This Good Word With Steve Wiens
257 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 82 ratingsReclaiming what's holy about our humanity - a weekly podcast with Steve Wiens. Connect with Steve at www.stevewiens.com
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Episodes
Episode 255 | Deconstruction, Reconstruction and Human Flourishing
December 16, 2021 16:52 - 14 minutes - 26.3 MBIn this episode, I explain why I believe deconstruction and reconstruction are a healthy part of human development, how we see many examples of deconstruction and reconstruction in the bible, and why it's essential for human flourishing. Enjoy!
Episode 254 | Original Sin or Original Blessing?
December 09, 2021 19:23 - 14 minutes - 26.3 MBAre humans born with "original sin" or "original blessing?" How you understand where you come from (your origin story) drastically affects how you see yourself and the world around you. In this episode, I talk about where the doctrine of original sin came from and how it affects those who ascribe to it. Enjoy!
Episode 253 | The Shape of Reality
December 03, 2021 15:09 - 13 minutes - 25.4 MBHow do you perceive reality? Is life basically a system of scarcity, where it's all up to you to crank it up, make it happen, and dig deep? Or is life energized by a ground of being that keeps sending gift after gift to each one of us? How you perceive reality deeply affects your experience of reality.
Episode 252 | Brave Church with Elizabeth Hagan
June 03, 2021 05:10 - 39 minutes - 72.7 MBReverend Elizabeth Hagan is a graduate of Duke Divinity School, a multi-published author, and has been a pastor for 15 years. She saw the isolation, loneliness, and shame that remains unspoken when Christians shy away from difficult conversations on taboo topics. Elizabeth knew that the church could do better to foster a sense of acceptance and belonging. So she wrote Brave Church to open the door to the presence of God in difficult conversations. You can follow Elizabeth's work on her webs...
Episode 251 | Staying Awake with Tyler Sit
May 06, 2021 05:02 - 53 minutes - 98.4 MBTyler Sit is a pastor, author, and church planter of New City Church in South Minneapolis, a multi-racial church focused on environmental justice and centering marginalized voices. Tyler's new book, Staying Awake: The Gospel for Change Makers, is a practical exploration of Christianity for people who want to show up for justice and stay in the movement. Complete with stories, worksheets, poetry, and a commitment to centering queer people of color, this book is here to support you in staying...
Episode 250 | A Burning in my Bones with Winn Collier
April 22, 2021 00:25 - 36 minutes - 66.4 MBWinn Collier just released A Burning in My Bones, the authorized biography of Pastor and author Eugene Peterson. It's a brilliantly written book about a centered pastor during a time when many pastors succumbed to a consumer-driven philosophy about church and spiritual development. Winn's spirit is gentle and his voice grounded me. We recorded this conversation during the week that Daunte Wright was killed by a police officer here in Minneapolis, and also just before the Derek Chauvin verdic...
Episode 249 | Rescued from Shame-Based Religion with Kevin Butcher
April 08, 2021 05:48 - 40 minutes - 73.4 MBKevin Butcher is a dear friend of mine, and I loved this conversation. He just can't stop talking about God's expansive love, and I can't get enough of it. He was a Pastor for thirty-five years, but now he's the Founder and Executive Director of Rooted Ministries, a nonprofit that comes alongside isolated, wounded, discouraged pastors and their families. His brand new book is called Free: Rescued from Shame-Based Religion, Released into the Life-Giving Love of Jesus. I'd encourage you to...
Episode 248 | Echoing Hope with Kurt Willems
March 18, 2021 00:01 - 46 minutes - 84.9 MBKurt Willems is the founder and pastor of Pangea Church in Seattle, Washington. Also a writer, blogger, podcaster and speaker, he maintains the resource website Theology Curator and hosts the Theology Curator podcast. Kurt is passionate about taking dense ideas and communicating them in ways that are empowering for people in all walks of life. He holds a master of divinity degree from Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and a master's degree in comparative religion from the University of Washin...
