The Reconciliation Conversation
Derrick DeLain & Jason Dukes
INTERVIEW with Chapel Hart
Episode 18 | December 17th, 2020

INTRO | Derrick DeLain

BIO info for Chapel Hart
Chapel Hart is a soulful, country music trio with engaging melodies and tight harmonies and beautiful voices who began as street-performers on Royal Street in New Orleans. The group's colorful and contagious energy has flourished into a full live band experience that fills venues at home in NOLA and around the country.

Danica, Trea, and Devyn have an amazing ability to tug on your heartstrings with a tender yet powerful ballad, then have you pumping your fist in unison to the pulse of hard-hitting rock and roll. The band accentuates the three vocalists, who embody the sweet and southern sound of country with the soulful undertones noting their gospel roots. The cohesiveness of the band has not gone unnoticed as they have garnered thousands of fans from all over the world and have received hundreds of thousands of views online.

The trio has a natural ability to make people join together in song and dance, uniting people of all nationalities, religions, and walks of life.

QUESTION 1 | Derrick DeLain
Would you mind kicking off this episode and celebrating this Christmas season by singing a favorite, upbeat Christmas tune?

QUESTION 2 | Jason Dukes
You are from the Deep South. Your hometown is Poplarville, MS. How have those roots shaped you into the women and artists you are today?

QUESTION 3 | Derrick DeLain
You are the first brown-skinned trio to break into the country music scene. What is a win you celebrate as well as a hardship you lament from your musical journey so far?

QUESTION 4 | Jason Dukes
What are some of the dreams you hold together for your musical career, and how can you envision using your platform for life-giving purpose?

QUESTION 5 | Derrick DeLain
How might you encourage our listeners with two or three actionable takeaways regarding the steps we must take toward a re-imagined American future together?

QUESTION 6 | Jason Dukes
Can you close out the episode with one of your own tunes?

OUTRO | Derrick DeLain

— Socials for our guest
:: @ChapelHartBand on social media
:: streaming on all platforms
:: subscribe to their YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb_y7IR7k8FoohmTFw4AlVw

— Socials for The Reconciliation Conversation
:: @theReconConvo
:: ReconciliationConversation.com

*Thank you for subscribing on YouTube and the podcast and for following on social media. Please review us wherever you listen to podcasts, as this can help others find us who are also seeking to join the conversation!

**Musical intro and outro by @cdukesmusic (https://cdukesmusic.com)

The Reconciliation Conversation
Derrick DeLain & Jason Dukes
INTERVIEW with Kaitlyn Schiess
Episode 17 | November 2nd, 2020

INTRO | Derrick DeLain

BIO info for Kaitlyn Schiess
Military brat. Sort-of PK. Liberty U grad with focus on Political Science, Debate Team, and History. Dallas Theological ThM student. Young Adult Women’s Ministry Team with Grace Bible Church Dallas, TX. Connector of theology and spiritual formation and culture-shaping and politics. Author of The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor.

QUESTION 1 | Derrick DeLain
Liberty University and partisan politics — THIS IS NOT A FORMER PRESIDENT QUESTION. Rather, can you talk about how your experiences there have shaped your passion for politics now?

QUESTION 2a | Jason Dukes
Continuing in that vein, help our listeners understand the present political reality as you see it. What is really the issue? Why are we such an un-United States?

QUESTION 2B | Jason Dukes
Can you talk about how the American Church’s politics are shaped by our habits and practices, of which we’re often unaware? And please give an example of how this culture-shaping reality has hurt the church as well as an example of how it could help the church.

QUESTION 3a | Derrick DeLain
You assert that there’s a hunger among your peers for better and more theologically-informed thinking about politics, AND that the Christian tradition has rich theological resources for this kind of thinking. Talk about the kind of renaissance you’re seeing in spiritual formation among young church leaders.

QUESTION 3b | Derrick DeLain
Can you explain to our listeners this Liturgy of Politics — the connection between our political work, our corporate worship, and our spiritual disciplines?

