Good Faith

Latest Episodes:

How New Worship Songs Can Help Heal Our Politically Divided Church and Nation (with Matt Maher, Sandra McCracken, Jon Guerra, Dee Wilson, Isaac Wardell, and Kate Bluett) Aug 17, 2024

Show notes

Curtis Chang and worship leader Isaac Wardell are joined by renowned musicians Matt Maher, Sandra McCracken, and Jon Guerra, alongside poet Kate Bluett and Grammy-winning songwriter Dee Wilson. These talented artists are pivotal contributors to The Porter's Gate's worship album for the Redeeming Babel project, The After Party. They share their unique perspectives on how worship music can help navigate the current political challenges faced by American churches of all denominations. The group also offers an inside look at the creative process behind powerful tracks like "The Kingdom of Jesus," "The Lord Will Have His Way," and more.

Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

Referenced in this episode by Curtis and his guests:

Read more about Scottish patriot Andrew Fletcher
Listen to "My Deliverer" by Rich Mullins' Ragamuffin Band
Listen to Howard University's gospel choir perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
Transcript of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s March 17, 1966 speech
Lost audio from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s February 26, 1965 sermon
Listen to Matt Maher's song "Sons and Daughters"
Watch the trailer and clips from Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life HERE
Listen to the score from Terrance Malick's film A Hidden Life HERE
Read 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (the ministry of reconciliation) HERE

Learn more about our guests:

When Is Trauma An Opportunity For Spiritual Growth? (with Rev. Summer Joy Gross) Aug 10, 2024

Show notes

Host Curtis Chang welcomes Rev. Summer Joy Gross, author of The Emmanuel Promise, to explore how a broken attachment to God can amplify anxieties stemming from politics, interpersonal relationships, and global events like the crisis in Israel. Rev. Gross, drawing on her expertise as a spiritual director and her study of Attachment Theory, shares intentional spiritual practices to help cultivate a deeper attunement to God in all our emotions. This conversation offers practical steps to move beyond avoidance and frustration, guiding listeners toward greater internal security.

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church

Connect with the work of Rev. Summer Joy Gross HERE

Summer Joy Gross's book: The Emmanuel Promise - Discovering the Security of a Life Held by God

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

To Be A Christian: An Anglican Catechism as edited by J.I. Packer

Dallas Willard on Spiritual Formation

Excerpt from Jim Wilder's book Renovated (Dallas Willard's concept of being attached to God)

Sungshim Loppnow and Jim Wilder's book: Joyful Journey: Listening to Immanuel

How to pray St. Ignatius's Examen

Jim Manney's Book: A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer - Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola's Examen

Grafted Directory of Evangelical Spiritual Directors Association (ESDA)

Disarming Christian Nationalism (with Pastor Caleb Campbell) Aug 03, 2024

Show notes

Host Curtis Chang sits down with Pastor Caleb Campbell, author of the new book Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor. Caleb shares his powerful journey from disenfranchised young churchgoer to neo-nazi, and ultimately, his transformation into an evangelical pastor with a desire to reach adherents of Christian Nationalism. Together, Curtis and Caleb explore how our friends and neighbors become entangled in the worship of nationalism and political power and offer practical steps for inviting these individuals into meaningful relationships that foster hope and change.

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church

Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE

Order Caleb E. Campbell's book: Disarming Leviathan Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

Rich Mullins' Song: Sometimes By Step

Galatians 6:1-2 NIV

Tim Keller: Preaching to the Collective Heart (blog post)

Pete Scazzaro's book: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

How Deep Reading Forms Our Souls (with Jessica Hooten Wilson) Jul 27, 2024

Show notes

How Deep Reading Forms Our Souls (with Jessica Hooten Wilson)

Host Curtis Chang and award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson, the Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University, discuss the decline of deep reading and how this might impact our lives. Hooten Wilson explains the significant benefits that listeners can experience by thoughtfully re-engaging with books as a regular practice. The conversation explores how deep reading can help individuals cultivate contemplation, love their neighbors, practice humility, and other aspects of deep spiritual growth.

