13 May 2019

Christopher Smith-episode 176

Christopher Smith is a writer, community developer, and founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. He has authored a number of books, including the award-winning Slow Church. This week he joins me on the podcast to talk about How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church. 

We are wired for community and in order to cultivate community we must be in conversation. It seems to be a lost art in our society including our churches. Chris writes with such insight including the theological roots of conversation as well as the healing potential of conversation.

Find Chris on Twitter and Facebook.

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06 May 2019

Marilyn McEntyre-episode 175

Marilyn McEntyre joins me again on Faith Conversations. She is an award-winning author of several books on language and faith. Her current title is another beauty, When Poets Pray. Marilyn is also a retreat leader and workshop presenter. We dive into the content of several poems on the podcast and Marilyn has the opportunity to explicate them for us.

Many ask how to understand poems and Marilyn gives two questions to keep in mind as we read poetry:
1. What does this poem invite me to do?
2. What does this poem require of me?
She says sometimes we need to let go of figuring it out!

Marilyn also mentioned a book by Carol Gilligan, In A Different Voice.

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29 Apr 2019

Michelle Van Loon-episode 174

Michelle Van Loon joins me again in follow up of our last conversation where Michelle posed the question, “When was the last time God moved you deeply?” We’d love to hear your stories as well. Send an email to producer@anitalustrea.com. Michelle also mentioned two older books of hers, Parable Life and Uprooted. 

Find Michelle in these places:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
 

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22 Apr 2019

Parker Palmer-episode 173

I’ve taken this week off. In the post-Easter fog I thought I’d release again the Parker Palmer podcast from last fall. It’s one of my all-time favorite conversations. If you missed it, check it out. If you heard it last fall, it’s worth another listen. Hope you had a wonderful Easter!

Parker Palmer joins me on the podcast this week. I asked Mike to co-host and we had an incredible conversation with this nearly 80-year-old Statesman. Parker is founder and senior partner emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal and the author of ten books, including Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, and Healing the Heart of Democracy. On the podcast we talk about his latest and possibly final book, according to him, On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Old.

Parker’s latest book, as well as much of our conve…Read More

15 Apr 2019

Michelle Van Loon-episode 172

Michelle Van Loon joins me at my kitchen table this week as we encourage you to look for ways to connect to God during Holy Week. We talk about the stations of the cross and Michelle asks us to think about when was the last time we connected deeply with God. She also mentions a great liturgical resource website, www.crivoice.org.

We move from Holy Week and how we connect with God to a discussion about nostalgia in worship. We would love to hear what you think. Shoot us an email at producer@anitalustrea.com.

Find Michelle:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
 

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08 Apr 2019

Christie Purifoy-episode 171

 
Christie Purifoy joins me on the podcast this week. Had a few technical difficulties in the first 10 minutes. Hang in there because the conversation is amazing!! Christie holds a Ph.D. in English Literature and she traded the classroom for a farmhouse, a garden, and a writing desk. She is a gorgeous writer. We had a beautiful conversation about Placemaker: Cultivating Places of Comfort, Beauty, and Peace. It’s interesting to me how much of my life I lived feelings that beauty was a luxury and not a necessity. As you hear Christie’s story and her heart, I believe it will encourage you in the things of God that we sometimes feel are selfish pursuits but aren’t!
Find Christie here.
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

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01 Apr 2019

Barbara Brown Taylor-episode 170

Barbara Brown Taylor is a New York Times best-selling author. You might know her from her books Leaving Church, An Altar in the World, or Learning to Walk in the Dark. On this week’s edition of Faith Conversations we focus in on the content of a brand new release, Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others.

As Barbara talks about her nearly 20 years of teaching World Religions to college students, she looks at her own journey of learning and growing and changing as a result. How does Christianity hold up alongside these other religions? You might be surprised by some of Barbara’s conclusions.

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25 Mar 2019

Pete Enns-episode 169

Pete Enns joins me on the podcast this week. He is the Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. David’s Pennsylvania. He is also host of the podcast The Bible for Normal People and author of How the Bible Actually Works, which has an incredibly long subtitle that I won’t bother with here :-). We dive into the content of Pete’s latest book with the long subtitle and talk about how to rethink how we understand the Bible. I think you’ll appreciate and be challenged by this conversation.

Find Pete here.

Twitter

Facebook

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18 Mar 2019

Alexandra Kuykendall-episode 168

In Christian settings we talk a lot about loving our neighbor and then the discussion begins about who is our neighbor. On this week’s podcast, Alexandra Kuykendall joins me to talk about Loving My Actual Neighbor. Novel concept or something we are called to do? It’s a great conversation encompassing a number of important practices grounded in 2nd Peter that will help us get unstuck in our attempts to love neighbor.

Find Alenandra Kuykendall:
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
 

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11 Mar 2019

Adele & Doug Calhoun-episode 167

Most of you know I’m an Enneagram fan. I use the Enneagram with spiritual direction clients and I love how this tool, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, can transform lives. On this week’s podcast, I have the joy of talking with long-time friends, Doug and Adele Calhoun. They are co-authors of a new book on the Enneagram, along with Clare and Scott Loughrige, titled Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram: A Handbook for Harmony and Transformation. It’s one of the best Enneagram resources I’ve seen in a long time! Not only do they talk about the harmony method, but wonderful spiritual practices and journaling questions and Bible study prompts are offered for each type. If you want to know yourself more deeply and become more conformed to the image of Christ, this book and this podcast will be helpful.

These graphics are refer…Read More