Reclamation Faith

For our 50th (!) full episode, we decided to record something that several people have asked us for - a summary episode dedicated to the premise of Reclamation Faith. In these 40 minutes, we attempt a (somewhat rambling) comprehensive discussion of the problems we see facing Christianity in our current historical moment, as well as some of the ways we hope to speak to those problems. These are our hopes for reclaiming the story of God in our lives and for our world (just a small thing, we know). 

This week Josh and Alison take a brief look at Maundy Thursday, that oft-overlooked day of Holy Week, and see how it is absolutely crucial in our understanding of God's love and the call we have to love people in the same fashion as Jesus. Too often this day is neglected because we lack a practical understanding of servanthood and sacrificial love. However, getting to the core of what Jesus does can open up new ways of thinking about the call to love God and love others.

BTW, about the title: If you don't know "Monday Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas, shame on you ;) 

This week on the Reclamation Faith podcast, we (Josh and Alison) talk about one of our favorite recent movies, Encanto, and how it can function as a wonderful extended metaphor for the process of deconstruction! In this movie, we see the process of feeling unsettled with a system, trying to fix things, experiencing deeper brokenness, and even losing the heart of what gave that system life - sounds like how many of us have experienced Christianity in recent years! Give it a listen, and let us know if you think we're on point or off base! 

This week we have another mini-musing, or a short reflection recorded on a week where we don't have time for a full episode! This musing looks back on our last episode about church silence, and asks whether we contradict our passion for a non-individualistic gospel when we say that the church doesn't "value individuals" but instead focuses on the whole.  What we observe is that individualism in our theology actually ends up harming individuals MORE than a more communal portrait of faith.  We hope you enjoy this short (and at times very cheesy) conversation! 

In this week's episode, Josh and Alison discuss the idea of secrecy, and the ramifications of when secrecy is weaponized to protect the powerful at the expense of those who have been harmed or victimized in institutional religion. While we only scratch the surface, we reflect on why churches choose to keep secrets, how they justify those decisions, and how we can begin to seek healing and helping in response to this problem. 

At Reclamation we have a tradition of interviewing each other on our birthdays (or, at least its' a tradition after this episode)! This week, Josh turns 38...errr....or is it 9.5?...it's confusing. But anyway, Alison interviews Josh on the past year, deconstruction, and how to keep going when you're in a long season of doubt and wrestling. 

Quick Note: If you want to skip to the more general (less personal) part of the "interview" you might move ahead to about the 18 minute mark. 

In Reclamation's first "mini-musing" we (Josh and Alison) respond to a question about how to discern when we've heard from the Holy Spirit. Though commonly treated as a mysterious messenger that comes and goes, the presence of the Spirit is more a promise than a possibility. We briefly reflect on how we've treated hearing from the Spirit, and what can free us to be more trusting in our approach to this question.

This week, we look at the idea of reclaiming the universal audience of the story of God. Too much of contemporary Christianity has framed the biblical narrative in a way where Jesus exists just for Christians, or those who will become Christians. In reality, as we trace the movement of God throughout narrative history, we see that God's story has always been for everyone. If we make the story about us, we create and "us vs. them" worldview that denies the very real work of redemption that God desires for all people across time and place. 

This week, Alison and Josh discuss the exhaustion that many of us are facing in this current moment, and how reclaiming faith might contribute to OR alleviate some of the tiredness that we are experiencing. What does it mean to take breaks, slow down, and find rest when the world is in upheaval? How do we hear the words from Jesus about being "weary and heavy-burdened" when we are wrestling with what we believe? For anyone who is tired, we hope this discussion provides some commiseration, and possibly even some refreshment for you! 

In the midst of faith crises and questioning our relationship to Christianity, it is extremely valuable to take a historical view of the forces that have shaped what we believe and why. In this episode, Josh and Alison tackle the roots of American Christian fundamentalism and how modern evangelicalism is built upon much of the same foundation. Seeing our relationship to fundamentalism can actually be hopeful as we wrestle with our beliefs, because we can dig out those specific roots while searching for a broader, more historic faith to draw from as we seek God's story.