Bonus Track to Episode 27 with Karen Swallow Prior. Listen to the Behind the scenes conversation with Mandy Smith about virtue, women and the women's luncheon at the Awakenings Gathering.

Today on the Betwixt Podcast, Dr. Karen Swallow Prior talks about her newest book On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Literature. Her book walks readers through twelves literary works that show us how to live virtuously. "Literature is like a boxing ring of ideas where we can try out and test ideas.” - We also discuss the virtue (or vice) of angry reading, Prior's combat boots and why virtue is so tricky for women.“The latin root word for virtue is the same root word for man. So virtue literally meant manliness.” Historically, women have not been expected to be virtuous - with the exception of the 19th century ideal of chastity.When it comes to women’s issues, Prior notices a binary trap. You’re either conservative or progressive. Or you are either egalitarian or complementarian. "It’s a binary based on opposition, conflict, disagreement and denouncement.” What it might look like for women to defy labels and come together in unity, support and affirmation?Karen Swallow Prior is Professor of English at Liberty University. She is the author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me, Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist, and her latest book On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Literature. She lives in Virginia with her husband Roy and sundry horses, dogs and chickens.Special Bonus: Mandy Smith joins the conversation to talk about a powerful moment at the Women’s Luncheon during the Missio Alliance Awakenings Gathering. Through that story, we explore how God is calling women to live and lead virtuously for the sake of the Church and the world.LinksTwitter: @KSPriorkarenswallowprior.com

“Christian life is not a life divided between times for action and times for contemplation. No. Real social action is a way of contemplation, and real contemplation is the core of social action.” Henri NouwenContinuing our series on Action & Contemplation, Phileena Heuertz talks about contemplation. How do contemplation and action work together? Why are practices of reflection and contemplative prayer essential to meaningful impact in the world?Phileena Heuertz spent 20 years working as an activist in some of the worlds toughest places. And then she had a crisis of faith. "I really needed a practice that could hold me. Before, it was me holding my faith. But I needed my faith to hold me. I needed to let go. I needed to be held by God."Today, Phileena is a spiritual director and teacher of contemplative prayer. She helps other activists and ministry leaders deepen their relationships with God, discern their unconscious motivations for service and cultivate practices of stillness, silence and solitude. “Solitude teaches us to be present. Silence teaches us to listen. Stillness teaches us what appropriate engagement looks like.” - Phileena HeuertzPhileena’s new book Mindful Silence examines these three contemplative themes. She asks how we can offer a different kind of presence in the world that activates redemptive impact?Phileena Heuertz is the author of Pilgrimage of the Soul and her new book Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation. She is a spiritual director and founding partner of Gravity, a center for contemplative activism in Omaha Nebraska where she lives with her husband Chris."There are unconscious motivations that drive us into service that may appear to be selfless and altruistic but upon deeper introspective may be self-serving. And it’s that self-serving aspect of activism that perpetuates exploitation of others." - Phileena HeuertzListen to Part 1 with Kathy Khang. Kathy talks about Action and her new book Raise your Voice: Why we Stay Silent and How to Speak Up! This Podcast relies on shares & reviews from listeners like you!  Subscribe/Rate/Review Betwixt on iTunes! Learn more about the podcast at betwixtpodcast.com

