Episodes
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What is a mystic? Can you be one? Is contemplative prayer something that might bring us closer to each other? Can a dirty diaper be a sacred thing?
Keith Kristich joins host Matt Mattson on this very contemplative episode of The BETWEEN Podcast. Keith Kristich is a writer, a retreat leader, a contemplative, a mystic... and the founder of the online contemplative community called Closer Than Breath. His mission is to help people unlearn rigid religion, reimagine what is divine, and see God everywhere.
Keith's work revolves around:
deconstructing rigid religion practical mysticism and contemplative practiceSpecifically, he teaches centering prayer as a way of embodying the way of unknowing and surrender.
He also makes some really cool digital art that helps people understand the divine in new and beautiful ways.
Subscribe to his newsletter here: https://keithkristich.com/newsletter/
Keith's website: https://keithkristich.com/ Closer Than Breath: https://closerthanbreath.com/ Follow Keith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkristich/ Closer Than Breath on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserThanBreath/ -
Our special guest Rev. Lindsey Turner (They/Them) joins host Matt Mattson on this celestial episode of The BETWEEN Podcast.
In 2018, Reverend Lindsey Turner who was a pastor at a church... was forced out of that church. In one swift and painful moment, Lindsey lost the house, career, and community they had built. After learning that Lindsey had offered a home to a young adult who was both trans and housing-insecure, a small group of church leaders demanded Lindsey's resignation in secret.
Lindsey, who is also known as Bad Pastor, is a consulting astrologer, community minister, and ritual arts specialist. They work at the intersections of liberationist theology, traditional astrology, and time magic. Lindsey offers one-on-one consultations and spiritual accompaniment, teaches theology-astrology classes, guides group development workshops, and hosts an online community called "Starpals," for people who find themselves at the intersections of queer/trans and Christian/post-Christian identity. Lindsey also travels around the country, speaking on ritual theory and praxis for chaplains and other faith leaders.
Learn all about Lindsey at https://badpastor.me/ and follow Lindsey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bad.pastor/
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Missing episodes?
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We're so excited to feature Sarah Bessey, author of Field Notes For The Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith on this episode of The BETWEEN Podcast.
Listen in as host Matt Mattson and Sarah Bessey discuss faith deconstruction, reconstruction, and things that are helpful if you find yourself wandering out there in a spiritual wilderness.
Sarah Bessey is the author of the popular and critically acclaimed books, Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith, Jesus Feminist, and Miracles and Other Reasonable Things. This episode focuses on her newest book, Field Notes for The Wilderness. She is a sought-after speaker at churches, conferences, and universities all around the world. Sarah is also the cocurator and cohost of the annual Evolving Faith Conference and she serves as President of the Board for Heartline Ministries in Haiti. Sarah lives in Calgary with her husband and their children.Visit Sarah's website (buy her books, find her social media accounts, and sign up for her Substack newsletter!)
Join the Evolving Faith Community (discussed in this episode)
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This episode of The BETWEEN Podcast features host Matt Mattson jumping into the "MESS" with special guest, Melissa Neeb. They discuss faith, deconstruction, parenting, mental health, addiction, and public speaking -- all within the context of building sacred moments of human connection in our lives. S
Melissa gives some powerful advice about showing up and creating "honest rooms" that could be transformative for listeners trying to bring more meaningful (and maybe even holy) connection into their lives.
You can find Melissa at the following:
Faith in The Mess ("love big, live kind")
Instagram: @faith_in_the_mess
Facebook: Faith in the Mess by Melissa Neeb
Never Empty Nest (how to mom teens)
Instagram: @never_empty_nest
Facebook: Never Empty Nest by Melissa Neeb
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Join host Matt Mattson and special guest Pastor Justin Spurlock as they take a deep dive into the "unofficial sacrament of conversation." They discuss whether or not the "space between people" is actually sacred, they explore the importance of BELONGING in-depth, they talk about the challenges of faith-related language, and they share stories in an authentic exchange of real sacred conversation. Learn more about BETWEEN at our website and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Don't forget to follow our Instagram account for daily prayers and fun content.
