In this episode, I explain why I believe deconstruction and reconstruction are a healthy part of human development, how we see many examples of deconstruction and reconstruction in the bible, and why it's essential for human flourishing. Enjoy!
Are humans born with "original sin" or "original blessing?" How you understand where you come from (your origin story) drastically affects how you see yourself and the world around you. In this episode, I talk about where the doctrine of original sin came from and how it affects those who ascribe to it. Enjoy!
How do you perceive reality? Is life basically a system of scarcity, where it's all up to you to crank it up, make it happen, and dig deep? Or is life energized by a ground of being that keeps sending gift after gift to each one of us? How you perceive reality deeply affects your experience of reality.
Reverend Elizabeth Hagan is a graduate of Duke Divinity School, a multi-published author, and has been a pastor for 15 years. She saw the isolation, loneliness, and shame that remains unspoken when Christians shy away from difficult conversations on taboo topics. Elizabeth knew that the church could do better to foster a sense of acceptance and belonging. So she wrote Brave Church to open the door to the presence of God in difficult conversations. You can follow Elizabeth's work on her website ,...
Tyler Sit is a pastor, author, and church planter of New City Church in South Minneapolis, a multi-racial church focused on environmental justice and centering marginalized voices. Tyler's new book, Staying Awake: The Gospel for Change Makers, is a practical exploration of Christianity for people who want to show up for justice and stay in the movement. Complete with stories, worksheets, poetry, and a commitment to centering queer people of color, this book is here to support you in staying awak...
Winn Collier just released A Burning in My Bones, the authorized biography of Pastor and author Eugene Peterson. It's a brilliantly written book about a centered pastor during a time when many pastors succumbed to a consumer-driven philosophy about church and spiritual development. Winn's spirit is gentle and his voice grounded me. We recorded this conversation during the week that Daunte Wright was killed by a police officer here in Minneapolis, and also just before the Derek Chauvin verdict wa...
Kevin Butcher is a dear friend of mine, and I loved this conversation. He just can't stop talking about God's expansive love, and I can't get enough of it. He was a Pastor for thirty-five years, but now he's the Founder and Executive Director of Rooted Ministries , a nonprofit that comes alongside isolated, wounded, discouraged pastors and their families. His brand new book is called Free: Rescued from Shame-Based Religion, Released into the Life-Giving Love of Jesus . I'd encourage you to pick ...
Kurt Willems is the founder and pastor of Pangea Church in Seattle, Washington. Also a writer, blogger, podcaster and speaker, he maintains the resource website Theology Curator and hosts the Theology Curator podcast . Kurt is passionate about taking dense ideas and communicating them in ways that are empowering for people in all walks of life. He holds a master of divinity degree from Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and a master's degree in comparative religion from the University of Washingto...
Sarah Bessey is the author of the popular and critically acclaimed books Jesus Feminist , Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith , and Miracles and Other Reasonable Things . Her brand new book is a collection of meditations entitled A Rhythm of Prayer: A Collection of Prayers for Renewal . She is a sought-after speaker at churches, conferences, and universities all around the world. Sarah is also the co-curator and co-host of the annual Evolving Faith Conference and she serves as pres...
3000 Miles to Jesus follows the adventurous journey of three pilgrims who set off for Jerusalem in the 1400s. We’re invited to grab our staff and scrip and come along. Walking with these travelers of old, we hear their stories, gain nuggets of wisdom, and learn an important spiritual truth: all of life is a pilgrimage. The book draws on the rich history of the Christian faith to encourage us on our daily and lifelong walk with God. Author Lisa Deam writes of her inspiration for this book: “I dis...
Greg Paul is a pastor and member, as well as the founder, of the Sanctuary community in Toronto. Sanctuary, a community in which people who are wealthy and people who are poor live, work, and share their experiences and resources on a daily basis, makes a priority of welcoming and caring for some of the most hurting and excluded people in Canada’s largest city, including people struggling with addiction, mental illness, prostitution, and homelessness. Greg is the author of the recently released ...
This is the second part of a two-part series that I created to help people engage in life as it really is, rather than life as we'd prefer it to be. Most of us are well aware of the things we'd like to change in our lives: maybe it's a number on a scale, or something about our job, or how we function in a relationship... come to think of it, what DON'T we want to change in 2020? In part 1, I talked about the importance of sitting in the discomfort of WHY we want those things to change before rus...
Most of us are well aware of the things we'd like to change in our lives: maybe it's a number on a scale, or something about our job, or how we function in a relationship... come to think of it, what DON'T we want to change in 2020? In this episode, I talk about the importance of sitting in the discomfort of WHY we want those things to change before rushing to change them. Otherwise, we're just trading one type of discontent for another. We need to start to see our actual lives - as they really ...
Scott Erickson is a painter, artist, and author of several books, including Honest Advent . We had a wide-ranging conversation about Advent, his creative process, and how his faith has evolved over time. Enjoy!
Is it possible to hold strong opinions and beliefs AND learn to express them without alienating and dehumanizing those who disagree with you? Can you really engage and have a robust conversation where you disagree without getting triggered and traumatized? In this episode, I introduce four practices that will help you learn to engage in tough conversations with grace and passion and leave conversations feeling energized instead of defeated and angry. Enjoy.
