The Weight

Shownotes:We often look at books as a way into getting more information, but today’s guest, Rev. Austin Carty, looks at reading as a way of deeper formation. To him, reading--especially fiction--is a way to deepen our well of empathy, of relating to one another with kindness and charity. Even if we don’t realize that what we’re reading is impacting our lives, Austin believes that it is. For those of us who aren’t readers, Austin simply asks that we treat it like any hobby. Carve out dedicated time--30 minutes to an hour--each day and trust that what you’re reading is having a positive impact on the formation of that well of wisdom.Austin Carty is the Pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church in Anderson, South Carolina. He is a former high school English teacher and earned degrees from High Point University and Wake Forest University.Resources:Follow Austin on Twitter and FacebookPurchase his book “The Pastor’s Bookshelf” here.

Show Notes:In this episode, Eddie and Chris are joined by previous guest Jeff Bilbro in a continuing conversation about reading and contemplation. Jeff is an author and essayist whose most recent book, Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News, is about how we consume the news--and how sometimes we let the news consume us. Jeff challenges us to think about how we spend our time and attention and to think about how we can have a healthier reading diet. Just like athletes and musicians practice their skills, reading, praying, and contemplation require practice, too--and they are activities we can improve upon or allow to atrophy.Jeff is an editor at Front Porch Republic and an Associate Professor of English at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. If you want to hear more from Jeff, check out his first episode on The Weight, Wendell Berry and Local Place.Resources:Follow Jeff Bilbro on the web:  https://jeffbilbro.comCheck out all of Jeff Bilbro’s books:  https://jeffbilbro.com/books/Follow Jeff Bilbro on social media:  https://twitter.com/jeff_bilbro

Continuing our series reading and contemplation, Chris and Eddie are joined by Marilyn McEntyre, teacher, author, and lover of words. They primarily discuss two of Marilyn’s books, Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies and Speaking Peace in a Climate of Conflict. Throughout this episode, you’ll hear how much love and care Marilyn has for words, for language, and for the lost art of conversation. She gives practical ways to shift the tone of conversation, taking it from accusatory to something open-ended and compassionate. Marilyn considers herself to be a writer who teaches after being a teacher who writes. Although she no longer is a full-time teacher, she continues to teach and speak and offer writing workshops throughout the year. She is the author of 18 books, including Make a List and When Poets Pray. She remains interested in the intersection of language, spirituality, and healing, and her writing reflects that.Resources:Find Marilyn on Twitter  and Facebook.Learn more about Marilyn at https://www.marilynmcentyre.comFind out more about her books at https://www.marilynmcentyre.com/books

Chris and Eddie are joined again by Reverend Dr. Will Willimon, Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School and former Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. This time around, Rev. Willimon is here to talk about preaching--but not as a preacher. In his most recent book, Listeners Dare: Hearing God in the Sermon, Rev. Willimon helps listeners get more out of a sermon (and helps preachers listen to their listeners) because “to be a Christian is to be a listener of God.”With five decades of preaching and teaching experience, Rev. Willimon has great respect for the listeners of God’s Word. Listening to sermons is one of the main ways that God reaches God’s people, so how do you listen well? How do you open yourself to a sermon that might not be about you or for you and come away with a change in your perspective? And how do preachers step aside and let the conversation happen between God and God’s people freely? Rev. Willimon has a few ideas.Resources:Follow Will Willimon on the web:https://willwillimon.com Listeners Dare: Hearing God in the SermonCheck out Will Willimon’s other books and publications here:https://willwillimon.com/writing/ Follow Will Willimon on social media:https://www.facebook.com/WillWillimonhttps://twitter.com/willimontweets

