronavirus-shaming.html) to read Jennifer Weiner's piece on The Seductive Appeal of Pandemic Shaming. Click here (https://thepointmag.com/criticism/the-stutterers-song-bill-withers/) to read Emily Lordi's The Stutterer's Song: Remembering Bill Withers Click here (https://the...
Apr 23, 2020•1 hr 10 min
In which Sarah, RJ and Dave talk the ministry of weirdness and the hope of post-Corona grace before lamenting the popularity of lament. Also, Sarah reassesses Pokemon while RJ complains about his boss. To read Sam Anderson's profile of Weird Al, click here (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/magazine/weird-al-yankovic.html). To read Amanda McMillen's piece on Grace Before and After Corona, click here (https://mbird.com/2020/04/i-needed-grace-before-corona-and-ill-need-it-after-too/). To read Tod...
Apr 15, 2020•1 hr 10 min
In which Dave, Sarah, and RJ talk celebrity backlash, culpability anxiety, remote worship, and New York trauma. Also, Dave does his best Coach Taylor impression while Sarah learns from widows.
Apr 06, 2020•1 hr 8 min
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk favorite memes, anticipatory grief, apocalyptic pick-up lines, and other impossibilities. Also, Sarah organizes a Zoom happy hour, and RJ shakes his neighbor's hand.
Mar 30, 2020•1 hr 4 min
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk corona-couples, corona-parents, corona-jobs, and the perils of giving advice. Also, RJ takes things too personally, Sarah skips Morning Prayer, and no celebrates Lazarus's life. Articles discussed: Jennifer Senior's "Welcome to Marriage During Coronavirus" (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/opinion/coronavirus-relationships.html) "Lowering the Bar in Parenting" (https://www.thecut.com/2020/03/how-to-work-from-home-with-kids.html) via The Cut Productivity in a P...
Mar 22, 2020•1 hr
In which Dave, Sarah, and RJ talk new corona-realities, compassion shortages, and Martin Luther's advice for pandemic survivors--before giving their quarantine recommendations. Also, RJ goes bodysurfing while Sarah prays for teenagers in love. * Click here (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/opinion/pandemic-coronavirus-compassion.html) to read David Brooks' column on how Pandemics Kill Compassion. * Click here (https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/january-web-only/martin-luther-coronavirus...
Mar 16, 2020•54 min
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk dating Lady Gaga, reading MeMaw's bible, reckoning with coronapanic during Lent, and forgiving other people's enemies. Also, Sarah leaves a trail of bodies behind her while Dave listens to Big Pink. Click here (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/opinion/sunday/lady-gaga-boyfriend.html) to read about Lady Gaga's new boyfriend's ex-girfriend Click here (https://mbird.com/2020/02/having-been-this-way-before-blessings-from-the-elderly/) to read Sarah's article about...
Mar 09, 2020•1 hr 12 min
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk closeness-communication bias, Type of Guy Theory, nuclear family breakdown, and skipping church. Also, Florida man RJ Heijmen reveals why he speaks so quickly, and Sarah discloses her least favorite sermon. Click here (https://mbird.com/2020/02/the-new-mockingbird-newsletter/) to sign up for The Mockingbird Digest. Click here (https://www.mbirdtyler.com/) for more info about the Mockingbird Festival in Tyler, TX (4/3-5). Click here (https://conference.mbird.com/...
Feb 24, 2020•1 hr 5 min
In this special episode of The Mockingcast, Ethan Richardson takes us on a tour of The Future Issue of The Mockingbird magazine, featuring interviews with historian Tom Holland and NY Times technology columnist Nellie Bowles. Also, once-and-future Mbird authority Will McDavid provides what may be the world's foremost take on the intersection of Marcel Proust and the Left Behind series. Grab your copy of The Future Issue today at magazine.mbird.com (http://magazine.mbird.com/).
Feb 15, 2020•1 hr 7 min
In which Dave, Sarah, and RJ talk 50 year old aspirations, middle school peers, and knitting purity spirals. Also, Rev. Condon takes us on a tour of that frightening place known as "Secular Sarah Hell." Click here to read Jennifer Weiner's article "I Feel Personally Judged by J.Lo's Body" (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/04/opinion/jlo-superbowl-performance.html) Click here to read Lydia Denworth's article on The Outsize Influence of Your Middle School Friends (https://www.theatlantic.com/family...
Feb 07, 2020•1 hr
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk advanced status games, gracious cheerleaders, deathrow mercies, and anti-institutional performancism. Also, Ken F promises to let them all cut in line. Click here (https://thepointmag.com/examined-life/who-wants-to-play-the-status-game-agnes-callard/) to read Agnes Callard's article "Who Wants to Play the Status Game?" Click here (https://mbird.com/2020/01/netflixs-cheer-law-and-grace-in-action/) to read Todd Brewer's piece "Netflix’s 'Cheer': Law and Grace in A...
Jan 25, 2020•1 hr 2 min
In the first new episode of 2020, RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk Parkinson's Law, algorithmic decades, and neonatal epiphanies. Also, Dave sees Little Women, Sarah preps for Twin Day, and things stop going according to RJ's plan. Click here (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/12/why-you-never-have-time/603937/) to read The Atlantic's explanation of Why You Have No Time Click here (https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katherinemiller/the-2010s-have-broken-our-sense-of-time) to read Katherin...
