Betwixt Podcast at the Intersection of Faith & Culture

For centuries, Christians have set out on a holy pilgrimage in 14 movements. From the Garden of Gethsemane to the Garden Tomb, we invite you to walk with Jesus, experiencing the sorrow, suffering, and passion of his self-sacrificial love. This meditation introduces a series of 14 audio meditations that follow 14 Stations of the Cross. We follow in his way, knowing that one offers no greater love than laying down their life for others. As we join Jesus, we are reminded that we are his beloved children, made in his image, and invited to experience the beauty of his presence, even as we walk toward death. These meditations accompany sacred art crafted by the artists of Flourish Contemplative Center. To view the virtual gallery, visit ColumbusAnglicanMission.org. Flourish Artists include Michelle Morris, Michael O'Donnell and Lynn Staggs.

Meditation for Station 1: Passion. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane * Music provided by Les Petits Chanteurs de Montigny: Cantata Domino GO Pitoni and Kai Engel: Take a Look Around You. *Art: Christ on the Mount of Olives by Paul Gaugin (in public domain)

Meditation for Station 2: Betrayal. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested. *Music: Les Petits Chanteurs de Montigny: O Bone Jesus; Violin by Neil Leonard * Art by Michael O'Donnell

Meditation for Station 3: Condemnation. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin. *Music: Couperin's Prelude la Tromba, Air de Diable performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra; Perdue No. 1 performed by Barryvan *Art by Lynn Staggs

Meditation for Station of the Cross 4: Denial. Peter Denies Jesus. Music: Cappella Romana's Byzantine Chant: Prokeimenon; Kai Engel: Mist and Clouds Art by Michael O'Donnell

Meditation for Station of the Cross 6: Scourge. Jesus is scourged and wears a crown of thorns. *Music: Victim Paschali Laudes performed by Tudor Consort; Bach's Andante from Italian Concerto performed on harp by Catrin Finch. *Art by Michelle Morris

Meditation for Station 7: Burden. The King takes up his cross. *Music: Russian Liturgical Chant: The Cross Exalted Invites All Creation; Kai Engel: Cloudburst. *Art by Michael O'Donnell

Meditation for Station 8: Fall. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross. *Music: Russian Liturgical Chant: Turn Not Thy Face Away from Thy Servant; Kai Engel: Aspirato. *Art by Lynn Staggs

Meditation for Station 9: Lament. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. *Music: Kai Engel: Morbid Imaginations; Couperin's Air de Diablo performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra * Art: The Outcry of the Women by Adolfo Perez Esquivel (creative commons)

Meditation for Station 10: Wounds. Jesus is stripped and crucified. To view the "White Crucifixion" by Marc Chagall, please visit this link to the Art Institute of Chicago: www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/59426 The song Via Dolorosa provided with courtesy by Young Noah.

Meditation for Station 11: Thirst. Jesus thirsts. *Music: Byzantine Chant Kontakion Unshakeable Foundation by Cappella Romana; Kai Engel: Soli. *Art: As Seen from the Cross by James Tissot (Brooklyn Art Museum, public domain)

Meditation for Station 12: Grief. Jesus speaks to his mother from the cross. *Music: Cujus Animam Gementem performed by Tudor Consort; Evermore by Kai Engel. *Art by Michael O'Donnell

Meditation for Station 13: Death. Jesus dies and the veil of the Temple is torn. *Music: Agnus Dei performed Tudor Consort; Curtains are Always Drawn by Kai Engel. * Art by Michelle Morris

Meditation for Station 14: Tomb. Jesus is buried in the tomb. *Music: Vivaldi's Credo Crucifixius performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra; Denouement by Kai Engel. * Icon by Emmanuel Lambardos the Younger , 1640 (after the prototype in Crete)

Spiritual Director Kelsie Meyers offers this beautiful prayer of Examen for the year end. In the presence of God and through the eyes of Jesus, you are invited to look back, noticing the movements of God in your life and to look ahead, cultivating hope for what is yet to come. Music courtesy of Borrtex: Bright Morning Star (Creative Commons) Photo by Simon Matzinger from Pexels

These advent reflections and prayers accompany the Weary World Rejoices Advent guide which is posted on the www.betwixtpodcast.com and Flourish Contemplative Center website. You are welcome to download the guide and join us in this journey of illumination toward Christmas! During Advent, we light candles to remind ourselves to watch for the light. Each week, we illuminate a theme that will grow our expectancy for the Advent - the coming of Jesus. You are invited to return to this prayer of examen each evening this week as a way of looking for God by examining your life in the last 24 hours. This week, the theme is Joy! Artwork by Cody Wood. Music courtesy of Lee Rosevere (Under suspicion) and Borrtex (Love Generosity; Falling Into Presence: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Borrtex, Creative Commons so go give some love!