Are you struggling with church? Do you have doubts and questions, but you aren’t sure where to go to talk them through? Do you have friends or family members who have been hurt by the church, or who have wandered away from the church, or, maybe, who have never been in church?In this episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, priest in the Church of England and vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in central London since 2012. He served as the Dean of Duke Chapel and  is the author of 35 books about Christian ethics, mission, ministry, scripture, liturgy, and preaching. Today’s conversation is about his book, Humbler Faith, Bigger God: Finding a Story to Live By. This book came out of Rev. Wells 2020 Easter sermon, which he preached in an empty garden during London’s first COVID-19 lockdown. Humbler Faith, Bigger God is written for those who seek, those who have lapsed, those of other faiths, and those who are hostile to Christianity.As a preacher, Rev. Wells says that people tend to respond positively to his preaching because he doesn’t skirt around the issues of the day. He doesn’t hide Christianity’s often difficult past, and he isn’t afraid to have the hard conversations with believers, doubters, and nonbelievers, because he believes it’s all about trust. “We can trust God, and because we can trust God, we can trust ourselves and one another.”Resources:Buy Humbler Faith, Bigger God on Amazon

We are excited to welcome Barbara Brown Taylor to The Weight for a conversation about hospitality and being in the center and being at the edge of a religion--how is it different when you’re the outsider versus when you’re on the inside? How do you let people who believe in something completely different strengthen your own faith? Barbara leaned into these lessons when she taught a Religion 101 class at Piedmont College, now Piedmont University, in Georgia. She got to watch the real love and hospitality of Buddhist monks and Muslim Imams who “welcomed a bunch of awkward strangers, and fed us, and showed us where to sit and gave us places of honor and thanked us for coming.” And in return, she was able to deepen her own faith and extend hospitality and love to the others in her own life. She used her experiences teaching that course to write Holy Envy, which was published in 2019.Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopal priest, teacher, and the best-selling. She has served on the faculties of Piedmont College, Emory University, Mercer University, Columbia Seminary, Oblate School of Theology, and the Certificate in Theological Studies program at Arrendale State Prison for Women in Alto, Georgia. Resources:Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of OthersFind Barbara Brown Taylor on the Web:https://barbarabrowntaylor.com Follow her on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorBarbaraBrownTaylor/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/71455.Barbara_Brown_Taylor 

Shownotes:God is not afraid of our exhaustion, grief, and pain. Honest prayers of lament draw us into deeper connection with God and help us cultivate a greater awareness of our needs. As a culture, however, we have withdrawn into numbing habits of distraction. Even the Church often serves as a place of escape rather than a comfortable place to bring our burdens. Where does God meet us in the empty space of deep sorrow and pain? How can we give ourselves more permission to grieve in our personal prayers?In this episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by Tish Harrison Warren, author of Prayer in the Night. When Warren found herself at a place filled with too many questions to bear, she began to write about the empty space of night and how we can present the weariness of our souls to God. Warren discusses prayer as communion with the presence of God, a practice that shapes who we are, how we believe, and our vision of the world. We hope this episode moves you toward peace and comfort as Warren illustrates ways to draw near to God in the midst of uncertainty and fear.Resources:Follow Tish Warren on the web:https://tishharrisonwarren.com Check out Tish Warren’s book “Prayer in the Night” here:https://tishharrisonwarren.com/prayer-in-the-night Follow Tish Warren on social media:https://www.facebook.com/TishHarrisonWarrenAuthor https://www.instagram.com/tishharrisonwarren/ https://twitter.com/Tish_H_Warren 

Shownotes:According to a Gallup poll released in March of 2021, less than half of Americans belong to a church, mosque, or synagogue. The politicization of evangelical Christianity has resulted in utter disillusionment, specifically among young Christians who were once eagerly committed to the ideals of the faith. Christians and non-Christians alike are longing for truth and openness in conversation within the church, as well as a sense of connection rooted in hope, grace, and love.In this episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by Dr. Russell Moore, the President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. Moore’s recent article “Losing Our Religion” addresses the ways many churches do not seem to believe what they teach and the reasons many have chosen to disaffiliate from the church. Moore speaks of the ways in which he was disillusioned as a fifteen year old by Bible Belt Christianity, his journey back through fear to a genuine faith, and his courage to stand for mercy and justice in the public square. Throughout this conversation and in his work, Moore poses a hopeful vision for the future of the church rooted in the promises of Jesus rather than cultural agendas.Resources:Follow Russell Moore on the web:https://www.russellmoore.com Read Russell Moore’s article “Losing Our Religion” hereCheck out Russell Moore’s books here:https://www.russellmoore.com/books/ Follow Russell Moore on social media:https://www.facebook.com/russellmoore https://twitter.com/drmoore https://www.instagram.com/russellmoore/ 

