The Weight

*** SUMMER BEST OF *** As we take a few weeks off to prep for the rest of Season 6 of The Weight, enjoy some of our favorite past episodes! Show Notes: Welcome to Season 6 of The Weight Podcast! We’re kicking things off with someone who has a lot of fun while doing a lot of important work: Annie F. Downs. Annie is an author, speaker, podcaster, and preacher who uses humor and scripture to help peo...

Show Notes: Historians aren’t always objective, and objectivity is not the same as neutrality. These are important distinctions for Dr. Joseph Crespino. For him, studying history is about a commitment to fairness, honesty, and justice, and accepting evidence that doesn’t automatically align with preconceived notions--advice that can be used in all sectors of life. Learning about history, especiall...

Show Notes: We don’t often create space for God in our communal decision making process, and we rarely, as a staff, community, group, or church, attempt to discern God’s will for us together. Ruth Haley Barton is working to change that.  Ruth Haley is spiritual director, teacher, and retreat leader, and author. She is the founder of the Transforming Center, an organization that creates space for G...

Show Notes: Bill Simmons is the President and CEO of Hope Rises International, formerly American Leprosy Missions. Founded in 1906, Hope Rises is a parachurch organization that seeks to bring healing and hope to people suffering from neglected diseases like leprosy. The organization’s mission is to live and proclaim the gospel while bringing healing to those in need. Bill has been a leader on many...

Show Notes: Eddie, Chris, and our producer Cody Hickman sit down to discuss generosity and how it’s changed over the years. The three of them have a combined 61 years* of experience in a church setting, and all three have seen changes in giving. Economic factors, widespread institutional distrust, and increases in the cost of living mean that now more than ever, people need to trust the organizati...

Show Notes: We hear a lot about the rapid decline in church attendance across the country, but there are many churches who are experiencing growth. So what, exactly, are these churches doing to attract new members? Matt Miofisky has a few ideas. Matt is the founder of The Gathering, a multi-site United Methodist congregation in St. Louis, Missouri. As the founder and leader of a consistently growi...

Show Notes: Seeing the wonder of God’s creation in the world around us can expand our imagination, give us a hopeful perspective during difficult times, and help us find moments of joy in the mundanity of life. Today’s guest joins Eddie and Chris in a delightful, hope-filled conversation about the wonder of the ocean and its creatures. What can the ocean tell us about the character of God? Rachel...

Show Notes: If you work with people from different generations, live with people from different generations, or encounter people from different generations in your daily life, you probably need to listen to this episode. You might walk away with a better understanding of how different generations work, react, and think, and this understanding might make you a better leader. Phil Gwoke is a proud G...

Show Notes: Chris and Eddie are joined by previous guest Greg Jones for a spirited conversation about leaning into hopeful imagination: looking for places where the Holy Spirit is at work and where we can see a future that’s different from the past and the present. What does it mean to be formed in God’s imagination? How can we use that formation to find security in a fractured, uncertain world? H...

Show Notes: If you are a pastor, a Christian, or a Christ-centered leader in any way, this conversation may change your life. At the very least, we hope you’ll come away with a new framework for putting your faith into daily practice. Today’s guest, Tom Nelson, is passionate about equipping God’s people for their daily life. He wants us to shift the paradigm of being a Church that only gathers on...

Show Notes: Esther Lightcap Meek is a philosopher, author, and speaker known for her work on epistemology (the study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge. How do we know what we know, and how much more is there to know?). She joins Eddie and Chris for a discussion about forgiveness, and getting to that moment where you see a larger pattern in the world around you allows you to look...

Show Notes: This episode comes out on Maundy Thursday, the day when Jesus celebrated his last Passover meal with his disciples and washed their feet in an act of humble service. Tomorrow is Good Friday, where Christians around the world relive Jesus’ crucifixion and death and wait for the Good News of Easter Sunday--the day of resurrection and the restoration of hope. Why does this matter? Because...

