Holy Unhappiness with Amanda Held Opelt

Week 1 of Advent is focused on the theme of hope, so for this conversation I wanted to speak with someone who knows what it's like when doubt and shifting faith threaten to steal your hope. Ian Harber is the author of the forthcoming book Walking Through Deconstruction, a gentle guide for anyone who wants to be a companion to those who are struggling in their faith. Ian's voice is a trusted one, as his own journey of deconstruction and reconstruction was forged in the fires of grief and loss. And because Advent is a season of waiting and longing, I hope this episode offers some light and grace for those who are longing for a return of confident faith and seeking to rebuild a hope that once felt lost.

Today I am privileged to speak with Dr. O. Alan Noble, professor and author of the book On Getting Out of Bed, which is one of the best books I've ever read about the reality of struggling with mental health as a person of faith. Dr. Noble and I discuss the broken anthropology that may be contributing to the unique anxieties of our age and reflect on the message we send when we choose to persevere through suffering.

Today, I talk with Meredith McDaniel, a licensed clinical mental health counselor and director of Milk + Honey Counseling in Davidson, North Carolina. Meredith and I cover A LOT in this episode, as she helps me unpack a few ideas that are still a bit unresolved in my mind: the role our spiritual practices play in our mental health, our current cultural obsession with wellness, and our sense of personal identity as it relates to a mental health struggle. This conversation was so rich for me, so honest, practical, and helpful.www.meredithmcdaniel.com

Grief has been an enormous part of my own mental health journey. Today on the podcast, I talk with Dr. Mekel Harris who had a profound encounter with grief, one even a Ph.D. in clinical psychology did not fully prepare her for! I consider Dr. Mekel to be a kindred spirit; her deep passion is to offer resources both to individuals and organizations for managing the challenges of grief and mental health needs. Together, we'll discuss the impact grief had on our mental health and ways we learned to move forward with the new burden of grief.

Mental health continues to be a taboo topic in many churches, but today's guest - Chuck DeGroat - has spent years as both a pastor and a psychologist. He brings insights on how the tools of psychological study can be an asset for the church, but also how the rich tradition of soul care in the Christian tradition has a role to play in the lives of those seeking mental wellbeing.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so for the next five weeks, I'll be having conversations with licensed counselors, therapists, psychologists, and pastors about the intersection of faith and mental health. Today, we talk with best-selling author and therapist Aundi Kolber about trauma, listening to our bodies, and why she likes to describe strength like water.

On week four, the Church focuses on the theme of Love. Today I am joined by author and friend Lore Ferguson Wilbert. This was such a timely conversation for me. As we head into a week of celebrations with family and friends, we are all carrying our own burdens - both joy and pain, longings and frustrations. The holidays are not always easy for everyone, and we are pulled in many directions. Christ is the one who helps us show up with love. Lore and I talk about the importance of God incarnate, present in the body, giving of Himself physically to those around Him, and what that means for us.

Advent Week 3: JOY! This upcoming Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday…taken from the Latin word for Rejoice! This week, I talk with Joy Marie Clarkson who is a professor and author of the book Aggressively Happy: A Realist's Guide to Believing in the Goodness of Life. We discuss why it's important to notice where and how Jesus embodied joy in his experience as a human in the incarnation, and we talk about the difference between toxic positivity and wise, resilient, tenacious joy.

For week 2 of Advent, the church has historically focused on the theme of peace. Today, I talk with Dr. Benjamin Norquist, whose work and study led him to spend a lot of time Israel and the West Bank. Ben focused his research on higher education in active conflict zones and in other contested areas. In this episode, we discuss a Biblical view of shalom and also examine the impact of personal, structural, and cultural violence on the world. Ben shares his wisdom on how we might act as peacemakers even as the culture around us temps us with vitriol and polarization.To learn more about Churches for Middle East Peace and the work they are doing in a region that is heavy on all of our hearts this season, go to: https://cmep.org/

The podcast is back for the season of Advent! Historically, the church has recognized four themes through the four weeks of Advent, and we begin with the theme for week one: Hope. I speak with Cole Arthur Riley, author and creator of Black Liturgies, about the role memory, discipline, and awe have to play in our formation of hope.

As I bring the Holy Unhappiness podcast to a close, I wanted to process some final thoughts with two close friends: Ethan Hardin and Graham Aitken, who both serve in pastoral roles at my church here in Boone. I hope this conversation is a reminder that working out concepts as complex as happiness, blessing, sadness, doubt, and holiness must be done in community, in embodied ways with trusted friends and mentors. I'm grateful to Graham and Ethan and their families for the way they've helped me wrestle with the topics I write about in my book. I really hope you listen in! We talk about the meaning of Eden, not making an enemy of our emotions, embracing our belonging & belovedness, and why the story of Christ is still compelling to us.

