The Invitation

This is part two of the fourth conversation in a series of podcast episodes introducing to the world a new doctorate of ministry (DMin) study cohort to be hosted at Western Theological Seminary. The title of this series shares the name of the study cohort, "A New Reality in Belonging: Contemplation and Justice for All God's People." More information about the program of study can be found at https://contemplationandjustice.westernsem.edu.

In this episode, Josh Banner continues his extended conversation with Michelle Loyd-Paige, Cami Beecroft Mann, and Keith Reynolds, picking up where Part I left off. Josh opens by revisiting the heuristic posture of learning — "How do I know what I know until I see what I say?" — and the practice of Lectio Divina as a mode of surrendering control to encounter Scripture anew. The group then returns to the conversation on being a "white race traitor," exploring what it means to hold space for white advocates who feel isolated within their own churches and communities. Keith shares a deeply personal story of meeting and marrying his wife, his grandfather's unexpected blessing, and how the journey transformed his sense of identity and belonging. The conversation turns to the distinction between the reactive life and the contemplative life, drawing on Father Martin Laird's teaching, and the concept of "wise action" versus reaction rooted in unprocessed rage. The episode closes with reflections on orientation, disorientation, and reorientation, and an invitation to those discerning whether this cohort — or this kind of spiritual community — is a safe space for their fear, anger, and unfinished questions.

Please consider a one-time or monthly donation to support this podcast: https://theinvitationcenter.org/donations.

You can also subscribe to The Invitation Center at https://theinvitationcenter.org.

00:00 Introduction and Recap of the Series

00:09 Heuristic Learning: "How Do I Know What I Know Until I See What I Say?"

01:39 Bible Study vs. Lectio Divina

04:37 Continuing the Conversation on the "White Race Traitor"

08:04 Finding Safe Space and Not Being the Only One

08:26 Keith's Reflection on Growing Up in a Southern Power Structure

10:35 The Weight of Racism, Overt and Covert

14:00 Witnessing and Spaciousness in Jennings' Reading

16:04 Say Amen or Ouch: Learning Together in Discomfort

16:48 Normalizing What It Means to Be Hidden in Christ

21:40 Keith's Story: Meeting His Wife and His Grandfather's Blessing

28:00 Becoming What You Weren't: Transformation, Not Performance

30:10 The Goal Isn't Friendship, It's a Safe Space to Fail

31:30 Contemplation and the Reactive vs. Contemplative Life

33:38 Wise Action vs. Reaction

35:56 Contemplation as an Invitation to Presence, Not Escape

39:25 Closing Reflections and an Invitation to Those Afraid to Begin

41:22 Support The Invitation Center

42:07 Closing Scripture and Blessing

All music is original, by Josh Banner.

New Reality in Belonging - Josh Banner Part One No. 112 by Joshua Banner

This is the third of a series of podcast episodes introducing to the world a new doctorate of ministry (DMin) study cohort to be hosted at Western Theological Seminary. The title of this series shares the name of the study cohort, "A New Reality in Belonging: Contemplation and Justice for All God's People." More information about the program of study can be found at https://contemplationandjustice.westernsem.edu.

In this episode Keith Reynolds offers a reading from Walter Brueggemann's Hope Restored: Biblical Imagination Against Empire, exploring Israel's vocation as servant, the poetry of Isaiah 42 and 52, and the invitation to be cruciform — to bear suffering not as individual heroism but as an abandonment to Christ's way in the world. Keith is joined by Cami Beecroft Mann, Michelle Loyd-Paige, and Josh Banner, who each bring their own understanding of the Brueggemann reading. They discuss podcasting as a democratizing force (drawing a parallel to the 12th-century Beguine movement), the distinction between redemptive and retributive energy, the Paschal Mystery as an eternal moment of participation, the danger of a church that avoids suffering, and lament as a first practical step into justice work. The conversation also touches on Pope Francis and Holy Week, parenting as a form of dying to self, reading outside one's own tradition, and the three-year schema of the cohort drawn from Brueggemann: Orientation, Disorientation, and Re-orientation.

Keith Reynolds can be followed on Instagram to learn more about his pending church plant. Cami Beecroft Mann: https://www.physiodivina.com. Michelle Loyd-Paige and her upcoming Fresh Anointing Conference: https://www.preachsista.org. Josh Banner: https://www.theinvitationcenter.org.

Please consider a one-time or monthly donation to support this podcast: https://theinvitationcenter.org/donations. Josh can be reached directly at that link and is available for one-on-one or group spiritual direction, to create and facilitate retreats, and to teach or consult for your church or organization on topics ranging from spiritual formation, contemplative spirituality, and racial justice.

00:00 Holy Tears of Lament

00:50 Podcast Welcome and Vision

03:06 Lectio Divina as Practice

06:10 Introducing Michelle and Cammie

11:50 Gathering in Gratitude

13:50 Why Lament Matters Now

17:00 Barbara Holmes Reading

20:16 Defining Lament Together

23:00 Gospel Music and Shared Grief

26:15 Hero Stories and Personal Lament

31:13 Creating Space for Sorrow

35:29 Lament Praise and Hope

42:46 Reconciliation Without Lament

44:23 Risky Speech and Prophetic Church

47:47 Trust the Lament

49:05 Grief Is Not Linear

49:55 Remain With Me

51:11 Presence Over Fixing

52:32 Conversation ends

53:42 Josh’s invites listeners to mediation in response to the episode

55:13 Closing thoughts about the DMin

This is the second of a series of podcast episodes that are introducing to the world a new doctorate of ministry (DMin) study cohort to be hosted at Western Theological Seminary. The title of this series shares the name of the study cohort, "A New Reality in Belonging: Contemplation and Justice for All God's People." More information about the program of study can be found at https://contemplationandjustice.westernsem.edu.

In this episode Cami Beecroft Mann offers a reading from the late Dr. Barbara A. Holmes’ Crisis Contemplation: Healing the Wounded Village, describing lament as risky speech that challenges power, stitches neighbors together, and becomes prayer when words fail. Cami defines lament as honest sorrow that breaks facades, decenters heroic control, and makes space for hope and praise. Cami is joined by Keith Reynolds, Michelle Loyd-Paige, and Josh Banner who each offer their own understanding of the Holmes reading. They discuss gospel music, justice work, and resisting shallow reconciliation that skips naming disunity. Cami mentions launching a nonprofit, The Center of Sorrow.

You can learn more about Cami at https://www.physiodivina.com

Michelle and her upcoming Fresh Anointing Conference at https://www.preachsista.org
Keith can be followed on Instagram to learn more about this pending church plant
Josh Banner: www.theinvitationcenter.org

Please consider a one time or monthly donation to support this podcast: https://theinvitationcenter.org/donations 

Josh can be reached directly at this link and is available for one on one or group spiritual direction, to create and facilitate retreats, to teach or consult for your church or organization on topics ranging from spiritual formation, contemplative spirituality, and racial justice.

00:00 Holy Tears of Lament

00:50 Podcast Welcome and Vision

03:06 Lectio Divina as Practice

06:10 Introducing Michelle and Cammie

11:50 Gathering in Gratitude

13:50 Why Lament Matters Now

17:00 Barbara Holmes Reading

20:16 Defining Lament Together

23:00 Gospel Music and Shared Grief

26:15 Hero Stories and Personal Lament

31:13 Creating Space for Sorrow

35:29 Lament Praise and Hope

42:46 Reconciliation Without Lament

44:23 Risky Speech and Prophetic Church

47:47 Trust the Lament

49:05 Grief Is Not Linear

49:55 Remain With Me

51:11 Presence Over Fixing

52:32 Conversation ends

53:42 Josh’s invites listeners to mediation in response to the episode

55:13 Closing thoughts about the DMin

This is the first of a series of podcast episodes that are introducing to the world a new doctorate of ministry (DMin) study cohort to be hosted at Western Theological Seminary. The title of this series shares the name of the study cohort, "A New Reality in Belonging: Contemplation and Justice for All God's People." More information about the program of study can be found at https://contemplationandjustice.weste....

In this episode Michelle reads from Renita J. Weems' Substack essay, "Hope With Receipts: A Womanist's Search for God in Times of Crisis."

https://rjweems.substack.com/p/hope-w...

For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org

For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/

Introduction & Program Overview (0:05 - 2:36)

Josh Banner introduces the Invitation Center, the new doctorate of ministry cohort, and the four core faculty. Explains the purpose of the podcast series and who it's for.

Setting the Task: Contemplation & Justice (2:50 - 4:05)

Michelle frames the conversation around texts that help integrate contemplation and racial justice — "Do we know how to decenter ourselves to hear God?"

Participant Introductions (5:09 - 8:02)

Michelle, Cami, and Keith introduce themselves, each sharing what it means to show up authentically in this space.

"A New Reality in Belonging" — Jennings Framework (8:22 - 9:35)

Josh introduces Willie James Jennings' concept — the Spirit inviting us to cross cultural boundaries and bring our bodies into contact with other bodies.

The Reading: "Hope with Receipts" by Renita J. Weems (10:50 - 13:34)

Michelle reads the essay aloud — grounded hope sustained by resistance, refusing to fragment ourselves, God found in ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Michelle's Reflection: Deep Listening & Womanism (13:47 - 18:23)

Michelle connects the reading to contemplative listening, womanism as a response to missing voices, the Montgomery bus boycott, and the need to listen across difference rather than assume commonality.

Cami on Community Beyond Commonality (18:44 - 20:50)

Cami reflects on how deeper community is found in difference, not commonality — bringing one's "undivided self" and the sacredness of mutual vulnerability.

Keith on the Radical & the Moderate (21:56 - 26:28)

Keith discusses how community should welcome fierce, radical energy alongside the moderate — the church's tendency to prioritize homogeneity and patriarchy, the Civil Rights movement's sidelining of women's voices, and the need for on-ramps.

White Allies, Church, and Younger Generations (28:20 - 34:30)

Keith reflects on white allies in the church, white normativity in faith spaces, and a younger generation that sees moderate community as lacking credibility for justice work. Discusses how vacuum of authentic community drives people elsewhere.

Josh's Lament: White Male Body & Conformity (35:57 - 38:22)

Josh names the "dominant gaze" that demands conformity, laments how his own white male body carries generations of cultural conditioning, and affirms the reading as prophetic.

Closing Wisdom: Pace & Compassion (38:22 - 40:37)

The group offers closing words to listeners — take a breath, pace yourself, there's no coercion, this is slow long work. They sign off and preview Cami's reading for the next episode.

#contemplation #justice #subversivehope #subversivelove #prayer #meditation

What do we do with the agony? What can we do? Where do we go for help?


For all those who feel deeply

For all those who are confused

For all those who feel helpless

For all those who are angry

For all those who are hiding and are shut down

For all those who have no voice

For all those who are prayerless

For all those who are sleepless

For all those who are exhausted

How are you staying sane and safe?

In this audio meditation, Josh offers a meditation to consider how our response to the pain surrounding us reveals our false understanding of power. Can we become more honest and open to God by considering our immediate violence in the context of our long addiction to power? After moving through this difficult discernment, Josh offers simple guided breath work to further open to God’s help.



[0:00] Welcome 
America’s struggle with power, and situates this episode within the broader A New Reality in Belonging conversation.

[3:00] An Audio-Only Meditation 
A prayerful, contemplative meditation—especially amid exhaustion, violence, and polarization.

[6:54] Discernment on Power, Weakness, and America
Our self-consumed society is collapsing, with insights from Howard Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited.

[29:25] Guided Breath Prayer
A simple, embodied breath practice (4 counts in, 4 counts out) to calm the nervous system and open the heart to God.

[40:46] Staying Open to God in the Midst of Pain
Finding help without bypassing suffering.



Please share your experience of this episode with me. I’d love to know if and how breath work is helpful. Email me: josh at theinvitationcenter dot org.



For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org

For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/

A New Reality in Belonging Series - Robert Caldwell & Keith Reynolds Pt III

What if justice begins with listening?


What if we don’t bring Jesus to others—but discover Jesus already among them?

In this final conversation with Keith Reynolds and Robert Caldwell, we explore contemplation, Black perseverance, cruciform leadership, and the sacramental presence of God revealed through our neighbors. A call to move beyond saviorism, recover communal wisdom, and practice a faith shaped by deep listening, shared life, and hope.

0:51 – Neighbors as Sacrament
Opening the conversation on symbiotic relationship, not saviorism

3:14 – Encountering God Through the Other
How we meet Christ in and through our neighbors

5:48 – NT Wright on the Church as New Creation
A unified, multi-ethnic body as a living sign of God’s kingdom

9:47 – Black Genius, Suffering, and Imagination
How suffering forms vision, creativity, and spiritual resilience

14:51 – Family Stories of Perseverance
Robert’s ancestral story of survival, migration, and hope

21:00 – Going to Celebrate, Not Just Serve
A corrective to paternalism: discovering Jesus already present

25:27 – Contemplation as Formation for Justice
Richard Rohr, inner quiet, and faithful presence

28:57 – Inner Life and World-Mindedness
Howard Thurman on the inseparable bond between contemplation and social responsibility

For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org

For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/

In Part II of this ongoing conversation, Josh continues his dialogue with Robert Caldwell and Keith Reynolds, deepening the exploration of surrender, obedience, and belonging.

