The Invitation

Joshua Banner

The Invitation podcast is a 'little retreat' to help you hear and respond to the God's invitation to a deeper relationship with him. Each episode is a guided prayer and meditation led by Josh Banner, a certified spiritual director.

  1. A New Reality in Belonging - Michelle Loyd-Paige No. 109

    28 MAR

    A New Reality in Belonging - Michelle Loyd-Paige No. 109

    This is the first of a series of podcast episodes that are introducing to the world a new doctorate of ministry (DMin) study cohort to be hosted at Western Theological Seminary. The title of this series shares the name of the study cohort, "A New Reality in Belonging: Contemplation and Justice for All God's People." More information about the program of study can be found at https://contemplationandjustice.weste.... In this episode Michelle reads from Renita J. Weems' Substack essay, "Hope With Receipts: A Womanist's Search for God in Times of Crisis." https://rjweems.substack.com/p/hope-w... For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/ Introduction & Program Overview (0:05 - 2:36) Josh Banner introduces the Invitation Center, the new doctorate of ministry cohort, and the four core faculty. Explains the purpose of the podcast series and who it's for. Setting the Task: Contemplation & Justice (2:50 - 4:05) Michelle frames the conversation around texts that help integrate contemplation and racial justice — "Do we know how to decenter ourselves to hear God?" Participant Introductions (5:09 - 8:02) Michelle, Cami, and Keith introduce themselves, each sharing what it means to show up authentically in this space. "A New Reality in Belonging" — Jennings Framework (8:22 - 9:35) Josh introduces Willie James Jennings' concept — the Spirit inviting us to cross cultural boundaries and bring our bodies into contact with other bodies. The Reading: "Hope with Receipts" by Renita J. Weems (10:50 - 13:34) Michelle reads the essay aloud — grounded hope sustained by resistance, refusing to fragment ourselves, God found in ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Michelle's Reflection: Deep Listening & Womanism (13:47 - 18:23) Michelle connects the reading to contemplative listening, womanism as a response to missing voices, the Montgomery bus boycott, and the need to listen across difference rather than assume commonality. Cami on Community Beyond Commonality (18:44 - 20:50) Cami reflects on how deeper community is found in difference, not commonality — bringing one's "undivided self" and the sacredness of mutual vulnerability. Keith on the Radical & the Moderate (21:56 - 26:28) Keith discusses how community should welcome fierce, radical energy alongside the moderate — the church's tendency to prioritize homogeneity and patriarchy, the Civil Rights movement's sidelining of women's voices, and the need for on-ramps. White Allies, Church, and Younger Generations (28:20 - 34:30) Keith reflects on white allies in the church, white normativity in faith spaces, and a younger generation that sees moderate community as lacking credibility for justice work. Discusses how vacuum of authentic community drives people elsewhere. Josh's Lament: White Male Body & Conformity (35:57 - 38:22) Josh names the "dominant gaze" that demands conformity, laments how his own white male body carries generations of cultural conditioning, and affirms the reading as prophetic. Closing Wisdom: Pace & Compassion (38:22 - 40:37) The group offers closing words to listeners — take a breath, pace yourself, there's no coercion, this is slow long work. They sign off and preview Cami's reading for the next episode. #contemplation #justice #subversivehope #subversivelove #prayer #meditation

    46 min
  2. 3 FEB

    Facing the Violence: Embracing Weakness with Thurman & Guided Breath Prayer No. 108

    What do we do with the agony? What can we do? Where do we go for help?
 For all those who feel deeply For all those who are confused For all those who feel helpless For all those who are angry For all those who are hiding and are shut down For all those who have no voice For all those who are prayerless For all those who are sleepless For all those who are exhausted How are you staying sane and safe? In this audio meditation, Josh offers a meditation to consider how our response to the pain surrounding us reveals our false understanding of power. Can we become more honest and open to God by considering our immediate violence in the context of our long addiction to power? After moving through this difficult discernment, Josh offers simple guided breath work to further open to God’s help.

