Shows
Reframing The GospelEPISODE 20: The Good News About Chronic Illness and Pain w/Shannon CramerOdds are, you probably know someone who struggles with chronic illness or pain. Often nicknamed "invisible disability," chronic illness and pain are a hidden struggle that countless people deal with on a daily basis, and this constant battle puts a strain on every aspect of a person's life including their faith and spirituality. My guest on this episode is no stranger to the daily battle that comes with chronic illness. Shannon Cramer has lived with debilitating health complications for the past thirteen years, and during that time, her faith and trust in God have been stretched and tested to...
2024-04-2252 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 19: The Good News About Prayer as Transformation w/D.J. MarottaMany protestant Christians like myself are very familiar with the idea of God transforming us from the inside out, but is it possible for something like the Lord's Prayer to actually change and transform us from the outside in? Tune in to this episode of Reframing the Gospel to hear from Rev. Marotta, author of the book Liturgy in the Wilderness, about how the Lord's Prayer and other liturgical practices can do just that - serve as God's tools to transform us from the outside in.
Liturgy in the Wilderness: How the Lord's Prayer...
2024-03-2547 min
Reframing The GospelEPISODE 18: The Good News About Intentional Christian Community w/Lakshmi PietteMany modern protestant churches in the United States will tell you that they are community-oriented, and while it may not be false that many churches believe this to be true, it still often feels difficult to find the type of community we often long for and crave. The type of community in which you see and interact with those you do life with more than once a week, and where you have the chance to see and be seen by people who love you deeply instead of just shooting the breeze for a few minutes.
2024-03-1843 min
Reframing The GospelSPECIAL EPISODE: Could Hell Ever be Good News?When it comes to good news, the idea of someone I love - or anyone at all for that matter - suffering in hell forever doesn't make it very high up on the list...It's been many years now since I decided that the notion of eternal conscious torment in hell didn't line up with the God I knew and saw in Jesus. However, it took me a long time to figure out how to reconcile that conviction with an intellectually honest and culturally conscious reading of scripture. In this special episode of Reframing the Gospel, I'm not going...
2024-03-0830 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 16: A Reflection on Slowing DownBurn out from overworking and overcommitting ourselves is so common these days that I sometimes wonder if we even recognize it half the time. Is this life of endlessly increasing productivity really the life that God is calling us to live? Or might God be calling us to something different? Something a bit slower? Join me on this episode as I reflect on this idea of slowing down and why it might not only be something good for us but something that God desires for us as well.
2024-03-0410 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 15: The Good News About The Gift of Slower Seasons w/Christy FoldenauerAs modern-day Americans, we live in a world that often operates at a break-neck pace where productivity is king. This reality even and perhaps especially invades the world of ministry work. But whatever career you may find yourself in, I think we can all agree that it's tough to slow down...but what if the seasons of life when productivity is low and cut back are actually a gift? This is the topic that Christy Foldenauer addresses in her recent book, Shear Gifts, and the focus of our conversation during this episode.
2024-02-2652 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 14: A Reflection on Masculinity, Purity Culture, and Sexual Abuse in the ChurchIn last week's episode, I had the opportunity to talk with author Zachary Wagner about what it means to develop a nontoxic, resurrected vision of Christian masculinity. Join me in this episode as I reflect on the ways that masculinity, purity culture, and sexual abuse in the church are connected and how we can work to build a more restorative Christian Community where the vulnerable are safe and those in authority are held accountable.
2024-02-1913 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 13: The Good News About Masculinity w/Zachary WagnerIn a day and age where what it means to be a man is changing more rapidly than ever, it's important that we - as followers of Jesus and the body of Christ - seriously consider how we're contributing to the way that men in our society are being formed. In his book, Nontoxic Masculinity, Zach Wagner writes about this and other important aspects of how and why it's important to embody maleness in a healthy, holistic, and Christlike way. In this episode, I have the opportunity to ask Zach some questions about his book and hear some of...
2024-02-0949 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 12: A Reflection on the Hidden Wound of RacismIn this short, reflective episode, I take a few minutes to reflect on the negative impacts of slavery and racism in our country. It's (hopefully) obvious to the average American that slavery had an extremely negative impact on the African Americans who experienced it. I believe it's also clear to many of us that these negative impacts of slavery and racism are still experienced in many ways by people of color today. Perhaps less obvious is the negative impact incurred by white American Christians because of their complicity in the evils of slavery. This negative impact is what author...
2024-02-0211 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 11: The Good News About Reconciliation w/David BaileyIn this episode of Reframing the Gospel, you'll hear my conversation with the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, David Bailey. I've known David for about four years now, and I've loved seeing and hearing about all of the great work he and his team at Arrabon do to help Christian communities across the country grow into communities marked by reconciliation and transformation. Tune in to learn more about David, Arrabon, and what it means to be a reconciling community!
2024-01-2647 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 10: Story Time - Some Thoughts on Living IncarnationallyJust a city boy, born and raised in... small-town Arkansas.
