The Weight

Shownotes:Abortion is a multi-faceted, multi-layered issue that the church often fails to engage with the depth and compassion it requires. Regardless of one’s position on this issue, the stories of those who have struggled with this impossible decision have been discounted in the midst of political fervor. Poverty forces many vulnerable, marginalized women to grapple with the decision to have an abortion, yet this factor is often overlooked. How do we make space for grace, respect, and empathy in such a nuanced conversation?Author, speaker, and podcast host Ashley Abercrombie has a strong passion for justice ignited by family members who taught her that faith extends further than a Sunday and helped her practice the ministry of presence. Ashley has pastored for many years, has served as a prison chaplain, and has participated in anti-human trafficking work. For 10 years, she has walked alongside vulnerable women leading abortion recovery groups, and she is familiar with what this issue looks like on both a policy level and a personal level. She joins Eddie and Chris to discuss what it means to be pro-life for the whole life, the shame and stigma associated with the impossible decision to have an abortion and the healing process that follows, the role of the evangelical church in perpetuating a harmful discourse around this issue, and the way our convictions can motivate our compassion in a broken world. Ashley encourages us to mind our words and have a faithful witness when it comes to such a divisive topic, and she challenges us to broaden our perspective with empathy to the most vulnerable members of our communities.Resources:Follow Ashley Abercrombie on the web: https://www.ashabercrombie.org Order Ashley’s book Rise of the Truth Teller hereCheck out Ashley’s podcast “Why Tho” here:https://www.ashabercrombie.org/podcast Learn more about the history of the evangelical church:https://www.npr.org/transcripts/731664197  Follow Ashley on social media:https://www.facebook.com/ashleyabercrombienyc https://www.instagram.com/ashabercrombie/ https://twitter.com/ashabercrombie

Shownotes:When we’re struck by unexpected suffering, we ask question after question attempting to find meaning in the midst of our pain. We wonder why this diagnosis, disaster, or death had to happen to us or someone we love. We wonder if God is really good. We wonder if it’s possible to live within our reality and still have hope, joy, and peace. Though these questions are important, our human nature lends itself toward the comfort of ignorance and flimsy optimism. What are the cultural scripts that dictate our understanding of pain and suffering?  How can we come alongside one another through both the highs and lows? Chris and Eddie are joined by Kate Bowler, author of No Cure for Being Human, professor at Duke Divinity School and host of the podcast, Everything Happens. After receiving an unexpected cancer diagnosis at the age of 35, Kate began to observe that the world does not offer a safe space for people in pain. Her move from crisis to chronic has led her to asking deeper questions about faith, God, and human suffering. She talks to Eddie and Chris about the gift of presence, the absurdity of life, a robustly Christian account of time, and the many ways we try to make meaning out of everything.Resources:Follow Kate Bowler on the web:https://katebowler.com Order No Cure for Being Human here:https://katebowler.com/no-cure-for-being-human/ Order Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved here:https://katebowler.com/everything-happens-for-a-reason-2/ Listen to Kate Bowler’s podcast Everything Happens here:https://katebowler.com/podcasts/ Follow Kate Bowler on social media:https://www.facebook.com/katecbowler https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/ https://twitter.com/katecbowlerKate Bowler on YouTubeKate Bowler on Goodreads

Chris and Eddie are joined by Aimee Nezhukumatahil, author of Barnes and Noble’s 2020 Book of the Year, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments. Whimsical and introspective, this book inspires the reader to look to the natural world for guidance, curiosity, and delight. Aimee’s work has been integrated into high school, college, and university curriculum as part of contemporary poetry, environmental studies, women’s studies, and Asian-American literature classes. Currently, Aimee teaches environmental literature and poetry writing in the MFA program of the University of Mississippi. Aimee discusses the gift of attention as the highest form of prayer, her perception of wealth and privilege in relation to her upbringing, and what the diverse, multifaceted nature of creation says about each of us. She challenges listeners to carve out time for stillness and careful attention in order to recognize the beauty in everything. This conversation reveals the precious mysteries of God’s nature and the ways our love for God constantly prompts a response of awe and wonder.Check out Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s book World of Wonders here:https://aimeenez.net Follow Aimee on social media:https://www.facebook.com/AimeeNezhukumatathil https://twitter.com/aimeenezhttps://www.instagram.com/aimee_nezhukumatathil/ 

Shownotes:When it comes to racial reconciliation, the church is quick to educate its congregants about the power of forgiveness. Pastors often jump to the solution without acknowledging the full extent of the problem. What do we do when we’re enraged by the things we’ve seen or experienced? How do we make a conscious, faithful choice to practice Christianity even when it seems harder than we can bear?In his new book, Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope, Dr. Esau McCaulley aims not to answer questions the church is asking, but to answer questions that Black Christians are asking. A New Testament scholar, Anglican Priest, and theologian, McCaulley understands that the way we interpret the Bible often depends on our communities and context. He invites listeners to take an unfiltered look into the Black experience and to ponder how all of us can interpret the Bible as an exercise in hope.He joins Eddie and Chris to discuss how Christians can have open dialogue about riots and protests, and how white Christians can interpret the truth behind the phrase “Black Lives Matter.” They talk about specific passages in the Bible that point to the grief and rage Black Americans feel and where the cross of Christ fits into the scope of human emotion.Resources:You can order Esau’s book “Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope” hereLearn more about Esau’s podcast “The Disrupters” here: https://esaumccaulley.com/the-disrupters-podcast/  Read Esau’s articles in The New York Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/by/esau-mccaulley Follow Esau on the web: https://esaumccaulley.com Follow Esau on social media:https://www.facebook.com/OfficialEsauMcCaulley https://www.instagram.com/esaumccaulley/ https://twitter.com/esaumccaulley 