QUESTION 4 | Jason Dukes
As we wrap — you insist that the way out of our political morass is first to recognize the formative power of the political forces all around us, and then to engage in ancient yet new ways. What’s a warning you would give to our listeners if the present reality does not change, if we don’t recover historic Christian practices that shape us according to the truth of the gospel?

OUTRO | Derrick DeLain

— Socials for our guest
:: @KaitlynSchiess
:: wrote The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor
:: buy her book at https://www.ivpress.com/the-liturgy-of-politics
:: https://kaitlynschiess.com

— Socials for The Reconciliation Conversation
:: @theReconConvo
:: ReconciliationConversation.com

*Thank you for subscribing on YouTube and the podcast and for following on social media. Please review us wherever you listen to podcasts, as this can help others find us who are also seeking to join the conversation!

**Musical intro and outro by @cdukesmusic (https://cdukesmusic.com)

The Reconciliation Conversation
Derrick DeLain and Jason Dukes
Episode 16 | Governor Jeb Bush
September 30th, 2020

INTRO | Derrick DeLain

BIO for Gov. Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush is the 43rd governor of the State of Florida, serving from 1999 through 2007. He was the third Republican elected to the state’s highest office and the first Republican in the state’s history to be reelected. He was most recently a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

Governor Bush remained true to his conservative principles throughout his two terms in office – cutting nearly $20 billion in taxes, vetoing more than $2.3 billion in earmarks and reducing the state government workforce by more than 13,000. His limited government approach helped unleash one of the most robust and dynamic economies in the nation, creating 1.3 million net new jobs and improving the state’s credit ratings, including achieving the first ever triple-A bond rating for Florida.

During his two terms, Governor Bush championed major reform of government, in areas ranging from health care and environmental protection to civil service and tax reform. His top priority was the overhaul of the state’s failing education system. Under Governor Bush’s leadership, Florida established a bold accountability system in public schools and created the most ambitious school choice programs in the nation. Today, Florida remains a national leader in education and is one of the only states in the nation to significantly narrow the achievement gap.

Governor Bush is also known for his leadership during two unprecedented back-to-back hurricane seasons, which brought eight hurricanes and four tropical storms to the state of Florida in less than two years. To protect the state from loss of life and damage caused by catastrophic events, such as hurricanes, Bush worked tirelessly to improve the state’s ability to respond quickly and compassionately during emergencies, while also instilling a ‘culture of preparedness’ in the state’s citizenry.

Governor Bush joined the University of Pennsylvania as a non-resident Presidential Professor of Practice for the 2018-19 academic year.  He has previously served as a visiting professor and fellow at Harvard University, an executive professor at Texas A&M University, and has been awarded several honorary doctorates from collegiate institutions across the country. Governor Bush has been recognized for his contributions to public policy by national organizations including the Manhattan Institute, The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the Jack Kemp Foundation. Governor Bush earned his bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Governor Bush currently serves as Chairman of Finback Investments Partners LLC and Dock Square Capital LLC, both merchant banks headquartered in Coral Gables.

Governor Bush maintains his passion for improving the quality of education for students across the country by serving as the Chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a national nonprofit education reform organization he founded to transform education in America.

He has written three books, Profiles in Character; Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution; and Reply All: A Governor’s Story 1999-2007.

Governor Bush lives in Miami with his wife Columba. They have three children and four grandchildren.

QUESTION 1 | Derrick DeLain
Just to gain context, and since what we do here is called “The Reconciliation Conversation,” how important is one’s educational approach to creating opportunity for reconciliation and a re-imagined 21st Century American future together?