Show Notes: Chris and Eddie are joined by Dan Forrest, a well-known musician and composer who has found his niche in composing and arranging music as a way to honor the beauty of God’s work in creation.  Dan’s work ranges from small choral pieces to multi-movement works for full orchestras and choirs. You may have heard his Requiem for the Living (2013) or Jubilate Deo (2016). (Links to both of th...

Show Notes: Eddie and Chris are joined by previous guest Dr. John Swinton for a frank yet gentle discussion of the complexities of healing, particularly in the context of mental health. Healing is more than just being physically cured; it’s a restoration of connection and community. It’s offering holy friendship. It’s remembering that Jesus, fully God and fully human, suffered with us and for us....

Show Notes: Today’s special guest on The Weight is none other than co-host Eddie Rester. Eddie has some big news about what’s been going on in his life over the past few months, and he and Chris have a candid and thoughtful conversation about leadership, leading through the hard times, and the importance of finding your tribe of people.  We’re excited about this next step for Eddie and his wife Au...

Show Notes: It’s not always easy to treat the people and world around us with respect, but  Dr. Robert Khayat seemingly does it with ease. His parents showed him how to live a life respectful of people, places, and institutions, and the importance of respect followed him into his professional life. Robert’s list of professional accomplishments is long: former NFL player with the Washington Redskin...

Show Notes: Chris and Eddie share in a fun conversation with an old friend of Eddie’s, Dr. David McDonald. David is a preacher, teacher, and creative innovator within the Christian community. He believes in the creativity and imagination of God and how that creativity and imagination can spark joy and fulfillment in us.  After being a local church pastor for 27 years, he left full-time ministry to...

Welcome to Season 6 of The Weight Podcast! We’re kicking things off with someone who has a lot of fun while doing a lot of important work: Annie F. Downs. Annie is an author, speaker, podcaster, and preacher who uses humor and scripture to help people find their purpose and fulfillment in God’s love. Annie’s podcast, That Sounds Fun , has been on air for 10 years, and this year, she’s shaking thin...

We are so excited to be back for Season 6 of The Weight! We are kicking off this season with an amazing guest, who you won't want to miss. So make sure you tune in next Thursday! theweightpodcast.com

We’re wrapping up our fifth season on The Weight, and Eddie, Chris, and producer Cody Hickman talk about some highlights from this season. We have had some wonderful conversations about the power of story telling, working through trauma, food, and leadership. We even got to talk to a local Olympic silver medalist. We hope you’ll go back and give your favorite episodes a re-listen. This year, as a...

This episode of The Weight will probably make you laugh, might lighten your spirit, and will definitely give you a new perspective on encouraging leadership in others. Sophie Hudson is a blogger, author, and podcast host. She has written seven books. She draws inspiration for her most recent book, A Fine Sight to See: Leading Because You Were Made for It , from the story of Moses and Exodus, and e...

In case you were wondering, “hymnody” is an actual word and we didn’t make it up. It simply means the singing or composition of hymns, religious songs or poems of praise to God. And today’s guest has a lot to say about hymns.   Ted Campbell is the Albert C. Outlet Professor of Wesley Studies at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He has served as a United Methodist pastor...

What is the humanitarian response for a country in crisis? What is the church’s response? Today’s guest has experienced the love and hope the people provide each other during times of war, strife, and disaster, and he shares one truth: finding community, even in the midst of war, can help sustain your hope and keep you going. Chris Herlinger is an international correspondent for National Catholic...

Show Notes: Are you an apostle of Jesus? It may seem like an easy “yes,” but the answer is a lot more nuanced than you might think. For Rebekah Simon-Peter, it goes beyond a passive faith in Jesus to a robust, active life with the faith of Jesus.. Rebekah is an author, pastor, coach (and friend of Eddie’s). She spent 12 years as a United Methodist pastor before stepping out to create a ministry th...

Grief lies to you. Grief will tell you that you are alone in your suffering. This conversation will remind you, over and over, that you aren’t. If you’re grieving right now, you might be tempted to skip this episode, but we encourage you to listen anyway. Send it to someone you know who is hurting, and maybe save it to come back to at a later date. Kimberly Wagner has been on The Weight before to...