What do Christians mean by 'worship'? Is it more than mere singing? How can churches worship God corporately, when we all have such different experiences and preferences? How should we worship when suffering and struggles come? 

Benita Lim is a worship leader and PhD candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary. Having lived through the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, Benita shares her experience of worshiping God in the midst of natural disasters, and discusses how, as churches, we can build one another up in spite of our suffering and weakness.

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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Samuel Johnson was a critic, poet, and essayist, and the author of one of the most influential English dictionaries in history. As one of the finest minds eighteenth-century England, Johnson was in the centre of debates around the place of Christianity in the moral life of the nation, and the role of faith in a post-Enlightenment world.

Dr Kirsten Herlin of the University of Austin joins Christy, Joe, and LaRae, to discuss Samuel Johnson's life and faith, as well as his engagement with an increasingly secular intellectual culture. How did Johnson deal with his personal struggles of doubt and weakness? Did the humanism of the English Enlightenment necessarily mean a decline in spirituality? How does Johnson's moral influence come through in Jane Austen and other English writers?

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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Xie Dawei suffered from polio as an infant, and has been a wheelchair user ever since. In graduate school in the US, she encountered Jesus and experienced the transformation of her identity. In this episode, Dawei speaks to Christy about her struggles growing up with a disability, how she came to faith, and how she uses her experiences to reach out to others suffering from a crisis of identity.

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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It's a Valentine's Day special episode on the Overtones Podcast!

Christy is joined by her regular co-hosts Joe and LaRae, and also by Joe's wife Deb and LaRae's husband Matt. The two couples share their experiences of marriage, travel, church, and family life, while coming from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. 

How does marriage look different when it crosses cultures? Is it true that you really marry the whole family? What does the marriage of Christ to the Church teach us about love across differences? Listen as we discuss these questions and more.

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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Christy, Joe, and LaRae speak with Ida Hu, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. Having gone through months of treatment and dealing with depression and doubt, Ida now ministers to women suffering from cancer, offering Christian comfort, hope, and advice to patients, their families, and their churches.

Listen, as she shares her story and her wisdom with the Overtones Podcast hosts, and as we discuss ways that Christians can support those suffering with cancer or other illnesses, and their families.

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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Over a billion people in the world have a significant disability, yet 90% of them will go through life never hearing the Good News. How can Christians reach out to people with disabilities? What difficulties might disabled people face upon arriving at our churches? What does the Gospel have to say about the value of all people?

Amberle Brown (co-founder of The Banquet Network) joins the Overtones Podcast to share her story of becoming blind, and how, through her disability, the Lord opened opportunities for ministry to disabled people. Amberle describes how churches can welcome people with disabilities, and shares her wisdom on how we can love and serve our disabled brothers and sisters.

Book Recommendation: Disability and the Gospel by Michael Beates

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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Christy, Joe, and LaRae are joined by Dougie Read and his mum Rhona. Dougie was diagnosed with autism as a young child: now, he serves his local church as verger, he performs in plays and musicals, and he manages a busy work schedule.

Listen as Rhona shares her experience of coping with her son's diagnosis, and helping him through school, speech therapy, church life, and into the wider world. We also hear Dougie's own story of growing in faith and in service to the Lord, as well as his advice on how churches can help to welcome and integrate people with autism. 

Book mention: Untypical by Pete Wharmby (amazon link)

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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In the first installment of a mini-series on disability in the Church, the Overtones Podcast hosts discuss disability in the Bible and in Christian history.

Why did so many Christians of the past have such a negative view of physical and mental infirmity? How does Jesus' example challenge those ideas? How can we welcome into the Church people who are different from us? Why does the Bible's perspective on disability teach us about God's nature?

Listen in, as Christy, Joe, and LaRae discuss these questions and more.

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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Christy, Joe, and LaRae are joined by the Reverend Damian Platt, Vicar of Christ Church Thornton, who shares stories of hospitality and spirituality from his church in North-West England.

How does God's character as an abundant provider inform our hospitality? How can churches reach out to their communities through hospitality? And how did growing up in a Blackpool Bed-and-Breakfast impact our guest's views on welcome and community?

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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What do Christmas movies tell us about our culture and its values? Is the "hallmark" happy ending something Christians should hope for? How can Christians celebrate the holidays in a way that honours Christ?

Join Christy, Joe, and LaRae as they discuss all things cinematic and festive. Favourite Christmas movies; seasonal motifs in stories; the difference between genuine rest and indulgence; and more.

Producers: Matthew and LaRae Cherukara

Music by Leon Riskin

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