Jane Register has spent her life saying "yes" to the places and people that many people avoid. From working in the inner city to relationships with ex-convicts, refugees, and Christians who have been persecuted, her life is a reminder that following Jesus has always meant moving toward others. This conversation is about discovering that some of the deepest work God does in us happens as we move toward the people the world is most likely to overlook.

Join Mark Andriany and Benji Horning as they explore how ancient monastic rhythms like Sabbath and Jubilee illuminate a path of spiritual renewal and cultural critique. This episode offers a profound look at how rhythms of stopping and trusting can reshape our lives amid modern chaos, with practical insights on how to incorporate Sabbath into everyday life.

Key Topics:

• The historical roots of Sabbath and Jubilee in Hebrew scripture as a response to slavery and a call for restoration.
• How the practice of Sabbath reveals trust in God's provision and counters the culture of hurry.
• The significance of stopping as a form of delight and a way to access Edenic humanity.
• The connection between the biblical Jubilee, debt forgiveness, and the restoration of social and economic justice.
• How modern culture rewards Sabbath-breaking and the importance of resisting that pull.
• Practical strategies for practicing Sabbath—disconnecting technology, savoring gifts, and enjoying leisure as a form of worship.
• The role of Sabbath in encountering Jesus’ invitation to experience freedom and divine love.
• The importance of community and covenant in maintaining spiritual rhythm and resist individualism.
• The spiritual and scientific evidence supporting the benefits of Sabbath, including happiness and longevity.
• How Sabbath counters the internal and external forces that draw us away from reliance on God and into cycles of productivity for identity.

Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to the conversation and guest Benji Horning
02:06 - Benji’s background in punk and screamo music and early band success
04:28 - Transition from music to mission work and calling to Ukraine
08:13 - The early church’s retreat from institutional Christianity and its relevance today
10:27 - The danger of American evangelicalism’s comfort culture
12:23 - The importance of community, covenant, and a non-anxious presence
15:06 - The significance of Shabbat and the biblical foundation for rest
16:44 - How Sabbath is a gift for delight and enjoyment, not just abstention
19:46 - The countercultural nature of Sabbath and its relationship to work and identity
23:26 - The relationship between faith, trust, and Sabbath practice
26:16 - How to practically observe Sabbath: eating well, enjoying creation, and slowing down
28:25 - The symbolism of delight, prayer, and play in Sabbath
30:47 - Cultural influences that discourage Sabbath and the scientific evidence supporting rest
33:09 - The significance of the Year of Jubilee, freedom, and restoration in Israel’s story
45:08 - Jesus’ declaration of the fulfilled Jubilee in Luke 4 and its connection to divine restoration
50:13 - Personal reflections on sabbatical, trust, and resting in God’s love
52:37 - The importance of letting Jesus love us and receiving divine grace in Sabbath
54:29 - Closing thoughts on living intentionally in rhythms of rest amid a culture of hustle

Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb (and let's not forget Puddleglum the Marshwiggle) are cold, hungry, and exhausted. But their real danger begins when they hear about a place called Harfang. Drawing from The Silver Chair and Philippians 4, this reflection explores what happens when the promise of something better makes our present circumstances harder to endure, and why true contentment is found not in comfort, but in remaining faithful to a purpose and mission that is larger than ourselves.

In this Father's Day episode, Pastor Morgan "Moe" Smith reflects on growing up in Oildale, California (not Bakersfield), being raised by a praying single mom, and a rock climbing experience that left him crazy thirsty. Together, we look at Jesus' words, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness," and why that blessing may take place when we hunger and thirst (desire) a world made right by God.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins is one of Jesus' weirdest stories, and it leaves us with a bunch of questions: Why is the groom delayed? Why don't the wise women share their oil? And what do we do with the unsettling words, “I don't know you”? In this episode, we explore the cultural world behind the parable and consider the possibility that Jesus is less interested in end-times speculation and more interested in the kind of people that we are becoming while we wait.

"The Ten Virgins," illustration from The Bible in Pictures by M. Bihn & J. Bealings (1922). Public domain.

Most of us have been taught that the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast are about small things becoming big things. That's true but that isn't the whole story. In this episode, we explore why Jesus doesn't compare God's Kingdom to a glorious cedar or a mighty oak tree, but to a plant that spreads like it has never heard of boundaries and yeast that quietly and almost sneakily transforms everything it touches. The Kingdom of God is far more disruptive and far more hopeful than we can even begin to imagine.

Image: The Parable of the Leaven, Jan Luyken, 1712. Public domain (Rijksmuseum).

When most people hear the word theology, they might think of books, doctrines, debates. They might even think of a theologian in a sweater vest, smoking a pipe while pondering deep questions. But what if theology is ultimately about learning to see, speak, and live in the world the way God does? What if theology is also a child wanting to pray when something hard happens? In this conversation, Dr. Chris Whyte and I explore the relationship between knowledge and wisdom, sharing stories and reflections on what it means to move beyond information and toward transformation. 

In The Silver Chair (Book 6 of Narnia), Aslan warns Jill to remember the signs because once she returns to Narnia, distraction and confusion will make remembering really hard. This short reflection discusses why forgetfulness is one of the central struggles of the human experience and how practices of remembering help us stay rooted when life gets crazy.

In Luke 18, Jesus tells a weird story about a corrupt judge, a pesky widow, and a persistence that refuses to go down without a fight. In this episode, we explore why the parable is not about annoying God into answering our prayers, but about trusting the just and compassionate character of God while continuing to pursue mercy, justice, and hope in a weary world.

In this episode of Echo Collective, I sit down with Benji Horning for a thoughtful conversation about spiritual formation, not as a cultural buzzword, but as an ancient way of life. Together, we explore humility, the voice of the Spirit, the wisdom of the early church (among other things), and the ways we are all being formed by the world around us. At the center of it all is the invitation to become more deeply rooted in Christ and, mysteriously, more fully ourselves. Don't miss it.