Fabric Podcast

The first followers of Jesus were accused of “turning the world upside down”— and they kind of were. Telling the truth, crossing lines, breaking illusions, loving foolishly. What if being similarly “untamed” is what our world needs from us, too?

People wanted a superhero God, but Jesus told baffling little stories instead: “The kingdom of God is like…” Over and over, he shattered their expectations— sometimes even their hopes. What if Jesus was dangerous to how we pictured God, and even how we pictured him?

Jesus turned “business as usual” into a punchline. In the vision he cast for the world as it could be, the last are first, the overlooked get the spotlight, and everybody gets more than they deserve. Could “normal” be the very thing holding us back?

Everywhere people drew lines, Jesus crossed them. He touched the untouchable, talked with outsiders, and made holiness look suspiciously human. What if love is most alive on the other side of our divisions?

Jesus didn’t play nice with the powerful; he told the truth that exposed injustice and flipped hierarchies upside down. His words were so bold, people tried to run him out of town. What might that kind of dangerous honesty unravel in our world today?

A vision for human flourishing is all fine and good, but how do we get there? We’re going to spend some time talking about “social innovation” as we imagine participating in what we often call “God’s big vision of love”-- what Jesus more often called the “Kingdom of God.” What is social innovation, and how might we apply those ideas to our own relationships, workplaces, neighborhoods, and families?

Spirituality isn’t about mastering the right beliefs or achieving moral perfection. It’s about practicing love, justice, and humility in real time— over and over again. As we close this conversation, we’ll reflect on how imperfect practice can make us the kind of people this world needs.

In a divided world, too many of us avoid difficult conversations out of fear of “getting it wrong.” But growth happens in the tension. This episode explores how to show up for the hard conversations: with curiosity, courage, and compassion.

What we practice, we become. From everyday acts of kindness to intentional habits of listening, generosity, and reflection, our imperfect efforts shape us and ripple outward into the world. This episode reflects on how small, steady practices can lead to real transformation.

We live in a world that either demands perfection or tempts us toward disengagement. But what if the real invitation is to show up, as we are: unfinished, learning, in-progress? This episode explores the myth of perfection and starts imagining what progress would feel like instead.

Let's look together at what it means to be unleashed into a world that needs our compassion, our experimental presence, and our love. Fabric doesn’t gather just to feel good, but to become participants in creating a world that could be. Simple, right?

What if you didn’t have to believe the “right” things to find your place? What if showing up as your full, complicated, in-progress self was more than okay, but actually encouraged? This episode explores how belonging— real, no-performance-necessary belonging— isn’t the reward for right belief, but the soil where relationships grow, and faith/ trust can take root. 

Who makes “the church” what it is? Spoiler: it’s not just the staff, or the people with the mic. It’s all of us. This week, we’re reflecting on what we heard at the “What’s Up with Fabric?” conversation back in April, and naming the power of shared ownership in shaping church that doesn’t just exist for us, but because of us. What if church isn’t something you go to… but something we all create?

There’s a phrase the kids are using these days– to be “ten toes down” is to live and act with integrity, standing firm on what one believes. For over 18 years, Fabric has been experimenting with what it means to be church closer to the margins (read: in the ecotone!). Who’s in the sandbox with us, and what walls might we benefit from analyzing a bit further?

What might we find when we dig in the sandbox? In this episode, Ian McConnell welcomes artist, educator, and author Dave Scherer (AKA Agape*) back among us to share some reflection and frameworks for really getting in the sandbox and planting our toes in it. How do we acknowledge fear without letting it get in the driver’s seat?

When you hear the word “interfaith,” what stirs in you? We’re curious to learn more from Peter Digitale Anderson, Executive Director of Peace Catalyst about the gifts of “playing in the sandbox” with those of different perspectives and cultures.