To view the image of Mary and Eve, visit https://www.monasterycandy.com/Detail?prod=99 To download the Advent Pantoum Exercise, visit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1np5jrZh56khbftckpXIKm6DkCPnwchilHsAS0SSqCRQ/edit?usp=sharing

These advent reflections and prayers accompany the Weary World Rejoices Advent guide which is posted on the www.betwixtpodcast.com and Flourish Contemplative Center website. You are welcome to download the guide and join us in this journey of illumination toward Christmas! During Advent, we light candles to remind ourselves to watch for the light. Each week, we illuminate a theme that will grow our expectancy for the Advent - the coming of Jesus. You are invited to return to this prayer of examen each evening this week as a way of looking for God by examining your life in the last 24 hours. This week, the theme is Prepare the Way. Artwork by Cody Wood. Benedictus Dominus courtesy of Ensemble Morales, Creative Commons

These advent reflections and prayers accompany the Weary World Rejoices Advent guide which is posted on the www.betwixtpodcast.com and Flourish Contemplative Center website. You are welcome to download the guide and join us in this journey of illumination toward Christmas! During Advent, we light candles to remind ourselves to watch for the light. Each week, we illuminate a theme that will grow our expectancy for the Advent - the coming of Jesus. You are invited to return to this prayer of examen each evening this week as a way of looking for God by examining your life in the last 24 hours. This week, the theme is hope. Jesus called himself the Light of the World who brought hope to people lost in darkness.

“Let’s forget nation-state politics until we can engage practically the injustices going on in our towns and villages in which we live.” David Fitch is the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary in Chicago. He is also the founding pastor of Life on the Vine Christian Community- a missional church in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. Many of you may know Fitch as a leading voice in conversations about culture and missiology. You can find more about him on his website reclaimingthemission.com and this podcast Theology on Mission. We find ourselves in a precarious and liminal time. And many of us grieve our angry culture that seems obsessed with antagonism. In his book the Church of Us vs Them, Fitch contends that the Church has been swept up in this Us-vs-them mentality that has turned us into an ‘enemy-making machine. This episode expolores how we got here and how we can free ourselves from a faith that feeds on division. And because this episode is about handling antagonisms, I take the opportunity to throw Fitch a few hand grenade questions! So stay tuned and see how he handles them! “When we extract belief out of practicing it in our everyday lives, it turns into a banner, an ideological cause that we rally people around. And we lose sight that God actually wants to work into our lives - transforming our lives into a way of life that witnesses the kingdom before the world.”

“I’m reading books by Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Adele Calhoun, and I’m like, where is the information on African American spiritual direction? We need to have a voice in this community.” Dr. Barbara Peacock illustrates the liminal history of contemplative prayer, spiritual direction, and soul care within the African American tradition. Reflecting on significant men and women like Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Howard Thurman—Barbara celebrates the practices of soul care as we learn from these spiritual leaders. “Liminal history is the only history that we know. We are a people that are continuously going from one revelation of humanity and equality to another.” Dr. Barbara is a preacher, teacher and a prayer warrior. Spiritual direction and soul care were the emphasis of her doctoral work, which led to her book Soul Care in African American Practice. “I believe we are on the brink of a great awakening. I think we’ve had one; we just didn’t realize it. I know people don’t see eye to eye on the protests, but there is a piercing and a transformation of the heart that is taking place.” Thank you to Taelor Gray for the podcast benediction with his song Closer. https://www.ivpress.com/soul-care-in-african-american-practice https://www.barbaralpeacock.com/ http://www.taelorgray.com/ Special Thanks to these musicians for permission to include these songs: Taelor Gray: Closer Kai Engle: Irens Tale, Salue, Machinery, Morning Placidity, Denouement Borrtex: Black Out Audiobinger: Winter is Coming, Past Regrets Lee Rosevere: Under Suspicion

Dr. Nicole Roccas joins me to talk about the problem of time and eternity. She suggests three ancient cures for despondency that still work today. Nicole is a historian and adjunct faculty member at the Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College in Toronto. She is the author of the books Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life, Under the Laurel Tree: Grieving Infertility with Saints Joachim and Anna, and A Journal of Thanksgiving: Record Three Years of Gratitude in a Sentence a Day. Nicole is the host of the Time Eternal podcast and co-hosts the Help My Unbelief Podcast. with her husband Basil. "In eternity, God reveals himself as being. In time, God reveals himself as action in a way that we can respond and encounter his love and the love of one another. The incarnation reveals that God is not antithetical to the world of physical matter and decay. It tells us that God is with us and the age to come has, in a sense, already come." -Nicole Roccas