Episode 247 | Sarah Bessey Returns
February 11, 2021 05:25 - 43 minutes - 79.7 MBSarah Bessey is the author of the popular and critically acclaimed books Jesus Feminist, Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith, and Miracles and Other Reasonable Things. Her brand new book is a collection of meditations entitled A Rhythm of Prayer: A Collection of Prayers for Renewal. She is a sought-after speaker at churches, conferences, and universities all around the world. Sarah is also the co-curator and co-host of the annual Evolving Faith Conference and she serves as pres...
Episode 248 | Sarah Bessey Returns
February 11, 2021 05:25 - 43 minutes - 79.7 MBSarah Bessey is the author of the popular and critically acclaimed books Jesus Feminist, Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith, and Miracles and Other Reasonable Things. Her brand new book is a collection of meditations entitled A Rhythm of Prayer: A Collection of Prayers for Renewal. She is a sought-after speaker at churches, conferences, and universities all around the world. Sarah is also the co-curator and co-host of the annual Evolving Faith Conference and she serves as pres...
Episode 247 | 3,000 Miles to Jesus with Lisa Deam
February 04, 2021 00:11 - 43 minutes - 79 MB3000 Miles to Jesus follows the adventurous journey of three pilgrims who set off for Jerusalem in the 1400s. We’re invited to grab our staff and scrip and come along. Walking with these travelers of old, we hear their stories, gain nuggets of wisdom, and learn an important spiritual truth: all of life is a pilgrimage. The book draws on the rich history of the Christian faith to encourage us on our daily and lifelong walk with God. Author Lisa Deam writes of her inspiration for this book: ...
Episode 246 | 3,000 Miles to Jesus with Lisa Deam
February 04, 2021 00:11 - 43 minutes - 79 MB3000 Miles to Jesus follows the adventurous journey of three pilgrims who set off for Jerusalem in the 1400s. We’re invited to grab our staff and scrip and come along. Walking with these travelers of old, we hear their stories, gain nuggets of wisdom, and learn an important spiritual truth: all of life is a pilgrimage. The book draws on the rich history of the Christian faith to encourage us on our daily and lifelong walk with God. Author Lisa Deam writes of her inspiration for this book: ...
Episode 245 | Queer Prophets with Greg Paul
January 21, 2021 21:20 - 47 minutes - 87.1 MBGreg Paul is a pastor and member, as well as the founder, of the Sanctuary community in Toronto. Sanctuary, a community in which people who are wealthy and people who are poor live, work, and share their experiences and resources on a daily basis, makes a priority of welcoming and caring for some of the most hurting and excluded people in Canada’s largest city, including people struggling with addiction, mental illness, prostitution, and homelessness. Greg is the author of the recently relea...
Episode 244 | Your Life is Your Curriculum, Part 2
January 14, 2021 20:50 - 26 minutes - 47.7 MBThis is the second part of a two-part series that I created to help people engage in life as it really is, rather than life as we'd prefer it to be. Most of us are well aware of the things we'd like to change in our lives: maybe it's a number on a scale, or something about our job, or how we function in a relationship... come to think of it, what DON'T we want to change in 2020? In part 1, I talked about the importance of sitting in the discomfort of WHY we want those things to change before...
Episode 243 | Your Life is Your Curriculum, Part 1
December 17, 2020 05:47 - 28 minutes - 52.5 MBMost of us are well aware of the things we'd like to change in our lives: maybe it's a number on a scale, or something about our job, or how we function in a relationship... come to think of it, what DON'T we want to change in 2020? In this episode, I talk about the importance of sitting in the discomfort of WHY we want those things to change before rushing to change them. Otherwise, we're just trading one type of discontent for another. We need to start to see our actual lives - as they rea...
Episode 242 | Honest Advent with Scott Erickson
December 10, 2020 05:43 - 44 minutes - 81.2 MBScott Erickson is a painter, artist, and author of several books, including Honest Advent. We had a wide-ranging conversation about Advent, his creative process, and how his faith has evolved over time. Enjoy!
Episode 241| Four Practices For Staying Alive Until November 3rd (and long after)
September 17, 2020 05:00 - 38 minutes - 70.4 MBIs it possible to hold strong opinions and beliefs AND learn to express them without alienating and dehumanizing those who disagree with you? Can you really engage and have a robust conversation where you disagree without getting triggered and traumatized? In this episode, I introduce four practices that will help you learn to engage in tough conversations with grace and passion and leave conversations feeling energized instead of defeated and angry. Enjoy.
