Why Are We So Restless?

Center for Public Christianity
Why Are We So Restless?

Join us for six episodes addressing why we seem to be unsettled, discontent, and so easily distracted. In each episode, John Yates, rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, explores how our culture might be forming us in ways we haven’t realized and invites us to allow the gospel to reshape our lives. Then, Josh Chatraw, Center for Public Christianity executive director, and podcast co-host Micah Vandegrift, along with other New City Fellows’ alumni, reflect on the implications of living these truths out together in community.

Season 1

  1. EPISODE 1

    Episode 1: We Have Forgotten That We Are Creatures

    We live in a world where technology has vastly expanded human potential. We live longer, healthier lives and can do more in less time than ever before. But we are still human – finite, fallible creatures with limits given to us by our Creator. When we forget our limits or, worse, reject them, we rebel against our humanity. Why are we so restless? Because we've forgotten that we are creatures. At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by special guest Catherine Doster, a New City Fellows alumnae, to briefly reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening! Additional Resources From John’s Talk Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson Pensées by Blaise Pascal Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey   From the Discussion The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques  The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson Who Sang the First Song by Ellie Holcomb  Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/

    1h 1m
  2. EPISODE 2

    Episode 2: We Feel Responsible for Crafting Our Own Identities

    The world says that who we are is up to us: look deep into your heart to find your greatest passions and there you will find yourself. As creatures made in the image of God, we know that there is more to who we are than this. But we still struggle to "find" ourselves and to justify our existence. Why are we so restless? Because we feel responsible for crafting our own identities.   At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by Program Coordinator for the Center for Public Christianity and Holy Trinity Local Outreach Coordinator Daniel Lee to reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening! Additional Resources From John’s Talks Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson Pensées by Blaise Pascal Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey From the Discussion Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues by Josh Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Skeptical Age by Josh Chatraw "Body Be" by Johnny Q. Public (a Christian rock song)  Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/

    1h 9m
  3. EPISODE 4

    Episode 4: We’ve Lost Track of Time

    Everything about our lives these days is fast. We measure time in fractions of a second. We prize efficiency and good time management more than just about anything else. But this puts pressure on us that ultimately degrades our humanity. When so much of life and growth happens slowly, being in a hurry can wear you down. Why are we so restless? Because we've lost track of time.    At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by Jimmy Doster, also a New City Fellows alumnus, to reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening!  Additional Resources From John’s Talks A Time to Keep: Theology, Mortality, and the Shape of a Human Life by Ephraim Radner Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville Pensées by Blaise Pascal Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro The Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne Robinson The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey From the Discussion He Held Radical Light: The Art of Faith, the Faith of Art by Christian Wiman How to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now by James K. A. Smith The Sacrament of the Present Moment by Andrew Fellows Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/

    1h 12m
  4. EPISODE 5

    Episode 5: We’re Obsessed with Information in a World That Is Desperate for Wisdom

    We live in an age of information. Not only are we generating more than ever before, we have unprecedented access to information of all kinds. Our phones have become portals to a world of infinite knowledge. And this brave new world of endless information is busy reshaping our humanity. Why are we so restless? Because we are obsessed with information in a world that is desperate for wisdom. At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by Matt Benson, also a New City Fellows alumnus, to reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening!  Additional Resources From John’s Talks A Time to Keep: Theology, Mortality, and the Shape of a Human Life by Ephraim Radner Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville Pensées by Blaise Pascal Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro The Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne Robinson The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey From the Discussion How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds by Alan Jacobs To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World by James Davison Hunter https://grayscale.whiteboard.is/ Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/

    1h 6m
  5. EPISODE 6

    Episode 6: We No Longer Know Where We Live

    As our virtual engagement with the wider world has increased, our local connections have diminished. In some ways the internet has become more real than our neighborhoods, and virtual "friendships" have replaced the real thing. This leaves us longing for a sense of place in a rootless world. Why are we so restless?  Because we no longer know where we live.    At the conclusion of John’s talk, co-hosts Center for Public Christianity Executive Director Josh Chatraw and New City Fellows alumnus Micah Vandegrift are joined by Abby Vandegrift, Micah’s wife and a New City Fellows alumnae, to reflect on John’s teaching and discuss how it applies to daily life. So, keep listening!  Additional Resources From John’s Talks A Time to Keep: Theology, Mortality, and the Shape of a Human Life by Ephraim Radner Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville Pensées by Blaise Pascal Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro The Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne Robinson The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel Grothe You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey blesseveryhome.com  From the Discussion Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James K. A. Smith  Websites https://htcraleigh.org/ https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/

    57 min

About

Join us for six episodes addressing why we seem to be unsettled, discontent, and so easily distracted. In each episode, John Yates, rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, explores how our culture might be forming us in ways we haven’t realized and invites us to allow the gospel to reshape our lives. Then, Josh Chatraw, Center for Public Christianity executive director, and podcast co-host Micah Vandegrift, along with other New City Fellows’ alumni, reflect on the implications of living these truths out together in community.

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