My guest is Timothy Carson, curator of the Liminality Project. After retiring from full time pastoral ministry, Tim began to teach and write about liminality. He is the author of Liminal Reality and Transformational Power and editor of the anthology Neither Here nor There: The Many Voices of Liminality. And he’s working on a new collaborative book on practical theology and the development of a Biblical Hermeneutic of Liminality. Tim also ministers as a field guide, helping others transition through life's passages. As an Emotional Freedom Techniques Practitioner, he works with individuals who have experienced past trauma. In this episode, Tim casts a vision toward a Biblical hermeneutic of liminality and what insight it might provide for us as we walk through this time of social liminality. Quotes from this episode: "If anything, socially isolating in our homes should drive us to a new sense of what it means to stand in a solitary way before God. " “It’s a colossal mistake in this social liminality of this pandemic to say things like, “When we get back to the way it was before.” We don’t want to go back. We want to pass through the wilderness and go to a promised land. We want to move toward a new reality and take the insights and ways we’ve been reshaped into building a new reality, a new world, a new heaven and a new earth. "Every time we attach to a false object and raise it to the level of the Ultimate, which is a form of idolatry, there’s a kind of tear in the soul because we’re attaching to something that can’t sustain us. It’s something false, something unreal, and yet we’re putting all our hope in it. And there’s a kind of death that takes place when we do that." "Part of the danger of wilderness in liminal space is what happens to our attachments. If we’ve lost anchors and structure, there’s the possibility that in liminal space, we attach incorrectly to the many false gods that we will worship. We will attach to the many illusions that will fall away." What is the gift of what we may become because of the liminal space? We look for the ways we might be transformed because of it. It would be a grand thing if people of faith would stop asking “When we can get back to church?” Which to me sounds like wanting to clamor back to Egypt. Wanting to clamor back to structure? What if God doesn’t want us to go back to structure? What if God doesn’t want us to go back to the way we were before? What might we become of us because of this?

Pascal Homily of St. John Chrystostom: If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let them enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival. If anyone is a grateful servant, let them, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord. If anyone has wearied themselves in fasting, let them now receive recompense. If anyone has labored from the first hour, let them today receive the just reward. If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let them feast. If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let them have no misgivings; for they shall suffer no loss. If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let them draw near without hesitation. If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let them not fear on account of tardiness. For the Master is gracious and receives the last even as the first; He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first. He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one He gives, and to the other He is gracious. He both honors the work and praises the intention. Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward. O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy! O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day! You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today! The table is rich-laden: feast royally, all of you! The calf is fatted: let no one go forth hungry! Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness. Let no one lament their poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn their transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free. He that was taken by death has annihilated it! He descended into Hades and took Hades captive! He embittered it when it tasted His flesh! And anticipating this, Isaiah exclaimed: "Hades was embittered when it encountered Thee in the lower regions". It was embittered, for it was abolished! It was embittered, for it was mocked! It was embittered, for it was purged! It was embittered, for it was despoiled! It was embittered, for it was bound in chains! It took a body and came upon God! It took earth and encountered Ηeaven! It took what it saw, but crumbled before what it had not seen! O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown! Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen! Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb! For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the First-fruits of them that have slept. To Him be glory and might unto the ages of ages. Amen. *Music Lee Rosevere: Under Suspicion; Kai Engel: Ode to the World

Meditation for Station 14: Tomb. Jesus is buried in the tomb. The women who had followed Jesus throughout his ministry also followed him to his death and beyond. They served as midwives of Jesus' death before they followed his body to the tomb, where they will serve as the midwives of his resurrection. Jesus had ministered to them and they had ministered to him. They received and responded. The way they followed Jesus was marked by a reciprocity of love. What does following Jesus look like for you? *Music: Vivaldi's Credo Crucifixius performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra; Denouement by Kai Engel.

Meditation for Station 13: Death. Jesus dies and the veil of the Temple is torn. As Jesus crossed the boundary between life and death, the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. He became the door – the threshold – the place of transformation: heaven brought to earth, unclean made clean, profane made sacred, curse restored to blessing, death resurrected to life. *Music: Agnus Dei performed Tudor Consort; Curtains are Always Drawn by Kai Engel.

Meditation for Station 12: Grief. Jesus speaks to his mother from the cross. Mary stands before her son hanging in agony upon a cross. Her womb contained the uncontainable God. The incarnate word given birth through her very own flesh and blood, now offering her a second birth through his own flesh and blood. And so, every Eucharist, we return to the cross to stand among these women, the attendants of the first Eucharist. And at their head, Mary, the mother of Jesus. *Music: Cujus Animam Gementem performed by Tudor Consort; Evermore by Kai Engel.

Meditation for Station 11: Thirst. Jesus thirsts. Wherever there is suffering, Jesus is present saying, “I thirst”. Consider the hungry, thirsty, refugees, poor, sick and imprisoned. Ask Jesus “Where are you thirsty?” How would you like to use me? *Music: Byzantine Chant Kontakion Unshakeable Foundation by Cappella Romana; Kai Engel: Soli.

