Embodied Holiness

Send us Fan Mail What on earth are we to do with the troubling passages we come across in scripture? The Old Testament is especially rife with narratives and sentences that can make God sound cruel and unloving at times. I asked Dr. Sandra Richter, the Robert H. Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA to discuss how sincere biblical readers can approach difficult...

Send us Fan Mail Thomas Michael Reed is a Mississippi Circuit Court Judge for the 12th District, serving Forrest and Perry Counties. He brings over 27 years of experience in criminal defense, personal injury, and municipal law. He’s also a follower of Jesus and an active member of Parkway Heights UMC in Hattiesburg, MS. Susan and her colleague, Rev. Julie Collins, sat down with Judge Reed to discu...

Send us Fan Mail Life is hard. We live in a time riddled with political, emotional, economic, and spiritual crises. Deb Engle helps her readers stay true to their spiritual principles and find peace amid chaos. Susan spoke with Deb about her book, Be the Light That You Are , which provides a course of action for people who want to make a difference.  Learn more on Deb's website .  DEBRA ENGLE...

Send us Fan Mail Susan sits down with Anna Valentine, PhD, LPC, to discuss how we can bring wholeness, healing, and rest into our lives by calming our nervous systems. This practical and spirit-filled conversation will leave you feeling refreshed.  Visit Anna’s website.   Listen to Anna’s podcast .  Anna Valentine is based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she works at March Holistic Christian Co...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 100 feels like a good time to pause and take a look at where we’ve been and where we’re going. Susan is joined by original co-hosts Lyerly Christensen and Lindsey Lewis for a rich and meaningful conversation about how life has changed over the past four years. Along the way, they dive into topics that hit close to home: navigating compassion fatigue in a nonstop news cycle...

Send us Fan Mail Grammy-nominated jazz musician and Hattiesburg native Steve Wiest joins Susan for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, creativity, mentorship, and making the most of the one life we’ve been given. Steve reflects on his formative years in the church, the mentors who “saved his life” during a difficult season, and how those roots shaped both his faith and his wildly creative car...

Send us Fan Mail Conversations around addiction and recovery are too often avoided, even in the church. In this episode, Matt Johnson, National Director of Faith-Based Initiatives for the Fletcher Group, discusses why recovery and substance use disorder are something churches and Christians should care deeply about. Whether you’re walking your own recovery journey, loving someone who is, or wonder...

Send us Fan Mail In 1982, at the age of 19, Lonny Schrader was struck with a change in his storyline he did not see coming. His testimony of choosing forgiveness and thriving after tragedy is one we all need to hear and learn from. I hope you enjoy getting to know Lonny as much as I have.  Thanks for listening to the Embodied Holiness Podcast.  We invite you to join the community on Facebook and I...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 8! How do I know when it's God speaking to me? In this episode, Susan and Cliff share their personal experiences of hearing and discerning the voice of God, recommend books that have helped them grow in hearing God, and offer encouragement for your own journey to hearing and knowing God's voice.  Resources Mentioned: Hearing God , by Dallas Willard How...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Susan and Cliff sit down with spiritual director Anne-Russell Bradley for a rich conversation about the practice of spiritual direction. Together, they explore what spiritual direction is (and isn’t), how it creates sacred space for listening to God, and why this ancient practice can be such a life-giving companion on our faith journey. If you’ve ever wondered wha...

Send us Fan Mail How do we faithfully weave our life with God into the work we do every day? In this episode, Susan and co-host Rev. Smith Lilley talk with authors and businessmen Al Erisman and Randy Pope about what it means to view our work as a calling to serve the Lord. Together, they explore how the hours we spend in offices, classrooms, homes, and communities can become places of formation,...