Action or contemplation–which is better?This pitting of one against the other has been a long standing debate throughout history. Theologians have often used allegorical depictions of biblical women to illustrate this divide.  Augustine famously used the two wives of Jacob to articulate his preference. He held up Leah as the model of the fruitful activist life. But Rachael was a model of the harder to attain contemplative life. Others set the Biblical sisters Mary against Martha: Mary, who sits as a disciple at the feet of Jesus, is identified with contemplation whilst her sister Martha, who is distracted by her many tasks, represents action. Philosopher Hannah Arendt believed that prior to the Modern Age, contemplation was preferred. But with the technological boom, the Protestant Reformation and the rise of Marxism, action become dominant. Yet, there have always been streams within the contemplative tradition that seek to unite the two for healthy Christian formation.“We need both action and contemplation to have a whole spiritual journey. It doesn’t matter which comes first; action may lead you to contemplation and contemplation may lead you to action.” Fr. Richard RohrAnd so, in the next two episodes, I want to elevate two women (without pitting them against one another!) as they illustrate how action and contemplation work together for holistic Christian formation. In today’s episode, activist Kathy Khang talks about action and her latest book Raise your Voice: Why we Stay Silent and How to speak up! Kathy and I talk about why our voices matters, the costs of raising our voices, and the dangers of assimilation. Kathy Khang is a writer, speaker and yoga instructor who has worked in campus ministry for more than twenty years. She is a coauthor of More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Women on Expectations, Relationships, Leadership and Faith. and the author of a new book: Raise Your Voice, which we talk about in this episode.Stay tuned for Part 2 when we speak with Phileena Heuretz about contemplation and her new book: Mindful Silence: The heart of Christian Contemplation.Link: Visit Kathy's website and read her blog at kathykhang.comFollow her on Twitter: @mskathykhangPurchase Raise Your Voice: https://amzn.to/2Mg5u6RWatch the Shalom Chant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D8QjWqe2hUThanks to Kai Engel for the use of his song SnowfallSpecial thanks to Julie Tai at Fuller Seminary for the use of the Shalom Chant. You can view the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D8QjWqe2hU

People often say, God is love. But when you think of God’s love, what does that mean to you?My guest is Michael Card, author of the new book Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness. Card calls hesed the “greatest sacramental word in the Hebrew Bible.” It’s an untranslatable word that defines an inexpressible mystery. We have no English word to adequately describes hesed, yet it’s a word that God uses to describe himself. It’s an incredibly transformational word. Mike and I talk about how hesed changes us and how it heals our world.Michael Card is a well beloved author and songwriter. You may have heard his classic songs Immanuel or El Shaddai. You may even have some of his thirty-one albums! But did you know that he is also a prolific author and biblical scholar? He has written or contributed to more than twenty-four books.He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University with a bachelor's and master's degree in biblical studies. He also teaches the bible in a variety of settings and he serves as mentor to many younger artists and musicians. Michael Card lives in Franklin Tennessee with his wife and four children.Links: www.michaelcard.comPurchase Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness at https://www.ivpress.com/inexpressibleListen to the companion album: To the Kindness of God at https://amzn.to/2VB28DSListen to Michael Card's podcast In the Studio: https://www.michaelcard.com/inthestudioRegister for the MissioAlliance Rountable Book Discussion on C Christopher Smith's Book: How the Body of Christ Talks (https://www.missioalliance.org/resource/roundtable-book-discussion-how-the-body-of-christ-talks)Special thanks to Michael Card for the generous use of his music that you heard in this episode:The Shelter of the ShadowI Will Be KindJob SuitePrelude 128My Help (Psalm 121)That Kind of LoveWhen Dinah Held My HandMeditation 4 SelahPoem of Your Life

“Intersex is a broad label for people with differences of sex development (DSDs)—people whose bodies show physical characteristics of both male and female.” - Intersex and FaithIn this latest Betwixt Podcast episode, Deb Gregory talks with Lianne Simon about her experience as a Christian intersex woman. Lianne shares her remarkable journey of faith despite experiences of abuse, shame and invisibility.Liane Simon was born with a genetic condition that caused sexual ambiguity. Because her body features a mosaic of both male and female chromosomes, much of Lianne’s life was spent coming to terms with a body that was born different. "Will I be male or female in heaven? I don’t know. But I know my redeemer loves me." In a culture conflicted by questions of gender, sex and faith, Lianne’s story helps us to lay aside ideology in order to compassionately listen to the reality of those who live on the threshold between male and female. Perhaps this story can help foster a space for healing conversations within your community.“Intersex people need bodily autonomy and integrity. We are the ones who need to figure out whether we can fit into this world in a mostly binary way (and which one) or whether we need to embrace the body God gave us.” Lianne SimonLianne is the author of the books Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite and A Proper Young Lady which tell fictional accounts of intersex stories. She is also an advocate for families and children with intersex conditions.Lianne and Theologian Megan DeFranza are the producers of the new documentary film Stories of Intersex and Faith. The film tells the stories of five intersexed people who find healing and hope in their faith. The film also advocates for greater understanding and ethical standards around unnecessary cosmetic genital surgeries on children. “It’s society that needs to be healed, not us.” @IntersexfaithLinks:Visit Lianne Simon’s Website www.liannesimon.comCheck out the Documentary Stories of Intersex and Faith http://storiesofintersexandfaith.com/Follow the Doc Stories of Intersex & Faith on Facebook or Twitter https://www.facebook.com/intersexfaithdoc/ https://twitter.com/intersexfaithIntersex & Faith Cirriculum for Churches and community groups https://www.megandefranza.com/curriculumTo Learn More about Intersex Conditions: https://www.intersexandfaith.org/resourcesVisit Megan DeFranza’s website https://www.megandefranza.com/

