Spiritual Misfits Podcast

In this episode, we explore what it means to live faithfully during times of political and social upheaval with systematic theologian from Princeton Theological Seminary Hanna Reichel, author of "For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional."Drawing on lessons from the Confessing Church's resistance to Nazi Germany, Hanna challenges us to move beyond simple answers and moral purity toward what they call "tolerance for complexity." We discuss why tradition can actually fuel progressive resistance, the difference between staying morally pure versus taking responsibility, and how joy becomes an act of resistance.  Get Hanna's new book, 'For Such a Time as This': https://www.eerdmans.com/9781467470575/for-such-a-time-as-this/Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Danny Bryant joins Will to discuss his book Unless a Seed Falls to the Ground: Welcoming the Death of the Whiteness Gospel. Part memoir, part theological critique, Danny's work traces his journey from growing up in a fundamentalist cult to becoming a pastor who now practices what he calls "hospice ministry", allowing cancerous forms of American Christianity to die.In this deeply personal conversation, Danny shares about:Growing up as a "misfit among misfits" in a cult that prided itself on exclusionHow patterns of control and superiority infected even "mainstream" churches he encounteredHis reimagined TULIP framework diagnosing the cancer of white American ChristianityWhy he believes certain forms of faith need to die—not be reformedThe difference between violent destruction and the natural death that leads to new lifeWhat it means to "side with the seeds" in our current momentHow his own motivation for ministry evolved from anger at harm to being grounded in loveWhat St. Mary of Bethany Parish looks like as a "field hospital" for the spiritually woundedDanny draws on voices like James Baldwin, Howard Thurman, Willie James Jennings, and Abraham Joshua Heschel to imagine what might grow after the death of Christianity-as-empire. This is a conversation about grief, hope, and the spacious places that await us when we stop clinging to what needs to die.About Danny Bryant: Danny Bryant is a pastor and priest at St. Mary of Bethany Parish in Nashville, Tennessee, where he also offers spiritual direction. He lives with his wife Rebecca, their four children, and several pets.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Joyce Tangi is the Culture of Safety Pastor for the Uniting Church NSW & ACT Synod, and she cares deeply about building communities where everyone can thrive.In this conversation, we explore what safety actually looks like beyond policies and procedures, how to navigate power dynamics in faith communities, and why deep listening might be the most radical act we can practice.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

David Gate joins Will Small to discuss his new book "A Rebellion of Care" and what it means to stay tender in a world that often seems to demand hardness.David Gate is a poet, writer, and visual artist who grew up in London and now lives in Asheville, North Carolina. His work centres around care for the individual and the nurture of community, and his Instagram poetry has touched thousands with its accessible wisdom and raw honesty. This conversation explores the poems and essays within David's book as well as the process and thought behind them. Read the Book: "A Rebellion of Care: Poems and Essays" by David GateFollow David: Instagram @davidgatepoet | Website: davidgatepoet.comWant to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Bradley Jersak is a theologian, author, and Principal of St. Stephen's University. His books including A More Christlike God, A More Christlike Word, and Out of the Embers have helped countless people navigate faith transitions and discover a more expansive understanding of the gospel. This conversation explores some of the pivotal movements in Brad’s story as well as his views on things like penal substitutionary atonement, hell and the very character of God. If you've ever struggled with images of a God who seems angry, distant, violent or retributive, this is a conversation for you. Some of Brad's (many) books we mention in this conversation:A More Christlike God: A More Beautiful GospelA More Christlike Word: Reading Scripture the Emmaus WayOut of the Embers: Faith After the Great DeconstructionHer Gates Will Never Be ShutStudy with Brad and the team at St. Stephen's University: https://www.ssu.ca/Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

