The Zeitcast with Jonathan Martin

A cheeky title...a life-changing conversation, between an Imam and a Pastor on virtually everything that matters.

I'll tell you what I truly do believe: absolutely everything around you and in you can change, in just 40 days.

At the intersection of love and death...the formal start of our Lenten series, "you can do anything for 40 days."

It's not just showing us about how Jesus the man is divine...this is the revelation for us of what it is to be human.

An invitation to come out of the storm, into the rhythms that sustain your soul...into a deeper, more authentic way of living.

Ben Katt discusses his beautiful new book, 'The Way Home.' We talk about his experiences of mystical moments, the importance of paying attention to them, and the universal aspects of the journey to wholeness--including the excruciating but necessary path of death and resurrection.

Instantly one of our favorite all-time podcasts, our daughter Kaitlyn comes on for a vulnerable, far-reaching conversation about everything from pageants to the highs and lows of her experience with Christian school in Oklahoma, her passion for women's incarceration issues, and navigating what to believe now. We talk about how fear never ultimately motivates us to meaningful change, but how scary it is to rebuild your life and faith with a new engine when fear is no longer the primary driver.

One of our all-time favorite Zeitcast guests, Dr. C.E.W. Green wrote the foreword to The Book of Waiting: Reflections on Advent & Christmas. His perspective and insight not only helped shape the book in final form, here he once again illuminates something new about virtually everything that matters!

In this conversation, Jonathan and Nicole discuss the inspiration behind Jonathan's book on Advent and the timing of its release. They explore the importance of waiting and longing, and how to navigate cynicism and despair. They also discuss finding God in small moments and witnessing holiness in the midst of chaos. The conversation highlights the personal and universal nature of Advent and the power of real relationships, surrender and resistance, and the sound of God. He emphasizes the importance of bearing witness, welcoming the judgment of God, and discerning when to say yes or no. Overall, the conversation explores the intersection of personal and global longing, the significance of Advent practices, and the liberation that comes from embracing truth and responsibility. We discuss embracing regret and growth, reflecting on past hurts, moving forward and living new life, bringing healing and freedom, the liberating power of truth, living with fierce humility, having nothing to hide or defend, the fierceness and tenderness of saints, and their first sit-down as a couple. Takeaways The Christian story is meant to pull all our levers, connecting us to a story that is bigger, older, and more future-oriented than ourselves. There is a collective waiting and longing for the restoration and reconciliation of all things, both on a large scale and in our personal lives. Advent calls us to consecrate the time of waiting and longing, recognizing it as a sacrament and an opportunity for reconciliation in broken relationships. The longing for justice in the world and the longing for reconciliation in personal relationships are interconnected and should not be abandoned or prioritized over one another. The sound of God is one of liberation, tenderness, and freedom, and it transcends the harsh, constrictive, and coercive voices that claim to speak for God. Regret is a natural part of life, and it's important to acknowledge and learn from it. Reflecting on past hurts and the harm we may have caused others is necessary for growth and healing. Moving forward and living new life requires honest self-reflection and dealing with our own issues. Bringing healing and freedom to others requires a combination of fierce honesty and humility. The liberating power of truth can set us free and create a context for growth and transformation. Living with fierce humility means being open to feedback and constantly seeking truth. Having nothing to hide or defend allows for a more authentic and beautiful way of living. The saints embody both fierceness and tenderness, and they serve as role models for living a truthful and humble life. As a couple, Jonathan and his wife have a unique dynamic of learning from each other and asking questions. This conversation is just the beginning of many more discussions to come. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:36 The Inspiration Behind the Book 06:36 Publishing the Book 10:31 The Timing of the Book Release 13:05 The Importance of Waiting and Longing 16:17 The Presence of God in the Midst of Waiting 18:18 Navigating Cynicism and Despair 20:15 The Tension of Advent 21:38 Viewing Waiting and Longing as Sacrament 25:35 Finding God in Small Moments 28:13 Navigating Tensions in Communities 30:06 Witnessing Holiness in the Midst of Chaos 36:16 The Power of the Table 39:58 The Importance of Real Relationships 46:59 The Personal and Universal Nature of Advent 49:37 Revelation Language and Longing 50:18 Waiting and Longing for Restoration 51:10 Longing for Reconciliation in Relationships 52:02 The Intersection of Personal and Global Longing 53:01 Advent as a Time for Naming the Unnameable 53:29 Advent as a Space for Waiting and Longing 54:02 Discovering Advent Practices 54:57 The Importance of Waiting and Longing 55:25 The Command to Wait and Tarry 56:06 The Danger of Focusing on the Past 56:34 Reliving and Reenacting the Story 57:44 Intentional Waiting and Longing 58:11 Witness and the Power of Smallness 58:37 The...

