The Pilgrimage Podcast

Aye, y'all, what's good?! Hope y'all have are enjoying the advent of this Spring season. I know it's snowing in some of y'all's cities, so y'all must not be praying hard enough... Anyway, I brought my pastor Wesley Mills back onto the podcast to speak about the Pilgrim's journey of sacralizing metaphor. It's not an easy practice, but it is a worthwhile one. Language works inasmuch we're reaching people's hearts, and what better thing to reach people with than love? We talk about different layers of metaphor, so I have it sparks thoughts and models conversationally what can be present in your daily interactions. Hope y'all enjoy :). Luh ya big time. Wesley's Socials:  Twitter - @_WesleyMills Instagram - @wesley_mills Wesley's Sermons: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mosaic-knox-sermons-messages/id1547291136—some of mine are on here too :). Wesley's Tip Jar:  Venmo - @MillsWesley My Socials Twitter - @ZeruFitsum Instagram - @zeru_fitsum Substack - https://zeru.substack.com/

Aye y'all, what's good?! I'm so glad to be back with Season 2 of the Pilgrimage Podcast, and this season opener is a banger! Robert Monson is a Black man who aims to point us all toward softness in a world that is proficient at brutalizing. Knowing this about him, I asked him to speak about his journey of being loved by God and loving God when it hasn't always been easy. These reflections are guided by Jürgen Moltmann's quote: “I know: there is someone waiting for me, who will not give me up, who goes ahead of me, who lifts me up, someone to whom I am important.” Robert has known a lot of suffering and he takes the suffering of the world seriously. We talk about Black Atheism, growing up in Chicagoland, meeting Jesus in college, feeling disillusioned with white evangelicalism, walking the contemplative life, and so much more. Hope y'all enjoy this episode!  You can follow Robert's work on these different sites:  Twitter - @robertjmonson Substack - Robert posts soft reflections here on God and life, guiding us on an existence that is learning to honor our bodies' calls for rest and breath. https://musingsfromabrokenheart.substack.com/ Black Coffee and Theology Podcast - Robert is a solo host on this podcast and brings on many guests, exploring the multivalent realms of practical theology. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-coffee-and-theology-podcast/id1577198625.  Three Black Men Podcast- Robert co-hosts with Sam Gay and Pastor Trey Ferguson, and they look at life and theology from their intersections. Incredible conversations here. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/three-black-men-theology-culture-and-the-world-around-us/id1535582503 Also Trey and Sam have individual podcasts:  Trey's - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-living-treyslation/id1576078435;  Sam's - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-gon-talk-about-it/id1620682591 Robert's Tip Jar Robert's Venmo: @Robert-Monson-2 Rober's Cashapp: $RobertMonson My Socials Twitter - @ZeruFitsum Instagram - @zeru_fitsum Substack - https://zeru.substack.com/

Aye y'all what's good?! On this episode, Quina Aragon and I chopped it up about her new book "Love Can." It's coming out in February, and it is the third book in a children's series about the Trinity. The First, "Love Made," is about how the Triune God created the world out of love for us. The Second, "Love Gave," is about friendship and the sacrificial love of Christ. And the third, "Love Can" speaks to the power of love that resides in us via the person of the Holy Spirit. The latter half of the convo is a raw look into the life of someone who has endured a lot of shots to the body. Quina's story the past few years has been one of chronic pain and fatigue and we walked through what that pilgrimage has been like.  You can preorder Quina's book "Love Can" here: https://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/books/love-can-9780736974400 Follow her on Twitter: @Quina_Aragon Instagram: @quina_aragon Website: @https://quinaaragon.com/ You can find her writings, spoken words, and other displays of her gifts on her website. 

Aye, y'all, what's good! Long time no see. In this episode, I chop it up with one of my favorite creatives, Hanna Leka. She's a SoCal resident who does photography and makes rugs. In this episode she shares many encouraging words to those of us who don't have the energy to stay the course with their gifts and dreams. We go into getting that alone time with God and listening to the voice of the Ultimate Creative who gave us our creative abilities and how relying on that knowledge can sustain us amid our discouragement. Luh y'all big time! Hope You Enjoy! Follow Hanna Leka on Insta Personal Account: @hannerrrs Photography Account: @haniimages

