Betwixt Podcast on the Brink of Becoming
72 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 57 ratingsBetwixt podcast is a unique place for meaningful conversations about the liminal spaces between faith, spiritual formation and a flourishing life. Through intimate conversations with fascinating guests, we share stories of their experiences at the brink of becoming and the wisdom of charting a course through the in-between.
Join us on this journey as we explore the depths of our innermost selves and the outermost reaches of our faith. We hope our stories will help you embrace the unknown and find the courage to step into the liminal space.
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Episodes
Stations of the Cross Introduction
March 22, 2021 18:18 - 5 minutes - 4 MBFor centuries, Christians have set out on a holy pilgrimage in 14 movements. From the Garden of Gethsemane to the Garden Tomb, we invite you to walk with Jesus, experiencing the sorrow, suffering, and passion of his self-sacrificial love. This meditation introduces a series of 14 audio meditations that follow 14 Stations of the Cross.We follow in his way, knowing that one offers no greater love than laying down their life for others. As we join Jesus, we are reminded that we are his beloved c...
Station 1: Passion
March 22, 2021 18:12 - 9 minutes - 6.87 MBMeditation for Station 1: Passion. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane* Music provided by Les Petits Chanteurs de Montigny: Cantata Domino GO Pitoni and Kai Engel: Take a Look Around You.*Art: Christ on the Mount of Olives by Paul Gaugin (in public domain)
Station 2: Betrayal
March 22, 2021 18:11 - 10 minutes - 6.9 MBMeditation for Station 2: Betrayal. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested.*Music: Les Petits Chanteurs de Montigny: O Bone Jesus; Violin by Neil Leonard* Art by Michael O'Donnell
Station 3: Condemnation
March 22, 2021 18:10 - 11 minutes - 7.87 MBMeditation for Station 3: Condemnation. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin.*Music: Couperin's Prelude la Tromba, Air de Diable performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra; Perdue No. 1 performed by Barryvan*Art by Lynn Staggs
Station 5: Denial
March 22, 2021 18:08 - 10 minutes - 7.38 MBMeditation for Station of the Cross 4: Denial. Peter Denies Jesus.Music: Cappella Romana's Byzantine Chant: Prokeimenon; Kai Engel: Mist and CloudsArt by Michael O'Donnell
Station 6: Scourge
March 22, 2021 18:06 - 11 minutes - 7.75 MBMeditation for Station of the Cross 6: Scourge. Jesus is scourged and wears a crown of thorns.*Music: Victim Paschali Laudes performed by Tudor Consort; Bach's Andante from Italian Concerto performed on harp by Catrin Finch.*Art by Michelle Morris
Station 7: Burden
March 22, 2021 18:05 - 9 minutes - 6.79 MBMeditation for Station 7: Burden. The King takes up his cross.*Music: Russian Liturgical Chant: The Cross Exalted Invites All Creation; Kai Engel: Cloudburst.*Art by Michael O'Donnell
Station 8: Fall
March 22, 2021 18:03 - 9 minutes - 6.63 MBMeditation for Station 8: Fall. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross.*Music: Russian Liturgical Chant: Turn Not Thy Face Away from Thy Servant; Kai Engel: Aspirato.*Art by Lynn Staggs
Station 9: Lament
March 22, 2021 18:02 - 12 minutes - 8.39 MBMeditation for Station 9: Lament. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.*Music: Kai Engel: Morbid Imaginations; Couperin's Air de Diablo performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra* Art: The Outcry of the Women by Adolfo Perez Esquivel (creative commons)
Station 10: Wounds
March 22, 2021 18:00 - 13 minutes - 9.52 MBMeditation for Station 10: Wounds. Jesus is stripped and crucified.To view the "White Crucifixion" by Marc Chagall, please visit this link to the Art Institute of Chicago: www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/59426The song Via Dolorosa provided with courtesy by Young Noah.
