The Puddcast

Compassion is a global child development relief organization that exists to end poverty in the lives of kids and their families. They serve over 2 million children around the world through partnering with local churches to care for children in a holistic, Christ-centered development framework. I sat down with Allison Alley, the CEO of Compassion Canada to talk about her philosophy of mission as well as the church’s role in development aid.

Resources:

GoFundMe for Rachel Held Evans
Eyes to See: Reflecting God's Love To A World In Need, by Compassion Canada
Sponsor a Child through Compassion Canada today
Information on the Rwandan Genocide
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Dr. Christena Cleveland is the Director of the Center for Justice + Renewal, and a social psychologist, public theologian, author and professor. Christena joined me on the show to discuss her exploration of the social location of God and concepts of the divine. She helped me understand the damage that the vision of God as a powerful white man has done to people of colour for centuries, and how we can repurpose metaphors to enable us to enter into forgiveness and compassion.

Resources:

christenacleveland.com
justiceandrenewal.org
Disunity in Christ: Uncovering the Hidden Forces that Keep Us Apart, by Christena Cleveland
patreon.com/cscleve - Christena’s Patreon
Support the show at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle

I mentioned British hip-hop artist Roots Manuva. The song I had been listening to on repeat was Don’t Breathe Out.

Brad Jersak is an author and teacher who was raised Evangelical before embracing charismatic then Eastern Orthodox values and church practice. Drawing from a broad palette of theological understanding, Brad shared his thoughts about the God we see in Jesus, what The Cross was really about, and how to deal with Old Testament violence. In Brad's words, “The law says there must be a payment. But Christ comes and freely forgives. The ledger is not paid off, it is wiped off. God effectively says, ‘If you don’t repent… I will!’”

Resources:

A More Christlike God, by Bradley Jersak
Jesus Showed Us! by Bradley Jersak & Sheri-Anne Vis
St Stephen’s University at ssu.ca
bradjersak.com
Support the show at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle

Sheila Wray Gregoire, owner of the popular blog To Love, Honor and Vacuum joined me on the show to discuss sexual intimacy and the many stereotypes that exist surrounding marriage. Sheila is also the author of The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, and she shared some insightful and practical advice with me on dating, marital communication, sex and more.

Resources:

The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, by Sheila Wray Gregoire
Support the show at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle

“The Wisdom of your Heart” by Marc Alan Schelske has been one of the most important books for me in the last few years. In this interview Marc shared his story with me about being a very performance driven pastor and the effect that had on his family, his church and ultimately his mental and emotional health. We talked about why we have emotions at all, what purpose they serve and how to learn to listen to them.

Resources:

The Wisdom of Your Heart: Discovering the God-Given Purpose and Power of Your Emotions, by Marc Alan Schelske
Support the show at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle

My latest guest is Kim Walker-Smith, worship leader from Jesus Culture and author of “Brave Surrender.” She shares her story of growing up under the shadow of a number of major traumas and how she eventually met Jesus. I was impacted by her vulnerability and authenticity and I cried on almost every page of the book. We discussed her writing process, her worship philosophy, parenting and more. Enjoy!

Resources:

Brave Surrender, by Kim Walker-Smith
Support the show at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle

So I’m talking to William Paul Young, and I’m thinking, “Man, I’ve got the author of The Shack and Lies We Believe About God right here. Do I ask him about universalism? Does he believe God is a woman? What does he believe about hell? Can I ask to see his heretic card? Where do I even begin?!” I ended up asking him some of those questions (though not all of them), and we had a beautiful, dynamic conversation centred on the intersection of love and justice in the context of Christ’s finished work on the cross. Beware… this podcast might change your life.

Contains a few instances of slightly strong language. Enjoy!

Resources:

The Shack, by Wm. Paul Young
Lies We Believe About God, by Wm. Paul Young
The Shack Revisited, by C. Baxter Kruger
Cross Roads, by Wm. Paul Young
Support the show at patreon.com/jonathanpuddle