That Makes Total Sense!

This weekend, our nation turned 250 years old! For many, the celebration was not without complicated feelings. Yes, we are grateful, and we also grieve. So, we thought this would be the perfect time to re-release one of our favorite episodes that speaks to some of those complexities and how we can respond to them. … Continue reading Episode 360 – Andrew Whitehead (re-release!)

Scott Bessenecker has been in Christian ministry for decades which puts him in a unique position to bring a critical eye to the way our religion is practiced. For many, church hurt is recent. It is something we have experienced personally, and for which are seeking healing urgently. Scott reminds, though, that while the injuries … Continue reading Episode 359 – Scott Bessenecker

Producer’s pick! With a fun-filled (and restful) Father’s Day weekend, my husband and producer, Seth, picked one of his favorite episodes to share again! This one with journalist, Jon Ward, is still as relevant today as it was when it originally aired in 2023 (and was the top-listened episode of that year!). Seth mentioned that … Continue reading Episode 358 – Jon Ward (re-...

Oh my gosh! I had soooo much fun chatting with Varina for this episode! She wrote a book on prepositions and God, which is just so fabulous. Beneath and Between contains chapters featuring 15 different prepositions and how they can be used to describe our relationship to God. Highlights for me included flashbacks to the … Continue reading Episode 357 – Varina Willse

Talking with psychologist, Dr. Tiffany G. Townsend was truly a joy! One of the reasons I think I enjoyed it so much is because (by my own admission and maybe my husband’s observations, lol!) I can be a bit of a Debbie Downer sometimes. Meaning, when confronted with the realities of the world’s problems, it … Continue reading Episode 356 – Tiffany G. Townsend

MaryAnn McKibben Dana gave me words, in this conversation and her new book Better Than Normal, that I have been searching for. When questions arise like – What makes this the standard? or How can I fit in here (or is that even necessary)? we sometimes don’t realize that we are actually questioning what is … Continue reading Episode 354 – MaryAnn McKibben Dana

Editor of Sojourners magazine, Rose Marie Berger, sat down with me to talk about the magazine’s recent edited volume, Light for the Way (which is phenomenal, by the way!). This collection is compiled from essays published in the magazine over the decades and yet, it is amazing how many of them feel like they were … Continue reading Episode 354 – Rose Marie Berger

I’m already intrigued by anyone who has a skydiving story (that will *never* be me!), and Adriel Booker’s is (literally) one for the books! She opens her fabulous volume, Tethered to Hope with a story of jumping from a plane, secured to an instructor in her early twenties and the harrowing moments that followed. The … Continue reading Episode 353 – Adriel Booker

This conversation with Aimee Byrd was personal and powerful for me. Even though it has not been easy, I am so grateful to Aimee for sharing her story of the abuse she suffered in the church circles she was a part of. Her newest book, Saving Face, is a beautiful reflection not only on what has happened to … Continue reading Episode 352 – Aimee Byrd (re-release!)

Have you ever heard a phrase that sticks with you? So much so, that you find yourself turning it over again and again in your mind, discovering its relevance to new situations in your life? Sometimes those brief sentences can have massive impact on how we think and interact with the world. Well, from my … Continue reading Episode 315 – Amar Peterman

Author and scholar Jared Stacy joins me for this episode to talk about conspiracism and evangelicalism in the United States. Many of us have probably noticed that these two seem to walk hand in hand, but have we stopped to ask ourselves how they are connected and in what ways that connection might be true … Continue reading Episode 350 – Jared Stacy

Third time’s a charm with psychologist, Dr. Kelly Flanagan! (Though the first two recordings with Kelly were amazing as well!) His newest book, The Road Less Triggered, is phenomenal. We talked a lot about how to have the posture of an open heart, especially at moments when we’re so tempted to close it off. This … Continue reading Episode 349 – Kelly Flanagan

Growing up in Oklahoma (read 12 years of public school history classes), you’d think I would have taken in droves of information about our nation’s history with Indigenous peoples. After all, Oklahoma has one of the highest populations of Native Americans in the U.S. and, if you understand some of the basic history, you’ll know … Continue reading Episode 348 – L. Dani...

