In a world full of so much pain, what is the hope of joy? How do we hold God's goodness and the brokenness of our world in a faithful tension? What kind of future does joy want? In our final episode of the season, Scot and Claire bring these profound and poignant questions to the Rev. Dr. Justin Crisp, Priest in Charge of Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church in Greenwich, CT, lecturer in Anglican Studies at Yale Divinity School, and co-editor of Joy and Human Flourishing: Essays on Theology, Culture, and the Good Life. With a rare mix of theological insight and pastoral sensitivity, Justin explores such vast concepts as the problem of evil right alongside more ordinary experiences of grief, change, and loss to illuminate a God who is radically present with us while remaining a mystery beyond our comprehension. Don't miss this deep and delightful conversation as we head into the summer months grounded in the joy that meet us here and now because, as Justin says, "God is God, and now is where we are."

How do we trust and stay with a process when our destination is unclear? Today we explore the daunting and delightful space in between — be that between certainty and trust, control and acceptance, or us and God — with ELCA pastor and spiritual leader the Rev. Beth Horsch. As the newest member of the Vital+Thriving Congregations Leadership Team, Rev. Beth offers listeners hope and perspective as someone who moved through this process over ten years ago in her own congregation and continues to see it bear fruit in the life of the community. Reflecting on how difficult it is for people trained to identify a goal and then benchmark progress toward it to give themselves over to a genuine process of spiritual discernment, Rev. Beth peppers this episode with helpful reframes, good humor, and generous companionship. Don't miss this encouraging reminder of the abundant life that God longs for us all to enjoy, here and now.

We are thrilled to welcome to the show yet another Episcopal Bishop, this time from our home state of California! The Rt. Rev. Dr. Susan Brown Snook is a national leader in evangelism, church growth, and church planting currently serving as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of San Diego. After serving established congregations early in her ordained ministry, she planted a church in Scottsdale, Arizona, which went on to become a thriving congregation. In this deeply hopeful and imminently practical conversation, Bishop Susan reflects on the spiritual practices that make for vital Christian communities, whether new or longstanding, such as connecting with our neighbors, deepening authentic relationship within and beyond our community, engaging in spiritual practices that center God, and looking for God already at work in our world. We also explore insights and frameworks from her wonderful book God Gave the Growth: Church Planting in the Episcopal Church. Bishop Susan proclaims the hope of the resurrection with her words and her witness, reminding us that there is no situation through which God cannot bring new life. Don't miss this truly inspiring episode with one our church's most visionary leaders.