Betwixt Podcast on the Brink of Becoming

Stations of the Cross Introduction Mar 22, 2021

For centuries, Christians have set out on a holy pilgrimage in 14 movements. From the Garden of Gethsemane to the Garden Tomb, we invite you to walk with Jesus, experiencing the sorrow, suffering, and passion of his self-sacrificial love. This meditation introduces a series of 14 audio meditations that follow 14 Stations of the Cross.We follow in his way, knowing that one offers no greater love than laying down their life for others. As we join Jesus, we are reminded that we are his beloved children, made in his image, and invited to experience the beauty of his presence, even as we walk toward death.These meditations accompany sacred art crafted by the artists of Flourish Contemplative Center. To view the virtual gallery, visit ColumbusAnglicanMission.org. Flourish Artists include Michelle Morris, Michael O'Donnell and Lynn Staggs.

Station 1: Passion Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 1: Passion. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane* Music provided by Les Petits Chanteurs de Montigny: Cantata Domino GO Pitoni and Kai Engel: Take a Look Around You.*Art: Christ on the Mount of Olives by Paul Gaugin (in public domain)

Station 2: Betrayal Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 2: Betrayal. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested.*Music: Les Petits Chanteurs de Montigny: O Bone Jesus; Violin by Neil Leonard* Art by Michael O'Donnell

Station 3: Condemnation Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 3: Condemnation. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin.*Music: Couperin's Prelude la Tromba, Air de Diable performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra; Perdue No. 1 performed by Barryvan*Art by Lynn Staggs

Station 5: Denial Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station of the Cross 4: Denial. Peter Denies Jesus.Music: Cappella Romana's Byzantine Chant: Prokeimenon; Kai Engel: Mist and CloudsArt by Michael O'Donnell

Station 6: Scourge Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station of the Cross 6: Scourge. Jesus is scourged and wears a crown of thorns.*Music: Victim Paschali Laudes performed by Tudor Consort; Bach's Andante from Italian Concerto performed on harp by Catrin Finch.*Art by Michelle Morris

Station 7: Burden Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 7: Burden. The King takes up his cross.*Music: Russian Liturgical Chant: The Cross Exalted Invites All Creation; Kai Engel: Cloudburst.*Art by Michael O'Donnell

Station 8: Fall Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 8: Fall. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross.*Music: Russian Liturgical Chant: Turn Not Thy Face Away from Thy Servant; Kai Engel: Aspirato.*Art by Lynn Staggs

Station 9: Lament Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 9: Lament. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.*Music: Kai Engel: Morbid Imaginations; Couperin's Air de Diablo performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra* Art: The Outcry of the Women by Adolfo Perez Esquivel (creative commons)

Station 10: Wounds Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 10: Wounds. Jesus is stripped and crucified.To view the "White Crucifixion" by Marc Chagall, please visit this link to the Art Institute of Chicago: www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/59426The song Via Dolorosa provided with courtesy by Young Noah.

Station 11: Thirst Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 11: Thirst. Jesus thirsts.*Music: Byzantine Chant Kontakion Unshakeable Foundation by Cappella Romana; Kai Engel: Soli.*Art: As Seen from the Cross by James Tissot (Brooklyn Art Museum, public domain)

Station 12: Grief Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 12: Grief. Jesus speaks to his mother from the cross.*Music: Cujus Animam Gementem performed by Tudor Consort; Evermore by Kai Engel.*Art by Michael O'Donnell

Station 13: Death Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 13: Death. Jesus dies and the veil of the Temple is torn.*Music: Agnus Dei performed Tudor Consort; Curtains are Always Drawn by Kai Engel.* Art by Michelle Morris

Station of the Cross 14: Tomb Mar 22, 2021

Meditation for Station 14: Tomb. Jesus is buried in the tomb.*Music: Vivaldi's Credo Crucifixius performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra; Denouement by Kai Engel.* Icon by Emmanuel Lambardos the Younger , 1640 (after the prototype in Crete)

Examen for the Year End with Kelsie Meyers Dec 27, 2020

Spiritual Director Kelsie Meyers offers this beautiful prayer of Examen for the year end. In the presence of God and through the eyes of Jesus, you are invited to look back, noticing the movements of God in your life and to look ahead, cultivating hope for what is yet to come.Music courtesy of Borrtex: Bright Morning Star (Creative Commons)Photo by Simon Matzinger from Pexels

Examen for Joy Dec 13, 2020

These advent reflections and prayers accompany the Weary World Rejoices Advent guide which is posted on the www.betwixtpodcast.com and Flourish Contemplative Center website. You are welcome to download the guide and join us in this journey of illumination toward Christmas!During Advent, we light candles to remind ourselves to watch for the light. Each week, we illuminate a theme that will grow our expectancy for the Advent - the coming of Jesus.You are invited to return to this prayer of examen each evening this week as a way of looking for God by examining your life in the last 24 hours.This week, the theme is Joy! Artwork by Cody Wood. Music courtesy of Lee Rosevere (Under suspicion) and Borrtex (Love Generosity; Falling Into Presence: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Borrtex, Creative Commons so go give some love!

31 David Fitch on Freedom From Faith that Divides Sep 25, 2020

“Let’s forget nation-state politics until we can engage practically the injustices going on in our towns and villages in which we live.”David Fitch is the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary in Chicago. He is also the founding pastor of Life on the Vine Christian Community- a missional church in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. Many of you may know Fitch as a leading voice in conversations about culture and missiology. You can find more about him on his website reclaimingthemission.com and this podcast Theology on Mission.We find ourselves in a precarious and liminal time. And many of us grieve our angry culture that seems obsessed with antagonism. In his book the Church of Us vs Them, Fitch contends that the Church has been swept up in this Us-vs-them mentality that has turned us into an ‘enemy-making machine. This episode expolores how we got here and how we can free ourselves from a faith that feeds on division. And because this episode is about handling antagonisms, I take the opportunity to throw Fitch a few hand grenade questions! So stay tuned and see how he handles them!“When we extract belief out of practicing it in our everyday lives, it turns into a banner, an ideological cause that we rally people around. And we lose sight that God actually wants to work into our lives - transforming our lives into a way of life that witnesses the kingdom before the world.”