I met Latifah Alattas last year when we started collaborating on a new project (The Fun Parts Podcast). I was immediately drawn to her creativity, her infectious laughter, and her commitment to honesty. She's a singer/songwriter who has written under many different monikers, including Moda Spira and Page CXVI. Latifah just released a new album called All (as Page CXVI). It's gorgeous, including old hymns she's rewritten to have gender-inclusive language and also some incredible original songs. Y...
I loved this conversation! Rebecca Bowers is an LGBTQIA affirming and inclusive therapist and advocate, living in southern Louisiana. She primarily works with clients who have gone through spiritual and religious trauma. She sees many clients who have experienced these specific traumas and works to help them reconcile and recover. Trigger warning: We talked a lot about the kinds of trauma that LGBTQIA+ individuals experience from religious institutions and how to move toward healing. Resources f...
I recorded this episode based on a blog post I wrote a few years ago when the Me Too movement was just getting started. The blog was titled "An Ode to the Women Who are Too Much." We need to hear those voices, to hear their stories, and to stop telling women they are too much. Click here to read "An Ode to the Women Who are Too Much." I also mentioned Sue Monk Kidd's gorgeous new book, The Book of Longings . It's an imaginative story centered on the question, "What if Jesus had a wife ?" The mai...
Megan Westra is the host of a great podcast called The Podluck , and she's the author of a fantastic new book called Born Again and Again , which chronicles her evolving faith. Our conversation went everywhere from her super-conservative upbringing in the Southern Baptist Church to the questions she's currently still wrestling with. Click here to buy Megan's new book, Born Again and Again. Find out more about Megan by visiting her website - and make sure to follow her on Twitter , Instagram , an...
Why is it that most of us listen to everybody else but neglect our own inner wisdom? Why don't we trust that voice? Is the heart (as the bible claims), really "deceitful above all things?" In this episode, I talk about how to learn to listen for your inner wisdom, how you can borrow true wisdom from others in order to find your own inner wisdom, and what we can learn about inner wisdom from a bizarre story called the 18th camel. Enjoy!
Why do we get so triggered by Facebook posts with which we disagree? Why can't we just smile and move on? This episode deals with the idea of dualism, and how our brains are still hardwired to keep us safe from sabertooth tigers hiding behind the blueberry bush even when they aren't there. It also explores a mindful practice that can help you to move on more quickly by detaching yourself - and your identity - from your feelings. Also mentioned in this episode: Fun Parts Podcast! Check out the tr...
Gena Thomas advocates for families who have been separated at the border. In this conversation, we talked about Gena's experience adopting Julia, a child who had been separated from her family at the border between the US & Mexico, and also about how she worked tirelessly to find Julia's mother, Guadalupe, so they could be reunited. You can read all about Gena's story in her book, Separated by the Border. You can follow Gena on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram , and find out more about her...
I recorded this interview with Austin Channing Brown in July of 2018, but it's incredibly poignant given the events of the last few weeks, with the killing of George Floyd, the global protest, and the overwhelming call for systemic change. Please consider buying her book (which is currently #15 on the NYT Bestseller list): I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness.
Jessica Kantrowitz is a writer and theologian living in Boston, Massachusetts. She writes about theology, culture, social justice, and chronic illness, including her own struggles with depression and migraines. Her writing has been featured in places like Sojourners, Think Christian, The Good Men Project, and Our Bible App. She earned her MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. You can follow her on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram and you can purchase her new book, The Long Night: Read...
Click here to buy my new book , Shining Like the Sun: Seven Mindful Practices for Rekindling Your Faith.
We live in a multi-faith society which often results in misinformation, ignorance, disagreements, hate speech, violence, and even wars. What the Faith is a new community born out of a desire for empathy rather than division. To find commonality in the midst of chaos. To find out more about What the Faith, check out this episode's show notes.
Bronwyn Lea is the author of Beyond Awkward Side Hugs: Living as Brothers and Sisters in Christ in a Sex-Crazed World . Find out more about Bronwyn and her book by visiting this episode's show notes!
It's been almost a year since we lost our friend Rachel Held Evans. In fact, she was supposed to come out of her medically induced coma on Easter Sunday, 2019. Just two weeks after that, we lost her. I had the incredible opportunity to have a conversation with Amanda Held Opelt, Rachel's sister, about her journey of grief, the hope she's holding onto these days, and her renewed view about what resurrection means. Her words were powerful and inspiring; I hope you enjoy this conversation....
A custom of our Christian tradition is to keep vigil with Christ at different times and in different ways during Holy Week. One of the places from which we draw this custom is Jesus’ request to his disciples to keep watch while he prayed and agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. We also know that there were those few—including Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ mother Mary, and the apostle John—who stayed near the cross and kept watch as Jesus suffered and died. Despite the horror of what was taking place, ...
You know when you meet someone for the first time and find yourself agreeing with almost everything they say? That was how my entire conversation with Jerome Daley went. His emphasis on soul-care, on finding sane rhythms for your life, and on the contemplative journey was all water for my parched soul these days. For more, check out his amazing book, Gravitas: The Monastic Rhythms of Healthy Leadership. Jerome Daley is an executive coach, retreat leader, and conflict consultant who is passionate...
