Spiritual Misfits Podcast (Meeting Ground)
Explore every episode of Spiritual Misfits Podcast
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb 2022 | Jesus (still) weeps | 00:12:09 | |
This week, my friend showed me the rejection letters. Not from a publishing house rejecting a manuscript. Not from a university rejecting an enrolment. The letters are from the church she grew up in. And their rejection is of her...
The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 19 Feb 2022 | At my parents table (faith renovations over decades) | 00:38:22 | |
It’s a natural and healthy part of development to ‘differentiate’ from your parents/carers. Even if you grew up in a safe, secure and loving environment there comes a point at which you begin to take ownership for your life, your values and your beliefs. As I reflect on the household I grew up in, I feel like my parents gave me two great gifts (among many others): So, on a recent visit to their home I pulled out the mics, and convinced them to have a cup of tea and a chinwag with me about how their view of God has changed, expanded and been challenged over their lifetimes. If my generation is going to make it to our 60s with some form of robust, healthy Christian spirituality, we need role models like these. I hope you have them. If not, I hope this episode gives you a window into the ‘gentle renovations’ that can take place in healthy, life-long faith (befriended by doubt). The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 26 Feb 2022 | Affirmations: God's love and my doubt. | 00:06:00 | |
You may have heard the phrase ‘dark night of the soul’, originally attributed to St. John of the Cross. A mystic and poet. This idea of darkness refers to the invisibility and unknowabilty of God and is often used to describe the moments that feel like a crisis of faith. When you don’t know what to make of things anymore. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 05 Mar 2022 | Hannah Macauley Gierhart on working through the cognitive dissonance | 00:38:19 | |
Will and Hannah have a fireside chat (of sorts) about why Hannah identifies as a spiritual misfit, and how her journey of following Jesus in (and out) of different contexts has unfolded over time. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 12 Mar 2022 | Robyn van der Zee on spiritual abuse and trauma | 00:48:43 | |
Robyn van der Zee is a psychologist and counsellor who spends a significant amount of time helping people process experiences of spiritual abuse and trauma. If you lead or help shape any church or organisation we strongly encourage you to sit with this conversation and consider how it might inform the way you approach these issues in your context. It is our hope that this episode could be a resource that is shared around to create greater awareness and prevent more harm. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 19 Mar 2022 | Affirmations: when others misunderstand or judge me | 00:06:54 | |
One of the most distressing experiences we can have is to be rejected or judged by our own tribe. Our need for belonging and connection is so strong, that it makes it incredibly difficult to ask a question or express a view that might cross a boundary and threaten our place in a community. This is the pain point of many spiritual misfits. We have a deep God-given need for community. We also have a deep God-given need to be authentic and honest. When these two things come into conflict we can find ourselves in a really dark place. There’s this moment in the gospel of Luke where Jesus is talking about how John the Baptist didn’t eat or drink and was accused of being demon possessed. And then Jesus himself, is accused of being a drunkard and a glutton because he’s constantly partying with the wrong people. Sometimes whether you take path A or B you’re still going to be misunderstood. I take great hope in this: if John the Baptist and Jesus had scathing critics from within their own tribe, and yet kept faithfully walking the path they felt called to — maybe we could do the same? My deep hope for you is that you would find genuine community and permission to be honest and authentic. I believe that’s what God invites us to participate in and to offer to others. But at certain points along the way you may need to seperate yourself from the judgments of others. You may need to remind yourself that their rejection does not equate to God’s rejection of you. Here are a set of affirmations for when you find yourself misunderstood or rejected by your own tribe. You are not alone, and you have not been abandoned by God. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 26 Mar 2022 | Dr Joel Hollier on finding a place at the table. | 00:55:39 | |
On this weeks episode we have a delightful and important conversation with the wonderful Joel Hollier. Joel is one clever fella with degrees in social work and theology, and a PhD in Behavioural Science. He’s also a co-paster of New City Church. Joel has a story to tell that many of us need to hear — about his journey of being a gay Christian, originally preaching that this required celibacy though through grappling with scripture and the holy spirit coming to be very ok with being married to another man and continuing to follow Jesus and minister as a pastor. In this episode we do talk about trauma and the psychological harm and abuse sexually and gender diverse people can experience in spiritual settings. If these are part of your story, this episode may bring things up. So be gentle with yourself, decide if listening is going to be helpful and reach out for support if you need it. If you are a church leader, and/or if you hold a traditionalist view in these matters, this may be a confronting listen for you, but listening is the very least we can do for our LGBTQI+ siblings - so please, can I encourage you, take the time and listen well — trying to place aside your judgments at the outset. Joel is a deeply gracious, kind and inspiring human. I think we can all learn from him. Here is our conversation. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 02 Apr 2022 | Power, patriarchy, scandals & where is God in it all? | 01:00:43 | |
Hi friends, Hannah joins me (Will) again for this week's podcast! And we cover a lot of ground in this chat. In this episode we speak a fair bit about recent events within the evangelical church that you may or may not be familiar with. We do our best to give context, but if we accidentally assumed some ‘insider knowledge’ anywhere I apologise for that. There are links below to a number of the individuals and situations we make reference to if you want to get more familiarised. Whilst we were reflecting on some specific recent events, we were also just grappling with what these are symptomatic of. This isn’t really intended to be a ‘hot take’, it’s really just our own attempt to process and make sense of some of the patterns and trends we see, that ought to give us all pause for thought. As we are discussing allegations of clergy abuse and imbalanced power dynamics in religious settings, you may want to proceed with caution if these have been lived realities of yours. As always, take care while listening, and reach out to someone for support if you need it. In this episode we make reference to the following people, situations and resources: Bruxy Cavey's sexual misconduct and The Meeting House Danielle Strickland and Jarrod McKenna's response (cited in the article above) Beth Moore and this series of tweets Brian Houston's resignation from Hillsong Dan Koch, You Have Permission Podcast Jesus and John Wayne, Kristin Kobe Du Mez The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 09 Apr 2022 | Dr Christine Redwood on women, the Bible and the pulpit | 00:56:19 | |
Hi friends, This week I was grateful to spend some time with Christine Redwood — now Dr Christine Redwood I should say, as she just completed a PhD which we explore in this conversation. Christine’s the lead pastor at Seaforth Baptist Church, and her research examined feminist readings of stories of women in the Old Testament book of Judges and how this might relate to women leading and preaching in the Church today. Fair warning, these are some graphic, R-rated Bible stories. And to hear some of the ways feminist scholars read them was super interesting. As our conversation progressed we got into some fascinating questions around God and gender pronouns, the Bible and its patriarchal context, and the dynamics of being part of a diverse movement (in this case Baptists) while outworking your convictions in a particular, local context. I got so much out of chatting with Christine, and I hope you will too. I think there’s a lot of gold here whether you are leading in an established church context or you’ve left mainstream church settings. I also think there’s so much here for you regardless of your gender. I’m a firm believer that when we talk about the place of women in the Bible, the Church, the pulpit etc — men, we need to show up to these conversations and actively listen. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 14 Apr 2022 | Good Friday Meditation: Psalm 22 | 00:13:54 | |