It’s Holy Week and we’re coming up on my favorite day in the Christian calendar: Maundy Thursday.

Although it’s not a popular day for evangelical services, it’s without a doubt the most transformational space - or liminal space - that I’ve encountered in a Church service. That particular service was held at the International Anglican Church in Colorado Springs.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve attended many incredible revival services over the years, but the IAC Maundy Thursday service is kind of the opposite of revival, but in the best sort of way.

In this episode, Tara Owens and Jay Greener help me tell this Maundy Thursday story. We talk about the institution of the Lord’s Supper, the discomfort of footwashing and how the disorientation of betrayal (along with pastoral defrocking and abandonment) prepares our hearts for Easter.

Rev. Canon Jay Greener serves as the Rector at Church of the Redeemer In Chicago. Before that he served in various ministry roles within churches and Christian organizations around the country. Jay is also a Canon, or Senior Priest, in the Shyira Diocese of the Anglican Church of Rwanda.

Formerly a broadcaster, Jay is particularly interested in the many ways that we hear God, and communicate about God. He is a graduate of Wheaton College, Yale Divinity School, and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, Worship and the Arts.

Tara Owens opens up our imagination for Maundy Thursday through her own story, which she writes about in her book Embracing the Body: Finding God in Our Flesh and Bone. Tara is a writer, Spiritual Director and Founder of Anam Cara Ministries. She holds a TM in Spiritual Formation from Tyndale Seminary.

Links:

Visit Church of the Redeemer https://redeemernorthshore.org/

Listen to Jay’s Sermons https://redeemernorthshore.org/category/podcast/

Connect with Tara Owens at https://anamcara.com/

Read her book Embracing the Body:Finding God in Our Flesh and Bone http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3593

Read More about Maundy Thursday from these Missio authors:

Maundy Thursday: #TrulyHuman Love Comes Through The Cross by Seth Richardson

https://www.missioalliance.org/maundy-thursday-trulyhuman-love-comes-through-the-cross/

Maundy Thursday, a New Commandment, & a Prayer by Mark Moore

https://www.missioalliance.org/maundy-thursday-a-new-commandment-a-prayer/

Holy Saturday – The leadership of Christ into the Tomb by David Fitch

https://www.missioalliance.org/holy-saturday-the-leadership-of-christ-into-the-tomb/

Music:

Special Thanks to Kai Engle (www.kai-engel.com) for the generous use of these songs: Irsens Tale, July, Cendres, Run, Snowfall Intro, January, Morbid Imagination, Soli, Realness

And thank you to these www.Freesound.org contributors:

Sink Water Washing Splishing splashing open washbasin vanity basin by Ericssoundschmiede

washing hands shake by lolux

water pour by johnsonbrandediting

washing hands by fabrizio84

squeezing sponde into bucket of water by Elliottmoo

Doing the Dishes by Eelke

Cloth flapping on a clothesline thickly by leonelmail

Undress by Walter Odington

Scrubbing Table by Bmcken

Male Breathing by Falcons Shadow

Runningstaircase by HerbertBoland

Doorway by Dobroide

Door Church Close by Instpectorj

Artist Bruce Herman on Ordinary Saints: The Dangerous Space Between Icon and Portrait (The Art of Paradox Part 2) “Essentially poetry, art, music, break open the world again for us that had gotten closed by our false certainties.”In the last Betwixt Episode, Artist Bruce Herman told the story about the house-fire in which he lost 25 years of artwork. Bruce described it as a “eu-catastrophe” - the good catastrophe that brought freedom amidst great loss.In Part 2 of this robust conversation with Bruce Herman, I wanted to learn more about his work as an artist. What are the new possibilities and narratives he has been exploring? What role does art play in the life of the Church?I am particularly interested in his latest series called Ordinary Saints which explores the fraught space between the icon and the portrait. A space Bruce has described as “entering into no-man’s land, between the sacred traditions on the one hand and the traditions of portraiture, and of art-song and poetry.”“Playing God is the great temptation for all of us. Especially artists . . . My imagination had been colonized by my desire for reputation.”Links:Get acquainted with Bruce Herman’s art by visiting www.bruceherman.comSee what Malcolm Guite is creating by visiting https://malcolmguite.wordpress.comListen to J.A.C. Redford’s Music at www.jacredford.comWatch Malcolm Guite and Steve Bell Perform “Your Poetry is Jamming My Machine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkYjB_ZcXW0Music and Poetry:Stories About the World that Once Was Performed by Chris Zabriskie CC license www.freemusicarchive.comAspirato performed by Kai Engel CC license www.freemusicarchive.com“Your Poetry is Jamming My Machine” by Malcolm Guite. Performed with Steve Bell Turn Not Thy Face Away from Thy Servant by Russian Liturgical Chant CC license www.Archive.orgSummoning Beauty Music by JAC Redford for Ordinary Saints. (Used with Permission)Portrait of the Artist. (Used with Permission) Poetry by Malcolm Guite, music by JAC Redford for Ordinary Saints. Performed live at Laity Lodge.

A great paradox of the Christian life is to stand at the edge of loss and to somehow gain freedom. In this episode, artist Bruce Herman shares his paradoxical story of embracing freedom amidst great loss. “A bunch of people have asked me over the years, what was it like to have your house hit by three bolts of lightning, burn down and destroy 25 years of your work as an artist? That must have been devastating!My honest answer is, ‘No, it really wasn’t. It was a eucatastrophe. It’s the good chaos or the good catastrophe.’ Right after the fire. That same afternoon evening, my wife and I went dancing.”We either believe that God is going to take care of us or we don’t. Bruce Herman is an artist, essayist, speaker, professor. He is the Lothlórien Distinguished Chair in Fine Arts at Gordon College where he founded the Art Department 35 years ago. Herman’s art has been exhibited around the world. His paintings have been housed in world renown museums like the Vatican Museum of Modern Religious Art and the Cincinnati Museum of Fine Arts.Visit Bruce Herman at www.bruceherman.comThank you to these musical artist for the use of their songs:www.DexterBritain.com: Liftedwww.Kai-Engel.com: Cendres; Runwww.jasonharrod.comwww.brianfunck.comLion Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EaUy0PUBkQThanks to www.freesound.org contributors:ExplosionBombBlastAmbient2.wav by ZimbotJM_FX_Fireball 01.wav by Julien MattheyElectric Shock.wav by GlenCurtisAdamsELECTRIC_ZAP_001.wav by JoelAudioSmoke detector alarm, close perspective.wav

In this Betwixt Podcast episode, we talk with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson about her journey to becoming a truth-teller in a divided world.The truth is, Natasha is a bridge-builder. She spans the distance between diverse communities, forging paths of deeper understanding, reconciliation and healing. “When you have influence, and all of us do, consider your space. How do you invite people into those spaces and opportunities because of the gospel?” - Natasha Sistrunk RobinsonNatasha was a star student and athlete with the kind of leadership potential that led her to the US Naval Academy and on to becoming a Marine Corp Officer. She has worked in leadership positions in the military, government, church, seminary and non-profit sectors.Natasha is the founder of Leadership LINKS, Inc. where she mentors leaders toward affecting generational and cultural change. She has written several books on Mentorship and discipleship and is the author of her newest book: A Sojourner’s Truth, Becoming a Truth-teller in a Divided World.