You've heard a lot about Puerto Rico lately--what a time to talk our friend Carlos Rodriguez (founder of the Happy Givers NGO and Author of Drop the Stones), on his final ministry trip to America! The gloves are off, the inhibitions are down, and the fire is falling. In this barnburner of a conversation, Carlos and Jonathan explore their parallel journeys within the Pentecostal/charismatic church, to whatever it is they are doing now--how they have grown and shifted theologically, and what it means to go from being the young upstarts, to the generational shift of becoming "elders" themselves. This is our deepest dive conversation yet into the horrors unfolding in Gaza (from Carlos' unique perspective as a Puerto Rican living in a colony), as they talk about how to support Palestinian Christians/Palestinians in general--while taking seriously the fact that both Jewish and Palestinian people exist on the margins in America. Carlos and Jonathan talk about the narrative of who is most oppressed shifts as the world evolves and changes, and how Christians must shift accordingly. Provocatively in this election season, they talk about how America's choice for President effects some of our friends domestically in profound ways...while the policy options the candidates represent may not appear all that different to some of our friends internationally. This conversation is wide open, unfiltered, and most of all, an undomesticated invitation to follow the Spirit out of a world driven by profit, into community and human connection!

This is a time full of anxiety for many of us...maybe an ideal time to revisit prayer? In this vulnerable, funny, wide open conversation, Jonathan and Savannah talk about their current experience of prayer, the value of liturgy in prayer vs. spontaneity, the role of visuals in prayer, and how they are finding a sense of connection with the divine, now. Jonathan talks about the way ADHD affects the way he communicates to God (and everyone else), and reflects on Savannah's "non-angsty way" of thinking about prayer. They also talk about how perfectly natural it is to simultaneously pray while wondering whether or not any of it is true at all; the moments that ground them again in wonder, and the reason we need the physical embodied presence of real people in our lives, to make the presence of God tangible.

In this conversation, Dr. Jared Stacy and Jonathan Martin explore misinformation, disinformation and white evangelicalism. Dr. Stacy shares his very personal journey of leaving pastoral work in the wake of seeing his own community embrace propaganda and disinformation in the aftermath of January 6th. In his work as a theologian and ethicist, he has been on a long journey to understand the way white evangelicalism has been hijacked by MAGA ideology. They explore questions of race, power and privilege, and the need for ongoing work of discernment in a digital age.

What you are about to see is a wild and sacred thing. Without hyperbole, I truly believe your life is about to change to watch/hear this. The conversation started really happening before we intended to really start recording, so you are dropped right into the thick of it because that is just how it actually happened, no intro. Also you aren't ready...for the HIGHLY UNLIKELY DUET, LOL! If this moves you to the core as it did me, I hope you will consider sharing this one...I believe in everything that happened/is happening here so hard, I want to go door-to-door with this. Multiple times Russ Taff prefaced something with, “I’ve never told this before…,” & this whole time had THAT energy. The words in my head driving away were “dripping with God.” “Don’t meet your heroes,” you say? How about recording with your hero for 2.5 hours in a revelatory, startling conversation, equal parts laughter & tears? Fierce & tender + brute force & frailty + Holy Ghost power has always been Russ Taff’s sound. He’s the greatest gospel singer of all-time (it’s not close), precisely because there is a whole story within the sound, terror & ecstatic joy, agony & freedom, death & resurrection—all in one electric current. Now, he tells the stories between the notes. We talked about how songs like “we will stand” and “praise the Lord” AND the cover from his forthcoming album of The National’s “Demons” (“when I walk into a room I do not light it up…I stay down with my demons”) all come from the same place; & about what it meant to grow up in the home of an alcoholic Pentecostal preacher, born into all that thunder. We talked about addiction & relapse. We talked about the day a pastor dying of cancer, eerily a spitting image of his father, held Russ’ head to his chest, stroked his hair, & spoke the blessing over a weathered son that his father couldn’t give, while he sobbed away the weight of years. I glimpsed the way he represents other fathers now, literally giving that same blessing now to beaten down children of the church who never imagined they’d get that tenderness, authenticity & affirmation—and was almost crushed by the holiness of it. You’ll think I’m just talking that talk until you watch/hear this. It’s devastating, annihilating, will take you apart & put you back together again. I’m not telling you this conversation will be a thing; it IS a thing. Bono-like rock & roll swagger & Father Rohr-like humility…I mean come on, it’s Russ freaking Taff. --Jonathan Martin

Jonathan Martin shares an original piece of short fiction, "God loves monsters." Through the fictional narrative of a boy named Jake, we are provoked to take a look at the monsters we see in the mirror, and the monsters we see in the world. What does it change for us, if God doesn't have an adversarial relationship with the monsters? What would we do with the kind of God who makes monsters into pets...and maybe even, friends? From Jake's story, you are invited to reflect on your own story, and obscure texts about ancient monsters in the Hebrew Bible. You may find that the spookiest thing about this monster story shared a little before Halloween, is that you might actually find yourself in it.

In this heartfelt episode of the Zeitcast Jonathan and Kingston share thoughts on God, heaven, and the importance of kindness in navigating disagreements. They also talk about the 'sad box' as a place to process hard feelings, and how God touches Kingston sometimes when he is sad.

Jonathan Martin explores the themes of suffering, divine guidance, and the significance of smallness through the lens of the Book of Job. In a world in which so much of our technology tells us "you're really, really big;" the message embedded in nature itself that "you are really, really small" is a liberating word. Sometimes your problems don't get smaller, until you do. While we are assigned infinite worth, destinies don't sit on our shoulders. Ultimately this is an invitation to trust in the goodness of God, and stop having to be in charge...yielding to the voice that tells you, "you don't have to carry it anymore."

In this episode, Jonathan Martin reflects on recent conversations that have deeply impacted him, emphasizing the importance of understanding the nature of evil, the power of faith, and the need to resist fear, with love. He discusses the distinction between the sound of God and the sound of accusation, encouraging listeners to embrace their identity as beloved and to build communities of hope amidst chaos--"an ark of hope." Because this is the Zeitcast...he does this through recapping his experience of watching the film The First Omen, finding in it a far too on the nose description of the way the Church has capitulated to evil in our time--choosing the way of fear over the way of faith.

Lauren Barnett, Chief of Staff at the Expectations Project, shares her poignant insights on grief and the pervasive issues of misinformation. In a heartfelt conversation, she reflects on the loss of her mother and the emotional toll of civic engagement. They explore the impact of alt media and algorithms on mental health, particularly for elders. Barnett dives into her work advocating for marginalized children and the challenges of public education, weaving humor into discussions about identity, faith, and the societal need for genuine connections.

Brian Zahnd, a pastor and author known for his insights on faith and culture, engages in a thought-provoking dialogue. He tackles the intersection of misinformation and Christianity, emphasizing love over division. Zahnd critiques traditional views of God in light of the cross, while also exploring personal conversion experiences. They discuss the implications of eschatology on belief and the importance of compassion in politics. This engaging conversation offers a fresh perspective on navigating faith amid societal challenges.