Gold Digger Show: Finding God's Gold in Every Story

Advent was meant for those with dread in their hearts. After all, God incarnated into a world of similar darkness to what we're expereincing today. Yet, that tells us that these are precisely the conditions ripe enough to receive the most miraculous of Divine intervention. Today's episode is all about taking a fearless inventory of the darkness so that we can attune our eyes to a world ablaze with...

Erika Kirk spoke life and love at her husband's memorial service, announcing her resolve to forgive the man who killed her husband. Her leadership and inspiration drew the stadium of Christian folk to their feet as they wept and worshipped God with her.  Only moments between, these same people cheered as President Donald Trump and his Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, spewed literal hatred an...

On today's episode we will simply roll around in the gold that I found on August 31st as I was ordained into ministry. The healing that I experienced on that day can only be properly understood in the context of Christian patriarchy and the damnable doctrine of female subordination. Join me as I celebrate this day with joy and also with tears of grief as I count the cost of gender based hierarchy...

Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared an interview with Doug Wilson and his fellow pastors in which they claimed the 19th Amendment should be repealed becasue women are God-ordained to be absorbed into the households of men who are the "heads" and should do the voting for them. Normally, we might dismiss this as some fringe Christian Nationalism content that should be ignorned because o...

The next few episodes will focus on how we can live, move, and have our being in Divine light and love, even during devastating, scary times. Today I'll tell you Maria's story and how receiving her experiences changed my own story dramatically. We'll also explore the Law of Sowing and Reaping and consider the consequences and blessings of what we're planting in this chaotic world we find ourselves...

The missing ingredient for a strong center of spiritual resistance (against evil) is often awe/wonder. Jesus taught us how to live as children born again with fresh eyes of awe and wonder, but we often allow ourselves to "grow" out of this heart posture for the purposes of living in "reality." However, what we find is that this "reality" we create for ourselves, devoid of awe and wonder, leads to...

Theologian Karl Barth compelled Christians of the Third Reich to resist the evil which was besetting the world by becoming accustomed to being "lonely birds under a wide, unconditionally open" sky. What he meant by that is that they (and we!) must establish a center of spiritual reistance so strong that they are willing to go it alone if even the entire world begins to call what is evil good. On t...

For the next several episodes we will explore how to "establish a center of spiritual resistance," as Karl Barth implored the Protestant Christians in Germany to do in 1933. I believe the first step is to commit to being resolute truth tellers in a time and culture where truth is often obscured, ignored, or denied.  Why did the German Christians renegotiate their theology to accommodate the lies o...

On today's episode we explore the age-old traps that the German Christians of the Third Reich fell into -- traps to which we've all succumbed at some point or another. The benefit of looking backward and listening deeply to those who've made devastating errors in judgment is that we can learn how to navigate our own journeys with wisdom, discernment, and most importantly love. As much as we'd like...

On today's episode we cover a lot of ground! Luther's two-shephere theology, "order of creation" doctrine, and the German Christian abuses of speculative theology in the name of Christ. Then we explore Ignatius of Loyola's "Ignation Contemplation" also known as "imaginative prayer." What does this practice have to offer us today? At the end of the episode we practice this form of prayer together. 

On today's episode we explore the notion of "Toxic Empathy" that's been making the rounds in political and religious conversations these days. We begin with a story about how empathy saved Amber's family and then we explore how empathy makes us both more human and more like God who is Love. 

Today's episode introduces two seemingly opposite topics that actually have surprising overlap -- Ignatian spirituality and the beliefs of the German Christian movement. Both topics hold much wisdom and challenge for us here in the Year of our Lord 2025. We begin with the Welcoming Prayer by Father Thomas Keating and discuss the Ignatian Examen alongside the mindset of the German Christians in 193...

Today's episode is a reading from a recent newsletter I sent out to subscribers of my Substack. It deals with the scapegoating of the trans community that's been on the rise since the election cycle began and offers a prescription for what ails us -- powerful mothering love.  If you'd like to subscribe to my Substack and receive newsletters from me a few times per month, the link is below.  https:...

Hello there, Gold Digger! Welcome to Season 15 of the show dedicated to finding God's gold in every beautiful & baffling story. This season, Dr. Amber Hogan Jones will be companioning you through this new & often confusing world in which we find ourselves living in the Year of Our Lord 2025.  This season is gonna hit a little different as we talk politics, world events, & hot topics. What will rem...

Season 14 has been dedicated to exploring Christian Nationalism and the doctrine of dominionism that has become increasingly normalized in evangelical, and some Catholic, religious spaces in America.  Loren and Amber spend the final episode of the season discussing how they've been spiritually formed through the process of research, reflection, and dialogue regarding the nature of power and how Ch...

What is the meaning of freedom? What is it's purpose? If this election cycle showed us anything, it's that these questions are not only incredibly important, but are answered quite differently by various people groups. For a Christian, what are the foundational aspects of freedom that remain no matter what side of the political spectrum on which we fall?  Loren and Amber discuss these questions in...

On this week's episode, Loren and Amber discuss the Seven Mountain Mandate, Project 2025, and the implications of these worldviews for Christianity in America.  Questions we explore: Should Christians strive for influence in the "seven mountains" of human civilization. If so, why? And how? Do the "good" end goals justify "evil" means to achieve them?  What do sasquatch attacks have to do with anyt...

On this week's episode Loren recounts the story of a deep conversation he had with a person who leans toward Christian Nationalism (without labeling their beliefs as such). Together we explore the importance of learning to deeply listen to those whose beliefs are different from our own, and the surprises we may find as we try on someone else's lens for a bit.  As we work our way through this contr...

A few weeks ago, former President Donald Trump made the assertion, from the Presidential debate stage, that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio were eating citizens' pets. This was his  attempt to underscore the need for immigration reform by using debunked conspiracy theories to incite fear. He received this pet-eating information from "people" who he did not name and, though the story was reve...

This week, Loren and Amber discuss the cost of following Christ, especially when one's cherished way of life might be at stake. Is it wrong to defend our rights as Americans or to fight to keep the privileges we've always enjoyed? Is it wrong to allow others to infringe on those rights and privileges? What makes us truly Christian and truly patriotic?  As we dig deeper into Christian Nationalism a...

Welcome to Season 14 of the show in which recurring favorite, Loren Romeus, and I take another -- more informed, more loving, and fairer -- stab at the exploration of Christian nationalism and the doctrine of dominionism which is enjoying a resurgence in America.  On today's episode, we define our terms and explain why we think this is a conversation worth having again. Our relationship to power,...

What happens when we use our power and authority to honor others, especially those on the margins? What is possible when we serve the "we" instead of the "I?" Join me in conversation today with Loren Romeus as we discuss stories in which we've been called to steward our power for the sake of those who have less power. 

It stands to reason that Christians would want to model their leadership styles/stewardship of power after the example of Jesus. Yet, the One who taught us to wash feet, to use our power in service of others, to sacrifice the "I" for the sake of the "we" is often disregarded in churches, Christian homes and communities.  Why do Christians resist the example of Christ? What can we learn from God's...

We all agree that servant leadership is the kind of leadership style that values the goodness and well being of all people within an organization. It's the goal, the aspiration, and the gold standard of leadership styles.  Yet, we rarely see it sustained. We most often default to styles of leadership which are not in service of all. Why is this? What is it about servant leadership that is so diffi...

God gave humans limited power -- over self, the earth, and one another. What is the purpose of this power? What did God have in mind for its use and what can we know about how God sees its misuse?  Christian dominionism is a popular teaching, growing more popular as our nation is further polarized across a number of issues. Did God give us power so that we could extend God's power on the earth? If...