The Current
We're seeking inspiration toward deeper discipleship through conversations with people working toward justice, cultivating deep spiritual practices, forming community and connection in significant ways, and helping one another heal from trauma. As we follow Christ to the margins of society, to the wounded and grieving, and into the hard work of peacemaking, we find that we are not alone on this journey. Join us to resist despair, and to regain some hope in the world, in the church, and in Christ.
Most weeks, Pastor Chris Nafis is talking with scholars and practitioners who are inspiring and faithful, and some weeks Pastor Chris is engaging with the book of Acts. Each week, we find the Spirit calling us deeper into the death and resurrection of Jesus, into a life with God, and into loving one another well.
This is a ministry of Living Water Church of the Nazarene, which gathers in San Diego's East Village, the epicenter of homelessness in this city. We are committed to meaningful worship, community formation, and service. Join us sometime :)
Episodes
33 episodes
Bearing Witness In Minneapolis: Clergy, Courage, And Neighbor Love
What does it take to resist injustice without losing our souls? We invited three friends—Jen Manleaf, Rev. Mindy Smith, and Lynn Price—who answered a clergy call to Minneapolis to share how they prepared, what they saw, and what comes next.&nbs...
From segregation to solidarity: how young people unlearn hate with Stephen Hughes
The gates still close at 7 p.m. along Belfast’s longest segregation wall, but inside a small youth center, something braver is opening: kids learning to cross lines their grandparents feared. We sit down with Stephen Hughes—42 years in youth wo...
Beyond Division: Building Peace in a Fractured World with Jer Swigart and Osheta Moore
A conversation with peacemakers Jer Swigart and Osheta Moore reveals a profound alternative to our increasingly divided religious and political landscape. As founders of Global Immersion, they've dedicated their lives to training Christian lead...
Feasting on Peace: Refugees, Food, and Community Building with Ross Carper
What happens when refugees share their culinary heritage with a new community? The story of Feast World Kitchen reveals something extraordinary about the power of food to transform lives.Ross Carper didn't set out to launch a nonprofit ...
Father Greg Boyle's Radical Vision of Human Goodness with Rev Megan Pardue
Father Greg Boyle's decades long ministry in the gang-riddled neighborhoods of Los Angeles stands as one of the most powerful examples of faith in action today. As Pastor Chris and Pastor Megan unpack Boyle's latest book "Cherished Belonging," ...
Dave Creel - Forging Peace: The Guns to Gardens Movement
The sound of a hammer striking hot metal echoes across a church parking lot as something remarkable unfolds—a deadly weapon transforms into a tool for growing food. This is the Guns to Gardens movement, and in this powerful conversation with vo...
Derek Kubilus - What Would Wesley Do With ChatGPT?
As artificial intelligence weaves itself into the fabric of our lives, how should people of faith respond?This conversation between two pastors explores the spectrum of reactions to AI in ministry settings—from those who eagerly use it ...
Sook Kyoung Kwon and Jamie Rosen: Art, Trauma, and the Path to Healing
What if the path to healing trauma lies not just in talking about it, but in experiencing it differently through creative expression? In this illuminating conversation, Pastor Chris Nafis sits down with expressive arts therapists Jamie Rosen an...
Jamie Gates: The Lessons of South Africa: Apartheid, Justice, and Reconciliation
Dr. Jamie Gates offers a powerful, deeply personal exploration of growing up as a white American in apartheid South Africa, revealing striking parallels between South Africa's racial history and America's ongoing struggles with justice and reco...
The Art of Accompaniment with Dr. Rebecca Laird
Dr. Rebecca Laird takes us on a journey through spiritual formation, direction, and the enduring legacy of Henri Nouwen in this deeply personal conversation. Drawing from her years as Dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry at Poi...
Broken and Redeemed- Laura Davis Mansfield's Journey
What does the journey from success to rock bottom and back again really look like? Laura Davis Mansfield's story defies simple narratives about homelessness and addiction.Growing up amid family dysfunction and trauma, Laura nonetheless ...
Kevin Nye - Grace Can Lead Us Home
Grace can lead us home—but first, we need to dismantle the myths many believe about what keeps people on the streets. Kevin Nye, author and homeless services provider, takes us on a journey to the heart of a crisis that's widely misunderstood, ...
Isaac Villegas - Migrant God: A Christian Vision for Immigrant Justice
When a church gathers to wash feet at an immigration detention center, is it worship or protest? According to Isaac Villegas, it's both - and that's precisely the point. In this profound conversation, Villegas shares stories from his new book "...
Preview - Season 2!
The Current is back for a second season! We hope you'll join us!
Dr. Craig Keen - Acts, Nonviolence, and the Journey of Faith
Join us for an insightful conversation with theologian Dr. Craig Keen as he shares how the Book of Acts became a beacon of guidance in his life during the turbulent year of 1968, amidst the Vietnam War. Reflecting on his journey of faith within...
Melissa Florer-Bixler - How to Have an Enemy
How do we navigate the challenging concept of enmity within the Christian faith while remaining committed to justice and peace? Join us for a profound conversation with Melissa Florer-Bixler, pastor of Raleigh Mennonite Church, as she unpacks t...
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Dr. Ellen Davis - Psalms, Sacred Places, and Hope in Faith Communities
Discover the transformative power of the Psalms with our special guest, Dr. Ellen Davis from Duke University Divinity School. Through her profound insights, Dr. Davis illuminates how Psalm 145, an "alphabet of adoration," serves as a timeless b...
Chelsey Brunt - Coaching Soccer
Chelsey Brunt is the Director of Women's Soccer at Cumbre Alta, a soccer club in Quito, Ecuador and a ministry of IncaLink Ecuador. Chelsey played competitive soccer from a young age through college and eventually found her calling as a coach a...
Acts 2:1-13 (Part 2)
We jump back into the story of Pentecost, talk about the significance of language, the beauty of the plurality of language in witnessing God, the images of the Spirit, and dig a little deeper into the meaning of the Pentecost theophany.
Acts 2:1-13 Part 1
Flaming tongues, the tower of Babel, the internet and A.I... today we return to the book of Acts and look at the connection between the Pentecost narrative and emerging technology and human accomplishment. Join us to contemplate these issues as...
Bishop Cornelius Bowser - West Coast Crip turned Pastor and Peacemaker
Bishop Cornelius Bowser was a drug dealer and gang member in one of San Diego's most notorious gangs, but since giving his life to Christ, he has committed his efforts to combating gun violence, intervening in gang conflicts, and creating avenu...
Rev. Carrington Moore - Common Cathedral
Rev. Carrington Moore is the Executive Director of Common Cathedral, a church seeking to overcome the barriers between housed and unhoused folks in Boston, which has gathered outdoors in Boston Common every Sunday for the last 29 years. He is a...
Monte Mansfield - Neighborhood Hope Dealer
Monte Mansfield is a former professional baseball player who found himself sliding into addiction and homelessness. When he finally realized that he needed to turn his life around, God was waiting through the Salvation Army. Monte shares his jo...
Dr. Brad Kelle - The Bible and Moral Injury
Dr. Brad Kelle is the Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Point Loma Nazarene University and an Ordained Elder in the Church of the Nazarene. He is an accomplished scholar in his field who has specialized in the prophets. He has written a ...
Rev. Dr. Cari Willis - Chaplain on Death Row
We are blessed to welcome Rev. Dr. Cari Willis to the podcast this week. Cari is a fellow Duke Divinity School graduate, and she serves as a chaplain on death row in eight states. We discuss what life looks like on "the row," what men condemned...