Redemption's Table with Robert Barge

There's a phenomenon that takes place within us when we spend three days in the great outdoors.  It's called "the 3-day effect."  Three days in nature can reset our brains.  And after those three days, our ability to problem solve goes up, our inductive reasoning goes up, and we become more creative.  When we step out of life as we know it and into life as we were meant to live it, it changes us.  And whenever I vacation in the wilderness, I always know when "the 3-day effect" kicks in.  It's that noticeable.  

Last month I spent eight days in Yellowstone National Park.  "The 3-Day Effect" prompted me to write the following entry in my journal:

            "Dying is a hard process.

            Staying dead is a hard process.

            And when the third day comes, you don't will yourself back to life.

            Only the resurrection can do that."

Featuring "Waiting For Lightning" by The National Parks (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

"Everybody I know says they need just one thing

 And what they really mean is they need just one thing more." - Rich Mullins.

Everyone has a life song.  Or if you're like me, you have dozens of life songs.  But through the years, one seems to keep rising to the top.  Rich Mullins' My One Thing is that song for me.  It's a song about Jesus - my one thing.

Who or what is your one thing?  The one thing that sets the table for all the other things in your life.  That's today's big question on this special fall Table that is all about my favorite person who has ever lived.  If Jesus is not yet your favorite person, I encourage you to give a listen to discover why He might should be.

Today's episode is dedicated to the First Baptist Church of Warner Robins Youth Group - 1986-1992.  

Featuring "Son of God" by Chris Renzema (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Confluence.  A place where two or more rivers or streams merge together.  Confluences fill me with wonder.  I want to journey upstream to find the headwaters of every tributary.  A confluence is kind of like a reversed fork in the road made of water.  Wherever you are right now is a confluence.

Think back over your summer.  What were your favorite tables and favorite moments?  What has God been trying to whisper to your spirit these past three months?  Perhaps you heard it, but maybe you didn't.

Perhaps your current confluence looks more like a desert.  Perhaps you have run aground because life has become spiritually dry.  Take heart.  There is water to be found in your desert.  You only need know where to look.

Featuring "Summer of Memories" by The National Parks (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

The Holy Trinity is a wondrous mystery.  You know the certainty of the Truth of it - and yet, it blows your mind.  Absolutely amazing how Truth and Wonder come together in the glorious reality of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

But there is also an unholy trinity that lurks beneath the surface of enough churches and denominations, it needs to be recognized for what it is - the unholy threesome of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and Religion. Because Holy Spirit has often been tossed because He cannot be controlled and replaced by a more reasonable idol we can control - our Religion.

Have you ever presumed to be Holy Spirit in someone else's life?  Have you ever presumed to be Holy Spirit while following His lead?

Featuring "Stronger" by Ellie Holcomb (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Do you hear the song?

The song that is all around you right now.

Do you hear that?

It's a song being sung especially over you.

It's a Voice that never ceases to sing to you.

And when you hear it, it makes all the difference in how you live your life.

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Friedrich Nietzsche

The music is real.  The dance is joyous.

What is there that you do not know is there?

Listen and you will hear.

Featuring "Spirit" by Judah & the Lion (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

A Conversation with Special Guest:  Steph Cherry

It is always a delight to bring Steph Cherry to the Table.  You never know what or who might wander through the conversation.  There might be a tornado in the backyard or a birthday visit with a capybara at a local petting zoo or the art of being an uncommon friend during someone else's difficult season.  

There is beauty, wit, wisdom, and hope here at the Table today.  Have we missed anything yet?  Listen to see.

Life.  You must be fully present to win.

Featuring "We've Got This Hope" by Ellie Holcomb (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Your soul has a unique speed.  It is not in a hurry.  It does not travel at the speed of our world nor our culture.  It travels at the speed of Light - the Light of the world.

Your soul is in need of nourishment.  It must be fed and there is only one real source of food.  C.S. Lewis wrote, "God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other."

As you evaluate the first half of 2024, how are you managing the pace of your life?  How has your pace affected your soul?

Join us for a few moments of soul refreshment and let your soul catch up with your body.  They both will thank you for it and you will notice the difference immediately. 

Featuring "In Need" by Singer-Songwriter Ross King (Used by Permission)

It's intermission!

The curtain has dropped on the first half of the movie.

The band has stepped off the stage to take a break.

The first half of this year's journey is about to pass the baton to the second half.

It's the perfect time to re-examine where we've come from and fine tune where we're going.

And all are encouraged to do just that.

Let's all come to the Table and go to the lobby to get ourselves a treat.

Featuring "Rock My Soul" by Josh Garrels (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Courtney Ellis is a bird enthusiast, a pastor, and an author. Her newest book is Looking Up: A Birder's Guide to Hope through Grief. She also hosts a wonderful podcast called The Thing with Feathers.  

Today's episode is a whimsical, ornithological, and theological swoop through Jesus' beatitudes from His Sermon on the Mount.  I asked Courtney to pair a bird to match each of Jesus' eight exclamations and she soared to the challenge. It's a fun way to kick off Summer Solstice! 

You can find Courtney at https://courtneybellis.com and also on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (now called X, but birders still prefer sending Tweets).  

Featuring "Songbird" by J.J. Heller (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

I remember my family's first color television.  I came home from school one day as a boy and there it was in our den.  I sprawled out in the floor and watched the Sergeant Jack Show, featuring Dick Tracy cartoons, on Channel 42 out of Birmingham.   I was enthralled.  I was drawn in to the screen and would sometimes sit so close, I could see the hundreds of multicolored dots that made up the greater image. And I heard those famous words from my parents every child has heard - "Don't sit so close to the screen; you'll ruin your eyes."

I'm grateful to say, I have yet to need prescription glasses.  But I am still being drawn in to the pixels.  Perhaps you are as well.  And if you're not, I would highly recommend it.  Because there's a lot more beauty coming at you than you realize.  But the only way you can catch more of it is to zoom in and slow down.  A life-changing mystery awaits when you do.

Featuring "Re-Enchanted World" by John Mark McMillan (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Consider your worship.  In the first 22 weeks of 2024, what worship moments have been most memorable to you?

Worship is an easy word to ignore.  It's wrapped in plain brown paper.  We imagine we could guess the content of today's Table without opening or listening.  Yet, it's the very thing that can calm and rattle your life at the same time.

God is ready to meet you right now wherever you are.  When He does, will you take off your shoes to walk on holy ground, or will you walk on by?   

Featuring "All In All" and "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" by Josh Garrels (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Welcome to our 150th Redemption's Table!  

I am learning how to host a podcast.  I now have 150 episodes of practice.  And I think the secret is to not take yourself too seriously while taking your guest and your subject very seriously.

Come join us for some fun as the host becomes the guest and I get grilled by three of the sharpest people I know.  Along the way, I'll share a little bit of my motivation for doing this podcast and how the Table has changed since that first episode back in 2019.  Get ready to smile, to be encouraged, and perhaps hear that one thing awaiting your discovery that has the potential to change the rest of your year. 

I am a host of friends and I have a host of friends.  And you are one of them.

Featuring "Let's Go Outside" by The National Parks (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

I like the word navigate.  I like the images that come to mind when I ponder that word.  It falls into a category of simplicity, of a way of life that brims with more intensity, with more pure oxygen than any artificial substitute our culture keeps seducing us to embrace.

To navigate is to know where we are, and to know where we want to go.  Once those two points are established, we follow the way.  It behooves us all to choose our path wisely.

You can navigate a trail, a river, a kayak, a surf board. But can you truly navigate your soul?  Yes, I believe you can.  Because if you don't, someone is going to.  And they might just have you believing the path you are on is where you really want to go.

Featuring "Constellations" by Ellie Holcomb (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Eclipse.  Last month, millions in North America migrated both near and far to fall under the wonder of a moon shadow for a few, brief moments.  A total solar eclipse.

Calypso.  A musical style which originated in Trinidad, Tobago, and spread throughout the West Indies of the Caribbean.

Eclypso.  A combination of two familiar words to inspire a brand new thought.

Eclypso.  It's the song, it's the dance of your soul before God that rises in an eclipse-like moment, as you become enthralled with awe.

Let your curiosity draw you in.  Consider the question - when was the last time your soul was caught up in the rhythm of eclypso?

Featuring "Great Sky" by The National Parks (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Conversation with Special Guest:  Raymond Turner

Recorded Live in Sparklefly Studio in CookChildren's Medical Center - Fort Worth, Texas.

We step in and out of sacred spaces every day, oft times unaware.  But every now and then, we are overwhelmed from the outside in and the inside out simultaneously, just by being where we are.  