This Good Friday I wanted to share with you a meditation on Psalm 22. Grab a candle, find a comfortable place to sit and spend 15 minutes listening. The meditation begins with a moment to help you become grounded and aware of your body and breath, followed by a reading of the Psalm, and a simple thought at the end for you to meditate on. Whatever Easter holds for you, I hope this meditation encourages you and connects you with the love of Christ. Wishing all our fellow spiritual misfits a Happy Easter, The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 23 Apr 2022 | Kris Halliday on being gay, Christian & called | 00:40:13 | |
Kris Halliday is a Salvation Army Officer in inner city Melbourne. He’s passionate about serving people at the margins and sharing the love of God. He’s also gay. In this conversation he shares his story of faith, sexuality, and advocating for a more inclusive, imaginative and equitable future for the church. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 30 Apr 2022 | Mitch Forbes on heaven, hell and universal salvation | 01:02:31 | |
Could it be that the good news of the gospel is that God actually loves and will save everyone? Mitch and I (Will) think the arguments that this is the case are pretty convincing. We discuss the views of hell we grew up with and how these have shifted over time towards belief in universally reconciling love in Christ. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 07 May 2022 | The unholy hustle and the sacred now | 00:50:36 | |
Hannah and Will explore what it means to live full lives in a hustle-centric world. Does our Christianity present an antidote to our busyness and striving? Does it add fuel to the fire? A little a and a little b? The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 14 May 2022 | Mitch Forbes (pt.2) on why our beliefs about hell matter here and now | 01:04:40 | |
A couple episodes back Mitch Forbes and I (Will) had a chat about heaven, hell and universal salvation. We spoke about 3 different views of hell that have existed from the beginning of the Christian church and our journeys towards the view that an all-loving and all-powerful God actually can and will reconcile and renew all people. Here Mitch and I continue that chat. If you haven’t already it’s probably worth going back and listening to the previous episode with Mitch before this one. There is more assumed knowledge this time round. Fair warning, the first half of this chat is a little heavy on the philosophy and theology and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you like sitting in a pub and philosophising over a beer and quoting theologians you will probably dig it. If that’s not your jam, there’s no judgment here. (See what I did there?) In the second half of the chat though we do turn the conversation towards the real world implications of our views around eternity and salvation. We get a little more ‘down to earth’ around the difference these beliefs can make when you wake up on Monday morning. Multiple times throughout this conversation Mitch references this beautiful verse from 1 John 4:16: ‘God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them.’ If you don’t take anything else away from this maybe those words are more than enough. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 28 May 2022 | Simon Nixon on a new approach to faith, church and ministry | 01:04:39 | |
After 15 years in pastoral ministry Simon Nixon found his beliefs and approach to ministry radically shifting. We explore what that looked like in this conversation, and talk a little about one of the positive outcomes: the formation of a new community called Fireside, another safe space for spiritual misfits. The Church at large is in a significant time of transition. I believe we’re going to see more decentralised and organic expressions of faith communities in the years to come. Many of us, including Simon and I, have benefited from digital access to a range of voices and thinkers who have helped us see faith afresh (and I hope that for listeners of this show that’s also what’s taking place here). But what does it look like to pair our access to voices who may be far away from us with flesh and blood communities, in our local neighbourhoods? Simon and I are both interested in this question, so we explored some thoughts around the landscape of what that might look like. Simon’s also studying counselling at the moment and one of the things we touched on was a concept in the counselling space called ‘unconditional positive regard’ — it provides a beautiful lens for thinking through community formation and we explore this a little in this conversation also. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 21 May 2022 | Affirmations: trust > certainty | 00:06:52 | |
There can often be this perception that faith is just about belief. And when your beliefs feel strong, your faith is strong. This can mean that on the days when you feel uncertain, unsure or disoriented, you begin to blame yourself for having a weak faith. But, what if the whole time we’ve been conceiving of faith in a manner that is a little distorted? In his book ‘The Sin of Certainty’, Pete Enns puts it this way: "I believe that the Bible does not model a faith that depends on certainty for the simple fact that the Bible does not provide that kind of certainty. Rather, in all its messy diversity, the Bible models trust in God that does not rest on whether we are able to be clear and certain about what to believe. In fact, the words “belief” and “faith” in the Bible are just different ways of saying “trust.” And trust works, regardless of where our knowing happens to be." When you stop thinking about faith as believing certain ideas, and instead begin to think about trusting — in God’s goodness and love — it can totally change the lens you’re looking through. Here are a set of affirmations for when you need reminding about this alternative lens. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 04 Jun 2022 | Scott Higgins & Andrew Dodd: how Hamilton Baptist became LGBTQI+ affirming | 00:56:15 | |
Here’s a conversation that weaves together multiple threads into one really powerful story. It’s a story about change and about the process of change — at an individual level as well as in a broader community. Scott Higgins and Andrew Dodd are friends, pastors, and together help lead the community of Hamilton Baptist Church. This is their story of moving towards LGBTQI+ affirming theology. It’s also a story of merging two churches into one. And it’s the story of bringing those two Baptist churches through a process integrating theology, personal stories and pastoral sensitivity to become one church where everyone is genuinely welcomed and embraced, including those of diverse gender and sexualities. Scott, Andrew and I spent a couple hours together discussing this story because there’s so much to learn from it — and so, next week’s episode is actually the continuation of this one. Essentially what you’re about to listen to is primarily about the story of Scott, Andrew and Hamilton Baptist Church. The next episode zooms the lens out and asks how might this inform other contexts. But for this week let’s start with the story. Join me, Scott and Andrew sitting at Andrew’s table in Warabrook. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 11 Jun 2022 | Scott Higgins & Andrew Dodd Pt 2: lessons of inclusion | 00:43:26 | |
Hello friends and welcome back to the Spiritual Misfits podcast, This episode is the second half of one extended conversation I had with Andrew Dodd and Scott Higgins. If you haven’t listened to the previous episode where Scott and Andrew shared their own journeys towards inclusive theology and the story of Hamilton Baptist Church, I strongly recommend you do so. In case you don’t or if you need a recap, here’s an outline of the story so far: Scott Higgins wrote a paper back in the 90s giving an overview of different Christian perspectives on sexuality. In many ways this was the beginning for him of coming to see theological diversity in this area. A few years down the track and he’s asked to read a statement to his church affirming that Baptists hold to a traditional view of marriage. Scott couldn’t bring himself to read it, but instead asked the church who would be interested in taking a few weeks to explore some diverse understandings of sexuality, marriage and Christian ethics. Every hand went up. As the church began to have these conversations a number of queer people were drawn to come along — and ended up staying in the church. The combination of fresh theological framing alongside real and loved members of their community played a key role in what was then Edgeworth Baptist becoming LGBTQI affirming. While this was happening there was also a conversation beginning with Hamilton Baptist Church where Andrew Dodd was the pastor. This conversation was about the two churches merging. This made sense for a lot of reasons, though Edgeworth had one non-negotiable. If the churches were going to merge, LGBTQI+ people needed to be fully included and embraced in the life of the new church. So the two churches went on a process together over around 12 months, testing the waters of their relationship so to speak, before officially deciding to proceed with the merge. At this point the vast majority of people were onboard. This doesn’t mean it was without cost or difficulty and some people left, though this was generally done in a gracious way. At the end of the last episode Andrew shared the story of their first service together as a new church, and the powerful moment when communion was served by a queer member of the congregation. What was powerful wasn’t so much this person sharing out communion. It was the fact that it didn’t matter that this person was sharing out communion. Because they were welcome as much as anyone else. So, in this next part of the conversation I talked to Andrew and Scott about what they learned from this journey that might inform other churches. So we talk a little about change, The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 18 Jun 2022 | Mandy Smith on childlike faith and resisting the empire | 01:01:09 | |
