How does the Gospel uniquely compel us to address issues of race? In this episode we play excerpts from our interview with co-author John Siebeling of "God and Race: A Guide for Moving Beyond Black Fists and White Knuckles" and ask each other what the gospel does differently than our current cultural narratives or natural proclivities might lead us to.

We’re now officially recording video of each podcast in our new thrift shop-furnished video set, which you’ll get to see if you’re tuning in on youtube! If you need to find us there, search Mission Church Tucson and look for the red and blue “M”. This week we’re pairing up with the Faith Over Breakfast Podcast to host special guest Propaganda to talk about his new book and album release “Terraform” which invites the reader/listener to awaken hope and imagine what terraforming our shared world could look like. We talk about the gospel’s call on believers to bring the Kingdom of God to earth, and how that invites us into a unique way of living that doesn’t allow us to remain safely in our most comfortable narrative, but challenges us to radical love and even sacrificial vulnerability.

In this episode we’re processing corrupt church leadership and God’s justice, prompted by the recent revelations of sexual and spiritual abuse by world-renowned christian apologist Ravi Zacharias. We’ll talk about the dangers of having christian superstars and gurus and why transparency for leaders can feel risky, but actually lends itself to healthier ministries and healthier relationships.

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Odd Church Podcast, episode 8. We’ve had the chance to catch up with our friend Hannah Rettler, who recently became a Christian and was baptized with a few friends in Sabino Canyon (https://anchor.fm/hannah-rettler). In this episode she’s going to tell us about what it was like to visit Mission Church as someone who wasn’t sure what she believed, but was curious about God. Like we all do with anything new or unfamiliar, Hannah had some pre-conceived notions about what it would mean to become a Christian, and what it would require of her - like an affinity for Donald Trump and mainstream country music. On a personal note , I am very thankful that neither of those are prerequisites - like - very thankful… But before I get lured down a rabbit hole, here’s Episode 8 of the Odd Church Podcast.

A lot has happened between the recording of this episode and its release. We recorded this episode, and episode 8 before coronavirus was even a word in our normal vocabulary – ah, the good ole’ days. I’m coming to you here from quarantine hoping that this content can help you feel a little less stressed and a little more connected. This week we’re discussing our anti-values, what is at the core of why we do what we do or more specifically, why we don’t do what we don’t do as a church? Behind each of our stated values lies an anti-value and we’re going to get right down into them… eventually. This week’s episode does have the most intro banter yet, so if you’ve been quarantined for so long that you’ve forgotten what conversations are like, don’t worry, we’ve got lots of em for you.

How do we understand the current cultural concept of tolerance? How do we engage with it? It’s true that many movements with good origins and the best of intentions can tend to tilt off course, and the tolerance movement hasn’t proved immune to the seemingly inevitable effect of human corruption. What should we support? What needs some re-thinking, and is there a better option than mere tolerance?

Andy, Nick, John & Mike talk about Kanye West and his recent conversion to full-on Christianity. John, Andy and Mike had a few interesting thoughts, having been long-time Kanye listeners, and Nick knows exactly 2 things about Kanye because he only listens to bluegrass and apparently doesn’t like slow songs… like – all slow songs. This podcast was recorded less than a week after Kanye’s Jesus is King album dropped, and all the buzz and hysteria was in full swing, and while our subconscious inner hipster selves were averse to jumping on the bandwagon, we also realized this is a pretty significant topic to discuss when your podcast is about relevant issues at the intersection of faith and culture.

We took personality tests and compared and contrasted our strengths and weaknesses, and much hilarity ensued. It can be a difficult thing to face your weaknesses without getting defensive or embarrassed, but that’s what good friends are for; to help us see the things we can’t and let us know we’re still loved and appreciated despite it all. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to get to know us a bit more – skeletons and all – while laughing with us and probably at us. Everything from Andy’s stress-induced hair loss, to Mike’s extreme competitiveness when playing dodgeball with children. Can you guess who’s the most patient? Who’s the most creative (it’s not who you think)? Who has the least respect for authority? Well, you’ll find out all that and so much more in this episode.

This week we ask ourselves “Why Christianity?” Why not Buddhism, Islam, Bahá’í, or secular humanism? What is it that has brought us each to abide by the beliefs and philosophy of Christianity? What do we feel it offers, or answers better than the other available world views? Also, if you stick around for some bonus content at the end, we’ll expertly assess the critical nuances of historical hipsters, happy meal VHSs and beard braiding.

In this episode we discuss christian isolation; the good, the bad and the ugly. We cover everything from counterfeit million dollar bill gospel tracts and abstinence rallies, to a recent experience that challenged our assumptions about how we’re perceived by those outside of our church. We’ll also touch on our own experience with Christian Isolation and ask what we as believers can do to break out of the holy huddle.

People are leaving churches in droves, and many for different reasons. We cite some of the research revealing the 3 main reasons people leave, and discuss which ones we’ve personally identified with. Which journey do you see yourself in? Is church attendance actually that important?