That's how I felt when I visited Raymond Turner at Sparklefly Studio in Fort Worth, Texas.  Raymond is the Recording Studio Producer at Sparklefly - a professional state-of-the-art recording space inside a children's hospital.  Talk about innovative and one-of-a-kind.  Raymond helps children battling illness write and record their own songs.  Some of Raymond's work includes taking the heartbeats of little ones in the NICU unit and lovingly turning it into music for their families.  Some of these children are either premature, struggling to survive, or have already passed away.

How incredibly redemptive is that!

Featuring "Brand New Day" and "HeartSong" - recorded and produced by CookChildren's patients and Raymond Turner (Used by Permission).

A Very Special 5th Birthday Table Episode 

Featuring Special Guest:  Chris McLane

Originally Recorded July 19th, 2019 - Dinner and Conversation at Mooyah’s Burgers in Birmingham, Alabama.                                                                                          Originally Released July 22nd, 2019

Redemption's Table was launched 5 Years Ago today - April 22, 2019.  And since then, 146 episodes have been released.  The original idea was simple.  Invite a special guest each week to share a meal at a restaurant of their choosing and record a conversation with them in the restaurant after the meal.  That idea and this podcast almost didn't happen - until I had a conversation with one very special person I already knew.  My good friend - Chris McLane.

I met Chris at Brother Bryan Mission in downtown Birmingham. He was truly one of a kind. A brilliant mind and sharp wit. I saw a theologian or a Christian apologist within. We often met at Vulcan Park to walk the trail from Vulcan to Green Springs and back.  Those walks were good, rich conversation. I was grateful to have been present when Chris went under the waters of baptism at Redeemer Church in Avondale.

Chris stepped into the presence of Jesus last summer.  And I'm one of many who miss him.  But I know Who Chris knew, I know Who Chris trusted, and I know where Chris is because Chris surrendered to Jesus.

I owe Chris an enormous debt. I think of him almost every week as each new podcast episode is released. Without Chris, this podcast idea would probably still be sitting on the runway. His computer expertise made it happen and he co-produced and edited the first 36 episodes. And somewhere in the archives, waiting to be found again, was Chris' own episode - "If I Don't Have to Be Me Anymore."  

It suddenly came to me last night where Chris' story might possibly be.  And when I checked, there it was.  So on this 5th anniversary of the Table, I can think of no other story that represents better what Redemption's Table has always aspired to be.  I believe this release honors Chris and honors Jesus.  It's Chris' authentic account of his story and how Jesus redeemed him.

I think of something often said by author Brennan Manning - "God loves you unconditionally, as you are and not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be."  That's especially true for me.  That's my story.  That's Chris' story.  That's all of our stories.

Lunch and Conversation with Special Guest:  Larry Cobb

Recorded Live at Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill in Montgomery, Alabama.

I believe my good friend Larry Cobb has discovered the secret sauce of fatherhood.  During today's live table over Salsarita's two taco special, Larry never uses the term "secret sauce," but I think he's found what it is.  He's a 3-D dad.  His three children were born in 3 different decades.  Twenty years of continual fatherhood has gifted Larry with perspective and one particular parenting skill every child craves from their father.  Larry listens to his children.

And you're invited to listen as well.  Grab a taco and some tomatillo sauce.  We saved you a seat.

Featuring "Only You" by Antoine Bradford (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Thomas was one of Jesus' 12 disciples.  He has unfortunately been labeled as a doubter.  He missed Jesus' first post-resurrection appearance to His disciples.  He had a backstage VIP pass to the greatest event in all of history and he didn't even show up.  One Sunday later, Jesus and Thomas finally came face to face.

Thank God for the oddball and the outlier.  Otherwise, we all would have missed one of Jesus' final blessings.  A resurrection beatitude that potentially has our names written all over it.

"O the bliss of everyone who has not seen Jesus walking around resurrected with their own eyes, and yet have believed." (John 21:29)

Featuring "I Will Never Be the Same" by Ellie Holcomb (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

SURPRISE WIDE OPEN

All around the world tonight the ultimate Table of Redemption will be remembered and celebrated.  The bread and the wine Jesus shared with His disciples would become the flesh and the blood sacrificed for all, less than 24 hours after they shared the meal.

It's Holy Week!  A week full of surprise.  Surprise wide open.

When it comes to the biblical accounts of Jesus, there will always be surprises.  In our 21st century encounters with Him, how could we think it would be any less different?

Featuring "There Will Be Surprises" by Singer-Songwriter Drew Miller (Used by Permission).

Spring arrived a little early this year.  It happened Tuesday night - March 19 at 10:06 pm CST.

We crossed the equatorial line once again where day and night are everywhere on earth, for just a brief moment, of approximate equal length.  Of course, we didn't literally step across that line.  Earth glided across like a curling stone, and you & I - well, we're just along for the ride.

Spring is already whispering and bringing gifts.  

What gifts will Spring bring you this season?

The birds are singing its song.

The flowers are dancing its rhythm.

And the Lamb is preparing a welcome banquet for all who will accept His invitation.

Featuring "Deliver Me" by John Mark McMillan (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Today is March 14, 2024.  It's just an ordinary day.  It's not the Oscars.  Not yet the Ides of March or St. Patrick's Day.  A little too early for Spring Equinox or Palm Sunday.  It's just an ordinary day in your life.  Or is it?

Do you know what happened on all the March 14ths of your life?

Because what you can do today, you can do the other 365 days as well.

Take a day - any ordinary day - and go on a treasure hunt into the back pages of your journey.  You might just be reminded how extraordinary an ordinary day can be.

Featuring "Brand New Day" by Ellie Holcomb (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Complete this sentence: I delight in ........

I posed this open-ended declaration to several of my friends.  And as their responses came tumbling in, I knew today's Table was gonna truly be something special!

Delight is a word most of us don't use often enough.  Gratitude is like the map of our entire journey; delight is the buried treasure.

So, come along with us as we get high on Life with a little help from my friends!

Featuring "Love With a Crown" by John Mark McMillan (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

All of us find ourselves in seasons where it seems our lives are struggling upward through the dark.

Angels Landing in Zion National Park is often considered one of the most dangerous trails in the National Park System.  I hiked it in the dark with rain in the forecast at a time when my climbing legs were not in peak physical condition.  I almost didn't, and if I hadn't. I would have missed one of my best hiking days ever.  I would have also missed a trail lesson that continues to change the way I live my every day.

It is difficult trudging upward through the pitch with just enough light to chase the daunting up the trail a few feet beyond your beam.  But such is life if you are ever really going anywhere worth arriving.  Come join us for this high table adventure.

Featuring "Canyons" by Cory Asbury (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a curio is "something considered novel, rare, or bizarre."  A memento is "something that serves to warn or remind."

Today's light hearted episode encourages you to look around; go on a treasure hunt and search for curios, mementos, and everyday Ebenezers.  Don't know what an Ebenezer is?  We're glad you asked.

Today's podcast also includes two special guest cameos - my brother Dwight Kidd and one of my best friends, Jeff Gore.  And hopefully, after coming to today's Table, your souvenirs will start speaking to you every time you look their way. 

Featuring "Look For Miracles" by JJ Heller (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Before you awakened this morning, God was in His kitchen preparing fresh, new recipes of steadfast love and mercy, and Jesus was already setting the table for your day as it began.  Don't miss the meal.  The greatest opportunity you may have to taste something unbelievably wonderful this week, could be the one you far too readily overlook.  

Let Jesus set the table of your day with Himself.  Allow yourself plenteous opportunity to fill yourself with the best dish this life has to offer.  This table is for everyone.  There is a place card with your name on it.  Come join the party!

Featuring "At the Table" by Josh Garrels (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Breakfast and Conversation with Special Guest:  Alex Hettinga

Recorded Live at Vintage Cafe in Montgomery, Alabama.

It doesn't take long to hear the heart of today's special guest Alex Hettinga.  His conversation always weaves back to family and fatherhood.  Alex is a husband, a father of two children, a classical violinist and violist, and the Senior Manager of Fatherhood and Family Programs at Care Net - a national Pro Abundant Life Ministry.

If you're a father, if you know a father, if you have a baby on the way, if you love classical music or know someone who does, if you are a fan of Johann Sebastian Bach, get ready for a feast.  This episode has something for everyone and was recorded live in the midst of the unpredictable ambience of life.

It's classical.  It's stylish.  It's vintage.  It's current.  And we saved you a seat and a menu.  The avocado toast comes highly recommended. 

www.carenetu.org

Featuring "Skye (Bach Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major Bwv 1006)" by Abilene (Used by Permission through Musicbed) and "Meditation" from Thais by Jules Massanet and performed by Alex Hettinga (Used by Permission).