Episode 240 | New Records and New Theology with Latifah Alattas
September 04, 2020 16:20 - 52 minutes - 96.1 MBI met Latifah Alattas last year when we started collaborating on a new project (The Fun Parts Podcast). I was immediately drawn to her creativity, her infectious laughter, and her commitment to honesty. She's a singer/songwriter who has written under many different monikers, including Moda Spira and Page CXVI. Latifah just released a new album called All (as Page CXVI). It's gorgeous, including old hymns she's rewritten to have gender-inclusive language and also some incredible original so...
Episode 239 | LGBTQIA+ Church Trauma and Recovery with Rebecca Bowers
August 27, 2020 00:32 - 49 minutes - 91.3 MBI loved this conversation! Rebecca Bowers is an LGBTQIA affirming and inclusive therapist and advocate, living in southern Louisiana. She primarily works with clients who have gone through spiritual and religious trauma. She sees many clients who have experienced these specific traumas and works to help them reconcile and recover. Trigger warning: We talked a lot about the kinds of trauma that LGBTQIA+ individuals experience from religious institutions and how to move toward healing. Reso...
Episode 238 | An Ode to Women Who are "Too Much"
August 20, 2020 00:10 - 17 minutes - 32.1 MBI recorded this episode based on a blog post I wrote a few years ago when the Me Too movement was just getting started. The blog was titled "An Ode to the Women Who are Too Much." We need to hear those voices, to hear their stories, and to stop telling women they are too much. Click here to read "An Ode to the Women Who are Too Much." I also mentioned Sue Monk Kidd's gorgeous new book, The Book of Longings. It's an imaginative story centered on the question, "What if Jesus had a wife?" Th...
Episode 237 | Born Again and Again with Megan Westra
August 06, 2020 17:09 - 48 minutes - 88.6 MBMegan Westra is the host of a great podcast called The Podluck, and she's the author of a fantastic new book called Born Again and Again, which chronicles her evolving faith. Our conversation went everywhere from her super-conservative upbringing in the Southern Baptist Church to the questions she's currently still wrestling with. Click here to buy Megan's new book, Born Again and Again. Find out more about Megan by visiting her website - and make sure to follow her on Twitter, Instagram,...
Episode 236 | Listening to Your Inner Wisdom
July 30, 2020 16:12 - 23 minutes - 43.2 MBWhy is it that most of us listen to everybody else but neglect our own inner wisdom? Why don't we trust that voice? Is the heart (as the bible claims), really "deceitful above all things?" In this episode, I talk about how to learn to listen for your inner wisdom, how you can borrow true wisdom from others in order to find your own inner wisdom, and what we can learn about inner wisdom from a bizarre story called the 18th camel. Enjoy!
Episode 235 | You are Not Your Feelings
July 10, 2020 17:29 - 25 minutes - 46.5 MBWhy do we get so triggered by Facebook posts with which we disagree? Why can't we just smile and move on? This episode deals with the idea of dualism, and how our brains are still hardwired to keep us safe from sabertooth tigers hiding behind the blueberry bush even when they aren't there. It also explores a mindful practice that can help you to move on more quickly by detaching yourself - and your identity - from your feelings. Also mentioned in this episode: Fun Parts Podcast! Check out ...
Episode 234 | Separated by the Border with Gena Thomas
June 14, 2020 20:40 - 44 minutes - 61.7 MBGena Thomas advocates for families who have been separated at the border. In this conversation, we talked about Gena's experience adopting Julia, a child who had been separated from her family at the border between the US & Mexico, and also about how she worked tirelessly to find Julia's mother, Guadalupe, so they could be reunited. You can read all about Gena's story in her book, Separated by the Border. You can follow Gena on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and find out more about her...
Episode 233 | A Conversation with Austin Channing Brown
June 11, 2020 16:19 - 51 minutes - 71 MBI recorded this interview with Austin Channing Brown in July of 2018, but it's incredibly poignant given the events of the last few weeks, with the killing of George Floyd, the global protest, and the overwhelming call for systemic change. Please consider buying her book (which is currently #15 on the NYT Bestseller list): I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness.
