space for faith with mike goldsworthy

Lindsey Nobles shares with us about trying to find a church as her experience of God and faith was expanding, living in tension with others who have different views rather than drawing lines in the sand, and creating space to be our full authentic selves.

Lindsey is the VP of Marketing at Onsite, and before that, she was the strategic force in the creation and growth of IF:Gathering, an organization that equips over one million women around the world. 

Lindsey is a natural connector and social justice advocate and lives in Nashville, Tennessee, serving on the boards of Be the Bridge, Help One Now, and The Freedom Story.

Some of the resources that Lindsey mentions:

IF Gathering

Jason Miller's Sermon on Sexuality

Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer 

Abbas Child by Brennan Manning

Onsite

At the end of the podcast I share again briefly about my work with Post Evangelical Churches, and how I’m currently raising half of my salary and expenses for the next two years in order to help connect, resource and catalyze what’s happening in this movement.

If you’d want to talk about what I’m doing, you can reach out to [email protected]

If you’d like to contribute with a tax deductible donation, you can make a check out to “WE Ministries”

And mail it to:

Mike Goldsworthy

We get a chance to hear from Jason Miller, the Lead Pastor at South Bend City Church.

We talk about the Post Evangelical Church and help to tell a bit of the story of SBCC in order to understand some of what's happening there better. We also get a bit into holding the tension of an ancient faith that is also taking seriously the realities of a changing world, the experience of being ecclesiologically homeless...plus, he calls me a Bishop...so you know it's a good time.

At the end of the podcast I share briefly about my work with Post Evangelical Churches, and how I'm currently raising half of my salary and expenses for the next two years in order to help connect, resource and catalyze what's happening in this movement. 

If you'd want to talk about what I'm doing, you can reach out to [email protected]

If you'd like to contribute with a tax deductible donation, you can make a check out to "WE Ministries"

And mail it to:

Mike Goldsworthy

6285 E. Spring St #474

Long Beach, CA 90808

Lindsay and Susan are dear friends who have been a gift in friendship to Allison and Mike. Today, they help us to begin thinking about shifting the conversation around LGBTQ Christians from just about acceptance and tolerance, towards seeing the unique gifts that Queer Christians are in the church. 

Because we don't really spend any time in the interview unpacking some of the biblical work around the different ways of thinking about the Scriptures as they relate to sexuality (because that wasn't the point of the interview), Lindsay and Susan suggested a few resources for those who want to engage further there:

God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines

Changing Our Mind by David Gushee

Bible, Gender and Sexuality by James Brownson

Washed and Waiting by Wesley Hill

Sex Difference in Christian Theology by Megan DeFranza

Julie Rodgers

Danny Cortez

Sean Palmer, author and Teaching Pastor at Ecclesia Houston, joins us today to talk about the Enneagram, parenting, racial justice, the landscape of the church in America and how to think about your church when your faith has changed.

We also start off on a brief tangent on our shared heritage in the Restoration Movement of churches

Check out Sean's book, 40 Days on Being a Three

Find Sean on Twitter 

In the second part of this 2 part interview I talk to David Gushee about his newest book, After Evangelicalism, offering a vision for a Christian faith that moves beyond white evangelicalism.

Dr. Gushee is the Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and Director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University.

We have a great conversation about what’s happening with the decline of evangelicalism, the litmus test of LGBTQ inclusion, a political vision for this moment and beyond this moment, being a part of a church, purity culture and a positive sexual ethic and why White Christianity in America was born in heresy.

We had some recording issues, so while we don’t have our regular audio clarity, we do have our regular thoughtfulness that I think you’ll appreciate. 

In the first part of this 2 part interview I talk to David Gushee about his newest book, After Evangelicalism, offering a vision for a Christian faith that moves beyond white evangelicalism. 

Dr. Gushee is the Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and Director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University.

We have a great conversation about what's happening with the decline of evangelicalism, the litmus test of LGBTQ inclusion, a political vision for this moment and beyond this moment, being a part of a church, purity culture and a positive sexual ethic and why White Christianity in America was born in heresy. 

We had some recording issues, so while we don't have our regular audio clarity, we do have our regular thoughtfulness that I think you'll appreciate. 

Part 2 of this interview will be posted in a few days

Psalm 126 opens with the line, "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed" 

What COVID, Maslow and an Old Testament Scholar help us to understand about recapturing our ability to dream

Philosophical Theologian Dr. Curtis Holtzen joins us to talk about being open to growth and learning, the implications of a relational God, what it means for God to have faith and to believe in us and his heresy sign that he holds up in the middle of his pastor's sermons.

Dr. Holtzen's newest book, The God Who Trusts is available here

On June 1, Lisa Yebuah led her church, Southeast Raleigh Table, through a Lament service. I didn't realize how much I needed to lament until I was led in it by Lisa.

Lisa graciously is allowing us to repost her lament service

Engage in this when you have an hour of your time to set aside to be led in lamenting all of the things we're all experiencing and going through right now. I think it'll be worth your time

Southeast Raleigh Table

We're joined by my friend Dr. Marcus "Goodie" Goodloe. Goodie traveled to Minneapolis to the site of George Floyd's murder to bear prophetic witness and joins with me to bear that witness to us all. As a scholar on MLK, he helps us to think about what Dr. King might be saying to us today as well.

You may at times feel a bit uncomfortable, but I'd encourage you to sit with what he's saying and to allow it to hit you without being defensive or giving excuse. 

Links mentioned:

White Fragility

What You Can Do - Article by Goodie

GoodieGoodloe.com

Donate to Goodie and the work he's doing - Venmo @Goodie-Goodloe

Between the World and Me

Jesus and the Disinherited