It is February and I am still singing Christmas songs.  One carol in particular I sing all year long because of two words in its title that deeply connect with my soul.  Wonder and wander.  "I wonder as I wander out under the sky."  

Today's episode ponders three questions:

- How often are you struck with wonder?

- What evokes wonder in you?

- Do you connect deep wonder and curiosity with worship and awe of God?

Today's episode features a cameo visit with my absolute favorite special guest of all 136 episodes - my daughter Lauren.  Lauren Myers.  Barge Barge to her friends.

Take a load off your hiking boots and spend a few moments getting lost in wonder.

Featuring "Has It Been You" by John Mark McMillan (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Soul down.  Not as in, "Why are you downcast, O my soul?" (Psalm 43:5), but more like "Slow your soul down."  You are carrying way too much weight.  You are accelerating at way too fast a speed.  Soul down.  You will need a deeper anchor to navigate all you are called to do in any given day, as well as all the activities the world pitches your way.  Soul down.

Today's episode asks three questions:

- What are your deep spiritual practices?

- How do you stay deep in your relationship with God in the midst of the constant vortex of a world that keeps trying to pull you away?

- How do you keep your soul anchored?

We've set the Table with soul food today and we saved you a seat!

Featuring "8th Wonder - Campfire Version" by The National Parks (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Steph Cherry

The year is barely begun and most New Year's resolutions are still being pursued.  How are you doing with yours?

I am delighted to sit down with Special Guest Steph Cherry.  Steph is a therapist, life coach, chef to the homeless, a well of deep wisdom, and my good friend.  And today we will be encouraging all our Table guests to choose words over resolutions, as in "What's your word of the year?"  So get ready to chow down and word up!

Featuring "The Well" by JJ Heller (Used by Permission through Musicbed).

Twenty-five years ago, I came across an article about Taos Pueblo in Northern New Mexico.  Every year the Pueblo Indians who live around Taos observe "the time of being still."  From December 15th to January 15th, the pueblo shuts down from the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life and observes a whole month of silent contemplation.

Imagine an entire month to be still in the presence of God for the soul purpose of spending time with Him.  What if we contemplated Christmas afterwards equally as intense as we anticipated Christmas before we celebrate?

Today's episode includes a cameo visit with therapist and life coach Steph Cherry, and features the music of R. Carlos Nakai and William Eaton performing "Silent Night (with Navajo Chorale)."   (Courtesy of Canyon Records)

Welcome to a new year at the Table!

https://www.thebohotable.org

https://canyonrecords.com

https://rcarlosnakai.com

https://www.jamiewinship.com

On Christmas Day, I found myself slipping into a booth at my local Waffle House and was immediately struck how it felt like slipping into a church pew.  The Spirit of Jesus was present amidst the eggs, bacon, and waffles.

Where are the places and when were the moments when Christmas found you this year?

What spoke Christmas to you, and what did it say when it spoke?

Join me on a Christmas journey acknowledging one of the greatest presents of Christmas - the gift of good memories.  As I reminisce over my Granny's sweet muffins and luminarias in New Mexico, perhaps you'll recall a covey of good moments all your own.

I'll drop a quarter in the Waffle House jukebox and we can listen to Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors sing "Joy to the World"(used by permission) as we share Christmas brunch. I recommend bacon andsausage because .... it's Christmas!

Tonight is the longest night of the year!  Winter Solstice!  This special seasonal episode offers three perspectives on this dark night.  First, there is the phenomenal wonder of nature that tonight is.  Something magnificent is happening in our ecliptic journey through space tonight.  Second, there is a personal story about the joy of this night for me and my family.  And finally, there is a deeper application for many of us, as this dark night symbolizes our own personal dark night of the soul.

Lean in and hear the voice of The Light!  Soak up Ross King's wonderful song.  And anticipate the coming of Christmas - just four more sleeps away.

Featuring "Bethlehem (2022 Version) by Singer-Songwriter Ross King.  (Used by permission).

'Tis the season for familiar stories.  George Bailey returns to the battle of Bedford Falls as Charlie Brown continues his search for the perfect Christmas tree.  And Mary and Joseph journey once again to the little town of Bethlehem.  The true Christmas story of the birth of Jesus is the story bizarre.  It is a mysterious, wonderful gift that invites equal parts ponder and scoff.

Jesus came down from heaven and stepped into our story.  His story seems bizarre to us because we have often made a mess of our own.  We chase a story perfect in denial of our own version of the story bizarre.  

Welcome to today's special Advent table featuring Ellie Holcomb's song, "Hope Is Alive"  (Used by Permission).

Welcome to the concluding episode of a six-part series from 2021 - "Wrestling with God in the Season of Job." In the final chapters of his arduous journey, Job is down for the count. God shows up in a fury. All of Job's questions dissolve in a storm of generous mercy. 

Perhaps the ashes & questions are still fresh in your story. Perhaps it seems God has abandoned you. Wherever you find yourself on this mid-November day, there is hope. And beauty for ashes. And a God who never leaves.
Featuring Jill Phillips' song "Generous Mercy" (Used by Permission).

You have a voice.  You have a voice print.  You've been given a voice no one else has, because it flows out of a heart uniquely created in you by Your Creator.  

Today's episode encourages us to spend some time curiously pondering, "What is my voice?"  "What are the themes in my life that resonate deep within?"  "How can I use my voice to encourage others?"  And along the way we'll hear a new song by one of our favorite musical voices - Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors.

Seek your Creator's voice and you will find your own.

Featuring the Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors song "Find Your People" 

(Used by Permission).

THE WELL OF THE SOULS

A few October days in Yosemite found me sitting on the edge of a valley full of thought pondering faith, boring Christianity, and a lack of curiosity among the faithful.  I listened to God breathe in the solitude and babble in the waterfall.   Indiana Jones crashed through my reverie on his way to freedom and a hippie prophet popped out of a pit toilet with a word from the Lord.  You might just wade through this unusual episode and hear something said to help you realize you are not alone.  Or you might just dismiss it due to a lack of curiosity

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is guaranteed to at least introduce you to two great songs by Becca Jordan, a singer-songwriter you need to know.  

Come sit on the edge of your faith with us and look into the well of your soul.

Featuring "Same Old" and "Everywhere I Go" by Becca Jordan. (Used by Permission)

https://www.beccajordanmusic.com

Welcome to the fifth session of a six-part series from 2021 - "Wrestling with God in the Season of Job." Back then, the world was emerging from a year-long hiatus.  It was one of the harshest seasons many of us had ever known and it brought a lot of pain to the surface of our lives.

Today's episode begins towards the end of Job's story.  He is ready to throw in the towel.  His friends refuse to listen or understand; God just doesn't seem to be listening.  If you are feeling any or all of this right now, you are at the right place.  And we have reserved a special place for you to join us - at the Table of Redemption.

Featuring Jimmy Baker's song "All I'll Ever Need" (Used by Permission).

Welcome to the fourth session of a six-part series from 2021 - "Wrestling with God in the Season of Job." The world was emerging from a year-long hiatus then and many felt as though they were living this story. I am convinced many still are. And that's what makes Job's story relevant for our generation.

Today's episode begins halfway through Job's story. We know that. Job did not. The one living the difficult season never does. They don't know how close they are to breakthrough. They don't realize yet how close God already is. Some give up on God. Others give up on life. Both have yet to discover - it is always too soon to give up on God. Always.

Featuring Ross King's song "Golden" (Used by Permission).

Photo by Andrew Barge (Used by Permission).

I met my first sequoia tree a little over a year ago.  If you want to feel young on your birthday, visit a sequoia.  He was over 1600 years older than me.  

Today's episode is about trees and autumn - my favorite season of the year.  It's about the mystery of watching God's dream unfold in ways you never could have imagined.  It's about birthdays and sequoia cones and Rich Mullins and Jesus holding all of this spinning planet together.  It's an eclectic blend of fresh ponderings and Spirit wind in the trees.  And John Mark McMillan's powerful song poem encouraging us to not only consider the magnitude of the seeds we sow, but the harvest that is to come as a result.

Come and sit a spell beneath the trees.  We saved you a seat.

Featuring the John Mark McMillan song "The Roads, the Rocks, and the Weeds" (Used by Permission).

A Conversation with Special Guest:  Lisa Miller

There is a sacred place where heavenly exchanges are made - beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of despair, healing for illness, disease, and heartache, trust for fear, grace for forgiveness, restoration for brokenness.