30 Middle Passage: Barbara Peacock on African American Soul Care Jul 10, 2020

“I’m reading books by Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Adele Calhoun, and I’m like, where is the information on African American spiritual direction? We need to have a voice in this community.”Dr. Barbara Peacock illustrates the liminal history of contemplative prayer, spiritual direction, and soul care within the African American tradition. Reflecting on significant men and women like Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Howard Thurman—Barbara celebrates the practices of soul care as we learn from these spiritual leaders.“Liminal history is the only history that we know. We are a people that are continuously going from one revelation of humanity and equality to another.”Dr. Barbara is a preacher, teacher and a prayer warrior. Spiritual direction and soul care were the emphasis of her doctoral work, which led to her book Soul Care in African American Practice. “I believe we are on the brink of a great awakening. I think we’ve had one; we just didn’t realize it. I know people don’t see eye to eye on the protests, but there is a piercing and a transformation of the heart that is taking place.”Thank you to Taelor Gray for the podcast benediction with his song Closer.https://www.ivpress.com/soul-care-in-african-american-practicehttps://www.barbaralpeacock.com/http://www.taelorgray.com/Special Thanks to these musicians for permission to include these songs:Taelor Gray: CloserKai Engle: Irens Tale, Salue, Machinery, Morning Placidity, DenouementBorrtex: Black OutAudiobinger: Winter is Coming, Past RegretsLee Rosevere: Under Suspicion

29 Cure for Despondency (The Problem of Time & Eternity) with Nicole Roccas May 29, 2020

Dr. Nicole Roccas joins me to talk about the problem of time and eternity. She suggests three ancient cures for despondency that still work today.Nicole is a historian and adjunct faculty member at the Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College in Toronto. She is the author of the books Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life, Under the Laurel Tree: Grieving Infertility with Saints Joachim and Anna, and A Journal of Thanksgiving: Record Three Years of Gratitude in a Sentence a Day.Nicole is the host of the Time Eternal podcast and co-hosts the Help My Unbelief Podcast. with her husband Basil."In eternity, God reveals himself as being. In time, God reveals himself as action in a way that we can respond and encounter his love and the love of one another.The incarnation reveals that God is not antithetical to the world of physical matter and decay. It tells us that God is with us and the age to come has, in a sense, already come." -Nicole Roccas

28 Timothy Carson On Becoming What We Can’t Yet Imagine (An Hermeneutic of Liminality) Apr 30, 2020

My guest is Timothy Carson, curator of the Liminality Project. After retiring from full time pastoral ministry, Tim began to teach and write about liminality. He is the author of Liminal Reality and Transformational Power and editor of the anthology Neither Here nor There: The Many Voices of Liminality. And he’s working on a new collaborative book on practical theology and the development of a Biblical Hermeneutic of Liminality.Tim also ministers as a field guide, helping others transition through life's passages. As an Emotional Freedom Techniques Practitioner, he works with individuals who have experienced past trauma.In this episode, Tim casts a vision toward a Biblical hermeneutic of liminality and what insight it might provide for us as we walk through this time of social liminality.Quotes from this episode: "If anything, socially isolating in our homes should drive us to a new sense of what it means to stand in a solitary way before God. "“It’s a colossal mistake in this social liminality of this pandemic to say things like, “When we get back to the way it was before.” We don’t want to go back. We want to pass through the wilderness and go to a promised land. We want to move toward a new reality and take the insights and ways we’ve been reshaped into building a new reality, a new world, a new heaven and a new earth."Every time we attach to a false object and raise it to the level of the Ultimate, which is a form of idolatry, there’s a kind of tear in the soul because we’re attaching to something that can’t sustain us. It’s something false, something unreal, and yet we’re putting all our hope in it. And there’s a kind of death that takes place when we do that.""Part of the danger of wilderness in liminal space is what happens to our attachments. If we’ve lost anchors and structure, there’s the possibility that in liminal space, we attach incorrectly to the many false gods that we will worship. We will attach to the many illusions that will fall away."What is the gift of what we may become because of the liminal space? We look for the ways we might be transformed because of it. It would be a grand thing if people of faith would stop asking “When we can get back to church?” Which to me sounds like wanting to clamor back to Egypt. Wanting to clamor back to structure? What if God doesn’t want us to go back to structure? What if God doesn’t want us to go back to the way we were before? What might we become of us because of this?

27 BONUS TRACK: Behind the Scenes with Mandy Smith on Virtue, Women and the Awakenings Luncheon Jul 08, 2019

Bonus Track to Episode 27 with Karen Swallow Prior. Listen to the Behind the scenes conversation with Mandy Smith about virtue, women and the women's luncheon at the Awakenings Gathering.

