Embodied Holiness

Episodi

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  Ep. 104 When the Old Testament Feels... Complicated with Dr. Sandra Richter 28.04.2026 1h 21min

  Send us Fan Mail What on earth are we to do with the troubling passages we come across in scripture? The Old Testament is especially rife with narratives and sentences that can make God sound cruel and unloving at times. I asked Dr. Sandra Richter, the Robert H. Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA to discuss how sincere biblical readers can approach difficult passages with openness, curiosity, and faithfulness. DR. SANDRA RICHTER is the Robert H. Gu...
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  Ep 103 Judging Rightly: Mentorship, Wisdom, and Compassion with Judge T. Michael Reed 21.04.2026 51min

  Send us Fan Mail Thomas Michael Reed is a Mississippi Circuit Court Judge for the 12th District, serving Forrest and Perry Counties. He brings over 27 years of experience in criminal defense, personal injury, and municipal law. He’s also a follower of Jesus and an active member of Parkway Heights UMC in Hattiesburg, MS. Susan and her colleague, Rev. Julie Collins, sat down with Judge Reed to discuss the people who shaped him, the importance of mentoring, and how his faith informs his work.&nb...
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  Ep 102 Be the Light That You Are with Deb Engle 14.04.2026 1h 10min

  Send us Fan Mail Life is hard. We live in a time riddled with political, emotional, economic, and spiritual crises. Deb Engle helps her readers stay true to their spiritual principles and find peace amid chaos. Susan spoke with Deb about her book, Be the Light That You Are, which provides a course of action for people who want to make a difference. Learn more on Deb's website. DEBRA ENGLE serves as executive director of Story Summit, an online writing school that builds community ...
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  Ep 101 Loving and Regulating Our Nervous Systems with Anna Valentine, PhD, LPC 07.04.2026 56min

  Send us Fan Mail Susan sits down with Anna Valentine, PhD, LPC, to discuss how we can bring wholeness, healing, and rest into our lives by calming our nervous systems. This practical and spirit-filled conversation will leave you feeling refreshed. Visit Anna’s website. Listen to Anna’s podcast. Anna Valentine is based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she works at March Holistic Christian Counseling. She holds a PhD in Mind-Body Medicine with a specialization in Integrative...
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  Ep 100 Compassion Fatigue, Finding Your Voice, and Owning Your Faith 31.03.2026 54min

  Send us Fan Mail Episode 100 feels like a good time to pause and take a look at where we’ve been and where we’re going. Susan is joined by original co-hosts Lyerly Christensen and Lindsey Lewis for a rich and meaningful conversation about how life has changed over the past four years. Along the way, they dive into topics that hit close to home: navigating compassion fatigue in a nonstop news cycle, finding your voice when it feels risky to speak, and learning to own your faith instead of livi...
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  Ep 99 Coming Home: Steve Wiest on Faith, Music, and the People Who Formed Him 24.03.2026 1h 8min

  Send us Fan Mail Grammy-nominated jazz musician and Hattiesburg native Steve Wiest joins Susan for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, creativity, mentorship, and making the most of the one life we’ve been given. Steve reflects on his formative years in the church, the mentors who “saved his life” during a difficult season, and how those roots shaped both his faith and his wildly creative career. This episode is honest, eclectic, and full of hope — a reminder of the power of people who p...
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  Ep 98 Resourcing Hope: How Churches Can Support Recovery with Matthew Johnson 17.03.2026 49min

  Send us Fan Mail Conversations around addiction and recovery are too often avoided, even in the church. In this episode, Matt Johnson, National Director of Faith-Based Initiatives for the Fletcher Group, discusses why recovery and substance use disorder are something churches and Christians should care deeply about. Whether you’re walking your own recovery journey, loving someone who is, or wondering how your church can become a safer place for healing, this episode is what you need. MATT JOH...
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  Ep 97 Learning to Walk Again: A Story of Healing, Forgiveness and Abundance After Tragedy with Lonny Schraeder 10.03.2026 34min

  Send us Fan Mail In 1982, at the age of 19, Lonny Schrader was struck with a change in his storyline he did not see coming. His testimony of choosing forgiveness and thriving after tragedy is one we all need to hear and learn from. I hope you enjoy getting to know Lonny as much as I have. Thanks for listening to the Embodied Holiness Podcast. We invite you to join the community on Facebook and Instagram @embodiedholiness. Embodied Holiness is a ministry of Parkway Heig...
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  Ep 96 How Do I Know When It's God Speaking to Me? with Cliff Burris 03.03.2026 55min

  Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 8! How do I know when it's God speaking to me? In this episode, Susan and Cliff share their personal experiences of hearing and discerning the voice of God, recommend books that have helped them grow in hearing God, and offer encouragement for your own journey to hearing and knowing God's voice. Resources Mentioned: Hearing God, by Dallas Willard How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People, by Pete Grieg Widows of the Soul: Hearing God in the Eve...
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  Ep 95 Listening for God Together: The Gift of Spiritual Direction with Anne-Russell Bradley 02.12.2025 52min

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Susan and Cliff sit down with spiritual director Anne-Russell Bradley for a rich conversation about the practice of spiritual direction. Together, they explore what spiritual direction is (and isn’t), how it creates sacred space for listening to God, and why this ancient practice can be such a life-giving companion on our faith journey. If you’ve ever wondered what spiritual direction looks like or how it might support your own formation, this conversation is...
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  Ep 94 Your Work Matters: Seeing Vocation Through God's Eyes with Al Erisman and Randy Pope 25.11.2025 47min

