In this episode of The BETWEN Podcast, host Matt Mattson dives deeply into the mystical and the concrete with author Kevin Sweeney.

Kevin Sweeney was co-founder and lead pastor of Imagine Church—an urban church in Honolulu that is welcoming of all people, sees imagination as the key to the future, chooses authenticity over performance, substance over hype, and quality over quantity.

He is the host of podcast “The Church Needs Therapy” and is the author of the books, “The Making of a Mystic: My Journey with Mushrooms, My Life as a Pastor, and Why It’s Okay For Everyone to Relax,” out on May 31st, and “The Joy of Letting Go”. His newest book is titled "The Cosmic Christ and the Concrete Jesus: Mystics, The Black Prophetic Tradition, and Why I'm Still A Christian" and is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Christ-Concrete-Jesus-ebook/dp/B0F2Q3P6K2#

He lives In Honolulu with his wife and co-founder of Imagine, Christine, and their two kids, True and Mikayla.

Are you a prophet? Should people claim to be prophets in today's world? What do the prophets of the ancient times have to teach us about the way we're supposed to be with each other today?

Fr. Richard Rohr recently released a new book titled, "The Tears of Things" that Pastor Dani and Matt Mattson discuss in detail on this episode of The BETWEEN Podcast.

The book serves as a jumping off point for a truly sacred conversation to take place... They discuss our inner "prophetic" voice, our ego, seeing the world in new ways through tears-filled eyes, the courage to embrace paradox.

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK

How do we live compassionately in a time of violence and despair? What can we do with our private disappointments and the anger we feel in such an unjust world? In his most personal book yet, Richard Rohr turns to the writings of the Jewish prophets, revealing how some of the lesser-read books of the Bible offer us a crucial path forward today.
The prophets’ writings reflect the full spectrum of human maturity. In almost every case, their initial rage and their accusatory words evolve into a profound pathos and lamentation about our shared human condition and the world’s suffering. Through astute critiques of culture and institutions, and their journey from anger to sadness, and ultimately compassion, the prophets exemplify what Rohr calls “sacred criticism”—a distinct approach to confronting evil and injustice that acknowledges the wholeness of history, the interconnectedness of every living being, and the reality of a divine and universal love. In this, they set the stage for Jesus, who follows this identical pattern.
Drawing on a century of biblical scholarship and written in the warm, pastoral voice that has endeared Rohr to millions, The Tears of Things breathes new life into ancient wisdom. It paves a path of enlightenment for anyone seeking a compassionate way of living in a hurting world.

In this episode of The BETWEEN Podcast, host Matt Mattson and special guest Kate Boyd dive deeply into faith disentanglement, Batman (the dog), the danger of fundamentalism, and the untidiness of our personal and communal faith lives.

Kate Boyd helps weary and wounded Christians rebuild their relationship with Scripture and community... and she helps them love God and their neighbors with their whole selves. Kate has traveled the world to interview and tell the stories of believers around the globe while she has been on mission trips. She is the author of a book we discuss in this episdoed titled, “An Untidy Faith: Journeying Back to the Joy of Following Jesus”. She is also creator of the Threaded Bible studies, and founder of The Remembered Table. She holds a masters in theological studies with an emphasis in biblical studies from Perkins School of Theology.