Anita Lustrea

Melinda Schmidt is back on the podcast. We talk about what has helped us through transitions. It seems the past 5 years or so have been laden with transitions for both of us and, honestly, aren’t we all either entering or exiting some kind of life transition? I think you’ll...

AJ Sherrill joins me on the podcast this week to talk about The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation: How Knowing Ourselves Can Make Us More Like Jesus. Maybe you’ve never heard of the Enneagram or maybe everywhere you turn these days you are hearing about the enneagram. It has become a popular tool...

Michelle DeRusha is back on Faith Conversations! We talk about a variety of topics—from the effects of the pandemic on us, now 7 months in, to the devastating loss of a pet, to good reading that can help sustain us during hard times. Find Michelle’s Back Patio Newsletter here. Here...

Five years ago to the day, I began Faith Conversations! I'm now 245 episodes in and I hope I've exceeded expectations :-)

This week's episode introduces a new voice to me and likely to some of you—Rich Villodas. Rich is the lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church in Elmhurst, Queens. He is Brooklyn-born and follows founding pastor Pete Scazzero into the spot of lead pastor at New Life Fellowship. Rich's book, The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus, is a relevant read at this time in our history. Written before 2020 hit, it provides a good framework for living in our current crazy climate and culture. I know you'll enjoy our conversation as we unpack Contemplative Rhythms, Racial Justice, and Interior Examination.

My good friend and wonderful conversation partner, Melinda Schmidt, joins me on the podcast this week. We spend time talking about whether or not we can trust ourselves. Many of us have grown up with the verse Jeremiah 17:9 thrown at us about our heart being deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Author, speaker, and therapist Alison Cook challenges that thought and says we've taken that verse out of context, used it to proof text. What does trusting ourselves look like and how do we trust both God and ourselves? It's an enlightening conversation on this week's Faith Conversations.

Jemar Tisby joins me on the podcast this week as we talk about his book The Color of Compromise. In our unfolding conversation, we talk about the American church and how it's been complicit in racism through history. We also dialog about how there has been some progress in fighting racism but that the church has often failed to speak out against this evil. I highly recommend the book that is a story-driven survey of American Christianity's racial past. John Lustrea joins in the conversation and brings his knowledge of history to the table as a Civil War scholar.

Jared Byas joins me on the podcast this week. My son John is in the cohost chair as we talk with Jared about his brand new release Love Matters More: How Fighting to Be Right Keeps Us from Loving Like Jesus. What does living the Christian life actually look like? Being right isn't in the definition, contrary to what some believe. Jared, popular host of the podcast The Bible for Normal People, builds the case for how a biblical Christian life is grounded not in collecting the "right" answers but in authentic, living relationships, with God and with others.

On this week's Faith Conversations, Melinda Schmidt joins me along with her daughter Kelly. It's always instructive looking at Scriptural stories through the eyes of different generations. We take a look at the story of Eve. It's a story well worth reading again if it's been a while for you. Take a look at Genesis 1:15 - 4:1. We draw on thoughts from a variety of books.

These are the books mentioned on the podcast: Untamed by Glennon Doyle, What Do We Do With the Bible, by Richard Rohr, In the Sanctuary of Women, by Jan Richardson, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, by Kenneth E. Bailey

Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil joins me on the podcast this week as we talk about her powerful new book Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage to Pursue Racial Justice Now. Dr. McNeil says that reconciliation is not true reconciliation without justice! In the course of our conversation she tells parts of her own story and encourages us to move from passivity into action.

She does this through the lens of the biblical narrative of Esther. As she walks us through the story of this fascinating character it becomes evident that we cannot remain silent but also need courage to step into the work of repairing broken systems so we can move toward reconciliation.

Becky Eldredge joins me on the podcast this week as we talk about her book "The Inner Chapel: Embracing the Promises of God." We take a look at some important questions as well as important spiritual practices as we talk about this "inner chapel," as Becky describes it. It's the place within where God meets us. It's all about finding our way to a life of hope, and we can certainly use an infusion of that these days.