Happy Easter! I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend with you and yours. Since we took some time to rest and celebrate (new episode coming next week!), we thought we’d share this favorite again. Enjoy! To say I enjoyed this conversation *and the book it was centered on* is an understatement! Dr. Amy Peeler, … Continue reading Episode 347 – Amy Peeler (re-release!)

What a joy it is to welcome Sara Billups back to the podcast! We talked about a subject that is or has been near to each of us – anxiety. Sara has written a book that brings in her experiences with anxiety, as well as many of those of her family, and how they connect … Continue reading Episode 346 – Sara Billups

Kristen Lee‘s voice is such a gift! She an incredibly gifted author (and physician! – which we totally didn’t even touch on in this conversation), and I am so thrilled she has chosen to bring her experiences and research to us through her text, We Mend with Gold. She has written the book she wishes … Continue reading Episode 345 – Kristen Lee

Talking with Laura Baghdassarian Murray was truly a delight! Even though the subject of this episode is hospitality, which is a topic that’s super familiar to me, our conversation took us through some territory that was a bit unexpected for me (that happens often when I talk to a spiritual director!). In this episode we … Continue reading Episode 344 – Laura Baghdassarian Murray

This was one of my absolute favorite conversations! I am so thrilled to be able to share it – again! Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is a professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University. AJ is a Jewish scholar and has written extensively on the New Testament and on Jesus. Her most recent book is Jesus … Continue reading Episode 343 – Amy-Jill Levine (re-relea...

Jenn Suen Chen‘s story is so very different from mine and also holds many similarities. Her new book, Dim Sum and Faith, is one to slow down with, letting the words and ideas simmer like a wonderfully rich broth (one that can also bring some healing with its warmth). She shares about her experiences as … Continue reading Episode 342 – Jenn Suen Chen

Tatum Tricarico‘s book, Blessed is the Body, is an amazing devotional! I read it almost every morning (sipping my coffee with my beagle curled up beside me) preparing for this interview. Not only did I learn a ton, but I also connected with God in super meaningful and surprising ways. In this conversation, we talk … Continue reading Episode 341 – Tatum Tricarico

Oh my goodness! Chris and Danny were such a joy to read – and even more so to speak with! We covered super important topics like Chris’s drum circle debacle (supposedly available online somewhere), the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in Canada (and what we can learn from the process of our neighbors to the north), … Continue reading Episode 340 – Chris Hoklotubbe & D...

Sitting down with author and anthropology professor Christine Jeske was a joy! We talked about her newest book, Racial Justice for the Long Haul, which is all about why white Christians (the small number of them who do) participate in racial justice work and how they stay committed. For this work, Christine spent hours and … Continue reading Episode 339 – Christine Jeske

I am so thrilled to welcome *back* to the podcast, Dr. Terence Lester! (In case you missed his other appearances, they’re here, here, and here – with his daughter, and co-author, Zion!) During this conversation, we discuss race-based educational injustices in the U.S., along with Terence’s own story of experiencing the educational system as a … Continue reading Episode 338...

For Christians, the topic of loving our neighbors is a familiar one. Many times, at least for me, the phrase is *so* familiar that it sometimes becomes difficult to effectively pause, reflect, and investigate what it actually requires from us in real life. Chanté Griffin brings her unique perspective to this vibrant and ongoing conversation, … Continue reading Ep. 337 – Chanté Griffin

Producer’s Pick! For MLK Jr. Day, I asked my husband and producer, Seth, to choose an episode he wanted to re-release and without hesitation, he said, “What about Malcolm’s most recent one?!” Done and done! Here ya go! That Makes Total Sense! regular, the Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley, is back on the podcast and I could … Continue reading Episode 336 – Malcolm Fol...