Mainline

Cláudio Carvalhaes, a brilliant earth thinker, theologian, liturgist, performer and artist, joins Neal Christie for a conversation about his latest book, "How Do We Become Green People and Earth Communities?" 

Buy Claudio's book here: https://tinyurl.com/5ffxp4np

Claudio's website is here: https://www.claudiocarvalhaes.com/

Don't miss this enlightening conversation between two great minds (Claudio and Neal, I mean!) about the church, the future, and the way worship can bring us into harmony with creation.

My guest is Rev. Allison Mark, senior pastor of Faith United Methodist Church in Torrence, CA. Allison details her experiences in leadership, her struggles, and candidly shares her thoughts about the future of the denomination.

In his recent Religion News Service article, Jacob Lupfer writes about the divisions in the United Methodist Church, "In any ecclesial conflict there are non-combatants who don’t really understand what all the fighting is about. But in this case particularly, the muddling Methodist middle that has historically tempered the impulses of extremists is indifferent to the impending schism. Most laity and many clergy are not nearly so invested in moving the Methodist divorce along as those at the extremes."

Jacob and I talk about his article and the distinct possibility that the impending split in the UMC may not unfold as many predict.

This week Curtis Ramsey-Lucas published a provocative article in The Christian Citizen asking important questions about Facebook's outreach to faith leaders. He begins:

This summer, Elizabeth Dias, who covers faith and politics for the New York Times, wrote an article titled “Facebook’s Next Target: The Religious Experience.” Published July 25, it chronicled Facebook’s efforts to partner with a wide range of faith communities from individual congregations to large denominations.

I don't know about you, but I have a relationship with Facebook that I call, "problematic."  What will it mean if Facebook becomes directly involved in the lives of faith communities?

In this podcast, I interview Curtis and get the background on this article, his questions surrounding the issue, and a pointed discussion on the future of social media.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is quoted as saying, "...For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." Interestingly, the Gospel of Luke tells the same story but omits this "ransom" business, indicating that from the very earliest days, what's known as the "ransom theory" of atonement was controversial.  It turns out that this idea, touted as "biblical" by its modern-day adherents, has a troubled history and an even more troublesome set of implications for the Church today.

I don't usually post sermons here (but hey, why not?), but I felt this one was too important to not shout from the rooftops.  Rev. Mark Flynn, lead pastor of First United Methodist Church in my hometown of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, preaches a sermon that's part exegesis, part church history lecture, and 100% courage and conviction.  If you haven't thought much about ideas that give form to history, I urge you to listen to this remarkable sermon to the very end.

Yes, my name is Steve Martin.  I've been a fan of the comedian by the same name since I was thirteen, and I suddenly became popular in school because I shared his name.  It's been a long, funny ride.  But it gets better.  Recently I ran into another Steve Martin on social media, and the connection we have does not end at our names.  Be sure to catch this episode, cuz it's a doozy.

This podcast began when I stumbled across a simple Facebook post in a group. The majority of the conversation regarding online ministry has been on how to restore sanctuary worship while maintaining some of the advances achieved during the time our sanctuaries were closed. This post was written by the pastor of a church that made a completely different type of decision.

REPLAY: While U.S. churches expend tremendous energy in today’s culture wars—the role of women, rights of LGBTQ persons, the place of immigrants, the primacy of health care—the churches’ own real estate may be eating them alive.

My guest today is Rick Reinhard, whose career has included roles in city planning, government, and national church work.  Rick is an expert in church real estate, and his analysis of our current situation is both alarming and hopeful.  Prepare to have your mind opened, and if you can slide this podcast under the door of your bishop, that might be a good idea.

The word, "pivot," has perhaps been overused lately, but it has special meaning over the past year, especially for organizations that had few alternatives to in-person gatherings.  It's one thing to have church online, or to have in-person worship without singing, but what would you do if you were managing a 100+ voice chorale and orchestra?

My guest is Jim Kelly, President and CEO of the National Philharmonic at Strathmore, one of the leading arts organizations in the metropolitan Washington, DC area.  NatPhil is coming back in 2021 with a hybrid model, and I know you will glean practical insights from Jim about how he, the board, and the staff made the decisions that chart the path forward.

We clergy speak of the most significant event in history: the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  Why is it so hard to "put ourselves out there" when we carry such an incredible message?  Most of us are allergic to anything that feels like self-promotion.  But in this world of social media, streaming worship, and voices that carry less-than-helpful messages, is self-promotion now a requirement of the work we do?

My guest is Cheri Honeycutt, a speaker, facilitator, and coach who has struggled between the calling she has and the need to let others know about it.  She shares candidly about her ups and downs and the ways she gets fights "imposter syndrome" in order to bring about positive change in the world around her.