The Collective Table

Welcome back to another episode of The Collective Table podcast! We are in our fifth season, entitled "Songs of Summer". On today's episode, Claire & Talip chat with Andy Squyres about his song, Cherry Blossoms.

Andy is a North Carolina-based singer-songwriter, poet, pastor, and worship leader. His ongoing wrestling match with the creator of the universe is the thematic motivation in his music. He loves David Byrne, David Lynch and bass fishing.

Follow Andy on Instagram at @andysquyres and learn more at https://andysquyres.com/. 

Want to be a part of The Collective Table? Visit us at thecollectivetable.org and follow us on Instagram @the.collective.table

Today Dana & Chelsea sit down with UK-based Gospel singer Niella to talk about her song Stand With Me. 

In 2015, Niiella, born Daniella Dankwah-Coffie, emerged as the first runner-up of the Stars of the Future music reality show in Ghana. She is a 2013 4syte Gospel Music Video of the Year nominee, and the author of 2015’s Beautiful EP and 2017's Shades of Mercy LP. She is also the VGMA Best Female Vocalist Of The Year 2022, a BET Sunday Best X Top 10 Finalist, and is a self-proclaimed "part-time comedian". 

Follow Niiella on Instagram @niiella_official 

Want to keep up with The Collective Table? Visit us at thecollectivetable.org or follow us on Instagram at @the.collective.table 

In today's episode of Songs of Summer, Chelsea and Talip chat with musician, trans black pastor, and social worker Cameron Malakai about his song, I'll Sing a Praise to You. 

Listen to I'll Sing a Praise to You here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU2OjstttBo

Cameron is a social worker and the lay worship pastor of Zao MKE Church. As a young, black, queer and trans person, Cameron's ministry calling is to build the church into intersectional and queer liberated space. As Zao’s worship pastor, Cameron incorporates many styles of music into worship, so that all feel welcome (this just might include Lizzo’s new hit single!). Cameron is deeply convinced that when words fail, music speaks and brings people together.

You can find Cameron cooking large dinners for his friends, walking by the lake, playing drums in his jazz rock band, or hanging in leftist political spaces trying to break down oppressive systems.

Follow Cameron on Instagram @cameronmalakaio

Learn more about The Collective Table at https://www.thecollectivetable.org/. 

This week, we were joined by author Phuc Luu for a discussion on his book, Jesus of the East: Reclaiming the Gospel for the Wounded. Listen in on the discussion here! 

Much of Western Christianity has subdued the narrative of Jesus as a Palestinian Jewish healer and liberator who served the sick and oppressed. But the Jesus of the Gospels is a revolutionary who stands with the sinned against, the wounded, and the marginalized. In Jesus of the East, author Phuc Luu re-narrates the life of Jesus to show how he made it his work to topple systems that privileged the few and disregarded the many, especially the poor and lowest. For those living in the land between pain and hope, Luu's prophetic words will renew our imaginations and draw us closer to the heart of God.

Listen in as Dana & Chelsea speak with artist Wilder Adkins about his song, Side By Side. 

Listen to Side By Side here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm1Ha_eyJrI 

Wilder Adkins’ songwriting gleans as much from the earthy poetry of Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver as it does from the works of folk luminaries Richard Thompson and Bruce Cockburn. He’s a true theosophical spirit, arrestingly taciturn, but possessed of startling guitar skills, a wit as dry as October leaves, and a tremulous, dented voice that’s frankly mesmerizing. Adkins hails from Marietta, GA, but now lives and writes in Birmingham, AL. He grew up listening to his dad play renditions of Neil Young and Van Morrison songs on an old Guild Jumbo Acoustic. Some time spent in India helped to expand his melodic sense and also provided a chance to learn Hindi. Adkins’ songs, steeped in natural imagery, frequently touch upon the subjects of faith, doubt, and as the title of his new album would indicate, hope and sorrow. 

To learn more about Wilder, visit his website, https://wilderadkins.com

To learn more about The Collective Table, visit https://www.thecollectivetable.org/ 

Today Chelsea & Dana sit down with Malynda Hale to talk about all things social justice, activism, spirituality, and music. Listen to her song, God and His Gun, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PszjLfSO8g4. 

Malynda Hale is a singer/songwriter, actress, entrepreneur & activist. She uses her voice through music and social media presence as an educating activist to effect change within social justice, female empowerment, LGBTQ+ rights, veganism, the Black Lives Matter movement and Progressive Christianity.

Her podcast #WeNeedToTalk focuses on powerful one-on-one conversations and drives home the message that “everything begins with a conversation." 

Learn more about Malynda at malyndahale.com.

Learn more about The Collective Table at thecollectivetable.org. 

Welcome to Season 5 of The Collective Table Podcast, Songs of Summer! Today Chelsea & Talip sit down with Trey Pearson to talk about his faith journey and his song, Hey Jesus. Listen to Hey Jesus here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5im_tBINf80 

With his band Everyday Sunday, Trey Pearson has sold hundreds of thousands of records, and amassed millions of streams. He has scored 5 #1 U.S. singles and 20 Top 10 hits. His song “Wake Up! Wake Up!” was the most-played Christian rock song of 2007, and his 2009 album, “Best Night of Our Lives,” broke onto the coveted Billboard 200 chart. Pearson has toured in all 50 states and 20 countries, playing with top Christian musicians such as Toby Mac, Switchfoot, MercyMe, Jeremy Camp, Relient K and others.

Recently, Trey Pearson, the founder and owner of Everyday Sunday, has come out of the closet to make national news. His announcement started a national conversation with a television appearance on The View. It has been covered by The New York Times, Billboard Magazine, CNN and more, as he became the most trending topic worldwide on Facebook.

Trey was nominated for a 2017 GLAAD Award for his appearance on The View. Trey has been performing at Pride Festivals all around the country, with Kesha and Betty Who. He released his debut solo single, “Silver Horizon”, and premiered the music video on Teen Vogue. Billboard Magazine did a  feature on Trey for his new album, premiered the title track for his debut solo album “Love Is Love”, which is now available worldwide.

His new album 'Somebody You Knew' comes out July 1! Follow Trey on Instagram @treypearson and learn more about him at treypearson.com. 

Learn more about The Collective Table at thecollectivetable.org

On May 25th TCT sat down with Ashton Whitmoyer-Ober to talk about her book The Enneagram Made Simple. Enjoy! 

This is our Easter episode!

Rev. Chelsea, Dana and Rev. Claire have an in depth conversation about the new vision of hope that the resurrection provides. A new hope that comes to us through the experience of Mary Magdalene. She is the one who Jesus appears to for the first time since dying on the cross. And this changes everything!

Learn more at thecollectivetable.org