This episode is a chat with Mandy Smith. Mandy is a pastor and author of multiple books including The Vulnerable Pastor and Unfettered — a book about imagining a childlike faith beyond the baggage of western culture. That book has a foreword by Walter Brueggemann. And if you know who Walter is, you know that’s one of the finest endorsements you can get. I have really loved listening to the way Mandy speaks about Christian faith because it has reminded me how beautifully and radically upside down and unconventional Jesus is, in so many ways. In this episode we talk a lot about what it means to approach faith with a child-like posture, with an open heart that listens to our bodies and emotions and intuitions and says ‘yes’ to what might just be the prompts of the spirit in our ordinary, daily lives. Chatting to Mandy felt like layers of reminders and invitations. To see the value in what it means to be human. To start the day with an open heart. And to say yes. To God, to life, to love. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 25 Jun 2022 | Benjamin Hastings on honest worship and feeling alone in the flock | 00:57:57 | |
Benjamin Hastings is an incredibly gifted songwriter and lyricist, most known for some of the songs he’s written with Hillsong, including ‘So Will I’, ‘O Praise the Name’ and ‘Highlands’. His songs collectively have more than 500 million streams. Hillsong worship leaders probably aren’t the image you typically think of when you hear the phrase ‘Spiritual Misfit’. But our conversation with Ben was a great reminder that human beings — whether on platforms or in lounge rooms — have questions. Live within mystery. And doubt. And faith. And mess. And beauty. Ben shared some of his own story with us — about the unravelling and the searching and the creative process in the midst of it all. And it was such a joy. And as an incredibly special treat, Ben played us two of our favourite songs of his at the end of our chat. Stick around to the end of the episode and you’ll hear these songs played exclusively for our Spiritual Misfits community. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 02 Jul 2022 | Steff Fenton on gender expansive theology | 00:56:22 | |
This week’s episode is a fantastic chat with Steff Fenton. Steff is a pastor at NewCity Church, along with Joel Hollier who you may remember from our earlier episode. On Steff’s website they introduce themselves as follows: “I’m a genderqueer pastor, writer, speaker and theologian helping people discover how endlessly loving God is.” And the way Steff speaks about God is deep and wide and beautiful. We had a chat about gender expansive theology, and explored all kinds of interesting questions around gender, theology, church, scripture and all that jazz. What I loved about this conversation was Steff took us beyond what it might look to accept or include trans and gender diverse people in church, to actually asking what role might these wonderful humans have in showing us something about what God is like? I think this episode contains an invitation, to see both God and humanity in a more expansive way. I hope that’s your experience, as you listen.
The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 09 Jul 2022 | Pub theology with Mitch Forbes | 00:57:38 | |
There are theology textbooks and academic lectures, and they can be just fine, but is there any better place to discuss God, the universe and everything than over a drink with your mates at the pub? Well, the good Rev Mitch Forbes and I (Will) don’t think so, and there’s few things we enjoy more than sipping a delicious bev and externally processing what we’ve been reading, hearing and thinking about. So, we’ve decided to do our best to emulate the kind of sprawling chat we enjoy having at a pub in podcast form, so you can (hopefully) feel like we’re at a table together, clinking glasses and getting philosophical about divinity, humanity and the space in between. Crack a tinny and join us for a chat about whether or not it matters which God you believe in, what the reconciliation of all things might look like, and a little riffing on open theism and process theology. A large part of the conversation involved our responses to some excellent questions people asked in our new Spiritual Misfits discussion group on Facebook. (Yes, you should click that link and join the group. Then you can let us know what questions we should explore next time!) The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 30 Jul 2022 | Simon Buckingham-Shum on the DNA of communal, creative worship (and 90s dance music) | 00:52:03 | |
Prepare for an experience with this one…featuring some tunes that are bound to get you moving! But, today we’re talking about his experiences as a part of a movement of alternative expressions of liturgy, worship and church back in the 90s in England. I was fascinated the first time Simon shared about some of these experiences with me and although I was never really into electronic dance music, Simon was ultimately talking about creative pioneering and experimentation and trying to find new ways of engaging the sacred And that’s a bigger conversation than any particular musical genre. In the decades since then Simon’s faith journey has seen its own evolutions, and he’s been in a few different spaces stylistically as well as theologically. So, in this conversation we’re following the threads of a particular story but we’re also talking about more broadly about the interwoven relationships between communities, creativity, forms of worship and our underlying motivations. Simon’s also written a really helpful reflective piece of writing about this journey. It’s immersive and includes pictures of event flyers from that time. That’s on our website here and I would recommend you read it alongside listening to this episode, as they play off each other. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 23 Jul 2022 | Graeme Anderson on following Jesus for the next 10 minutes | 00:55:21 | |
I think a lot of us have come to know the forms of Christianity that we don’t want. We’ve seen politicised versions of faith that we want nothing to do with. We’ve witnessed institutional failings, scandals and cover-ups that we want to distance ourselves from. But, sometimes it’s harder to answer the question, what now? How do I put the pieces back together? A few years ago someone told me it’s not enough to know what you’re running away from. You’ll be sustained by knowing what you’re running towards. I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that. So, the question is, are there more attractive, beautiful, faithful, life-giving ways of following Jesus? When I see people embodying and giving voice to authentic answers to this question it gives me great hope. To help other people experience this Graeme’s written a book called Follow — and created a range of accompanying resources including a 4 week email devotional series. I’ve just finished it and was genuinely surprised at how refreshing, accessible and invitational it was. If you’re interested you can check it out at follow.org.au Here’s a conversation with Graeme about what following Jesus might look like when we feel our institutions have let us down. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 16 Jul 2022 | Cheryl Andrews on shame-free spirituality | 00:52:58 | |
Cheryl Andrews is a social worker and counsellor, with a broad range of experiences in particular, working with young people and their families. She is someone who embodies warmth and wisdom in equal measure. And in this chat we’re mainly talking about shame, and the ways it can impact our spirituality, and what it might look like to develop a more shame-free faith. Cheryl brings reflections on her own journey as well as insights from her professional context in this chat, which I think is helpful for anyone who ever struggles with shame — which is surely most of us. So, listen, soak it in. And if helps you, pass it on to someone else who may benefit from these ideas. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 06 Aug 2022 | Joel McKerrow on removing the blindfolds | 00:40:04 | |
