That Makes Total Sense!

Caroline Sumlin’s new book, We’ll All Be Free exposes how white supremacy affects everyone in its wake (by the way, that means all of us). White supremacy is interwoven into our society at a systemic level, but have you ever thought about how that translates to feelings of personal worth and well being? This conversation … Continue reading Episode 209 – Caroline Sumlin

The contemplative life is not one solely reserved for vocational clergy or people from religious traditions that may feel largely unfamiliar. As Adam Bucko amazingly writes, practices, and encourages, contemplation is for each of us. With each page turned in his newest book, Let Heartbreak Be Your Guide, I felt my spiritual and theological imagination … Continue reading Episode 208 – A...

To say that the world (and us in it) are busy isn’t news. For centuries, some religious communities have found solace in the instruction to rest in the midst of busyness. Filmmaker, Martin Doblmeier, has captured some of these traditions in his newest film by Journey Films, Sabbath. In this project, Jewish and Christian scholars … Continue reading Episode 207 – Martin Doblmeier

I am so stoked to have Kate Boyd on the podcast! For anyone who is curious about the word “deconstruction,” is going through it, or knows someone who is – this conversation is for you! While Kate’s story of faith and mine have some overlap (primarily in the Bible Belt experiences), hers also includes interacting … Continue reading Episode 206 – Kate Boyd

Even though the student in me was initially a bit nervous (she is an English professor after all!), I had an absolute blast talking with Karen Swallow Prior for this episode! Her newest book, and our conversation, explore the question of what is biblical/Christian versus what is just Victorian, specifically in the evangelical context. Who … Continue reading Episode 205 – Karen Swallow...

I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Kaitlyn Schiess BACK on the podcast! (She was here for on Ep. 063 discussing her first book.) Her latest book, The Ballot and the Bible highlights how the Bible has been utilized in politics, for better or worse, over the course of our nation’s history. … Continue reading Episode 204 – Kaitlyn Schiess

My guest this week is no stranger to the mic – Ally Henny is on the podcast! Ally’s book, I Won’t Shut Up, is incredible and I am so grateful for her generosity to share her story. Written with Black women in mind, Ally recounts her experiences and what she has learned about the world, … Continue reading Episode 203 – Ally Henny

CNN journalist John Blake is on the podcast! His newest book, More Than I Imagined, tells his personal story. John is bi-racial, the son of a Black father and a White mother he grew up not knowing anything about. For a man who has been reporting on race for decades (and by his own admission … Continue reading Episode 202 – John Blake

I am so thrilled to have the newly declared Dr. Terence Lester back on the podcast (if you missed his first episode, we’ve got you covered!). Terence has written a beautiful book on racial solidarity through the lens of his own experience as someone who was unhoused for a season and his work for over … Continue reading Episode 201 – Terence Lester

Rev. Dr. Jack Sara is the President of Bethlehem Bible College. I met Jack on what was my 8th (?) trip to the Holy Land, but only my first trip to Palestine. If you think about it (and we mention it a bit in the episode), that fact alone is pretty remarkable. That someone could … Continue reading Episode 200 – Jack Sara

You know that feeling when you’ve been able to sense something for a while and then someone gives you language for that thing? This is exactly what happened to me when I read Dorcas Cheng-Tozun’s new book! In Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul, Dorcas helps those of us who might be Highly Sensitive People … Continue reading Episode 199 – Dorcas Cheng-Tozun

It is always a joy to welcome one of my professors to the podcast! This conversation with Jen Rosner was a true gem. Jen is a Messianic Jewish believer, which means she is Jewish and follows Jesus as her Messiah. Her unique perspective gives her a rich lens with which to view her faith and … Continue reading Episode 198 – Jen Rosner

Just a short little sermon on the center part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus gives us quite a few “do not” statements on giving, praying, and fasting. Thankfully, he doesn’t leave the discussion there though. Because he’s a good teacher, he also gives us some “how to” examples. There’s also talk of … Continue reading Episode 197 – Alexi...

