What a way to kickstart The Beautiful Pursuit. Martin Smith was one of my favorite interviews back in 2008 when I was freelance writing and producing for Integrity Music. I happened to be in London when the opportunity arose to interview him. My husband Rowan and I woke up at sparrows one morning to get from London to Brighton to interview Martin in his hometown at his favorite coffee shop. That was fun! He'd recently closed Delirious and was working on an inspiring project called CompassionArt.



To interview Martin again almost 10 years later was an honor. He's a humble, gentle giant - so honoring and unassuming. When you speak with him, you collide with depth - depth of heart and soul, depth of integrity in his pursuit of God. His answers don't come cheap. They were birthed and fought for - you can feel it for yourself when you listen.



Martin is an inspiring musician and songwriter - download his new record Army of Bones - its layered with stories and struggles - he says it's a record about "the pursuit of staying together".



I loved so much about this conversation. I loved his honest and grounded assessment of 23 years of marriage to Anna. I loved what he said about faith and danger - how following the Lord is always pretty dangerous: you give your all, you set your ego aside, and you pursue wholeheartedly. And I loved what he said about how our gifting is not just for "the church" but for the world too.



Can't wait for this podcast to go live on December 1st and to hear your thoughts...