Send us Fan Mail Spiritual warfare can be confusing, even intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. In this conversation, Susan Eaton, Cliff Burris, and Dr. Stephen Seamands discuss what spiritual warfare is, why it shows up in our lives, and how we can discern when it’s happening. Dr. Seamands offers practical wisdom from years of ministry, emphasizing the importance of helping people heal instead...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wished you had superpowers? Maybe we actually do! We may not be able to fly or shoot lasers out of our eyes, but what if we were made for more than that? In this episode, Susan talks with Rev. Smith Lilley about what it means to be human and how the life of Christ within us empowers us to live supernaturally in our everyday lives.  ABOUT SMITH: Smith Lilley is an ord...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Rev. Chad Bowen joins us to unpack a big question from one of our church kids: “How are we made in God’s image when we can’t see God?” Together, we explore what it means to “image” God in the world—not by what we look like, but by how we live. From creativity and innovation to stewardship and community, we discover the many ways God’s character is reflected throug...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever wrestled with questions about purpose—why you’re here, what you’re made for, or how to uncover it—you won’t want to miss this episode with the always dynamic Dr. Bev Smallwood. Learn how God can use even seasons of adversity to reveal your unique purpose and calling. Contact Beverly: bev@drbevsmallwood.com ABOUT BEV: Dr. Bev Smallwood is a licensed psychologist who,...

Send us Fan Mail Susan and her friend, Dr. Jamie McNally, explore what it means to see all of creation as a sacred trust and how the well-being of humans and animals overlaps. Together, they reflect on the biblical call to steward the earth with care. With both theological and psychological insight, this conversation invites us to consider how loving God also means tending His creation. ABOUT JAMI...

Send us Fan Mail Another great question from one of the children of Parkway Heights UMC: "What happens when we take communion? Are the bread and juice (wine) turning into Christ’s body and blood?" Susan and Cliff talk with Rev. Dr. Ricky James about the mystery of this sacred meal and why it matters for our life of faith. ABOUT RICKY: The Rev. Dr. Ricky James is the Dean of the Chapel an...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Season 7 of the Embodied Holiness Podcast! Susan welcomes her friends, Rev. Dr. Leanne Burris and Rev. Cliff Burris, for a thoughtful exploration of the question: "What is prayer and how do I pray?"  ABOUT LEANNE: Rev. Dr. Leanne Burris is the planting pastor of The Bridge Church. As an ordained Elder, she is deeply passionate about connecting people to G...

Send us Fan Mail Do you have trouble connecting with God? What if the opportunity to connect with God were as close as your next breath? Susan sits down with author, podcaster, spiritual director and campus minister, Whitney Simpson, to talk about how we can practice a more embodied spirituality that will draw us closer to Jesus.  ABOUT WHITNEY - Whitney's writing encompasses her passion for...

Send us Fan Mail Susan and Alex are joined by co-host Josh Burris and special guest Nicole Zasowski for a heartfelt conversation around the question: "How does God call us to talk with others about pain?" Together, they explore what it looks like to hold space for one another, speak truth with compassion, and reflect God's love in our hardest conversations. NICOLE ZASOWSKI  is a lic...

Send us Fan Mail Erin Peterson, founder of Cinderella's Closet, joins Susan and Lindsey to talk about her calling to help young women know their worth. From giving dresses for prom, providing scholarships for college, to hosting body positivity seminars, God is using Erin and the ministry of Cinderella's closet to help turn dresses into dreams.  Find out more, learn how to donate or get...

Send us Fan Mail Are you a people pleaser? Do you sometimes confuse being a peacemaker with being a peacekeeper? Is your sense of worth wrapped up in what others might be thinking about you? In this episode, Susan and Alex sit down with Dr. Beverly Smallwood to talk about the roots and ripple effects of people pleasing. Whether this is your struggle or not, the insight and wisdom shared here offer...

Send us Fan Mail Why is my loved one not healed? Should I pray for healing? How do I pray for healing? If you've ever asked these questions or similar ones, this episode is for you. Dr. Stephen Seamands wisely helps us understand the nature of healing and how we can broaden our understanding of Christ's healing work in our lives.  Access Dr. Seamands latest book, Follow the Healer , and...

Send us Fan Mail We're back with another great question! Rev. Andy Stoddard joins Susan and Alex to explore, "Did God really create the world in seven days?"  ABOUT ANDY: Andy Stoddard is the Lead Pastor at St. Matthew's UMC in Madison, MS.  He has served churches across Mississippi. Andy is a 1998 graduate of Mississippi College and a 2003 graduate of Memphis Theological Semin...

Send us Fan Mail Rev. Dr. Raigan Miskelly, senior pastor at Galloway UMC in Jackson, MS, joins Alex and Susan to answer the questions, "How did God never have a beginning? Was God made?" ABOUT RAIGAN:  Rev. Dr. Raigan Miskelly is an Ordained United Methodist Elder in the Mississippi Conference. Dr. Miskelly holds a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific School of Religion and a Doctor of...