Down to Earth Podcast

Down to Earth is a theological podcast hosted by academic and hilarious pastors Jess DiSabatino and Joyce Rees. They’re creating a community of thinking Christians with grounded practices. Downtoearthpodcast.com

304 Privatization of Faith 06/22/2022

304 Privatization of Faith Continuing our exploration of the gospel we take a serious look at the challenge of living an embodied faith, when our culture tells us to keep our spiritual life private - between us and Jesus. No one likes a bible thumper so how are we supposed to live out our faith, anyway? If you’ve wrestled with any of this you’ll want to have a listen to this episode! /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/23432720

004 Bonus Episode | Deconstruction 05/16/2022

004 Bonus Episode | Deconstruction In some parts of the Church deconstruction is all the rage, and in other parts of the Church it’s basically a swear word! Both extremes are unhealthy. In this bonus episode, recorded live at Masters College and Seminary in Peterborough, Ontario, we unpack why everyone deconstructs throughout their Christian life as a maturing process, and we share important biblical precedents that must be in the mix for your rebuilding process. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/23131334

303 Jesus is Not a Motivational Speaker 03/10/2022

303 Jesus is Not a Motivational Speaker If you were just dropped into the 21st century and listened to the preaching and teaching of our day you might be fooled into thinking that Jesus was a motivational speaker, but that would be the furthest thing from the truth. In this episode we talk about how Jesus cannot be relegated to a life-coach or a cultural influencer, and how his teaching upends humanism and forces us to confront our need for God. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/22400957

003 Bonus | Beyond the Crapshoot - Learning a Healthier Approach to Dating 02/14/2022

003 Bonus | Beyond the Crapshoot - Learning a Healthier Approach to Dating Disposable dating, needing to know the end before the beginning, and misfired expectations are common laments from people wanting a healthy relationship. We held a live event to engage the conversation in February 2019 and you get to listen in on this bonus episode, which includes our husbands Dave DiSabatino and Calum Rees! /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/22132598

302 Hell's Bells 01/24/2022

302 Hell's Bells For years the Church has used fear as both a tactic to “convert” and a method to control people. But what if this was not the way Jesus intended us to live or lead? In this episode we talk about the history and forward trajectory of fear-based evangelism and discipleship with deep dialogue about how this is very different than the way of love. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/21876428

002 Bonus | Reimagining Christmas 11/29/2021

002 Bonus | Reimagining Christmas Loads of us get so busy celebrating Christmas culturally that we hardly give a thought to how to celebrate Christmas as a Christian. What if Christmas could be much more than a season of nostalgia that disappoints or exercises in absurdity? Reimagining Christmas in view of the power of the incarnation and the humility and relationality of "God with us" can transform your celebration of Jesus into a season that is truly life-giving. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/21306728

301 The Sinner’s Prayer is not in the Bible 11/17/2021

301 The Sinner’s Prayer is not in the Bible We’re reconsidering the gospel in Season 3. In this first episode we do a deep dive in church history to see if we can pinpoint where it all went wrong and explore how a weakened understanding and articulation of Jesus’ good news has disrupted our own discipleship and disabled the growth of the Church. Buckle up - this is just the beginning! /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/21190826

001 Bonus | The Role of the Pastor 10/25/2021

001 Bonus | The Role of the Pastor The pandemic created an avalanche of pastors exiting their jobs. What has been the tipping point and where are expectations of pastors skewed? What do pastors do exactly and how can you better support your pastor? All this and more on this pre-season bonus episode! /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/20934620

217 Season 2 Wrap 01/29/2021

217 Season 2 Wrap Every season in life is full of mountains and valleys. In this episode we look back at some of the highlights and lowlights from season two emphasizing the direction of God in our daily lives. We also talk about what is next for the Down To Earth Podcast. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/17743436

216 The Gift of Leadership 09/30/2020

216 The Gift of Leadership Leadership is an obsession of the 21st century, but if leadership is in fact a gift from God we must frame it theologically. Going beyond task assignment, empowering people to lead in the Church requires intentionality, both to recognize and cultivate these gifts. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/16205990

215 Biblical Framework for Leadership 09/01/2020

215 Biblical Framework for Leadership If all power corrupts how can we hold authority and power as Christian leaders? Join us as we discuss modern leadership dilemmas including deconstruction, flattened leadership models and honour culture through the lens of a Biblical framework of leadership. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/15749417

214 Reconciliation 07/22/2020

214 Reconciliation Reconciliation is the last step in the forgiveness process and while it is not always possible, when it happens it is a real sign of the kingdom of God at work among us. In this episode we discuss both the theology and practicalities of reaching for reconciliation during the forgiveness process. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/15302342