Aye, y'all, what's good?!?! On this episode, I talk with a friend that I call Brother Jerry. We gotta keep his identity a lil ambiguous for several reasons. But, Jerry is one who knows what it's like to not have to depend on others, and the vulnerable places that dependence actually puts us in. Learning to believe we need those that are different than us is important but it's hard. And Jerry has found this piece of his pilgrimage as crucial. We speak about the tangible ways Jesus has reached out to help Jerry and his family amid gargantuan traumas that still affect them today. I hope y'all enjoy today's episode!  Here is the link to the X-Ray questions Brother Jerry mentions toward the end of the episode: http://storage.cloversites.com/crosshaven/documents/xray.pdf Luh y'all big time! 

aye, y'all, whatt's good?! Man oh man am I excited about today's episode. We are joined by Dr. Sam Won, Director of Formation and Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. In all honesty, I invited him so we could talk about the grief around closing a church that was doing well. We do talk about that, yes, but, being so interested in his family's story of immigration, we explore what Sam felt was an almost utopian childhood. We learn about his father's transition to ministry after achieving a psychology degree in Korea; his realization of embedded racism in America even in the era of desegregating schools. Sam shares with us a nature of a life-giving community that called him forth to a life of ministry. With all the triumphs and heartaches that came with this season of Dr. Sam's life, he's found (in his pilgrimage) that Jesus has been good the whole time, and he encourages us with ways to believe the same when we are at our wit's end concerning the faith. 

Today, I share, briefly, about my pilgrimage with my uncertainties with being Beloved. Maybe y'all will find yourself relating. Thank y'all so much for listening and traversing this journey with me. 

Aye, y'all, what's good?!?! Ever since I figured out I was going to have this conversation with Pastor Trey, I haven't been able to keep in my excitement. We talk about the Bible, the Holy Book that I grew up with and continue to love. However, this is a conversation about the Bible many who know me have not heard me voice because of my fear to share my uncertainties about the Bible. Pastor Trey walks us through how his view of the Bible evolved, how college was a crucial time for his inquisitiveness, and God's sustaining hand.  If you have any questions you can always reach out to me on Twitter at ZeruFitsum, or Facebook and Instagram, which are under the same handles.  You can listen to more of Pastor Trey on the 3 Black Men on all Podcast Platforms and The New Living Treyslation where he teaches from passages in the Bible in his unique way. 

Aye, y'all!! What's good?! Today's episode was recorded with my friend Jalynn Baker. We chat about her story and how she grew a passion for storytelling through photography, as well as through other mediums. She shared about her journey to finding her voice in predominantly white spaces as a Black woman and offers encouragement to aspiring creatives wanting to listen to the voice inside of them that tells them to create! Hope you all enjoy the episode. 

Aye, ya'll! What's good?! Excited to release this episode that I recorded with my cousin Ebenezer. We both love stand-up comedy, but we've also noticed how friends of ours in religious circles and the culture in general have had some pauses about comedy. In this episode, we try to discuss what we love about the art and try to extend understanding to those who are not fans of it, or, if not the genre in total, specific comedians. Hope y'all enjoy the convo!

Aye y'all, what's good?! I'm not gonna lie, for a lil bit, I thought I was just gonna drop off. But, with ample encouragement and feeling compelled by the desire within me to create content, I knew I couldn't stop. Hope y'all have been well. Luh ya big time. 

Aye y’all! On today's episode of the Pilgrimage Podcast we got my Pastor, Wesley Mills. We talk about missional living. The questions touch on the shifts that happened in his life that made him believe that joining God's mission in the world was the way he wanted to live. He clarifies misconceptions about the word missional and shares why living with people and loving them is more about listening to them and demonstrating a beautifully lived life through embodied living than it is about convincing them of our theological positions. These past few years, Wes, his wife, and Mosaic Knoxville have been trying to cultivate lives of beauty and grace with a posture that invites the Spirit to do that which dignifies and transforms others. 

Aye, y'all, what's good?! Today's episode features Pastor John Onwuchekwa. Pastor John ministers in Atlanta and he also is a board member of the Crete Collective (an organization that supports and strategizes with churches led and populated by minorities). If you're in the Atlanta area, you'll want to check out Portrait Coffee, of which he is a founder.  We talk about his story, an event that changed the course of his life before he went to college, the grief of losing his brother, the joys of adopting his daughter, and the work of continuing on in life. I was a kid in the candy store throughout the course of the convo. Pastor John was dropping gems as to how to cultivate a life that observes the world and works at illustrating every day and being a Christian who is confident in God's care and love. Enjoy, fam!! Luh y'all big time!