Joel McKerrow is a poet and educator. He speaks to large groups of people. He writes wonderful books. He occasionally paints skateboards or does wood carvings. He’s one of those people who is basically brilliant at everything he does. And he has a deep understanding of the winding pilgrimage that honest spirituality entails. A couple years ago Joel published a book called ‘Woven: a Faith for the Dissatisfied’. It’s a great book that most listeners of this podcast would deeply resonate with. Head to joelmckerrow.com after the episode to grab a copy. I actually did this interview with Joel during the launch tour for the book. We were speaking about self-awareness and the spiritual journey, and we cover a whole lot of interesting ground during this chat. It is well worth your time. This interview originally appeared on the Inhabit podcast, which I use to make with my buddy Benj Gould. If you haven’t listened to that show, you may be interested in checking it out, there’s lots of good episodes there. Content warning: Joel shares a story in this episode which involves sexual assault and abuse which may be sensitive for some listeners. Please take care while listening and reach out to a support service if you need help. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 13 Aug 2022 | Jo Saxton on grief, lament, race and gender | 00:48:33 | |
Hello friends! As I mentioned last week, with the birth of a new member of our family, I’ve dug out a couple of my favourite interviews from other shows I’ve hosted in the past, while I take a short break from doing interviews. This week’s conversation is truly top-shelf in my opinion and I’m sure you’ll learn something if you listen. For this week, I’ve grabbed an interview my friend Benj Gould and I originally did for the Forming Church podcast. We interviewed a diverse range of people about what the future of the church might look like in a post-pandemic world (taking into consideration all the other cultural and technological shifts we have been living through in recent years). This was a very special chat with Jo Saxton. Jo was born in London to parents who immigrated from Nigeria, and now lives in the US. She’s an internationally sought after author, speaker and leadership coach, and as you’ll see she’s just brilliant. We spoke with Jo about grief, lament, and both racial and gender inequality, and how the church of the future must genuinely grapple with these things if it’s going to survive and thrive. This interview was done in February 2021, and involves some COVID-specific reflections from that moment in time, but the majority of the conversation remains incredibly relevant for where we are right now. This is a conversation about some topics that’d can be difficult to speak about, but remain so deeply important. Check it out, and then join us in our Facebook discussion group to share your thoughts. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 20 Aug 2022 | Hannah interviews Will about all the things | 00:59:55 | |
Will does the majority of the interviews on this podcast, so Hannah decided it was time to flip the roles around and interview him. Will gave Hannah permission to play the role of investigative journalist and grill him.... there may not have been any 'gotcha' moments, but the wide-ranging conversation did include:
The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 27 Aug 2022 | Pub theology: fracturing denominations (with Mitch Forbes) | 01:06:33 | |
Mitch and I riff on some questions from the Facebook discussion group and then get into a slightly more impassioned discussion about fracturing denominations, peoples obsession with sexuality and why 'sola scripture' logically leads to polarisation. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 03 Sep 2022 | Kissing purity culture goodbye (and the pursuit of a better sexual ethic for our kids?) | 01:01:40 | |
Did you grow up within ‘purity culture’? If you’re unsure, here are some signs that maybe you did:
The epicentre of purity culture was evangelical America in the 90s. But it certainly made its way to Australian shores. In this week’s episode of the podcast, Hannah and I reflect on our own experiences of purity culture and the ‘hangover’ left in its wake. Towards the end of the episode we turn our attention towards the question of what we would like to pass on to our own kids when it comes to understanding sexuality and spirituality. Is there a Christian sexual ethic that ditches the shame while still treating our sexuality with care and sensitivity? We don’t claim to have an answer to this question. But we at least want to talk about it! Pure, Linda Kay Klein The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 10 Sep 2022 | Monasteries, mustard seeds and all this mess | 00:33:55 | |
Earlier this week I was sitting in my lounge room, which generally looks like a tornado (aka children) has swept through the place, reading Thomas Merton on the contemplative life. At first, this seemed slightly humorous, as my life couldn't feel any further from the 'monastery' right now. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 17 Sep 2022 | Laurie Wevers on deconstruction, therapy and spiritual direction | 01:01:52 | |
Laurie Wevers is a spiritual director and a therapist, who works with people at the intersection of religion and trauma. Her work is informed by her own story, growing up within white evangelicalism and with narcissistic parents, yet eventually finding her way towards mystical and contemplative spirituality, including being a student at Richard Rohr’s Living School. Of course, there are aspects to this story and this work that are deeply painful. Laurie calls these teachers. Our conversation left me with hope though, as Laurie is the kind of person committed to helping people walk into the new. There’s no going backwards, she told me, only progress, and the discovery of what that looks like for each different person. As I spoke to Laurie I felt like she was exactly the kind of guide that many people need as they navigate the disorienting and uncharted territory of leaving certain spaces, without knowing where to next. We spoke about what this journey might look like for people, and towards the end we got into some really interesting territory talking about what kind of communities might help facilitate this process as well. You can check out more of Laurie’s work and connect with her here, otherwise I hope this conversation is helpful for you, where ever you are in your own journey. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 24 Sep 2022 | A 'belonging of misfits' (poems and stories live at Hamilton Baptist Church) | 00:41:48 | |
A couple weeks ago there was a very special convergence of communities at Hamilton Baptist Church. I know many of you have listened to the episodes with Andrew Dodd and Scott Higgins sharing their stories and the story of Hamilton. If you haven’t listened yet add those to your up next. Anyway, Andrew invited me to come along to Hamilton and share some thoughts and poems. And Mitch Forbes and some of the New City Baps crew came along, as well as a few others from Meeting Ground church. So we ended up with a very special mix of people in the room, and honestly it was so lovely to meet a number of podcast listeners in person and to celebrate being a bit of a rag-tag group on the fringes of faith. Which can be a pretty fun place if you make it a party. Before the morning Andrew Dodd asked me if we could make this a ‘live’ podcast episode. So that’s what you’re about to hear. Andrew’s the host for this one. And there’s a bit of variety. First, a conversation with Mitch Forbes. Then we hear from one of our listeners, Alison. Shout-out to you Alison. And then the bulk of the episode is a mix of Andrew interviewing me and me sharing some poems around evolving faith and LGBTQI+ inclusion. On that note, if you would be interested in hosting or collaborating on some sort of spiritual misfits meet-up or live gathering, hit us up. Who knows what could happen? The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 01 Oct 2022 | Dr. David Gushee on Christian humanism after evangelicalism | 00:57:26 | |
The Reverend Dr David Gushee is one of the world’s leading Christian ethicists as well as a pastor, author and advocate. He’s the author of a range of important books, notably including ‘Changing our Mind’, a landmark argument for LGBTQI+ inclusion in the church first published in 2014. More recently his book ‘After Evangelicalism’ has provided an invaluable guide for many pilgrims trying to find their way out of the maze of American evangelical culture without necessarily knowing where to go from there. David’s books have been so helpful for me, so I can’t even tell you how excited I was to have this conversation with him. We explored a range of important and interesting questions together, like:
David’s thoughts on all of these questions are well worth your time. He’s warm, intelligent, and gives me hope for the future. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 08 Oct 2022 | Bruce Macauley on seeing through the eyes of the other | 00:53:24 | |
'Either Jesus would come back or Tom would be healed' The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 15 Oct 2022 | The church of tomorrow with Simon Nixon | 01:00:37 | |
Many of us have experienced significant changes in our faith, spirituality or worldview in recent years (which by the way is a normal and healthy thing). And of course, those changes are taking place right across human societies in the information age we are living through.