Today's special guest Lisa Miller knows firsthand the dark side of that exchange.  Her story includes being trafficked as a four-year old in Mexico, to family abuse, to losing her daughter.  Yet, even in the midst of such grief and trauma, the hope of Jesus kept bubbling within her heart and changed her life.  She now shares this hope with all who will listen.  Join this conversation with Lisa and guest co-host Steph Cherry.   We saved you a seat.

https://lisamillerministries.com/the-trading-floor/

Special Thanks to Singer-Songwriter Becca Jordan for her song "All I've Got" (Used by Permission).

A Conversation with Special Guest:  Andre Moubarak

Imagine growing up on the path of the greatest journey ever taken.  Imagine playing in the footsteps of Jesus.  Imagine exploring the winding Way of Suffering with the curiosity of a child.  Today's special guest, Andre Moubarak, describes Jesus' famous Via Dolorosa as "my playground and my battleground."

Get ready to walk, run, sail, linger, and worship with Andre as he leads us through Jerusalem and the Holy Land.  Guest co-host Steph Cherry comes along.  She and her husband Denbigh were with Andre in Israel 3 months ago.  For those of you who have been there, and for those of us who have only visited Israel in our imaginations, let's step into Andre's world and go with the flow.

https://www.twinstours.com

Special Thanks to Singer-Songwriter  Ross King for his song "Hallelujah for the Cross" (Used by Permission).

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Gerald Zgabay

Faith journeys seldom zipline from point A to point B.  It's more like a zigzag across spinning terrain.  The distance between who we are on our own and who God created us to become can be dizzying and daunting.  We all look like human tie dyes on the way to discovering Jesus.

Today's Table with husband, father, author, and men's mentor Gerald Zgabay is no exception.  His redemption story includes waking up completely disoriented on the Mexican border, addiction, strip clubs, timely encounters with individual Jesus followers, journaling, brokenness, awareness, marriage, adoption, and mentoring others still caught up in the empty spin of our world.

Guest co-host Steph Cherry and my favorite Skye Peterson song are also on the menu.  Come and join us.  We saved you a seat.

https://www.geraldzgabay.com

Featuring "Searching For Us" by Singer-Songwriter Skye Peterson

 (Used by Permission)

The Old Testament Book of Job is like walking across a brutal desert with someone with a hole in their canteen.  It is a long season's stretch across low terrain.  Job was in a season of loss and his so-called friends circled him like vultures attempting to pick apart his languishing faith.  No one expects a mountain top moment in a valley this deep.  And yet one occurs.  Job breaches out of the dust to make an Everest declaration of faith.

Welcome to the third session of a six-part series from 2021- Wrestling with God in the Season of Job.  The world was emerging from a year-long hiatus then and many felt as though they were living this story.  I am convinced many still are.  And that's what makes Job's story relevant for our generation.

Featuring J Lind's song "So It Goes" (Used by Permission).

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Bethany Garth

Every moment worth living comes gift wrapped in challenge.  Every hit and miss adventure is born out of dream.  For today's special guest Bethany Garth and her husband Dave, the possibility of an around the world bicycle trip was first proposed on their third date.  And that's just the beginning of this week's Table.

Today Bethany is a mother of three and the Executive Director of First Choice Women's Medical Center in Montgomery, Alabama.  We sat down recently to talk about the similarities between being a world traveler and leading an organization that seeks to reach abortion-minded members in our community in the name of Christ to make life their first choice.   

It is a joy to bring Bethany to the Table and to also introduce you to the music of Becca Jordan, a gifted singer-songwriter you need to know.  So air up your tires, strap on your helmet, put it in climbing gear, and join us for this week's wonderful ride.

Featuring "Everywhere I Go" by Becca Jordan. (Used by Permission)

https://supportfirstchoice.org

A Conversation With Singer-Songwriter:  J Lind

He's a poet collecting seashells on the streets of Manhattan.  He's a husband and gifted songwriter in his third year of medical school.  He's a student and observer of subway moments and human interaction.  And sometimes those collections and recollections become lyrics, and sometimes a single day becomes an entire song.

It is a joy and an honor to bring today's special guest J Lind to the table.  We open this episode with one of my personal favorites - "Oxford Sweater" - and we close with J's latest release - "Generous".  (Both songs used by permission).  And as soon as this table is wrapped, go check out more about J and his music at https://www.jlindmusic.com.

All of us have walked through seasons where it seemed God had nothing to say to us.  This can be a little disconcerting, especially when we have well-meaning friends who presume to speak in God's place. 

Welcome to this second of a six-part Table series from 2021- Wrestling with God in the Season of Job.  When this was originally shared, participants were encouraged to read 7 chapters from Job and search for verses that spoke to them.  I compared the mid-section of Job like looking for diamonds in a coal mine without a candle.  The diamonds are there - we just have to slow ourselves and allow our spiritual eyes to adjust from the darkness of the world to the light of God's truth. This session covers Job 8-14.  

Featuring Esther Spark's song "Ask the Animals" (Used by Permission).

In the spring of 2021 as we were still in the shadows of a worldwide pandemic, I was drawn to explore the Old Testament Book of Job during a midweek worship gathering I founded several years ago.  It was an uncertain time.  Many of us were struggling with our faith.  Many of us were afraid.  Many of us were grieving great loss.  We could all identify with a man who lived in the land of Uz several centuries ago.  As his story unfolds. so does our own.  

Welcome to this six-part Table series from 2021.  This was one of the most guttural, honest, electric, no holds barred speaking events of my entire life.  And we all know someone right now who is still in this season. Perhaps even ourselves.  There lived a man (Job 1:1) and there came a day (Job 1:13). And this is our story.

Featuring Ryan Proudfoot's song "A Man Named Job" (Used by Permission).

CHASING BUTTERFLIES

A Totally Spontaneous Conversation With Occasional Co-Host:  Steph Cherry

Nothing about today's Table was planned.  It was all inspired by a surreal moment at Disney World when Winnie the Pooh was espied chasing butterflies across a grassy field.  And hardly anybody noticed.  But I did.

I returned from Disney.  A special guest had to cancel.  Steph and I were set up for a Zoom conversation anyway.  And about half way through, I decided to hit the record button.  I'm still not sure why.  I had no plans to use any of what follows.

Then we started swapping recent trip stories to Israel, the Magic Kingdom, the Smoky Mountains, and the absurdity abounded.  There was no substance abuse in the recording of this Table, but there was a drug dog.  And Petra, princesses, camels, birds, Magdala, Indiana Jones, Jesus, and pixie dust, with Ross King's incredible new song "Like Jesus" (Used by Permission) to net it all together.

Listen as you're "busy, busy, busy doing nothing."  Winnie would.

https://www.rosskingmusic.com

Happy Father's Day - and welcome to this special Bonus Table Episode.  If you are a father of a baby soon to be born - if you are a dad of children anywhere between the ages of 8 seconds to 8 decades - if you are a single mother raising your child - if you are a grandfather, mentor, or anyone fulfilling the role of a father in a child's life - you know who you are - this episode is for you.

This is a very personal Table.  I share 7 prayers I pray for my grown children and their families every week - Monday through Sunday - one prayer for each day.  Use these prayers however you choose.  Greater still, may they inspire you to create your own 7 prayers.

A very special thank you to singer-songwriter J Lind for permission to share his newest song - "Oxford Sweater."  Check out these links to learn more about J's music:

https://www.jlindmusic.com

https://atwoodmagazine.com/oxsw-j-lind-oxford-sweater-song-premiere/

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Daniel Johnson

About a Husband and Father Who Lived Like Jesus:  Doug Johnson

Sometimes it seems people who love and serve Jesus uncommonly well go home to be with the Lord much too soon.  Sometimes.

This is Doug Johnson.  He lives like Jesus.  He loves the Word of God.  He loves people and while he walked among us, he wanted them to love the Word who became flesh and walked among us as well.

He was not perfect.  He was not a saint.  He was a rascal and he would be the first to tell you so.  He is my friend.   It is a humbling joy to present this special remembrance to the glory of God and to my dear, dear friends - the Doug Johnson Family.  To his wife Rebecca.  To his daughter Rachel.  To his son Daniel who joined me at the Table to share the life of a "good, good father."

Featuring Ryan Proudfoot's song "Whatever It Takes" (Used by Permission).

Pause and ponder those two words.  What do they whisper to your soul?  Which direction do they sweep across your heart?  What sparks do they fan into flame?

Never underestimate the power of well-placed words.  Today's episode introduces what could easily be described as the 72 most mind-blowing words that have ever been strung together.  The secret to the simplicity we all seek succinctly summed up in one minute, thirty-seven seconds.  72 words, 97 seconds, out of the mouth of Jesus encouraging one thing.  Simply live.  Welcome to the Table!  Beatitudes are on the menu!  We saved you a seat!

Featuring the Wayne Kerr Band song "Greatest Day Ever" (Used by Permission).

Did you know the average child laughs over 300 times a day?  And the average adult?  Only 17 times.  Today's episode will encourage some of us to reclaim those 283 laughs we've been missing.

There is wisdom in whimsy.  And there is life.   Proverbs 17:22 declares, "A cheerful heart is good medicine."  And this is just a holy hunch, but we're not sure you can really be listening for God's voice and not hear His gentle chuckling.

We dare you to tune in for a few moments and not at least smile.  Whimsy is that contagious.  And this is flat-out one of the funnest episodes we've ever done.  So there.  Pull up a see-saw and join us.

Note:  No feathers were ruffled in the editing of today's edition.

Featuring "Seahorses" by Singer-Songwriter Ross King.   (Used by Permission)

Also featuring excerpts from the oldest known recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D Minor

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Wayne Kerr

Braving.  To meet or face courageously.  To pursue what makes you come alive.  To listen to a God whisper on the wind.  To launch into the river, toss the oars, and raise sail.  Braving.

Today's special guest is Wayne Kerr - Artist.  Musician.  Creative.  In 2020, Wayne released an incredible book titled - Braving.  It is a joy to bring Wayne to the Table along with co-host Steph Cherry as we explore the daunting, exhilarating life we all could be living if we dared to get into the river and let go.

We saved you a seat so you can.

Pause.  Be.  Challenged.

Go.  Be.  Brave.

https://www.kerrvillegallery.com

Featuring Wayne's song "The Mirror" (Used by Permission).

Rules.  Everybody has them!  Some of us get caught up in them.  Some of us have a total disdain for them.  But whether you are compliant or whether you rebel, you have to admit - we all have rules.  We all have formulated a system of accumulated guidelines we use to navigate life.

In today's appetizer episode, host Robert Barge will share a few of his personal rules curated through the years.  You may hear a rule or two you wish to adopt for yourself, but even more so, today's podcast is shared with the encouragement that you will curate your own list of personal guidelines.  So don't bail out just yet.  We think you might be in for a delightful surprise or two.

Featuring "The Potter and the Clay" by Singer-Songwriter J Lind   (Used by Permission)

https://www.jlindmusic.com

Life is a mighty fine mosaic.  A Van Gogh canvas exploding with glory and fervency.  Impressions layered on thick by a cacophony of word and thought.    Spinning at a blur.  Always saying something if you but dare to listen.  God's whispers wisp all around.

Today's conversation with Christian Life Coach (and occasional Guest Co-Host) Steph Cherry froths with whimsy and wisp.  From country roads to Palm Sunday donkey butts, to gleanings from Steph's visit at a recent Writer's Conference.  You might think this is much ado about nothing, but we dare imagine there's a sentence here, or two, that might prompt a resurrection within.  Skye Peterson's wonderful song alone is worth the table stop.

Featuring "Resurrection In you" by Singer-Songwriter Skye Peterson

 (Used by Permission)

It was the Thursday night before Jesus was arrested, tried, and nailed to a cross.  In less than 24 hours, He would be dead.  His last hours of freedom were spent in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Gethsemane means "oil press."

Jesus confesses to His disciples, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow."  The forces of darkness and evil are already descending on Him.  The snake is in the garden again.  The boa constrictor of distress is circling His whereabouts and is dangling from the olive trees.

Step with us into "the place" where the cross was settled.

The snake is in the garden.

Gethsemane is the oil press.

And Jesus is the olive.

Featuring "Celebrity" by Singer-Songwriter Ross King (Used by Permission)

For many of our listeners, it is the season of Lent.  Lent is a time when Jesus' followers reflect on His life, death, and resurrection.  It is also a season of identifying with sorrow, brokenness, and sacrifice.  Lent is a desert season.

On any given day, today's episode would be timely.  In the past few days, our hearts have been stunned once again by senseless tragedy in Nashville, Tennessee.  Over the weekend, tornados literally blew entire communities off the map.  And on and on our stories unravel.  Not a single day goes by where we could not pray for someone presently experiencing loss.  We live in a world of perpetual Lent and lament.

On today's episode, I share three brief essays I wrote ten years ago during a prolonged season of personal grief:  When Prayer Becomes Breath, A Warning to Jesus On His Last Night on Earth," and Epic.  And we will also hear another great song from J Lind.  So, have a seat at the Table and lean in to lament.

Featuring "Lean Into It" by Singer-Songwriter J Lind   (Used by Permission)

To curate is to bring together something unique - sometimes, something that has never been brought together before or has been apart for a long, long time.  It may have all originated from the same source, from the same Creator, but it has been a long time in coming back around to one specific place.  And sometimes that place is you.

Today's appetizer episode explores the curiosity, wonder, and surprise of being invited by our Creator to chase Him into the art of curation.  Like stepping into a sidewalk chalk masterpiece and rekindling your inner 3-year-old self.  Like following bread crumbs sown by the Bread of Life.

Featuring "So It Goes" by Singer-Songwriter J Lind   (Used by Permission)

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Russ Ramsey

Art is often the surprise I did not expect.  In 2022, the surprise swept from canvas to page with the discovery of Russ Ramsey's wondrously titled book - Rembrandt Is in the Wind.  This was one of my favorite books last year.  And I could hardly wait to bring Russ to the Table for this week's conversation.

Russ is a pastor and an author with the added gift of storytelling.  He encourages listeners and readers to learn to love art through the eyes of faith.  By the time we finished talking, it felt like Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and Vincent were gathered around the Table with us.

Rembrandt is still in the wind.  Redemption is still in the air.  And there is always a chair for you to join in.

https://www.russ-ramsey.com

Dr Who and Van Gogh - https://youtu.be/ubTJI_UphPk

Featuring "Sandcastles" by Singer-Songwriter Skye Peterson (Used by Permission)

There's a reverence and rhythm to life on the streets, where worship and party mingle with joy and affliction. It is a good thing to walk where any one of us could be; it is a good thing to be where Jesus already is.

Guest co-host Steph Cherry and I have both walked alongside sidewalk parishioners and broke bread in the cathedrals of the street.  We have been taught by the wisdom of homeless hearts and been blessed in the learning.  I was a chaplain in a downtown mission for a season; Steph continues to serve through the Boho Table where tacos and tears are standard fare.  Come, listen to the beat and songs of homeless hearts.

In Memory of our friends, Sonya Lynn Spotts and Robbie Collins

Featuring "The Rock I'm On" by Singer-Songwriter Ross King

(Used by Permission)

https://www.thebohotable.org

We've all heard about The Box.  Most of us probably have a Box collection.  Everybody wants us to have one.  Or if we don't have one yet, they encourage us to make one.  But they would really rather prefer we took one of theirs.  Their boxes usually tell us how to believe and what to believe and sometimes even convey their most important rule - "stay in the box."

Today's episode flips those boxes upside down with a challenging question about getting outside the box and an incredible story about one of my favorite heroes of faith - Clarence Jordan.  Dare to overturn a box and join us at today's Table.

Featuring "Cedar of Lebanon" by Singer-Songwriter Skye Peterson

(Used by Permission)

Lunch and Conversation at Ladybird Taco in Nashville, Tennessee

Featuring Special Guest:  Skye Peterson

I don't find songs so much as songs find me.  Out of the blue they walk up to me and introduce themselves like long lost friends.  That is exactly how I would describe meeting today's feature song, "Searching For Us," by today's special table guest, singer-songwriter Skye Peterson.

When Skye and I met for lunch at Ladybird Taco, I was already a fan of her music.  But from the get-go - in the pre-conversation over great tacos to the spontaneous high five after recording today's podcast conversation, I became a fan of Skye Peterson, the person.

Join us for good food, music, and conversation.  Skye recommends the Salsa Verde Braised Chicken Taco and I like the Brisket with Avocado Taco.  Both are winners.  We saved you a seat.

https://skyepetersonmusic.com

Featuring "Searching For Us" by Singer-Songwriter Skye Peterson  (Used by Permission)

Welcome to the 100th setting of the Table!

There is so much good awaiting you here today.

A tasty banquet of thought, music, and treasure await.

Do you know God's middle name?

Do you know where the Garden of Eden is?

Can you remember the last time you were wowed by God?

Get ready, 'cos it might just happen in the next 24 minutes!

Our very first Table guest - Johnny Mount - returns for a special cameo visit, along with a couple of other guests.

And Featuring "Wonder Of It All"- a brand new song by Singer-Songwriter Skye Peterson (Used by Permission)

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Andrew Lowen

Are you a gamer?  Check your closet.  The average gamer owns 1-25 board games.  You may be a gamer and not even know it!  And there's a new game coming out this spring that is already proven to be a game changer.

