This Good Word Episode 32: Wandering with A.J. Swoboda

A.J. Swoboda is "like Seinfeld and Kierkegaard rolled into one. If you want dry diatribes of funny fluff, look elsewhere!" So says Joshua Ryan Butler, author of The Skeleton's in God's Closet; pastor at Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon. Seinfeldegaard.My friend Seth Haines told me I had to get to know A.J., and I'm so glad I did. A.J. is a pastor (a church planter at that), a professor, an author, a husband, and a father who lives in Portland, and who passionately believes in the good news of Jesus for all creation.He is the author of seven books, including: Messy: God Likes it That Way; Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology; Tongues and Trees; A Glorious Dark:Finding Hope in the Tension Between Belief and Experience, and his newest book, The Dusty Ones:Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith. You can follow A.J. on Twitter and Facebook, and make sure to check out his website.Here are the books and resources A.J. mentioned:A Scandalous Beauty: The Artistry of God and the Way of the Cross, by Thomas SchmidtThe Face of the Deep: Exploring The Mysterious Person of the Holy Spirit, by Paul PastorBlessed Earth: Inspiring Faithful Stewardship of All Creation.24/6: A Prescription for a Happier, Healthier Life, by Matthew SleethAlmost Amish: One Woman's Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life, by Nancy SleethAnd, most importantly, how to make Kombucha Tea!Enjoy!* * *My Work:Thanks for reading my blog! My great passion is to use words to create environments where people can become who they actually are. Make sure to check out the following links to keep in touch with some of the other ways I'm using words to create space for people to grow and become. If you'd like to invite me to speak to your tribe, I'd love to talk to you about that. Just go here to get the conversation started. This Good Word Podcast. I host a weekly podcast which comes out every Thursday. Every episode focuses on one ordinary word, as a way to reclaim what's holy about our humanity. Sometimes I just talk into the mic, and sometimes I interview fascinating people. Take a listen here.Beginnings: The First Seven Days of the Rest of Your Life. I published my first book in January 2016. It's an imaginative look at the seven days of creation, as if they weren't simply an event in time, but a process that describes God's continual work of creating good in me, you, and the world. Order Now: Amazon | Books-A-Million | IndieBound | Barnes and Noble. It's also available as an audiobook.Genesis Covenant Church. I am the Senior Pastor at a beautiful, quirky little church called Genesis, where we rally around the idea that our job is to join God's work of cultivating new beginnings in all of us, everywhere. Our sermons are interactive, done in the socratic style of questions which lead to more questions. You can check out our weekly sermons here. Enjoy! And if you're anywhere near Minneapolis, we'd love to see you there.And please feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.