Aye y'all, what's good?! Man, Ruth Buchanan and I had a blast on this episode! We talk about her favorite authors and how much fun reading is. She shares with us a little bit of what she is doing over at Build a Better as a writing consultant. There are many laughs on this episode, from the tangents I start to the stories Ruth tells; it's an, overall, fun and feel-good episode. Ruth spends a lot of time encouraging me and listeners to hone their writing skills as early as possible and lets us in on wonderful ways to do so. We converse about how faith has shaped her writing voice and stories as she aims to live a life characteristic of the one God created for her. I hope you all enjoy! 

Aye y'all, what's good?! Appreciate everyone continuing on the journey with me as I invite old friends and new friends to join the table with me as we discuss some of my favorite topics and highlight difficult points of our pilgrimages. On today's episode, I got my friend Natalie Jeffries sharing about a time when she was removed from a country that she loved (and still does) with no choice but to leave. As a missionary, developer of indigenous Christians to lead local churches, and leader of befriending and extending justice to unreached people groups, she and her team experienced a lot of heartache and disappointment that still has affects them deeply today. Natalie shares her story, talks about grief, and explains what gives her hope. I pray this is a blessing to you all. Luh y'all big time. Let's Pilgrim on!

Aye y'all, what's good? On today's episode, I chat with my older brother, Yonathan (aka Yoni) Fitsum! We delve into how zeal in his early life led to pretty disappointing and difficult circumstances. He shares familial disagreements, ministerial hang-ups, and the renewing power of Christ's grace in his life. We converse about how difficult it is to come by true hope and restoration, but, according to the measure Yoni's experienced it, he lets us into a fresh, helpful way of navigating the brokenness that often blinds us to the hope that restoration can come. I hope you enjoy this episode, and if you find yourself resonating with these struggles on your pilgrimage, know I got you, and I love you.

Hey, friends. My friend, Barry Kerr, unexpectedly passed away almost two weeks ago. In today's episode, I spent a few minutes verbally processing what I had been feeling on the day of his funeral. This episode's content is not particularly insightful; it is primarily revealing. It shares experiences I had with Barry; it explains his persona. Lastly, I finish the episode with the silly "Barry Songs" my friends and I would sing for him every time we would leave his house after dinner or a meeting. We love you, Barry. 

Aye, y'all, what's good?! I've got Tianna Haas on this installment of the Pilgrimage Podcast. We talk about her journey to needing poetry, and its provisions for a life of genuine empathy. Written words are not simply ordinary shapes we come across on our media feeds, or in books; they are attempts to invite readers into the life and mind of the author so that humanity can be shared and greater empathy can be discovered.  Tianna encourages us to look at reading poetry in all of its forms as a sort of listening. She shares a few of her favorite writings, and she encourages others who desire to become poets with viable practices to help them improve and shine light into a world in so much need of goodness. 

Aye, y'all? What's good?! In this episode, I had the privilege of conversing with Alicia Akins (author of the upcoming book Invitations to Abundance: How the Feasts of the Bible Nourish Us Today). Alicia and I discuss the joys of celebrating and embracing the cultures of people all over the world, how as priests of the kingdom of God we joyfully welcome others alongside their customs, and the worthwhile practice of challenging our inner dialogues that deem our own cultures as superior. We both believe that having a healthy amount of cynicism toward our upbringings can instill us with a healthy dose of openness to those different from us, and, in love, we can creatively and beautifully display the life of Jesus in our own actions and cross-cultural relationships. Hope you all enjoy this conversation! 

Aye y'all, what's good?! In today's episode, I tackle the topic of incompetence with my cousin Ebenezer Endiryas (pastor of Perazim Church and host of Shaping the Culture Podcast). We talk about calling, failure, and continuance. This pilgrimage that we call life unloads heavy feelings of incompetence onto us, and it causes a lot of us to question whether it is wise or not to embrace said incompetence. Are we wasting our time, or are we sowing an indispensable investment when we continue through the embarrassments and loneliness of incompetence? This conversation aims to encourage those whose proficiencies are not quite where they want them to be by pointing to the grueling yet beautiful pilgrimage of working through failure and hoping to see God work uniquely through each of us.

Aye y'all! What's good?! I'm so excited to introduce you to my chaotic yet purposeful life and mind. None of us are meant to get through life alone, so I want this podcast to be a place where many can find a friend in me and the guests on this show. Let's pilgrim on, fam.