
The Mockingcast
The Mockingcast is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by RJ Heijmen, Sarah Condon and David Zahl, and brought to you by Mockingbird Ministries, an organization which seeks to connect the Christian faith with the realities of everyday life in fresh and down-to-earth ways. You can find out more about Mockingbird at www.mbird.com.
Audio production provided by TJ Hester.
Latest episodes

Mar 16, 2020 • 54min
Episode 179: Coronacation Survival Kit
In which Dave, Sarah, and RJ talk new corona-realities, compassion shortages, and Martin Luther's advice for pandemic survivors--before giving their quarantine recommendations. Also, RJ goes bodysurfing while Sarah prays for teenagers in love.
Click here to read David Brooks' column on how Pandemics Kill Compassion.
Click here to read Emmy Yang's article on What Martin Luther Teaches Us About Coronavirus.
Click here to read Sarah's list of people she's praying for.
Click here to follow the Mockingbird Facebook page, where daily video devotions will be posted starting on Monday.

Mar 9, 2020 • 1h 12min
Episode 178: What Would Gaga Do?
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk dating Lady Gaga, reading MeMaw's bible, reckoning with coronapanic during Lent, and forgiving other people's enemies. Also, Sarah leaves a trail of bodies behind her while Dave listens to Big Pink.
Click here to read about Lady Gaga's new boyfriend's ex-girfriend
Click here to read Sarah's article about the blessings of the elderly
Click here to view A Photographer's Parents Wave Farewell
Click here to read Tara Isabella Burton's piece on fleeing coronapanic.
Click here to read Stephen Freeman's post on forgiving other people's enemies.

Feb 24, 2020 • 1h 5min
Episode 177: The Type Who Never Listens
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk closeness-communication bias, Type of Guy Theory, nuclear family breakdown, and skipping church. Also, Florida man RJ Heijmen reveals why he speaks so quickly, and Sarah discloses her least favorite sermon.
Click here to sign up for The Mockingbird Digest.
Click here for more info about the Mockingbird Festival in Tyler, TX (4/3-5).
Click here to sign up for the 2020 Mbird Conference in NYC (4/23-25).

Feb 15, 2020 • 1h 7min
Special Episode: The Future Issue
In this special episode of The Mockingcast, Ethan Richardson takes us on a tour of The Future Issue of The Mockingbird magazine, featuring interviews with historian Tom Holland and NY Times technology columnist Nellie Bowles. Also, once-and-future Mbird authority Will McDavid provides what may be the world's foremost take on the intersection of Marcel Proust and the Left Behind series.
Grab your copy of The Future Issue today at magazine.mbird.com.

Feb 7, 2020 • 60min
Episode 175: Spirals of Forgiveness
In which Dave, Sarah, and RJ talk 50 year old aspirations, middle school peers, and knitting purity spirals. Also, Rev. Condon takes us on a tour of that frightening place known as "Secular Sarah Hell."
Click here to read Jennifer Weiner's article "I Feel Personally Judged by J.Lo's Body"
Click here to read Lydia Denworth's article on The Outsize Influence of Your Middle School Friends in The Atlantic.
Click here to read Gavin Haynes' article on "How Knitters Got Knotted in a Purity Spiral".
Click here to read David Brooks' piece, "Jesus Is a Jew."

Jan 25, 2020 • 1h 2min
Episode 174: The Unchurchables
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk advanced status games, gracious cheerleaders, deathrow mercies, and anti-institutional performancism. Also, Ken F promises to let them all cut in line.
Click here to read Agnes Callard's article "Who Wants to Play the Status Game?"
Click here to read Todd Brewer's piece "Netflix’s 'Cheer': Law and Grace in Action."
Click here to read Christianity Today's interview with Bryan Stevenson.
Click here to read Philip Jenkins' post "The Decline of Us-ness: Bowling Alone and Dying Alone."

Jan 11, 2020 • 55min
Episode 173: Time's Quaint Stream(ing Service)
In the first new episode of 2020, RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk Parkinson's Law, algorithmic decades, and neonatal epiphanies. Also, Dave sees Little Women, Sarah preps for Twin Day, and things stop going according to RJ's plan.
Click here to read The Atlantic's explanation of Why You Have No Time
Click here to read Katherine Miller's essay on how The 2010's Broke Our Sense of Time
Click here to listen to the interview with Ada Calhoun about Gen X judgements
Click here to read Lonnie Lacy's sermon What We Hold

Dec 10, 2019 • 1h 6min
Episode 172: Mary, Did You Have Amazon Prime?
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk sassy mom merch, overrated advents, and the theology of foster care. They also share their favorites from 2019. Oh and RJ sings... a lot.
Click here to read Jia Tolentino's article on "The Quiet Protests of Sassy Mom Merch."
Click here to read Tish Harrison Warren's NY Times column about Advent.
Click here to read Ben Maddison's "Mary Definitely Knew."
Click here to respond to the invitation at the beginning and support The Mockingcast!

Nov 25, 2019 • 1h 1min
Episode 171: Everybody Loves Dolly
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk generational warfare ("OK boomer"), Sunday morning racial reconciliation, refugee puppetry, and America's favorite Dolly. Also, Sarah gets beeped for the first time--but probably not the last. Throughout it all, hope abounds. Oh and to take RJ up on his offer, visit [www.mbird.com/support](www.mbird.com/support).
Click here to read Aja Romano's article in Vox about the OK boomer meme.
Click here to read Batya Ungar-Sargon's "A Tale of Two Churches" in the NY Review of Books.
Click here to read about the Ahlan Simsim children's show.
Click here to read Sarah Condon's piece "When Jesus Tells a Boob Joke".

Nov 11, 2019 • 54min
Episode 170: Eat Your Heart Out, Marisa Tomei
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk cancel culture, aging taboos, and the church-pocalypse. Also, Sarah goes shopping for jeans.
Click here to read John McDermott's article "Those People We Cancelled? They're All Hanging Out Together".
Click here to read Arthur Krystal's "Why We Can't Tell the Truth About Aging".
Click here to read Sarah's article "When People Tell Me It's Hard to Find a Church".
Click here to read Christine Emba's column "Why Millennials Are Skipping Church and Not Coming Back".
Click here to read Ross Douthat's piece "The Overstated Collapse of American Christianity".