213 Forgiveness 06/30/2020

213 Forgiveness To be able to forgive is on some level a relinquishing of power over another individual. This is an important conversation in our season on Power for anyone who takes their discipleship growth seriously. We explore the concept of forgiveness and some of the theological complexities surrounding it, including the idea of unilateral forgiveness. We’d love to have you join the conversation. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/15027248

212 Behind the Scenes 05/27/2020

212 Behind the Scenes Ever wondered how we got started, what bumps we hit along the way developing DTE, or how we discerned the arc for Season 2? Join us as we explain the backstory, what we fight about, plus the fun that goes into developing each episode. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/14580053

211 Power & Demons 04/30/2020

211 Power & Demons In our exploration of power this season we knew we’d have to weigh into the area of spiritual power. Our biblical mandate is to exercise authority over demonic power, but often we avoid this, dismiss it, or tip into weirdness because of an inordinate emphasis on demons. This episode explores what Jesus said and did in response to demons and how we can best respond in obedience to Christ. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/14206862

210 Healing 04/14/2020

210 Healing There is no healing without experiencing the power of God. But there’s also no guarantee of healing whenever we ask for it. On this episode we explore healing from a biblical perspective and how “silver bullet” thinking can be challenged theologically. We hope you’re encouraged to keep reaching for healing, while learning to live with the “not yet” realities we all face. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/13977974

209 Poverty & Power 03/31/2020

209 Poverty & Power Socio economic diversity was to be a signpost of the Kingdom of God at work among God’s people. But in reality we know there are always power dynamics at play when people are experiencing poverty. In this episode we tackle the question of how we upend this power imbalance both inside and outside the Church. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/13767971

208 Pandemic Special 03/25/2020

208 Pandemic Special As the world is suffering through the Covid-19 pandemic we are realizing we’re in it together, more than the global village has ever experienced before. For many, this suffering is raising profound theological questions about God’s goodness, what faith in a crisis ought to look like, how to best love our neighbour, and much more. Jess and Joyce have a candid conversation you’ll want to listen in on and share with your friends. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/13688306

207 Racism & Power 03/17/2020

207 Racism & Power Racism & Power /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/13533524

206 Women in the Church 03/03/2020

206 Women in the Church This episode gets into the fray of women in the Church. We explore the theology of male/female relationships as well as the hotly debated New Testament passages used to preclude women from full participation in the life of the Church. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/13389203

205 Power Struggles 02/18/2020

205 Power Struggles Power is the root issue underneath every conflict. And none of us get through life without engaging in some sort of power struggle! We get very practical on this episode, as we think through how to heal from power conflicts that have been either personal or communal. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/13168028

204 Collective Power 02/04/2020

204 Collective Power Most of us have a tendency toward hyper-individualism. Collective sharing of power enables a much more robust effectiveness. On this episode we explore how we can best share power to impact the world around us. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/12976526

203 Non-Violent Resistance 01/22/2020

203 Non-Violent Resistance Pacifism as non-violent protest – active / not passive, but philosophically connected to “kingdom theology” and the upside-down metrics of following Jesus. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/12817439

202 God Fights For Us 01/04/2020

202 God Fights For Us In this episode we explore the flip side of the limitations of our power. Ultimately it is God who has all power and authority – over all creation, but also over us as individual people. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/12617225

201 Intro Power & Authority 12/17/2019

201 Intro Power & Authority The launch of Season 2 where we are focusing the entire season on power. In this episode we explore how we think about power and how we steward it for good in the world. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/12366602

124 Becoming Fully Human: Feasting 09/19/2018

124 Becoming Fully Human: Feasting Many of us Christians haven’t thought about food in the way that we eat and our habits as they relate to our spirituality. We tend to separate food and eating from our spirituality but all of life is integrated—mind, body, and spirit. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/6492820

123 Becoming Fully Human: Vocational Arts 09/05/2018

123 Becoming Fully Human: Vocational Arts In our current series on becoming fully human we’ve explored rest, the theology of work, the theology of the body, and friendship. In this episode we’re talking about how creativity is part of an abundant life. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/6453399

122 Becoming Fully Human: Body Theology 08/22/2018

122 Becoming Fully Human: Body Theology In our current series on becoming fully human we’ve explored rest, the theology of work, and friendship. In this episode we’re talking about theology of the body. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/6453386

121 Becoming Fully Human: Friendship 08/08/2018

121 Becoming Fully Human: Friendship In our current series on becoming fully human we’ve explored rest and the theology of work. In this episode we’re unpacking friendships and their importance in light of our Christian faith. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/6453371

120 Becoming Fully Human: Work 07/25/2018

120 Becoming Fully Human: Work In our current series on becoming fully human we’ve explored rest and what it looks like to flourish. In this episode we’re flipping the script by tackling the theology of work. /episode/index/show/dtepodcast/id/6366699

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