Jason John is a fascinating human being with a very interesting story doing very interesting things. He’s an ordained minister in the Uniting Church, has a PhD in zoology and is, amongst other things, a ‘forest chaplain.’

In this conversation we talk about evolution, sexual ethics, eco-faith communities and poetry.

At the end of this episode Jason shares a couple of his poems — which in my opinion are brilliant. One of the poems in particular uses strong language that you may not want to listen to with kids around. Or if you’re the kind of person who potentially may be offended by some strong language, you’re also welcome to not listen to it. In my opinion it is an excellent piece of art, that provokes some great questions around language and offence and patriarchy and divinity, and we do unpack some of that briefly afterwards.

That poem starts at around 53 minutes. Everything before then is great if you want to listen that far and then tap out. Of course, you’re also welcome to skip straight to the juicy bit if you are now desperate to hear strong language.

In our conversation we talk about one of Jason’s books, called ‘Christian Sex Today’, which Jason has very generously made free for listeners of the pod. What a top guy! Listen to the episode, download his book and then send him a warm message of gratitude.

Learn more about Jason and his work: https://ecofaith.org/

Get Jason’s book ‘Christian Sex Today’ FREE!
https://ecofaith.org/freebies
Password: SpiritualMisfits

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Amy Kenny, author of 'My Body Is Not A Prayer Request,' joins Will for a discussion about disability justice and ableism in the church. She shares her experiences of being prayed over for her disability to be erased and the harmful treatment she received in the church. Amy emphasizes the importance of recognizing the image of God in disabled bodies and reframing our understanding of healing and curing. She challenges the ableist language, assumptions, and practices that exist in churches and calls for a more inclusive and holistic approach to faith. The conversation explores the themes of inclusivity, disability in scripture, and creating communities that fully receive the gifts of all members. Amy Kenny shares her journey of accepting and being proud of her disabled identity and how her theology has evolved to embrace disability. She emphasizes the need to move beyond tolerance and charity towards celebrating and learning from disabled individuals. Amy also discusses the importance of unlearning ableism, creating cultures of access, and developing a community care network for disabled members. The conversation concludes with final thoughts for both disabled and non-disabled listeners.

Amy's website: https://amy-kenny.com/

Amy's book: 'My Body is not a Prayer Request'

Keywords
disability justice, ableism, church, disabled bodies, healing, curing, image of God, inclusive faith, inclusivity, disability, scripture, theology, identity, acceptance, pride, ableism, access, community care, unlearning, celebration

Chapters

00:50
Introduction and Background of Amy Kenny

04:02
Feeling Like a Spiritual Misfit

08:00
Encountering Jesus in Unexpected Places

11:03
The Harmful Ableism in the Church

17:40
Reframing Our Understanding of God and Disability

31:54
Reshaping Conceptions of God for Inclusivity

38:18
Moving Beyond Tolerance to Fully Receiving Gifts

44:11
Developing a Community Care Network for Disabled Members

48:43
Architecting Life and Community for Co-Flourishing

50:47
Learning from and with Disabled Individuals

58:29
Embracing Divine Identity as Disabled Individuals

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

This is the fifth and final episode in our mini-series produced in collaboration with the Pulse team from Uniting Mission and Education. And in my opinion, this one was such a profound, vulnerable and meaningful conversation. Sarah Bishop and James Aaron joined me to explore mental health and loneliness in the context of faith and spirituality. When I was sitting with Sarah and James having this conversation it felt holy to me. It felt deeply honest and human. And I hope that is your experience as you listen. A strong theme that comes through in this conversation is the strength in vulnerability, and the dignity in asking for help. So if you listen to this and you’re in a place where you need support with your own mental health, remember, there’s no shame in reaching out for help.

Watch on YouTube here.

Download the accompanying discussion guide here.

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Take a quick moment to think about how much technology has changed during your lifetime? What was the height of tech when you were a kid? Can you divide your life up into before and after internet connection?

The pace of technological change can be hard to keep up with — but without a doubt it has an impact on our lives, our communities — and our spirituality.

In this episode, Aditee Vora, Somerset Drayton and Jonty Conford join me to explore questions around AI, social media, spiritual formation….touching on the things we’re grateful for as well as the things we worry about.

This is part 4 in our five episode series brought to you by Spiritual Misfits in collaboration with UME’s Pulse team.

You can watch this episode on YouTube or download the accompanying discussion guide to chat through these big topics with your own crew, where ever you find yourself. 

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Hello good people, 

Welcome to the third conversation in our five episode mini-series with UME’s Pulse team. Over the last two weeks we’ve explored generational divides and climate crisis, eco anxiety and the like. 

This week another big conversation. What does it mean to keep faith in a world of racial injustice? Are people of faith in Australia today able to honestly grapple with racism in our history and our present moment? Why does it seem like the church is often no better than the rest of society in this regard? And what might it look like to continue the work of decolonising Christianity and creating anti-racist faith spaces?

This is a big conversation — so much bigger than this podcast episode — but here to spark some of your thinking around these questions I’m joined by Nathan Tyson, Radhika Sukumar-White and Liesl Homes.

Watch this episode on Youtube here.