Station 11: Thirst
March 22, 2021 17:59 - 11 minutes - 7.66 MBMeditation for Station 11: Thirst. Jesus thirsts.*Music: Byzantine Chant Kontakion Unshakeable Foundation by Cappella Romana; Kai Engel: Soli.*Art: As Seen from the Cross by James Tissot (Brooklyn Art Museum, public domain)
Station 12: Grief
March 22, 2021 17:58 - 12 minutes - 8.44 MBMeditation for Station 12: Grief. Jesus speaks to his mother from the cross.*Music: Cujus Animam Gementem performed by Tudor Consort; Evermore by Kai Engel.*Art by Michael O'Donnell
Station 13: Death
March 22, 2021 17:57 - 10 minutes - 7.1 MBMeditation for Station 13: Death. Jesus dies and the veil of the Temple is torn.*Music: Agnus Dei performed Tudor Consort; Curtains are Always Drawn by Kai Engel.* Art by Michelle Morris
Station of the Cross 14: Tomb
March 22, 2021 17:55 - 10 minutes - 7.42 MBMeditation for Station 14: Tomb. Jesus is buried in the tomb.*Music: Vivaldi's Credo Crucifixius performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra; Denouement by Kai Engel.* Icon by Emmanuel Lambardos the Younger , 1640 (after the prototype in Crete)
Examen for the Year End with Kelsie Meyers
December 27, 2020 17:59 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBSpiritual Director Kelsie Meyers offers this beautiful prayer of Examen for the year end. In the presence of God and through the eyes of Jesus, you are invited to look back, noticing the movements of God in your life and to look ahead, cultivating hope for what is yet to come.Music courtesy of Borrtex: Bright Morning Star (Creative Commons)Photo by Simon Matzinger from Pexels
Examen for Joy
December 14, 2020 03:02 - 6 minutes - 4.68 MBThese advent reflections and prayers accompany the Weary World Rejoices Advent guide which is posted on the www.betwixtpodcast.com and Flourish Contemplative Center website. You are welcome to download the guide and join us in this journey of illumination toward Christmas!During Advent, we light candles to remind ourselves to watch for the light. Each week, we illuminate a theme that will grow our expectancy for the Advent - the coming of Jesus.You are invited to return to this prayer of exam...
Advent Meditation: Mary Consoles Eve (Repost)
December 08, 2020 16:10 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MBTo view the image of Mary and Eve, visit https://www.monasterycandy.com/Detail?prod=99 To download the Advent Pantoum Exercise, visit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1np5jrZh56khbftckpXIKm6DkCPnwchilHsAS0SSqCRQ/edit?usp=sharing
Advent Examen for Preparation
December 07, 2020 03:23 - 8 minutes - 11.5 MBThese advent reflections and prayers accompany the Weary World Rejoices Advent guide which is posted on the www.betwixtpodcast.com and Flourish Contemplative Center website. You are welcome to download the guide and join us in this journey of illumination toward Christmas! During Advent, we light candles to remind ourselves to watch for the light. Each week, we illuminate a theme that will grow our expectancy for the Advent - the coming of Jesus. You are invited to return to this prayer of ...
Advent: A Prayer of Examen For Hope
November 29, 2020 15:00 - 11 minutes - 15.7 MBThese advent reflections and prayers accompany the Weary World Rejoices Advent guide which is posted on the www.betwixtpodcast.com and Flourish Contemplative Center website. You are welcome to download the guide and join us in this journey of illumination toward Christmas! During Advent, we light candles to remind ourselves to watch for the light. Each week, we illuminate a theme that will grow our expectancy for the Advent - the coming of Jesus. You are invited to return to this prayer ...
31 David Fitch on Freedom From Faith that Divides
September 25, 2020 14:38 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MB“Let’s forget nation-state politics until we can engage practically the injustices going on in our towns and villages in which we live.”David Fitch is the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary in Chicago. He is also the founding pastor of Life on the Vine Christian Community- a missional church in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. Many of you may know Fitch as a leading voice in conversations about culture and missiology. You can find more about him on his website r...
30 Middle Passage: Barbara Peacock on African American Soul Care
July 10, 2020 14:25 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MB“I’m reading books by Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Adele Calhoun, and I’m like, where is the information on African American spiritual direction? We need to have a voice in this community.”Dr. Barbara Peacock illustrates the liminal history of contemplative prayer, spiritual direction, and soul care within the African American tradition. Reflecting on significant men and women like Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Howard Thurman—Barbara celebrates the practices o...
29 Cure for Despondency (The Problem of Time & Eternity) with Nicole Roccas
May 29, 2020 12:45 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBDr. Nicole Roccas joins me to talk about the problem of time and eternity. She suggests three ancient cures for despondency that still work today.Nicole is a historian and adjunct faculty member at the Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College in Toronto. She is the author of the books Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life, Under the Laurel Tree: Grieving Infertility with Saints Joachim and Anna, and A Journal of Thanksgiving: Record Three Years of Gratitude in a ...
28 Timothy Carson On Becoming What We Can’t Yet Imagine (An Hermeneutic of Liminality)
April 30, 2020 16:32 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MBMy guest is Timothy Carson, curator of the Liminality Project. After retiring from full time pastoral ministry, Tim began to teach and write about liminality. He is the author of Liminal Reality and Transformational Power and editor of the anthology Neither Here nor There: The Many Voices of Liminality. And he’s working on a new collaborative book on practical theology and the development of a Biblical Hermeneutic of Liminality.Tim also ministers as a field guide, helping others transition t...