The Reconciliation Conversation
Derrick DeLain & Jason Dukes
Episode 15 | September 23rd, 2020
Special Guest Ruth Naomi Floyd

INTRO | Derrick DeLain

BIO info for Ruth Naomi Floyd, Emancipatory Artist
A vocalist and composer, Ruth Naomi Floyd has created a discography dedicated to a sacred jazz expression. She has been at the forefront of creating vocal jazz settings that express theology and justice for over 25 years. She leads her own multi-faceted ensemble and her recordings consist primarily of original compositions. Blessed with a soaring mezzo-soprano voice, critics praise Ms. Floyd’s music for its distinctive sound of progressive ensemble jazz that is seamlessly blended with messages of hope, faith, redemption, and love. Ms. Floyd has recorded and performed with such notable instrumentalists as James Newton, James Weidman, Gary Thomas, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, George Cables, Bobby Watson, Aaron Graves, Matthew Parrish, Mark Prince, Byron Lanham, Bryan Carrot, Uri Caine, Craig Handy and many more.

Ms. Floyd has been a presence and worker in areas of the arts and justice throughout her and career. She has lectured prolifically on the intersection of beauty, theology, justice, culture, and the arts at numerous universities, seminaries, conferences, and academic settings in the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

A committed music educator, Ms. Floyd is Director of Jazz Studies at Cairn University, Langhorne, Pennsylvania and an Adjunct and Artist in Residence at Temple University. Previously, Ms. Floyd taught music for twenty 20 years at The City School.

Ms. Floyd’s recent compositions include “Freedom” which premiered in April 2018 in Wales, United Kingdom. Commissioned in honor of human rights activist, “Freedom” is Mende Nazer’s profound story of survival as a slave in Sudan and London. In the centennial year of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, Philadelphia’s Mann Music Center, in partnership with NEWorks Productions, commissioned Ms. Floyd as one of four composers to create a community mass inspired by Bernstein’s MASS, that explores anew the relevance of faith in our times. The Frederick Douglass Jazz Works is Ms. Floyd’s new body of compositions based on the speeches and writings of the great leading orator, abolitionist, writer, publisher, and statesman.

Ms. Floyd is also an award winning fine art photographer specializing in black and white portrait images. She uses silver based films with 35mm and 4x5 inch view cameras to capture her images and uses traditional wet darkroom technology as well as digital printing on archival papers to produce her final images. Ms. Floyd has received awards, prizes, and grants for her photographic images and her work is included in permanent and private collections. Ms. Floyd’s photographic images have been published in and on the covers of magazines, brochures, and music compact discs.

Ms. Floyd was awarded the prestigious Kimmel Center’s Jazz Residency for the 2019-2020 season. In December 2019, Concordia College - New York, awarded Ms. Floyd an Honorary Doctorate for her unique and valuable contribution to the arts, her commitment to music education, and her justice work.

Ms. Floyd continues to make the city of Philadelphia her home, where for over twenty-five years she has been devoted and active in providing compassionate care and spiritual support to people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS in Philadelphia and Africa.

QUESTION 1 | Derrick DeLain
Ms. Floyd, you have been at the forefront of creating the beautiful chaos of jazz that expresses theology and justice for over 25 years. What originally moved you to want to do this?

QUESTION 2 | J

The Reconciliation Conversation
Derrick DeLain & Jason Dukes
with special guest Dr. Lucretia Berry
Recorded August 18th, 2020
Episode 13
September 2nd, 2020

INTRO | Derrick DeLain

BIO info for Dr. Lucretia Berry
Dr. Lucretia Berry is an anti-race/ism curriculum specialist, a writer for in(Courage).me, the author of What LIES Between US Journal & Guide: Fostering First Steps Toward Racial Healing, a TED Talker, and a Senior Consultant for The American Dream Game. She received her Ph.D. in Education (Curriculum & Instruction) from Iowa State University. She is married to Nathan, and they have three little girls who are the inspiration for Brownicity.

THE STORY of Nathan and Lucretia Berry:
Beyond our bios, we are a white guy and a black woman who are parents to 3 multi-ethnic children. Eradicating deeply intrenched racial, social and cultural lines to integrate a church served as the backdrop for our friendship and then marriage. Its quite a story!