Episode 232 | You are Not Alone and This Will Not Last Forever with Jessica Kantrowitz
June 04, 2020 01:15 - 55 minutes - 76.4 MBJessica Kantrowitz is a writer and theologian living in Boston, Massachusetts. She writes about theology, culture, social justice, and chronic illness, including her own struggles with depression and migraines. Her writing has been featured in places like Sojourners, Think Christian, The Good Men Project, and Our Bible App. She earned her MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and you can purchase her new book, The Long Night: R...
Episode 231 | Finding Grace for Yourself and Hope for the World
May 28, 2020 01:07 - 33 minutes - 43.1 MBClick here to buy my new book, Shining Like the Sun: Seven Mindful Practices for Rekindling Your Faith.
Episode 230 | What the Faith? With Allison Del Fium & Ashten Wickham
April 30, 2020 05:05 - 50 minutes - 69 MBWe live in a multi-faith society which often results in misinformation, ignorance, disagreements, hate speech, violence, and even wars. What the Faith is a new community born out of a desire for empathy rather than division. To find commonality in the midst of chaos. To find out more about What the Faith, check out this episode's show notes.
Episode 229 | Beyond Awkward Side Hugs with Bronwyn Lea
April 23, 2020 14:29 - 44 minutes - 61.5 MBBronwyn Lea is the author of Beyond Awkward Side Hugs: Living as Brothers and Sisters in Christ in a Sex-Crazed World. Find out more about Bronwyn and her book by visiting this episode's show notes!
Episode 228 | Resurrection with Amanda Held Opelt, Rachel Held Evans' sister
April 12, 2020 23:41 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBIt's been almost a year since we lost our friend Rachel Held Evans. In fact, she was supposed to come out of her medically induced coma on Easter Sunday, 2019. Just two weeks after that, we lost her. I had the incredible opportunity to have a conversation with Amanda Held Opelt, Rachel's sister, about her journey of grief, the hope she's holding onto these days, and her renewed view about what resurrection means. Her words were powerful and inspiring; I hope you enjoy this conversation.
Episode 227 | Good Friday Bonus Episode: Experiencing the Stations of the Cross
April 10, 2020 16:05 - 1 hour - 97.6 MBA custom of our Christian tradition is to keep vigil with Christ at different times and in different ways during Holy Week. One of the places from which we draw this custom is Jesus’ request to his disciples to keep watch while he prayed and agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. We also know that there were those few—including Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ mother Mary, and the apostle John—who stayed near the cross and kept watch as Jesus suffered and died. Despite the horror of what was taking pla...
Episode 226 | Exploring Monastic Rhythms of Healthy Leadership with Jerome Daley
April 02, 2020 21:08 - 59 minutes - 81.1 MBYou know when you meet someone for the first time and find yourself agreeing with almost everything they say? That was how my entire conversation with Jerome Daley went. His emphasis on soul-care, on finding sane rhythms for your life, and on the contemplative journey was all water for my parched soul these days. For more, check out his amazing book, Gravitas: The Monastic Rhythms of Healthy Leadership. Jerome Daley is an executive coach, retreat leader, and conflict consultant who is pas...
Episode 225 | Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity with Colby Martin
March 26, 2020 01:18 - 54 minutes - 75.4 MBColby Martin (author of Unclobber: Rethinking our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality) is about to release another book, titled The Shift: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity. Colby is passionate about carving out a space within Christianity that includes: a whole-heartedly affirming posture toward LGBTQ individuals, a broader acceptance of other spiritual practices and religious perspectives, an agreeableness toward science, and a commitme...
Episode 224 | Learning to Pray When Anxiety & Fear Takes Over
March 23, 2020 15:35 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MBIf feelings of fear and anxiety are threatening to sweep you away right now, there is a way to pray that allows you to name your feelings - as big as they are, to welcome reality as it is rather than fighting it, so that you can let those feelings go and find peace even in the midst of the storm. In this brief episode, I guide you through how to welcome any feeling you have, as big as it is, feeling it in your body so that you can eventually move through it and let it go. Using The Welcomi...
