In this special episode, Kate Bowler joins host Sarah Bessey for a conversation about the search for spiritual language around blessing and praying without certainty. Kate also fields questions from the Evolving Faith community about her own faith journey and how that has shaped her thoughts about hope, "un-spiritual" feelings, and the character of God. They also chat about Kate's latest book, which she co-authored with Jessica Richie, The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days, and the process of writing blessings for our honest, human, everyday existence. <a href= "https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-3/special-kate-bowler">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference">2023 Evolving Faith Conference</a>

In this special episode, Kate Bowler joins host Sarah Bessey for a conversation about the search for spiritual language around blessing and praying without certainty. Kate also fields questions from the Evolving Faith community about her own faith journey and how that has shaped her thoughts about hope, "un-spiritual" feelings, and the character of God. They also chat about Kate's latest book, which she co-authored with Jessica Richie, The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days, and the process of writing blessings for our honest, human, everyday existence. Show Notes 2023 Evolving Faith Conference

In this special episode, Kate Bowler joins host Sarah Bessey for a conversation about the search for spiritual language around blessing and praying without certainty. Kate also fields questions from the Evolving Faith community about her own faith journey and how that has shaped her thoughts about hope, "un-spiritual" feelings, and the character of God. They also chat about Kate's latest book, which she co-authored with Jessica Richie, The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days, and the process of writing blessings for our honest, human, everyday existence. <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-3/special-kate-bowler" rel="noopener noreferrer">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference" rel="noopener noreferrer">2023 Evolving Faith Conference</a>

Blessings Reimagined

Jeff and Sarah answer questions from the Evolving Faith online community. They discuss their stories of "deconstruction" and shifts in their faith practices, as well as how to walk through faith evolution when loved ones aren't on board. They also share books that have shaped them along the journey and discuss reading the Bible with room for lament and doubt. Plus Jeff shares his fried rice guidelines, Sarah answers knitting questions, and they both give some comfort TV recommendations. <a href= "https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-2/episode-17">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference">Evolving Faith Conference</a> <a href= "https://community.evolvingfaith.com/share/_HIeSSeSHDHS8z5c?utm_source=manual"> Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)</a>

Jeff and Sarah answer questions from the Evolving Faith online community. They discuss their stories of "deconstruction" and shifts in their faith practices, as well as how to walk through faith evolution when loved ones aren't on board. They also share books that have shaped them along the journey and discuss reading the Bible with room for lament and doubt. Plus Jeff shares his fried rice guidelines, Sarah answers knitting questions, and they both give some comfort TV recommendations. Show Notes Evolving Faith Conference Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

Jeff and Sarah answer questions from the Evolving Faith online community. They discuss their stories of "deconstruction" and shifts in their faith practices, as well as how to walk through faith evolution when loved ones aren't on board. They also share books that have shaped them along the journey and discuss reading the Bible with room for lament and doubt. Plus Jeff shares his fried rice guidelines, Sarah answers knitting questions, and they both give some comfort TV recommendations. <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-2/episode-17" rel="noopener noreferrer">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference" rel="noopener noreferrer">Evolving Faith Conference</a> <a href="https://community.evolvingfaith.com/share/_HIeSSeSHDHS8z5c?utm_source=manual" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)</a>

Ask Us Anything

William Matthews opens by asking a powerful question: Are you prepared to die? He describes the nature of horror films and draws parallels to the experience of being Black in America. He then takes us to the story of Mary of Bethany, who publicly challenged patriarchy and social norms by publicly mourning Jesus before his death. William tells listeners that power, whether religious or political, does not reward you for doing the right thing, only for reinforcing its system of violence against marginalized bodies. So when we do the work of dismantling these systems, we need to be prepared to die. William concludes by saying that America is living in a collective horror story, and he challenges us to name the beast among us. To do this, we have to have radical compassion for the marginalized and vehemently oppose dehumanizing rhetoric. And remember that Jesus, the liberator, was anointed to die. Following William's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss America's true original sin, listening to narratives besides our own, and what comes next once we've heard them. <a href= "https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-2/episode-15">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference">Evolving Faith Conference</a> <a href= "https://community.evolvingfaith.com/share/_HIeSSeSHDHS8z5c?utm_source=manual"> Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)</a>

William Matthews opens by asking a powerful question: Are you prepared to die? He describes the nature of horror films and draws parallels to the experience of being Black in America. He then takes us to the story of Mary of Bethany, who publicly challenged patriarchy and social norms by publicly mourning Jesus before his death. William tells listeners that power, whether religious or political, does not reward you for doing the right thing, only for reinforcing its system of violence against marginalized bodies. So when we do the work of dismantling these systems, we need to be prepared to die. William concludes by saying that America is living in a collective horror story, and he challenges us to name the beast among us. To do this, we have to have radical compassion for the marginalized and vehemently oppose dehumanizing rhetoric. And remember that Jesus, the liberator, was anointed to die. Following William's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss America's true original sin, listening to narratives besides our own, and what comes next once we've heard them. Show Notes Evolving Faith Conference Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

William Matthews opens by asking a powerful question: Are you prepared to die? He describes the nature of horror films and draws parallels to the experience of being Black in America. He then takes us to the story of Mary of Bethany, who publicly challenged patriarchy and social norms by publicly mourning Jesus before his death. William tells listeners that power, whether religious or political, does not reward you for doing the right thing, only for reinforcing its system of violence against marginalized bodies. So when we do the work of dismantling these systems, we need to be prepared to die. William concludes by saying that America is living in a collective horror story, and he challenges us to name the beast among us. To do this, we have to have radical compassion for the marginalized and vehemently oppose dehumanizing rhetoric. And remember that Jesus, the liberator, was anointed to die. Following William's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss America's true original sin, listening to narratives besides our own, and what comes next once we've heard them. <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-2/episode-15" rel="noopener noreferrer">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference" rel="noopener noreferrer">Evolving Faith Conference</a> <a href="https://community.evolvingfaith.com/share/_HIeSSeSHDHS8z5c?utm_source=manual" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)</a>

Are You Prepared to Die? with William Matthews

B.T. opens by acknowledging all of the understandable reasons we have to be angry—racism, homophobia, misogyny, the damage caused by nonaffirming Christians, and so much pain all around us. But B.T. realized that there came a time where his anger turned into what he calls "doom rehearsal," which is the habitual consumption of presumed despair based on the assumption that everything is only getting worse and love won't win in the end. To combat the toil that doom rehearsal was taking on himself and his art, B.T. decided to reinvest his emotional energy with the discipline of habitual gratitude. He reminds listeners that the call for gratitude is pervasive in Scripture and is correlated with greater happiness, improved health, and better relationships, and it is an antidote to materialism and negative emotions. After sharing some of his own practices of gratitude, B.T. concludes with this encouragement: "As you work through your pain, leave some room for gratitude." Following B.T.'s talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss healthy and unhealthy forms of gratitude practice and what they are grateful for in their own lives. <a href= "https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-2/episode-14">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference">Evolving Faith Conference</a> <a href= "https://community.evolvingfaith.com/share/_HIeSSeSHDHS8z5c?utm_source=manual"> Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)</a>

B.T. opens by acknowledging all of the understandable reasons we have to be angry—racism, homophobia, misogyny, the damage caused by nonaffirming Christians, and so much pain all around us. But B.T. realized that there came a time where his anger turned into what he calls "doom rehearsal," which is the habitual consumption of presumed despair based on the assumption that everything is only getting worse and love won't win in the end. To combat the toil that doom rehearsal was taking on himself and his art, B.T. decided to reinvest his emotional energy with the discipline of habitual gratitude. He reminds listeners that the call for gratitude is pervasive in Scripture and is correlated with greater happiness, improved health, and better relationships, and it is an antidote to materialism and negative emotions. After sharing some of his own practices of gratitude, B.T. concludes with this encouragement: "As you work through your pain, leave some room for gratitude." Following B.T.'s talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss healthy and unhealthy forms of gratitude practice and what they are grateful for in their own lives. Show Notes Evolving Faith Conference Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

B.T. opens by acknowledging all of the understandable reasons we have to be angry—racism, homophobia, misogyny, the damage caused by nonaffirming Christians, and so much pain all around us. But B.T. realized that there came a time where his anger turned into what he calls "doom rehearsal," which is the habitual consumption of presumed despair based on the assumption that everything is only getting worse and love won't win in the end. To combat the toil that doom rehearsal was taking on himself and his art, B.T. decided to reinvest his emotional energy with the discipline of habitual gratitude. He reminds listeners that the call for gratitude is pervasive in Scripture and is correlated with greater happiness, improved health, and better relationships, and it is an antidote to materialism and negative emotions. After sharing some of his own practices of gratitude, B.T. concludes with this encouragement: "As you work through your pain, leave some room for gratitude." Following B.T.'s talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss healthy and unhealthy forms of gratitude practice and what they are grateful for in their own lives. <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-2/episode-14" rel="noopener noreferrer">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference" rel="noopener noreferrer">Evolving Faith Conference</a> <a href="https://community.evolvingfaith.com/share/_HIeSSeSHDHS8z5c?utm_source=manual" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)</a>

