The Living Church Podcast

Support the showRegister for conference: Preaching in a Post-Christian Age. David Bentley Hart, that peppery, unyielding Eastern Orthodox theologian, has two brothers: one is a Church of England priest, another is an American Anglo-Catholic priest. Wouldn't you love to be at that Thanksgiving table?You may have heard it said that families are some of God's most radical ecumenical experiments. Today we have two brothers, situated in denominations that have historically been in tension, even opposition.Inter-Anglican tensions have a long and complex history. But most of us have not lived through the whole history. We just begin where we are. So what do we make of the church we're given? And how do we navigate in the broken pieces, especially as parish priests?Today we sit down with two brothers, both priests, one in the Episcopal Church, one in the Anglican Church in North America. They were kind enough to come on the podcast to share about their journeys, their discernment into the priesthood, and also to field Amber's questions -- not always softballs -- about Christian unity, the episcopacy, prayer books, communion with Canterbury, and how it affects their ministries. What does Christian wisdom entail in divided times?: a question many of us are asking. Let's start at the dinner table and see what happens.Our guests are the Rev. Jonathan and the Rev. David Beadle. Jon is rector of All Saints, Conroe, Texas, in the Western Gulf Coast Diocese of the Anglican Church in North America, and David is curate at St. Matthew's Episcopal Cathedral in Dallas.Support the showRegister for conference: Preaching in a Post-Christian Age.

Support the showRegister for conference: Preaching in a Post-Christian Age. If you're new to the podcast, welcome, we are glad you're here at the Living Church Podcast, the only one of its kind created for pastors, teachers, interested lay people in the Episcopal Church, Anglican Communion, and beyond to equip, encourage, and entertain you so that your calling in God's Church feels a little easier, a little braver, a little more companioned.Today we are kicking off the month of May, traditionally known as Mary's month, with a trip to Kenya. Specifically, we are going to the office of Dr. Esther Mombo at St. Paul's University in Limuru, where she hosted us, along with one of her dissertation advisees, for a conversation on women in ministry in Kenya, and what their journeys have looked like.The struggles women in ministry have are common are remarkably similar across cultural contexts. We will talk about finding a call to church leadership, taking the bold step of telling others you've got a call, and then going through training, discernment, money questions and job openings, all while wondering how to balance dating, friendships, marriage, and motherhood. We will also discover just how important grandmas really are.Esther Mombo is associate professor in theology at St. Paul's University in Limuru, Kenya, with a specialty in church history, theologies from women’s perspectives, and interfaith relations. She works closely with the Programme for Christian and Muslim relations in Africa and is a member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. She has previously served on the Inter-Anglican Doctrinal and Theological Commission.Joining Esther is Makena Jackline. Makena is a doctoral student in the department of religious studies at St. Paul's University, in African theology and philosophy, with a concentration on gender and theology. She also serves as a youth minister and mentor in the Methodist Church.Now buckle up for a ride down the still-pretty-bumpy path of women's discernment and ministry calling. As we will see, where God calls, he always shows the way. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Support the showRegister for conference: Preaching in a Post-Christian Age.

Biblical scholar Amy Peeler's new book, Women and the Gender of God, is a deep, scriptural exploration of the way gender and human embodiment color our relationship with God -- and if we take the Virgin birth seriously, then not only color that relationship, but in some ways substantiate it. Whether you're in a world that venerates the Virgin Mother or debates about complimentarian vs. egalitarian, you are going to find something in this conversation that will challenge and teach you about the life of our Lord with us, through the way Scripture and imagination use gender, through the lives of women, and through the life and incarnation of Jesus Christ. And by the end you might get the impression that evangelicals will be leading the next big Marian movement.The Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler is associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and associate rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Geneva, Ill. Author of Women and the Gender of God, “You Are My Son”: The Family of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews, and co-author of Hebrews: An Introduction and Study Guide. She is a member of the Institute for Biblical Research, Society of Biblical Literature, and a Fellow with the Center for Pastor Theologians. Interviewing Amy is the Rev. Dr. Wesley Hill, associate professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary and scripture scholar at Church of the Incarnation, Dallas.Check out Amy's book, Women and the Gender of God

Become a special monthly podcast supporter! Click here to support the show.Meditating on the Passion, on the Lord's suffering for us, we often recall times and places of other suffering -- in our own hearts, our lives, the lives of others. Several weeks ago, I was introduced to a woman who has seen what it's like for God to bear witness to himself in the life and sufferings of his people in profound ways across borders: borders of nationality and religious tradition; across the lines of sinner and saint, priest and prostitute. These stories are about some of God's people living at the border of Mexico and the U.S., and how a New Mexico photographer and writer found herself, over and over, involved in the work, the suffering, the questions and prayers of folks in a small town called Palomas. These stories are also about how God works in and through the wounds of our lives as we meet very similar wounds in our neighbors. How do the marks of violence and pain become doors to grace?My guest is Victoria Tester. Victoria is a Third Order Franciscan and a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Coleman, Texas. She is a poet and playwright and a recipient of awards that include an Academy of American Poets prize and a Willa Cather Literary Award. She has also worked as a photographer and founded the San Isidro Bean Project which, in a time of famine, made over a million meals possible in cooperation with a family farm.We hope you enjoy the conversation.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/living-church/support