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church

Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE

Follow Jessica Hooten Wilson's work

Order Jessica Hooten Wilson's latest book: Flannery O'Connor's Why Do the Heathen Rage?: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress

Order Jessica Hooten Wilson's book: Reading for the Love of God How to Read as a Spiritual Practice

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Daily Office Online

Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf

Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering by Scott A. Small

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs

Trump, Biden, and The Power of Self Reflection (with Pete Wehner) Jul 20, 2024

Show notes

Host Curtis Chang and Pete Wehner, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, engage in a thought-provoking discussion about tackling inner demons amidst America's current political upheaval. They delve into topics such as the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden's determination to continue despite pressure to exit the race, and what our reactions to these events reveal about ourselves. The conversation gets personal as they examine the difference between moral reflection and moral equivalency during times of national instability.

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

Read Pete Wehner's latest essays in The Atlantic

Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church

Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

President Lincoln's Lyceum Address

Do We Need a Worship Music Reformation? (with Andy Crouch) Jul 13, 2024

Show notes

Host Curtis Chang and Good Faith contributor Andy Crouch strike a chord in their exploration of the dynamics of modern Christian worship music. Their conversation covers the ways that average Christians are becoming limited in their singing abilities, the concert-like performance style of worship leaders in our sanctuaries, and the commercial influence of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Curtis and Andy contend a musical reformation in the worship lives of believers is needed urgently today, and offer some practical tips on how to get started.

Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church

Join us for Office Hours with Curtis: July 16th at 7:30pm Eastern

Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

Buy Ken Myers book All God's Children Wear Blue Suede Shoes: Christians & Popular Culture (Amazon)

Beautiful Things by Gungor

Job 3 (Job's First Lament) ESV

A Christian Alternative to the Culture of Niceness (with Dr. Calvin Troup) Jul 10, 2024

Show notes

Host Curtis Chang goes back to school and sits down with Geneva College President Dr. Calvin Troup and student Mattigan Burleigh to explore the college's long-standing political coursework, dating back to 1881. They delve into how, in an era fraught with political anxiety, the culture of niceness has eroded an authentic engagement across differences. Listen and learn how to serve your communities by focusing on Jesus as the central norm in our common life.

Learn more about Geneva College's Political Science program here

Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

The Cross & The Sword (with Tim Alberta pt. 2 of 2) Jul 06, 2024

Show notes

In the second part of their extensive conversation, host Curtis Chang and author Tim Alberta discuss how some people in the church use the message of the cross as a weapon to exert political power over others, thus diluting its significance. They explore how many truth-seeking non-believers are put off by what they perceive as the hypocritical political engagement of some evangelicals. Curtis and Tim also hold a question-and-answer session that provides helpful strategies for staying focused on the gospel when Christian political culture distorts the message.

Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church

Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism (Available on Amazon)

Playing the Long Game in 2024 (with Tim Alberta pt. 1 of 2) Jun 29, 2024

Show notes

Tim Alberta and Curtis Chang suggest a long-term approach for Christians when it comes to political engagement. They explore how the pursuit of short term political power has led believers away from effectively sharing the Gospel message. Alberta and Chang encourage listeners to consider how a deeper alignment with Jesus can lead to genuine engagement with people and the culture that lasts beyond immediate but temporary gains.

Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church

Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism (Available on Amazon)

The politics of threat detection (with David French) Jun 22, 2024

Show notes

Host Curtis Chang and "founding friend" David French sit down for a deep dive into ways people are detecting threats in today's polarized landscape. They explore how both conservatives and progressives (including Christians of both stripes) often distort potential dangers, creating a misleading perception of reality and double standards. They also provide practical strategies for repairing our dysfunctional threat detectors.

Listen to The Kingdom of Jesus and get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church

Donate to Redeeming Babel HERE

Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!

Order The After Party Book by Curtis Chang & Nancy French