The Mockingcast

In their season finale, RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk Costco skaters, commodified religion, and the God who isn't supposed-to-be. Also, Dave doubles down on hotdogmaxxing while Sarah's remembers jncos.  Click here to respond to the opening appeal Click here to read "What I Learned about Loss While Skateboarding at Costco" by Conor Dougherty in The NY Times Click here to read Freya India's substack...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk forced cheeriness, prediction addiction, satisficing breakthroughs, and the grammar of grace. Also, Sarah visits the mothership while Dave maximizes hot dogs. Click here to read about Starbucks notes in The Boston Globe. Click here to read Joshua Rothman's essay "Do We Think Too Much About the Future?" in The New Yorker. Click here to read "The Blessing of Being F...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk casinofication, sketch comedy, main character energy, and self-transcendence. Also, RJ yearns to be too small to fail, while Sarah learns her son used to be a light bulb. Click here to listen to the recordings for our recent conference in New York City Click here to register for the 20th Anniversary NYC Conference (4/15-17/2027) Click here to read Russell Moore's...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk underachieving parents, hype aversion, and the impassability of God. Also, Dave reconsiders Iron Maiden while Sarah has a run-in at the farmer's market. Click here for more information about this week's Mockingbird Conference in New York City (4/23-25). Click here for more information about our Fall Conference in Minneapolis (10/2-3). Click here to read "Parents,...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk starting a band, the tyranny of metrics, meaning fatigue, and the second most honest day of the (church) year. Also, Dave uncovers an animated conspiracy while Sarah bumps into an alternate timeline. Click here for more information about the upcoming Mbird Conference in NYC (4/23-25), including RJ's pre-conference church renewal seminar. For inquiries about schola...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk affective forecasting, fantasy literature, workplace mattering, and collapsed demands. Also, a punk rocker gets a miracle bus ticket, and the ice monster comes for our kids. Click here to register for the Spring Mbird Conference in NYC (4/23-25) Click here to listen to Sarah's sermon "I Like Your Dancing", delivered at RJ's church. Click here to read "Most of Us A...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk face functions, last breaths, cringe churches, and Monkey Jesus. Also, Sarah runs into a teenage witch while RJ survives an iguanapocalypse. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Derek Sweatman. Click here to register for the upcoming NYC Mockingbird conference (4/23-25). Click here to read "Is the Backlash to Facial Conformity Finally Upon Us?" by Valerie Mo...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk Lieutenant Dan season, holy inconvenience, millennial oversocialization, and playful faith. Also, Sarah buys a rebellious sweatshirt while RJ comes to terms with his inner delivery boy. Click here to watch the toddler yacht rock Dave and Sarah mention Click here to order a copy of the Beauty Issue of The Mockingbird Magazine Click here to register for the NYC Mbir...

Last episode of the year, in which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk Knives Out, self-checkout lines, optional futures, and how not to hate Christmas. Also, Sarah gets a Zippo while heaven and earth meet at an unlikely funeral. Click here to read Dave's review of Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man on Mbird Click here to read Valerie Trapp's piece in The Atlantic on "The One Line Americans (Weirdly) Choose to Wai...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk advent calendars, perfectionist musicians, interrupting mothers, and the Batman effect. The gang also takes a field trip to an acute mental health ward across the pond. Click here to respond to the opening appeal. Click here to read Ellen Cushing's "Advent Calendars Are Totally Out of Control" in The Atlantic. Click here to read "The Quest for Perfection Is Stunti...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk picky eaters, shameless monsters, wartime tragedies, and the uselessness of God. Also, RJ wets the bed (and never looks back). Click here to listen to the recordings from the recent Mbird Conference in Charlottesville, VA. Click here to read "In Defense of Picking Eating" by Irina Dumistrescu on Serious Eats. Click here to read Belle Tindall's piece on Seen and Un...