27 Karen Swallow Prior On Reading Well (& Why Virtue is tricky for Women) Jul 08, 2019

Today on the Betwixt Podcast, Dr. Karen Swallow Prior talks about her newest book On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Literature. Her book walks readers through twelves literary works that show us how to live virtuously. "Literature is like a boxing ring of ideas where we can try out and test ideas.” - We also discuss the virtue (or vice) of angry reading, Prior's combat boots and why virtue is so tricky for women.“The latin root word for virtue is the same root word for man. So virtue literally meant manliness.” Historically, women have not been expected to be virtuous - with the exception of the 19th century ideal of chastity.When it comes to women’s issues, Prior notices a binary trap. You’re either conservative or progressive. Or you are either egalitarian or complementarian. "It’s a binary based on opposition, conflict, disagreement and denouncement.” What it might look like for women to defy labels and come together in unity, support and affirmation?Karen Swallow Prior is Professor of English at Liberty University. She is the author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me, Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist, and her latest book On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Literature. She lives in Virginia with her husband Roy and sundry horses, dogs and chickens.Special Bonus: Mandy Smith joins the conversation to talk about a powerful moment at the Women’s Luncheon during the Missio Alliance Awakenings Gathering. Through that story, we explore how God is calling women to live and lead virtuously for the sake of the Church and the world.LinksTwitter: @KSPriorkarenswallowprior.com

26 Phileena Heuertz on Mindful Silence (Action & Contemplation P 2) Jun 17, 2019

“Christian life is not a life divided between times for action and times for contemplation. No. Real social action is a way of contemplation, and real contemplation is the core of social action.” Henri NouwenContinuing our series on Action & Contemplation, Phileena Heuertz talks about contemplation. How do contemplation and action work together? Why are practices of reflection and contemplative prayer essential to meaningful impact in the world?Phileena Heuertz spent 20 years working as an activist in some of the worlds toughest places. And then she had a crisis of faith. "I really needed a practice that could hold me. Before, it was me holding my faith. But I needed my faith to hold me. I needed to let go. I needed to be held by God."Today, Phileena is a spiritual director and teacher of contemplative prayer. She helps other activists and ministry leaders deepen their relationships with God, discern their unconscious motivations for service and cultivate practices of stillness, silence and solitude. “Solitude teaches us to be present. Silence teaches us to listen. Stillness teaches us what appropriate engagement looks like.” - Phileena HeuertzPhileena’s new book Mindful Silence examines these three contemplative themes. She asks how we can offer a different kind of presence in the world that activates redemptive impact?Phileena Heuertz is the author of Pilgrimage of the Soul and her new book Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation. She is a spiritual director and founding partner of Gravity, a center for contemplative activism in Omaha Nebraska where she lives with her husband Chris."There are unconscious motivations that drive us into service that may appear to be selfless and altruistic but upon deeper introspective may be self-serving. And it’s that self-serving aspect of activism that perpetuates exploitation of others." - Phileena HeuertzListen to Part 1 with Kathy Khang. Kathy talks about Action and her new book Raise your Voice: Why we Stay Silent and How to Speak Up! This Podcast relies on shares & reviews from listeners like you! Subscribe/Rate/Review Betwixt on iTunes! Learn more about the podcast at betwixtpodcast.com

25 Kathy Khang: Raise Your Voice (Action & Contemplation Part 1) May 27, 2019

Action or contemplation–which is better?This pitting of one against the other has been a long standing debate throughout history. Theologians have often used allegorical depictions of biblical women to illustrate this divide. Augustine famously used the two wives of Jacob to articulate his preference. He held up Leah as the model of the fruitful activist life. But Rachael was a model of the harder to attain contemplative life. Others set the Biblical sisters Mary against Martha: Mary, who sits as a disciple at the feet of Jesus, is identified with contemplation whilst her sister Martha, who is distracted by her many tasks, represents action. Philosopher Hannah Arendt believed that prior to the Modern Age, contemplation was preferred. But with the technological boom, the Protestant Reformation and the rise of Marxism, action become dominant. Yet, there have always been streams within the contemplative tradition that seek to unite the two for healthy Christian formation.“We need both action and contemplation to have a whole spiritual journey. It doesn’t matter which comes first; action may lead you to contemplation and contemplation may lead you to action.” Fr. Richard RohrAnd so, in the next two episodes, I want to elevate two women (without pitting them against one another!) as they illustrate how action and contemplation work together for holistic Christian formation. In today’s episode, activist Kathy Khang talks about action and her latest book Raise your Voice: Why we Stay Silent and How to speak up! Kathy and I talk about why our voices matters, the costs of raising our voices, and the dangers of assimilation. Kathy Khang is a writer, speaker and yoga instructor who has worked in campus ministry for more than twenty years. She is a coauthor of More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Women on Expectations, Relationships, Leadership and Faith. and the author of a new book: Raise Your Voice, which we talk about in this episode.Stay tuned for Part 2 when we speak with Phileena Heuretz about contemplation and her new book: Mindful Silence: The heart of Christian Contemplation.Link: Visit Kathy's website and read her blog at kathykhang.comFollow her on Twitter: @mskathykhangPurchase Raise Your Voice: https://amzn.to/2Mg5u6RWatch the Shalom Chant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D8QjWqe2hUThanks to Kai Engel for the use of his song SnowfallSpecial thanks to Julie Tai at Fuller Seminary for the use of the Shalom Chant. You can view the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D8QjWqe2hU

24 Michael Card on Hesed: How Kindness Heals the World May 14, 2019

People often say, God is love. But when you think of God’s love, what does that mean to you?My guest is Michael Card, author of the new book Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness. Card calls hesed the “greatest sacramental word in the Hebrew Bible.” It’s an untranslatable word that defines an inexpressible mystery. We have no English word to adequately describes hesed, yet it’s a word that God uses to describe himself. It’s an incredibly transformational word. Mike and I talk about how hesed changes us and how it heals our world.Michael Card is a well beloved author and songwriter. You may have heard his classic songs Immanuel or El Shaddai. You may even have some of his thirty-one albums! But did you know that he is also a prolific author and biblical scholar? He has written or contributed to more than twenty-four books.He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University with a bachelor's and master's degree in biblical studies. He also teaches the bible in a variety of settings and he serves as mentor to many younger artists and musicians. Michael Card lives in Franklin Tennessee with his wife and four children.Links: www.michaelcard.comPurchase Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness at https://www.ivpress.com/inexpressibleListen to the companion album: To the Kindness of God at https://amzn.to/2VB28DSListen to Michael Card's podcast In the Studio: https://www.michaelcard.com/inthestudioRegister for the MissioAlliance Rountable Book Discussion on C Christopher Smith's Book: How the Body of Christ Talks (https://www.missioalliance.org/resource/roundtable-book-discussion-how-the-body-of-christ-talks)Special thanks to Michael Card for the generous use of his music that you heard in this episode:The Shelter of the ShadowI Will Be KindJob SuitePrelude 128My Help (Psalm 121)That Kind of LoveWhen Dinah Held My HandMeditation 4 SelahPoem of Your Life