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Today's guest on The BETWEEN Podcast is Rev. Nathan Albert (he/him). Nathan is a professional actor turned university chaplain, author, and religious pluralist. He seeks to be a disruptor of the dominant, a multifaceted theologian, a champion of religious diversity, and a multiple religious participant who promotes interreligious learning. As a chaplain, his focus is interreligious learning, spiritual engagement, and religious difference.
He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Performance, a Master of Divinity, a Certificate in Spiritual Transformation, and is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry in Interreligious Chaplaincy focusing his research on the ways chaplains disrupt Christian hegemony and supremacy.
Nathan is also an avid meditator, lover of cities, maintains a plant-based diet, and is a passionate user of the Oxford comma.
Nathan is the author of the book, EMBRACING LOVE: My Journey To Hugging a Man in His Underwear. At the Chicago Pride Parade, Nathan Albert stood with his friends bearing signs of apology on behalf of Christians who had failed to represent Christ’s love to the LGBTQ community. Little did he know that millions around the world would soon see him captured in an iconic viral photograph and read his blog about hugging a man in his underwear.
Embracing Love is the story behind that photograph, the story of a musical theatre actor turned pastor whose deep desire is that the Gospel be seen, heard, and felt by the LGBTQ community in every tangible way. Through personal stories, pastoral encounters, a gospel-centric church model, a comparison of approaches to the biblical texts on homosexuality, and a fervent call to unity among Christians, Nathan Albert invites readers past the intimidation of controversy for the sake of embracing people with the love of the Divine.
Find Nathan online at https://nathanalbert.com/
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Reverend Bethany Peerbolte is known by literally HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people... maybe MILLIONS OF PEOPLE on social media... especially TikTok... as RevBethany... RevBethany is a loving, affirming, celebrating representative of Christianity who lifts up everyone who encounters her content... especially folks who have been pushed to the margins by organized religion in the past.
RevBethany finds these wonderfully creative ways to bring scripture to life... and to connect the message of the gospel to the headlines of the week.
She is a fearless voice on TikTok, on Instagram, and on YouTube where she loves not only sharing empowering messages, but also hearing the stories of so many folks out there in the world... and helping them maintain their relationship with God despite how the people in a church have treated them.
Bethany also runs a ministry called Our Tapestry... which is a progressive digital community that serves folks in the theological deserts of society. Our Tapestry helps people actively declutter their faith, it works for justice, and it is a diverse and welcoming community of encouragement.
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Our guest on this episode of The BETWEEN Podcast is Paula Stephens. Paula is many things... Here are five lines from her bio...
Paula Stephens is an ordained Chaplain in the Zen Buddhist tradition. She wrote a book a while back and spent a significant part of her career helping parents overcome the unspeakable grief of losing a child. She is a Gold Star Mom. Wife of an SVU detective. Mom to a firefighter. And Mom to two other boys who are incredible humans! She's also a Nationally Recognized Speaker on Resilience & Healing from Adversity. And she spends a large amount of her time now serving people in the helping professions... where she helps the helpers overcome compassion fatigue and burnout.This episode covers the fundamentals of Zen Buddhism, cups of coffee potentially falling off the roofs of cars, death, grief, resilience, love, and our desperate longing to be seen. You're going to love it.
You can learn all about Paula at https://www.paulastephens.net/
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Enjoy this short bonus episode of The BETWEEN Podcast featuring your host, Matt Mattson. It's just a quick little nugget about the shrines to togetherness we've manufactured around us, and why that's so important (and how we can work to put a little more sacred connection into the middle of our normal lives).
Be sure to sign up for the BETWEEN mailing list and learn more about us at: https://between.church/join
Follow BETWEEN on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/between.church/
Watch our YouTube videos at: https://www.youtube.com/@betweenchurch
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Our guest on this episode of The BETWEEN Podcast is Barbara Ann Jacques, Ph.D.