The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 22 Oct 2022 | Karl Hand on Queer Bible Commentary | 00:55:07 | |
Karl Hand is the pastor of Crave Church in Sydney, he has a PhD in the New Testament, and is a contributor to the recently updated Queer Bible Commentary with a chapter on the book of Ephesians. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 29 Oct 2022 | Rev. Dr Karina Kreminski on the church of tomorrow (and its mission) | 01:01:20 | |
The Reverend Dr. Karina Kreminski is a Mission Coaching Consultant with Uniting Mission & Education. She has a doctorate in missional formation. She’s a writer. She’s a facilitator of ‘The Happiness Lab’ in Surry Hills. She’s co-founder of ‘Neighbourhood Matters’. And as she shares in this conversation, she helps to lead a fascinating Sunday gathering with a crew of people in her hood who come from all different world views and backgrounds to explore spirituality together. We want you to continue to be part of the conversation — so join us in our Facebook group and let us know what you think after listening. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 05 Nov 2022 | Pub Theology: Mitch and Will discuss Rob Bell (after seeing him live) | 01:00:59 | |
Mitch Forbes returns to crack a beer with Will and debrief on their experience of seeing Rob Bell live in Sydney a couple weeks ago. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 12 Nov 2022 | Dave Tomlinson on how to be a bad Christian (and a better human being) | 01:05:52 | |
Terms like post-evangelical and exvangelical have become increasingly prominent in recent years. I spoke about this in detail with David Gushee a few episodes back. But todays guest actually wrote a book called ‘the post evangelical’…almost 30 years ago, in 1995. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 17 Nov 2022 | Leaving loud (emergency pub theology w. Mitch, Hannah & Will) | 01:06:08 | |
Hello friends. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 19 Nov 2022 | Tash Holmes on the centrality of creativity to community | 01:03:22 | |
This week on the podcast I am joined by Tash Holmes to chat about creativity, spirituality, faith communities….and just so much good stuff. Tash is a singer, musician & writer based in Sydney, and just another wonderful human I am grateful to have become friends with in recent months. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 26 Nov 2022 | Carolyn Meers on pastoring through deconstruction | 01:00:59 | |
This is a conversation about what it’s like to go through faith crises, deconstruction, dark nights of the soul. etc etc. while pastoring a church. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 03 Dec 2022 | An Advent Liturgy | 00:26:53 | |
It has always been our intention to create resources to support spiritual practice, as well as hosting honest conversations and interviews. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 10 Dec 2022 | Christine Redwood, Josh Dowton & Hayley-Jayne Bernhardt: to be or not to be…Baptist | 01:35:29 | |
Alright friends, as promised here’s another conversation about the ramifications of the NSW & ACT Baptist rumblings of late. At the most recent Baptist Assembly, there were a large and complicated set of motions essentially requiring uniformity around a traditional view of marriage, and beginning to establish a mechanism to remove pastors and churches with theology that affirms same-sex marriage. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 17 Dec 2022 | A poetic Christmas message (final episode of 2022) | 00:34:25 | |
One week until Christmas day. Wild! The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 31 Dec 2022 | Dr. Christine Redwood on women, the Bible & the pulpit [Replay] | 00:57:10 | |
Hey friends, The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 07 Jan 2023 | The unholy hustle and the sacred now [Replay] | 00:51:19 | |
Hustle culture, busyness, sabbath and the struggle to pay attention. Plus the story behind the tattoo on Hannah's foot. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 14 Jan 2023 | Rob Buckingham on inclusion without limits | 01:05:57 | |
Rob Buckingham is the pastor of Bayside Church in Melbourne. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 21 Jan 2023 | Joel Hollier & Steff Fenton on creating trauma-informed church | 01:11:14 | |
So stoked to have Joel Hollier and Steff Fenton return to the podcast! (If you haven’t listened to their previous episodes I strongly recommend you do so.) Listen to Joel Hollier on finding room at the table here. Listen to Steff Fenton on gender expansive theology here. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 28 Jan 2023 | Pub Theology: Will, Hannah & Mitch discuss prayer and miracles | 01:06:37 | |
Hannah has seen people get gold teeth in prayer meetings. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 04 Feb 2023 | Dave Andrews on Christi-anarchy, rejections and interfaith dialogue | 00:59:46 | |
There are plenty of people whose behaviour in the name of Jesus is the very thing that would often lead me to want to reject the Christian faith I’ve grown up with. Dave Andrews, on the other hand, is the kind of person who makes me feel the opposite. He speaks about Jesus in a way that makes me feel like I am encountering this story for the first time. I think this is largely because Dave has modelled a life around ‘sermon on the mount ethics’ more than most people you meet in the average church. I think you’ll see what I mean, as you listen. During our conversation we talk about Christian anarchy, Dave gives a pretty powerful critique of the early Christian creeds, and we also explore inclusive theology that works alongside and with people from different religious traditions. I want to give you a heads up that this conversation gets really heavy in places. Dave’s commitment to a radical following of Christlike ethics has meant he’s been rejected, excommunicated and banned from multiple Christian groups over the years. Dave shares openly about the ways some of these occurrences impacted his health, including thoughts he had around taking his own life. If that’s personally sensitive territory for you, I encourage you to be gentle with yourself as you listen, and please reach out to services like Beyond Blue or Lifeline (13 11 44) if you need to. If you have experienced any form of rejection or loss of Christian community, I hope listening to this gives you a sense of solidarity. And I want to emphasise again, our whole ethos in making this podcast is to let you know, regardless of what you believe, you are worthy of belonging. And you are not alone. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 11 Feb 2023 | Brad Brisco on covocational church leadership | 01:06:40 | |
Church attendance in the West is on the decline. I think any church interested in having a future needs to do some serious reflecting on what may need to change. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 18 Feb 2023 | Nicola Morley on overseas mission, coming out and sincerity through changing faith | 00:57:25 | |