Become a special monthly podcast supporter! Click here and then click Support.Welcome to the final episode of Lent in 2023. We are going to hear from 7 guests about their take on some aspect of the words of Our Lord's prayer: forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. The forgiveness of debts -- especially as it applies to the lives of Christian leaders -- how do we make forgiveness a habit? Call for forgiveness in communities after atrocity and hurt? Cultivate forgiveness from the heart? Know when we need to offer it, especially among the daily slings and arrows of church administration, expectations, and daily drama. We'll talk about the forgiveness of ancestral wrongs, and how forgiveness is possible in the midst of social injustice. And how about forgiving literal debt? Anyone up for that? How might Jesus' shepherding of us, his gentle call to forgiveness, pervade all these areas of our lives, and gain ground for grace, and for his glory?I had the joy of speaking to each of these guests:Dr. Nigel Biggar, theologian, ethicist, and author of Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning; regius professor of moral and pastoral theology at the University of Oxford; and director of the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Life. The Rev. Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns, visiting professor at United Theological Seminary and director of their global Pentecostal House of Studies.The Rt. Rev. Dhiloraj Canagasabey, Bishop of Colombo in Sri Lanka and former Presiding Bishop of the Church of Ceylon.The Rev. Stephen Crawford, rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Franklin, Louisiana.The Rt. Rev. Todd Hunter, church planter and Bishop of the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others in the Anglican Church in North America.The Rev. David Sibley, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Walla Walla, Washington, and -- I'm sorry David I had to add -- four-time Jeopardy champion.And the Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Everett, Washington, and Vice President of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church.Hold on tight to your purple stoles. Forgiveness can be a bumpy ride. But it's one the Lord promises to bless us and help us on.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/living-church/support

Become a special monthly podcast supporter! Click here and then click Support.I was never very good at limbo. I remember repeated forced limbo games in school, on spirit days or athletics days, or the occasional picnic. The attempt to sincerely try to get as low as you could go, in front of everybody -- well, the chances of failure seemed too high for my pride. I was gangly, averse to physical embarrassment. So instead of really trying, I made a goofy show of failing. If I couldn't win, I'd make people laugh. I'd flail my arms and knock down the pole. They couldn't make me go low. My little form of protest. My little version of perfectionism.Mockingbird Ministries director, David Zahl, has just released a book called Low Anthropology, in hopes of reaching a perfectionism-saturated Western culture with the grace and love of God. The life God has for us -- of joy, peace, and yes, righteousness, becoming better at being human, begin and subsist, first and always, in humility and a realistic view of ourselves and others. If that book could have spoken to my limbo-evading self, it might say, "Enough with the pretense dear, goofy, misguided child of God. You're going to fail. You're going to look stupid and be ridiculous. You're going to do it wrong. It's not about how low you can go. You're human -- you're already pretty low. The difference is, do you want to go through this with grace? And have some genuine laughs along the way?"David Zahl is founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries and editor-in-chief of the Mockingbird website. David also serves on the staff of Christ Episcopal Church, Charlottesville, Virginia, as college and adult education minister. He is the author of A Mess of Help: From the Crucified Soul of Rock N’ Roll; Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technlogy, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What To Do About It; and his newest book is, of course, Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself).Our interviewer is the Rev. Zac Koons, rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas.A word about our human plight is, through Jesus, always a word of hope. And we hope you enjoy the conversation.Check out Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself).--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/living-church/support

Welcome back podcast listeners. And welcome to Lent. Whether you're relatively new to Lent, old hat, or just really not that into it if you're honest -- totally cool. We've got a little something for everyone today -- to think about, enjoy, maybe even new to glean for your Lenten practice.My guest today is the Rev. Dr. Esau McCaulley, has just released a brief, readable, and very wise guide to the season of Lent. And I'm looking forward to sharing our conversation with you.We talked about our own journeys into discovering Lent and the church seasons. We wrestle with the relationship between Lenten practices and spiritual maturity, such as the dangers of relying on ritual, as well as the dangers of running from it.How do we discern sin in an anxiety-ridden, shame-saturated, fearful world? Is there a relationship between personal fasting and social justice? If your car breaks down close to a church, should you take it as a sign and just go in and see what's going on? And perhaps most importantly, speaking of cars, if your spiritual life were a car, what would it be?Esau is associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and theologian in residence at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. He is the author of four available books, Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal, Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance, Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope, and Josey Johnson’s Hair and the Holy Spirit. He is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and has a memoir coming out in September.Now put away that chocolate and settle in. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Give to the Living Church Check out Esau's books:Lent: The Season of Repentance and RenewalSharing in the Son’s InheritanceReading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in HopeJosey Johnson’s Hair and the Holy SpiritHow Far to the Promised Land? (new memoir)--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/living-church/support