For us, we are intentional about not allowing race to narrate our identity and our lives. We want the same for our children. However, and ironically, it means that we address issues surrounding race, probably more than the average family. Why? When race is addressed in the context of love, it loses its power. We want to empower our children with the truth. We want them to be free to be who they are designed to be, to hear the voice of their Creator over any social-political construct.

That way, we are able to celebrate our 5 different skin tones, 5 different hair textures outside of a race context. And we are able to talk about the creation and illusion of race, referring to it as a horrible idea. Our children are still really young, so our conversations are age appropriate. But, we have established a foundation on which to build.

Essentially, we love being a part of the work of becoming ONE.

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”
(John 17: 20-21)

***ABOUT “brownicity”***
A combination of the words brown and ethnicity. Brown represents melanin, the brown pigment we all have. Ethnicity means that which we have in common. Essentially, we all are hues of brown. Brownicity — The word and the work provides space to live in the tension of restoring one human family that has been fractured by the lies and injustice of race and racism. We are dedicated to advocacy, education, and support for racial healing and antiracism.

QUESTION 1 | Derrick DeLain
Let’s start with what is most important — what’s it like being a mom in this current tension, and what do you hope your kids remember from their childhood with regard to what their mom emphasized the most?

QUESTION 2 | Jason Dukes
“Many hues. ONE humanity.” What inspired “Brownicity?

QUESTION 3a | Derrick DeLain
What are three essentials you view as “musts” when you engage in “teaching foundational anti-racism education for liberation?”

QUESTION 3b | Jason Dukes
Talk about why educating the family and children is so important to you.

QUESTION 4 | Jason Dukes
You are a brilliant leader who happens to be female — what do you wish more male leaders were thinking about when it comes to cultivating for reconciliation and a new American reality for people of all colors?

QUESTION 5 | Derrick DeLain
Wrapping up, what are one or two simple suggestions you w

The Reconciliation Conversation | Derrick DeLain & Jason Dukes
with guests Mika Edmondson & Scott Sauls
Recording August 12th, 2020 10:00AM Central
Episode to be published August 26th, 2020

INTRO | Derrick DeLain

BIO info for Mika Edmondson and Scott Sauls

Mika Edmondson — Dr. Edmondson and his wife, Dr. Christina Edmondson, have two daughters. They recently relocated from Grand Rapids, Michigan where Mika had served as founding Pastor of New City Fellowship. Mika earned his Doctorate at Calvin Theological Seminary, with his dissertation entitled “Unearned Suffering is Redemptive: The Roots and Implications of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Redemptive Suffering Theodicy.” Mika was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Calvin, where he also contributed as an Adjunct Professor. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics at Hampton University.

Scott Sauls is Patti’s husband and Abby and Ellie’s dad. He is pastor of Christ Pres Nashville. He’s an INFJ on the Myers-Briggs and Enneagram 4 wing 3. Scott served with Tim Keller with Redeemer Pres NYC and started churches in KC and St. Louis. He is the author of five books including his latest — A Gentle Answer: Our Secret Weapon in an Age of Us Against Them. He blogs at ScottSauls.com. He’s also a UNC Tar Heel fan, which we will ignore for the purposes of allowing him on this episode with us.

QUESTION 1 | Derrick DeLain
For Mika — in your own words, you said, “There are a host of scriptures that reveal God’s gospel determination to unite a diversity of people in Christ for the sake of his glory and worship.” As two black men who both serve as pastors in majority white environments, help our listeners understand why the current protests as well as this reconciliation conversation is so crucial for the Church here in America.

QUESTION 2 | Jason Dukes
For both of you — Christ Pres recently brought Mika on team. First, y’all talk about what excites you about serving together. Secondly, talk about whether you think having leaders from different backgrounds is vital to a healthy church.