23 Lianne Simon on the Challenges of Being Intersex & Christian Apr 29, 2019

“Intersex is a broad label for people with differences of sex development (DSDs)—people whose bodies show physical characteristics of both male and female.” - Intersex and FaithIn this latest Betwixt Podcast episode, Deb Gregory talks with Lianne Simon about her experience as a Christian intersex woman. Lianne shares her remarkable journey of faith despite experiences of abuse, shame and invisibility.Liane Simon was born with a genetic condition that caused sexual ambiguity. Because her body features a mosaic of both male and female chromosomes, much of Lianne’s life was spent coming to terms with a body that was born different. "Will I be male or female in heaven? I don’t know. But I know my redeemer loves me." In a culture conflicted by questions of gender, sex and faith, Lianne’s story helps us to lay aside ideology in order to compassionately listen to the reality of those who live on the threshold between male and female. Perhaps this story can help foster a space for healing conversations within your community.“Intersex people need bodily autonomy and integrity. We are the ones who need to figure out whether we can fit into this world in a mostly binary way (and which one) or whether we need to embrace the body God gave us.” Lianne SimonLianne is the author of the books Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite and A Proper Young Lady which tell fictional accounts of intersex stories. She is also an advocate for families and children with intersex conditions.Lianne and Theologian Megan DeFranza are the producers of the new documentary film Stories of Intersex and Faith. The film tells the stories of five intersexed people who find healing and hope in their faith. The film also advocates for greater understanding and ethical standards around unnecessary cosmetic genital surgeries on children. “It’s society that needs to be healed, not us.” @IntersexfaithLinks:Visit Lianne Simon’s Website www.liannesimon.comCheck out the Documentary Stories of Intersex and Faith http://storiesofintersexandfaith.com/Follow the Doc Stories of Intersex & Faith on Facebook or Twitter https://www.facebook.com/intersexfaithdoc/ https://twitter.com/intersexfaithIntersex & Faith Cirriculum for Churches and community groups https://www.megandefranza.com/curriculumTo Learn More about Intersex Conditions: https://www.intersexandfaith.org/resourcesVisit Megan DeFranza’s website https://www.megandefranza.com/

21 Bruce Herman on Ordinary Saints: The Dangerous Space Between Icon and Portrait (Part 2) Apr 02, 2019

Artist Bruce Herman on Ordinary Saints: The Dangerous Space Between Icon and Portrait (The Art of Paradox Part 2) “Essentially poetry, art, music, break open the world again for us that had gotten closed by our false certainties.”In the last Betwixt Episode, Artist Bruce Herman told the story about the house-fire in which he lost 25 years of artwork. Bruce described it as a “eu-catastrophe” - the good catastrophe that brought freedom amidst great loss.In Part 2 of this robust conversation with Bruce Herman, I wanted to learn more about his work as an artist. What are the new possibilities and narratives he has been exploring? What role does art play in the life of the Church?I am particularly interested in his latest series called Ordinary Saints which explores the fraught space between the icon and the portrait. A space Bruce has described as “entering into no-man’s land, between the sacred traditions on the one hand and the traditions of portraiture, and of art-song and poetry.”“Playing God is the great temptation for all of us. Especially artists . . . My imagination had been colonized by my desire for reputation.”Links:Get acquainted with Bruce Herman’s art by visiting www.bruceherman.comSee what Malcolm Guite is creating by visiting https://malcolmguite.wordpress.comListen to J.A.C. Redford’s Music at www.jacredford.comWatch Malcolm Guite and Steve Bell Perform “Your Poetry is Jamming My Machine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkYjB_ZcXW0Music and Poetry:Stories About the World that Once Was Performed by Chris Zabriskie CC license www.freemusicarchive.comAspirato performed by Kai Engel CC license www.freemusicarchive.com“Your Poetry is Jamming My Machine” by Malcolm Guite. Performed with Steve Bell Turn Not Thy Face Away from Thy Servant by Russian Liturgical Chant CC license www.Archive.orgSummoning Beauty Music by JAC Redford for Ordinary Saints. (Used with Permission)Portrait of the Artist. (Used with Permission) Poetry by Malcolm Guite, music by JAC Redford for Ordinary Saints. Performed live at Laity Lodge.

20 The Good Chaos: Bruce Herman on Dancing after your House Burns Down (The Art of Paradox Part 1) Mar 18, 2019

A great paradox of the Christian life is to stand at the edge of loss and to somehow gain freedom. In this episode, artist Bruce Herman shares his paradoxical story of embracing freedom amidst great loss. “A bunch of people have asked me over the years, what was it like to have your house hit by three bolts of lightning, burn down and destroy 25 years of your work as an artist? That must have been devastating!My honest answer is, ‘No, it really wasn’t. It was a eucatastrophe. It’s the good chaos or the good catastrophe.’ Right after the fire. That same afternoon evening, my wife and I went dancing.”We either believe that God is going to take care of us or we don’t. Bruce Herman is an artist, essayist, speaker, professor. He is the Lothlórien Distinguished Chair in Fine Arts at Gordon College where he founded the Art Department 35 years ago. Herman’s art has been exhibited around the world. His paintings have been housed in world renown museums like the Vatican Museum of Modern Religious Art and the Cincinnati Museum of Fine Arts.Visit Bruce Herman at www.bruceherman.comThank you to these musical artist for the use of their songs:www.DexterBritain.com: Liftedwww.Kai-Engel.com: Cendres; Runwww.jasonharrod.comwww.brianfunck.comLion Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EaUy0PUBkQThanks to www.freesound.org contributors:ExplosionBombBlastAmbient2.wav by ZimbotJM_FX_Fireball 01.wav by Julien MattheyElectric Shock.wav by GlenCurtisAdamsELECTRIC_ZAP_001.wav by JoelAudioSmoke detector alarm, close perspective.wav

