Navigating Blackness and Deconstructing Faith with Johnita D - Ep. 15, S1

Lectio Divina (Matthew 6:5-13) - Ep. 19, S1

Marcus leads us in the fourth Lectio Divina of this season from the passage Matthew 6:5-13. Lectio Divina is a contemplative way of reading the Bible. It is a way of praying the scriptures that leads us deeper into God’s word, dating back to the 6th Century. It is not Bible study or an alternative to Bible study but something radically different. The practice understands Scripture as a meeting place for a personal encounter with the Living God. It is a practice we come to with the desire to be changed on all levels. It operates very much on the emotional rather than the purely cerebral level. It is perhaps hearty rather than heady. Through it we allow ourselves to be formed in the likeness of Christ; it is about formation rather than instruction. adapted from www.anglicancommunion.org

When We Hurt Our Neighbours with Andrew DeCort - Ep 18, S1

After a 7-month hiatus, we're back with part 2 of our conversations with Andrew. The first episode was released back in July 2021. We start this week's podcast by talking about the times we justify our actions against our neighbours because of previous grievances. Andrew talks about the role pastors play in helping their congregations examine hurtful actions against others. Andrew then goes into a model for short-term missions and how missions can be done in a manner that dignifies the communities we want to serve. Finally, we wrap up our time with Andrew with his thoughts on not being the face of an organization that he co-founded and serves in.

Loving Our Neighbours with Andrew DeCort - Ep. 17, S1

Marcus and Japheth speak with Dr. Andrew DeCort, an American living in Ethiopia and his life as an ethicist and public theologian, having studied Bonhoeffer extensiely. Andrew shares with us about the movement he co-founded with his Ethiopian counterpart called the Neighbour Love Movement that emphasizes the human connection between people over identity politics. Andrew shares with us foundational principles on loving our neighbour and how we can lead others to a loving God through our just and kind treatment of each other. This is the first episode of a two-part series with Andrew.

Lectio Divina (Matthew 5:38-48) - Ep. 16, S1

Ruth Rigden leads us in the third and final Lectio Divina of this season from the passage Matthew 5:38-48. Ruth is a friend of Marcus who grew up in India as a missionary kid. In 2019, Ruth graduated from Cambridge with a degree in linguistics. She now lives in the coastal English town of Kent, working as a teacher. Lectio Divina is a contemplative way of reading the Bible. It is a way of praying the scriptures that leads us deeper into God’s word, dating back to the 6th Century. It is not Bible study or an alternative to Bible study but something radically different. The practice understands Scripture as a meeting place for a personal encounter with the Living God. It is a practice we come to with the desire to be changed on all levels. It operates very much on the emotional rather than the purely cerebral level. It is perhaps hearty rather than heady. Through it we allow ourselves to be formed in the likeness of Christ; it is about formation rather than instruction. adapted from www.anglicancommunion.org

Navigating Blackness and Deconstructing Faith with Johnita D - Ep. 15, S1

This episode is hosted by Marcus and Lauren. We speak with Johnita Dickerson, a former colleague of Lauren, about her Black experience in America and her time in Malaysia as an English teacher. Johnita reflects on the whitewashing of Black folk and shares the story of her faith journey with us. We then have a candid conversation about her decision to vote for Trump in 2016 and then Biden in 2020. We also speak with Johnita about the syncretism of nationalism she has been noticing in many churches in America and her departure from White Evangelicalism as she attempts to redefine her faith for the future and Marcus shares how Lauren introduced him to Christian rap and recounts a funny story from their college days. Click on the SHOW NOTES hyperlink below to connect with Johnita.