Don’t Encourage This with Marc van Bulck

Every preacher has their least favorite passages to preach. For me, the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19) is one of those texts. Known in Hebrew as the Akedah, Genesis 22 tells the story of God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son to prove his faith, a story that leaves everyone wounded. This passage has haunted and perplexed even the best preachers, scholars and theologians across the ages.

This episode, I'm joined by Dr. Mahri Leonard-Fleckman to reflect on this challenging text together. A Roman Catholic from an interfaith family (her dad is Jewish), she is an Associate Professor of Old Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of the award-winning "Ponder: Contemplative Bible Study."

Lance Burton: Master Magician is one of the most famous illusionists alive today. He has performed for audiences around the globe. He headlined a legendary 14-year residency at the Lance Burton Theater at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas! He has starred in multiple network television specials over the years on NBC, the Fox Family Channel, The History Channel, Discovery, and Animal Planet.

Andrina Wekontash Smith is an Emmy-nominated writer, comedian and storyteller. She serves as a writer on the hit comedy, Deli Boys, which currently streams on Hulu. She is the sole writer of the MetaQuest experience, “MLK: Now Is the Time," produced by TIME Studios, commemorating the anniversary of Dr. King’s March on Washington (Emmy nomination, Producers’ Guild Award Nomination 2024, Audience Award at SXSW, AIXR Social Impact Award, Webby Awards for Public Service and Activism and People’s Voice Award). Andrina gets candid about how comedy and storytelling can be forms of social activism and how her Shinnecock faith informs her sense of mission.

John Fugelsang is the author of the New York Times Bestselling book, Separation of Church and Hate. He is a stand-up comedian and the host of Tell Me Everything on SiriusXM. John gets candid about his faith, his complicated relationship with organized religion and how hearing George Carlin for the first time changed his life.

We discuss growing up in one of the most wildly ecumenical households imaginable, nerd out about Star Wars, how Jesus of Nazareth used storytelling as a form of activism…and how irreverent comedy can sometimes mimic this ancient practice today.

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is one of the world’s leading Jewish biblical scholars. She is the author of Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, The Misunderstood Jew and her latest book, Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians, which was released in 2024 by HarperOne. She is the first Jewish scholar to teach New Testament at Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute and has had three audiences with Pope Francis.

Dr. Levine joins the program to explore one of Jesus’ most famous parables from an interfaith perspective: how this beloved passage from Scripture has been interpreted through both a Christian and Jewish lens.

Simon Bennett’s career spans theater and television on both sides of the globe. He spent nearly two decades shaping the iconic, long-running New Zealand–based soap Shortland Street as a director, producer and executive producer before becoming Head of Drama at South Pacific Pictures. He also served as showrunner and executive producer for Saban’s Power Rangers from 2019 to 2023, including the 30th anniversary special, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always.

Simon shares his journey growing up as the child of two mimes, his early experiments with light and sound and the path that led him to pioneer New Zealand’s landmark BATS Theatre. He gets candid about the joys and creative challenges of producing high-volume, long-running television and his creative ambitions from Shakespeare to spandex.

Steve Lindsley serves as the Executive Presbyter of the Providence Presbytery in South Carolina and is the Senior Ministry Strategist for Horizons Stewardship. He is also a musician and recording artist with eight albums and EP’s since 1997. His most recent album, “Back Again,” dropped in April of 2023.

Steve talks about the difference between good vs. bad Christian music, discusses some of the quirks of picking hymns on Sunday morning and shares valuable insights on fundraising and stewardship for churches. 

Listen to Steve’s music here: https://stevelindsley.bandcamp.com/

Dre Swain has appeared regularly on Nickelodeon over the past two decades on shows like “Victorious,” “iCarly,” “Sam and Cat,” “The Fairly Oddparents,” “Henry Danger,” and several others. She has also appeared on shows like “Shameless” on Showtime, alongside William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum. 

Sarah Bracey White is the critically acclaimed author of Primary Lessons: A Memoir and The Wanderlust: A South Carolina Folktale. Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South, Primary Lessons tells the real-life story of Sarah’s growing-up years navigating her challenging relationship with her mother and seeking to reconcile her complex family systems with issues of racial and social justice. 

Sarah shares how telling stories can lead to healing in our lives, whether through the discoveries we make about our parents or the act of caring for a child, spouse or an aging loved one. She discusses how her creative journey led to three published books, two theatrical stage productions and even an (almost) Netflix series!

Her latest book, A Walk Down Memory Lane: Short Stories for Seniors to Spark Joy and Stay Sharp, is available wherever books are sold on December 2, 2025.

The Rev. Dr. Peggy Jean Craig currently serves as the Senior Pastor at the Covenant Presbyterian Church of Germantown in Germantown, Tennessee. In 2025, she was one of the headlining preachers at the Presbyterian Youth Triennium at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. She joins me to discuss her experience preaching at Triennium and to explore the intersections between storytelling and advocacy.