Set in the season of Advent, this episode reflects on waiting, disorientation, and unfinishedness as sacred spaces where faith is formed. Drawing on Scripture and lived experience, the conversation challenges self-sufficient models of Christianity and imagines a more honest, dependent way of following God—one shaped by suffering, humility, and spiritual friendship.

Together, the hosts wrestle with the future of the church, the limits of institutional models, and the hope that emerges when control is relinquished and life is received as gift rather than project.

At its heart, this episode affirms that asking the question is itself an act of hope, and that new light often comes not through certainty, but through surrender.

0:00 - Surrendering to God; learning through suffering

01:19 - Introducing Robert Caldwell & Keith Reynolds; focus on faithfulness

03:31 - The “finished man,” self-sufficiency, and Advent’s invitation to need

04:51 - Deconstruction, holding space for pain and hope

06:29 - Community, vulnerability, and hope in belonging

07:46 - Church planting: critique of megachurches, seeking authenticity

14:22 - Launching a new church; forming a core team

18:03 - Mentorship, transparency, and organic process

22:48 - Living in the community; challenging church norms

24:30 - New wine in new wineskins; generational shifts

27:21 - Outward-facing church; serving the marginalized

29:20 - Social location, calling, and never forgetting one’s roots

36:40 - Returning to serve in one’s own neighborhood

41:52 - Living out faith; surrender and next steps

For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org

For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/

In this episode podcaster and spiritual director, Josh Banner with Keith Reynolds, and Robert Caldwell explores how the church can embody creative, justice-oriented responses to today’s social realities by centering marginalized communities and reimagining spiritual formation as social transformation.

Guests:

• Keith Reynolds (Western Theological Seminary)

• Robert Caldwell (Answer Poverty)

Key Topics:

• Church and social justice

• Community development

• Faith in action

• Racial equity

• Creative ministry models

00:00 – Introduction

• Opening thoughts on not being anxious about current events and the call for the church to focus on supporting marginalized people.

00:32 – Organizing for Impact

• Discussion on how resources are used to meet material needs in the community.

00:47 – New Wine, Old Wineskins

• Reflection on the need for new approaches in faith and community work.

01:03 – Suffering and Imagination

• The idea that suffering requires imagination and leads to collective genius, especially in the Black community.

01:25 – Robert Caldwell’s Influence

• Robert’s non-reactionary approach and the wisdom gained from elders.

01:51 – Episode Overview

• Host Josh introduces guests Keith Reynolds and Robert Caldwell, and outlines the themes of the episode: church planting, justice, and hope.

02:36 – Orientation and Vision

• Robert shares his story; Keith discusses his vision for a new kind of church.

04:20 – Turning to Hope

• Encouragement to focus on good news and practice hope despite a difficult news cycle.

05:40 – Love and Justice

• Exploring the connection between loving God, neighbor, and self; justice as love in action.

09:00 – Personal Journeys

• Keith and Robert share their backgrounds, vocational journeys, and the importance of mentorship and legacy.

16:36 – Church Planting and Community

• Keith describes the influence of Robert on his approach to church and community development.

36:14 – Closing Reflections

• The episode closes with thoughts on witness, legacy, and the ongoing journey of faith and justice.

For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org

For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/

In this fourth installment of the ‘Eastertide’ series, Josh Banner invites listeners to explore the concept of becoming small through Christ's resurrection. By reflecting on Psalm 131, the discussion delves into humility and love for others, even those we don't understand. The episode examines toxic masculinity, the nurturing aspect of God, and the importance of empathy in Christianity. Highlighting insights from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Howard Thurman, Banner emphasizes the need for a counter-cultural approach to faith, focusing on humility, meekness, and a deeper connection to justice and love. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own posture and to engage in supportive practices for personal and communal growth.

Please fill out this questionnaire to give the Invitation feedback on this podcast: https://tinyurl.com/5n73wrcx

www.theinvitationcenter.org

00:00 Introduction and Overview

01:18 Exploring Psalm 131

02:04 Contemplative Listening and the Divine Feminine

03:08 Toxic Masculinity and Patriarchy

06:00 Bonhoeffer and Thurman on Brotherhood

08:52 Bonhoeffer's Transformation in Harlem

12:19 Empathy and Its Potential Abuses

16:19 The Paradox of Becoming Small

21:07 Conclusion and Call to Action