Guest co-host Steph Cherry and I converse with game designer Andrew Lowen about his upcoming board game Deliverance - the highest crowdfunded Christian game ever.   Deliverance is a cooperative game for 1-4 players of angels, demons, and saints caught up in a battle between opposing spiritual forces.

A former professional gamer, Andrew also shares how his life transitioned from video games to board games and how his journey to bring Deliverance to your table began 6 years ago.  Choose your hero - check your sword -it's game on!

https://deliverancethegame.com

Featuring "Things That I'm Afraid Of" by Singer-Songwriter Ross King (Used by Permission)

ROAR BACK!

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Dr. Brian Guenther

I met Brian Guenther at a backyard concert in June 2021.  He was recovering from a second brain surgery performed on him just six weeks prior.  I never would have guessed.  And then I heard his astounding story.

Dr. Guenther is an educator - the President of San Marcos Academy in San Marcos, Texas.  He is a husband and the father of four children.  He is quick witted - a great conversationalist.  But one day, he was struck with supersonic hearing.  (SCDS is the official medical term.)  When it came to sound, Superman had nothing on Brian.  The roar within was deafening.  And the pain threatened to silence his song for good.

This is an amazing story of debilitation, faith, resilience and humor.  And when the enemy roars, finding the strength to roar back.

Featuring "Walk in the Valley" by Singer-Songwriter Ross King (Used by Permission)

https://www.facebook.com/briannguenther

This is an amazing time we live in.  We have the ability to place a device on our wrists to record how many steps we take in a day and how much rem sleep we get at night.  We are surrounded by specialists and trainers who can tell us an abundance of details about certain aspects of our lives.  And there are 3 to 4 million podcasts out there to fill in the void.  With all this knowledge, where do we measure our souls and our relationship with God?

Today's podcast raises two questions:

"Do you know where you happen to be?"

"Do you know what God knows about you?"

Join us at today's table for an appetizer of an episode to help you discover some secrets about you and God.

Featuring "Build the House" by Singer-Songwriter Ross King (Used by Permission)

A Deeper Conversation With Special Guest:  Steph Cherry

"I'm overwhelmed by the power of edit."

"A lot of trauma is the lack of a compassionate witness."

These were just two of the gems shared round last week's table with Hope Coach and Counselor Steph Cherry.  And our Season 5 opener "Bless the Tacos and Pop the Clutch" resonated with so many listeners, we thought it would be nice to bring Steph back to unpack some ways to be a light in the midst of your own personal trauma.

Steph, her husband Denbigh, and a host of friends set The Boho Table as volunteers loaded with taco feasts at The Church Under the Bridge in Waco, TX and at the Trinity Center in downtown Austin, among other places.

Today's podcast again is about hope.  The rhythm, a little gentler; the discussion, a little more organic, as we explore the terrain of personal trauma.  Laughter and tacos are still our standard fare.  Dig in and pass it on.

https://www.thebohotable.org

Featuring "Build the House" by Singer-Songwriter Ross King(Used by permission)

BLESS THE TACOS & POP THE CLUTCH!

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Steph Cherry

Welcome to 2023 and our 5th Season Premiere!

Imagine today's table conversation taking place under an interstate bridge sharing tacos with the homeless and you'll catch a glimpse into the heart of today's very special guest - Steph Cherry.  Steph and her husband Denbigh set The Boho Table as volunteers at The Church Under the Bridge in Waco, TX and at the Trinity Center in downtown Austin, among other places.  Steph is a taco maven and the CEO of Kindness.  She's also a wife to D, a mom to 3 daughters, a Hope Coach and Counselor, an artist, and a mansion restorer.

Today's podcast is about hope, how to be a light in the midst of your own personal trauma, setting a course for the year ahead, and choosing your own word of the year.  And it's just flat out inspiring and fun!  So, grab a bag of tacos or make a batch of your own, bless them, pass them out to someone in need, and get ready to pop the clutch on this new adventure called 2023.

https://www.thebohotable.org

* Closing song Bethlehem used by permission from Ross King.

Featuring "Bethlehem (2022 Version) by Singer-Songwriter Ross King*

It's Christmas!  Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.  The gift of God's peace comes in a variety of ways.  Peace as presence.  Peace as mystery.  Peace as vocation.  Which peace do you know?

Today's table visits a variety of places including Bethlehem's manger, Ukraine, Lechuguilla Cave, and a hillside near the Sea of Galilee where Jesus taught some astounding truths.  Grab a cold eggnog and join us.  We saved you a seat.

* Song used by permission from Ross King.

Featuring "Bethlehem (2022 Version) by Singer-Songwriter Ross King*

Winter Solstice.  The scent of fresh balsam.  The crunch of fresh fallen snow.  The laughter of children at play.  Luminaries lining walls and walkways.  A crackling fireplace.  The hush of a falling star.  The midnight church bell.  How would you describe peace?

It's Christmas Eve Eve and the most wondrous night of the year is almost upon us.  What is the peace you want most this Christmas?  And what is the peace that you already know?  May the peace of Christ surprise you when you least expect it!

* Song used by permission from Ross King.

Featuring "Bethlehem (2022 Version) by Singer-Songwriter Ross King*

Joy is my favorite kind of ambush; it renders you speechless in a triage of worship, wonder and peace!

A trio of ambushes are shared in this special Christmas episode.  One took place this fall on the Pacific Coast north of San Francisco.  One took place in Luke 1 as someone is ambushed right in the middle of their best day ever.  And a third shares a little discovery about joy which comes just in time for our celebration of the birthday of Jesus.  May the joy of the season rain upon you.

* Song used by permission from Ross King.

Featuring "Bethlehem (2022 Version) by Singer-Songwriter Ross King

While visiting the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California this fall, I came across one particular Peanuts comic strip that was absolutely brilliant.

This episode shines the light on one thing we all need this holiday season.  It's a little bit of Charlie Brown and Lucy, an updated version of a Ross King song*, a moment from Ted Lasso, two questions to ask ourselves and others, a prayer to pray, and a baby born in a cattle shed.

* Song used by permission from Ross King.

Featuring a Song by Singer-Songwriter Don Francisco

Children ask on average 125 questions a day.  Adults ask 3.  Big difference.

According to the Gospels, Jesus asked 307 questions.  He was asked 183.  He only answered 3.  Big difference.

According to the Bible, Jesus and children are close to God.  They get their question-asking naturally.  They get it from God.   And all through Scripture, God asks a lot of questions.  But God is omniscient.  He knows everything.  So why does He ask so much and so often.  He does it so that we can make discoveries about ourselves and our relationship with Him.

Today's episode examines God's first question recorded in Genesis 3:9.  And, as an added bonus, we will feature a song by singer-songwriter Don Francisco to introduce the question.  A special thanks to Don for granting us permission to use his song and for his contribution to this week's episode.

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Clark Cothern

Life is a curious thing.  You never know the next saint or neighbor you will meet.  You never know the lasting impression the person who moves in next door might make upon your life.  And that works both ways.  How will your current neighbors remember you?

Once upon a time about a couple of score ago, two young couples moved next door to each other at 1729 and 1727 W. Seminary Drive in Fort Worth, Texas.  And though we haven’t been next door neighbors for 36 years, today’s special podcast guest Clark Cothern and I remain friends to this day.  This is a light-hearted reflection on what it means to be saints and neighbors.  It’s a beautiful day at Redemption’s Table – and we saved you a seat.

Staying in the moment does not come naturally to me.  My mind is constantly drifting back to special memories, or sometimes pivotal events from the past.  I see a calendar date or hear a favorite song and immediately I flip back to that season of my journey.  And if I’m not circling back, then my mind is possibly racing towards the uncertain turns and curves of the future.

Can anybody out there relate?  Or am I the only one?

On today’s episode, I will share some key life hacks I use to keep me more present, wherever I happen to be, at any given moment.  And it all begins with how we begin our day.  We saved you a seat for this very timely, practical edition.  Pour yourself your favorite cup of coffee and join us.

(Photo by Robert Barge at Van Gogh and the Olive Groveson exhibit now at the Dallas Museum of Art.)

A Lyrical Conversation with Special Guest:  Jeff Gore.

Some of my favorite conversations revolve around music and favorite song lyrics.  It is even more exciting when the person you’re talking to is an award-winning cowboy musician.  And so back in the fall of 2021, I took advantage of being with one of my best friends who fits that bill and recorded two conversations instead of one

We’re excited to bring back to the table singer/songwriter/author/actor/preacher/cowboy and my good friend Jeff Gore.  Jeff and his wife Donna travel across the United States singing cowboy music and ministering to ranching and rural families.  I was blessed for many years to come along beside them in this endeavor in a variety of places across Texas and the southwest.  Today’s episode is pure fun and a real treat for anyone who already knows Jeff’s music and voice.  We saved you a place at the chuckwagon. www.jeffgore.org 

Home.  The place we were always meant to be.