Easter Homily of St. John Chrystostom
April 12, 2020 20:01 - 6 minutes - 9.19 MBPascal Homily of St. John Chrystostom: If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let them enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival. If anyone is a grateful servant, let them, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord. If anyone has wearied themselves in fasting, let them now receive recompense. If anyone has labored from the first hour, let them today receive the just reward. If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let them feast. If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let t...
Station 14: Tomb
April 09, 2020 08:00 - 10 minutes - 14.7 MBMeditation for Station 14: Tomb. Jesus is buried in the tomb. The women who had followed Jesus throughout his ministry also followed him to his death and beyond. They served as midwives of Jesus' death before they followed his body to the tomb, where they will serve as the midwives of his resurrection. Jesus had ministered to them and they had ministered to him. They received and responded. The way they followed Jesus was marked by a reciprocity of love. What does following Jesus look like...
Station 5: Judgement
March 31, 2020 08:00 - 10 minutes - 14.7 MBMeditation for Station of the Cross 5: Judgement. Jesus is Judged by Pilate. Pilate looks with amaze at Jesus. What amazes him? What amazes you about Jesus? *Music: Todor Consort perform Kyrie Eleison; Barryvan performs Je mei Souviens de l'Automne
Station 4: Denial
March 30, 2020 10:00 - 12 minutes - 17.8 MBMeditation for Station of the Cross 4: Denial. Peter Denies Jesus. Can you recall a time in your life when you have felt a great sifting, a temptation that consumed you or a loss of faith? Is this something you’re walking through now? Music: Cappella Romana's Byzantine Chant: Prokeimenon; Kai Engel: Mist and Clouds
Stations of the Cross in a Time of Pandemic
March 27, 2020 14:34 - 7 minutes - 10.4 MBThis episode is a repost of the Stations of the Cross meditations from Season one of the Betwixt Podcast. I’m reviving this series because we are in the midst of an incredibly liminal time on a global level. We are also in the season of Lent - the liminal time in the Church calendar where we journey 40 days with Jesus along the way of the cross. It’s called the season of Bright sadness - “bitter joy,” “joyful mourning,” of “affliction that leads to joy.” As the Covid-19 pandemic and Lent in...
An Advent Meditation on Mary and Eve
December 17, 2019 20:16 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MBTo view the image of Mary and Eve, visit https://www.monasterycandy.com/Detail?prod=99 To download the Advent Pantoum Exercise, visit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1np5jrZh56khbftckpXIKm6DkCPnwchilHsAS0SSqCRQ/edit?usp=sharing “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience. For what the virgin Eve tied by her unbelief, this Mary untied by her belief.” Ireneus Do you know the Deliverance Song women echoed in Mary's Magnificat? This Betwixt Podcast Advent Meditation ex...
27 BONUS TRACK: Behind the Scenes with Mandy Smith on Virtue, Women and the Awakenings Luncheon
July 09, 2019 03:40 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBBonus Track to Episode 27 with Karen Swallow Prior. Listen to the Behind the scenes conversation with Mandy Smith about virtue, women and the women's luncheon at the Awakenings Gathering.
27 Karen Swallow Prior On Reading Well (& Why Virtue is tricky for Women)
July 09, 2019 03:39 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBToday on the Betwixt Podcast, Dr. Karen Swallow Prior talks about her newest book On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Literature. Her book walks readers through twelves literary works that show us how to live virtuously. "Literature is like a boxing ring of ideas where we can try out and test ideas.” - We also discuss the virtue (or vice) of angry reading, Prior's combat boots and why virtue is so tricky for women.“The latin root word for virtue is the same root word for man....
26 Phileena Heuertz on Mindful Silence (Action & Contemplation P 2)
June 18, 2019 03:10 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MB“Christian life is not a life divided between times for action and times for contemplation. No. Real social action is a way of contemplation, and real contemplation is the core of social action.” Henri NouwenContinuing our series on Action & Contemplation, Phileena Heuertz talks about contemplation. How do contemplation and action work together? Why are practices of reflection and contemplative prayer essential to meaningful impact in the world?Phileena Heuertz spent 20 years working as an ac...