 [0:00] Welcome 
America’s struggle with power, and situates this episode within the broader A New Reality in Belonging conversation. [3:00] An Audio-Only Meditation 
A prayerful, contemplative meditation—especially amid exhaustion, violence, and polarization. [6:54] Discernment on Power, Weakness, and America
Our self-consumed society is collapsing, with insights from Howard Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited. [29:25] Guided Breath Prayer
A simple, embodied breath practice (4 counts in, 4 counts out) to calm the nervous system and open the heart to God. [40:46] Staying Open to God in the Midst of Pain
Finding help without bypassing suffering. 

Please share your experience of this episode with me. I’d love to know if and how breath work is helpful. Email me: josh at theinvitationcenter dot org.

 For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/

    44 min
  3. What if our neighbors are the sacrament? Pt. III | Invitation Podcast No. 107

    8 JAN

    What if our neighbors are the sacrament? Pt. III | Invitation Podcast No. 107

    A New Reality in Belonging Series - Robert Caldwell & Keith Reynolds Pt III What if justice begins with listening? 
What if we don’t bring Jesus to others—but discover Jesus already among them? In this final conversation with Keith Reynolds and Robert Caldwell, we explore contemplation, Black perseverance, cruciform leadership, and the sacramental presence of God revealed through our neighbors. A call to move beyond saviorism, recover communal wisdom, and practice a faith shaped by deep listening, shared life, and hope. 0:51 – Neighbors as Sacrament
Opening the conversation on symbiotic relationship, not saviorism 3:14 – Encountering God Through the Other
How we meet Christ in and through our neighbors 5:48 – NT Wright on the Church as New Creation
A unified, multi-ethnic body as a living sign of God’s kingdom 9:47 – Black Genius, Suffering, and Imagination
How suffering forms vision, creativity, and spiritual resilience 14:51 – Family Stories of Perseverance
Robert’s ancestral story of survival, migration, and hope 21:00 – Going to Celebrate, Not Just Serve
A corrective to paternalism: discovering Jesus already present 25:27 – Contemplation as Formation for Justice
Richard Rohr, inner quiet, and faithful presence 28:57 – Inner Life and World-Mindedness
Howard Thurman on the inseparable bond between contemplation and social responsibility For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/

    31 min
  4. Surrender Over Certainty Pt II / Invitation Podcast No. 106

    18/12/2025

    Surrender Over Certainty Pt II / Invitation Podcast No. 106

    In Part II of this ongoing conversation, Josh continues his dialogue with Robert Caldwell and Keith Reynolds, deepening the exploration of surrender, obedience, and belonging. Set in the season of Advent, this episode reflects on waiting, disorientation, and unfinishedness as sacred spaces where faith is formed. Drawing on Scripture and lived experience, the conversation challenges self-sufficient models of Christianity and imagines a more honest, dependent way of following God—one shaped by suffering, humility, and spiritual friendship. Together, the hosts wrestle with the future of the church, the limits of institutional models, and the hope that emerges when control is relinquished and life is received as gift rather than project. At its heart, this episode affirms that asking the question is itself an act of hope, and that new light often comes not through certainty, but through surrender. 0:00 - Surrendering to God; learning through suffering 01:19 - Introducing Robert Caldwell & Keith Reynolds; focus on faithfulness 03:31 - The “finished man,” self-sufficiency, and Advent’s invitation to need 04:51 - Deconstruction, holding space for pain and hope 06:29 - Community, vulnerability, and hope in belonging 07:46 - Church planting: critique of megachurches, seeking authenticity 14:22 - Launching a new church; forming a core team 18:03 - Mentorship, transparency, and organic process 22:48 - Living in the community; challenging church norms 24:30 - New wine in new wineskins; generational shifts 27:21 - Outward-facing church; serving the marginalized 29:20 - Social location, calling, and never forgetting one’s roots 36:40 - Returning to serve in one’s own neighborhood 41:52 - Living out faith; surrender and next steps For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/

