I am excited to interview Eric Nevins. Eric is the host of The Halfway There Podcast, a long form interview show where Eric talks to real, everyday Christians like you about their journey in faith. This is the first of several productions that will strive to help you navigate life with God and it’s a great place to start. You can learn more about Eric and his show at EricNevins.com.
Now on to the interview!
Rich:
Tell us a little bit about your podcast. When did it start? Why did you begin your podcast?
Eric:
My podcast is called Halfway There and launched June 6, 2016. But the story starts way before that. I discovered podcasts in 2013 when I changed jobs. Certain podcasts began to come to the top of my list of favorites and as I listened, I started to dream about what it would be like to have one myself. My background is in spiritual formation studying how people grow. Eventually, I began to see podcasting as a way to influence the conversation about Christian life. The show is called Halfway There because I believe we are always growing and taking steps. It’s away of saying there is no “there” and we will always be learning and growing. My goal is to encourage Christians who feel they should attain some mythical status of spirituality and/or perfection by affirming all parts of the journey.
Rich:
What are some unexpected fruits that you have experienced as a result of your podcast?
Eric:
The best thing about my podcast I never expected is the connections it has allowed me to make with people like Rich and others. Networking was never a goal in my professional life but now I am absolutely enamored with meeting new people and asking about their stories. God does some really amazing things in the lives of his people and it’s a privilege to hear and share them.
Rich:
What is spiritual formation? Why is it important to you?
Eric:
Spiritual formation is the process of being shaped into the likeness of Christ including internal and external parts of the human being (see Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart). For me, this has always been the question I was trying to answer. I couldn’t understand why some people called themselves Christians and did not look more like him. My personal experience also made me wonder why it was such a slow process that I began to wonder if my faith actually worked. The answer is, yes, it works. The Evangelical churches that I grew up in had great theology and emphasis on the Bible but not the actual experience of living as a Christian. My goal is to help as many Christians as possible experience themselves in the fullness of Christ.
Rich:
What is prayer? How do you pray?
Eric:
Prayer is communion with God. My prayer practices have changed significantly as I’ve grown. I used to only pray intercessory prayers asking God to do things for me or others. Now, though, more often my prayer is sitting with a passage of Scripture and imagining myself in it, trying to see Jesus and asking him to speak to me through the passage. It’s more like listening and imaginative prayer.
Rich:
Do you have any existing or upcoming projects that you wish to share?
Eric:
I am currently working on a project called Imagine Jesus Daily taking the imaginative approach to the stories about Jesus. The goal is to help people imagine their way through his life to get a sense for his humanity. Somehow, when his humanness is grasped it makes him much more tangible and accessible.
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