Jon Ward is a journalist who has spent the last twenty years covering American politics. He’s also a Christian. And, like so many of us, he was raised in the evangelical culture that is continuing to supply ample obstacles in the terrain as we seek to navigate questions of faith and life. Jon writes about … Continue reading Episode 196 – Jon Ward

I had a fabulous time talking with Tasha Jun! She has written an incredible memoir called Tell Me the Dream Again. Tasha’s experiences as a biracial woman often made a challenge, including in Christian spaces. As you’ll hear in our conversation, as a mixed Hispanic woman, I can totally relate to much of what Tasha … Continue reading Episode 195 – Tasha Jun

It was such a joy to speak with Dr. David Taylor! Every time I get to speak with him (he’s a professor at Fuller, btw), I come away feeling encouraged in the Lord and ready to explore some new way of interacting with my own faith. This conversation was no different! We talked about his … Continue reading Episode 194 – David Taylor

Robert Chao Romero is back! (In case you missed him the first time around, you’ll wanna catch up on that one!) This time Robert and I talk about the new book just released with his co-author, Jeff Liou, Christianity and Critical Race Theory. As referenced in our conversation (like when Robert read a not-so-nice Twitter … Continue reading Episode 193 – Robert Chao Romero

Dr. David Lamb is a biblical scholar and professor at Missio Seminary. His most recent book, The Emotions of God, is the topic of our discussion for this episode. As noted in the brief intro to our conversation, there are places where David and I don’t see eye to eye and that’s okay. The subjects … Continue reading Episode 192 – David Lamb

Happy Resurrection Day! Thanks for joining me as I offer a short homily on Luke 24:1-12. This is one of the gospel passages that describes the women and the other disciples’ discovery that the tomb where they expected to find Jesus was empty on Sunday morning! If you’ve ever been left like them, wondering what … Continue reading Episode 191 – Alexis Busetti

One of the areas I have found myself exploring more in the past few years is the theology of disability. What does it mean to be embodied? What does it look like when we come to terms with the fact that most of us will face disability in our lifetimes? How do we experience God … Continue reading Episode 190 – Lyndsey Medford

This conversation had me feeling both excited and a bit nervous. Nijay Gupta, who is gracious in every way, has written a new book on the ministry of women in the early church and historically, this subject has been a sensitive one for me. Maybe like you, I was discipled in a tradition that held … Continue reading Episode 189 – Nijay Gupta

In 2021, my amazing friend, Jasmine Bellamy, was named in Sports Illustrated’s series Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women in Sports! She works with Reebok as the lead for the U.S. Direct to Consumer department and as the Head of Change Management for Reebok’s United Against Racism. In that role, Jasmine has initiated Courageous Conversations as a … Continue reading Episode 188 – Ja...

Natalia Kohn Rivera is a pastor with InterVarsity’s LeFe ministry and co-author of Hermanas. This beautiful book takes the journeys of 12 biblical women and explores them through the lenses of Latina women. In this conversation, Natalia and I discuss the importance of our ethnic identities and our faith as well as what it means to see … Continue reading Episode 187 – Natalia...

Reading Caryn Reeder‘s new book had me feeling mad, relieved, curious, and hopeful. She explores one of my all-time favorite stories in the Gospels – The Samaritan Woman in John 4. Caryn reminds readers and listeners of the classic interpretation of the story, which has remained much the same throughout history, and examines how it … Continue reading Episode 186 – Caryn Ree...

A conversation on climate change straight from Texas! I am so grateful to Kyle Meyaard-Schaap for joining me on the podcast and for writing his awesome new book, Following Jesus in a Warming World. Like Kyle, I grew up inside a cultural context that largely did not encourage Christians to care about the environment. But … Continue reading Episode 185 – Kyle Meyaard-Schaap