Habitual Gratitude, with B.T. Harman

Lisa opens by sharing about her own realization that the gospel she was taught wouldn't actually be good news for her own enslaved grandmother. This crisis of faith took her to the Book of Genesis, and she reminds us that the text was written by Brown, colonized people. Lisa tells listeners that we have to have eyes to read from this perspective to understand God's actual good news laid out in Scripture. She explains that when God said "This is very good" on the sixth day, the Hebrews understood goodness to exist between things, the relationships between all of creation. Lisa concludes by encouraging listeners that we bear the image of God, so we are called to steward creation and relationships toward radical wellness. This radical wellness is very good news indeed. Following Lisa's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss learning the stories of our ancestors and the intentionality of pilgrimage as we seek the "holy equalizing" good news for ourselves and our neighbors. <a href= "https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-2/episode-13">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference">Evolving Faith Conference</a> <a href= "https://community.evolvingfaith.com/share/_HIeSSeSHDHS8z5c?utm_source=manual"> Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)</a>

Lisa opens by sharing about her own realization that the gospel she was taught wouldn't actually be good news for her own enslaved grandmother. This crisis of faith took her to the Book of Genesis, and she reminds us that the text was written by Brown, colonized people. Lisa tells listeners that we have to have eyes to read from this perspective to understand God's actual good news laid out in Scripture. She explains that when God said "This is very good" on the sixth day, the Hebrews understood goodness to exist between things, the relationships between all of creation. Lisa concludes by encouraging listeners that we bear the image of God, so we are called to steward creation and relationships toward radical wellness. This radical wellness is very good news indeed. Following Lisa's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss learning the stories of our ancestors and the intentionality of pilgrimage as we seek the "holy equalizing" good news for ourselves and our neighbors. Show Notes Evolving Faith Conference Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)

Lisa opens by sharing about her own realization that the gospel she was taught wouldn't actually be good news for her own enslaved grandmother. This crisis of faith took her to the Book of Genesis, and she reminds us that the text was written by Brown, colonized people. Lisa tells listeners that we have to have eyes to read from this perspective to understand God's actual good news laid out in Scripture. She explains that when God said "This is very good" on the sixth day, the Hebrews understood goodness to exist between things, the relationships between all of creation. Lisa concludes by encouraging listeners that we bear the image of God, so we are called to steward creation and relationships toward radical wellness. This radical wellness is very good news indeed. Following Lisa's talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss learning the stories of our ancestors and the intentionality of pilgrimage as we seek the "holy equalizing" good news for ourselves and our neighbors. <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-2/episode-13" rel="noopener noreferrer">Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference" rel="noopener noreferrer">Evolving Faith Conference</a> <a href="https://community.evolvingfaith.com/share/_HIeSSeSHDHS8z5c?utm_source=manual" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)</a>

We Belong to God, with Lisa Sharon Harper

In the premiere episode of The Evolving Faith Podcast, we hear a talk given at the Evolving Faith gathering in 2018 by the late Rachel Held Evans, author, speaker, and co-founder of Evolving Faith. She talks about a tough and tender faith and what that calls us to when we encounter the oppressive, dehumanizing and unjust forces working in the world. We also welcome Rachel's husband, Dan Evans, and her sister, Amanda Held Opelt, who share with us about what gives them hope one year after Rachel's death. <a href= "https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-1/blog-post-title-four-dac6d"> Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference">2023 Evolving Faith Conference</a>

In the premiere episode of The Evolving Faith Podcast, we hear a talk given at the Evolving Faith gathering in 2018 by the late Rachel Held Evans, author, speaker, and co-founder of Evolving Faith. She talks about a tough and tender faith and what that calls us to when we encounter the oppressive, dehumanizing and unjust forces working in the world. We also welcome Rachel's husband, Dan Evans, and her sister, Amanda Held Opelt, who share with us about what gives them hope one year after Rachel's death. Show Notes 2023 Evolving Faith Conference

In the premiere episode of The Evolving Faith Podcast, we hear a talk given at the Evolving Faith gathering in 2018 by the late Rachel Held Evans, author, speaker, and co-founder of Evolving Faith. She talks about a tough and tender faith and what that calls us to when we encounter the oppressive, dehumanizing and unjust forces working in the world. We also welcome Rachel's husband, Dan Evans, and her sister, Amanda Held Opelt, who share with us about what gives them hope one year after Rachel's death. <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-1/blog-post-title-four-dac6d" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Show Notes</a> <a href="https://evolvingfaith.com/conference" rel="noopener noreferrer">2023 Evolving Faith Conference</a>

Evolution, Apocalypse, and Remembering Rachel Held Evans

This is a podcast for the wounded, the misfits, and the spiritual refugees to let you know you are not alone. We're here to cultivate love and hope in the wilderness.  We believe the story of God is bigger, wider, more inclusive and welcoming, filled with more love, than we could ever imagine. There's room here for everyone. There's room here for you.

Religion & Spirituality

Christianity

This is a podcast for the wounded, the misfits, and the spiritual refugees to let you know you are not alone. We're here to cultivate love and hope in the wilderness. We believe the story of God is bigger, wider, more inclusive and welcoming, filled with more love, than we could ever imagine. There's room here for everyone. There's room here for you.

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