The Weight

The latest research about youth ministry and its actual effect on the lives and faith of young people can seem disheartening, and the data tells us that something has to change. Kenda Creasy Dean, the Mary D. Synnott Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary and an ordained United Methodist pastor in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, has a few ideas on what...

Becca Stevens is a speaker, social entrepreneur, author, priest, founder, and President of Thistle Farms. She has been featured on PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, CNN, ABC World News, named a CNN Hero, and White House Champion of Change. Becca founded Thistle Farms in 1997 with a single home for survivors of trafficking and addiction. In this episode, Chris and Eddie sit down to talk with Becca abou...

That's a wrap! Season 2 of The Weight is now finished. With this last episode, Chris and Eddie take some time to reflect back on this second season. All the wonderful guests. All the inspiring, heavy, important topics:  mental health, racism, art and culture, creation care, faith and politics, human sexuality.  Don't skip out on this episode though. We think you might be inspired to go b...

Editorial cartoonist Marshall Ramsey has been involved in the journalistic life of Mississippi for quarter of a century. Ramsey’s cartoons have served as cultural artifacts for both local and national events such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. In his personal life, Ramsey’s spirit of empathy and resilience has given him a unique sense of sensitivity to the world around him. He joins Eddie and Chri...

We live in a reactive, anxious culture both in person and online. When we hold onto pride, we are resistant to change and resistant to vulnerability. Though God understands the reasons we’re angry and the frustrations we deal with, God has a merciful heart towards the offender and the offended. How can we offer a gracious public witness as Christians in the midst of all of this polarization? Why d...

Whether we’re a teenager, college student, established professional, or retired, we’re constantly asking questions about our identity. All of us deeply desire to understand the truth of who we are and where we come from. For those of us in strained relationships with our families of origin, questions of identity, purpose, and belonging can get increasingly complicated. What does it take to tell a...

The sobering thought of death stirs up tension and uncertainty within our souls. Oftentimes, we see life and death as two separate events, but our living and dying are intrinsically linked. In order to flourish as humans, we must lean into the God-given virtues that inform our perspective on a life well-lived and move beyond viewing death as defeat. Jesus exhibited this in His human life on earth,...

The Gospel is a claim about who God is and what God is up to. The Church’s role in embodying the Gospel means that we meet each other in community. Intergenerational community is one of the vital aspects of a healthy church environment. What does it mean to be part of a “church family?” How can the Church serve each generation within its community, bringing people together in unity? Chris and Eddi...

Sometimes the tendency to preserve our image gets in the way of the type of raw, messy love that Jesus exhibited. Within the Church and Christian spaces, we place limits on our language out of fear, ignoring the painful realities of the people in the pews in favor of comfort and harmony. We get scared to open ourselves up to that pain and the reality of temptation within each one of us. When we op...

When we’re struck by unexpected suffering, we ask question after question attempting to find meaning in the midst of our pain. We wonder why this diagnosis, disaster, or death had to happen to us or someone we love. We wonder if God is really good. We wonder if it’s possible to live within our reality and still have hope, joy, and peace. Though these questions are important, our human nature lends...

Many believe that the Church’s traditional teachings on marriage condemn LGBTQ+ Christians to a life without love. How can we broaden our view of same-sex love, kinship, and commitment? Eddie and Chris are joined by Eve Tushnet, author of Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith and Amends: A Novel . Eve identifies as an openly lesbian woman who has chosen a lif...

Where words create division, art creates a new space to broaden understanding. Our creativity draws us nearer to God and gives us a channel to process a wide range of experiences, from hope and joy to pain and suffering. In this episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by Jonathan Kent Adams, a queer artist based out of Water Valley, Mississippi. After exploring multiple faith traditions throughout chi...

We can’t have a conversation about sexuality without talking about the human body. Christians have disregarded the body as separate from spirituality, and culture has devalued the body through objectification. All in all, when we talk about a theology of the body, the conversation tends to have a negative spin. In a moment when Christians are known more for what they are against than what they are...

Over the past several years, the conversation around human sexuality has stirred up deep division and tension within the United Methodist Church. Arguments over policies and rules have left little room for embracing each others’ humanity with compassion and grace. What does it mean for the church to honor the weight of individual experiences and perspectives? How can church leaders and congregants...

Healthcare institutions are an essential part of a community’s fabric, and each healthcare facility has a civic responsibility to each member of its community. At this moment in history, our nation’s healthcare system is facing insurmountable challenges with COVID-19 cases spreading rapidly among citizens, in addition to the PTSD and fatigue experienced among hospital staff. To help us gain a grea...

Offering a testimony creates space to witness to God’s real and present hope in the world. Testimonies are necessary elements to spiritual development in adolescents as they are navigating their own journeys of faith. However, for many Christians, sharing a testimony can be an intimidating practice and a source of comparison. Personal testimonies offered on a Sunday morning or at a church camp ten...

We all have a deep desire to belong and to be understood. As we move through different stages of life and different cultural realities, we are constantly navigating what it looks like to live into our most authentic selves. For teenagers, this process carries a lot of insecurity and awkwardness, which can stir up anxiety in pastors, youth ministers, and church leaders. How can we faithfully equip...

Broad historical and cultural changes have shifted traditional life scripts from generation to generation. Over the past several decades, the changing nature of families and work has made a significant impact on the role of religion, particularly in teenagers and young adults. While many young people have embraced religion as a part of their lives, sociologists and pastors have observed a compartm...

Our lives are full of unexpected changes, difficult transitions, and painful crises. In the midst of these realities, we all experience moments when it seems like we have no control and all hope is lost. Some of us may descend into apathy and numbness, and some of us may enter into “fix-it” mode to attempt a solution. How can we abandon our inclination to be passive and wait for God to intervene?...

Innovation and imagination are crucial to partnering in God’s redemptive purpose both locally and internationally. In this episode, Eddie is joined by Fred Curry, Executive Director and Founder of Rice & Beans Ministry (RABMIN). After visiting Costa Rica on a mission trip, Fred formed a connection with the community there and began to use food as a way of opening the door to deep conversations...

Noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and respiratory diseases, wreak havoc on individuals, families, and communities. Almost three fourths of deaths from noncommunicable diseases occur in low- and middle-income countries, yet only one percent of healthcare spending is put toward NCD care. All across the world, poor and vulnerable communities cannot access the quality...

In this episode, Eddie talks to Corey Mize, Executive Director of Base Camp Coding Academy in Water Valley, Mississippi. Base Camp Coding Academy offers high school graduates training in software development for 12 months, providing them with resources like computers and gas money for their commutes. The program also equips students with professional skills such as resume writing, email etiquette,...

God’s creation is a direct reflection of God’s glory, and Christians are called to be faithful stewards of the earth. While global issues of climate and environment can seem out of reach, our local communities give us space to learn and take action in small and large ways. How can we partner with our creator to build a better, more sustainable living environment? What simple, practical changes can...

God’s creation is a direct reflection of God’s glory, and Christians are called to be faithful stewards of the earth. While global issues of climate and environment can seem out of reach, our local communities give us space to learn and take action in small and large ways. How can we partner with our creator to build a better, more sustainable living environment? What simple, practical changes can...

God’s creation is a direct reflection of God’s glory, and Christians are called to be faithful stewards of the earth. While global issues of climate and environment can seem out of reach, our local communities give us space to learn and take action in small and large ways. How can we partner with our creator to build a better, more sustainable living environment? What simple, practical changes can...