Slow Burn Christianity Podcast

Joseph Lear
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Reviving your Christian walk one step at a time. slowburn.josephmlear.com

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    TCK Exposé 1: The Blessings and Curses of Being a Third Culture Kid

    Welcome to TCK Exposé, where a couple of Pentecostal missionary kids talk about growing up between two worlds, how our faith sustained us through all of it, and what we’re still carrying in our backpacks. Jaclyn Susa Harnish, grew up in Venezuela. Joseph Lear grew up in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ivory Coast. In this limited podcast series (in partnership with Slow Burn Christianity on Substack) we’re gonna talk about the joys and trials, the thrills and chills, and the blessings and curses of growing up like we did. This is episode one, where we talk about who we are and WHY we’re doing this podcast series. Thanks for reading Slow Burn Christianity! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit slowburn.josephmlear.com

  2. 10/03/2025

    ICE, Political Theater, and Pentecostalism

    We need to think Christianly about immigration rather than letting the pagans or nominal-political Christians think about it for us. In this vid, I give some of my thoughts on recent political talking points—but only for the sake of trying to get us outside of the terms of the debate and to think Christianly. Here’s the book with my article entitled, Doing Liturgy with Ruth: Immigration and the Threat of Anti-Eucharist: * Click here to buy on Amazon * Click here to buy on Bookshop.org * Click here to buy from the publisher, Wipf & Stock Don’t forget to share 🤲 🤗 And don’t forget to give me your thoughts in the comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Thanks for watching Slow Burn Christianity! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit slowburn.josephmlear.com

    ICE, Political Theater, and Pentecostalism

  3. 09/22/2025

    When in Darkness, Sing!

    When I was in grade school I remember thinking that I could never be a pastor because I couldn’t sing. My parents were missionaries, so I’d seen a lot of pastors in a lot of local churches across the US. There’s a stereotyped image seared in my memory of a brown-suited pastor with glasses from the late 70s that he was still making work a couple decades later leading a hymn at random as the Spirit led, sometimes mid-sermon. My father himself wasn’t much of a singer, but even he could belt out “This is my story! This is my song! Praising my Savior all the day long!” In West Africa where I grew up every pastor could sing because they had to sing. New church plants on the edge of the Sahara weren’t guaranteed to have resident musicians. And not singing was simply not an option, so the pastor was the lead singer one way or another. I’ve now sung a lot in my pastorate and in my Christian walk, which confirms that I am now a stereotype. One Sunday every other singer who could lead songs in the service was either traveling or was ill. It fell to me to lead some songs a cappella. My voice was shaky and off pitch, but I just kept imagining I was on the edge of the Sahara desert in the presence of God. I’ve sung the doxology with the bodies of recently deceased congregants. I've sung with kids at church more times than I can count. I’ve sung under my breath as I’ve prayed in my home office before dawn in the cold winters of Iowa. And I’ve sung “Jesus loves me” in hospital psych wards with people who really needed to hear it. Like with Paul and Silas in the Philippi, the other “prisoners”—so to speak—listened in. Pastor Abby Anderson at Resurrection Assembly recently preached on Paul and Silas singing in the darkness of prison in Acts 16. She not only has a word I want you to listen to, but has lived that word. She shares how singing in the Spirit was what got her through her kidnapping as a little girl. You might cry listening to it. You should sing at the end of it. And next time the darkness gets you, sing! If you can’t, I’m praying God will send someone to sing for you. Thanks for reading Slow Burn Christianity! Sing a song while you subscribe. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit slowburn.josephmlear.com

  • 3 Episodes

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Reviving your Christian walk one step at a time. slowburn.josephmlear.com

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