The Mockingcast

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk mission trips, mistaken restaurant orders, Indian toilets, and toxic achievement culture. Also, RJ pines for Portugal while Sarah considers turning off the radio (but doesn't). Click here to learn more about Mbird's upcoming Minneapolis conference (9/29-30). Click here to read Joshua Musser Gritter's piece Why I Love Short-Term Mission Trips. Click here to read Forbes's article on The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders. Click here for more details on Mary Cail's new book, Dementia and The Church. Click here to read The Economist's obituary for Bindeshwar Pathak. Hypocrisy Click here to read the interview with Jennifer Breheny Wallace in The Harvard Gazette. Click here to read Dave's post about Advertising Your Hypocrisy. The devotion discussed at the end of the cast, written by Melina Smith of Storymakers, is taken from the upcoming devotional edited by Katie Koplin and published by 1517 Press, Encouragement for Motherhood. It comes out in Spring of 2024.

On this episode, the hosts discuss tourism, punctuality, Swiftie conferences, and the new old age. They explore the ethics of being late and the concept of a pilgrimage. They also talk about retirement as a time for service and the emotional appeal of Taylor Swift's music. Additionally, they delve into seeking signs of the Kingdom, journeying through grief and finding hope in forgiveness.

In their last episode before the summer hiatus RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk tip creep, accomplished achievers, grieving comedians, and Tim Keller. Also, a Condon brings home the trophy for Best Dancer at the Middle School Dance. Click here to respond to RJ's opening appeal. Click here to read Rachel Wolfe's report on Why Tipping Prompts Are Suddenly Everywhere for the Wall Street Journal. Click here to read Adam Gopnik's column on What We Lose When We Push Kids to Achieve in The NY Times. Click here to read the piece about Grief in Stand Up Comedy by Nick Zinoman. Click here to read Stephanie Phillips tribute to Tim Keller. And here to read Dave Z's appreciation of the same.

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk baby name consultants, coronation invitations, and escape room birthday parties. Also, Dave finally reveals the Mockingcast's methodology while Sarah loses an appendix. Click here to read Rebecca Jennings' article about baby name consultants in Vox. Click here to read Nick Cave's response to the coronation. Click here to read about "Why Millennial Men Are Turning to the Book of Common Prayer" Click here to read CNN's report on the Surgeon General's Loneliness Advisory. Click here to watch Dave's talk from the NYC Conference, "Is Anything Not a Cry for Help?" Click here to read in The Atlantic about how Adam Mastrioanni ruined two birthday parties. Click here to read Ben Maddison's Unsolicited Review of the Mockingbird Conference.

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk road rage, representation, financial obsession, and extremely short sermons. Also, RJ narrowly avoids a lemon squeeze, while Sarah learns something shocking about New England Puritans. Click here to read the LA Times article about Beef. Click here to read Michael Mechanic's piece in the Atlantic, "Stop Asking Whether Money Buys Happiness." Click here to read Elizabeth Bruenig's essay for The Point, on "The Limits of Forgiveness". Click here to read Sarah's Easter devotion The Light Has Come to Stay. Click here to read the Easter sermon of St John Chrysostym.

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk subjective age, the danger of knowingness, the perils of project religion, and the hope of Holy Week. Also, RJ reveals why he's in sales, not management. Click here to read Jennifer Senior's essay on "The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are" in The Atlantic Click here to read Jonathan Malesic's piece on the problem of Knowingness in Pscyhe Click here to read Barbara Spindel's review of Alex Mar's Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy in The Wall Street Journal Click here to read Anthony Robinson's post on Mbird about "The Cognitive Distortions of Legalistic Preaching"

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk almond moms, wellness curses, and theories of change. Also, Dave runs away from a German. Click here to order a copy of The Sickness & Health Issue of The Mockingbird. Click here to become a monthly supporter of Mockingbird (and receive a complimentary magazine subscription!). Click here for more information about the Mockingbird Virtual Book Club, including how to sign up. Click here to pre-register for the 2023 Mbird NYC Conference (4/27-29). Click here to read Sarah Condon's piece on Grace for (Almond) Moms Click here to read the Mbird interview with Rina Raphael Click here to read "The Moral Case Against Equity Language" by George Packer in The Atlantic Simeon Zahl's essay on "The Cure of Souls: Theories of Change in Christian Ministry" is currently only available in The Sickness & Health Issue of The Mockingbird. But you can watch him deliver it as a conference talk here. Click here to read Francis Spufford's piece for Mbird, "Where's the Next Brick?"

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk NBA scoring records, Manhattan treadmills, imposter phenomena, and children with addiction. Also, a cat named Esther says the Sinner's Prayer. Click here to read what Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Thinks About LeBron James Breaking his NBA Scoring Record Click here to read Caitlin Moscatello's essay "The Fleishman Effect." Click here to read Wesley Hill's reflection on the theology of Esther, "'Secular' Neglect, Salvation Anyway." Click here to read "Why Everyone Feels Like They're Faking It" by Leslie Jamison in The New Yorker. Click here to read Cole Huffman's testimony about his son on Mbird, "XL Grace."

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk sleepover stories, mindfulness apps, prison ministries, and dangerous cliches. Also, Sarah lipsyncs to Amy Grant while Dave avoids the noid. Click here to read Erika Christakis' Case for Sleepovers in The Atlantic Click here to read the Dear Cloud column in Wired about mental health apps. Click here to read Rina Raphael's Well to Do newsletter. Click here to read the second installment of Richard Beck's "Reading the Bible with the Damned" series. Click here to read the third installment. Click here to read Todd Brewer's piece for Mbird "Comforting the Comfortable". Click here to listen to the sermon Sarah references by Jacob Smith.

In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk one-downing, dry January, raging creatives, and Nigerian faith healers. Also, Sarah reveals how to get people to care, and Dave finally says what we're all thinking about RJ. Correction: around the 30 min mark, when Dave says "Johnny Walker" he meant to say "Jack Daniels." Click here to watch the clip of Colbert speaking with Quinta Brunson Click here to read The Atlantic interview about Dry January Click here to read Freddie deBoer's newsletter on the Raging Creative Underclass Click here to read Molly Worthen's piece about Miracles in the NY Times. Click here to read Jim Nestingen's forward to Free to Be