In our second conversation with marriage and family therapist Molly LaCroix, she again uses the lens of Internal Family Systems to teach us how to approach our own internal worlds with curiosity and compassion. She discusses her new book, Journey to Shalom, and how reimagining the sacred stories of scripture can help us build a bridge to our own internal world. If you loved our first conversation with Molly, don’t miss it! 

Today we talk with Kristyn Komarnicki and Shae Washington of Oriented to Love, a dialogue program of Christians for Social Action. These dialogues are a brave space for Christians of different sexual orientations, gender identities, and theological convictions to pursue unity that is deeper than agreement, and to practice discerning the image of God in someone you disagree with. 

Kristyn and Shae teach us how to approach our own “other” with the posture of a learner and embrace the pain and vulnerability that comes with true intimacy and relationship. They help us reframe conflict not as something to be feared or avoided but as an opportunity for maturing in Christ. 

In today’s interview, Alice Fryling, one of the most influential voices in modern spiritual direction, shares her story and how she discovered the art of spiritual listening and spiritual direction. She explains that the essence of spiritual direction is listening. And when we listen to people, we love them - and love heals. It is a healing ministry. She describes the mystical experience of direction in which you come alongside another and help them listen carefully to the whispers and direction of God. We hope you enjoy this beautiful conversation about the sacred, gentle, mystical experience of spiritual listening. 

Today we welcome back one of our favorite guests, ethicist Dr. David P. Gushee! In this interview we dig more deeply into his story of being cancelled by the evangelical subculture after changing his mind on LGBTQ+ theology, and how he has rebuilt after evangelicalism. 

He offers a vision of Christian humanism in which the infinite value of the human moves back to the center of our theology. Throughout this conversation we explore different ways of practicing Christian community that help break the stranglehold evangelicalism has had on what it means to be Christian. We hope it helps you forge a new path and a new way forward after evangelicalism. 

If you feel ecclesiologically homeless in the larger church landscape and unsure where you fit, but know that you’re not ready to give up on the church. If you want to be a part of reimagining what the church looks like for our current moment - this conversation is for you! Today we talk with Keri Ladouceur, cofounder of the Post-Evangelical Collective - a community built to help you reimagine a new way forward. Keri shares her story of being shattered by faith, when all of her ways of being fell short, and how she is wrestling to cultivate Beloved communities full of mutual flourishing through the Collective. We hope their values of the way of Jesus, full inclusion, holistic justice, deep and wide formation, and a gracious posture offer you hope for a new way forward.

Learn more or get connected with the Post-Evangelical Collective here!

Today Dr. Dwight Radcliff, Academic Dean for the William E. Pannell Center for Black Church Studies at Fuller Seminary shares his story, his calling, and own personal journey from CD burning youth pastor to hearing David’s cries in the voice of Biggie and Tupac. We learn about Dr. Radcliff’s “Hip-Hop Hermeneutic” - a bi-focaled lens that brings nitty-gritty full humanity to scriptural interpretation. Dr. Radcliff reminds us that if the word of God is alive, it’s full of emotion, and looking at scripture through the lens of hip-hop highlights the deep emotions reflected in both scripture and hip-hop. This conversation invites us to ask bigger questions and to give attention and influence to the experiences that form the Black worldview.

Have you ever felt like a ministry refugee? Like your spiritual home became uninhabitable and you were forced to flee? Today we interview Dr. Cameron Lee, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, who uses the image of “ministry refugee” to name the experience of so many who have lost their spiritual homes and are left feeling war-torn, traumatized, and lost. Dr. Lee uses his background as a marriage and family therapist to look at the church through the lens of a family system. Through this lens he helps us examine the systems that created the toxicity and abuse that creates so many refugees. He teaches us how to offer grace and hospitality to those who have lost their homes, how to create safe spaces, and hope for healing the system.

In today’s interview, Chris gives voice to the deep feelings and burning questions of evolving faith. He describes the deep feelings of loneliness, the loss of identity and the wondering, “How did I get here?” Yet by embracing the mess and letting go of certainty, he unearthed a more beautiful vision of God’s love. By sharing his story, Chris reminds us that this journey of evolving faith is simply what honest faith looks like - and invites you to join him on that journey.

Read Chris’s full Facebook post on our blog here!

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Learn more about one-on-one Spiritual Direction here!

How can you be a person of peace in a world that demands you take sides? 

In today’s episode, pastor Joel Fredrikson offers practical steps for navigating conflict and escaping the black-and-white, tribalistic mindset that dominates our (church) culture. In the face of a culture that views compassion and curiosity as weakness, he offers a different way of thinking about peacemaking that is rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus. He rejects the formulaic mindset of “3 Simple Steps to Peacemaking” and instead offers a practice of staying close to God in the process.

Want to become a person of peace? Sign up for the Spiritual Listening Cohort today! 

Do you wonder why Christians talk so much about love, but can fail to be loving when you need it most?

Due to fear of vulnerability, Christians often struggle with being a supportive presence in one another’s lives during times of suffering.

In this conversation with Molly LaCroix, a licensed marriage & family therapist, author, & speaker, we explore how to love God and others by loving all parts of yourself. By looking at the roots of our vulnerability, Molly offers practical ways to transform fear into love through connection.

Connect with Molly on Instagram @mollylacroixlmft or at her website, mollylacroix.com