25 Kathy Khang: Raise Your Voice (Action & Contemplation Part 1)
May 28, 2019 03:04 - 45 minutes - 31.1 MBAction or contemplation–which is better?This pitting of one against the other has been a long standing debate throughout history. Theologians have often used allegorical depictions of biblical women to illustrate this divide. Augustine famously used the two wives of Jacob to articulate his preference. He held up Leah as the model of the fruitful activist life. But Rachael was a model of the harder to attain contemplative life. Others set the Biblical sisters Mary against Martha: Mary, who si...
24 Michael Card on Hesed: How Kindness Heals the World
May 14, 2019 16:21 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MBPeople often say, God is love. But when you think of God’s love, what does that mean to you?My guest is Michael Card, author of the new book Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness. Card calls hesed the “greatest sacramental word in the Hebrew Bible.” It’s an untranslatable word that defines an inexpressible mystery. We have no English word to adequately describes hesed, yet it’s a word that God uses to describe himself. It’s an incredibly transformational word. Mike and ...
23 Lianne Simon on the Challenges of Being Intersex & Christian
April 30, 2019 03:01 - 48 minutes - 33 MB“Intersex is a broad label for people with differences of sex development (DSDs)—people whose bodies show physical characteristics of both male and female.” - Intersex and FaithIn this latest Betwixt Podcast episode, Deb Gregory talks with Lianne Simon about her experience as a Christian intersex woman. Lianne shares her remarkable journey of faith despite experiences of abuse, shame and invisibility.Liane Simon was born with a genetic condition that caused sexual ambiguity. Because her body ...
22 Maundy Thursday: An Anti-Revival and Why We Need It (with Jay Greener & Tara Owens)
April 13, 2019 23:15 - 57 minutes - 79.6 MBIt’s Holy Week and we’re coming up on my favorite day in the Christian calendar: Maundy Thursday. Although it’s not a popular day for evangelical services, it’s without a doubt the most transformational space - or liminal space - that I’ve encountered in a Church service. That particular service was held at the International Anglican Church in Colorado Springs. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve attended many incredible revival services over the years, but the IAC Maundy Thursday service is kind of...
21 Bruce Herman on Ordinary Saints: The Dangerous Space Between Icon and Portrait (Part 2)
April 02, 2019 15:16 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBArtist Bruce Herman on Ordinary Saints: The Dangerous Space Between Icon and Portrait (The Art of Paradox Part 2) “Essentially poetry, art, music, break open the world again for us that had gotten closed by our false certainties.”In the last Betwixt Episode, Artist Bruce Herman told the story about the house-fire in which he lost 25 years of artwork. Bruce described it as a “eu-catastrophe” - the good catastrophe that brought freedom amidst great loss.In Part 2 of this robust conversation wit...
20 The Good Chaos: Bruce Herman on Dancing after your House Burns Down (The Art of Paradox Part 1)
March 19, 2019 03:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBA great paradox of the Christian life is to stand at the edge of loss and to somehow gain freedom. In this episode, artist Bruce Herman shares his paradoxical story of embracing freedom amidst great loss. “A bunch of people have asked me over the years, what was it like to have your house hit by three bolts of lightning, burn down and destroy 25 years of your work as an artist? That must have been devastating!My honest answer is, ‘No, it really wasn’t. It was a eucatastrophe. It’s the good ch...
19 Natasha Sistrunk Robinson on Truth-telling in a Divided World
March 05, 2019 03:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MBIn this Betwixt Podcast episode, we talk with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson about her journey to becoming a truth-teller in a divided world.The truth is, Natasha is a bridge-builder. She spans the distance between diverse communities, forging paths of deeper understanding, reconciliation and healing. “When you have influence, and all of us do, consider your space. How do you invite people into those spaces and opportunities because of the gospel?” - Natasha Sistrunk RobinsonNatasha was a star stu...
18 Tish Harrison Warren on Miscarriage and Liturgies of Lament
February 19, 2019 10:00 - 54 minutes - 37.7 MBIn this episode,Tish Harrison Warren shares her painful story of miscarriage. Because miscarriage was a wordless experience, she recognized her need for words from her community. She grasped on to liturgies of lament, wrapping time-tested words around her grief in the presence of community.How do we pastor those who have experienced loss through miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility or a regretted abortion? Listen as Tish casts a vision of grief care through liturgy.Tish Harrison Warren is an ...
17 Aaron Niequist on Practice-based Faith
February 05, 2019 10:00 - 55 minutes - 38.4 MBAaron Niequist helps launch Season 2 of the Betwixt Podcast! In this episode, Aaron and I share a really beautiful conversation about how practice-based faith draws us into spaces that are ripe for transformation.Aaron is a liturgist, writer, and pastor. After leading worship at two of America’s largest mega churches, Aaron began to re-imagine what a discipleship-focused, contemplative, practice-based community might look like, and so he began The Practice - an experimental gathering in the W...