Home.  Where peace and being should be synonymous.  But when they’re not?

Home.  The place where wounds are often felt the deepest.

Wherever you are in the Advent Christmas journey this year, please embrace this encouragement.  Let Jesus enter the home of your 2021 heart and heal and restore all that this broken world has brought to your door.

The good news of the birth of Jesus is still the good news.

Jesus says, “I’ll leave My home.  I’ll come to your home.  I’ll take your place.  I’ll make My home in you until I take you to My home.”  You will always find a place at His table because He is awaiting your presence this very day.

Merry Christmas to you.

If you’re happy and you know, you’ll get over it.  Everybody eventually does.  But if you have ever known Joy and suddenly step into a season where it seems to have vanished…. well, that’s unsettling.  And some of us are in that season.

Last year, I found myself wrestling through a winter wonderland.  In the process, I renamed the 4 candles of Advent to bring a little clarity to the end of a year I had yet to understand.  And God did all the rest.  And today’s word “thrive” surprised me the most.  So, come, let us reason together.  Grab a latte, sit a spell, and let God’s Spirit breathe over whatever you are facing this day.

Last year, I tossed the traditional Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace candles to help me make sense of a season that, at the time, I had little desire to celebrate.  Perhaps you’ve been there before.  Perhaps you’re there now or know someone who is.  These special Advent episodes are for all who have wrestled or who are wrestling through this season of wonder.

Last week, instead of lighting the first candle of Hope, we lit the candle of eucatastrophe.  Of the four traditional candles, Hope is probably the one most people still get. But today’s candle, Love, is probably the one that best fits the Inigo Montoya line from The Princess Bride: “You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.”

If you want to test whether love is real or not, ask yourself, “How close does it resemble the love of God?”  There’s where you will find your answer.  So today, we are lighting the candle of redemption at the table of redemption.  And everyone has a place setting with your name on it.  Let us begin.

Two questions I often ask:  “Where are you hurting?”  “What is your hope?”

We live in a world where hurting seems more prevalent than ever before as hope keeps wearing thin.

Welcome to Advent and not a moment too soon.  For the next four weeks, many followers of Jesus will light candles of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace in anticipation of Christmas.

Last year, I tossed Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace for words that helped me make sense of a season I had little desire to celebrate.  Perhaps you’ve been there, too.  Perhaps you’re there now or know someone who is.  This table is for all who have wrestled through this season of wonder.  Welcome.

Lunch and Conversation at Moe’s Original Bar B Que in Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Featuring Special Guest:  Jordan Cox

Our cars are packed and the journey awaits.  We move through the autumn cool towards welcome and warmth.  We gather together and abundance overflows to every plate.  We have a place at the table.  For many of us, this is the Thanksgiving we anticipate or at least remember.

Not everyone will know that kind of day tomorrow.  For some, that scene has never been.  For others, shadows have fallen and our joy is stifled.  Yet, gratitude still beckons for the claiming.

I’m excited for you to meet today’s Table Guest – Jordan Cox.  Jordan is a creative, a percussionist, a servant, a writer, and the Director of Communications at Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.  He is also a friend who has known his own shadow season.  At age 27, Jordan was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma.  To the glory of God, Jordan’s cancer is in remission today.

Here is a story of encouragement with perspective.  And whether your Thanksgiving forecast be sunny or slight, chances are you’re about to hear a word that will increase your gratitude.  We saved you a place at the table.

It’s mid-November.  The season of gratitude and anticipation is upon us.  Preparation for the celebration of the birth of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, has begun.  The birth of God’s only begotten Son.  The birth of God’s own fool.

Jesus is a fool!

If you have a pulse, those four words ought to evoke something besides indifference.  And you might want to buckle up your seatbelt for this episode.  There may be turbulence, or dis-turbulence before this Table stops spinning.  Either way, we saved you a seat.

Dinner and Conversation at Oskar’s Cafe at Lake Martin, Alabama

Featuring Special Guest:  Jeff Gore

I’ve watched today’s Special Guest live his faith in God for almost 40 years.  His mustache is as wide as his smile and as big as his heart.  He follows Jesus, loves his family, and surrendered to God’s call upon his life to cowboy ministry before the fad of cowboy church was even a thing.  For 29 years he has ridden alongside working cowboys and performed everywhere from round-ups to sawdust tents, from sanctuaries to concert halls.

He won The Academy of Western Artists’ Male Singer Award in 1997 and has had significant roles in two western movies – “The Good Old Boys,” directed by Tommy Lee Jones, and “Nail 32” starring Brad Johnson.  He has also recorded a corral full of albums and written one western novel - “Jingle In the Horses.

We live in a culture where “branding” has become trendy again.  Your brand tells people who you are and what they can expect.  It goes a little deeper than that among cowboys.   For them, to “ride for the brand” means to be true and loyal to the rancher who hired you.  Contrary to popular belief, there is only one brand of truth and His name is Jesus.  He even said so Himself in John 14:6. Jeff Gore rides for His brand.

And one more thing I forgot to mention.  Jeff is also one of my best friends.  So grab some grub and gather round the chuckwagon.  We saved you a haybale.

https://www.jeffgore.org

A Lyrical Conversation with Special Guest:  Denbigh Cherry.

There’s nothing like a well written song - the perfect blending of notes and lyrics.  It can lift; it can humble.  It can set your feet to dancin’.  It can drop you to your knees in prayer.  The right song at the right time can alter the direction of your day.  That’s the power of music.

We’re excited to bring back to the table singer/songwriter Denbigh Cherry.  Denbigh is a worship leader in New Braunfels, Texas.  He and I recently got together to share favorite song lyrics with one another.  This conversation is pure fun.  So put on the earbuds and get ready to add a few new songs to your playlists.  We saved you a seat at the table.

Today we have not one guest - we have five.  Five Smooth Stones.  Many of us associate those three words with the famous David and Goliath bout.  Little vs. big.  Good vs. evil.  Underdog vs. giant.  And so, we imagine we already know where today’s episode is going.

Consider this though.  What if the greatest giant you face is you?  What if he or she lives in a cave inside your heart?  What if the five smooth stones you need to subdue this giant are connected to thankfulness and gratitude?

The possibilities from this table are endless, as you are invited to join the fun and the whimsy and the wonder and the encouragement of gathering rock quintets of your own.  So, take off your shoes and wade into the stream.  There’s even an ever-changing Spotify playlist to inspire you.  Let the Thanksgiving search begin.

Three weeks ago, we stepped into autumn.  We crossed the equatorial line where day and night were everywhere on earth, for just a brief time, of approximately equal length.  Of course, we didn’t literally step across the line.  Earth glided across and we’re just along for the ride.

Hello Fall!  I love all the four seasons, but I have a special fondness for only you.  ‘Tis the season of pumpkin spice and crisp weather and logs on the fire and hayrides, and post-season baseball, and the trees – it’s like our Creator Artist drags every leaf across the palette of color to catch our breath in wonder – and when we let it out, we can actually see the cloud of glory from our lungs!

Along today’s journey, you’ll hear of some great places for tacos, some five o’clock grace, and how you can receive some pumpkin spice on the table.  So pull up a haybale.  The ride’s about to begin.

Conversation With Special Guest:  Kade Young

Behold a story you’ve never heard before.  An adventure of epic proportions that will cause your jaw to drop.  A true tale involving mountain lions and snow skiing North Koreans and crazy Christ-following.  The kind of life we are all called to if we just surrender to faith.

I’m excited for you to meet my friend Kade Young.  Kade follows Jesus.  He is a husband and a father, a son and a brother.  He served our country in the United States Marine Corps.  His conversation at the table today completes the first father and son duo to join me on the podcast.  (His dad Owen appeared two months ago.)

Somewhere in the midst of Kade’s retelling, he describes a moment as “poetic chaos.”  That pretty much sums up the opportunities Jesus offers to those who dare journey with Him.  In this world you will have chaos.  Why not live it poetic?

We saved you room on the ski lift!

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Dick Foth

Food and the table are close to the heart of the biblical story of redemption.  The Bible opens in a garden and closes at a never-ending wedding feast.  Food is central and essential to our everyday lives.  I don’t know about you, but the past 18 months has stolen a little bit of the joy of coming together around a common table.  I say, let’s turn the table on that!

I could not be more excited about today’s conversation!   This episode has been three years in the making.  When the Wild Goose of God’s Spirit first whispered the idea for this podcast, today’s very special guest, Dr. Dick Foth, was at the top of the dream reservation list for possible folks to bring to the table.