Meditation for Station 10: Wounds. Jesus is stripped and crucified. Jewish Artists Marc Chagall painted the White Crucifixion in response to “Kristaylnacht” - the Night of broken glass. Hundreds died and tens of thousands rounded up, arrested and taken to concentration camps. Chagall condemned the world for its silence and invited Christians to respond in light of their own teachings on Jesus. What present day sufferings would you paint? To view the "White Crucifixion" by Marc Chagall, please visit this link to the Art Institute of Chicago: www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/59426 The song Via Dolorosa provided with courtesy by Young Noah.

Meditation for Station 9: Lament. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. Oh daughters of Jerusalem, Cry aloud! Lift up your voices! On behalf of your own people, your city, your children, wail and beat your breasts for all who suffer. *Music: Kai Engel: Morbid Imaginations; Couperin's Air de Diablo performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra; Via Dolorosa by Young Noah (@realyoungnoah).

Meditation for Station 8: Fall. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross. As Simon took up the cross and followed Jesus, he was called into solidarity with someone who is suffering. What does this call to solidarity sound like for you? *Music: Russian Liturgical Chant: Turn Not Thy Face Away from Thy Servant; Kai Engel: Aspirato.

Meditation for Station 7: Burden. The King takes up his cross. Jesus came to break the bonds of wickedness and oppression and he calls us to join this work of liberation. What burdens do you need lifted? What would it look like to share the burdens of others? *Music: Russian Liturgical Chant: The Cross Exalted Invites All Creation; Kai Engel: Cloudburst.

Meditation for Station of the Cross 6: Scourge. Jesus is scourged and wears a crown of thorns. Jesus suffered as an expression of the ultimate divine love: having loved his own in the world, he loved them to the uttermost. *Music: Victim Paschali Laudes performed by Tudor Consort; Bach's Andante from Italian Concerto performed on harp by Catrin Finch.

Meditation for Station of the Cross 5: Judgement. Jesus is Judged by Pilate. Pilate looks with amaze at Jesus. What amazes him? What amazes you about Jesus? *Music: Todor Consort perform Kyrie Eleison; Barryvan performs Je mei Souviens de l'Automne

Meditation for Station of the Cross 4: Denial. Peter Denies Jesus. Can you recall a time in your life when you have felt a great sifting, a temptation that consumed you or a loss of faith? Is this something you’re walking through now? Music: Cappella Romana's Byzantine Chant: Prokeimenon; Kai Engel: Mist and Clouds

Meditation for Station 3: Condemnation. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin. Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy.” *Music: Couperin's Prelude la Tromba, Air de Diable performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra; Perdue No. 1 performed by Barryvan

Meditation for Station 2: Betrayal. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested. *Music: Les Petits Chanteurs de Montigny: O Bone Jesus; Violin by Neil Leonard

Meditation for Station 1: Passion. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane *Music provided by Les Petits Chanteurs de Montigny: Cantata Domino GO Pitoni and Kai Engel: Take a Look Around You. Scripture Reading: Cody Wood

This episode is a repost of the Stations of the Cross meditations from Season one of the Betwixt Podcast. I’m reviving this series because we are in the midst of an incredibly liminal time on a global level. We are also in the season of Lent - the liminal time in the Church calendar where we journey 40 days with Jesus along the way of the cross. It’s called the season of Bright sadness - “bitter joy,” “joyful mourning,” of “affliction that leads to joy.” As the Covid-19 pandemic and Lent intermingle, these words of Father John Breck feel all the more poignant. Bright sadness, he said, may be the most powerful and important experience we can know. It brings to our mind and heart, in the most direct and personal way, the ultimate purpose of our life and the object or end of our most passionate desire. It reminds us of who we are, as beloved children of God, created in His image and invited to glorify and enjoy Him forever. That conflicted emotion of bright sadness is a blessed gift, bestowed by the God who loves us with a “love without limit.” Because most of us are not able to physically go to a church or monastary to walk the stations of the cross this year, I hope that these mediations will serve as a beautiful companion to you as we draw closer to Easter. For the next two week, I’ll plan to post one station of the Cross each day. May they whisper in your ear the love of God who’s love is without limit. Traditionally, Christians have walked the stations of the Cross during the last week of Lent known as Holy Week. And so, I’ve crafted a series of meditations for Holy Week which follow the stations of the cross. There are 14 stations, two per day. You can listen in your car on the way to and from work. Or one in the morning and one at night. Or you can simply just listen when you can. Now, the beauty of podcasting is that you don’t have to listen at a certain time or place. And this is true of the stations of the cross as well. They can be walked any time - not just during Lent - so feel free to return to these meditations any time you feel that invitation toward the cross. This is our invitation and so throughout the journey we will often conclude the meditations with the Beloved Prayer. Together we say: Jesus, you are the Beloved Jesus, I am the Beloved Jesus, we all are the Beloved. Art: Stations of the Cross Artwork by Holly Leonard. Scripture reading by Cody Wood. Music: Lee Rosevere: Under Suspicion;Kai Engle: Daedalus

To view the image of Mary and Eve, visit https://www.monasterycandy.com/Detail?prod=99 To download the Advent Pantoum Exercise, visit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1np5jrZh56khbftckpXIKm6DkCPnwchilHsAS0SSqCRQ/edit?usp=sharing “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience. For what the virgin Eve tied by her unbelief, this Mary untied by her belief.” Ireneus  Do you know the Deliverance Song women echoed in Mary's Magnificat? This Betwixt Podcast Advent Meditation explores the daughter's of Eve who not only expected God's salvation, but to play a part in his salvation plan. Their stories are traced in this image as Mary Consoles Eve. Three woman in particular arose to cooperate with God's plan of salvation and helped craft the tradition of Deliverance Song. We hear their "Yes!" to God and battle cries echoed in Mary's magnificent anthem of revolution. Listen in as we meditate on this crayon and pencil image of Mary consoling Eve created by Sr Grace Remington at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa.  The episode ends with an Advent Pantoum exercise. You can download a copy of it here and join along. This Podcast relies on shares & reviews from listeners like you!  Subscribe/Rate/Review Betwixt on iTunes! Thanks to these artists for making their work available for use: Ryvoli: Roots Jon Luc Hefferman:  A Storm at Eilean Mor Kai Engel: Neon Flesh, Idea, Run, Fyeri, Lee Rosevere: Taking the Time Sr Grace Remington (image used with permission)

Bonus Track to Episode 27 with Karen Swallow Prior. Listen to the Behind the scenes conversation with Mandy Smith about virtue, women and the women's luncheon at the Awakenings Gathering.

Today on the Betwixt Podcast, Dr. Karen Swallow Prior talks about her newest book On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Literature. Her book walks readers through twelves literary works that show us how to live virtuously. "Literature is like a boxing ring of ideas where we can try out and test ideas.” - We also discuss the virtue (or vice) of angry reading, Prior's combat boots and why virtue is so tricky for women. “The latin root word for virtue is the same root word for man. So virtue literally meant manliness.” Historically, women have not been expected to be virtuous - with the exception of the 19th century ideal of chastity. When it comes to women’s issues, Prior notices a binary trap. You’re either conservative or progressive. Or you are either egalitarian or complementarian. "It’s a binary based on opposition, conflict, disagreement and denouncement.” What it might look like for women to defy labels and come together in unity, support and affirmation? Karen Swallow Prior is Professor of English at Liberty University. She is the author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me, Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist, and her latest book On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Literature. She lives in Virginia with her husband Roy and sundry horses, dogs and chickens. Special Bonus: Mandy Smith joins the conversation to talk about a powerful moment at the Women’s Luncheon during the Missio Alliance Awakenings Gathering. Through that story, we explore how God is calling women to live and lead virtuously for the sake of the Church and the world. Links Twitter: @KSPrior karenswallowprior.com

“Christian life is not a life divided between times for action and times for contemplation. No. Real social action is a way of contemplation, and real contemplation is the core of social action.” Henri Nouwen Continuing our series on Action & Contemplation, Phileena Heuertz talks about contemplation. How do contemplation and action work together? Why are practices of reflection and contemplative prayer essential to meaningful impact in the world? Phileena Heuertz spent 20 years working as an activist in some of the worlds toughest places. And then she had a crisis of faith. "I really needed a practice that could hold me. Before, it was me holding my faith. But I needed my faith to hold me. I needed to let go. I needed to be held by God." Today, Phileena is a spiritual director and teacher of contemplative prayer. She helps other activists and ministry leaders deepen their relationships with God, discern their unconscious motivations for service and cultivate practices of stillness, silence and solitude.  “Solitude teaches us to be present. Silence teaches us to listen. Stillness teaches us what appropriate engagement looks like.” - Phileena Heuertz Phileena’s new book Mindful Silence examines these three contemplative themes. She asks how we can offer a different kind of presence in the world that activates redemptive impact? Phileena Heuertz is the author of Pilgrimage of the Soul and her new book Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation. She is a spiritual director and founding partner of Gravity, a center for contemplative activism in Omaha Nebraska where she lives with her husband Chris. "There are unconscious motivations that drive us into service that may appear to be selfless and altruistic but upon deeper introspective may be self-serving. And it’s that self-serving aspect of activism that perpetuates exploitation of others." - Phileena Heuertz Listen to Part 1 with Kathy Khang. Kathy talks about Action and her new book Raise your Voice: Why we Stay Silent and How to Speak Up!  This Podcast relies on shares & reviews from listeners like you!  Subscribe/Rate/Review Betwixt on iTunes! Learn more about the podcast at betwixtpodcast.com