Episode 223 | Welcoming Reality in Times of Uncertainty
March 19, 2020 03:51 - 29 minutes - 40.1 MBAs the world struggles to come to terms with a new reality in the midst of a global pandemic, we are coming to terms with the reality that we're not as in control of life as we thought we were. In this episode, I share five practices for learning how to welcome reality - even when it's awful, scary, and painful - instead of fighting to try to control it. Music on today's episode is courtesy of audionautix.com.
Episode 222 | Theology of the Womb with Dr. Christy Angelle-Vidrine Bauman
March 05, 2020 05:05The following excerpt describes the journey that Dr. Christy Vidrine Bauman took that resulted in writing her fabulous book, Theology of the Womb: "If it is true that God is a male, then His Divinity or Deity is expressed in His masculinity. Yet I am a woman, and there are parts of my body; such as my breasts, my vagina, and my womb that are telling a story about God that I have never learned or understood. This is an exploration of the significance of a womb that must shed and bleed before...
Episode 221 | Ali Hormann is All the Things
February 27, 2020 05:13 - 1 hour - 123 MBMaybe you haven't heard of Ali Hormann yet, but that's all about to change. She's a wedding photographer, pastor, comedian, mother of three, and writer who believes nobody has to be pigeon-holed into identifying as just one thing. We talked about body image, theology, comedy, parenting, pastoring, politics, and we could have talked for about sixteen more hours. Ali is hilarious and deep, and I loved this conversation. Check out Ali's photography business on her website or on Instagram. Fol...
Episode 220 | In Which I Read Excerpts from My New Book!
February 25, 2020 18:18 - 35 minutes - 48.8 MBIn this episode, I did two readings from my new book, Shining Like the Sun: Seven Mindful Practices for Rekdindling Your Faith, which releases on April 7th. I can't wait for you to listen to these excerpts and also to get your hands on your own copy. Click here to pre-order Shining Like the Sun. I also invited listeners to consider joining my launch team. The first 50 people to join the launch team will receive a final copy of Shining Like the Sun as soon as my publisher receives it in t...
Episode 219 | But You Live in a Snow Globe! (Surviving Your Own Copernican Shift, part 3)
February 13, 2020 18:16 - 37 minutes - 51.3 MBThis is part 3 of a four-part series called "Surviving Your Own Copernican Shift." If you're going through a faith deconstruction - or reconstruction - or both, you need help understanding a framework for spiritual development that allows questioning, expanding, and believing new things. Part One was about understanding that disruptions are the first step of growing spiritually. Part Two was about learning how to see the invitations into new beliefs that disruptions bring. Part Three is abo...
Episode 218 | Unpacking the Superbowl Halftime Show with Joanna Luehmann (Surviving Your Own Copernican Shift, Part 2)
February 05, 2020 22:56 - 45 minutes - 63.2 MBJoanna Luehmann is a Latinx pastor and theologian who took to Twitter on Sunday night and Monday following the Superbowl to give a different perspective to the halftime show to anyone who thought it was oversexualized. She graciously agreed to talk to me with virtually zero time to prepare, and what she offered was a beautiful, challenging and timely critique to Progressive Christians like me who need to spend a little more time seeing how our own implicit biases cloud our vision. Please tak...
Episode 217 | How to Survive Your own Copernican Shift, Part 1: Disruption
January 30, 2020 05:03 - 36 minutes - 49.9 MBUntil the early 1500's, everybody assumed planet earth was the fixed, immovable center of the universe, the reference point for the entire universe (apparently it didn't occur to anybody how utterly convenient that was for those of us who lived there). When Copernicus discovered the earth was also orbiting around the sun, nothing actually changed - except how we see everything. This episode (disruption) is part one of a four-part series on the essential movements when you have your own Cop...
Episode 216 | Self-Contempt, Shame, and a Better Way Forward with Andrew Bauman
January 23, 2020 05:06Andrew Bauman is the Co-Founder and Director of Christian Counseling Center: For Sexual Health and Trauma. He's a licensed mental health counselor with an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. He's also the author of several books, including Floating Away, Stumbling Toward Wholeness, The Psychology of Porn, and A Brave Lament (with Christy Bauman). We had a fascinating conversation about why it seems so easy for Christians to see themselves as ho...
