New Creation Conversations

My conversation today is with a friend that I’ve come to know and love over the last few years here at Nampa College Church. Debra Peck is a thoughtful and deeply devoted Christian woman who discovered a few years ago that for years she had been suffering from a disorder known as Religious Scrupulosity. This realization not only began for Debra a journey toward wholeness, but it also set her out to discover more about the disorder itself.

As you will hear in our conversation, Religious Scrupulosity is a type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that often hides in plain sight in churches, Sunday schools, and within religious families. Pastors and religious leaders often fail to recognize the problem, and in the process often make things worse for those who are struggling with it. 

Debra’s research and her own personal journey led her to write a new book, The Hijacked Conscience: An Informed and Compassionate Response to Religious Scrupulosity. It is a very important book for pastors and church leaders, but it is also an important book for those who though deeply committed to faith find that faith feels more like a heavy burden than a source of freedom and joy. I think you’ll find this conversation enlightening – especially if you grew up in more conservative branches of Christian faith.

Welcome to episode ninety of New Creation Conversations. My conversation today is with a great friend and colleague in pastoral ministry, Dr. Sam Barber. Sam is currently serving as the District Superintendent of the South-Central Ohio District for the Church of the Nazarene. Sam is a graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, he has a master’s degree in Christian Ministry and Church Leadership from Malone University, another master’s in theology from Duke Divinity School, and he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary. He has also been the lead pastor at churches in Troy and Columbus, Ohio as well as at the Kansas City Central Church. He and his wife Jill have become dear friends of Debbie and me over the last several years, and I deeply respect Sam’s heart, mind, and leadership ability. 

Our conversation centers around his recently released book, A People of Grace: Becoming Disciples Together (published by The Foundry Press). In the book, Sam explores the exciting adventure of discipleship – following Jesus. However, he argues that discipleship is never something we do alone, it takes a team effort to help each other grow in holiness and reach out to others. In the book, Sam invites readers to participate together in an innovative approach to discipleship that has its roots in the ministry of John Wesley. It’s a very helpful book and a rich conversation. So, thanks for sitting in on this conversation between two old friends. 

Welcome to episode eighty-nine of New Creation Conversations. My conversation today is with a friend and colleague in Nazarene higher education, Dr. Jeff Stark. Jeff teaches Missional Theology at Olivet Nazarene University and is the Director of both Graduate Programming and the Center of Theological Leadership at the university. Jeff’s scholarship and teaching largely focuses on the intersection of Church and culture. He also teaches courses that address the substantive theological concerns regarding racial reconciliation, peacemaking, biblical-justice, and evangelism in the 21st century. Jeff will share some of his amazing testimony meeting Christ while serving in the Army as an Arabic linguist. Jeff served as a pastor in Tennessee and Illinois before joining the faculty at Olivet. 

Our conversation centers around his recently released book, The News is Good: Evangelism as a Way of Life(published by The Foundry Press). In the book, Jeff invites readers into the everyday world of an evangelistic Christian life in order to show that making disciples isn’t a formulaic, multi-step program. Instead, true and effective evangelism is an honest way of doing life alongside those with whom we already find ourselves in community. It is a very helpful, insightful, and accessible book and a rich conversation. 

Welcome to episode eighty-eight of New Creation Conversations. In today’s conversation I’m excited to have a unique conversation about Christian discipleship with Jessie Cruickshank. Jessie holds a Master of Education degree from Harvard in mind, brain, and education. She is an ordained minister and a nationally recognized expert in disciple making and the neuroscience of transformation. She has spent two decades applying neuroeducation research to discipleship, ministry training, experiential education, and organization development. Jessie is respected globally as a leader in missiological thought and as a consultant to churches and denominations. She recently founded an organization dedicated to raising up disciple-makers called [Who]ology. And on top of all that, she is expert mountain climber and applies much of what she has learned on her adventures to her calling to make disciples for Christ.

Our conversation centers around her soon-to-be-released book, Ordinary Discipleship: How God Wires Us for the Adventure of Transformation (published and released on May 9 from NavPress). I got the privilege of reading an advance copy and found my imagination changed not only about how to call people to make disciples but about how disciples are made. It is a very accessible and important book and a fascinating conversation.

In today’s conversation I’m excited to be re-joined by Dr. Mark Mayfield. Mark is an author, speaker, leadership coach, counselor, and professor at Colorado Christian University. Mark has worked extensively with helping churches and other organization navigate the complexities of their mental and emotional health and is an expert in working with families affected by trauma. Mark has authored three books including, “HELP! My Teen is Self-Injuring: A Crisis Manual for Parents,” and “The Path Out of Loneliness: Finding and Fostering Connection to God, Ourselves and One Another.” We spend our conversation talking about his new (and soon-to-be-released) book, “The Path to Wholeness: Managing Emotions, Finding Healing, and Becoming Our Best Selves” (releasing on May 9 from NavPress). 

 I got the privilege of reading an advance copy and found the book to be incredibly accessible and helpful not only for me personally but in my work trying to help others. And there are a couple of things in our conversation that I wrote down in bold capital letters in my journal and am quite sure they are going to show up in several future sermons and lectures. It’s a great book and a rich conversation.

