The Evolving Faith Podcast

Eric begins by retelling the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8. He explains that the eunuch did something that people in power typically don't do: He asks for help. Eric describes his own upbringing in a faith that fell short of demonstrating love and justice to the marginalized and made him feel like he could only belong in the context of whiteness. But the story in Acts 8 shows us that in the wilderness, all you need is a question, a witness, and the presence of God. Eric concludes by reminding listeners that God is not a stranger to the wilderness, and in the wilderness, there is belonging, delight, and the unending grace of a God who always has one more seat at the table. Following Eric's talk, Jeff and Sarah reflect on the layers and textures of wilderness and loving, imaginative hospitality.

Show Notes

Evolving Faith Conference

Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

In this episode, Kaitlin discusses her own journey of decolonization and connection to her Potawatomi heritage. She explains that decolonization is the breaking down of systems of colonization, both personally and systemically. Kaitlin challenges us to look at the ways that colonization has affected all of us—not just those who are oppressed—because we can't live in denial without our scabs becoming scars. She concludes by telling listeners that we have to be honest about the story of America and the trauma of colonization so that we can face it and heal together. After Kaitlin's talk, Jeff and Sarah reflect on the deeply personal nature of decolonization, how it reconnects us to our roots, and how it makes room for us all.

Show Notes

Evolving Faith Conference

Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

Cece Jones-Davis takes us to the story of the people of God fleeing captivity through the parted waters of the Red Sea. She describes the song that Moses sang to celebrate what God had done and points out that Miriam sang the refrain while playing her timbrel. Cece tells us that we are a people on the move, and we still need a chorus. She reminds us that in the midst of an evolving faith, there are some things worth taking with you. She ends by encouraging us to remember the refrain, because the road ahead is long, and by telling listeners "What the Lord requires also requires the Lord."

Show Notes

Evolving Faith Conference

Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

This episode of The Evolving Faith Podcast features:

• A brand new segment of the podcast called Welcome to the Party, Jeff where Jeff reveals which show from pop culture past that he has "discovered."
• Danielle Shroyer's talk from the 2019 Evolving Faith conference that none of us have been able to forget.
• Danielle discussing the story of original sin and taking us back to the garden to remind us that the older, more ancient story is one of original blessing.
• Her reminder that our humanity isn't what separates us from God, it's actually what connects us.
• Danielle closing with a guided meditation that just might be what we all need.
• Following Danielle's talk, Jeff and Sarah discussing theologies of grace and why letting God love us can feel like a challenge.

Show Notes

Evolving Faith Conference

Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

This episode of The Evolving Faith Podcast features:

• Shocking news that both Fozzie and Sarah fall off of couches when they nap.
• Jasper Peters' talk from the Evolving Faith 2019 conference where he starts with the question, "What happens when the things we were taught about the Bible don't turn out to be true?"
• He discusses how the Bible has been used as a weapon against so many people throughout history and how this same text can be used as liberation for the least of these here and now.
• Jasper ends by encouraging us to abandon the battleground for biblical authority and reclaim the power Scripture has for those who engage the text.
• Following Jasper's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss how our faith traditions influence how we read Scripture.

Show Notes

Evolving Faith Conference

Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

This episode of The Evolving Faith Podcast features:

• Very natural chitchat between Jeff and Sarah. So natural.
• Jeff torturing Sarah by reading her bio out loud to her.
• Sarah's talk from the Evolving Faith 2019 conference where she takes us to the passage in Matthew 11 where Jesus says if we are weary, worn out, or burned out on religion, he can show us rest and how to walk in the unforced rhythms of grace.
• She encourages listeners that Jesus doesn't judge our weariness and he is inviting us to walk with him to see how he moves in the world.
• Sarah reminds us that the subversive nature of Jesus compels us to care about the oppressed and that there's still good work to do in the world.
• After Sarah's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss the ways that they experience God acknowledging their weariness and burdens.
• Sarah and Jeff discuss their own evolving faith around their understanding and reading of the Bible as well as how they experience the love of God in their own lives. Episode Notes

  Evolving Faith Conference

  Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

This episode of The Evolving Faith Podcast features:

• A conversation between Jeff and Sarah about Derry Girls you don't want to miss
• Tanya Marlow's talk from the 2019 Evolving Faith conference where she discusses the stories we tell to make sense of the world
• How her own story of chronic illness doesn't fit the narrative that the church often tells of those who are suffering
• Tayna explains her practice of retelling stories in Scripture with an understanding that the characters were real people with real emotions, and she discusses how she has learned to see parts of her own story in their suffering
• Tanya ends by reminding listeners that "we worship a God that is deeply emotional, moved by suffering, weeps with us, and will one day make all things new."
• After Tanya's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss how we do or don't tell the truth about our emotions and what it means that God is an emotional God
• Jeff discusses how shows like Heartstopper attempt to tell narratives from the margins and why we need more of this kind of storytelling
• Sarah and Jeff close by talking about how expansive the story of God is and how we work towards finding ourselves and our neighbors in that story

Show Notes

Evolving Faith Conference

Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

Pete tells the story of his own evolving faith and what he learned about being born of the spirit as he wrestled with questions and doubts. He discusses how the work of the spirit can often feel like a loss of control and a moving away from a spirituality dependent on systems and certainty. Pete reminds listeners that clarity is often the first thing you need to let go of as you make the choice between fear and trust. After Pete's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss the struggle and the beauty of letting go of old systems and what it really means to have "faith like a child."

Evolving Faith Conference

Show Notes

Jeff takes us to Ezekiel 47, where the prophet Ezekiel was exiled from all that he has known. As a divinely appointed tour guide gives Ezekiel a vision of renewal and reconstruction, he sees a river flowing out from the restored sanctuary. Jeff asks listeners to consider the same question posed by the tour guide to Ezekiel, "Human one, what do you see?" Jeff explains that this is the invitation still given to us, to see what's possible and to discern our own role in bringing life and flourishing all around us. Jeff encourages us to remember that it's not true flourishing if only some of us are flourishing and ends by reminding listeners, "Your reconstruction is not just for you." Afterward, Jeff and Sarah discuss the communal call of Scripture that defies the individualism of the Western church, and they challenge us to breathe life into each other as the family of God. Evolving Faith Conference

Show Notes

In this episode of The Evolving Faith podcast, we hear from Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes as she asks the question, "Who told you that you had to fit?" She discusses the exhaustion that comes with trying to make yourself fit in spaces where you feel like a square peg in a round hole. Describing her own personal experiences, Dr. Walker-Barnes tells us her story of needing to walk away from churches and systems for a season in order to remember who she is and how she experiences God. She encourages listeners to reclaim their own spiritual lineage, traditions, practices, and identities and reminds us that even when we don't fit, we're still tethered to God. Following Dr. Walker-Barnes's talk, Jeff and Sarah talk about their own stories of feeling like they didn't belong and how their understanding of church and belonging have evolved and continue to evolve. Show Notes