    1hr 6min
  5. A New Reality in Belonging Series - Robert Caldwell & Keith Reynolds Pt I No. 105

    02/12/2025

    A New Reality in Belonging Series - Robert Caldwell & Keith Reynolds Pt I No. 105

    In this episode podcaster and spiritual director, Josh Banner with Keith Reynolds, and Robert Caldwell explores how the church can embody creative, justice-oriented responses to today’s social realities by centering marginalized communities and reimagining spiritual formation as social transformation. Guests: • Keith Reynolds (Western Theological Seminary) • Robert Caldwell (Answer Poverty) Key Topics: • Church and social justice • Community development • Faith in action • Racial equity • Creative ministry models 00:00 – Introduction • Opening thoughts on not being anxious about current events and the call for the church to focus on supporting marginalized people. 00:32 – Organizing for Impact • Discussion on how resources are used to meet material needs in the community. 00:47 – New Wine, Old Wineskins • Reflection on the need for new approaches in faith and community work. 01:03 – Suffering and Imagination • The idea that suffering requires imagination and leads to collective genius, especially in the Black community. 01:25 – Robert Caldwell’s Influence • Robert’s non-reactionary approach and the wisdom gained from elders. 01:51 – Episode Overview • Host Josh introduces guests Keith Reynolds and Robert Caldwell, and outlines the themes of the episode: church planting, justice, and hope. 02:36 – Orientation and Vision • Robert shares his story; Keith discusses his vision for a new kind of church. 04:20 – Turning to Hope • Encouragement to focus on good news and practice hope despite a difficult news cycle. 05:40 – Love and Justice • Exploring the connection between loving God, neighbor, and self; justice as love in action. 09:00 – Personal Journeys • Keith and Robert share their backgrounds, vocational journeys, and the importance of mentorship and legacy. 16:36 – Church Planting and Community • Keith describes the influence of Robert on his approach to church and community development. 36:14 – Closing Reflections • The episode closes with thoughts on witness, legacy, and the ongoing journey of faith and justice. For more information visit: www.theinvitationcenter.org For information about the pending DMin cohort at Western Theological Seminary, visit: https://www.westernsem.edu/admissions/

    37 min
  6. Eastertide Series #3 Getting Small - Howard Thurman on Powerlessness No. 103

    15/05/2025

    Eastertide Series #3 Getting Small - Howard Thurman on Powerlessness No. 103

    In this episode of The Invitation Podcast, Josh Banner delves deep into the concept of resurrection as a means to become humble and small. Drawing upon passages from Psalm 131, Romans 12, and integrating thoughts from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King Jr., and Howard Thurman, Josh explores the transformation of society and self by aligning with the suffering and marginalized rather than seeking power. He discusses the challenges of religious jargon, the value of questioning deeply held beliefs, and fostering true dignity and justice for all. The episode invites listeners to consider the depths of their faith, the importance of mutuality, and to explore how to embody Christ's compassion in their interactions with others.
 Please fill out this questionnaire to give the Invitation feedback on this podcast: https://tinyurl.com/5n73wrcx

 www.theinvitationcenter.org 00:00 Introduction to The Invitation Podcast 00:36 Exploring Resurrection and Humanity 01:42 Bonhoeffer's Messianic Act and Religious Jargon 02:45 Deconstruction and Desert Spirituality 04:10 Resurrection Life Amidst Pain and Oppression 05:30 Integrating Teachings from Dr. King, Bonhoeffer, and Thurman 08:13 Psalm 131: A Meditation on Humility and Trust 09:24 Howard Thurman's Perspective on Jesus and the Disinherited 11:27 Christianity's Relationship with Power and Suffering 18:42 Resurrection Life and Creative Maladjustment 18:56 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Resurrection Power 20:33 Embracing the Other with Christ's Love 23:39 Conclusion and Listener Engagement

    30 min

About

The Invitation podcast is a 'little retreat' to help you hear and respond to the God's invitation to a deeper relationship with him. Each episode is a guided prayer and meditation led by Josh Banner, a certified spiritual director.

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