Church and Main

What comes to mind when I use the word piety or pious? I’m guessing you are thinking of a person who is outwardly religious and believes they are better than anyone else around them. For people of a certain age it might be Dana Carvey’s Church Lady. But instead of thinking of a smirking and prim guy wearing a dress and a wig, you might want to think of John Wesley, the founder of what became Methodism and had an experience at a church in London where his heart was strangely warmed.Today, I talk to Chris Gehrz, a professor at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul. Chris grew up in the Evangelical Covenant Church, an evangelical denomination founded by Swedish pietists. In this episode we talk about pietism beyond the stereotypes and figure out how this practice can help the modern church. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Methodist Bishop and writer, Will Willomon has this to say about preaching. “Preaching is an attack - it is an invasion from Jesus into an unbelieving world.”Willomon is right that preaching is about an invading Jesus into an unbelieving world, but how do you do that in an age where people don’t trust institutions like the church?For Pastor Brian Christopher Coulter, preaching means restoring trust.Brian is the pastor of First Presbyterian in Ft. Worth. He’s a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) where he has been a congregational consultant for the Presbyterian Mission Agency. He is a regular contributor to Presbyterian Outlook Magazine and the author of the book Be Holy. In this episode, we talk about the craft of preaching and what it means to preach in these very, interesting times.Leave a tip: https://www.tipsmack.com/artist/tipjar/qzuq1Join the mailing list: https://dennissanders.substack.com/Show Notes:The preaching task of this age: rebuilding trust (Brian’s article)Brian’s webpagewebsite: enroutepodcast.orgLeave a Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/churchandmainEmail: [email protected] Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

This is a re-broadcast of an episode from January 2022.Today we are chatting with Lutheran pastor Steve Thomason, who also happens to be an artist. Steve loves to draw and paint and it has been his passion since he was a child. He is the author and artist behind the cartoonist guide to the Bible. Steve is on a mission to use his art to tell the story of faith. “It is my mission to use art to create resources that help people grow deeper in God's love,” he says on his website. In the episode, we talk about how he became an artist, how he became a pastor and how the two passions intersect.Like the episode? Leave a tip! website: enroutepodcast.orgLeave a Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/churchandmainYouTube: https://bit.ly/enrouteytShow Notes:A Cartoonist’s Guide to the Bible websiteSteve’s website Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

The war in Ukraine has made people think again about Christians and war. When is it possible for a Christian to take up arms? Are all wars okay, or are there wars that are totally unjust?Is it time for a revival of the just war movement? Today,I talk with H. David Baer is a professor at Texas Lutheran University where he teaches theology, philosophy, and ethics. He is also the author of the book Recovering Christian Realism: Just War Theory as a Political Ethic. He writes frequently about just war theory and how “the work of peacemaking depends upon the responsible exercise of power.”Leave a tip: https://www.tipsmack.com/artist/tipjar/qzuq1Join the mailing list: https://dennissanders.substack.com/Show Notes:David Baer’s websiteBaer Talk Podcastwebsite: enroutepodcast.orgLeave a Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/churchandmainEmail: [email protected] Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

On Easter Sunday a congregation in south Minneapolis will hold its last worship service after 105 years. This closing has a lot of meaning for me because it was the church that I interned at when I was in seminary.Mainline Protestant churches seem to be closing at a faster clip than their evangelical counterparts. Can more progressive faith traditions still plant churches?Today I talk to Paul Moore, the pastor of Chain of Lakes Presbyterian Church in Blaine, Minnesota. Working through the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, he helped to plant this new church in the Northern Twin Cities suburbs over 10 years ago and the church is finally building its own church building. We talked about the challenges of planting new churches these days and the future of church planting within Mainline Protestant churches.Leave a tip: https://www.tipsmack.com/artist/tipjar/qzuq1Join the mailing list: https://dennissanders.substack.com/Show Notes:Chain of Lakes Presbyterian Churchwebsite: enroutepodcast.orgLeave a Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/churchandmainEmail: [email protected] full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

In this EnRoute Excursions episode, Dennis reads an article he wrote on the advent of the Second Cold War and the fear of nuclear war. He ends sharing his husband's thoughts about planting a tree in this uncertain time.Leave a tip: https://www.tipsmack.com/artist/tipjar/qzuq1Join the mailing list: https://dennissanders.substack.com/Show Notes:Ukraine and the Second Cold War-by Dennis Sanders website: enroutepodcast.orgLeave a Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/churchandmainEmail: [email protected] Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Last month in Washington, there was a gathering of mostly NeverTrump Conservatives called Principles First. People came from across the nation to discuss the current state of conservatism and how to beat back Trumpism. Among the many speakers was Reed Howard. Reed is the Director of Communications at the Institute of Politics and Public Policy at Georgetown University. He served as minister at Central United Methodist in Atlanta and received his Masters of Divinity at the Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. He has been a long-time activist within the NeverTrump movement, representing a generation that wants to see a better conservatism. In this episode, we talk about the role of faith in politics and what’s next for the Never Trump movement.Leave a tip: https://www.tipsmack.com/artist/tipjar/qzuq1 Join the mailing list: https://dennissanders.substack.com/Show Notes:Reed’s BioReed’s May 2021 Podcast InterviewPrinciples First website website: enroutepodcast.orgLeave a Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/churchandmainEmail: [email protected] Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

This special episode of En Route looks at the religious roots of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Vladimir Putin working with leaders in the Russian Orthodox Church to use the Christian faith in the service of Russian nationalism.Help to support relief efforts in Poland to help Ukrainian refugees.Matthew 25 MinistriesWorldVisionEpiscopal Relief and DevelopmentLutheran World ReliefUnited Methodist Committee on ReliefCatholic Relief ServicesChurch World ServiceInternational Ministries-American Baptist ChurchesWeek of Compassion-Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)Ukrainian Orthodox Church-USA Humanitarian ReliefSources Used for this Podcast  Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Dan Buttry is an American Baptist minister that has worked in peacemaking efforts for several decades. In 2020 he retired from his role as the Global Consultant for Peace and Justice for International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches. I talk to Dan about his experiences in Ukraine, what he's learned and how that relates to the current Russian invasion of Ukraine.Leave a tip: https://www.tipsmack.com/artist/tipjar/qzuq1Show Notes:Dan’s visit to Dnipro, UkraineButtry Center for Peace and Nonviolence at Central Seminary- Shawnee, KS(named after Dan and his wife Sharon)website: enroutepodcast.orgLeave a Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/churchandmainEmail: [email protected] Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

I know you’re going to enjoy today’s episode with Corey Nathan. We had a wide ranging conversation on theology and culture and life in general. It’s a little different than recent interviews that has a specific focus on an issue. Instead it’s more of a conversation about faith, civility, respect and gratitude.Leave a tip: https://www.tipsmack.com/artist/tipjar/qzuq1Show Notes:Corey’s Podcastwebsite: enroutepodcast.orgLeave a Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/churchandmainEmail: [email protected] Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe