Talkingbird
Religion & Spirituality
About
Your destination for talks given at events hosted by Mockingbird (www.mbird.com), both present and past. Subjects run the gamut from religion and theology to psychology and literature to pop culture and relationships and everything in between. Humor and grace abound.
Episodes
- Stephen Colbert and the Ancient Pulpit of Satire — Ethan Richardson
A talk from the Mbird NYC Conference "Identity, Anxiety, & the Christian Message". 2014. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Falling Into Grace, Pt 2 – John Newton
A talk from the Mbird OKC Conference "Grace in the Grind". 2016. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Renewing a Local Congregation, Mockingbird Style — Aaron Zimmerman & R.J. Heijmen
A pre-conference seminar from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 23, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Falling Into Grace, Pt 1 – John Newton
This is the first part of a talk titled "Falling Into Grace" from the 2016 Mbird OKC Conference, focusing on "Grace in the Grind". The content is the property of Mockingbird Ministries.
- The Real King of Color (A God Beyond the Pantone) — Emily Newton
A breakout talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Carpe Parvum: Embracing Little Ambitions in Light of the Resurrection — Ryan Tinetti
A breakout talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Grotesque Grace in the works of Guillermo Del Toro, Flannery O’Connor, and David Foster Wallace — Kylee Pastore Asirvatham
This episode discusses the concept of 'Grotesque Grace' as seen in the works of Guillermo Del Toro, Flannery O’Connor, and David Foster Wallace. The talk was presented at the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC.
- More Than a "Like": When Grace Calls Us Beloved — Timothy Jones
A breakout talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- A Conversation on Mattering — Jennifer Breheny Wallace talks with David Zahl
Jennifer Breheny Wallace speaks on the topic of "Mattering" and "Wonder for the Weary" at the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in New York City. The talk was recorded on April 25, 2026.
- The Personality of Jesus: Meeting the Man the Church Forgets — Todd Brewer
Todd Brewer delivered a talk titled "The Personality of Jesus: Meeting the Man the Church Forgets" at the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC. The conference theme was "Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary." The talk is property of Moc…
- Life Is Abundant: 15 Lessons from 15 Years of Church Planting — Kevin Makins
A breakout talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- A Positive Charge: On Recovering Boyhood in the Lives of Lonely Men — Ethan Richardson
Ethan Richardson delivered a talk titled "A Positive Charge: On Recovering Boyhood in the Lives of Lonely Men" at the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC. The talk was part of a larger session called "Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Wea…
- I’m Not Dead Yet, But I Could Use a Hug: Naming the Deadness and Waking Up to God With Us — Marc Choi
A breakout talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Devotion 1 — Ben DeHart
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 23, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- The Wonder of Grace (When Grief Is Everywhere) — David Zahl
The Opening Talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 23, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Drinks with Paul Zahl
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Modern Love (Or Lack Thereof?) — Christine Emba
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Devotion 2 — Ben DeHart
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- The Science of Revenge and Forgiveness — James Kimmel Jr.
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Poetry 2 — Sara Kay Mooney
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Devotion 3 — Ben DeHart
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 25, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Getting Through What You're Going Through — Tanner Olson
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Poetry 3 — Sara Kay Mooney
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 25, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- An Age of Unknowing: A Generation’s Yearning for Mystery — Belle Tindall-Riley
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 24, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Poetry 1 — Sara Kay Mooney
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 23, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- A Word for the Weary: The Consolation of Homiletics — Tim Blackmon
The Closing Talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 25, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Blaise Pascal: Addressing the Cultured Despisers of Religion — Graham Tomlin
A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 25, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Greetings From the Upside Down - Stephanie Phillips
A talk from the Mbird NYC Conference "10 Years of Grace". 2017. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Biblical "Barrenness" Pt 1: God's Hope in the Matriarchs — Derrill McDavid
A talk originally given at The Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, AL, in 2026 as part of their adult education offerings.
- Biblical "Barrenness" Pt 3: A New Hope — Derrill McDavid
A talk originally given at The Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, AL, in 2026 as part of their adult education offerings.
- Biblical "Barrenness" Pt 2: God's Hope in Israel's History — Derrill McDavid
A talk originally given at The Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, AL, in 2026 as part of their adult education offerings.
- Devotion on Ezekiel 47:1-10 – Adam Morton
A talk from the Mbird Fall DC Conference "500 Years of Grace". 2017. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Everything I Never Learned from Seinfeld – David Zahl
A talk from the Mbird Tyler Conference "The Wonder of Grace". 2018. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Grace in Practice Ten Years Later – Paul Zahl & Scott Jones
A talk from the 2016 Mbird NYC Conference "Relief". Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Forget Your Perfect Offering - David Zahl
Forget Your Perfect Offering | David Zahl | A talk given at the Fallen and Free conference, Jupiter, FL, February 19–21, 2026.
- Devotion 3 — Jim Munroe
A talk from the 2015 NYC Conference "Clean Slate: Absolution in Real Life". Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Devotion 2 — Jim Munroe
A talk from the 2015 NYC Conference "Clean Slate: Absolution in Real Life". Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Devotion 1 — Jim Munroe
A talk from the 2015 NYC Conference "Clean Slate: Absolution in Real Life". Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- I Can’t Fight This Feeling: The Problem of Emotion in Protestant Christianity — Simeon Zahl
A talk from the 2013 Mbird NYC Conference "Good News That Never Gets Old". Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Sin Boldly! The Spiritual Life of a Justified Sinner, Pt 1 — Ted Peters
A talk from the 2016 Mbird NYC Conference "Relief". Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- My Empire of Dirt: Delusions of Grandeur & the Grace that Promises to Dethrone Us – Charlotte Getz
A talk from the Mbird Tyler Conference "The Wonder of Grace". 2018. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Can't Stop the Signal: Enduring Hope in Divided Times — David Zahl
A talk from the Mbird Fall DC Conference "500 Years of Grace". 2017. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Devotion 1 — Dave Johnson
A talk from the 2016 Mbird NYC Conference "Relief". Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- The Physics of Grace (& Other Such Nonsense) — Hannah Anderson
A talk from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Devotion 1: Paul Walker
A devotion from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 14, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Devotion 2: Amanda McMillen
A devotion from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- You Make Loving Fun: The Experience of Delight in a Self-Serious World — Jordan Griesbeck
A breakout session from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- When the Anchorman Breaks (News, Character, Chains) — David Zahl
The closing talk from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- Grace in the Life and Work of Flannery O’Connor — Josh Bascom
A breakout session from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).
- The Feeling You're Feeling Is Longing — Sarah Condon
The opening talk from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 14, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved ( www.mbird.com ).