The Calling

Prayer amid Pandemic is a podcast to encourage and sharpen the church during this season of coronavirus. Twice a week we’ll give you stories of Christian individuals and communities whose lives and faith were shaped by sickness. We’ll also get an update on the latest on the COVID-19 situation and pray together, hearing from Christians around the world.

It seems like opportunities for grief are popping up around every corner these days. In the latest season of Living and Effective, Richard Clark and Joy Beth spend six episodes exploring what the Bible has to say to us when the typical answers to life's problems just don't seem to make sense. For the rest of the story, subscribe to Living and Effective wherever you get your podcasts. ---- "It’s certainly not linear. Grief is not like that. Grief is all over the map, that’s part of the difficulty of it. You can feel like you’ve gotten through a lot of it, and then feel like you’re back at the beginning again." - Diane Langberg, author of Suffering and the Heart of God Living and Effective is a collaboration between CT Creative Studio and The Christian Standard Bible. Music by: Yons, Sweeps, and The Gray Havens. Season 2 theme song by Yons.

This special episode of The Calling is brought to you by CT Creative Studio in partnership with The Witness’s Joy and Justice Conference, taking place October 4-5 in Chicago, IL. For more information, go to joyandjustice.com. On a previous interview with The Calling, Jemar Tisby spoke of that moment he launched a Facebook group for the Reformed African America Network. That group has since experienced explosive growth, expanding into a publishing platform, a podcast network, and even a nation-wide tour. They’ve been renamed The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, but they continue to focus on centering black voices and providing spaces for those who feel like outsiders in mainstream Christian spaces. On this episode of The Calling, we discuss a number of ways The Witness team has sought to do that, including their upcoming conference. We also explore the challenges of creating a safe space that is also open to all.

Introducing: The Way to Glory by Christianity Today

Introducing: The Way to Glory by Christianity Today

Introducing: The Way to Glory by Christianity Today

The Calling host, Richard Clark is back with a brand new podcast to check out. Subscribe now!

The Calling host, Richard Clark is back with a brand new podcast to check out. Subscribe now!

The Calling host, Richard Clark is back with a brand new podcast to check out. Subscribe now!

When asked to describe his calling, Civil Rights leader John Perkins launches instead into a detailed explanation of his long and morphing relationship with the Bible. Perkins’ story moves from confusion to clarity, and ultimately ends in resolve and redemption. Having grown up in poverty, Perkins found hope in the promises of God, and he took them to heart. But he didn’t just take the good stuff to heart. He also took to heart the challenges and warnings scripture had for both him and his world. In his later years, Perkins demonstrates a distinct comfort with the kinds of tensions we find in scripture: between repentance and hope, justice and forgiveness. In 1960, Perkins and his wife Vira Mae moved from California, back to Mendenhall, Mississippi to put into practice his philosophy of what it means to minister to the poor. Though he spent much of his energy implementing a daycare center, a church, a youth program, and many other benevolent programs, in his community, Perkins also took a prominent role among ongoing Civil Rights activism. As a result, he built up his community while also running into a host of physical push-back, oftentimes being imprisoned and even beaten for his beliefs and actions. Along with his wife, he started a foundation dedicated to justice, reconciliation, and community development. Now 88 years old, he’s focused on clarifying and documenting the experience and wisdom he’s developed over the years. In the final episode of CT’s The Calling, host Richard Clark talks with Perkins about his experience growing up in the midst of unjust laws, the double-edged sword of forgiveness, and his fear of falling short of faithfulness in the end.

When asked to describe his calling, Civil Rights leader John Perkins launches instead into a detailed explanation of his long and morphing relationship with the Bible. Perkins’ story moves from confusion to clarity, and ultimately ends in resolve and redemption. Having grown up in poverty, Perkins found hope in the promises of God, and he took them to heart. But he didn’t just take the good stuff to heart. He also took to heart the challenges and warnings scripture had for both him and his world. In his later years, Perkins demonstrates a distinct comfort with the kinds of tensions we find in scripture: between repentance and hope, justice and forgiveness. In 1960, Perkins and his wife Vira Mae moved from California, back to Mendenhall, Mississippi to put into practice his philosophy of what it means to minister to the poor. Though he spent much of his energy implementing a daycare center, a church, a youth program, and many other benevolent programs, in his community, Perkins also took a prominent role among ongoing Civil Rights activism. As a result, he built up his community while also running into a host of physical push-back, oftentimes being imprisoned and even beaten for his beliefs and actions. Along with his wife, he started a foundation dedicated to justice, reconciliation, and community development. Now 88 years old, he’s focused on clarifying and documenting the experience and wisdom he’s developed over the years. In the final episode of CT’s The Calling, host Richard Clark talks with Perkins about his experience growing up in the midst of unjust laws, the double-edged sword of forgiveness, and his fear of falling short of faithfulness in the end.