I first heard Dr. Foth speak at National Community Church in Washington DC in the summer of 2016.  I have not missed a single message of his since then.  He is an author, a storyteller, and popular speaker.  He serves on the teaching teams of several congregations, including NCC, and hosts his own podcast – “Known”– (I highly recommend it).  He has been a major influence in my life these past 5 years and I am grateful to call him friend.

You’re invited and welcome to join us!  We saved you a seat!

https://www.known.fm

Horse, train, and eights.  As a loon and Looney Tunes.  Crazy.

Anybody feel like you’ve been riding on a rollercoaster with Ozzy Osbourne the past 18 months?  Well, today’s episode comes with a challenge that might help you turn the table on that kind of crazy.

Seems everywhere I go, folks admire the Jesus who flipped tables.  They want to be just like Him in that regard.  Call me crazy,  but I’m learning, the only tables I need to flip are the ones in my mind.

So, all aboard!  We saved you a seat.  Come ride the rails to some “good” crazy.

A Conversation With Special Guest:  Josh Richardson

Word up! I believe listening to a single podcast has the potential to change your life.  I was listening to one* when I learned of Josh Richardson and an incredible vision God has given him to share Jesus with others.

Josh is a young entrepreneur from Fort Collins, Colorado who recently stepped outside his wheelhouse to publish high-end, moleskin copies of “The Life and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.” This is more than just another book aboutJesus.  This is the blending together of the 4 Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, straight out of the Bible, into one seamless story.  This is the Word of God.

Whoever you are and wherever you may find yourself today, I believe listening to this table conversation has the potential to change your life.  Word up!

* Known with Dick Foth

To order your FREE COPIES of the Jesus book, go to www.plusnothing.com

I like tunnels.  I like exploring them. I like driving through them.  For me, they are synonymous with National Parks.  From the Great Smoky Mountains to Glacier to Zion.  I like tunnels. They bear testimony to tons of hard work - literally.  Blood, sweat, tears, adversity, prolong seasons in the dark, resilience, and an undaunted spirit.

I like tunnels.  And sometimes, I feel like I’m digging through one and I’m not quite sure where the tunnel is going to come out on the other side.  Perhaps you can identify.  Welcome to this week’s appetizer episode.

Lunch and Conversation at Dreamland Bar-B-Que in Montgomery, Alabama

Featuring Special Guest:  Jared McCrory

Hope.  It may be the most powerful gift you could give, especially when the one receiving it has little to none.  Where and to whom do you offer hope on a regular basis?

Today’s Special Guest is Jared McCrory.  Jared is the Executive Director of Children's Hope, a ministry offering tangible hope to orphaned and abandoned children in Haiti.   Jared and I recently sat down at one of the most iconic BBQ joints in the south to break bread and share hope.

We have saved you a seat at this giant circle of hope and we're passing hope from one person to the next like a plate full of Dreamland ribs.  Jesus is the one who got this dream circle started.  When He enters our lives, He brings the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).  His hope fills us and we pass it on down the table to others.  Guitar-maker Hank Teuton built a beautiful Hope Guitar.  He passed this hope into the hands of Children's Hope to be used to raise money to bring hope to children in Haiti.  Hank's guitar has been passed through the hands of an abundance of musicians, including Vince Gill, Andrew Peterson, and others.  On September 23, Shane and Shane will lead worship in Montgomery, Alabama  and online, and if you have joined this circle of hope by giving $100 or more to Children's Hope, you might be the one to get up from that table of hope with a $20,000 guitar in your hands.   And hopefully, whoever wins it and wherever it goes, that guitar will keep on resonating and passing a heapin' helpin' of hope!

So share this special episode with every guitar player you know, listen to the conversation yourself, and go to       http://www.childrenshope.com to donate and learn more.

Sometimes you sense God’s presence and sometimes you don’t.

Sometimes life feels like Job 23 – you search for God and you can’t find Him.

At other times the truth of Psalm 139 is overwhelmingly evident – you couldn’t hide from God if you tried.

Welcome!  Our Special Guest today is present for every episode and is a participant at every “Table.” You can’t always guess where or how He’ll show up, but you can rest assured He is always there.  Today we’ll examine our need for “soul recovery” as we “wrestle with God in the season of Job.”  And we’ll take a trip out west to a couple of National Parks where The Presence is waiting to surprise!  So put on your hiking boots and join us.  We saved you a canteen.

Conversation at the Ruby Ranch ranchhouse in Las Vegas, New Mexico

Featuring Special Guest:  Owen Young

Today’s podcast tells the story of a cowboy, a pool player, and a pastor, and they’re all the same Stetson-wearing amigo.

Our Special Guest Owen Young is one of my best friends.  He dares imagine his story might not measure up to some of our previous guests.  Yet, I don’t think that’s quite how God sees him.  I am amazed at how wide God throws His loop in Owen’s surrendered hands. From the saddle to the poolhall, from a pulpit in the mountains of New Mexico to places around the world, this is a story of someone who will “do to ride the river with.”  So saddle up and join us!  We saved you a horse

That word has a more positive backspin than you might dare imagine.  It's a lighter shade of blue and it's this week's Appetizer Episode.

Each of these special podcasts revolve around a single word, offering a unique and sometimes peculiar perspective on that word.  It's like looking at something familiar, but from a different angle.  Hopefully, you'll never hear melancholy the same way after today and you'll recognize it for the wonderful God gift it is.

Lunch and Conversation at Habanero’s in Millbrook, Alabama

Featuring Special Guest:  Robert Mullins

Love God.  Love people.  Make disciples.  Those are three commands Jesus gave for anyone who chooses to follow Him.  Most of us have a pretty good grasp of the first two;  it’s the third one we’re not quite sure about.

It’s a joy to bring Special Guest Robert Mullins to today’s podcast.  He and I have a lot in common besides our first name, including helping people actively pursue what it means to make disciples.  (It’s not as mysterious as it sounds.)  Robert is a disciple, husband, father, artist, author, and pastor.  He is the founder of Passion Tree Network and has recently launched a brand new website featuring his art.

So join two Roberts at our second different restaurant table in a row to feature Tacos Especiales.  We saved you a seat.

www.passiontree.org

www.PreacherManArt.com

Lunch and Conversation at Jalapeno’s in The Alley in Montgomery, Alabama

Featuring Special Guest:  Hank Teuton

Well there you are, and here we are - FINALLY - sitting down at our first restaurant table in over a year!   And it could not have been more perfect.  Today’s gem of a podcast is one of the reasons I love doing what I am called to do.

Hank Teuton is Today’s Special Guest and I am blessed to call him friend.  He originally appeared at The Table during our first season in the immensely popular episode, “Blessed Are the Guitar-Makers.”  For 20 years, Hank has been crafting beautiful musical instruments as a luthier, a mentor, and a discipler.  And his latest work, The Hope Guitar, is absolutely astounding – and thanks to Hank, you could not only win “Hope,” but give it at the same time.

Hank created the Hope Guitar to raise funds for Children’s Hope and their work with orphaned children, struggling families, and needy communities in the country of Haiti.   This beautifully designed guitar is inspired by Hebrews 6:19 – “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul.”  I intend to be one of the first to give to Children’s Hope for a chance to bring home this musical masterpiece and I plan on sharing this podcast with every guitarist I know.  I hope you’ll join me in both efforts.     www.childrenshope.com

In the mean time, order the Tacos Especiales and join us in outdoor seating.  We saved you a seat.

We all need it.  Add it to the list along with oxygen, water, food, shelter.  We all need it and we all need to give it.

Welcome to “the Table!”  It’s Holy Week in the Christian church and this week’s episode has a more mystic, somber vibe.  At the heart of it is perhaps the most disarming words Jesus ever spoke.  While hanging on the cross, He prayed over the crowd, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Mercy!  We all need it.  The banquet doors are open and you’re invited to the table.  We’ve even prepared a special Mercy Playlist to accompany your meal over on Spotify.  Let the Party of Redemption begin.

Well there you are!  And welcome back for the second of our brand new Appetizer Episodes!

This week’s word is “WILD.”  What comes to mind when you hear that word?  Perhaps something you were “born to be” that gets your motor running.  Or maybe that “thing” that makes your heart sing.

Did you know that Wild is chasing you, pursuing you, all the time?  It surrounds us and has the capacity to astound us if we would but pause to notice and accept the invitation it offers: to take up the chase.  Those who chase the Wild with the same intensity as the Wild chases them are always in for surprise.

So come to the table.  Sign up for our appetizer give-away.  Check out our Wild Playlist.  And join in the chase.