Action or contemplation–which is better? This pitting of one against the other has been a long standing debate throughout history. Theologians have often used allegorical depictions of biblical women to illustrate this divide.  Augustine famously used the two wives of Jacob to articulate his preference. He held up Leah as the model of the fruitful activist life. But Rachael was a model of the harder to attain contemplative life. Others set the Biblical sisters Mary against Martha: Mary, who sits as a disciple at the feet of Jesus, is identified with contemplation whilst her sister Martha, who is distracted by her many tasks, represents action. Philosopher Hannah Arendt believed that prior to the Modern Age, contemplation was preferred. But with the technological boom, the Protestant Reformation and the rise of Marxism, action become dominant. Yet, there have always been streams within the contemplative tradition that seek to unite the two for healthy Christian formation. “We need both action and contemplation to have a whole spiritual journey. It doesn’t matter which comes first; action may lead you to contemplation and contemplation may lead you to action.” Fr. Richard Rohr And so, in the next two episodes, I want to elevate two women (without pitting them against one another!) as they illustrate how action and contemplation work together for holistic Christian formation. In today’s episode, activist Kathy Khang talks about action and her latest book Raise your Voice: Why we Stay Silent and How to speak up! Kathy and I talk about why our voices matters, the costs of raising our voices, and the dangers of assimilation. Kathy Khang is a writer, speaker and yoga instructor who has worked in campus ministry for more than twenty years. She is a coauthor of More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Women on Expectations, Relationships, Leadership and Faith. and the author of a new book: Raise Your Voice, which we talk about in this episode. Stay tuned for Part 2 when we speak with Phileena Heuretz about contemplation and her new book: Mindful Silence: The heart of Christian Contemplation. Link: Visit Kathy's website and read her blog at kathykhang.com Follow her on Twitter: @mskathykhang Purchase Raise Your Voice: https://amzn.to/2Mg5u6R Watch the Shalom Chant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D8QjWqe2hU Thanks to Kai Engel for the use of his song Snowfall Special thanks to Julie Tai at Fuller Seminary for the use of the Shalom Chant. You can view the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D8QjWqe2hU

People often say, God is love. But when you think of God’s love, what does that mean to you? My guest is Michael Card, author of the new book Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness. Card calls hesed the “greatest sacramental word in the Hebrew Bible.” It’s an untranslatable word that defines an inexpressible mystery. We have no English word to adequately describes hesed, yet it’s a word that God uses to describe himself. It’s an incredibly transformational word. Mike and I talk about how hesed changes us and how it heals our world. Michael Card is a well beloved author and songwriter. You may have heard his classic songs Immanuel or El Shaddai. You may even have some of his thirty-one albums! But did you know that he is also a prolific author and biblical scholar? He has written or contributed to more than twenty-four books. He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University with a bachelor's and master's degree in biblical studies. He also teaches the bible in a variety of settings and he serves as mentor to many younger artists and musicians. Michael Card lives in Franklin Tennessee with his wife and four children. Links: www.michaelcard.com Purchase Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness at https://www.ivpress.com/inexpressible Listen to the companion album: To the Kindness of God at https://amzn.to/2VB28DS Listen to Michael Card's podcast In the Studio: https://www.michaelcard.com/inthestudio Register for the MissioAlliance Rountable Book Discussion on C Christopher Smith's Book: How the Body of Christ Talks (https://www.missioalliance.org/resource/roundtable-book-discussion-how-the-body-of-christ-talks) Special thanks to Michael Card for the generous use of his music that you heard in this episode: The Shelter of the Shadow I Will Be Kind Job Suite Prelude 128 My Help (Psalm 121) That Kind of Love When Dinah Held My Hand Meditation 4 Selah Poem of Your Life

“Intersex is a broad label for people with differences of sex development (DSDs)—people whose bodies show physical characteristics of both male and female.” - Intersex and Faith In this latest Betwixt Podcast episode, Deb Gregory talks with Lianne Simon about her experience as a Christian intersex woman. Lianne shares her remarkable journey of faith despite experiences of abuse, shame and invisibility. Liane Simon was born with a genetic condition that caused sexual ambiguity. Because her body features a mosaic of both male and female chromosomes, much of Lianne’s life was spent coming to terms with a body that was born different. "Will I be male or female in heaven? I don’t know. But I know my redeemer loves me." In a culture conflicted by questions of gender, sex and faith, Lianne’s story helps us to lay aside ideology in order to compassionately listen to the reality of those who live on the threshold between male and female. Perhaps this story can help foster a space for healing conversations within your community. “Intersex people need bodily autonomy and integrity. We are the ones who need to figure out whether we can fit into this world in a mostly binary way (and which one) or whether we need to embrace the body God gave us.” Lianne Simon Lianne is the author of the books Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite and A Proper Young Lady which tell fictional accounts of intersex stories. She is also an advocate for families and children with intersex conditions. Lianne and Theologian Megan DeFranza are the producers of the new documentary film Stories of Intersex and Faith. The film tells the stories of five intersexed people who find healing and hope in their faith. The film also advocates for greater understanding and ethical standards around unnecessary cosmetic genital surgeries on children. “It’s society that needs to be healed, not us.” @Intersexfaith Links: Visit Lianne Simon’s Website www.liannesimon.com Check out the Documentary Stories of Intersex and Faith http://storiesofintersexandfaith.com/ Follow the Doc Stories of Intersex & Faith on Facebook or Twitter https://www.facebook.com/intersexfaithdoc/ https://twitter.com/intersexfaith Intersex & Faith Cirriculum for Churches and community groups https://www.megandefranza.com/curriculum To Learn More about Intersex Conditions: https://www.intersexandfaith.org/resources Visit Megan DeFranza’s website https://www.megandefranza.com/

It’s Holy Week and we’re coming up on my favorite day in the Christian calendar: Maundy Thursday. Although it’s not a popular day for evangelical services, it’s without a doubt the most transformational space - or liminal space - that I’ve encountered in a Church service. That particular service was held at the International Anglican Church in Colorado Springs. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve attended many incredible revival services over the years, but the IAC Maundy Thursday service is kind of the opposite of revival, but in the best sort of way. In this episode, Tara Owens and Jay Greener help me tell this Maundy Thursday story. We talk about the institution of the Lord’s Supper, the discomfort of footwashing and how the disorientation of betrayal (along with pastoral defrocking and abandonment) prepares our hearts for Easter. Rev. Canon Jay Greener serves as the Rector at Church of the Redeemer In Chicago. Before that he served in various ministry roles within churches and Christian organizations around the country. Jay is also a Canon, or Senior Priest, in the Shyira Diocese of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. Formerly a broadcaster, Jay is particularly interested in the many ways that we hear God, and communicate about God. He is a graduate of Wheaton College, Yale Divinity School, and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, Worship and the Arts. Tara Owens opens up our imagination for Maundy Thursday through her own story, which she writes about in her book Embracing the Body: Finding God in Our Flesh and Bone. Tara is a writer, Spiritual Director and Founder of Anam Cara Ministries. She holds a TM in Spiritual Formation from Tyndale Seminary. Links: Visit Church of the Redeemer https://redeemernorthshore.org/ Listen to Jay’s Sermons https://redeemernorthshore.org/category/podcast/ Connect with Tara Owens at https://anamcara.com/ Read her book Embracing the Body:Finding God in Our Flesh and Bone http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3593 Read More about Maundy Thursday from these Missio authors: Maundy Thursday: #TrulyHuman Love Comes Through The Cross by Seth Richardson https://www.missioalliance.org/maundy-thursday-trulyhuman-love-comes-through-the-cross/ Maundy Thursday, a New Commandment, & a Prayer by Mark Moore https://www.missioalliance.org/maundy-thursday-a-new-commandment-a-prayer/ Holy Saturday – The leadership of Christ into the Tomb by David Fitch https://www.missioalliance.org/holy-saturday-the-leadership-of-christ-into-the-tomb/ Music: Special Thanks to Kai Engle (www.kai-engel.com) for the generous use of these songs: Irsens Tale, July, Cendres, Run, Snowfall Intro, January, Morbid Imagination, Soli, Realness And thank you to these www.Freesound.org contributors: Sink Water Washing Splishing splashing open washbasin vanity basin by Ericssoundschmiede washing hands shake by lolux water pour by johnsonbrandediting washing hands by fabrizio84 squeezing sponde into bucket of water by Elliottmoo Doing the Dishes by Eelke Cloth flapping on a clothesline thickly by leonelmail Undress by Walter Odington Scrubbing Table by Bmcken Male Breathing by Falcons Shadow Runningstaircase by HerbertBoland Doorway by Dobroide Door Church Close by Instpectorj