When asked to describe his calling, Civil Rights leader John Perkins launches instead into a detailed explanation of his long and morphing relationship with the Bible. Perkins’ story moves from confusion to clarity, and ultimately ends in resolve and redemption. Having grown up in poverty, Perkins found hope in the promises of God, and he took them to heart. But he didn’t just take the good stuff to heart. He also took to heart the challenges and warnings scripture had for both him and his world. In his later years, Perkins demonstrates a distinct comfort with the kinds of tensions we find in scripture: between repentance and hope, justice and forgiveness. In 1960, Perkins and his wife Vira Mae moved from California, back to Mendenhall, Mississippi to put into practice his philosophy of what it means to minister to the poor. Though he spent much of his energy implementing a daycare center, a church, a youth program, and many other benevolent programs, in his community, Perkins also took a prominent role among ongoing Civil Rights activism. As a result, he built up his community while also running into a host of physical push-back, oftentimes being imprisoned and even beaten for his beliefs and actions. Along with his wife, he started a foundation dedicated to justice, reconciliation, and community development. Now 88 years old, he’s focused on clarifying and documenting the experience and wisdom he’s developed over the years. In the final episode of CT’s The Calling, host Richard Clark talks with Perkins about his experience growing up in the midst of unjust laws, the double-edged sword of forgiveness, and his fear of falling short of faithfulness in the end.

Justin Giboney vividly remembers the moment he realized he needed to distinguish himself from the mainstream democratic party. As a delegate representing the 5th congressional district in Georgia, he took part in a voice-vote to remove the phrase “God-given” from the phrase “God-given rights” in the democratic party platform. “We voted on it by voice vote,” said Giboney. “It was so clear that the people who wanted it out were a lot more excited and a lot more energized than the people who wanted it in.” For Giboney, creating the And Campaign was a way to formalize the inevitable realization that the truth lies somewhere in between party lines. It’s an attempt to fundamentally change the way Christians interact with politics, encouraging them to let biblical values, rather than party politics, lead their involvement in the national conversation. While his goals are ambitious, Giboney understands this will take time. That’s why he’s settling in, demonstrating patience in his rhetorical strategy, and investing his time and vision in institutions like the And Campaign. Ultimately, Giboney is leaning into hope. He’s a happy advocate for politics done right. On this episode of The Calling, Justin Giboney talked to CT’s Richard Clark about why he felt called to politics, when to speak up on social media, and the encouragement that keeps him going.

Justin Giboney vividly remembers the moment he realized he needed to distinguish himself from the mainstream democratic party. As a delegate representing the 5th congressional district in Georgia, he took part in a voice-vote to remove the phrase “God-given” from the phrase “God-given rights” in the democratic party platform. “We voted on it by voice vote,” said Giboney. “It was so clear that the people who wanted it out were a lot more excited and a lot more energized than the people who wanted it in.” For Giboney, creating the And Campaign was a way to formalize the inevitable realization that the truth lies somewhere in between party lines. It’s an attempt to fundamentally change the way Christians interact with politics, encouraging them to let biblical values, rather than party politics, lead their involvement in the national conversation. While his goals are ambitious, Giboney understands this will take time. That’s why he’s settling in, demonstrating patience in his rhetorical strategy, and investing his time and vision in institutions like the And Campaign. Ultimately, Giboney is leaning into hope. He’s a happy advocate for politics done right. On this episode of The Calling, Justin Giboney talked to CT’s Richard Clark about why he felt called to politics, when to speak up on social media, and the encouragement that keeps him going.

Justin Giboney vividly remembers the moment he realized he needed to distinguish himself from the mainstream democratic party. As a delegate representing the 5th congressional district in Georgia, he took part in a voice-vote to remove the phrase “God-given” from the phrase “God-given rights” in the democratic party platform. “We voted on it by voice vote,” said Giboney. “It was so clear that the people who wanted it out were a lot more excited and a lot more energized than the people who wanted it in.” For Giboney, creating the And Campaign was a way to formalize the inevitable realization that the truth lies somewhere in between party lines. It’s an attempt to fundamentally change the way Christians interact with politics, encouraging them to let biblical values, rather than party politics, lead their involvement in the national conversation. While his goals are ambitious, Giboney understands this will take time. That’s why he’s settling in, demonstrating patience in his rhetorical strategy, and investing his time and vision in institutions like the And Campaign. Ultimately, Giboney is leaning into hope. He’s a happy advocate for politics done right. On this episode of The Calling, Justin Giboney talked to CT’s Richard Clark about why he felt called to politics, when to speak up on social media, and the encouragement that keeps him going.

Keith Getty is best known for having authored “In Christ Alone,” one of the most popular modern worship songs. Still, his calling ultimately crystalized around a particular realization about worship in the modern church: “This is the first point in history that what is being sung by the church is not being decided on by the leadership of the church.” Once he recognized that, he began to seek out a way to turn the tide of how worship leaders choose their music, and what characterizes that music. Now an independant artist, Getty’s hymns have a distinctly theological focus. By eschewing what he sees to be worldly trends and focusing on lyrical density, breadth, and depth, Getty has composed a series of hymns that churches around the world have embraced. But Getty is just as invested in how his songs are sung in church as whether they are. He’s a proponent of congregational worship, an approach that makes the members of the church the focus of worship rather than the performers on stage. We talked to Keith Getty about how children’s choir changed his life, the problem he has with Wall Street, and the ways he leads his own family in worship in his day to day life. This episode of The Calling was brought to you by the Christian Standard Bible. To learn more about the Christian Standard Bible, visit CSBible.com/CT.