16 Betwixt Update, Behind the Scenes, & Prep for Season 2!
August 14, 2018 10:00 - 9 minutes - 6.33 MBUpdate on the Betwixt Podcast: Listen to the behind the scenes of the Betwixt podcast and hear what's changing as we gear up for Season 2!
15 Enneagram: Suzanne Stabile & the Path Between Us (Part 2)
July 31, 2018 12:51 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBIn part two of the Betwixt Podcast conversation with Suzanne Stabile, we continue a discussion on how the enneagram as a spiritual formation tool that can help us to shape the path between humans in relationship to one another and the path in our relationship with God.“The church is in liminal space. It is not what it used to be and it’s not what it’s going be. And very few of us have the patience to wait for the Holy Spirit to lead us and to allow it to be what it can become."Suzanne shares ...
14 Enneagram: Suzanne Stabile & the Path Between Us (Part 1)
July 18, 2018 10:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBThe enneagram is a model of nine interconnected personality types that is growing in popularity among evangelicals. Each type is represented by a number on a nine-point geometric diagram. In recent years, the enneagram has become wildly popular among leadership trainers in both business and religious circles. It’s used as a tool for strengthening interpersonal relationships and personal growth.But the enneagram stands apart from other personality typing systems because of its unique focus on ...
13 Sex Trafficking (Part 2) Men Who Buy Sex: John School with Chris Stollar
July 03, 2018 10:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MBConfession: This episode was difficult to produce. My desire for justice far outweighs my willingness to extend compassion toward men who solicit prostitutes and contribute to the horrific world of human trafficking. Yet, Chris Stollar presents us with a compelling challenge to hold both justice and mercy in tandem in the fight against sex trafficking. “We will never end trafficking unless we reach the men who are fueling the demand in the first place.” Chris Stollar is the Demand Reduction ...
12 Sex Trafficking (Part 1) Women Who Sell Sex: CATCH Court with Hannah Estabrook
June 19, 2018 17:39 - 43 minutes - 29.6 MBHow do you treat women who sell sex?Hannah Estabrook, Coordinator of CATCH Court, is convinced that kindness helps prostitutes transform their lives from ones of dependency to freedom.During the two-year probationary program, CATCH women cultivate healthy new habits within the accountability of a small Ohio court community and walk the path toward healing from sexual trauma. "This is how you do church," says one pastor who brings parishioners to CATCH Court.How we treat women who experience s...
11 Jared Boyd: How Imaginative Prayer Helps Children Connect with God (& Parents)
June 05, 2018 14:06 - 43 minutes - 29.6 MBJared Boyd discovered that children's spiritual formation is rooted in the imagination. Imaginative Prayer helps children connect with God and helps parents to connect with their kids. Jared noticed that while most parents desire for their kids to learn to love God, it’s hard to have meaningful conversation with our kids about spiritual things and to facilitate real spiritual experiences.“When we lead our children through guided times of imaginative prayer, they can experience a connection wi...
10 Embracing Your Daughter's Killer: The Freedom of Radical Forgiveness with Joel Kime
May 21, 2018 10:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBIt’s often said “forgive and forget.” But what happens when two parties, offender and offended, come together and build a relationship in a space that never forgets?In this episode of the Betwixt Podcast, Joel Kime shares his story of great tragedy and how the practice of forgiveness transformed that tragedy into something no one expected. Through building relationship in the face of adversity, two communities–Amish and English– bonded in a normally forbidden way. Together, they accepted pa...
09 Larycia Hawkins on Stepping Out on the Bridge of Solidarity
May 08, 2018 11:18 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB"What does it mean to be an embodied question mark wherever you are on your journey?" This was the question Dr. Larycia Hawkins presented to her students at Wheaton College. "Our bodies do work for us." As a professor of political science, Dr. Hawkins wanted to teach her students that it's not enough to empathize with the hurting. True solidarity requires the use of our bodies to walk with those who are suffering. "Where Jesus went, societies and politics were changed–they were at least upset...
08 Alice Fryling on Prayer as Liminal Space
April 24, 2018 11:33 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBSpiritual Director and Author Alice Fryling shares her joys, fears, and struggles with prayer. "I love living in liminal space because to me it’s such a hopeful place. It means that I am changing. I’m not who I was yesterday. I love that I can change. I would despair if I though I couldn’t change. Prayer is very much liminal space."Alice Fryling is a trained spiritual director and the author of nine books, including her most recent book Mirror for the Soul: A Christian Guide to the Enneagram ...