Tanner Olson is a poet, author, and speaker. He has a book soon to be released with Zonderkids, on all the things we can pray to God.

His poetry is extremely accessible, not high or academic, but lowly and comforting. Reading it feels like receiving comfort from a friend. His first children's book reflects that, as he's encouraging children on bringing all of their cares to God.

In this interview, he talks about the struggle he and his wife have with infertility, and watching all of their friends have kids, and getting to know their kids, and wanting to create a gift for these families in their lives. 

Since then, they adopted their son, and he's become a father, and he talks about learning through all of this more about who God is, and his heart for us.

Poetry and children's books overlap so much as they both require carefully chosen, few words that are packed with meaning and reach the heart. And as a bonus, as adults read books to children, it impacts them as well. 

Tanner is one of our favorite people, and chatting with him is always full of laughter as well as profound thoughts. 

Show Notes:

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• Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

• Tanner's website
• Tanner's new book:  All The Things I Say To God

The Atlantic published a large article called "Anti-Social Century" which spurred on a conversation with Gretchen and Katie on why this generation of people is anti-social, and what to do about it. There's a rise in what they called "secular monasticism" with rigid morning routines, cold-plunge, meditation, gym time, and every angle of self-optimization. The attitude toward others isn't so much for the purpose of community building, but removing people from your life that does not assist with that optimization.

The rise of "digital friendships" while often can be real, often lack the opportunity to give and receive forgiveness, or agree to disagree. Algorythms highlight commonality, and remove those who believe differently, and doesn't provide the sitting with those who are different that often is demanded from location-based friendships. The value of humility and vulnerability gives depth to friendships.

There was a lot of this heafty article that we didn't even get to cover, but the discussion of how grace and forgiveness impacts community life in tangible ways remains.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

• 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts

• 1517 Events Schedule

• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What’s New from 1517:

• The Impossible Prize: A Theology of Addiction by Donavan Riley

• Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

From the Atlantic: Anti-Social Century

For Valentine's Day, Gretchen Ronnevik and Katie Koplin talk about the trend of writing marriage vows, and some of the pitfalls of such a trend.

What are the purpose of marriage vows? We look at trends, from both conservative and liberal perspectives, to define marriage beyond "for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health."

We look at the history of marriage vows, what was going on in the church at the time, how marriage was redefined from being a sacrament to being a vocation, and the implications of all of that.

With an eye on freedom, they talk about the burden of the younger generation to be unique and define themselves as a couple, and consistently reinvent the wheel. The gift of tradition can be burden lifting, so that you don't lose the plot of what marriage is, and what it is for.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

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What’s New from 1517:

• Pre-order: Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi 

• Bible in One Year with Chad Bird

• Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits

• Take 20% Off Our Lenten Devotionals until March 5th:

• The Sinner/Saint Lenten Devotional

• Finding Christ in the Straw: A Forty-Day Devotion on the Epistle of James

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

Many times, Christian homes view sin as a problem "out there" and not a problem "in here." As we built a framework of building a community, in light of sin, it's important to realize, it's going to be a community that will have to deal with sin.

Katie Koplin and Gretchen Ronnevik talk about expectation, boundaries, letting fallen people into your life, and into your children's lives. It's a conundrum, working through fears of protecting our kids, while acknowledging that we need a community, but the only people who are available for that community (everyone) deal with sin.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

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• 1517 Events Schedule

• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What’s New from 1517:

• Bible in One Year with Chad Bird

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

• Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

In this episode, Gretchen Ronnevik and Katie Koplin discuss the Slate article "I'm Starting to Think You Guys Don't Want a Village." It speaks to the cry of young families "where is the villiage?" and yet the high, maybe even impossible standards that are set for people who are in proximity to our kids.

Though the article brings about questions that go beyond families and childraising. Can you have friendships with people who have different values than you? What do you do when all of the people around you are sinners? Is it unreasonable to have high standards?