QUESTION 3 | Derrick DeLain
For Mika — Scott lists Tim Keller, CS Lewis, Leslie Newbigin, Soong Chan Rah, Dorothy Sayers, Jonathan Edwards, Joni Eareckson Tada, Miroslav Volf, Paul Tripp, Ann Voskamp, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Sayers, and NT Wright as influential voices in his life. Highlight a couple of voices who have been influential in yours and talk about how they’ve influenced you, especially in the context of this conversation.

QUESTION 4 | Jason Dukes
For Scott — but Mika feel free to jump in to add anything — Scott, you highlight your Myers-Briggs and Enneagram in your Instagram profile. You have battled with depression and anxiety and written vulnerably and beautifully about it, which I personally so appreciate, as someone who battles with depression, too. Talk about how much self-awareness plays a part in our quest to see reconciliation and on Earth as it is in Heaven.

QUESTION 5 | Derrick DeLain
For both of you — Mike, in regard to your book on unearned suffering and Scott, in regard to your new book A Gentle Answer, talk about what you hope readers wrestle with the most upon reading what you’ve written.

QUESTION 6 | Jason Dukes
For both of you — what’s the one thing you would encourage someone to seek to become or strive to do right now who desires to take either a new step or a next step to cultivate for reconciliation and oneness?

OUTRO | Derrick DeLain

— Socials for our guests
:: @Mika_Edmondson
:: @ScottSauls and ScottSauls.com

— Socials for The Reconciliation Conversation
:: @theReconConvo

The RECONCILIATION CONVERSATION
Episode 11 | August 19th, 2020
Interview with Dorena Williamson

INTRO | Derrick DeLain

BIO for Mrs. Williamson
Dorena Williamson is a Preacher’s kid, “First Lady,” and a veteran of cross-cultural ministry. In 1995, she and her husband planted Strong Tower Bible Church, a faith community in Nashville that celebrates the beauty of God’s diverse kingdom.

She “writes kids books that adults need, too” and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is the author of ColorFull, ThoughtFull, and GraceFull, children’s books with B&H Kids that feature diverse ethnicity and shape perspective on race, disability and homelessness. As a longtime bridge builder and mother of four, she is passionate about planting seeds of truth for the next generation.

She is also a “stylist” with @evereveofficial. You can learn more about her at dorenawilliamson.com.

QUESTION 1 | Derrick DeLain
You are a mother of 4. Can you share some of the highlights and lowlights from the formative conversations you’ve had with your kids about diversity and racism and the need for reconciliation?

QUESTION 2 | Jason Dukes
ColorFull is one of the children’s books you’ve written. I want to read an excerpt from it so our listeners can hear a little bit of what you’re writing about. Then, can you talk about why this book and more like it are needed to help children see the life-giving beauty of diversity in community?

QUESTION 3 | Derrick DeLain
You’re clearly entrepreneurial. You helped start a local church. You help as a stylist with @evereveofficial. You’ve written three kids books. Why start these things? Can you (a) share a bit about the culture of Strong Tower Bible Church and (b) the purpose of Ever Eve Official in order to help our listeners understand why it may be necessary to imagine and create new environments and opportunities in order to see a re-imagined American future together

QUESTION 4 | Jason Dukes
As we wrap up, what would you suggest as both a new step and a next step for someone wanting to cultivate for reconciliation and oneness together? How can we become more ColorFull, ThoughtFull, and GraceFull together?

OUTRO | Derrick DeLain

— Socials for Mrs. Williamson
@DorenaWilliamson
DorenaWilliamson.com
@evereveofficial
WritingforYourLife.com

— Socials for The Reconciliation Conversation
@theReconConvo
https://ReconciliationConversation.com

*Thank you for subscribing on YouTube and the podcast and for following on social media. Please review us wherever you listen to podcasts, as this can help others find us who are also seeking to join the conversation!

**Musical intro and outro by @cdukesmusic (https://cdukesmusic.com)