The Kate and Colby Show

A very important question—which came first, the chicken or the egg?—leads to an even more important question: what is masculinity? This extension of last week's episode where Kate interviewed Colby goes deeper into what we've both been learning about gender roles and how we're not truly whole people when we only live into the parts society tells us we're supposed to play. How do we reframe our understanding of masculinity and femininity so that all of us can be both strong and tender, bold and nurturing? This is one of the most important topics we've discussed, and we hope you find yourself coming alive through the conversation.

A couple of episodes ago, we let Colby ask the questions as he interviewed Kate. Today, we're flipping the script and it's Kate's turn to draw some interesting stories out of Colby as we get to know him better. We talked career choices, masculinity, what it's like to be a published author, and more. Find out a bit more about what makes Colby tick in today's special episode.

This week's question from Mary Jo is a straightforward one: what are the most important things you teach your kids? From bodies and boundaries to hospitality to emotional intelligence, here are some of those top priorities for us. Parenting is hard and beautiful and one of the most important things many of us will ever do. Here's to the parents out there!

thekateandcolbyshow.com

The Kate Interview! We've had such a great time answering listener questions in Season 2 of The Kate and Colby Show. In today's very special episode, we decided to shake things up a bit. How about Colby asks Kate some questions of his own? Get to know Kate a little better through this incisive, world-premiere face-to-face interview from one host to another.

We are so thankful for today's listener question. It's not often these days that people who find themselves disagreeing are willing to work to understand one another, but that's exactly what Liza is doing. She is attempting to better understand progressive Christianity as someone who considers herself a modern Christian, but who holds to some more traditional beliefs: things like heaven and hell, for instance. She confesses that sometimes she feels like we are attacking traditional Christianity, and has some questions for us about that approach. Her letter opened the door for some great conversation about how we hope to interact with our fellow Christians who are more traditional, and what we can all do to better understand one another.

Today's question comes from Sara, who is working out how to handle a message she carries with her from her time in a traditional evangelical upbringing. Sara really just feels compelled to live what she calls a simple life: raise great kids, take care of the land she feels fortunate to live on, love the hell out of her husband. But she struggles with the narrative of the "epic Christian" life—one that so many of us have been told our own lives should resemble. Sell everything, go into missions, serve 19 times a week at church—do BIG things for God! How can we reframe our understanding of "big" and "small" things, and the value they each have when it comes to how we live our lives?

Rebekah sent us a great question to discuss this week. She is dating—and lately, talking marriage and kids with—a partner who is agnostic, which has created some tension with her traditionally conservative Christian family. She was raised to believe that being "unequally yoked with unbelievers" is a pretty serious offense. We can relate. Let's talk about where that idea comes from (the apostle Paul), who it was meant for (Christ followers in the city of Corinth), and how it's been used and abused in our modern lives (Colby may have once quoted this principle when breaking up with a girlfriend!).

We are still taking questions! This week, Matt, who is a worship leader at a progressive Christian church, writes in with a question we've found to be a common one—in fact, it's one we've asked ourselves over the years. When you've embraced a more open and progressive theology, how do then find ways to worship that better align with these values?

The bottom line: it's hard to keep singing songs about substitutionary atonement and total depravity when those things are no longer the crux of your faith. We've had quite a journey with this topic, and it turned out we had a lot to say about where we've found great resources and music to help the people who attend the church we pastor worship in a way that aligns with our mission to help people come alive in the truth that they are loved, liberated, and empowered. You might even be surprised to hear that we didn't completely ditch the whole traditional church music catalog... listen in as we share our thoughts and journey around this issue that so many progressive Christians seem to encounter.

This week's question comes from Tina, who is looking for a little guidance on how to overcome the fear that inevitably shows up when your soul is calling you to make, write, create, say, and share something. This question got us very excited, because we LOVE to make stuff and we know how challenging the creative process can be, especially when you're battling that inner critic and the fear it likes to stir up. We're excited to share some of the practices and ideas that help us when we need to write books and blogs, preach sermons, or even make this podcast. This conversation is all about how to create fearlessly—let's dive in!

We're continuing to answer listener questions, and this week's comes from James, who champions feminism AND also likes to hold doors for the women he dates. What place, if any, does chivalry have in modern relationships between women and men? There are quite a few layers to this quandary, and today we're going to unpack the roots of chivalry, power dynamics between the sexes, and courteous impulses that just might stem from a patriarchal system that still has a small foothold in our thinking.