Gravity Commons Podcast

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Christianity
**Gravity Commons Podcast**

Conversations to help us develop a Christian spirituality rooted in love that fosters resilient faith in everyday life

Latest Episodes:

Liturgical Calendar: What Lent is All About and How to Observe It Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

Ben and Christy talk about Lent: what Lent is, what fasting is for, and how to create more space for Grace to meet us.

SHOW NOTES:

The article Ben referenced about Lent and fasting: gravitycommons.com/how-to-fast-for-lent/

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Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Timothy McCain: Jesus Can't Fix Racism Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Timothy McCain is back on the podcast to talk about his new book Jesus Can't Fix Racism, where he argues that racism has survived in the Church not because Christians failed to pray, but because they refuse to change.

Timothy McCain is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in leading and developing initiatives across various sectors. He is the founder and CEO of TMM Publishing, which focuses on helping professionals and through leaders turn ideas into books and scalable platforms, emphasizing ownership and sustainability. McCain's work includes consulting, coaching, and public speaking, guiding individuals and organizations from vision to implementation.

SHOW NOTES:

Good Lord Rose Kickstarter campaign: http://kck.st/4qavaUB

Connect with Gravity Commons:

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Paul Penley: Jesus Versus the Rabbis Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

We're starting a new mini-series with Dr. Paul Penley (yes, Christy's husband!) about his book, What Jesus Meant: How Ancient Conversations Redefine Jesus’ Message. In this episode, we talk about how we often misunderstand what Jesus meant because we don't realize that he was participating in and responding to ancient conversations we don't have immediate access to. Today's topic: Jesus Vs. the Rabbis.

Dr. Paul Penley is a New Testament scholar and former Bible professor at the college and seminary level. Paul writes books to share academic research insights which redefine our understanding of the Bible, but normally get lost in technical journals at graduate libraries. He loves seeing readers freed from the misdirection and disillusionment caused by bad Bible interpretation. Dr. Penley studied Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic on his journey to better understanding Scripture in undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. He studied biblical history on site in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece and then picked up German and French while completing a Ph.D. from Trinity’s Divinity School. He has presented his original biblical and historical research in college courses and national scholars’ meetings, at Shabbat school and church retreats, at Bible conference centers and small groups.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Michael Austin: Why American Christian Nationalism is Neither Christian Nor American Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

We talked with philosophy professor Michael W. Austin about how Christian nationalism is contrary to Christian virtues AND American values, and offers us a better form of civic engagement. In his book American Christian Nationalism: Neither American Nor Christian, Michael accessibly explains the meaning and history behind nationalism and systematically shows how the ideology contradicts American values like liberty, equality, and justice as well as Christian virtues like humility, faith, hope, and love. Ultimately, he argues that the Beloved Community, first developed by Martin Luther King Jr. and others, offers a better model for an authentically Christian and American community.

Michael W. Austin is Foundation Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University and Bonhoeffer Senior Fellow of the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership of Hebrew College. He has published 12 books, including Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ and QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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David Swanson: Nonviolent Resistance to the Violence and Terror of ICE Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

We talked with pastor and author David Swanson about the work he and his church have done in Chicago to respond to the presence of ICE in their neighborhoods: bearing witness to violence and terror, calling for repentance, and seeking to nonviolently resist physical attacks on Christians and clergy, the lawlessness of federal agents, MAGA's politics of death, and the overt racism of our president's mass deportation agenda.

David Swanson is the founding pastor of New Community Covenant Church and the founder and CEO of New Community Outreach, a non-profit organization dedicated to healing community trauma through restorative practices. He has written Rediscipling the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity and Plundered: The Tangled Roots of Racial and Environmental Injustice. David lives with his family on the South Side of Chicago. He keeps track of what he’s reading here and on most Tuesday mornings you’ll find him wandering around Jackson Park looking for birds.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Yolanda Pierce: Black Faith Weaving Memory into Justice and Healing Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

We talked with Dr. Yolanda Pierce about what we do with our wounds - our own, others', and a nation's? In her book The Wounds Are the Witness, Pierce weaves together her own memories, vignettes from Black life, and scenes from scripture, especially the passion of Christ to create an indelible meditation on Black faith, suffering, hope, and the healing possibilities of justice.

Yolanda Pierce is a professor and Dean of Vanderbilt University Divinity School. She is a scholar of African American religious history, womanist theology, and religion and literature, as well as a public theologian, columnist, and activist. She is the author of the books Hell Without Fires, In My Grandmother's House, and The Wounds Are the Witness.You can connect with Yolanda on her website: yolandapierce.com.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Liturgical Calendar: What Epiphany is All About and How to Celebrate Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

Christy and Ben talk about all things Epiphany: how it fits in the liturgical calendar, what it means, and a few ways you can celebrate: chalking your door, making a king cake, and turning your Christmas tree into a cross.

Show notes & links:

Connect with Gravity Commons:

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Christmas Extravaganza 2025 Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

As the year draws to a close, Christy, Ben, and Matt reflect on the year, Christmas traditions, gifts, and more.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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What's Next for Gravity Commons in 2026 Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

Matt, Ben, & Christy take a look at what Gravity Commons has done over the past year and share what's coming in 2026, including Matt's sabbatical, what we are doing well, what we need to do differently, and why we need your support.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Zach Lambert: Better Ways to Read the Bible Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

We talked with pastor Zach Lambert about how to read the Bible in ways that lead to healing and wholeness, because the Bible has been weaponized to subjugate women, justify racism, bash LGBTQ+ people, cover up abuse, and exclude people who speak out against these injustices. Zach's new book Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm Into a Tool of Healingoffers a path forward to reclaim the Bible's life-giving message. You can connect with Zach and his work on his website zachwlambert.org.

Zach Lambert is the lead pastor and founder of Restore Austin, a church in Austin, Texas. Under his leadership, restore has grown from a launch team of five people in 2015 to more than 1000 members today. He has a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is pursuing his doctorate at Duke Divinity School. Zach is the cofounder of the Post-Evangelical Collective and serves on the boards of Restore Houston, Hub Garage (a nonprofit for single moms), the Austin Church-Planting Network, and the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network. He lives in Austin with his wife and their two sons.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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