“I think it is naive to ignore the journey of people who have been on the margins in our society.” - Rev. Dr. Dennis EdwardsOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards of Chicago’s North Park University to discuss race and Christianity in modern America as it relates to current events. Michael was deeply impacted by Dr. Edwards article in Christianity Today from May 2020 titled, "The Revolution Will Not Be Videoed.”Dr. Edwards is currently Associate Professor of New Testament at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago and author of the forthcoming Might from the Margins: The Gospel’s Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice. In addition to his academic work in biblical studies, Dennis has served as a pastor in Brooklyn; Washington, DC; and Minneapolis.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Fair exchange equals no robbery.” - Dr. Reggie MooreToday’s podcast is a response to the murder of Mr. George Floyd last week in Minnesota and the swell of lament, protest, and division that has resulted from his tragic death. What you will hear is like none of our previous episodes. Michael spoke with his friend and colleague from Denver Seminary, Dr. Reggie Moore, a professor and specialist in the treatment of historical trauma within the African American community.As you will hear, the conversation unfolded, then took an unexpected turn that left both men feeling as if they had just taken a major risk. And according to Dr. Moore, this very conversation became a model of the type of dialogue that must happen to heal the wounds of racial division in our world today. BIO:Dr. Reggie Moore is Assistant Professor of Counseling  at Denver Seminary where he has served on the faculty since 2008.  Dr. Moore earned a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Northern Colorado, an MA from Colorado Christian University, and a BA from the University of Kansas. Prior to joining the faculty at Denver Seminary, Dr. Moore  served as assistant director of Hope Communities, Inc., a non-profit affordable housing provider, for seven years. He was also a therapist and trainer at the National Institute for Change in Denver, and a counselor at the University of Northern Colorado's Psychological Services Clinic.  His Areas of Academic Interest and Research include: The Treatment of historical trauma within the African-American community using an integration of narrative, medical and psychosocial approaches, and treatment of adolescents and family systems from existential and systemic perspectives and modalities.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Artists are gardeners who are called to till the soil of culture.” - Mako FujimuraOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael spends an hour with Mako Fujimura, visual artist, author, thought leader, and cultural-shaper who was recently appointed Director of The Brehm Center at Fuller Seminary. His paintings have been exhibited around the world and he is one of the first artists to paint live on stage at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall.Mako is an artist whose process driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time”. Mr. Fujimura is also a well-read author. He and Michael will discuss Mako’s books Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life and Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering.Find out even more about Mako here.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael kicks off a 6-part series (including this episode as the Introduction) on the debilitating effects of shame and what the path to true freedom looks like.Shame is a judgement upon ourselves that is an experience within but is also put upon us from the outside. Shame also says, “I am not good.” But we need to remember the promise from Paul in Galatians 5:1 that says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”It is our hope that through this exploration into the relationship between shame and addiction, you will learn to live loved and free.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:What it is about shame that relates to addiction.Why this an important conversation to have.How shame fuels addiction.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“The trajectory of spiritual growth is in the direction of simplicity rather than in the direction of complexity.” - Alan FadlingOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael and his guest Alan Fadling ponder the questions that not many people want to - or have the courage to ask, “Do you want a Jesus who is relaxed? When you think of Jesus, is He relaxed?” Living an Unhurried Life is central to Alan’s story and in his conversation with Michael, you will hear about his journey out of the fast lane and into the rhythms of Jesus. You just may find a kinship with him that will help you in your recovery as well.Alan Fadling is a frequent speaker and consultant with local churches, national organizations and leaders internationally. A trained Spiritual Director, Alan is author of An Unhurried Life and An Unhurried Leader. He has also written What Does Your Soul Love? (co-authored with his wife Gem Fadling).Discover more about Alan and his ministry here.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:What a lifetime of being “fruitful that lasts” looks like.The Christian life is a relationship with God through Christ Jesus.What disengagement practices look like.