Jan 11, 2020•55 min
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk sassy mom merch, overrated advents, and the theology of foster care. They also share their favorites from 2019. Oh and RJ sings... a lot. Click here (https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-and-off-the-avenue/the-quiet-protests-of-sassy-mom-merch) to read Jia Tolentino's article on "The Quiet Protests of Sassy Mom Merch." Click here (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/opinion/sunday/christmas-season-advent-celebration.html) to read Tish Harrison Warren's NY Times c...
Dec 10, 2019•1 hr 6 min
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk generational warfare ("OK boomer"), Sunday morning racial reconciliation, refugee puppetry, and America's favorite Dolly. Also, Sarah gets beeped for the first time--but probably not the last. Throughout it all, hope abounds. Oh and to take RJ up on his offer, visit www.mbird.com/support (www.mbird.com/support). Click here (https://www.vox.com/2019/11/19/20963757/what-is-ok-boomer-meme-about-meaning-gen-z-millennials) to read Aja Romano's article in Vox about th...
Nov 25, 2019•1 hr 1 min
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk cancel culture, aging taboos, and the church-pocalypse. Also, Sarah goes shopping for jeans. Click here (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/style/what-is-cancel-culture.html) to read John McDermott's article "Those People We Cancelled? They're All Hanging Out Together". Click here (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/04/why-we-cant-tell-the-truth-about-aging) to read Arthur Krystal's "Why We Can't Tell the Truth About Aging". Click here (https://mbird.com...
Nov 11, 2019•54 min
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk procrastination, child-ing, and going home with Beth Moore. Also, RJ's three-year-old wakes up with a song in his heart. To read Tim Kreider's article about procrastination, click here (https://humanparts.medium.com/the-art-of-not-doing-art-95cdd7baee53). To read Agnes Callard's article about panic and parenting, click here (https://thepointmag.com/examined-life/parenting-and-panic-agnes-callard/). To read Wesley Hill's article about unnecessary gifts, click her...
Oct 27, 2019•50 min
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk about noonday demons, divine surprises, and the doctrine that rhymes with schmotal decavity. Also, RJ comes clean about why he watches SEC football. Click here (https://www.plough.com/en/topics/justice/social-justice/economic-justice/the-noonday-demon) to read Jonathan Malesic's essay "The Noonday Demon." Click here (https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/09/30/rigorous-grace-a-conversation-between-leslie-jamison-and-kaveh-akbar/?utm_source=The+Paris+Review+Ne...
Oct 14, 2019•53 min
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk about raising boys, surviving Instagram, and grasping the moral legacy of the Christian revolution. Also, Marshall Heijmen scales the roof while Neil Condon takes us to Danger World. Click here (https://mbird.com/2019/09/when-the-world-calls-them-otherwise-god-calls-them-good/) to read Sarah's article about boys. Click here (https://www.thecut.com/2019/09/who-would-tavi-gevinson-be-without-instagram.html) to read Tavi Gevinson's (long) article about Instagram. C...
Sep 30, 2019•58 min
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk about the temptations/lessons of nostalgia, Taylor Swift's doctrine of forgiveness, and the "Age of American Despair." Also, RJ recites the full lineup of the 86 Mets. This episode is dedicated to Emily and Alex Large. Click here (https://gen.medium.com/i-toured-the-new-brady-bunch-house-and-it-did-not-go-as-planned-61248a370ee9) to read Joel's Stein article "I Toured the ‘Brady Bunch’ House and It Did Not Go As Planned." Click here (https://www.nytimes.com/2019...
Sep 16, 2019•52 min
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk hard seltzer, early NFL retirements, and the (non)virtue of niceness. Also, Sarah shares her recipe for meat water. Click here (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/08/why-summer-white-claw/596920/) to read Amanda Mull's article "White Claw Is What Happens When Being Cool Becomes Exhausting." Click here (https://deadspin.com/football-doesnt-let-you-leave-1837662990) to read Nate Jackson's column "Football Doesn't Let You Leave." Click here (https://ww...
Aug 31, 2019•48 min
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave return from their summer break to talk school stress, ideal women, millennial nuns, and the gift God gave Stephen Colbert. Also, Sarah reveals her favorite film franchise. Click here (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/17/opinion/sunday/childhood-suicide-depression-anxiety.html) to read the article "We Have Ruined Childhood by Kim Brooks Click here (https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/aug/02/athleisure-barre-kale-tyranny-ideal-woman-labour?fbclid=IwAR1mQ1y6T2EXiE_dW6n...
Aug 21, 2019•56 min
In this, the third of three special summer mini-sodes, RJ, Sarah, and Dave converse on the subject of hope (and why it is not the same thing as optimism). Dedicated to the memory of James Harte.
Aug 02, 2019•19 min
In this special episode of The Mockingcast, Ethan Richardson takes us on a tour of The Family Issue (https://magazine.mbird.com/shop/issue-14-the-family-issue/) of The Mockingbird magazine, featuring interviews with education expert Alfie Kohn and Silver Linings Playbook creator Matthew Quick. Oh, and Carrie Willard explains why our family lives are like those moldy leftovers in your refrigerator. Order your copy of The Family Issue here (https://magazine.mbird.com/shop/issue-14-the-family-issue...
Jul 26, 2019•1 hr 27 min
In this, the second of three special summer mini-sodes, Sarah, RJ, and Dave try to put words to the Holy Spirit. Also, RJ totally loses it in Denny's.
Jul 19, 2019•16 min
In this, the first of three special summer mini-sodes, RJ, Sarah, and Dave discuss what's meant by "the bondage of the will," and why it's not a bad thing. Also, Annie Condon has a good cry.
Jul 12, 2019•18 min