This was a fun, and even vulnerable conversation as we talk about boundaries, being willing to have hard conversations, and being a good neighbor.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

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• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What’s New from 1517:

• Bible in One Year with Chad Bird

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

• Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

What is a spiritual director? Are they directing your spiritual life? Are they telling you to do something? Are they fulfilling a pastoral role? Rev. Alan Johnson talks about this, as he has been studying it for his disseration. He distinguishes the difference between a spiritual director and a pastor, and would explain that spiritual direction is listening to someone and helping them pay attention to God's work in their life. Spiritual directors seek to ask good questions, rather than give answers.  A spiritual director is more of a mentor who can, as Eugene Peterson said "show up and shut up" and let people talk and work through problems, and help people gain some clairty through that process.

This was a fascinating conversation, on working through when you feel "stuck" and various aspects of the church body who can continually point us to Christ.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

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What’s New from 1517:

• Bible in One Year with Chad Bird

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

• Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

Are the concepts of "spiritual formation" and Lutheran doctrine compatible? Gretchen Ronnevik discusses this concept with Rev. Alan Johnson who is finishing up his dissertation on this very topic. He says that we Christians feel we should love the Lord our God with all our mind, all our mind, and all our mind. After graduating from seminary, he contemplated about how he knew more about God, but questioned whether he knew God himself better. He started asking questions about what it means to love God with our heart, and the all consuming, holistic aspect of faith.

They talk about spiritual disciplines/practices, the difference between Christian spiritual practices and spiritual practices in other religions, and how they feel about contemplative practices, and the concept of "lone-ranger Christianity."

This is 1 of 2 episodes on our conversation. Next week we will discuss the concept of spiritual direction.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

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• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What’s New from 1517:

• Bible in One Year with Chad Bird

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

• Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

Support 1517 This Giving Tuesday

This is Caleb Keith, director of the 1517 Podcast Network. Today, as many of you may know, is Giving Tuesday. On this special day, I have a question for you: Does this podcast bring Jesus and His Gospel of peace into your life on a regular basis? At 1517, our mission—and the mission of the 1517 Podcast Network—is to declare and defend the Good News that we are forgiven and free through the death and resurrection of Christ alone. Because of Jesus, God has made peace with you and continues to actively give you His peace. You can give by visiting 1517.org or by following the link in the show notes.

What does Jesus mean that we should be perfect, as Jesus is perfect? Gretchen Ronnevik and Katie Koplin look at the context of the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5 where this passage is found. Curiously, the command to be perfect comes right after the command to love your enemies.

We often think that being righteousness as repelling sin, and repelling sinners, when the righteousness of Christ is goodness and holiness running toward sin and sinners to heal them.

We also must define perfect correctly, as it means "complete" in this context. Another translation could be "be complete, as I am complete." This whole sermon is a paradigm shifting lecture on what it means to be righteous. It isn't about doing good enough, or trying our hardest. It's understanding the fullness of the law, and the fullness of our need for Christ, and the fullness of his redemption for us. 

And as we are full of his righteousness, not our own, we run toward our enemies with love, not away from it, as our self-righteousness prescribes.

So how do we deal with our enemies? We get into that, and more.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

• 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts

• 1517 Events Schedule

• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What’s New from 1517:

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

• Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits

• Listen to 1517 Executive Director Scott Keith and Magnus Persson on the latest Re:Formera podcast

• Signup For Free Advent Church Resources for 2024

• Clothed with Christ by Brian William Thomas

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

After a bit of a hiatus, Gretchen Ronnevik and Katie Koplin sit down and catchn up. They talk about the recent "Here We Still Stand" Conference out in California. The theme of the conference was "Long Live the Church." They talk about their highlights from the conference, and how this year went.

They talk about running around everywhere, what's going on with our families, and what our families do when we are running everywhere. They talk about harvest time, waiting in the drive thru, grad school, and living through a season where you can't finish a thought.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

• 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts

• 1517 Events Schedule

• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What’s New from 1517:

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

• Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits

• Listen to 1517 Executive Director Scott Keith and Magnus Persson on the latest Re:Formera podcast

• Signup For Free Advent Church Resources for 2024

• Clothed with Christ by Brian William Thomas

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin

• Gretchen's New Katie Luther book