Shownotes: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 episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by James K.A. Smith, Professor of Philosophy at Calvin University and Editor-in-Chief of Image Journal. Smith aspires to bridge the gap between the academy, society, and church, and he discusses the art of culture-making as it relates to the Christian faith. Smith recognizes the tension between the view of culture as the result of a broken world and God’s vision for culture as creational good, and he calls us to recognize that we all take part in framing culture.Smith believes that what we make of the world is much more of a reflection of what we want for the world than how we think about the world. He invites us to create habits of putting ourselves in the way of things we don’t understand and making ourselves available to be encountered. By expanding our imagination, we give our souls space to carefully consider the stories we carry in our bones and the ways that those stories frame our culture.Resources:Follow James K.A. Smith on the web:https://jameskasmith.com Check out James K.A. Smith’s books here:https://jameskasmith.com/books/ Read James K.A. Smith’s article Healing the Imagination: Art Lessons from James BaldwinFollow James K.A. Smith on social media:https://twitter.com/james_ka_smith https://www.facebook.com/jameskasmith

Once again, Eddie and Chris are joined by Cal Turner Jr, the former chairman and CEO of Dollar General, a chain of stores founded by his father Cal Turner Sr. Cal earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in 1962 then joined the Dollar General corporation in 1965. His first job was sweeping the warehouse floor, but he worked his way up to being president in 1977 and then chairman in 1988. He served as chairman and CEO until 2003.Cal’s faith led him through several very difficult moments with his family and their growing business, especially 1988 when he had to fire his brother as Chief Operating Officer, his mother passed away unexpectedly, and then he had to force his father to retire from the Board. But through it all, the love of God guided him and held him strong, so that when he retired in 2003, his successors could be even more successful than he had, and allowed him to focus more on philanthropy and giving back to the families that built his family’s fortune.

Show Notes:In part one of a two-part conversation, Eddie and Chris are joined by Cal Turner Jr. Cal was the chairman and CEO of Dollar General, a chain of stores founded by his father Cal Turner Sr. Cal earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in 1962 then joined the Dollar General corporation in 1965. His first job was sweeping the warehouse floor, but he worked his way up to being president in 1977 and then chairman in 1988. He served as chairman and CEO until 2003.Cal’s faith and deep connection to his family grounded him throughout his life. When he was 11 years old, he experienced a moment of spiritual clarity that has guided him since. In this episode, Cal, Eddie, and Chris talk about his faith, his family, and touch briefly on his leadership style, which boils down to being a follower of Christ and a follower of the employees and customers that were his to lead.Join us next week for part two, where we discuss business and philanthropy with Cal.

Dr. Brett McCarty joins Chris (no Eddie this week)  in a conversation about the intersection of faith and healthcare, specifically as it relates to the opioid crisis in the US. Dr. McCarty is a theological ethicist from Duke University, where he is the associate director of the Theology, Medicine, and Culture Initiative at Duke Divinity School. He has written essays in  The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, and the compilation Spirituality and Religion within the Practice of Medicine. Dr. McCarty’s research has centered greatly on the recovery communities of Appalachia and how these communities create space for truth telling, healing, and the transformative power of walking with someone through a journey of recovery.

Show Notes:In this episode, Eddie and Chris are joined by Melissa Maher, Lead Pastor at Mercy Street in Houston, Texas. Mercy Street is a sister church to Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston and began out of a ministry of love. Mercy Street seeks to create a safe harbor of hope and transformation so all may experience the radical grace of God. Put more simply (and boldly at mercystreet.org): Hope. Everyone needs some.The ministry of Mercy Street is to reach folks who are in recovery from almost anything in life--whether that’s an addiction, a bad marriage, financial difficulties, or wounds from a different religious setting. As Melissa says in the podcast, everyone is in recovery from something, and the doors of Mercy Street are wide.Melissa’s journey into ministry began by way of a degree in finance from Louisiana Tech. She then went on to graduate from Asbury Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity and has been the lead pastor at Mercy Street for seven years. Melissa has a lot to say about the work of recovery and how churches, church members, and pastors can come alongside those in that journey with humility and love, sharing in the grace of God that is extended to all.Books:Breathing Underwater by Father Richard RohrAddiction and Grace by Dr. Gerald MayMercy Street:WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube

Today’s guest is Dr. Michael Battle, an Episcopal moral theologian whose work centers around the spirituality, life, and work of Archbishop Desomd Tutu of South Africa. Dr. Battle discusses his most recent work, Desmond Tutu: A Spiritual Biography of South Africa’s Confessor, and touches on how Archbishop Tutu saw forgiveness, reconciliation, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the world.Dr. Battle is currently appointed as Herbert Thompson Professor of Church and Society and Director of the Desmond Tutu Center at General Theological Seminary in New York. He has an undergraduate degree from Duke University, received his master’s of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, a master’s of Sacred Theology from Yale University and a PhD in theology and ethics, also from Duke University. He was ordained a priest by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1993. He lived and worked with Archbishop Tutu for two years, where he saw the deep faith that guided the Archbishop’s life in every way.Resources:Learn more about Dr. BattleBuy Desmond Tutu: A Spiritual Biography of South Africa’s ConfessorFind Dr. Battle on Facebook and Twitter