Faith in Motion, the Podcast

“God never expects us to be perfect. When God created the world, God didn’t high five Godself and exclaim: “It’s perfect!” God just called it good. And good is a B+!” If you need a reminder that God shows up when it’s “good enough” and not just when it’s “perfect,” this conversation with poet and pastor Meta Herrick Carlson is for you. She reminds us of what it means to be human, to experience the...

This conversation with Mary DeJong, spiritual companion and sacred ecology teacher, is all about re-wilding. She teaches us what it means to look at where our wild selves have been blocked or dammed, and how to find our truest flow again. She teaches us: God is right here on this wild earth. She invites us to look up and look down and see God all around us. About Mary Mary DeJong is a spiritual ec...

The Enneagram is a powerful tool that can show us who we are as part of the image of God, the Imago Dei, in the world. It can also teach us that we all need each other - that no one is better or worse than anyone else, and that together we make up the fabric of God’s Kingdom here on earth. Dani Cooper, an Enneagram teacher and coach, shares with us how we can deepen our understanding of God, ourse...

Have you ever felt like science and faith contradict one another? Today we sit down with Haley Cole, a physicist also known as Haley the Scientist, to talk about how her understanding of science enhances her experience of God through her faith.  About Haley Haley Cole is a physicist studying space radiation, but goes by Haley the Scientist online. She hosts a podcast and blog dedicated to helping...

As you close out your October and enter November, we invite you to receive this simple blessing.

Hospital chaplains are called to some of the holiest work, entering rooms where grief and vulnerability are often palpable. Rev. Emma Landowski Sancomb shares her experiences with us - what it’s like entering those spaces, how she prepares her own heart, and how she tries to move out of the way so God’s wisdom can speak through her. She does the same in the journaling workshops she offers, which s...

Patriarchy is neither nice nor particularly Christian, but it shows up in our churches all the time. Liz Cooledge Jenkins tackles this much-needed conversation about the more subtle ways patriarchy weaves its way into church culture and offers us a way forward in her new book, Nice Churchy Patriarchy . About Liz Liz Cooledge Jenkins (MDiv) is a writer, preacher, and former college campus minister...

In this brief episode, we lift our hearts together in prayer for the people in the Holy Land, and around the world, who are grieving and afraid. Pastor Kelsey reads two poems from Dane Kuttler’s book, The Book of Solace .

In her recent memoir, Beautiful and Terrible Things: Faith, Doubt, and Discovering A Way Back to Each Other, Rev. Dr. Amy Butler shares about finding her way through wreckage after wreckage. A deeply personal, yet incredibly universal memoir. She’s here with us today to share more of her story, talk about where God’s Spirit has been nudging her lately, and, of course, what she is still learning. I...

This week we have the privilege of sitting down with award-winning national news anchor and host of “Morning in America,” Adrienne Bankert. In an hour-long special that aired on Sunday, September 24th, Adrienne went behind the scenes of the popular show, “The Chosen.” She toured the set, interviewed the cast as well as the creator, Dallas Jenkins. We get to hear from her first-hand what that exper...

We recorded a special episode with Kelsey and our sound editor, Bri Daniel, to celebrate 100,000 downloads!!! This is a huge milestone that we could barely dream of as we started out, and we’re so grateful to get to celebrate with you all! We talk some behind the scenes talk, whether or not this is different than we expected, what our hopes and dreams are for the future of the podcast, and even ou...

Content Note: In this episode, we have open, honest, and vulnerable conversation around infertility, body dysmorphia, and cancer. At the height of the pandemic, Rev. Erin Dickey was in the depths of an infertility journey. She and her husband ordered a Peloton and it arrived the same week they received hard news. Her journey with the stationary bike was far more than she ever expected, and became...

I sat down with Victoria Robb Powers and Cameron Mason Vickery of Reverend Mamas to talk about their upcoming book, My Love, God Is Everywhere . This beautiful children’s book asks a series of questions about where God is, and they don’t shy away from the hard stuff, including: where is God when I’m bad? where is God when I die? Victoria and Cameron are mothers, pastors and founders of the online...

All her life, Julia Rocchi has searched for both the stillness and community that would connect her with something real and powerful—something like God. But religion, often consumed by its certainties, sometimes fails us. We want to find a new way. Could it be that faith is instead a conversation we carry on in questions? In her new book, Amen? Questions for A God I Hope Exists , Julia invites us...

Rev. Anne Dunlap brings us back to our roots, reminding us who we are and whose we are. A teacher and preacher trained in herbal medicinal practices, Rev. Anne knows how connected Spirit and earth are. In sharing her wisdom, she calls us to ground ourselves in the power and beauty of creation. About Rev. Anne (she/her) Nurtured into faith-rooted organizing in the Central America solidarity movemen...

Many of us grew up in a faith environment that was rules-based. It was all about doing the right things and obeying God, “or else.” Meredith Miller believes there’s a new, different way; one that focuses more on who God is and building up a relationship with a God who loves us. Thankfully, she’s written a book as a guide on how to do just that! From the press release: So many parents want to pass...

In honor of her new book, Woven, coming out this month we are re-releasing our first conversation with Meredith Miller! It's our 2nd most downloaded episode ever, and for good reason! Check it out and be sure to come back next week for a brand new interview with Meredith! “You don’t need a seminary degree to talk with your kids about Jesus. But it can be nice to have a friend with one.” Pasto...

Always Remember: You Are Worthy A message on Luke 13:6-9 The parable of the Fig Tree 

It can be incredibly challenging to find faith-based children’s books that are based in a progressive and inclusive theology! There have been many times I’ve purchased a children’s faith book on Amazon, only to open it up and find masculine imagery for God, or some teaching about patriarchal gender roles. Former librarian and now minister, Kari Baumann, knew that struggle was alive and well, so sh...

Join Pastors Jazzy, Aurelia, Erin, and Kelsey as they discuss our most requested topic: what do pastors *really do* outside Sunday morning worship? They share their favorite parts of each week, and least favorite, what they wish people knew pastors do, and what they wish they actually had time for. It was such a rich conversation, and we hope it provides good insight for all who want a peak inside...

We all know that verse from scripture: you can’t serve God and money . What if we use our money in service to God? Rev. Dr. Sheryl Johnson is here to share about her book, Serving Money, Serving God: Aligning Radical Justice, Christian Practice, and Church Life . In her research, she examines how Christian finance and stewardship approaches tend to emphasize neoliberal values and entrench white pr...

When do you feel most connected to God in worship? And if you could nix any part of worship, what would it be? These are questions Kelsey posed to her community on social media, and the responses were wild! An overwhelming majority of folks wanted to get rid of Passing the Peace (a time of walking around & greeting one another saying, "Peace be with you"). The things people loved the...

We're doing something new! Once a month, Pastor Kelsey will be sitting down with other pastors and leaders to discuss a particular topic. Think: less interview, more roundtable discussion. This month we're focusing on Pride Month! Upcoming topics include: What pastors *really do* beyond Sunday mornings What is forgiveness and how do we do it Moving through grief and difficult times Rest...

When she was defrocked by the Presbyterian church in the 90s, Cathryn Cummings built a church where ALL of God’s beloved queer children would be welcome. She refused to let hatred close the doors to God’s house. That church, called Spirit of the Sound, served the queer community of the Puget Sound in Washington state (and beyond - people flew in from as far as Florida to attend this church!) for t...