There’s this thought experiment in the world of philosophy called the ship of Theseus. You may have heard it. The general idea is that there’s a ship. And over time every part of it — the rudder, the sails, the other stuff on a ship which I don’t know the names of — is gradually replaced, one by one. There comes a point at which the ship has none of its original components. And yet this process has taken place over many years. So is it the same ship it was at the beginning? Or is it a different one? The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 11 Mar 2023 | Guided contemplation: self-compassion across time | 00:21:27 | |
One theme that has come up across several episodes of the podcast is about how to think about the different versions of ourselves across time. When you think back to an earlier version of yourself who perhaps has a very different faith to the one you have now, how do you feel? Do you cringe? Do you feel shame? Do you long for or miss those days? The reality is, you can’t go back to earlier days in your life — whether you miss them or wish you could erase them. But, perhaps, learning to see them as part of your unfolding story is a part of spiritual maturity. I often think, that if we cannot extend kindness to earlier versions of ourselves, we will be unable to extend that kindness to people who believe now, what we believed then. Maybe the opposite is true also. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 04 Mar 2023 | Dr. Rod Pattenden on art, religion and breaking the boxes | 00:56:50 | |
Last weekend was Mardi Gras, and you may have listened to our WorldPride panel on the pod last week. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 18 Mar 2023 | Damon Gameau on 2040, meaning-making and creating social change | 00:45:34 | |
A few years ago, (pre Spiritual Misfits) I was making a podcast called Man;Kind. It was primarily a show about the unhelpful gender moulds we place on each other, with particular reference to manhood and masculinity etc. The name of the show was supposed to beg the question: could the word ‘man’ become more associated with kindness than power or strength or aggression. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 25 Feb 2023 | WorldPride Panel: Karen Pack, Tash Holmes, Karl Hand | 01:07:31 | |
Have you ever heard Christians criticise the use of the word ‘pride’ in queer culture? The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 25 Mar 2023 | Becca De Souza on God as Midwife | 01:03:25 | |
Hello misfits, friends, human beings! Welcome to another episode of the podcast. A really wonderful conversation; the kind that is somehow earthy and grounded and raw while also deeply poetic and moving. Becca De Souza is a doula, and a writer (check out links below to some articles we reference in this conversation). And she has a profound story of coming to see God in new ways in the midst of trauma and PTSD. Read some of her words here: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 01 Apr 2023 | (Dry-ish) Pub Theology for Lent (Hannah, Mitch & Will) | 01:09:46 | |
Mitch and Will are taking a break from alcohol during Lent. Hannah didn't get the memo. We spend the first half of the chat discussing reasons for and against participating in Lent (and things like fasting and other religious seasons more generally.) The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 06 Apr 2023 | Good Friday Meditation: Psalm 22 [Replay] | 00:14:40 | |
Last year on Good Friday we shared this meditation on Psalm 22. We've had a bunch of listeners join us since then, so we're sharing this for those who might want to engage with it this year. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 08 Apr 2023 | Tripp Fuller on open and relational theology and resurrection | 01:42:34 | |
Happy Resurrection Sunday if you’re listening on the day this episode is being released. To coincide with the Easter long weekend, this is a longer serving of podcast goodness with a very special guest. Tripp Fuller of Homebrewed Christianity, legendary podcaster, brilliant theologian, prolific talker, very generously said yes to a conversation with myself and Simon Nixon. Shout-out to Simon who teed this one up. If you want to meet Simon and myself, and many other misfits in person, we are organising our first ever Spiritual Misfits live in Sydney. Saturday 13th of May at Newtown Mission. More details in the Facebook group, or if you’re not in there, keep an ear out and we will no doubt share more details in coming weeks on the pod. I did considered editing out parts of this conversation that may be a little more theologically niche, but I decided to keep them in, because if you’re one of the people that care about that niche, you’ll probably be pretty interested in those sections. However, if that’s not you, don’t worry, I’m going to give you some navigation tips up the top here. The first 45 minutes of this episode is a combination of Tripp’s story with a decent overview of open and relational theology. If you listened to the episode with Becca De Souza a couple weeks back and were curious about some of the questions raised about whether or not God is in control, this is a further dive into that. And I think many of you will find it very interesting. Around 45 minutes in, I ask Tripp a question about the compatibility or not of open theism with David Bentley Hart’s arguments for universal salvation. This is where things get a little nerdy and a little niche until around the 75 minute mark. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 15 Apr 2023 | Jon Owen on 'no us and them' | 00:53:54 | |
Jon Owen, CEO and pastor at Wayside Chapel is the kind of person whose life really looks like the ethics of Jesus embodied. We explore the tensions that exist between different forms of Christian faith — such as the kind that prioritises the dreams of Western culture in contrast with the kind that inhabits the fringes and the margins, in solidarity with those who suffer. We also talk about the concept of calling, and listening to your life, and finding the spaces where who you are aligns with what you can offer the world around you. Get your ticket to our first Spiritual Misfits LIVE event in Sydney: Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 22 Apr 2023 | Alexis Halverson: (re)discovering Christianity as a trans person | 01:06:39 | |
This week on the pod I’m joined by Alexis Halverson. Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 29 Apr 2023 | Pub Theology: is God violent? (Hannah, Mitch and Will) | 01:26:14 | |
Hannah, Mitch and Will discuss violence and the Bible and what they make of it at this point in time. Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 06 May 2023 | Matt Glover on rejection, reinvention and connection | 01:13:36 | |
Since childhood, Matt has found a deep sense of spirituality and connection beyond the walls of the church. For many years he was a pastor, seeking to help others experience the same. For Matt, loving, including and affirming LGTBQI+ people was an obvious aspect of Christianity. Not everyone else saw it that way though, and Matt ended up facing a significant cost for his stance on inclusion. Matt’s story is both harrowing and inspiring. And whilst you would never wish Matt’s experience on anybody, it’s his own personal experience of religious trauma that plays a big role in the work he does today, supporting survivors of spiritual abuse and trauma to experience healing.
Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 13 May 2023 | God as Mother | 00:17:52 | |
This one is being released on Mother’s Day. And in the lead-up to Mother’s Day I’ve been thinking about God, gender and metaphors. And I wanted to share some thoughts that may be helpful for you. Afterwards, there’s space for a moment of stillness and contemplation, to help you engage with Spirit in a way that may be a little different to what you’re used to.
Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 20 May 2023 | LIVE: Wisdom for the Wilderness (Panel: Joel Hollier, Becca De Souza, Carolyn Meers, Simon Nixon) | 01:12:15 | |
Our panel conversation from Spiritual Misfits live in Newtown on 'wisdom for the wilderness', with the wonderful Joel Hollier, Becca de Souza, Carolyn Meers & Simon Nixon. Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 27 May 2023 | Dean Johnston: 'can an atheist plant a church?' | 01:10:41 | |
After interviewing Dean Johnston I came away feeling like someone needs to make a movie about this guy’s life. Alternatively Dean needs to write a memoir. While we wait for Dean to write his memoir or for Terrence Malick to make the film, this podcast episode will have to do the job. This is a story of losing and finding God — and whether you feel more lost or found, at this point in time, I hope this story connects with your heart like it did mine. Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 03 Jun 2023 | LIVE: Pub Theology & Poetry at The Rogue Scholar | 01:16:10 | |
The recording from our live spiritual misfits pub theology at the rogue scholar in Newcastle! Will reads poems from his new book and his favourite English teacher (Hannah Gierhart) and favourite rev (Mitch Forbes) provide literary and theological reflections along the way. Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 10 Jun 2023 | Priyanka Bromhead on decolonising faith and 'We are the Mainstream' | 00:59:37 | |
Priyanka Bromhead, amongst many things, is the founder of ‘We are the Mainstream.’ — a collective of First Nations, Women of Colour and Gender Diverse folk of colour, creating spaces for courageous conversations, that challenge systems and structures of power and centre perspectives that have often been forced to the edges. Priyanka shares more about We are the Mainstream during our conversation, but also opens up about her own personal experiences of the faith she grew up with and the ongoing work of decolonising that faith. And in this there are some really beautiful and profound descriptions of what faith means to her today.
Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 17 Jun 2023 | LIVE: Is Christianity still good news? (Panel: Gregg Morris, Sally Douglas, Will Nicholas, Carlynne Nunn) | 01:26:22 | |
Gregg Morris, Sally Douglas, Will Nicholas and Carlynne Nunn joined Will Small in Melbourne for a conversation about whether Christianity still has good news to offer our world today, even with all its baggage. A wide-ranging and rich episode that covers areas such as:
The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 24 Jun 2023 | Post-evangelical parenting? (Becca De Souza, Carolyn Meers & Will Small) | 01:17:48 | |
Becca De Souza and Carolyn Meers return for their podcast hat-trick and a rich and wide conversation around the questions emerging while trying to raise kids with faith....while trying to minimise the baggage. Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 01 Jul 2023 | Larissa Minniecon on the Voice | 01:09:14 | |
At the beginning of NADIOC week this episode is a powerful conversation with Larissa Minniecon, about her story, and reflections on the upcoming referendum and why the Voice presents a powerful step forward for justice. She is currently undertaking a Masters degree in Narrative Therapy and Community Work through the University of Melbourne.
She is the Chair of Glebe NAIDOC Committee and a sought after speaker, consultant and educator. Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 08 Jul 2023 | Mason Mennenga: theology for the people, from the internet’s youth pastor | 00:56:10 | |
Mason Mennenga, 'the Internet's Youth Pastor' and host of ‘A People's Theology’ Podcast joined Bronte Hughes & Will Small for a conversation about the many weird aspects of growing up in the shadow of American evangelicalism (even in Australia), and the discovery of new ways of thinking about God, including liberation theology, process theology and theopoetics. Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 15 Jul 2023 | Pub Theology: should every Christian read the Bible? | 01:19:29 | |
Will is still pro-Bible but struggling to read it. He wonders if everyone actually needs to aspire towards regular Bible reading or if we can just benefit from a 'critical mass' of people doing the work and passing on the goods? Mitch somewhat concedes Will's point/somewhat pushes back on it. They then talk about the influence of increasing conservatism on the broader Church and a dumb essay someone wrote recently warning people to beware of 'sexular churches.' Join our online Facebook community: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 22 Jul 2023 | Pub Theology: Listener questions (Hannah, Mitch & Will) | 01:23:50 | |
Hannah, Mitch & Will discuss a wide range of questions from poddy listeners covering ground like: The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 29 Jul 2023 | Will Nicholas on sci-fi spirituality, apocalypses and interplanetary meaning-making | 01:12:10 | |
Will Nicholas, the Odd Rev, joins me for a conversation about the meaning of life, the universe everything. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 05 Aug 2023 | Sally Douglas on Jesus Sophia, the divine feminine and the trinity | 01:14:31 | |
Sally Douglas comes on the pod to speak about her latest book, ‘Jesus Sophia’ and we explore the divine feminine, the limitations of our metaphors, a trinitarian universe and more. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 12 Aug 2023 | Jesse Mawson on the prison and the monastery | 01:01:59 | |
Jesse Mawson is a prison chaplain studying a masters in spiritual direction, and finding a home within contemplative and celtic spirituality. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 19 Aug 2023 | Kelly Skilton on neurodiversity, spirituality and digital community | 00:52:25 | |
Kelly Skilton is an artist and pastor who heads up new and digital communities for the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania. A few years ago Kelly got a diagnosis of ADHD. We discuss neurodiversity, spirituality and creating inclusive communities with a focus on digital spaces. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 26 Aug 2023 | Janet Kellogg Ray on religious science denial and its consequences | 01:08:11 | |
Janet Kellogg Ray is a science educator who teaches biology at a large university. She's also a person of faith. In her US context, this puts her at odds with many evangelicals who are suspicious of science and deny evolution, climate change and COVID science. We discuss her upcoming book 'The God of Monkey Science' and why it's so dangerous for Christians to deny scientific evidence and consensus. We also explore the alternative — a faith that takes the modern world, including science, seriously. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 02 Sep 2023 | Safina Stewart and Bianca Manning: Season of Creation & the Voice | 01:10:45 | |
Safina Stewart and Bianca Manning from Common Grace joined me for a conversation about the season of creation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spirituality, and about the historical moment we’re in, with the upcoming referendum. It’s such a rich conversation with beautifully overlapping themes of truth, beauty and justice, and I encourage you to listen deeply. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 09 Sep 2023 | David Gushee: 'Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies' | 01:12:15 | |
