Claim OwnershipThe Micah Podcast
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A white man, a Black woman, and an Asian man walk into a podcast. Three pastors sit down to talk about leading from their social location.
35 Episodes
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Bret’s recent experience preaching in a Black church context and realizing, in real time, that his message was not landing as expected, sparks this discussion about the challenge of speaking across cultural divides. What happens when our assumptions don’t translate? What does it mean to speak prophetically in a space shaped by different lived experiences? The Micah Mobilizers are joined by Eric Nicolaysen, a Vineyard pastor and hospital chaplain in Des Moines, Iowa, as they reflect on code-sw...
Since the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, among others, some are celebrating and some are terrified about what comes next. The modern world continues to assume that violence is the final answer, but the church cannot simply echo that logic. In this episode, the Micah Mobilizers are not asking a partisan question, but a discipleship question: what does it mean to follow the Prince of Peace in times of war? What should pastors ...
Recently, the sitting president of the United States posted a video portraying the Obamas as apes. This blatant racism plays on one of the oldest, vilest, tropes of white supremacy that has been used to justify centuries of dehumanization of Black men and women. This is not an agree to disagree situation. Christ-followers must stand against this kind of evil rhetoric. In today’s episode, Jin, Joy, and Bret discuss: How can we begin to talk about this plainly? Why is it so hard? How can we hel...
The Micah Mobilizers continue their discussion of the American Church’s response to Charlie Kirk. Many in leadership are focused on calming the anxieties of people by acknowledging the tragedy of this violence, but also ignoring or whitewashing the politics of white supremacy and violence espoused and stoked by Kirk. As Ta-Nehisi Coates asks, “If you would look away from the words of Charlie Kirk, from what else would you look away?” How can we find courage to speak the truth? What does...
The reprehensible killing of Charlie Kirk has revealed a deep divide in our country and a deep divide in the American church. How do we find hope for the church in this era of violent division? Visit micahgroups.org to learn about our upcoming Micah Groups Facilitator Training, led by Joy, Jin, and Bret. You'll get tools and equipping to help you facilitate courageous conversations in your own church or community.
In a surprise announcement, the IRS recently stated that “houses of worship can endorse candidates for political office without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.”This might sound like greater freedom for churches to do what they’re supposed to do, but it also blurs the line between the church and state even further. So the question is —does this help or harm the prophetic voice of the church?
Last week, the President declared war on Iran and dropped bombs. Many political and religious leaders are espousing support for Israel that is rooted in Christian conviction, but this willingness to kill for God’s sake is driven by bad theology. What is our sacred resistance? What must we say? What must we do? What must we pray?
What does it mean for Christian leaders to resist in this time? This is not business as usual in the U.S. The dismantling of democracy, due process, rule of law, and the normalization of cruelty and abuse of power is unprecedented in our country's history. What can we do?
When should we speak up? When should we remain silent? Where do we find the energy, hope, and joy to sustain us? These are many of the questions pastors and church leaders are asking as we see the world gravitating more and more toward authoritarian governance.
There have always been attempts by the Empire to subjugate Christianity for its own purposes, but there is something new about the most recent attempts to co-opt the name of Christ to serve political purposes. Recently, JD Vance appealed to Thomas Aquinas’ concept of ordo Amoris—“rightly ordered love”—to make his case that what this administration is doing is, in fact, not only moral, but Christian. Joy, Jin, and Bret are joined again by Sandy Richter to consider—What is our prophetic work he...
The Micah Mobilizers are joined by special guest Sandy Richter, an Anglican priest and Micah Group alum, as they reflect on the prophetic witness of Bishop Budde, who called for mercy at the National Prayer Breakfast last month and was met with anger and hate from many Christians. In these tumultuous times, the most powerful prophetic work we can do is to live out Christlike qualities.
As we watch the news of the U.S. federal government ending DEI initiatives, and corporations including Wal-Mart, Facebook, McDonald’s, Ford, and many others follow suit, what is the prophetic call to the Christian church?
The Micah Mobilizers spend time processing their emotions and intentions in our post-election reality. As leaders, what do we do when we feel helpless? How do we respond to pushback that pastors are not supposed to be political? How do we model for our communities what it means to both challenge and encourage one another toward confronting our own biases? How do we learn to act upon the imagination and strength that God has given us? What courageous conversation do you feel called to today?
What do we need to confront about how race and gender are used by both sides in an election year? And what’s happening to the Black male vote? In today’s discussion, Joy, Jin, and Bret are joined by special guest, Pastor Fred Wilson, Faith & Community Relations Director at UCAN Chicago.
Many pastors are scared to talk about the racist lies being spread in the current election cycle in the U.S. We don’t want to be partisan, we don’t want to get into uncomfortable conversations. We hide behind the notion that all politicians lie. But what is this saying to people of color in our churches and communities? How do we help disciple our white men and women to love our neighbors better than this?
The Micah Mobilizers welcome special guest, Cheryl Lynn Cain, to this conversation about the gendered dynamics of power that make patriarchy so difficult to topple. How do we begin to break down such a self-perpetuating system of abusive power?
In this first conversation that begins a series about patriarchy and the church, Joy, Jin, and Bret look at the sexist backlash to Kamala Harris’s candidacy and the patterns of gendered abuse and misinformation aimed at women in leadership. How do we speak prophetically when this kind of rhetoric is promoted, repeated, and amplified in the church by Christians?
Micah Groups began as a place to gather diverse pastors to have hard conversations, engaging one another in our differences, in order to grow in empathy and courage. In this episode, recorded on the morning of the presidential debate, the Micah Mobilizers are asking: In 2024, is this even possible? What must be in place so that we in the church can somehow engage in conversations of policy and political difference without killing each other, or killing ourselves?
Special guest Felecia Thompson joins the Micah Mobilizers for this second conversation in a series about the pastoral and the prophetic. Tune in to consider: How do we help others to be formed toward the pastoral and prophetic? What is missing in the formation of our leaders that feeds this problem?
Special guest Judy Peterson, "The Walking Pastor," talks with Joy, Jin, and Bret about how a call to the pastoral and prophetic work together. Learn more about Judy's ministry "to pastor the feral children of God" at https://linktr.ee/walkingpastor.
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