The Micah Mobilizers continue their discussion of the American Church’s response to Charlie Kirk. Many in leadership are focused on calming the anxieties of people by acknowledging the tragedy of this violence, but also ignoring or whitewashing the politics of white supremacy and violence espoused and stoked by Kirk. As Ta-Nehisi Coates asks, “If you would look away from the words of Charlie Kirk, from what else would you look away?” How can we find courage to speak the truth? What does...

The reprehensible killing of Charlie Kirk has revealed a deep divide in our country and a deep divide in the American church. How do we find hope for the church in this era of violent division? Visit micahgroups.org to learn about our upcoming Micah Groups Facilitator Training, led by Joy, Jin, and Bret. You'll get tools and equipping to help you facilitate courageous conversations in your own church or community.

In a surprise announcement, the IRS recently stated that “houses of worship can endorse candidates for political office without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.”This might sound like greater freedom for churches to do what they’re supposed to do, but it also blurs the line between the church and state even further. So the question is —does this help or harm the prophetic voice of the church?

Last week, the President declared war on Iran and dropped bombs. Many political and religious leaders are espousing support for Israel that is rooted in Christian conviction, but this willingness to kill for God’s sake is driven by bad theology. What is our sacred resistance? What must we say? What must we do? What must we pray?

What does it mean for Christian leaders to resist in this time? This is not business as usual in the U.S. The dismantling of democracy, due process, rule of law, and the normalization of cruelty and abuse of power is unprecedented in our country's history. What can we do?

When should we speak up? When should we remain silent? Where do we find the energy, hope, and joy to sustain us? These are many of the questions pastors and church leaders are asking as we see the world gravitating more and more toward authoritarian governance.

There have always been attempts by the Empire to subjugate Christianity for its own purposes, but there is something new about the most recent attempts to co-opt the name of Christ to serve political purposes. Recently, JD Vance appealed to Thomas Aquinas’ concept of ordo Amoris—“rightly ordered love”—to make his case that what this administration is doing is, in fact, not only moral, but Christian. Joy, Jin, and Bret are joined again by Sandy Richter to consider—What is our prophetic work he...

The Micah Mobilizers are joined by special guest Sandy Richter, an Anglican priest and Micah Group alum, as they reflect on the prophetic witness of Bishop Budde, who called for mercy at the National Prayer Breakfast last month and was met with anger and hate from many Christians. In these tumultuous times, the most powerful prophetic work we can do is to live out Christlike qualities.

As we watch the news of the U.S. federal government ending DEI initiatives, and corporations including Wal-Mart, Facebook, McDonald’s, Ford, and many others follow suit, what is the prophetic call to the Christian church?

The Micah Mobilizers spend time processing their emotions and intentions in our post-election reality. As leaders, what do we do when we feel helpless? How do we respond to pushback that pastors are not supposed to be political? How do we model for our communities what it means to both challenge and encourage one another toward confronting our own biases? How do we learn to act upon the imagination and strength that God has given us? What courageous conversation do you feel called to today?

What do we need to confront about how race and gender are used by both sides in an election year? And what’s happening to the Black male vote? In today’s discussion, Joy, Jin, and Bret are joined by special guest, Pastor Fred Wilson, Faith & Community Relations Director at UCAN Chicago.

Many pastors are scared to talk about the racist lies being spread in the current election cycle in the U.S. We don’t want to be partisan, we don’t want to get into uncomfortable conversations. We hide behind the notion that all politicians lie. But what is this saying to people of color in our churches and communities? How do we help disciple our white men and women to love our neighbors better than this?

The Micah Mobilizers welcome special guest, Cheryl Lynn Cain, to this conversation about the gendered dynamics of power that make patriarchy so difficult to topple. How do we begin to break down such a self-perpetuating system of abusive power?

In this first conversation that begins a series about patriarchy and the church, Joy, Jin, and Bret look at the sexist backlash to Kamala Harris’s candidacy and the patterns of gendered abuse and misinformation aimed at women in leadership. How do we speak prophetically when this kind of rhetoric is promoted, repeated, and amplified in the church by Christians?

Micah Groups began as a place to gather diverse pastors to have hard conversations, engaging one another in our differences, in order to grow in empathy and courage. In this episode, recorded on the morning of the presidential debate, the Micah Mobilizers are asking: In 2024, is this even possible? What must be in place so that we in the church can somehow engage in conversations of policy and political difference without killing each other, or killing ourselves?

Special guest Felecia Thompson joins the Micah Mobilizers for this second conversation in a series about the pastoral and the prophetic. Tune in to consider: How do we help others to be formed toward the pastoral and prophetic? What is missing in the formation of our leaders that feeds this problem?

Special guest Judy Peterson, "The Walking Pastor," talks with Joy, Jin, and Bret about how a call to the pastoral and prophetic work together. Learn more about Judy's ministry "to pastor the feral children of God" at https://linktr.ee/walkingpastor.

Special guest Mark Labberton, former president of Fuller Seminary, joins the Micah Podcast hosts to discuss how we can use power differently—like the way Jesus embodies it in Philippians 2. Your Micah Podcast Hosts: Rev. Joy Johnson, Rev. Jin Cho, and Rev. Bret Widman Special Guest: Rev. Mark Labberton

How do we honor scripture as the source of truth for our lives, but not manipulate it to serve our own purposes?

There is a strange idea on the rise that talking about race is the same as being racist. How can pastors and leaders navigate this challenge in order to work for justice in race relations while being sensitive to the current social defensiveness? Your Micah Podcast hosts are Rev. Joy Johnson, Rev. Jin Cho, and Rev. Bret Widman.