Barbara is a graceful disruptor. And this episode is a magnificent spiritual journey inward so that we all might be better at outwardly connecting. You're going to absolutely love this episode.
For years, Barbara Ann Jacques, PhD led a secret life, keeping her spiritual practices separate from her professional/scientific side. But in 2014, she went into bone marrow failure. It was a dark time, losing everything she had outwardly defined herself by. She underwent a bone marrow transplant, and today her donors' DNA flows through her veins. Although not immediately apparent, this transformative experience showed her that true integration was possible — not just in her biology, but in her life as a whole. To live authentically and drive change in today's world, one must first integrate their true self, not keep it hidden in the shadows, while merely operating from ego. Today, she is an educator, speaker, intuitive, and international best-selling co-author. As the founder of Disrupting Gracefully, she creates coaching experiences that weave together scientific and spiritual practices, to support clients in embracing their inner wisdom, challenge conventions, and awaken their innate creativity. Her mission is clear: to inspire and empower those ready to disrupt old paradigm approaches by Leading with Grace and Disrupting with Purpose so they may usher in new paradigms of authentic leadership, growth, and success. Learn all about Barbara at https://www.disruptinggracefully.com/
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Paul Fahey, founder of Pope Francis Generation joins host Matt Mattson for a deep dive into Catholicism, human connection, Pope Francis, systemic abuse, and paradox. This conversation was playful and intellectual... serious and fun... really deep and just skimming the surface of some huge ideas.
Paul Fahey is a lay catechist, a student of counseling, a writer, a speaker, and founder of Pope Francis Generation which is a newsletter, social media presence, podcast, and online platform about the impact of Pope Francis on today's Catholic (and larger) world. He writes and speaks about what he loves: I love: the Kerygma, the Sacraments, Catholic Social Teaching, and Pope Francis. Paul lives in Michigan with his wife Kristina (check out her art here) and their five children.
Mentioned in the episode:
Fratelli Tutti (Paul's take on it)Learn more about Paul's work with Pope Francis Generation here: https://www.popefrancisgeneration.com/about
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This episode of The BETWEEN Podcast features host, Matt Mattson, joyfully getting to talk with one of his favorite authors, Shannan Martin. The episode explores ordinary places, what it means to be a neighbor, how to survive a politically challenging year, the sacred gift of awkwardness and more.
Shannan Martin, author of Start With Hello, The Ministry of Ordinary Places , and Falling Free, is a speaker and writer who found her voice in the country and her story in the city. Shannan works as a cook at The Window, a local nonprofit dedicated to feeding its community. She, her jail-chaplain husband, and their kids live as grateful neighbors in Goshen, Indiana.
Start with Hello by Shannan Martin Falling Free by Shannan Martin The Ministry of Ordinary Places by Shannan Martin Find Shannan on Instagram Subscribe to Shannan's Substack called "The Soup" -
Christy Lynne Wood is a writer, a podcast host, and a speaker who spent 10 years of her youth in a Christian Cult. Today she hosts a podcast named after her powerful book titled, "Religious Rebels."
Growing up in the IBLP Christian cult-like culture (brought to light recently in the documentary "Shiny Happy People" featuring the Duggar Family, stars of "19 and Counting") is the topic of Christy's book. But her story and her faith has grown and evolved from those challenging childhood days. Christy says she now "walks the awkward middle way of faith." She has shed all the controlling religious baggage of her past and found a loving, gentler relationship with her Christian faith.
Connect with Christy Lynne Wood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LetMeBeFoolish/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christylynnewood/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@christylynnewood
Substack: https://christylynnewood.substack.com/
Website: https://christylynnewood.com/
Religious Rebels book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/dHSLR76
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On this episode of The BETWEEN Podcast, host Matt Mattson has a wonderfully nuanced discussion with guest Catherine Flores. Catherine is a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And her one "Mormon claim to fame" is that her grandfather was the first 'COSMO THE COUGAR' mascot at BYU... which we're pretty sure makes her LDS royalty.
Catherine is a regular supporter of the content we post on BETWEEN's social media, and we were just so struck by the way she talks about her faith, her doubts, her deep questioning, her moments of spiritual unraveling, and ultimately... her hope and courage as she seems to be finding a way to hold her faith amidst all her uncertainty. Catherine is the mother of four beautiful and feral children, she's the wife of an amazing and humble man who balances out her "(sometimes) unreasonable expectations and impatience", and she was "born of goodly parents" which, if you didn't know, is a phrase that is really important in the LDS faith.
Find Catherine on Instagram at @flowers.flores.cg and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/catherine.gallego.3
Be sure to visit BETWEEN on the internet at https://between.church (SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL LIST!) Watch our weekly 5(ish)-Minute Interfaith sermons at https://www.youtube.com/@betweenchurch Follow us on Instagram and Threads www.instagram.com/between.church Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/betweenchurchWe never ask for money. We welcome believers (and unbelievers) of all kinds. Thanks for listening, BETWEENERS!
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What could living a monastic way of life teach us about how we're supposed to connect with each other? Is it possible to apply monastic principles to our busy, hurried, hungry, hangry lives? Paul Prins joins Matt Mattson as a guest on this episode of The BETWEEN Podcast. Paul is a founder and Director General of Urban Monastics, and he is trying to live a simple, gracious, and integrated life.
This conversation explores the idea of monasticism, and Paul's work with Urban Monastics provides an invitation for anyone to explore what that life might be like.
More About Paul: "I’m trying to live a simple, gracious, and integrated life. I believe the way we live flows out of the deep wells. Wells that are filled with our beliefs and values. As I meditate and contemplate, these wells have deepened. Since 2004, I’ve been a minister in different contexts and countries. These have included churches, student ministries, and homeless shelters. I received a Masters of Divinity from Bethel Theological Seminary in 2012. Alongside my ministry work, I have founded and built two successful companies. Midwest Skier was founded in 1998. Fresh Vine was founded in 2007.
I enjoy teaching, preaching, writing, and creating art. My life and faith are drawn together with the monastic practices of fasting, contemplation, and prayer. They inspire me to be present with God during my days. Since 2016, I have felt God drawing me to help found Urban Monasticism."
Follow Urban Monastics on social media. Links below.
https://www.instagram.com/UrbanMonastic/
https://www.facebook.com/UrbanMonastics/
https://www.youtube.com/@urbanmonastic
https://www.tiktok.com/@urbanmonastic
https://bsky.app/profile/urbanmonastic.org
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This episode of The BETWEEN Podcast features host Matt Mattson diving deep into some old bible stories with Pastor Josh Scott. Josh is the lead pastor at GracePointe Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and he is also the author of "Bible Stories for Grown-Ups" and "Context: Putting Scripture In Its Place." Josh and Matt invite everyone into a warm conversation about the many different contexts that each of our faith experiences exist within.
Learn more about Josh (and buy his books) at https://www.joshscott.co/ Sign Up for Josh's newsletter at https://www.joshscott.online/ Learn more about GracePointe church at https://www.gracepointe.net/As always, sign up for the BETWEEN email list, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and find all of our social media at http://between.church
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On the day Roe vs. Wade was overturned, Matt Mattson (the host of The BETWEEN Podcast) was in Washington, D.C. and he experienced two very different kinds of protests. One outside the capitol building. And one inside a Shabbat Dinner. Listen to this story and think about what YOUR faith has taught you about the kind of person you want to be.
Bonus episodes like this one are just a small snacks to enjoy BETWEEN the main episodes of The BETWEEN Podcast. Learn more about BETWEEN at https://between.church/
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Welcome to The BETWEEN Podcast! We are on a mission to inspire millions of people all over the globe to apply THEIR OWN beliefs to creating more moments of sacred human connection in the world. This is a little 5(ish)-Minute teaser episode of The BETWEEN Podcast, and we hope you'll subscribe so you can enjoy every episode we produce!
Learn more about BETWEEN at http://between.church (that's where you'll find info about being a guest on a future episode too!)
The space BETWEEN us is sacred.