The excellent David Gushee returns to the podcast! The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 13 Sep 2023 | Pub Theology: 'The Experience of David Bentley Hart' | 01:28:42 | |
Jon Reichardt (probably the coolest person at the David Bentley Hart event in Sydney) joins Mitch and Will for a chat about David Bentley Hart's classic theism. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 23 Sep 2023 | Jarrod McKenna on liberating love and nonviolent resistance | 01:21:47 | |
Jarrod McKenna joins me for a rich and beautiful conversation about his own story and the story of healing we are all invited into. We explore how Jarrod McKenna became Jarrod McKenna, why nonviolence isn’t the same thing as non-violence, why Jarrod prefers not to draw a line between the private and the public work, and how to swap out death-dealing religion for a life-giving, liberating love. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 30 Sep 2023 | Grant Wilson, a quadriplegic pastor, on disability and grace | 01:07:07 | |
Grant Wilson is a pastor who became a quadriplegic after a mountain biking accident in 2021. In this conversation he shares with honesty and vulnerability about his injury and recovery journey, his faith, struggles and hopes. Watch the short film about Grant's story, 'I'm not Finished Yet': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ymLCuPqiiw The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 07 Oct 2023 | Benjamin Hastings on honest worship and feeling alone in the flock [Replay] | 01:00:19 | |
If you've joined us recently as a new listener chances are there are a bunch of great episodes in the back-log you haven't listened to yet! This is one of them. Hillsong worship leaders probably aren’t the image you typically think of when you hear the phrase ‘Spiritual Misfit’. But our conversation with Ben was a great reminder that human beings — whether on platforms or in lounge rooms — have questions. Live within mystery. And doubt. And faith. And mess. And beauty. Ben shared some of his own story with us — about the unravelling and the searching and the creative process in the midst of it all. And it was such a joy. And as an incredibly special treat, Ben played us two of our favourite songs of his at the end of our chat. Stick around to the end of the episode and you’ll hear these songs played exclusively for our Spiritual Misfits community. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 14 Oct 2023 | Is there hope in our heavy world? + Mitch reads the bible. | 01:14:12 | |
What a wild week on planet earth. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 21 Oct 2023 | Gregg Morris: examining our 'cultural tales' after the referendum | 01:07:06 | |
Gregg Morris returns to the pod (go back and listen to more of his brilliance on the episode ‘Melbourne panel: Is Christianity still good news?’) to share reflections on becoming culturally informed and examining what the referendum result reveals about Australia today. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 28 Oct 2023 | Olivia Jackson on '(Un)Certain: a Collective Memoir of Deconstructing Faith' | 01:09:48 | |
Olivia Jackson lives on the side of a windswept hill with two dogs. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 04 Nov 2023 | Mikali Anagnostis and Gabi Cadenhead on Gen-Z spirituality and Marion St | 01:07:45 | |
Mikali Anagnostis and Gabi Cabenhead are behind a new sacred art project called ‘Marion St’, an attempt to create “worship music that fits with the theology and experience of the progressive church.” The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 11 Nov 2023 | Michael Frost & Shane Meyer-Holt on the other side of 'mega' | 01:17:45 | |
Michael Frost (the kiwi version who hosts 'In the Shift' podcast) and Shane-Meyer Holt join me for a rich conversation exploring their own stories and experiences around high control religious settings and their attempts to create much more open, gentle and generous communities these days. We talk about power dynamics, coercive control and the risk these things can pose to communities of all sizes - mega to micro. We also talk about embodiment, processing trauma and the kind of spirituality that embraces and listens to the body. There's so much good stuff in this one. Enjoy. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 18 Nov 2023 | Radhika Sukumar-White on lament, suffering and inclusive community | 00:56:42 | |
Radhika Sukumar-White is an ordained minister in the Uniting Church of Australia and she co-leads Leichhardt Uniting Church, a beautiful and vibrant community of faith, justice and creativity. We talk about Radhika's own story as well as some of the unique characteristics that make LUC the special place that it is and what other communities might be able to learn from their approach. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 25 Nov 2023 | Noah Small on the nature of God, love and kindness (a little episode with big heart) | 00:21:03 | |
Noah (8 years old) makes his podcast debut with a whole lot of wisdom on all the big questions. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 02 Dec 2023 | Sara M. Saleh on Palestine, liberation and poetry | 00:47:01 | |
Sara M. Saleh is a human rights lawyer, community organiser, writer and the daughter of migrants from Palestine, Egypt and Lebanon. She has many very impressive achievements to her name including being the first poet to win both the Australian Book Review’s Peter Porter Poetry Prize and the Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize, which she did back to back in 2020 and 2021. Sara’s debut novel Songs for the Dead and the Living is out now (link below where you can buy). Sara is one of the voices that has been a helpful guide for me in recent weeks as we’ve seen the Israeli government cause enormous levels of destruction and loss of human life in Gaza. This conversation is really helpful for decoupling anti-zionism and anti-semitism and understanding why it’s so dangerous when these are conflated. It’s so obvious, as you’ll hear throughout this conversation that Sara holds a fierce commitment to any group of oppressed and suffering people, while striving for solutions that do not simply flip who is oppressing who. The way she speaks about liberation is so generous and beautiful and just. We talk about the limits of identity politics and the deep solidarity that can be found in shared values — and there’s just so much wisdom here. Listen deeply, share widely, and take whatever actions you can — great or small — in the direction of justice. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 09 Dec 2023 | Pub Theology: Tradition vs Progress | 01:11:08 | |
Mitch has now officially become a pastor in the Uniting Church, and has the sweet wardrobe to prove it. In light of this Will, Hannah and Mitch have a discussion about the relationship between tradition and progress. How do we know what from the past is worth holding onto? How do we know if we’re actually making progress? The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 16 Dec 2023 | Advent Liturgy [Replay - New one coming next week!] | 00:30:46 | |
We are currently cooking up a NEW Christmas listening experience/liturgy, which will be released next week on Christmas Eve. The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 23 Dec 2023 | Christmas Liturgy: Subversive Incarnation | 00:29:32 | |
How do we think about Christmas this year? What does it mean to celebrate the ‘Prince of Peace’ when the realities of war and genocide continue without ceasing?
The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||
| 30 Dec 2023 | Summer replays: Dave Tomlinson on how to be a bad Christian and a better human being | 01:08:56 | |
I’m taking a little breather between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024. Thankfully, there are so many incredible conversations in our back-log. I’m pulling a few favourites out to revisit - like this one! The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguide | |||