Enlivening Work

In this episode, recorded live at Clare College in Cambridge, England during Goldenwood’s Annual Fallow Retreat earlier this year, David Kim is joined by theologian and musician Dr. Jeremy Begbie in conversation with Sandra McCracken, singer-songwriter and Dean of Imagination for the Goldenwood Institute.

Together, they trace the development of Sandra’s song “Walking Through Walls,” commissioned by Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts (DITA). The song debuted acoustically at Life Unbound, an orchestral concert led by Dr. Begbie at DITA’s 2025 Conference. As they revisit the song’s creation, they explore the mystery of the resurrected Christ, the creative power of silence and delay, and what happens when we make room for something we cannot fully understand.

From the particularity of a commission to the improvisational nature of music, Jeremy and Sandra consider what creative practice can teach us about attentiveness and responsiveness. The conversation also includes a special appearance by visual artist and mutual friend Makoto Fujimura. Together, they invite us to cultivate the kind of attentiveness that allows us to listen more deeply, respond more freely, and notice what God might be doing in and through our work.

In this episode, David is joined by another longtime friend of Goldenwood and recent Nautilus Alum, Kate Katch. Currently serving as an impact storyteller, narrative strategist, and mother, Kate's career has spanned international development, humanitarian policy, and various leadership roles within the United Nations.

Together, they reflect on Kate's unexpected transition from the world of global humanitarian institutions into the work of impact storytelling. As she navigated the grief of leaving a career she once believed defined her calling, Kate began to discover a deeper freedom: that vocation is not ultimately housed within an institution, but rooted in the story God is continually unfolding through our lives.

From the future of humanitarian aid and the power of narrative, to the challenges of parenting and personal discernment, this conversation explores how our perception shapes what we believe is possible. Kate invites us to see hope not as the absence of uncertainty, but as the willingness to remain attentive to God's work amid transition, trusting that every ending may also hold the seeds of a new beginning.

Show Notes: To explore Kate's impact storytelling work and get in touch: www.katekatch.com

Org Kate references in podcast - UN Central Emergency Response Fund: https://cerf.un.org

Smaller orgs doing great humanitarian work:

Movement in Refuge: https://www.movementinrefuge.org (Provides refugee youth with access to sport and exercise in refugee camps in Bangladesh.)

Crisis in Care: https://www.crisisincare.org (Started by a former USAID worker to help local clinics connect with new sources of funding to continue HIV/AIDs treatment and prevention.)

Dobra Fabryka: https://www.dobrafabryka.pl (Local humanitarian organization in Ukraine working on the frontlines and working with larger aid organizations to make the overall response more effective.)

Aid on the Hill: https://www.aidonthehill.org (Doing non-partisan, evidence-based advocacy with congress on the value and impact of foreign aid.)

In this episode, David Kim is joined by record producer Cason Cooley, whose work has shaped albums for artists across Nashville and beyond. Drawing from his recent experience in Goldenwood’s Red Vineyard cohort, Cason reflects on creativity, vocation, and the challenges of remaining spiritually grounded within the pressures of the music industry.

Together, they explore how artistic work can move beyond performance, productivity, and constant consumption toward a deeper attentiveness to beauty, community, and the slow formation of the soul. From the role of silence and limitation in the creative process to the impact of technology and AI on modern music-making, this conversation considers what it means to cultivate human creativity in a fragmented and accelerated age.

Cason invites us to imagine a way of working that resists disconnection and noise—recovering artistry not merely as output, but as a deeply relational and formative practice.

In this episode, Goldenwood Co-founder David Kim is joined by longtime friends and collaborators Makoto Fujimura, an internationally renowned visual artist and writer, and Haejin Shim Fujimura, a lawyer, entrepreneur, and justice advocate.

In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore how beauty and justice are not separate callings, but deeply intertwined realities—shaping how we respond to trauma, cultivate culture, and participate in God’s redemptive work in the world. Together, they discuss their newly released book Beauty and Justice and reflect on how their distinct vocations in art and advocacy converge in a shared vision of hope. Mako and Haejin invite us to imagine a way of working that resists fragmentation and instead reflects the wholeness of God’s kingdom.

In this episode, Goldenwood CEO David Kim sits down with global development leader Afua Ofosu-Barko to reflect on navigating unexpected vocational transition in a moment of profound cultural and technological change.

After years of work in international development and global health systems, Afua found herself entering a season of disruption and transition amid shifting institutions and uncertainty across the global job market. Drawing from her experience in Goldenwood’s Nautilus program, she shares how practices of rest, spiritual attentiveness, and communal discernment have helped her reframe this season not as a loss, but as an invitation to redefine work and cultivate deeper trust in God’s guidance. Together, they explore how seasons of uncertainty can open space for deeper grounding, renewed imagination, and a wisdom that responds to God's call in our lives.

In this episode, David Kim sits down with osteopathic family medicine doctor Brookshield Laurent, to reflect on her decade-long journey of hopeful imagination and generational work in the Mississippi Delta region.

Together, they explore what it means to pursue healing in a deeply broken healthcare system shaped by systemic injustice, generational poverty, and spiritual need. Brook shares how imagination, community, and attentiveness to the Holy Spirit have reshaped her approach to public health and leadership, moving beyond short-term solutions toward long-term obedience and a renewed vision for future generations.

This conversation invites us to reconsider success not as mastery or immediacy, but as perseverance, fidelity, and hope held in tension—trusting that God is at work long before we arrive and is faithful to continue long after we may be gone.

This conversation between artist and Goldenwood Institute Dean of Nature Makoto Fujimura and historian of science Kerry Magruder was recorded live last month in Princeton at a Goldenwood event titled “Why Wonder in the History of Science Helps Us See Our World Anew.”

Moderated by Goldenwood CEO David Kim, they explore how wonder and imagination are essential to both scientific discovery and artistic practice. Drawing on the lives and work of figures such as Kepler, Galileo, George MacDonald, Darwin, and C.S. Lewis, this wide-ranging conversation invites us to rediscover a deeper way of seeing—one that awakens hope, enlivens faith, and helps us reimagine our work and our world.

In this episode, David enjoys sitting down with Goldenwood friend and collaborator, Sandra McCracken—Nashville-based singer-songwriter and Goldenwood Institute Dean—to discuss the formation of Red Vineyard, a unique formative space for artists to experience rest and renewal, enlivening not only their own craft but also inspiring the broader creative community towards a new way of making. Sandra reflects on the challenges of an industry often marked by transaction and commodification, and the surprising ways God is cultivating a depth of trusted relationships among artists. From collaborative songwriting rooted in Scripture to practices of listening and presence, this conversation invites us to imagine a different kind of artistry—one that multiplies generosity, nurtures the roots of vocation, and bears fruit for the Church and the world. This was recorded live during Goldenwood’s Fallow Retreat in May 2025 at Jesus College in Cambridge, England.

In this special episode recorded live during Goldenwood's annual Fallow Retreat in Cambridge, England (May 2025), Goldenwood CEO David Kim is joined by three remarkable voices—Richard Leong, Bev Williams, and Wendy Nagle—all of whom participated in Goldenwood’s cornerstone program, Nautilus, during what they lovingly describe as the latter seasons of their lives. Together, they reflect on spiritual permanence, the dignity of elderhood, and the sacred rhythms that continue to shape them in a season often overlooked. This conversation is a powerful invitation and challenge to rediscover vision, rest, and calling—not as something left behind, but as something still unfolding. Whether you're entering your own new season or walking alongside those who are, this episode will awaken your imagination for what’s still possible.

In this episode, David Kim speaks with Thomas Keown, founder of Many Hopes, about his life shaped by the traumas of Northern Ireland and the transformative power of hope. Thomas shares how his childhood experiences amid political conflict led him to a calling: rescuing children from injustice and equipping them to become agents of change in their own communities. Together, David and Thomas explore the critical role of love in justice work, the power of survivor-led leadership, and how attentiveness to small moments can recalibrate a life.