Download the accompanying discussion guide here. 

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Hello again good people!

This is the second in our series of 5 collaborative conversations hosted by Spiritual Misfits and the Uniting Mission and Education Pulse team, exploring major challenges in our world today and the kind of faith that doesn’t shy away from them or just respond with unhelpful platitudes.

And this week we’re delving into a huge topic. If faith doesn’t have something to say about climate crisis, about eco anxiety, about what it means to care for and advocate for this one planet that we have — then, what good is that faith? On the other hand, how might our spirituality and the Christian tradition help ground us — literally reconnect us to the ground beneath our feet. That is what Joyce Tangi, Karina Kreminski and Jono Row join me to discuss in this episode. 

You can watch the full filmed conversation on YouTube here if that’s your jam, you can also download our accompanying discussion guide to use in your context.

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Spiritual Misfits and Uniting Mission and Education's Pulse team have collaborated to bring you a series of conversations about 5 pressing challenges we face on planet earth today, and the kind of faith that may help emerging generations to navigate and engage with them.

In this conversation a Boomer (Ken Day), Gen X (Joanna Drayton), Millennial (Will Small) and Gen Z (Ella Evans) discuss generational divides and opportunities in the realm of spirituality and community.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Download the discussion guide that accompanies this episode

Learn more about the UME Pulse team 

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

In this episode Will is joined by Christine Redwood, Belinda Groves and Nathan Nettleton to discuss the emergence of the Open Baptists, a new Baptist movement within Australia. The Open Baptists seek to reimagine what it means to work together as Baptist churches, focusing on partnership, collective decision-making, and freedom of conscience. They hope to retain the Baptist identity while challenging the abuse of power and the exclusion of certain groups...that has happened in other Baptist spaces in recent years!

Learn more at https://openbaptists.org/

Keywords
Open Baptists, Baptist community, emergence, movement, partnership, collective decision-making, freedom of conscience, Baptist identity, abuse of power, inclusion, Open Baptists, Jesus, sexuality, community, welcome, church, faith, lament, healing, joy, alternative, Baptist churches, differences, mission, conversation, Holy Spirit

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

The Reverend Dr Karen Pack is a religious historian, ordained Christian minister, Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant, and current President of Spiritual Care Australia. For over twenty five years she has been engaged in training pastors, chaplains, leaders and teachers in Australia, North America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Her doctoral research explored the marginalization and erasure of women and LGBTQ+ Christians from religious histories in Australia.

In this conversation, Karen shares about the kind of faith she grew up with and the deep sense of calling she had from a young age. She then shares about losing her employment at a Bible College after coming out as a queer woman, in a relationship. We then discuss what she found on the other side of that experience, and the way she continues to live out her sense of calling in the world. Karen also shares about her doctoral research into the erasure of women and LGBTQI+ folks in the recorded histories of Christianity in Australia. 

This is a vulnerable, moving, challenging and deeply important conversation, and a gift to all who take the time to listen. 

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

In this conversation, Will Small, Thomas Jay Oord, and Becca De Souza discuss open and relational theology, the challenges of suffering, and the process of deconstruction and reconstruction in faith. They also touch on the topic of LGBTQ+ affirmation within religious institutions. Thomas shares his personal journey from a classical theist position to open and relational theology, emphasizing the importance of understanding God's power as love. The conversation explores the need for a faith that embraces doubt and uncertainty while still providing comfort and meaning. They also discuss the role of certainty in children's faith development and the importance of allowing space for questioning and exploration. They explore the idea that salvation is not just liberation from pain, but also survival and quality of life, requiring the cooperation of both God and humanity. They also delve into the role of prayer in an open and relational theology, emphasizing that prayer is communication with God and can bring about change through our actions. They touch on the concept of miracles and how they occur when God and creation work together for something good. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the value of open and relational theology in providing a picture of God that is true for all people, especially those who have been marginalized and oppressed.

Keywords open and relational theology, suffering, deconstruction, reconstruction, LGBTQ+ affirmation, faith, doubt, certainty, children's faith development, God, suffering, open and relational theology, salvation, cooperation, prayer, miracles

Takeaways 

• Open and relational theology views God as interactive and responsive, and recognizes the limits of God's power. It offers a framework that aligns with our experiences and intuitions about love and free will.
• Certainty is not the goal of faith. Embracing doubt and uncertainty can lead to a more mature and honest understanding of God and the world.
• Children's faith development involves different stages, and it is natural for young children to have a black-and-white view of God. As they grow, it is important to create a safe space for them to ask questions and explore their beliefs.
• Traditional theologies can be traumatizing and dismissive of our experiences. Open and relational theology provides a more inclusive and compassionate perspective that takes into account the diversity of human experiences.
• The process of deconstruction and reconstruction in faith can be challenging but also liberating. It involves reevaluating our beliefs and theological frameworks, and embracing a faith that is more aligned with our values and experiences. Salvation is not just liberation from pain, but also survival and quality of life, requiring the cooperation of both God and humanity.
• God is always acting and working in the world, and our response to God's

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide

Sign up to our mailing list:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/

Join our online Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcast

Support the pod:
https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/

View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com