A Bigger Table

Jonny Rashid comes on the show to talk about his new book, Jesus Takes a Side.  Check it out!

Will Willimon from Duke Divinity School joins us to discuss his newest book!

Pastor and author Melissa Flower-Bixler joins us to talk about her book, How to Have an Enemy.

A chat about faith, mysticism, psychedelics, and a bunch of other stuff...

Brian McLaren is a pioneer in the emerging church.  He's an author.  He's a pastor.  He's one of the kindest men I've met.  It was truly an honor to have this conversation with him.  If you haven't read anything by him, let me courage you to do so.  I started with A New Kind of Christian.  You can start there too, if you like.  He's written a lot of books, and there are many entry points into his work.  Check it out.  

If you've been paying attention to Instagram at all in the last few years, you've likely come across a post by Marcie Alvis-Walker, through her insta account, @blackcoffeewithwhitefriends. Marcie is an educator, a writer, and is incredibly kind and gracious when it comes to talking about racism, the history of racism, and how all of can and need to be better. https://www.blackcoffeewithwhitefriends.com

Terry Stokes is passionate about prayer and helping people pray.  You can find him on Instagram at @prayersfromterry.  His book, Prays for the People is available everywhere! Check it out!

Meredith Miller works super hard to help adults talk to kids about faith, God, and all sorts of stuff.  Check it out!

Ummm....it's Shane Claiborne.  Ever heard of him.  And he's on this show!!  What else do you need to know?  Go listen!

Jo Luehmann is a public theologian working in deconstruction, decolonizing our faith, and detoxing from toxic theology. You can find her work on Instagram at @joluehmann and you can support her work on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/joluehmannCheck it out!

Scott Erickson is an artist, performer, and author.  He's awesome.  Check out his artwork on instagram @scottthepainter.  Its a great conversation about art, who we are, and all the things.  Check it out!

Today on the show we've got Rick Santos, CEO of Church World Service, and Patricia De Jong, Board Chair for Church World Service.  CWS is one of the longest standing humanitarian agencies in the country.  They do disaster relief work.  They work to make sure people across the world have food and clean water.  And they are one of the largest agencies helping resettle refugees, settling over 800000 in the US.  

In this episode, we dive into youth ministry and what that looks like in 2022 with Nathan Wheeler, author of the new book "A Faith of Their Own: A Theological Field Guide for Youth Ministry."  Nathan has almost 20 years of youth and young people ministry experience and his heart for the work is on his sleeve.  You can buy his book here.

In this episode we speak with Kayla Craig, author of To Light Their Way and the force behind the amazing Instagram account, @liturgiesforparents A former journalist, Kayla Craig is adamant about paying attention and embracing curiosity in her work as a writer and podcast producer. She writes nuanced, nurturing prayers at Liturgies for Parents on Instagram and cofounded the Upside Down Podcast, a place for ecumenical conversations on faith and justice. Professionally, she writes, produces, and edits prayers for Christian spiritual formation. Kayla and her pastor-husband, Jonny, live in Iowa, where they're raising four young kids who joined their family via birth and adoption. When she's not playing LEGOs with her sons or advocating for her daughter with disabilities, Kayla can be found sipping strong coffee. You can connect with Kayla at kaylacraig.com and on Instagram @kayla_craig and @liturgiesforparents.

SEASON FINALE: In this final episode of the season, we talk to Dr. Whitney Thurman, Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Texas-Austin, about all things Covid-19 vaccine, and how we can change the conversation in the church surrounding the reluctance to be vaccinated.  Like, subscribe, and share to help the show.  If you've missed episodes, go back!  And stay tuned for some special content this summer before heading into season three!  

Matthew Paul turner is the beloved children's author of When God Made You, When God Made Light, All The Colors of Christmas, and more.  His upcoming book, What Is God Like? was co-written posthumously with Rachel Held Evans.  Check it out!

In this episode we chat with the wonderful Dr. Christina Edmondson.  Dr. Edmondson is a psychologist, therapist, and co-host of the super popular podcast, Truth's Table. Check it out!

Beleaf is a rapper, musician, influencer, and one of the stars of Dads, a documentary by Bryce Dallas Howard on Apple TV+, about modern day fatherhood.  Check out the movie on Apple TV+ and go find his music on Spotify!

In this episode, we sit down with Lo Alaman, aka, Lo the Poet, about his life, faith, and his new book, We Sang A Dirge, which we consider to be one of best books of 2020.  It is simply a stunning piece of work.  Go check it out!

In this episode, we talk with David Dark, author and professor at Belmont University. We talk about his life, his work, and his uncanny ability to say exactly what needs to be said when he sees injustice in the public space. 

In this episode, we talk with Tim Soerens, author of Everywhere You Look, and co-founder of The Parish Collective.  If you are hungry for a different way of doing church, this is a great place to start!

Drew Hart is the author of Trouble I've Seen and Who Will Be a Witness?  He's also a professor of Theology and Anti-Racism activist. In this episode we dive into his life and some of the themes found in his newest book, Who Will Be a Witness?

Season One Finale with Lisa Sharon Harper.  Lisa is a podcaster, author, speaker, and activist who challenges the church to live out the Gospel in the way its meant to be lived out.  In this episode, we talk about her book, The Very Good Gospel, as well as other issues concerning race and the church, and why it's a conversation we have to keep having. 

In this episode, Herschel and Adam talk about Adam's new book, Love Has A Name, and how to love people who aren't so easy to love.  What does it mean to love as Jesus loved?

Sarah is a pastor, author, and speaker.  She also hosts the podcast, Making Spaces.  On this episode we talk about deconstruction and reconstruction of our faith, growing up in and out of the church, and so much more. 

In this episode, we sit down with author and activist Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove to discuss his books, his activism, and what the Gospel calls us to be and do. 

In this episode, we talk with Matthew Wallace of Opportunities Now about the importance of missions and what the future of missions can be.

Rev. Traci Smith and Herschel French talk about her book, Faithful Families, and how families can integrate faith practices into their daily lives and routines.  We also talk about how families can handle questions about faith that might arise.

Dee Wilson, songwriter and worship leader, joins us at the table to talk about growing up in the church, finding music, and about how he came to be one of the leaders in Common Hymnal.  He also shares a song, The Medicine. 

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Toddy Holeman, counseling professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, about self-care in a pandemic. Dr. Holeman has years and years of experience teaching and practicing, specializing in marriage and family counseling.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Levine about her new book, The Sermon on the Mount, and how it relates to the Kingdom of God and our world today. 

In our inaugural episode, Pastor Adam talks about his new book, Incarnation.  We talk about the word incarnation and what it means for us today.  We also talk about how the church universal survives the times we're living through right now.