Artist Bruce Herman on Ordinary Saints: The Dangerous Space Between Icon and Portrait (The Art of Paradox Part 2) “Essentially poetry, art, music, break open the world again for us that had gotten closed by our false certainties.” In the last Betwixt Episode, Artist Bruce Herman told the story about the house-fire in which he lost 25 years of artwork. Bruce described it as a “eu-catastrophe” - the good catastrophe that brought freedom amidst great loss. In Part 2 of this robust conversation with Bruce Herman, I wanted to learn more about his work as an artist. What are the new possibilities and narratives he has been exploring? What role does art play in the life of the Church? I am particularly interested in his latest series called Ordinary Saints which explores the fraught space between the icon and the portrait. A space Bruce has described as “entering into no-man’s land, between the sacred traditions on the one hand and the traditions of portraiture, and of art-song and poetry.” “Playing God is the great temptation for all of us. Especially artists . . . My imagination had been colonized by my desire for reputation.” Links: Get acquainted with Bruce Herman’s art by visiting www.bruceherman.com See what Malcolm Guite is creating by visiting https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com Listen to J.A.C. Redford’s Music at www.jacredford.com Watch Malcolm Guite and Steve Bell Perform “Your Poetry is Jamming My Machine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkYjB_ZcXW0 Music and Poetry: Stories About the World that Once Was Performed by Chris Zabriskie CC license www.freemusicarchive.com Aspirato performed by Kai Engel CC license www.freemusicarchive.com “Your Poetry is Jamming My Machine” by Malcolm Guite. Performed with Steve Bell Turn Not Thy Face Away from Thy Servant by Russian Liturgical Chant CC license www.Archive.org Summoning Beauty Music by JAC Redford for Ordinary Saints. (Used with Permission) Portrait of the Artist. (Used with Permission) Poetry by Malcolm Guite, music by JAC Redford for Ordinary Saints. Performed live at Laity Lodge.

A great paradox of the Christian life is to stand at the edge of loss and to somehow gain freedom. In this episode, artist Bruce Herman shares his paradoxical story of embracing freedom amidst great loss. “A bunch of people have asked me over the years, what was it like to have your house hit by three bolts of lightning, burn down and destroy 25 years of your work as an artist? That must have been devastating! My honest answer is, ‘No, it really wasn’t. It was a eucatastrophe. It’s the good chaos or the good catastrophe.’ Right after the fire. That same afternoon evening, my wife and I went dancing.” We either believe that God is going to take care of us or we don’t. Bruce Herman is an artist, essayist, speaker, professor. He is the Lothlórien Distinguished Chair in Fine Arts at Gordon College where he founded the Art Department 35 years ago. Herman’s art has been exhibited around the world. His paintings have been housed in world renown museums like the Vatican Museum of Modern Religious Art and the Cincinnati Museum of Fine Arts. Visit Bruce Herman at www.bruceherman.com Thank you to these musical artist for the use of their songs: www.DexterBritain.com: Lifted www.Kai-Engel.com: Cendres; Run www.jasonharrod.com www.brianfunck.com Lion Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EaUy0PUBkQ Thanks to www.freesound.org contributors: ExplosionBombBlastAmbient2.wav by Zimbot JM_FX_Fireball 01.wav by Julien Matthey Electric Shock.wav by GlenCurtisAdams ELECTRIC_ZAP_001.wav by JoelAudio Smoke detector alarm, close perspective.wav

In this Betwixt Podcast episode, we talk with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson about her journey to becoming a truth-teller in a divided world. The truth is, Natasha is a bridge-builder. She spans the distance between diverse communities, forging paths of deeper understanding, reconciliation and healing. “When you have influence, and all of us do, consider your space. How do you invite people into those spaces and opportunities because of the gospel?” - Natasha Sistrunk Robinson Natasha was a star student and athlete with the kind of leadership potential that led her to the US Naval Academy and on to becoming a Marine Corp Officer. She has worked in leadership positions in the military, government, church, seminary and non-profit sectors. Natasha is the founder of Leadership LINKS, Inc. where she mentors leaders toward affecting generational and cultural change. She has written several books on Mentorship and discipleship and is the author of her newest book: A Sojourner’s Truth, Becoming a Truth-teller in a Divided World.

In this episode,Tish Harrison Warren shares her painful story of miscarriage. Because miscarriage was a wordless experience, she recognized her need for words from her community. She grasped on to liturgies of lament, wrapping time-tested words around her grief in the presence of community. How do we pastor those who have experienced loss through miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility or a regretted abortion? Listen as Tish casts a vision of grief care through liturgy. Tish Harrison Warren is an Anglican Priest and the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life. “Miscarriage, for me it was complex grieving. I mean this baby– this living and dying that was all happening right in my body . . .  it’s hard for even finding words for this. And I think that’s partly because in times of deep grief, words are given to us. That’s why we have funerals. And because we don’t have that typically for women that walk through miscarriage, it can be a wordless experience.” – Tish Harrison Warren Music: Kai Engel: Tumult, Harbor, Meekness, and Aspirato Tudor Consort: Kyrie Eleison Joelle Hochstedler: Pain and Abide with Me Special Thanks to Indelible Grace for granting us permission to record their arrangement of Abide With Me for use in this episode. This version of Abide with Me was written by Henry Lyte, arranged by Justin Smith and performed by Joelle Hochstedler, Deb Gregory and Joe Byler. This Podcast relies on shares & reviews from listeners like you!  Subscribe/Rate/Review Betwixt on iTunes! If you enjoyed this episode, you might like: Station of the Cross 12 – Grief Episode 17: Aaron Niequist on Practice-Based Faith