In which RJ, Sarah and Dave talk intentional everything, morbid curiosity, Methodist exorcists, and Hollywood epiphanies. Also, Sarah praises her favorite horror film, while the boys gush about Task. Click here to register for our Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA (11/14&15) Click here to read When Did Everything Become So ‘Intentional’? by Marie Solis in the NY Times Click here to read T...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk painless tattoos, workaholic scripts, sloppy social media, and Japanese lifesavers. Also, Sarah gets down with a theater full of fifth graders before singing with church full of Norwegians. Closing music courtesy of Voice of Joy . Click here for more details about -- or to register for -- the Fall Mbird Conference in Charlottesville, VA (11/14&15). Click here...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk silent retreats, repentant writing, alien mercy, and Hallmark movies. Also, RJ goes Confucian while Dave spitballs a new kind of Dry January. Click here to read Ben Brasch's article "Silent Retreats Are Surging in Popularity" in the Washington Post. Click here to read Lauren Jackson's newsletter on "The Pscyhological Value of Repentance" in the NY Times. Click her...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk predatory advice-giving, suspicious mission statements, unloving algorithms, and atoning physicians. Also, Dave's son wins a big award. Click here to read Russell Shaw's article in the Atlantic, "When Your Kid’s Best Friend Is a Great Big Problem." Click here to read the NY Times interview with Brene Brown. Click here to read NBW's "Sufficiently Suspicious" newsle...

In the season premiere, RJ, Sarah and Dave talk nightmare summers, tween retailers, ethical checklists, and the deadliest addiction of all. We also learn the whole point of Sarah. Click here to read Dave's post on "Lessons from a (Miserable) Summer on Crutches". Click here to read Ellen Cushing's "What Claire's Once Gave Tween Girls" on The Atlantic. Click here to read "The Pain of Perfectionsism"...

Mockingcasters looking for something to listen to while the crew is on summner hiatus, look no further! We're cross-posting the first episode of the new season of our Terrible Parables podcast, "The Hawaiian Shirt Guy at a Wedding" in which long time Mockingbird contributors Cali Yee, Todd Brewer and Bryan Jarrell parse the parable of the Wedding Banquet that Jesus tells in Matthew 22:1-14. Listen...

In their last episode before the summer hiatus, RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk afternoon pop-ins, cigarette nostalgia, do-gooder derogation, and rejected generations. Also, RJ watches Cobra Kai while Sarah's son (thankfully) opts not to take over the world. To respond to the opening appeal, visit www.mbird.com/support . Click here to read Patricia Shannon's column, "Let's Bring Back the Lost Art of the...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk marketing trauma, cultural decline, and the pluses and minuses of the silent treatment. Also, Sarah goes on a date to WalMart, while RJ tries real hard to be the shepherd. Click here to read Ellen Cushing's article "The Brands Are Very Sorry About Your Trauma." Click here to read Is This the Worst-Ever Era of American Pop Culture? by Spencer Kornhaber. Click here...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk Pope Francis, dirty dishes, eternal life, and Dave's new book, The Big Relief. Also, RJ bleeds in the pulpit while Sarah takes us to the alley. Click here to listen to (and watch) Gregory Porter sing "Take Me to the Alley". Click here to read Ellen Cushing's "There Are Two Types of Dishwasher People" in the Atlantic. Click here to read "The Work of Small Talk" fro...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk comic marriages, unruly kids, brainwashed Christians and Lenten props. Also, RJ recounts his favorite ever baptism while Sarah revises her opinion of frozen margaritas. Click here to register for the NYC Conference. Click here to pre-register Dave's new book, The Big Relief. Click here to read Olga Khazan's article about "What Comedians Know About Staying Married"...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk trend fatigue, athletic nepotism, and toxic preconditions. Also, RJ ponders South Korean babies while Sarah balks at a decision-making expert's decision. Click here to register for the upcoming Mbird Conference in New York City (5/1-3) Click here to read Callie Holtermann's "Too Many Trends!" in The New York Times Click here to read about LeBron James and the Limi...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk gracious dermatology, religious resurgence, endemic narcissism, and alto harmonies. Also, Sarah sings some spirituals while RJ watches some cows. Click here to read "Dr Pimple Popper Knows You Can't Look Away" by Eve Peyser Click here to read Ruth Graham's report on how Christianity’s Decline in U.S. Appears to Have Halted in the NY Times Click here to read Tony R...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk relationship recessions, trustafarian guilt, providential nuns, and revitalized churches. Also, Sarah throws a Galentine's party for the ages. Click here to order a copy of the Holy Spirit issue of The Mockingbird, or here to subscribe to the magazine Click here to register for our upcoming NYC Conference (5/1-3) Click here to read about America's 'Marriage Materi...

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk attention wars, inner critics, and middle school drama teachers. Also, RJ learns what HALT stands for, while Sarah gets her playdates mixed up. Click here to learn more about (or order!) the Holy Spirit Issue of The Mockingbird Click here to watch_ The Turnaround_ Click here to read "You're Being Aliented From Your Attention" by Chris Hayes Click here to read Rhik...