19 Natasha Sistrunk Robinson on Truth-telling in a Divided World Mar 04, 2019

In this Betwixt Podcast episode, we talk with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson about her journey to becoming a truth-teller in a divided world.The truth is, Natasha is a bridge-builder. She spans the distance between diverse communities, forging paths of deeper understanding, reconciliation and healing. “When you have influence, and all of us do, consider your space. How do you invite people into those spaces and opportunities because of the gospel?” - Natasha Sistrunk RobinsonNatasha was a star student and athlete with the kind of leadership potential that led her to the US Naval Academy and on to becoming a Marine Corp Officer. She has worked in leadership positions in the military, government, church, seminary and non-profit sectors.Natasha is the founder of Leadership LINKS, Inc. where she mentors leaders toward affecting generational and cultural change. She has written several books on Mentorship and discipleship and is the author of her newest book: A Sojourner’s Truth, Becoming a Truth-teller in a Divided World.

18 Tish Harrison Warren on Miscarriage and Liturgies of Lament Feb 19, 2019

In this episode,Tish Harrison Warren shares her painful story of miscarriage. Because miscarriage was a wordless experience, she recognized her need for words from her community. She grasped on to liturgies of lament, wrapping time-tested words around her grief in the presence of community.How do we pastor those who have experienced loss through miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility or a regretted abortion? Listen as Tish casts a vision of grief care through liturgy.Tish Harrison Warren is an Anglican Priest and the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life.“Miscarriage, for me it was complex grieving. I mean this baby–this living and dying that was all happening right in my body . . . it’s hard for even finding words for this.And I think that’s partly because in times of deep grief,words are given to us. That’s why we have funerals.And because we don’t have that typically for womenthat walk through miscarriage,it can be a wordless experience.”– Tish Harrison WarrenMusic:Kai Engel: Tumult, Harbor, Meekness, and AspiratoTudor Consort: Kyrie EleisonJoelle Hochstedler: Pain and Abide with MeSpecial Thanks to Indelible Grace for granting us permission to record their arrangement of Abide With Me for use in this episode. This version of Abide with Me was written by Henry Lyte, arranged by Justin Smith and performed by Joelle Hochstedler, Deb Gregory and Joe Byler.This Podcast relies on shares & reviews from listeners like you! Subscribe/Rate/Review Betwixt on iTunes! If you enjoyed this episode, you might like:Station of the Cross 12 – GriefEpisode 17: Aaron Niequist on Practice-Based Faith

17 Aaron Niequist on Practice-based Faith Feb 05, 2019

Aaron Niequist helps launch Season 2 of the Betwixt Podcast! In this episode, Aaron and I share a really beautiful conversation about how practice-based faith draws us into spaces that are ripe for transformation.Aaron is a liturgist, writer, and pastor. After leading worship at two of America’s largest mega churches, Aaron began to re-imagine what a discipleship-focused, contemplative, practice-based community might look like, and so he began The Practice - an experimental gathering in the Willow Creek Chapel. “Jesus did not say, ‘Here is the truth. Believe it.’ He said, ‘I am the truth. Follow me.’ The invitation is participation.” - Aaron Niequist Aaron is the author of the new book called The Eternal Current: How a Practice-Based Faith Can Save Us from Drowning. He’s also the creator of A New Liturgy- a collection of modern liturgical worship recordings, which you will get to hear throughout this episode. Special thanks to Aaron Niequist for permission to feature his music from A New Liturgy. These are the songs you hear in this episode:1 God is Love8 Space to Pray10 Bless42 Forgiveness43 Here are My Hands11 Blessed to be a Blessing20 Emmanuel23 How Long

16 Betwixt Update, Behind the Scenes, & Prep for Season 2! Aug 14, 2018

Update on the Betwixt Podcast: Listen to the behind the scenes of the Betwixt podcast and hear what's changing as we gear up for Season 2!

15 Enneagram: Suzanne Stabile & the Path Between Us (Part 2) Jul 31, 2018

In part two of the Betwixt Podcast conversation with Suzanne Stabile, we continue a discussion on how the enneagram as a spiritual formation tool that can help us to shape the path between humans in relationship to one another and the path in our relationship with God.“The church is in liminal space. It is not what it used to be and it’s not what it’s going be. And very few of us have the patience to wait for the Holy Spirit to lead us and to allow it to be what it can become."Suzanne shares her concern regarding the polarization within the church and how she believes the enneagram can help create a third way. A way in which we can more patiently wait on the Spirit and share the threshold in peace.Additionally, we discuss how the enneagram helps us to see difference and foster a posture of inclusion rather than exclusion, how the enneagram is useful for adopted children, and the ins and outs of using the enneagram in parenting.Suzanne’s first book is The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery. Her second book, The Path Between us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships was released in April 2018.When she is not on the road teaching and lecturing, Suzanne is at home in Dallas, Texas, with her husband Rev. Joseph Stabile, a United Methodist pastor with whom she co-founded Life in the Trinity Ministry and the Micah Center. They have many audio resources available, including The Enneagram Journey curriculum.Special thanks to Ryan O’Neal of Sleeping At Last for the use of his music. To follow the release of new enneagram songs, check out the Sleeping at Last website and podcast!The Betwixt Podcast relies on word-of-mouth & listener reviews. Subscribe/Rate/Review Betwixt on iTunes!Learn more about the podcast at betwixtpodcast.com