Welcome to episode eighty-six of New Creation Conversations. In today’s conversation I’m excited to be re-joined by Dr. Mark Baker. Mark is Professor of Mission and Theology at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary. Mark is an alum of Wheaton University, has a master’s degree from the New College for Advanced Christian Studies (Berkely) and a PhD in Theology and Ethics from Duke. Mark has written extensively in theology and ethics, but the primary focus of our conversation is his most recent book Freedom from Religiosity and Judgmentalism: Studies in Paul’s Letter to the Galatians – part of the Luminaire Studies Series published by Kindred. 

 I had a conversation with Mark a few months ago about his book Centered-Set Church: Discipleship and Community Without Judgmentalism, his new book applies some of those insights into reading Galatians, and the result is a really thoughtful and fresh reading of that great Epistle. It’s a great book and a rich conversation.

Welcome to episode eighty-five of New Creation Conversations. In today’s conversation I’m excited to be joined by Rev. Michael Palmer. Michael is an ordained pastor, spiritual director, and co-founder of The Center for Spiritual Formation and Retreat in St. Louis, Missouri. Michael served as lead pastor of Living Vine Church in Northern California before taking on this most recent project. 

Michael has written a new book entitled Trenches and Tables (published by A Plain Account Press). In the book Michael explores the ongoing challenge of division and polarization in the church. He explores some of the causes, but also reflects on potential ways for the church to move forward in greater unity. Michael represents a generation of church leadership not only troubled by but often damaged by the forces of division in the church and I found both his experience and his reflections helpful and valuable for the church in this moment of generational transition.

I have really valued my friendship and relationship with Michael over the last several years, even when we have disagreed with one another, I have deeply appreciated Michael’s heart for Christ and his deep desire to listen and find paths of growth together. I think you will appreciate this conversation. 

Welcome to episode eighty-four of New Creation Conversations. In today’s conversation I’m excited to be joined by Dr. Alan Street. Alan is the Senior Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology at Criswell College. He holds PhDs in New Testament and pastoral theology. He has written several books including: The Effective Invitation, Subversive Meals, Heaven on Earth, and Caesar and Sacrament. His most recent book is Songs of Resistance: Challenging Caesar and Empire (published by Cascade Books).

The book is a fascinating study of the songs, poems, and hymnody of the early church that shows up in the New Testament. Street argues that the early Christ followers sang these songs in order to oppose the empire’s worldview and offer an alternative vision for society. As the early church sang, they were emboldened to remain faithful to Christ and withstand the temptation to comply with the sociopolitical agenda of the empire.

I found the book very thoughtful and a wonderful exploration of the life, faith, and theology of the earliest Christians. It was also fun to talk to a distinguished scholar about his unique journey into biblical theology. 

Welcome to episode eighty-two of New Creation Conversations. In today’s conversation I’m excited to share with you my conversation with Marty Solomon. Marty is a theologian and biblical scholar who serves as the president of Impact Campus Ministries and has a passionate belief that the best way to pursue all of these dreams for changing the world is to work with young adults who will be creating that world. he longs to help young people see why the work that they do every day is part of how God is putting the world back together. in addition to his work with impact, Marty is also the creator and executive producer of the BEMA podcast. A podcast that helps people walk through the entire Bible understanding both its context and its surrounding history.

Marty and I clicked immediately, at least in part, because Marty is originally from my neighborhood here in Idaho. For several years after college, Marty served as a pastor in the Boise area before taking extended time to dive more deeply into biblical studies and helping others understand the Bible more clearly.

Our conversation centers on Marty’s brand new book, that was just released yesterday Feb. 7, Asking Better questions of the Bible: A Guide for the Wounded, Wary and Longing for More (published by NavPress). In the book, Marty wonders if as we read the scripture, we may too often be asking the wrong questions. Because of our context, we tend to go to the Bible as though it's a book written from a modern, western perspective and in that process, we end up asking questions the Bible isn't really asking, so we shouldn't be surprised that we often get the wrong answers. Asking better questions of the Bible provides a comprehensive and accessible guide to the culture, viewpoints, and context of the bible's original authors and audience. The book offers a fresh way to read and understand each distinct portion of scripture, which points the reader more clearly toward the beautiful mystery of God's story. The book is really well done and accessible for readers of all kinds. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Marty, and I'm excited to get to share it with you.

Welcome back to episode eighty-one of New Creation Conversations. The day before Thanksgiving I had to go in for some surgery and then I needed to take a couple of months off. So, thanks for your patience, but as we start this New Year, we are back at it trying to have conversations that keep the church and academy connected to each other. 

In this first conversation back, I’m joined by Pastor Brent Neely. Brent is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and is currently serving as an Associate Pastor at New Horizon Church in Belton, Missouri. Brent is a graduate of both Eastern Nazarene College and Nazarene Theological Seminary. He is currently working on his doctorate, studying monastic spirituality.  

 Brent has recently written a book entitled The Book of Ancient Prayers: 365+ Prayers from the Saints of the Church. The book offers daily prayers from a wide variety of Christian sources both ancient and contemporary and includes the voices of men and women from every continent. While the book can be started anytime, it is designed to follow the Christian liturgical year. At the end of the book are some additional prayers specifically tied to the various liturgical seasons. 

It's a wonderful book and a rich conversation with a young church leader what we can learn from ancient spiritual practices that can help us better follow Christ today. So, welcome back to New Creation Conversations.