Donate to the Living Church.What's more important, unity or justice?Today we're travelling back in time with the Rev. Dr. Brandt Montgomery and the Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin to look at some influential figures from the Episcopal past -- John Henry Hobart and the founders of Saint James School in Maryland -- and how they influenced the shapes of political engagement of Anglicans in the United States. We'll examine the choices they made that encouraged justice and flourishing among God's people, especially among Black Anglicans -- or not; and mistakes they made that, however clear or unclear they were at the time, we can now see in retrospect. What can we learn from them?One interesting pattern that we'll trace from the 19th century to today is the high-church Anglican habit of reserve, which often includes a strategy of gradualism or reticence when it comes to social justice issues. How do you balance social justice with a peaceful or coherent community life? Is it a matter of balance? Or some other kind of equation?Together Father Brandt and Bishop Franklin will examine this speckled history as it plays out in these leaders' responses to social ills and evils, especially those that affect Black Americans, from slavery to civil rights. And what do the Anglo-Catholics have to do with all of this?Bishop Bill Franklin is assisting bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. He was previously Bishop of Western New York, and has also served, among other places, at St. Paul's Within the Walls in Rome, as associate director of the American Academy in Rome, and as associate priest of the Anglican Centre in Rome. He served as dean of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and as a professor at the General Theological Seminary in New York and at St. John's University in Minnesota.Fr. Brandt Montgomery is the chaplain of Saint James School in Hagerstown, Maryland, having previously served as the Chaplain of Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette, Louisiana and curate at Canterbury Episcopal Chapel and Student Center at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He is a trumpet player and profound lover of jazz, as well as a scholar of American religious history, Episcopal Church history, the Oxford Movement and Anglo-Catholicism, and the Civil Rights Movement.Last but not least, our interviewer today is the Rev. Mark Michael, who is our editor and interim executive director here at the Living Church.Now ready the horses and hold onto your garters. We're headed into 200 years of history to see what we can learn for today. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Donate to the Living Church.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/living-church/support

Is it the Book of Acts where someone says, "Look, here is patch of flat dirt. What should prevent us from building a pickleball court?" So maybe not. But any of us who have been in Christian leadership for any length of time, if we have our eyes open to surprise, will experience God doing lots of things with the world and inviting us to participate, often in unpredictable ways. And when we follow, the Lord only knows what he will do. How do you know if God is opening a door? If your community is being called to grow into a new ministry or identity? How can you tell when your own vocation might be taking a turn into new territory? Today -- and here's where we get to the jazz -- we will enjoy a case study in John Coltrane and evening prayer, pickleball courts, and an Anglo-Catholic parish on the Pacific coast pastored by someone who never wanted to be a priest in the first place. But he's since gotten used to the idea. The Rev. Doran Stambaugh is rector at St. Michael's by-the-Sea in Carlsbad, California, where he began as curate in 2005 and where he was ordained to the priesthood. He is also a talented musician. He has learned what pickleball is, and he has a robust and ever-growing zeal for jazz and the liturgical life of the church. We talked about the slow game of ministry in a community, embeddedness, building trust, and opening up God's sometimes subtle invitation to our neighbors, and to our common good. Now change out that clarinet reed. Stretch out those hamstrings. And grab your prayer book. We're headed into a beautiful story of creative ministry. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Check out William Edgar's book, A Supreme Love. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/living-church/support

Welcome back, dear podcast listeners. We are in our 93rd episode here at the top of Epiphanytide, and I hope you had a peaceful and happy Christmas. As Jesus' identity is revealed to the world, first to the Wise Men and later at the Jordan River, how can those who receive this gift be witnesses to his life and love, and not either lose a sense of who he is or who we are or what his presence does in the world, or go about flying our Christian flag in such a way that we're accidentally recruiting for team pirate instead of team Prince of Peace? Last November I had a conversation about mission and evangelism at Duke Divinity School with three friends you've heard on this show before. And I want to share that conversation with you here. It offers fresh and surprising insights from three different contexts: high-powered Manhattan, funky and fabulous Austin Texas, and booming immigrant communities in Dallas. What does it look like for Christian communities, and especially churches, to be involved in sharing the gospel in their own neighborhoods? There aren't many how-tos in our conversation today, but the adventures my guests describe, the trouble they get into for the kingdom, aren't for the faint of heart, either. I was joined by the Rev. Jacob Smith, the Rev. Dr. Samira Page, and the Rev. Dr. Shawn McCain Tirres. I'll introduce them all in the episode today. Finally, special thanks to the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Duke and Duke Divinity School for hosting this conversation, as part of their Symposium on the Future of Anglican Theological Education in North America. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Learn more about the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Duke. Give to the Living Church. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/living-church/support