Shownotes:Among 19-20 year olds, only 1% do not have social media accounts. This statistic emphasizes the ever-growing presence that social media and technology have in our day-to-day lives. While this comes with its advantages, it’s also important to consider the dangers of such constant connection and how to create wise boundaries that help us live a “tech-wise” life. How can controlled usage of social media help protect us from its negative effects?Amy Crouch is a student at Cornell University and, with her father Andy Crouch, co-author of “My Tech Wise Life: Growing Up and Making Choices in a World of Devices.” She joins Chris and Eddie to discuss what boundaries and understandings regarding technology are necessary to harness its advantages while mitigating its negative effects. Crouch bases her message around the understanding that technology is not a bad thing, but something that must be seen as a tool rather than a foundation of life. What does that look like practically? Tune in to the conversation to find out!Series Info:Social media has changed the way messages are shared throughout the world with a rapidity that is unparalleled. Its effects on culture, for better and for worse, are undeniable and seemingly inescapable. It’s impossible to grasp in totality what the increasing role of social media will mean for our society, but one thing is for sure: the Church needs to talk about it. In our new series “Social Media Culture,” Chris and Eddie will engage in conversations about how Christians can establish healthier habits with technology and cultivate a more faithful manner of engagement on social media. It’s important for the Church to consider the advantages of this cultural shift, such as innovative outreach and the uplifting of important voices and messages, while also guarding against the threats, such as constant comparison, misinformation, and dissociation from the surrounding world. Be a part of this conversation beginning on June 3rd!Resources:Order a copy of “My Tech Wise Life” by Amy Crouch and Andy Crouch here.Follow Amy Crouch on social media:instagram.com/amy.crou/

Shownotes:Chris is joined by contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura, author of Art + Faith: A Theology of Making. His book explores the role of creativity in the spiritual life, and it draws upon quiet disciplines such as awareness and waiting. The meditative space that Fujimura creates for prayer and praise breaks open new avenues to seek the never-ending depths of God’s beauty and grace. Sophisticated and intellectual, Fujimura’s art has been praised as a vehicle for hope, healing, redemption, and refuge.Fujimura explains how the power, mystery, and depth of art drive us to ask deeper questions. He introduces his spiritual discipline of “slow art,” speaks to the nuances of tradition, and ponders the ways art can liberate us in our cultural context. Fujimura gives us space to identify where we meet Jesus in both making and consuming. This conversation speaks to the healing gift of art as culture care, rather than a commodity.Series Info:Christians spend a lot of time talking about what is true or exploring goodness, but we do not spend as much time exploring beauty, aesthetics, and the arts. In a world full of content curated to our specific taste, we need more time and space to fill our souls with the kind of art that breaks open our curiosity and makes us come alive. Where does God meet us in the beauty of our imagination? How does art and culture shape our desires and longings?In this series “Art and Culture,” we’ll talk about imagination, memory, culture making, and memoir writing. We will have three guests guide us through the relationship between art, faith, life, story, trauma, healing, place, and nature. We pray that these conversations allow breathing room for deeper introspection, greater awareness of the natural world, and space to explore the depths of the imagination.Resources:Follow Makoto Fujimura on the web:https://makotofujimura.com Check out Makoto Fujimura’s book Art and Faith: A Theology of Making here:https://culturecarecreative.com Learn more about Makoto Fujimura’s art here:https://www.waterfall-gallery.com/makoto-fujimura Read Makoto Fujimura’s biography here:https://imagejournal.org/artist/makoto-fujimura/ Follow Mako on social media:https://www.facebook.com/makotofujimuraart www.instagram.com/iamfujimura https://twitter.com/iamfujimura