Keith Getty is best known for having authored “In Christ Alone,” one of the most popular modern worship songs. Still, his calling ultimately crystalized around a particular realization about worship in the modern church: “This is the first point in history that what is being sung by the church is not being decided on by the leadership of the church.” Once he recognized that, he began to seek out a way to turn the tide of how worship leaders choose their music, and what characterizes that music. Now an independant artist, Getty’s hymns have a distinctly theological focus. By eschewing what he sees to be worldly trends and focusing on lyrical density, breadth, and depth, Getty has composed a series of hymns that churches around the world have embraced. But Getty is just as invested in how his songs are sung in church as whether they are. He’s a proponent of congregational worship, an approach that makes the members of the church the focus of worship rather than the performers on stage. We talked to Keith Getty about how children’s choir changed his life, the problem he has with Wall Street, and the ways he leads his own family in worship in his day to day life. This episode of The Calling was brought to you by the Christian Standard Bible. To learn more about the Christian Standard Bible, visit CSBible.com/CT.

Keith Getty is best known for having authored “In Christ Alone,” one of the most popular modern worship songs. Still, his calling ultimately crystalized around a particular realization about worship in the modern church: “This is the first point in history that what is being sung by the church is not being decided on by the leadership of the church.” Once he recognized that, he began to seek out a way to turn the tide of how worship leaders choose their music, and what characterizes that music. Now an independant artist, Getty’s hymns have a distinctly theological focus. By eschewing what he sees to be worldly trends and focusing on lyrical density, breadth, and depth, Getty has composed a series of hymns that churches around the world have embraced. But Getty is just as invested in how his songs are sung in church as whether they are. He’s a proponent of congregational worship, an approach that makes the members of the church the focus of worship rather than the performers on stage. We talked to Keith Getty about how children’s choir changed his life, the problem he has with Wall Street, and the ways he leads his own family in worship in his day to day life. This episode of The Calling was brought to you by the Christian Standard Bible. To learn more about the Christian Standard Bible, visit CSBible.com/CT.

When Gina Cho came to the US from North Korea at four years old, she had her own challenges. She struggled to fit in at school, and often felt lonely and left out. Those challenges led her to chase after personal success for security. And she achieved it, having become a CPA, a public auditor for Coopers and Lybrand, and a VP of a high-tech sports startup. At 29, she was named “entrepreneur of the year” by Ernst and Young. In the midst of all this success, and a family of eight, came a series of gut-punches. The 1998 stock market crash led to a domino effect that left their financial well-being in question and exposed her husband to legal risk. Ultimately, he was convicted of white collar crime and was sent to a federal prison where he has been for nine years. What Gina Cho faced next was a series of decisions and challenges she felt wholly ill-equipped to deal with at the time. How does she maintain a thriving relationship with her husband when he’s behind bars? How can she possibly raise six children by herself? And what is she going to tell her friends and church members? But just like when she was young, God used that challenge to grow her, this time teaching to rely not so much on earthly success, but on the grace and loving kindness of Jesus Christ. For Gina Cho, her times of weakness and brokenness have served the purpose of magnifying God’s glory in her life. On today’s episode of The Calling, Richard Clark talks to Gina Cho about her remarkably unique life, and how a life in pursuit of success transitioned into a life of clinging to Christ for help.

When Gina Cho came to the US from South Korea at four years old, she had her own challenges. She struggled to fit in at school, and often felt lonely and left out. Those challenges led her to chase after personal success for security. And she achieved it, having become a CPA, a public auditor for Coopers and Lybrand, and a VP of a high-tech sports startup. At 29, she was named “entrepreneur of the year” by Ernst and Young. In the midst of all this success, and a family of eight, came a series of gut-punches. The 1998 stock market crash led to a domino effect that left their financial well-being in question and exposed her husband to legal risk. Ultimately, he was convicted of white collar crime and was sent to a federal prison where he has been for nine years. What Gina Cho faced next was a series of decisions and challenges she felt wholly ill-equipped to deal with at the time. How does she maintain a thriving relationship with her husband when he’s behind bars? How can she possibly raise six children by herself? And what is she going to tell her friends and church members? But just like when she was young, God used that challenge to grow her, this time teaching to rely not so much on earthly success, but on the grace and loving kindness of Jesus Christ. For Gina Cho, her times of weakness and brokenness have served the purpose of magnifying God’s glory in her life. On today’s episode of The Calling, Richard Clark talks to Gina Cho about her remarkably unique life, and how a life in pursuit of success transitioned into a life of clinging to Christ for help.