14 Enneagram: Suzanne Stabile & the Path Between Us (Part 1) Jul 18, 2018

The enneagram is a model of nine interconnected personality types that is growing in popularity among evangelicals. Each type is represented by a number on a nine-point geometric diagram. In recent years, the enneagram has become wildly popular among leadership trainers in both business and religious circles. It’s used as a tool for strengthening interpersonal relationships and personal growth.But the enneagram stands apart from other personality typing systems because of its unique focus on spiritual growth.Suzanne Stabile explains why the enneagram is a powerful tool that can help us to shape the path between humans in relationship to one another and the path in our relationship with God.Suzanne Stabile is a highly sought after speaker and teacher, known for her engaging laugh, personal vulnerability and creative approach to Enneagram instruction.As an internationally recognized Enneagram Master, Suzanne has conducted over 500 Enneagram workshops over the past 25 years. She has spoken to college audiences, hundreds of churches across America, and teaches regularly in the Baylor Health Care System, in Dallas, in both the Cancer and Transplant Hospitals.Additionally, she has often taught at Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation as well as at the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church; Christianity 21, the Emerging Christianity and Telemachus Conferences; the Southwest Regional Gathering of the Disciples of Christ, and Laity Lodge.Suzanne’s first book is The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery. Her second book, The Path Between us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships was released in April 2018.Special thanks to Ryan O'Neal of Sleeping At Last for the use of his music. To follow the release of new enneagram songs, check out the Sleeping at Last website and podcast!

13 Sex Trafficking (Part 2) Men Who Buy Sex: John School with Chris Stollar Jul 03, 2018

Confession: This episode was difficult to produce. My desire for justice far outweighs my willingness to extend compassion toward men who solicit prostitutes and contribute to the horrific world of human trafficking. Yet, Chris Stollar presents us with a compelling challenge to hold both justice and mercy in tandem in the fight against sex trafficking. “We will never end trafficking unless we reach the men who are fueling the demand in the first place.” Chris Stollar is the Demand Reduction Coordinator for She Has A Name, an organization that fights human trafficking in Ohio. As a John School presenter, he seeks to reduce the demand for prostitution through working directly with men who have been caught trying to buy sex.Chris is the author of the Black Lens which is a dark literary thrilled that exposes the underbelly of sex trafficking in rural America. The novel is the 2016 Grand Prize winner in the Writer’s Digest Self-Published e-Book Awards and has recently been optioned by a production company to be turned into a film. Chris lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and two children. He serves as a lay pastor at Veritas Community Church.Listen in as Chris shares his personal experience in working with Johns and offers an invitation to consider and address the root causes that drive men to solicit.*Thanks to these artists for the use of their music: Coelum, Between Nothing and Everything, & Daedalus by Kai Engel. Special thanks to Ryvoli for the use of their song Roots.** Originally posted at MissioAlliance.org'r2up8tnv'

12 Sex Trafficking (Part 1) Women Who Sell Sex: CATCH Court with Hannah Estabrook Jun 19, 2018

How do you treat women who sell sex?Hannah Estabrook, Coordinator of CATCH Court, is convinced that kindness helps prostitutes transform their lives from ones of dependency to freedom.During the two-year probationary program, CATCH women cultivate healthy new habits within the accountability of a small Ohio court community and walk the path toward healing from sexual trauma. "This is how you do church," says one pastor who brings parishioners to CATCH Court.How we treat women who experience sexual trauma makes all the difference in their path to recovery."To be in the courtroom and watch these women in handcuffs stand before the judge as he gives them the biggest smile, welcomes them with open arms and tells each on how much a part of the family they are, I watch their faces shift. I tell you what, when she hears that from the judge it changes everything."Hannah is an educator, TEDx speaker, and abolitionist working to end sex trafficking. She is a licensed counselor specializing in sexual abuse and the co-author of the book Beyond Desolate: Hope vs. Hate in the Rubble of Sexual Abuse. Hannah and her husband live in Franklinton, Ohio where she serves as a lay-leader of Franklinton Abbey, a missional church community in her neighborhood.Subscribe/Rate/Review Betwixt on iTunes!Learn more about the podcast at betwixtpodcast.com————–If you like this episode, you might want to check out:Larycia Hawkins on Stepping Out Onto the Bridge of SolidarityWalter Brueggemann on Failed White Domination

11 Jared Boyd: How Imaginative Prayer Helps Children Connect with God (& Parents) Jun 05, 2018

Jared Boyd discovered that children's spiritual formation is rooted in the imagination. Imaginative Prayer helps children connect with God and helps parents to connect with their kids. Jared noticed that while most parents desire for their kids to learn to love God, it’s hard to have meaningful conversation with our kids about spiritual things and to facilitate real spiritual experiences.“When we lead our children through guided times of imaginative prayer, they can experience a connection with God that transcends mere Bible knowledge or doctrinal content. As you do so, you may find yourself connecting more closely with your child, and your own formation as a parent will deepen into greater awareness of God's work in your lives.”This episode explores how imaginative prayer can help parents and churches cultivate the work of spiritual formation in the lives of children. Because the imagination has been held with both awe and suspicion, we explore the history of imaginative prayer in the church and why it sometimes meets with resistance. Jared is a pastor and sits on the board of directors for Vineyard USA. He’s also a spiritual director, teacher, and founder of The Order of Sustainable Faith, a missional monastic order for the 21st Century. He is the author of Invitations & Commitments: A Rule of Life and his latest book, Imaginative Prayer. Jared and his wife Jaime have four daughters, and are planting Franklinton Abbey, a new faith community on the west side of Columbus, OH.