  Send us Fan Mail How do we faithfully weave our life with God into the work we do every day? In this episode, Susan and co-host Rev. Smith Lilley talk with authors and businessmen Al Erisman and Randy Pope about what it means to view our work as a calling to serve the Lord. Together, they explore how the hours we spend in offices, classrooms, homes, and communities can become places of formation, worship, and witness. AL ERISMAN is currently a writer, speaker, and board member, includin...
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  Ep 93 What Is Spiritual Warfare? with Dr. Stephen Seamands 18.11.2025 1h 8min

  Send us Fan Mail Spiritual warfare can be confusing, even intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. In this conversation, Susan Eaton, Cliff Burris, and Dr. Stephen Seamands discuss what spiritual warfare is, why it shows up in our lives, and how we can discern when it’s happening. Dr. Seamands offers practical wisdom from years of ministry, emphasizing the importance of helping people heal instead of getting preoccupied with the oppression itself. It’s a grounded, hope-filled exploration you ...
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  Ep 92 Why Don't People Have Super Powers? with Rev. Smith Lilley 11.11.2025 48min

  Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wished you had superpowers? Maybe we actually do! We may not be able to fly or shoot lasers out of our eyes, but what if we were made for more than that? In this episode, Susan talks with Rev. Smith Lilley about what it means to be human and how the life of Christ within us empowers us to live supernaturally in our everyday lives. ABOUT SMITH: Smith Lilley is an ordained elder in the Mississippi Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and the past...
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  Ep 91 How Are We Made in the Image of God When We Can't See God? with Rev. Chad Bowen 04.11.2025 52min

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Rev. Chad Bowen joins us to unpack a big question from one of our church kids: “How are we made in God’s image when we can’t see God?” Together, we explore what it means to “image” God in the world—not by what we look like, but by how we live. From creativity and innovation to stewardship and community, we discover the many ways God’s character is reflected through us as we care, create, and connect with one another. ABOUT CHAD: Rev. Chad Bowen serves as past...
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  Ep 90 Finding Your Purpose in Life with Dr. Bev Smallwood 28.10.2025 41min

  Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever wrestled with questions about purpose—why you’re here, what you’re made for, or how to uncover it—you won’t want to miss this episode with the always dynamic Dr. Bev Smallwood. Learn how God can use even seasons of adversity to reveal your unique purpose and calling. Contact Beverly: bev@drbevsmallwood.com ABOUT BEV: Dr. Bev Smallwood is a licensed psychologist who, for the past 40-plus years, has been spreading her message of hope to individuals, families, and...
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  Ep. 89 Beyond Dominion: Creation Care and the Human–Animal Bond with Dr. Jamie McNally 21.10.2025 50min

  Send us Fan Mail Susan and her friend, Dr. Jamie McNally, explore what it means to see all of creation as a sacred trust and how the well-being of humans and animals overlaps. Together, they reflect on the biblical call to steward the earth with care. With both theological and psychological insight, this conversation invites us to consider how loving God also means tending His creation. ABOUT JAMIE: Dr. Jamie McNally is a Licensed Professional Counselor, trauma specialist, moral injury resear...
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  Ep. 88 What Happens When We Take Communion? with Ricky James 14.10.2025 46min

  Send us Fan Mail Another great question from one of the children of Parkway Heights UMC: "What happens when we take communion? Are the bread and juice (wine) turning into Christ’s body and blood?" Susan and Cliff talk with Rev. Dr. Ricky James about the mystery of this sacred meal and why it matters for our life of faith. ABOUT RICKY: The Rev. Dr. Ricky James is the Dean of the Chapel and Director of Church Relations at Millsaps College. A native of Hattiesburg, Ricky is a graduate of Millsap...
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  Ep. 87 What is Prayer and How Do I Pray? with Rev. Dr. Leanne Burris 07.10.2025 47min

  Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Season 7 of the Embodied Holiness Podcast! Susan welcomes her friends, Rev. Dr. Leanne Burris and Rev. Cliff Burris, for a thoughtful exploration of the question: "What is prayer and how do I pray?" ABOUT LEANNE: Rev. Dr. Leanne Burris is the planting pastor of The Bridge Church. As an ordained Elder, she is deeply passionate about connecting people to God’s love through authentic community. She holds a doctorate in ministry from Wesley Biblical Seminary...
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  Ep 86 Drawing Closer to Jesus Through Your Senses with Whitney Simpson 03.06.2025 40min

  Send us Fan Mail Do you have trouble connecting with God? What if the opportunity to connect with God were as close as your next breath? Susan sits down with author, podcaster, spiritual director and campus minister, Whitney Simpson, to talk about how we can practice a more embodied spirituality that will draw us closer to Jesus. ABOUT WHITNEY - Whitney's writing encompasses her passion for embodied spirituality and spiritual formation. A soul-care practitioner, she helps others reach t...
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  Ep. 85 Holding Space: How to Talk About Pain with Others with Nicole Zasowski 27.05.2025 1h 3min

  Send us Fan Mail Susan and Alex are joined by co-host Josh Burris and special guest Nicole Zasowski for a heartfelt conversation around the question: "How does God call us to talk with others about pain?" Together, they explore what it looks like to hold space for one another, speak truth with compassion, and reflect God's love in our hardest conversations. NICOLE ZASOWSKI is a licensed marriage and family therapist and author of What If It's Wonderful, From Lost to Found and her new ...