Sometimes, it feels like the church in America is void of hope. With failures and abuses continuing to make headlines, how do keep our eyes fixed on the vision of redemption and new creation that has always been the cornerstone of our faith? Today, I am honored to speak with Matthew Soerens, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief. He shares how his interaction with the global church has strengthened his hope and faith. We discuss the work of World Relief, the resilience we've witnessed in the midst of suffering, and how communal hope can spring from communal lament. If you are interested in how you or your church can partner with the incredible work of World Relief, please visit their website: www.worldrelief.org

When it comes to spiritual growth and personal righteousness, many Christians have a set of expectations for themselves and for God. What happens when our sanctification process isn't as smooth as we think it should be? How do we handle doubts and failures? Today, I speak with Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, author of the new book The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis. We discuss some of the cultural and historical factors that led to these expectations, and what to do when the life of faith doesn't always feel like we think it should.

What do we do when life gets really hard and we pray for the peace that passes understanding…but the peace doesn't come? Is God still present? Is our suffering an anomaly or aberration? Have we failed or has God failed? Today I talk with singer/songwriter Leah Wrenne about her struggles with anxiety, chronic health issues, and her advocacy for mental health awareness in the church. We talk about the role lament has to play in communities of faith and re-learning what goodness looks like when pain persists.

It is no secret that participation within institutions of faith is significantly declining in this country. While the reasons for this are complex, the decline has coincided with a series of very public failures and scandals involving prominent Christian leaders, denominations, and institutions. Today on the podcast we talk with Katelyn Beaty - journalist, editor and author of the book Celebrities for Jesus. We discuss the church (the subject of chapter 6 in my book) and how to deal with disappointment with the church in healthy, honest ways. Katelyn shares her perspective on the importance of accountability and truth-telling within the communities of faith, and offers a word of hope for what the church could be when it is operating in a healthy way.

Humility, while it is often a stated value of many Christians, is difficult to truly put into practice, to embrace with our whole beings. Too often, it is a lack of humility that stands in the way of our peace and contentment, as we strive to accomplish more, desperately seek recognition or importance, and wrestle with our own failures. Today, I talk with author and speaker Hannah Anderson about her book Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes the Soul. We talk about the importance of seeing ourselves rightly - not as God, not as worms, but as human beings beloved by God.

Many of us have complicated relationships with our bodies. We have certain expectations of what it can and should be able to do for us. We feel the pressure for it to conform to certain societal ideals. We wonder if physical pleasure can be holy. We esteem physical productivity over physical rest. Today, I talk with author and baker @knvslice about what bread has taught her about the body, rest, community, and God - all things I write about in chapter 6 of my book. (Content warning: we do discuss diet culture and issues surrounding body image in this episode, so if that's a difficult topic for you, I just wanted you to be aware).

What does it mean to live as neighbors, to build community in a way that is healthy and whole? Today we talk with author Shannan Martin about loving and being loved by your neighbor, something I write about in chapter 5 of my book. We discuss the costs of getting stuck in the Christian subculture, learning to converse with people who think differently than you, and the challenges and beauty that come with living in proximity to others.

"Calling" is a loaded term, especially for those of us who grew up in the American Christian subculture. Whether it was the pressure to find just the right job or ministry to fit our gifts and passions, or the imperative that we "do something important for God," the term calling can often be associated with stress and anxiety...something I write about in chapter 5 of my book. Today, I talk with singer-songwriter Jon Guerra about the idea of calling and vocation. We discuss the creative life, stewarding our gifts, holiness in the mundane, and the transformation that can occur in our hearts when we are willing to see God in the small, the simple, and the hidden things rather than just the large, the grand, and the eye-catching things.

Ecclesiastes, that ancient book of wisdom, tells us there is nothing better than for us to be happy and do good...to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in our work when we can. Today, I talk with Rachel Marie Kang, author of the book Let There Be Art to talk about the holy practice of noticing beauty and joy. This is something I write about in a mini-chapter of my book entitled: "A Blessing: Delight." Rachel and I discuss how the formula that promises happiness can sometimes distract us from noticing the simple blessings that exist all around us. She offers some practical steps for being present with God even in the seemingly mundane and ordinary.

Have you ever heard that "motherhood is a woman's highest calling" or been told that children are the key to a happy, sanctified life? Today, Kayla Craig - creator of Liturgies for Parents - offers her thoughts on the reality of parenting, both the good and the challenging. She and I discuss chapter 3 of my book, the pitfalls of ranking "callings," the myth of balance, and the joy of noticing God's presence as we caretake our families,

Modern, Western society tends to elevate romantic love as the highest form of love, and the post-Reformation Church has too often implied that Biblical womanhood is best embodied through marriage and motherhood. But have these assumptions perhaps been harmful for both single and married people? Today, I talk with writer and speaker Kaitlyn Schiess about marriage, singleness, and the family of God, which I write about in chapter 2 of my book.

"Find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life." Ever heard this? Ever wonder if it's actually true? Today I'm joined by author and pastor Sharon Hodde Miller to discuss work and labor, which I write about in Chapter 1 of my book.

Welcome to the Holy Unhappiness Podcast! This week, Amanda will share a little bit about how her book Holy Unhappiness: God, Goodness, and the Myth of the Blessed Life came to be, and what inspired her to start this podcast as a companion to the book.