10 Embracing Your Daughter's Killer: The Freedom of Radical Forgiveness with Joel Kime May 21, 2018

It’s often said “forgive and forget.” But what happens when two parties, offender and offended, come together and build a relationship in a space that never forgets?In this episode of the Betwixt Podcast, Joel Kime shares his story of great tragedy and how the practice of forgiveness transformed that tragedy into something no one expected. Through building relationship in the face of adversity, two communities–Amish and English– bonded in a normally forbidden way. Together, they accepted pain, experienced joy, and birthed the vitality of communitas in the wake of tragedy."Forgiveness is like keys in a jail. It frees you. It frees the person who has been wronged and the person who did the wrong. That's what the Amish did. They gave me the gift of freedom."Joel Kime is the pastor of Faith Church in Lancaster, PA. Joel and his wife Michelle have four children. The Kimes are passionate about God’s heart for the oppressed.*Originally posted at MissioAlliance.orgwww.betwixtpodcast.com'r2up8tnv'** Thanks to these Freesound.org contributors for the use of their audio:Omar Alvarado: Car AccidentRTB45: Amish Carriages at Night SmicksburgMrpeet: porsche 911 carrera s autobahnIberian_Runa: Car Breaking Skid 01Rutgermuller: Tires squeakingAcclivity: Amish Country**Thanks to www.Ryvoli.com for the use of their song Roots.

09 Larycia Hawkins on Stepping Out on the Bridge of Solidarity May 08, 2018

"What does it mean to be an embodied question mark wherever you are on your journey?" This was the question Dr. Larycia Hawkins presented to her students at Wheaton College. "Our bodies do work for us." As a professor of political science, Dr. Hawkins wanted to teach her students that it's not enough to empathize with the hurting. True solidarity requires the use of our bodies to walk with those who are suffering. "Where Jesus went, societies and politics were changed–they were at least upset because his body was doing this incredible work of daring to see people in their misery." "Yeah, we’re political animals but our bodies are sites of political contestation. It’s not just a black woman’s body does work for her, all ofour bodies do this kind of speaking on our behalf."An embodied question mark is "always speaking the truth to power, always calling to task the powers that be in order to amplify–not speak for the voices of the most vulnerable and the oppressed–and to walk with them." Solidarity is like a bridge. It holds incredible tension yet it brings together what is and what ought to be.In this episode, Dr. Hawkins shares her story of liminality as she stepped out onto the bridge of solidarity in the midst of a theo-political storm.Dr. Larycia Hawkins is a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. She was previously the founder of the Peace and Conflict Studies program and tenured professor at Wheaton College. Her work engages the intersections of race/ethnicity, religion, and politics. Dr. Hawkins’s research explores what it means to transcend theoretical solidarity with the oppressed and move to actual, embodied solidarity with the oppressed.Dr. Hawkins kicked up a storm of controversy when she wore a hijab in order to highlight the impact of Islamophobia on Muslim women. This act of embodied solidarity fueled the increasing theo-political debates within American evangelicalism and resulted in the loss of her tenured position at Wheaton. Her unique knowledge and experience have made her a sought after speaker and leader of interfaith dialogue.*Thanks to Borrtex for the use of their songs Faith and Perception, and to Ryvoli for the use of their song Roots.** Originally posted at MissioAlliance.org

08 Alice Fryling on Prayer as Liminal Space Apr 24, 2018

Spiritual Director and Author Alice Fryling shares her joys, fears, and struggles with prayer. "I love living in liminal space because to me it’s such a hopeful place. It means that I am changing. I’m not who I was yesterday. I love that I can change. I would despair if I though I couldn’t change. Prayer is very much liminal space."Alice Fryling is a trained spiritual director and the author of nine books, including her most recent book Mirror for the Soul: A Christian Guide to the Enneagram and Seeking God Together: The Art of Spiritual Listening. Alice received her training in the Enneagram at Loyola University. She has been leading Enneagram workshops for fifteen years, teaching participants how to use the Enneagram to know God and themselves more deeply. Alice and her husband, Bob, have two married daughters and four grandchildren. https://www.alicefryling.com*Special thanks toThe Tudor Consort for the use of their song Terra Tremuit and Kai Engel for the use of the song Denouement.

07 Dominion with J Richard Middleton: Image of God & Feminine Experience Part 5 Apr 10, 2018

Near the end of the twentieth century, the Functional View of the image of God emerged with virtual consensus among Old Testament scholars. The discovery of ancient texts which used “image of God” language in reference to kings and cult images led scholars to recast the imago Dei in terms of how a king or priest functions as a royal representation of God.The Functional View asserts that man was created to be God’s physical representation on earth and to function as his agent and vice-regent in exercising dominion. But what about women? Was Eve also made in the image of God or was she a derivation of the man from whom she was extracted? Did she also possess this royal dominion or was she created to submit under the authority of the man who acted alone as God’s royal representative? Betwixt explores the Functional view questions it raises about dominion, power, gender, ecology, and politics in conversation with Dr. J. Richard Middleton, author of "The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1."** Originally posted at MissioAlliance.orgwww.betwixtpodcast.com'r2up8tnv'*Thank you to these freesound.org contributors:shoveling stones.wav by monotraumMud_squishing.mp3 by CormiIndian Contstruction Crew - Bhutan.wav by RTB45by Simsym23 - chisels-on-wood.aiffWater Swirl, Small » Water Swirl, Small, 12.wav by InspectorJ Breath Human Sci.wav by cidchiliCinematic Bass Boom by CosmicEmberstoilet scrub.wav by semccabdig.wav by maxthrower ** Originally posted at MissioAlliance.org