About This Series Over six weeks, we're sharing keynote talks and discussions from the second Future Church Conference, held at the Tram Sheds in Glebe. This gathering brought together church leaders, pastors, and Jesus-followers passionate about creating safer, more inclusive faith communities.Whether you're leading church, leaving church, unsure about the whole thing, or just curious about what the future might hold, these conversations explore what it means to reimagine church for everyone.Conference Posture Future Church Conference invited participants to adopt three key postures:Lean in - Sit with discomfort and ask why certain ideas trigger usListen - Hear vulnerable ideas from speakers and connect with each otherLook forward - Focus on future possibilities rather than past woundsWhat You'll Hear in This Episode: The closing panel discussion of Future Church Conference exploring how the church might move beyond divisive culture wars toward more constructive engagement with complex social issues.About the Panelists: Will Small is joined by Jarrod McKenna (nonviolent activist and Common Grace founder), Josephine Inkpin (transgender priest and activist), and Mikenzie Ling (Wiradjuri woman and First Nations consultant in the Uniting Church of Australia) to discuss why and how the Church ought to transcend Culture War rhetoric and embody a better way forward. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

About This Series Over six weeks, we're sharing keynote talks and discussions from the second Future Church Conference, held at the Tram Sheds in Glebe. This gathering brought together church leaders, pastors, and Jesus-followers passionate about creating safer, more inclusive faith communities.Whether you're leading church, leaving church, unsure about the whole thing, or just curious about what the future might hold, these conversations explore what it means to reimagine church for everyone.Conference Posture Future Church Conference invited participants to adopt three key postures:Lean in - Sit with discomfort and ask why certain ideas trigger usListen - Hear vulnerable ideas from speakers and connect with each otherLook forward - Focus on future possibilities rather than past woundsWhat You'll Hear in This Episode:Josephine Inkpin's keynote on what it means to 'trans' the Church beyond gender alone. A powerful closing poem from Boy RenaissanceAbout the Speaker: Josephine Inkpin is a priest and activist, and a leading voice in Australia for LGBTQ+ inclusion in faith communities committed to a genuinely ecumenical approach. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

About This Series Over six weeks, we're sharing keynote talks and discussions from the second Future Church Conference, held at the Tram Sheds in Glebe. This gathering brought together church leaders, pastors, and Jesus-followers passionate about creating safer, more inclusive faith communities.Whether you're leading church, leaving church, unsure about the whole thing, or just curious about what the future might hold, these conversations explore what it means to reimagine church for everyone.Conference Posture Future Church Conference invited participants to adopt three key postures:Lean in - Sit with discomfort and ask why certain ideas trigger usListen - Hear vulnerable ideas from speakers and connect with each otherLook forward - Focus on future possibilities rather than past woundsWhat You'll Hear: Jarrod McKenna makes the case for nonviolence as central to following Jesus amidst the serious challenges of life on planet earth in our current moment. About the Speaker: Jarrod McKenna is a peace activist, pastor, and founding director of Common Grace. He's a co-host of the Inverse podcast and a pastor at Steeple Church. He challenges the church to embrace Jesus' radical call to nonviolence in a world marked by conflict and division. Listen to more of Jarrod's story on this episode of Spiritual Misfits. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

What might it mean to meet God in the darkness, as well as the light? Carolyn Meers guides us through a contemplative and poetic reflection coinciding with the winter solstice. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

About This Series Over six weeks, we're sharing keynote talks and discussions from the second Future Church Conference, held at the Tram Sheds in Glebe. This gathering brought together church leaders, pastors, and Jesus-followers passionate about creating safer, more inclusive faith communities.Whether you're leading church, leaving church, unsure about the whole thing, or just curious about what the future might hold, these conversations explore what it means to reimagine church for everyone.Conference Posture Future Church Conference invited participants to adopt three key postures:Lean in - Sit with discomfort and ask why certain ideas trigger usListen - Hear vulnerable ideas from speakers and connect with each otherLook forward - Focus on future possibilities rather than past woundsWhat You'll Hear in This Episode: Radhika Sukumar-White explores what it means for the church to actively work against racism and create genuinely diverse communities.About the Speaker: Radhika Sukumar-White is a Minister of the Word at Leichardt Uniting Church, and a friend of the Spiritual Misfits pod! Go back and listen to this earlier episode with her to hear more of Radhika's story and reflections: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1925719/episodes/13938060Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com