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“I think the gift of limits is one of the critical issues of rebelling against God.” - Pete ScazzeroOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, we’re taking a deep dive into our archives for the first ever interview produced for the podcast. We kicked off Restoring the Soul on July 21, 2016 and we are now celebrating 126 more episodes with nearly 800,000 downloads! The interview you will hear today is one Michael conducted with Pete Scazzero - and it’s near the top of as one of our favorites and one we believe will still be relevant 50 years from now. After leading New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, NY for 26 years, Pete Scazzero co-founded Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, a groundbreaking ministry that moves the church forward by slowing the church down in order to multiply deeply changed leaders and disciples.Pete currently hosts the top-ranked Emotionally Healthy Leader podcast and is the author of a number of bestselling books, including The Emotionally Healthy Leader and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Our deepest identity does not lie in our gender, our sexual orientation, our wounds. Our identity lies in Christ.” - Heather KingHeather King has always described herself as “an ex-lawyer, a former barfly, and a Catholic convert.” Her previous life as a functioning alcoholic led her to numerous illicit relationships that resulted in three abortions and a long-term, but failed, marriage. She is raw and open about her past. On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael spends a good part of an hour speaking with returning guest, Heather King, about her brand new book, Ravished: Notes on Womanhood, that explores parts of her former life and comes to the conclusion that our deepest identity does not lie in our gender, our sexual orientation, our wounds. Our identity lies in Christ. Ravished is also her love letter to the Church for bringing her to full flower as a woman and as a human being. As you will hear in their conversation, Ravished is a book that is as challenging for men as it is for women.To learn more about Heather, visit her blog.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:Love doesn’t confine itself to one gender.The difference between victim hood and spiritual poverty.What it looks like for a woman to be a real warrior and a real feminist and to be a follower of Christ.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“God meets people in their moments of vulnerability and suffering and transforms them. And what they get is friendship with God.” - Jason GabouryWhat would happen if we met God in the midst of our isolation, loneliness, grief, and vulnerability? What if our loneliness became the context for a deeper life with God and greater compassion for others?As the global pandemic is affecting millions the world over, widespread loneliness is also impacting the lives of many - and for some, feelings of isolation, emptiness, and abandonment have devastating consequences.In this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael discusses the issue of loneliness with Jason Gaboury, whose brand new book titled, “Wait With Me: Meeting God in Loneliness” will help you understand that loneliness can be the avenue to empathize with Jesus.We’re thrilled to introduce you to Jason as his life mission is; to know God and to live, lead, and serve in a way that others are inspired to know God. He has served the ministry of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship since 1997, leading ministries on campuses in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn in the USA, as well as pioneering efforts with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students.  And in an effort to come alongside you and provide you with resources to accompany our podcast, visit the following link for this week’s download called, “Wait With Me: Meeting God in Loneliness”.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:The deeper issues of the heart that are connected to loneliness.The essence of loneliness.How to know God in the context of loneliness.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“All spirituality is about what we do with the unrest in our soul.” - Ronald RolheiserHow are you caring for your soul? Are you in touch with the Father on a deep and intimate level? Today you will be introduced to iCARE. iCARE is a way for you to be still, guard your heart and the treasure inside, in a way that you can become more aware of it and be connected to that reality and live out of it as you live in the gaze of God’s love.On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael will teach you how to regulate your body...to bring you back to a place where you are in a window of tolerance in your nervous system. Where your feelings, experiences, perceptions, and sensations in your body - that you can be present to them and to be present to God.To receive a helpful iCARE guide, click this linkIn this podcast, we hope you will discover:What it means to guard your heart.How to practice the presence of God?What sacred sorrow means.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Suffering doesn’t work like a statistical map. It’s up close. It’s personal.” - Philip YanceyEarlier today, a conversation was recorded between Michael and best-selling author and thinker Philip Yancey. Although Philip needs no introduction, you should know he has spent his entire career as a journalist and writer exploring themes of suffering and pain and asking the question, “Where is God when it hurts?”.As everyone around the world is being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to offer you this special edition podcast so you will receive hope and encouragement as we move into Easter weekend. If you would like to find out more about Philip Yancey, visit his website.From all of us here at Restoring the Soul, we pray blessing and health over you, your loved ones, and all people everywhere.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!