Several many years ago Tony Jones noted that I’m a guy “who thinks he’s got something to say.” Tony encouraged me to start a blog (www.tamedcynic.org) a suggestion that since has become both a ministry and a hobby in its own right.
Tony has since become my friend and my editor. He makes my gifts stronger and he calls bullshit on my “growing edges.” A couple of years ago Tony suggested I add a podcast to the blog. An amateurish kitchen table podcast with my friend Teer Hardy followed. It was fun for us but definitely sucked as bad Freaks and Geeks and died a quick death.
Then I got cancer, and I didn’t, as I expected, die.
Two vantages I was privy to from the infusion chair:
I treasure my friends more than I can say out loud without crying.
I truly feel haunted by Jesus and love talking faith with whomever I can fool in to a conversation.
When I came off of medical leave in February, I asked my friend Teer if he’d be interested in breathing new life into our stllborn podcasting venture. I invited Morgan Guyton, a friend from college, to participate. Eventually, 30 some episodes in, my mentee turned friend and colleague Taylor Mertins graduated from our tech lackey to full-fledged cracker.
When we started I never thought we’d make it to 50 Episodes nor do I think we’d quickly acquire one the largest diasporas of nerd listeners on the theology interwebs.
We keep repeating the stat because it is a big deal: we have more weekly downloaders than just about any Methodist church does on a Sunday morning. Brings new meaning to a word Methodists throw around a lot: connection. So, here’s episode 50 with the Crackers and Grape Juice gang doing some self-congratulatory looking back.
Check out our website: www.crackersandgrapejuice.com to find all the episodes.
Now that the election is over and everyone says we should come together to support the President-elect, we at Crackers and Grape Juice thought we’d do our part.
Heads up- in January the Crackers and Grape Juice Team will be in California to partner with our friends at Home-brewed Christianity for a Theology Camp, think summer church camp for theology nerds. If you’d like to participate, you can get a discount by telling them you’re a listener of C&GJ when you register.
If you like what we’re doing, head over to iTunes and give us a rating and review. It helps others happen upon the podcast.
