Crackers and Grape Juice

Two longtime Mockingbird writers, Charlotte Getz and Stephanie Phillips, have written a book that features a patchwork of personal essays, pocket liturgies, and pseudo-fictional plays, and not a dull moment between them. Stephanie Phillips and Charlotte Getz never expected to raise their families anywhere but home, in the American South. But then…life happened. Quirky, hilarious, and (mostly) true, UNMAPPED is the tale of two long-distance friends who found home—together and apart—in unexpected exile. This spiritual memoir duet is unlike anything you’ve ever read.

Luke Norsworthy is known for a few things: amazing hair, a CrossFit body most dads dream of, and a keen awareness that what we say about God has implications that go beyond the cliché. In his new book, 'God Over Good,' Luke explores what it means to save your faith by letting go of the expectations we place on God.An excerpt from the book: "God doesn't always seem to be what we would call good. A good father wouldn't make it so difficult to get to know him, would he? And if God is all-powerful, wouldn't God ensure that we never suffer? Either our understanding of God is incorrect, or our definition of good is inadequate.In a world that is messy and a church that is imperfect, it's easy to let our faith be lost. But that doesn't mean we have to lose God. It means we must consider that perhaps our idealized expectations are wrong.With transparency about his own struggles with cynicism and doubt, pastor Luke Norsworthy will help you trade your confinement of God to an anemic definition of good for confidence in the God who is present in everything."uke Norsworthy (MDiv, Abilene Christian University) is the senior pastor of the 1,500-member Westover Hills Church of Christ in Austin, Texas. A frequent speaker at universities, retreats, and conferences, he is the host of the popular Newsworthy with Norsworthy podcast on which he has rubbed shoulders with some of the brightest and most prominent voices in theology, including N. T. Wright, Barbara Brown Taylor, Mirsolav Volf, Walter Brueggemann, John Ortberg, and more. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three daughters.http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/god-over-good/390350

Natasha S. Robinson joins the podcast to talk about her new book, 'A Sojourner's Truth.' Natasha is a Naval Academy graduate, served in the United States Marine Corps, was the Senior Diversity Admissions Counselor in the Office of Admissions at the Naval Academy, and is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Charlotte. The journey of one of us is the journey of all of us. In these pages we are drawn into the journey of a young African American girl from South Carolina to the United States Naval Academy and then into a calling as a speaker, mentor, writer, and teacher. Intertwined with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson's story is the story of Moses, a young leader who was born into a marginalized people group, resisted injustices of Pharaoh, denied the power of Egypt, and trusted God even when he did not fully understand or know where he was going. Along the way we courageously explore the spiritual and physical tensions of truth-telling, character and leadership development, and bridge building across racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender lines. You are invited to bring along your story as well - to discover your own identity, explore your truth-revealing moments, to live unafraid, and to gain a deeper sense of purpose.http://www.natashasrobinson.com/books/

Everyone has a backstory, and for preachers, that backstory sets the stage for preaching. Lisa Cressman is the author of 'Backstory Preaching: Integrating Life, Spirituality, and Craft' (The Liturgical Press: Collegeville, 2018), and Craft an Effective Sermon by Friday, (www.backstorypreaching.com), a guest preacher, preaching instructor, and speaker. Lisa is a Certified Daring Way® Facilitator, holds a BS in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.Div. from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, CA., and a D.Min. in Practical Theology from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN.

In this episode Jason talks with Parker Palmer about his new book On The Brink Of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old. In addition to the book they talk about a number of other subjects including community organizing during social unrest, incarnation politics, and treating depression with medication.

I met Dr. Rolf Jacobson at the Festival of Homiletics where, eavesdropping on me preaching, he said I sounded more Protestant than any of his students at Luther Seminary. You can check out his sermon here. Dr. Jacobson is the author of Crazy Talk and hosts his own lectionary-based podcast as well. In this episode, he and I talk about the distinction between the Law and the Gospel as a particular emphasis of the Protestant Reformation as well as the role of the Psalms in shaping prayer and giving voice to our emotions before God. In particular, we talk about suffering, his own journey with cancer that’s left him withouth his legs, and the church as a community of care.

Dr. Johanna Hartelius, host of the (Her)Men*You*Tics podcast, offers her 3 do's and don'ts of preaching. Johanna has a Ph.D. in communication/rhetoric from the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin. I teach undergraduate and graduate courses in digital rhetoric, public discourse analysis/criticism, political communication, professional communication skills.

“Protest that precedes prayer is theologically disordered.“It’s pastorally cruel to exhort unbelievers who do not have the gift of the Holy Spirit to live up to the standards of our baptismal covenant.””There’s no urgency in either Testament for God’s People to get involved in the politics of the Principalities and Powers.”John Nugent is professor of Old Testament at Great Lake Christian College and the author of Endangered Gospel: How Fixing the World is Killing the Church.

A conversation between Teer & Taylor about Taylor's sermon, "The Elephant in the Room" which can be found in the #1 New Release, 'I Like Big Buts.'https://www.amazon.com/Like-Big-Buts-Reflections-Letter/dp/1983368830/

During our recent live podcast event in Hampton, Virginia we were able to open the space up for questions to our guests Dr. Johanna Hartelius and Dr. Kendall Soulen. In their responses they address kinship language, the fullness of God, proper names, true freedom, and what it means to be the church.