“The world is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” “For God so loved the world…” “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” So…which is it? A sermon on interpretation, that could open up how you see “the world” differently. #theology #spirituality #christianity #jesus #theworld #bible #scripture #interpretationShow less

What communion is, why it matters, who it is for...who is qualified for it. This is everything I most deeply believe about the mystery of the table, and why I still believe this is the invitation that changes everything.

How do we know the voice of God, apart from all the other voices? Artificial intelligence can duplicate our speech patterns where those even who know us the best wouldn’t be able to distinguish the sound. Yet Jesus says, “my sheep know my voice.”

What in your life has ever worked out exactly the way that you've planned it? On this seven mile journey, maybe a seven day journey, or maybe it feels like you start this road all over again every seven minutes...we explore the pattern of the mystery that sustains us.

An Easter sermon for people who feel like they have carried your Jesus off. Like Eli with Hannah in the First Testament, "the priests" may have seen your grief as disruption, intoxication, disorderliness. But Jesus sees your weeping for what it is.

Y’all know how it is…sometimes you just get so wound up you have to go to preach at a graveyard after midnight! Perfectly normal behavior. My soul was seriously so agitated and electrified by the witness of Justin Jones & Justin Pearson last night, I got dressed and preached a Good Friday sermon to a captive audience at Brick Chapel Cemetery. If y’all don’t amen me, the owls and wild dogs already did. I’m not trying to do something gimmicky or clever. Where I come from when you hear good preaching, you stand up and let the preacher know they are blessing you. Yesterday we all got to bear witness. I don’t claim to be a great preacher, but I know it when I hear it. Bonus: on the road to Emmaus, the not yet revealed resurrected One explained how his death fit into “what the prophets had spoken.” I know we have a crisis of authority, where many of you don’t know who to believe/what voices to trust. My philosophy here is simple: I listen to the what the prophets have spoken. I’m not listening to the pundits. I’m not listening to the commentators. I’m listening to the prophets. Hear me out: America has one primary prophetic tradition that has consistently provided a counter witness capable of transforming culture. I’m not saying it’s the only one. It’s the primary one-one that continues to speak a word that can wake the dead. It starts with “black” and ends with “church.” I’m not interested in philosophy lectures from Jordan Peterson when the strategist who shaped MLK Rev. Jim Lawson is still alive. I’m not interested in following that rabbit hole of videos out of morbid curiosity so long as there’s a Cornel West talk or @otismossiii sermon I haven’t heard. I wish 60 Minutes spent more time on Fannie Lou Hamer than Marjorie Taylor Greene. I know the sound of God when I hear it, and I listen when I hear that sound. I’ve heard your guy, and they didn’t speak a word that made dry bones dance. The difference between these prophets and the others is that when they all show up on Mt. Carmel and they cry out—fire falls.

On this Maundy Thursday Zeitcast, we talk about why it matters to believe that the character of the God who washed the feet of the disciples is the same as the God who died on the cross--and how what we believe about the death of Jesus matters for how we live.

Special guest Mimi Edou joins us to talk about Ramadan, fasting, plus reflections from Jonathan on interfaith work, and Shusaku Endo's Silence!

I don’t know quite what to tell you about this, since we had not felt anything or said anything quite like what we felt and said before. What I can say, is that the story God is telling about you, may be very different from the story they tell about you. And if they can’t tell the truth about the woman in John 4, WELL…also: hear us freak out at our real-time encouragement from John P. Kee :)

Whether it's behind the bar at The Whisk or behind the pulpit, if the right Reverend Joel Everson is pouring...trust me, it's only going to be the good stuff!!! My instant favorite sermon on the woman at the well, this Women's History Month.