06 Gender Binary & Intersex with Megan DeFranza: Image of God & Feminine Experience Part 4 Feb 26, 2018

Theologian Megan DeFranza is a bridge-builder in a war zone. As culture battles rage around issues of gender and sexuality, Megan assists Christian communities through controversial conversations related to sex, gender, and sexuality. Listen as Megan unpacks the Relational View of the imago Dei in Part 4 of the Betwixt Podcast series, "The Image of God & the Feminine Experience." Emerging from and in response to existential thought, modern Christianity recast the imago Dei as primarily relational in nature. Humans manifest the likeness of God when they are in relationship with both God and one another. Megan explores how the body, particularly sexuality and gender, became deeply significant within this framework. She affirms that all people are made in the image of God — male, female, and intersex – and in relationship with one another, we reveal the complexity and mystery of God."We were never meant to image God on our own.We are always called into communion – into union with God.And union with God is union with all of our siblings in Christ.”Tracing the roots of the Relational View, this episode pays particular attention to Karl Barth's gender binary ideology as essential to the image of God. Because God (plural) created male and female in his image, Barth argues that the unity in differentiation of the male/female relationship reveals the essence of the relationality of the Godhead. While many consider this a "win" for women, DeFranza raises the question: Does this view leave out people for whom those categories are not neat or clean or clear?“Intersex people are among the many whose voices have been silenced . . . Many don’t feel safe to admit they are intersex to begin with let alone do theological reflection.”Sex difference and theology is at the heart of Dr. Megan DeFranza's scholarship. She is visiting Researcher at Boston University’s School of Theology and a Research Associate with the Institute for the BioCultural Study of Religion’s Sex Differences Project. Megan is hard at work on the forthcoming documentary film Intersex & Faith which tells the extraordinary stories of five intersex people, allowing viewers to experience what it feels like to be invisible in our culture and subject to abuse and shame simply for being born different. Their stories also illuminate unique perspectives about gender, faith, and life; perspectives which are particularly timely for a culture conflicted by questions about sex and gender.*Special thanks to Ryvoli for sharing their music.Thank you to these freesound.org contributors:Heartbeatfee by LGBaby Coo by klankbeeldUnderwater Ambiance Lake by wjoojooFootsteps Heels Concrete by ecodios** Originally posted at MissioAlliance.orgwww.betwixtpodcast.com'r2up8tnv'

05 Passage to Manhood with Craig Glass Feb 12, 2018

Has the erosion of rites of passage adversly impacted men in Western culture? Craig Glass thinks so. “The boys in the village must be initiatedor they will burn down the villagejust to feel the heat.” - Kenyan ProverbOur culture is desperate for men who leave a legacy of blessing rather than a wake of destruction. Looking back on his own life, Craig began to ask the questions: “Am I a man? What is a man anyway?” Recognizing the lack of initiation into adulthood in his own life and the men with whom he worked, Craig began a program which recast traditional practices into a modern rite of passage for fathers and sons in the mountains of Colorado. If you have a young man in your life, you won't want to miss this powerful episode.*Special thanks to Caleb Buck for sharing his Bar Mitzvah experience and to Mendy & Avi Piamenta for the use of their Bar Mitzvah Song.Music and arrangement for the song If by Deb Gregory is based on the Rudyard Kipling poem by the same name. www.betwixtpodcast.com 'r2up8tnv'

04 Image of God & the Feminine Experience Part 3: Are Women Rational? Let's Ask Google! Jan 30, 2018

In Part 3 of The Image of God & the Feminine Experience, Philosopher Dr. Rachel Douchant leads us from Thomas Aquinas to the "Google Memo," teasing out how Enlightenment rationalism continues to impact women today.Rachel Douchant is Professor of Philosophy at Lindenwood University, Co-chair of the Lindenwood Honors College, and Director of the Liberty & Ethics Center. Her research interests include Hume’s classical liberalism, the Philosophy of Economics, and Aristotelian Virtue Theory.'r2up8tnv'

03 Walter Brueggemann on Failed White Domination & the Door of Hope Jan 16, 2018

"Edgeman" Walter Brueggemann helps kick off this introductory Betwixt Podcast episode. We explore themes of prophetic imagination, sacrament, liminality, wilderness and the failed world of white domination. As a special treat, he reads some of his poetic prayers.“The old world of white domination has failed . . . we are seeing the anger and the fear and the hate about how uneasy we are of having to live in that moment.” - Walter Brueggemann*Special thanks to Ryvoli and Tudor Consort for sharing their music and to contributors of freesound.org. For the full list visit www.betwixtpodcast.com 'r2up8tnv'

02 Image of God & Feminine Experience Part 2: Hannah Hunt on "Female Men of God" in Early Church Jan 11, 2018

In conversation with Church Historian Dr. Hannah Hunt, we explore the Substantive view of the imago Dei with an eye to Hellenistic influences on early Christian thought. These cultural and theological views led many virtuous women to reject their feminine bodies, forsake marriage and perform spirituality through masculinization.Dr. Hannah Hunt is a Church History scholar and former Senior Lecturer in Theology at Leeds Trinity University. She is the author of the books “Clothed in the Body: Asceticism, the Body and the Spiritual in the Late Antique Era” and "Joy-Bearing Grief: Tears of Contrition in the Writings of the Early Syrian and Byzantine Fathers" along with numerous scholarly articles. As a poet, she writes under the name Hannah Stone. You can read her history related poems in the book New Crops from Old Fields: Eight Medievalist Poets.* Thanks to Borrtex for the use of his song "Courage." 'r2up8tnv'

01 Image of God & the Feminine Experience Introduction Jan 06, 2018

“When our understanding of the imago Dei is refracted through a warped philosophical glass and skewed Biblical understanding, the result is that our image, and especially the images of women and minorities along the margins, is tarnished and distorted.”Introducing our series "The Image of God & the Feminine Experience." Episode 1 probes how women think of themselves as image-bearers of God, the dominant historic Christian interpretations of the imago Dei, and what the Bible specifically says about mankind and the image of God.We trace the primary Christian views of the imago Dei in conjunction with dominant philosophical trends, investigating how these views have impacted the roles, spiritual practices and experiences of women within the historic Church context. 'r2up8tnv'

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