My first year in Richmond, Virginia was a bit jarring after growing up in a small town in North-West Arkansas, but the experience of living here has - without a doubt - changed my life for the better.
In this reflective episode, I tell some of my own story about how I've been impacted by this concept of "incarnational living" during my time in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, VA.
2024-01-1220 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 09: The Good News About Incarnational Living and Trusting in God's Provision w/Paul GrangerIn this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with Paul Granger who hosts the podcast, "Where Did You See God?" Paul's life and ministry for the past three to five years in the East End of Richmond, Virginia have been marked by this word, "incarnate." During these days and weeks leading up to Christmas, many Christians spend time with this idea of the incarnation - that God became a human being - but how does the incarnation really affect our everyday lives? For Paul, its effect is quite large. Tune in to this episode to hear about how...
2023-12-2259 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 08: Reflection on Worship, Posture, and ActionJoin me on this short-form episode as I reflect on the topic of worship and how my understanding of and engagement with this practice has changed over the years.
2023-12-1511 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 07: The Good News About Worship and Creative Work in The Local Church w/Rachel PierceIn this episode, I have the opportunity to interview Reverend Rachel Pierce, a worship artist from Richmond, VA, and the former Worship Pastor of First Baptist Church in Ashland, VA.
To listen to some of the music Rachel and others mentioned in this episode created with Uptick Artists, visit https://uptickartists.bandcamp.com.
2023-12-0855 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 06: Story Time - Some Thoughts on Gender and SexualityIn this shorter episode, I dive into part of my own story and talk about how I came to the point of view about queerness I've come to hold. I share this story not to try and change anyone's mind, but simply to open up a channel of honest conversation. In the previous episode, Dr. Edwards talked about the importance of curiosity and intellectual benevolence. That is, giving those you disagree with the benefit of the doubt and listening with genuine curiosity. Not in order to refute, but in order to understand.
2023-12-0123 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 05: The Good News About Belonging and Gender w/Dr. Jen EdwardsThe expression of gender and sexuality in a non-traditional way is one of the most divisive and contentious topics amongst Evangelical Christians these days. Regardless of where you fall, I think two common questions are 1) How do I love and welcome people who express their gender or sexuality differently without compromising on my own convictions? and 2) How do I love and welcome people who hold and express different convictions without either condemning them or compromising on my own? In this episode, you'll get to hear Dr. Jen Edwards talk about some of her own experiences around this topic...
2023-11-241h 02Reframing The GospelEPISODE 04: Reflection on the Church and DiscipleshipJoin me in this reflective and meditative episode as I dive a bit deeper into the concept of the Church, its mission in the world, and how we can best join God in that mission. We'll also talk a little bit about some of the harm that the Church has caused in the name of Christ and how I, personally, have found healthy pathways back into a rich and formative Christian community.
Be sure to check out the book I reference in this episode, The Other Half of Church. You can find and purchase...
2023-11-1721 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 03: The Good News About Creative Destruction and New Life for Institutional Church w/Josh HaydenMany people in the 18-35 age range have at least a few (if not many) negative experiences with church. These faith-focused institutions can often feel more like businesses than communities and are sometimes more intent on self-preservation than they are on loving their neighbors. In this episode, I interview pastor Josh Hayden about his doctoral work on institutional reform and transformation and how those ideas have played out in real life. Josh pastors a church in Ashland, VA, just outside of Richmond, and since starting there almost nine years ago has led them through some very significant seasons of...
2023-11-101h 02Reframing The GospelEPISODE 02: Reflecting on Prosperity and SufferingJoin me for this reflective and contemplative episode on the topic of prosperity and suffering. In it, we will talk about and process some of the concepts addressed in the previous episode with Nathan Walton. There will also be some moments of contemplative space for you to connect with God in prayer and meditation.
2023-11-0322 minReframing The GospelBONUS EPISODE: Purity Culture, Christian Nationalism, and The Prosperity Gospel w/Nathan WaltonThis bonus episode contains a short but fascinating and relevant segment of my conversation with Nathan Walton that did not fit into episode one. If you want to know how purity culture, Christian nationalism, and the prosperity gospel are interconnected, don't miss out on listening to this bonus episode!
2023-10-3009 minReframing The GospelEPISODE 01: The Good News About Prosperity and Suffering with Nathan WaltonIn this episode, I interview Nathan on his doctoral work around the prosperity gospel - what it is, some of the pitfalls, and how it can illuminate gaps and shortcomings in our own evangelical theology.
2023-10-2746 min
Reframing The GospelIntro to Reframing the GospelWith the decline of church attendance and the growing number of young people who want nothing to do with Christianity, I think it's time we started asking ourselves, "Is this gospel we're proclaiming actually good news to those who need to hear it? Or have we gradually become numb and blind to how our gospel has been shaped and formed by undercurrents of racism, patriarchy, individualism, and the like?" Is the gospel that we preach really good news to the poor and the marginalized; to the hopeless and abandoned; to those who have been hurt and abused by people...
2023-10-2011 min