Episode 215 | The Book of Waking Up with Seth Haines
January 16, 2020 05:04 - 1 hour - 85.5 MBSeth Haines is one of those friends that makes me want to pursue things that really matter. His new book is vintage Seth Haines: poignant, at times snarky, and pure gold throughout, The Book of Waking Up: Experiencing the Divine Love That Reorders a Life is a beautiful call to attach yourself to a love that satisfies deep down. This is how Seth describes his new work: I wrote The Book of Waking Up: Experiencing the Divine Love That Reorders a Life for those who want to wake from their copi...
Episode 214 | Try Softer with Aundi Kolber
January 09, 2020 05:12 - 55 minutes - 75.9 MBI met Aundi Kolber at the Festival for Faith and Writing in 2018, and she’s been a friend ever since. This is Aundi’s second time on the podcast, and this is how she describes herself: I am a deep thinker and deep feeler. Sometimes I get bored with small talk. I love stories, people, counseling, theology and my precious family. I find myself constantly amazed by God’s faithfulness in my life. I write, think, and chew on this often. I believe that Jesus is my ultimate hope and healer. I am a...
Episode 213 | The View From Rock Bottom with Stephanie Tait
January 02, 2020 05:12 - 1 hour - 87.6 MBFor Stephanie Tait, pain has never existed on a spectrum opposite of joy. Pain, with the way it weaves into our lives, families, and work habits, has been the connecting point of grace and struggle that defines her career. As an author, speaker, disability advocate, and trauma survivor, Stephanie aims to do what she believes is sorely lacking in our trending conversations around Christianity – to partner sound theology and practice with the unashamed acceptance of struggle in the present ten...
Episode 212 | Finding God After Losing Faith
December 26, 2019 05:25 - 13 minutes - 18.7 MBSo many of us begin thinking about resolutions or "words for the year" as we wrap up one year and head into the next. One of the things that I'm going to be especially intentional about in 2020 is being rigorously honest about what I say I believe. You may not believe this, but there are many times when I simply nod along, agreeing with what I should agree with, while internally I am feeling angsty. So, I'm committing to doing the work of being kind and compassionate, while also refusing to ...
Episode 211 | Advent, Part 4
December 19, 2019 05:10 - 21 minutes - 30 MBThe season of Advent marks the beginning of the church calendar, and it's a season of naming our deepest longings, those places in our lives where everything feels shrouded in darkness and hopelessness. It's a season to ask for light to come into those places, for Christ to come into those places. It's a season to practice waiting for the impossible to become possible. My conversation is with Ruth Haley Barton, a dear friend and the Director of the Transforming Center in Chicago, Illinois....
Episode 210 | Advent, Part 3
December 12, 2019 05:07 - 21 minutes - 30.1 MBThe season of Advent marks the beginning of the church calendar, and it's a season of naming our deepest longings, those places in our lives where everything feels shrouded in darkness and hopelessness. It's a season to ask for light to come into those places, for Christ to come into those places. It's a season to practice waiting for the impossible to become possible. My conversation is with Ruth Haley Barton, a dear friend and the Director of the Transforming Center in Chicago, Illinois....
Episode 209 | Advent, Part 2
December 05, 2019 10:57 - 25 minutes - 34.6 MBThe season of Advent marks the beginning of the church calendar, and it's a season of naming our deepest longings, those places in our lives where everything feels shrouded in darkness and hopelessness. It's a season to ask for light to come into those places, for Christ to come into those places. It's a season to practice waiting for the impossible to become possible. My conversation is with Ruth Haley Barton, a dear friend and the Director of the Transforming Center in Chicago, Illinois....
Episode 208 | Advent, Part One
November 28, 2019 15:31 - 28 minutes - 39.6 MBThe season of Advent marks the beginning of the church calendar, and it's a season of naming our deepest longings, those places in our lives where everything feels shrouded in darkness and hopelessness. It's a season to ask for light to come into those places, for Christ to come into those places. It's a season to practice waiting for the impossible to become possible. My conversation is with Ruth Haley Barton, a dear friend and the Director of the Transforming Center in Chicago, Illinois....