
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

Nov 6, 2020 • 1h 6min
Episode 199: Night of the Living Swingset
In which Sarah, RJ, and Dave talk living inside the news, POW uncertainty, segmented sleep, and American paradoxes. Also, RJ peeks behind the Iron Curtain while Sarah scores some great lamps (buffalo check).
Click here to preview and/or order the Sports Issue of our magazine.
Click here to pre-order the new Mockingbird Devotional, Vol 2.
Click here to read (and subscribe to!) Oliver Burkeman's newsletter, The Imperfectionist.
Click here to read Lisa Miller's column in The Cut, "My Therapist Was Right About Uncertainty."
Click here to read about Second Sleep on Tedium.
Click here to read Arthur Brooks's explanation why Americans have gotten unhappier as they've gotten more comfortable.

Oct 23, 2020 • 1h 5min
Episode 198: I Feel Guilty About Liking This
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk private lives, political junkies, Craigslist confessionals, and the surprising hope of 2020. Also, RJ feels his (lonely) feelings while Sarah buys a birthday cake.
Click here to read Mo Perry's Great Rearranging newsletter.
Click here to read the NY Times article about "the real divide in America."
Click here to read CJ's write-up of Helena Dea Bala's Craigslist Confessional.
Click here to read Chad Bird's rationale for why 2020 Is A Great Year For the Church.

Oct 9, 2020 • 1h 13min
Episode 197: Play Now
In which RJ, Dave, and Sarah talk gracious play, burned out children, burned out workers, burned out clergy, and the hope of unconscious bias training. Also, RJ gets down to some liturgical reggae.
Click here to read Sam Anderson's article on the NBA bubble.
Click here to read our interview with theologian Nimi Wariboko.
Click here to watch the video for The Pioneers' "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah."
Click here to read Anne Helen Peterson's interview about millennial parenting in The Atlantic.
Click here to read the excerpt of Anne Helen Peterson's Can't Even in Wired.
Click here to read Anne Helen Peterson's newsletter about clergy burnout.
Click here to read Peter Ormerod's column on unconcscious bias training in The Guardian.

Sep 25, 2020 • 1h 13min
Episode 196: The Land of Bland
For too long, the podcasting industry has flooded our ears with self-indulgent commentary and lazy sermonizing. Well, the answer to your commuting conundrum is finally here! We at Mockingbird are obsessed with side-stepping the noise and bringing 200 proof grace directly to your earbuds. Simple and seasonal, yet thoughtfully sourced and designed to fit in with your busy lifestyle, brace yourself for your new favorite listening experience. There is only one Mockingcast, and this is it.
In all seriousness though:
To read the interview with Lana Del Rey, click here.
To read the review of The Twittering Machine in Book Forum, click here.
To read Bloomberg's "Welcome to Your Bland New World," click here.
To read Duo Dickinson's "Love Across the Political Divide," click here.
Oh and to read DZ's reflection on the Before films, click here.

Sep 11, 2020 • 1h 19min
Episode 195: All Shall Be Swell
A jumbo-sized episode in which Sarah, RJ and Dave talk spiritual consultants, anxious NBA stars, the charity of Frederick Douglass, and the hope of Julian of Norwich. Also, a hapless kayaker receives an ironic rescue.
Click here to read the full opening news report.
Click here to read Nellie Bowles's NY Times profile of spiritual consultants in the workplace. And here to read Dave's commentary on it.
Click here to read the ESPN story on Paul George.
Click here to read Chris Arnade's "Dignity to Endure."
Click here to read Alan Jacobs's article "Hate the Sin, Not the Book."
Click here to read Nathan White's piece on Julian of Norwich's Hope.

Sep 2, 2020 • 1h 4min
Episode 194: Defunding the Inner Police
In which Dave, Sarah, and RJ talk college reopenings, internal deputies, racist sinners, and recovering pharisees. Also, Sarah is absolved of her lunchable guilt, and Mrs Heijmen finally becomes an adult.
Click here to read the Inside Higher Ed piece on college reopenings.
Click here to read Sarah's post on Defunding Your Inner Police.
Click here to read Tim Kreider's article, "I Am a Meme Now."
Click here to read Theo Hobson's column "Racism Is a Sin and We Are All Sinners."
Click here for 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee.

Aug 14, 2020 • 1h 4min
Episode 193: Those Upgrades Can Wait
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk school reopenings, comparative suffering, digital hygiene, and the crisis of capacity. Also, RJ decides to invest in some outdated (but comfortable!) furniture.
Click here to read Your School District's Reopening Survey on McSweeney's.
Click here to read Zadie Smith's thoughts on "Suffering Like Mel Gibson"--and see the meme we mention.
Click here to read Meghan O'Gieblyn's response on Wired to the question of "Why Do I Keep Refusing to Install OS Updates?"
Click here to watch Giles Fraser's talk on "Christianity and Morality: The Story of an Uneasy Relationship."
Oh and click here to order the expanded paperback edition of Seculosity.

Aug 2, 2020 • 1h 7min
Episode 192: Smokin' Soulmates
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk marriage models, bored believers, fragile meritocrats, and reconciled congressmen. Also, RJ catches up on some Netflix while Sarah dabbles in prophecy.
Click here to read the WSJ article on Smoking.
Click here to read the article about COVID-19 Killing the Soulmate Model of Marriage.
Click here to read David Clay's Mbird piece on the Freedom to be Bored.
Click here to read Ross Douthat's column on The Real White Fragility.
Click here to read Kat Rosenfield's "Master Cleanse".
Click here to read the excerpt from John Lewis's final book.

Jul 10, 2020 • 60min
Episode 191: Exploding Heads and Inedible Sandwiches
In which Dave, RJ, and Sarah talk curated authenticity, shameful beaches, and imputing baseball coaches. Also, Sarah does some Corona math while and Dave weighs the wisdom of a Shakespearean admonition. Oh don't miss the surprise at the end.
Click here to read Shannon Ashley's column on Medium "Girl, You've Been Made."
Click here to read Zeynep Tufekci on how "Scolding Beachgoers Isn’t Helping".
Click here to read Tess Wilkinson-Ryan's article for The Atlantic on the psychological morass of reopening.
Click here to read Michael Lewis's essay on Coach Fitzgerald's Management Theory (or here to listen to the episode of Against the Rules about it).

Jun 29, 2020 • 1h 11min
Episode 190: My Name Is Soapbox
In which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk lonely dads, radical acceptance, hashtag preaching, and anger in the Bible. Also, the Heijmens pray someone into a fender-bender while Sarah takes a break from social media.
Click here to read Sam Bush's article about God of Our (Lonely) Fathers.
Click here to read Ekemini Uwan's piece about Radical Acceptance and the New Normal.
Click here to read Chad Bird's column on Hashtag Preaching and Whack-a-Mole Worship.
Click here to read Esau McCaulley's article about What The Bible Has to Say About Black Anger.