The Kate and Colby Show

A couple of episodes ago, we let Colby ask the questions as he interviewed Kate. Today, we're flipping the script and it's Kate's turn to draw some interesting stories out of Colby as we get to know him better. We talked career choices, masculinity, what it's like to be a published author, and more. Find out a bit more about what makes Colby tick in today's special episode.

This week's question from Mary Jo is a straightforward one: what are the most important things you teach your kids? From bodies and boundaries to hospitality to emotional intelligence, here are some of those top priorities for us. Parenting is hard and beautiful and one of the most important things many of us will ever do. Here's to the parents out there! thekateandcolbyshow.com

The Kate Interview! We've had such a great time answering listener questions in Season 2 of The Kate and Colby Show. In today's very special episode, we decided to shake things up a bit. How about Colby asks Kate some questions of his own? Get to know Kate a little better through this incisive, world-premiere face-to-face interview from one host to another.

We are so thankful for today's listener question. It's not often these days that people who find themselves disagreeing are willing to work to understand one another, but that's exactly what Liza is doing. She is attempting to better understand progressive Christianity as someone who considers herself a modern Christian, but who holds to some more traditional beliefs: things like heaven and hell, for instance. She confesses that sometimes she feels like we are attacking traditional Christianity, and has some questions for us about that approach. Her letter opened the door for some great conversation about how we hope to interact with our fellow Christians who are more traditional, and what we can all do to better understand one another.

Today's question comes from Sara, who is working out how to handle a message she carries with her from her time in a traditional evangelical upbringing. Sara really just feels compelled to live what she calls a simple life: raise great kids, take care of the land she feels fortunate to live on, love the hell out of her husband. But she struggles with the narrative of the "epic Christian" life—one that so many of us have been told our own lives should resemble. Sell everything, go into missions, serve 19 times a week at church—do BIG things for God! How can we reframe our understanding of "big" and "small" things, and the value they each have when it comes to how we live our lives?

Rebekah sent us a great question to discuss this week. She is dating—and lately, talking marriage and kids with—a partner who is agnostic, which has created some tension with her traditionally conservative Christian family. She was raised to believe that being "unequally yoked with unbelievers" is a pretty serious offense. We can relate. Let's talk about where that idea comes from (the apostle Paul), who it was meant for (Christ followers in the city of Corinth), and how it's been used and abused in our modern lives (Colby may have once quoted this principle when breaking up with a girlfriend!).

We are still taking questions! This week, Matt, who is a worship leader at a progressive Christian church, writes in with a question we've found to be a common one—in fact, it's one we've asked ourselves over the years. When you've embraced a more open and progressive theology, how do then find ways to worship that better align with these values? The bottom line: it's hard to keep singing songs about substitutionary atonement and total depravity when those things are no longer the crux of your faith. We've had quite a journey with this topic, and it turned out we had a lot to say about where we've found great resources and music to help the people who attend the church we pastor worship in a way that aligns with our mission to help people come alive in the truth that they are loved, liberated, and empowered. You might even be surprised to hear that we didn't completely ditch the whole traditional church music catalog... listen in as we share our thoughts and journey around this issue that so many progressive Christians seem to encounter.

This week's question comes from Tina, who is looking for a little guidance on how to overcome the fear that inevitably shows up when your soul is calling you to make, write, create, say, and share something. This question got us very excited, because we LOVE to make stuff and we know how challenging the creative process can be, especially when you're battling that inner critic and the fear it likes to stir up. We're excited to share some of the practices and ideas that help us when we need to write books and blogs, preach sermons, or even make this podcast. This conversation is all about how to create fearlessly—let's dive in!

We're continuing to answer listener questions, and this week's comes from James, who champions feminism AND also likes to hold doors for the women he dates. What place, if any, does chivalry have in modern relationships between women and men? There are quite a few layers to this quandary, and today we're going to unpack the roots of chivalry, power dynamics between the sexes, and courteous impulses that just might stem from a patriarchal system that still has a small foothold in our thinking.

We're continuing to sift through some of the questions you've sent our way, and today's is a doozy! Andrea wrote in to share that she's become an "accidental agnostic," and wanted to know what we think about the nature of God. Being, spirit, energy, force, guy in the sky—what do we mean when we say "God?" Let's dive in the deep end together!

SEASON 2 PREMIERE. Happy New Year and welcome back to The Kate and Colby Show! We're starting our second season by answering YOUR questions! You've been talking to us, and we're excited to respond to some of the great comments and questions you've sent our way. Today, we're responding to Mackenzie who asked: how do I move from a worldview that says "you are completely sinful" to one that says "you are beloved and good?" Join us as we talk about why it matters that we believe in our inherent goodness, and how that changes how we look at everything—the world, people, the Bible, and more.

Part 4 of 4. Welcome to the final episode of 2017! Kate and Colby close out their 4-part discussion about their faith journeys by talking about how they're different now that they've moved from a conservative to a more progressive understanding of Christianity, as well as the (surprisingly few) things they would tell their younger selves about what they know now. Kate opens with a meditation on motherhood and pursuing your own passions, then she and Colby share what's making them come alive—which happens to be the same thing for both this week!

Part 3 of 4—Kate and Colby continue their discussion about their journey from a conservative faith to a more progressive one and this week it's all about the experience of losing your tribe and finding the balance between boundaries and openness with friends and family members who challenge your journey. Colby opens with an meditation on the "no that comes before the yes that comes before the no," and he and Kate close out the episode with recommendations for kids' yoga and a fantastic movie to help you come alive.

Note: An earlier version of this episode contained some problems with the audio file. If you had trouble playing it before, download it again and you'll be good to go. Sorry for the inconvenience! Part 2 of 4 - Kate and Colby continue the discussion of their faith journey by talking about the very different paths they each took after leaving behind conservative Christianity and moving into something a little bigger. Also, Kate talks about working out (it's hard!) and the parallels she's found in spiritual practice, and she and Colby share a song and a comedy special that are making them come alive.

Today, Kate and Colby start a multi-episode discussion on the story of their personal faith journey. How did two evangelical kids from Oregon grow up to be passionate about progressive Christianity? In part one, they'll talk about the things they found compelling and helpful in their early church and faith experiences as well as the things that pushed them away. Also, Colby shares a story about a major mistake, and you'll hear about an artist and another podcast that might help you come more alive.