Tom Gomez : Deconstructing Christian Nationalism

To wrap up season 2, we get to hear a conversation with one of our hosts, Keithen Schwahn. He is a Pastor at Church of the City New York, building a movement of young people following Jesus in Manhattan. Keithen's story takes us from rural Wyoming, to the Pacific Northwest, and then to New York City. He walks us through his experiences of many common things that lead a person to deconstruct faith, yet how he came out of those experiences more connected to Jesus than before. Many young people experience an "Oregon Trail" experience with their faith, leaving behind Christianity in search of a life of progress and freedom. Keithen shows us a path leading forward where true freedom is found in a posture known as "generous orthodoxy". Truth, beauty, grace, love, forgiveness, and hope. 

Michelle Jones is a Pastor, Writer, Speaker from Portland, Oregon. She is one of our spiritual mothers, and a spiritual mother of the city. After years in the entertainment industry, Michelle became a Pastor at Imago Dei Church in Portland. In the wake of so many young people disillusioned with the church, Michelle offers a much more communal and family alternative to deconstruction. Rather than doubt and deconstruction as pushing away from the people of God, maybe hard questions are more like pulling up chair at the family table working through hard things together. 

We've been looking forward to this one for quite some time. Jarin Oda is a good friend of ours who has has walked a long journey in relationship with Jesus. Today he is the Pastor of Youth at Bridgetown Church in Portland Oregon. On this episode, Jarin tells us his story of growing up in a faith tradition, yet finding this faith insufficient to face the confrontational questions of his professors at university. Jarin walks us through why he lost his faith in college, and how he found it again on the other side. A shallow version of faith needed to be swapped for something more. Jarin found a God who holds our doubt and questions in the context of committed relationship.  

Why are so many young people walking away from faith? Jason Ballard has given his life to answering that question and creating a fresh expression of the church in his home city of Vancouver, BC. Before planting a church in Vancouver, Jason was one of the pioneers of the Alpha Youth Series, opening conversations about Jesus with countless young people across the globe. Jason has been a guide to us over the years and one of the most formative voices into our vision for the future of the church. We ask him about his own process of deconstruction, reconstruction, and hope for the future of God's people. Good stuff. 

This week we sit down for a conversation about Christian Nationalism. On the heels of one of the most divisive and contested elections in American history, Gen Z has found the church just as hateful and divided as the wider culture. In this episode, Tom walks us through his own deconstruction of Christian Nationalism, yet holding on to his faith in Jesus through the process. 

"I have no faith in Gen Z, but I have full faith that God will do what he's always done to set us free". Gaby Odom - McCullough is one of the foremost young leaders in the country, seeking to reach college students at Baylor University. At 20 years old, her passion to see God move among her generation gripped us. We ask her about the future of the church, where is she finding hope, and what it looks like to follow like Jesus when so many walk away.  You can follow along with Gabby and all she's up to at the links below: https://www.instagram.com/helloitsbrie/ https://gabrielleodom.com/

Reconstruct is back! Season 2 : Stories of Deconstruction and Resilient Hope. Hakeem Bradley kicks us off with his story of coming to follow Jesus in a predominantly white evangelical American church culture, and his felt experience of immediate dissonance, asking the question, "Can I be black and still follow Jesus in this environment?" Disillusionment, deconstruction, rediscovery, and reconstruction. Thanks for joining us for another round of conversations about the loaded potential of the next wave of the church. 

Season Finale of Reconstruct, and we're going out with a BANGER. This episode is a conversation about Authority. This past year has revealed how Anti-Authority runs in our veins, tempting us to define good and evil for ourselves. Much of the rebellion against authority we see is a rejection of poor leadership and broken systems, and we grieve with those who grieve. Yet all human leadership is flawed at some level, doing its best to manage and mitigate the results of sin. We believe God is raising up a generation who will come under the good authority of Jesus and his way of life, leading to true freedom. This path will begin to release the angst built up against human authority, and reshape us to be people who co-create with God under his good authority. 

Week 5 of Reconstruct, a podcast where we chat about rebuilding life as a follower of Jesus on the other side of deconstruction. This first season, we've covered a lot of ground. From defining deconstruction, to analyzing our use of technology, to calling out generational commitment phobia, we've been looking to the life and teachings of Jesus as a foundation to build life upon in the wake of cultural and theological deconstruction. This week, we get to listen in to a conversation between Hakeem Bradley and Tom Gomez about what our world would define as the highest good. Personal Freedom and Personal Comfort are the goals of the American dream, but is this what Jesus had in mind for us? What does he define as the highest good? We put forth a vision for life that trades in the selfish freedom of our world for a lifestyle of sacrificial love.  We are a brand new podcast, and would love your help connecting people to these conversations. There are two simple ways you could partner with us. First, rate and review this podcast in wherever you listen. And second, share this podcast on social media, or to someone in your sphere of influence. We would love to see others join us as we rebuild.

This week's episode of Reconstruct is a conversation between Hakeem, Tom, and Keithen about their generation's commitment phobia. Our vision is for a reconstructed generation to choose to live a life that rejects transience and fear of commitment, trading it in for a life that is committed to a people, a place, and a purpose. We are a brand new podcast, and would love your help connecting people to these conversations. There are two simple ways you could partner with us. First, rate and review this podcast in wherever you listen. And second, share this podcast on social media, or to someone in your sphere of influence. We would love to see others join us as we rebuild.