Karen Marsh | Dear Daughters 36
Karen Wright Marsh is a fellow table person, storyteller, writer, and theologian. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband where she runs a non-profit, Theological Horizons. She also created The Bonhoeffer House out of their own home because she wanted a space for “meals and interactions and meetings about faith, thought and life.” Don’t you just want to go to her house for pie right now?
Karen has three adult children, and acts as mom and mentor to dozens of college students who come over for food and deep conversation and all the comforts of home. She just released her first book, Vintage Saints and Sinners: Twenty Five Christians Who Transformed my Faith.
I can’t wait for you to meet Karen!
Here’s the interview on Dear Daughters Episode 36.
SHOW NOTES
- Karen’s non-profit, Theological Horizons
- Karen’s Bonhoeffer House
- About my fear bondage
- Karen’s book Vintage Saints and Sinners : Twenty Five Christians Who Transformed My Faith
- What is the dark night of the soul?
- Brother Lawrence, Julian of Norwich and her flaming hazelnut
- Amanda Berry Smith’s autobiography
- Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
- Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In ~ What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
- C.S. Lewis’ book inspired by his wife’s death, A Grief Observed, and also Lucy’s discovery of another world in the darkness of a wardrobe in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
- Like my husband Will says, ‘the physical world is far less real than the spiritual world.’
- Cary Campbell Umhau’s, Burning Down the Fireproof Hotel: An Invitation to the Beautiful Life, and her lovely organization, Spacious
- Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day both pointed back to Therese’s idea of ‘the little way’ ~ that God doesn’t demand great deeds, He demands great love.
- Pray as You Go podcast
- Henri Nouwen and his move to L’Arche
- Alan Graham’s interview on the dd podcast, his book Welcome Homeless, the Community First! Village, and one way to be present ~ just smile and make eye contact with the man on the corner
- Karen’s favorite fudge pie recipe and Susie’s no-fail homemade pie crust
- Schedule a consultation with Susie here.
- Did you listen to the show and wanna chance to win a copy of Karen’s new book? Just be sure to comment below and let us know what was interesting about the interview or how a ‘saint’ has impacted your life. (This giveaway is now closed. Anna and Tessa are our lucky winners!!)
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
To us, the Christian faith is incarnational. It’s about putting your body with other bodies and talking together and living together and sharing food at a table. ~ Karen Marsh
When you tell somebody a story … it’s a way into conversations about faith. ~ Karen Marsh
One of Susie’s new questions: What was your first impression of God?
The lesson from Amanda Berry Smith is that she leaned on God in her fear and through her fear. She didn’t have to overcome her fear, she just had to trust God. ~ Karen Marsh
I feel fear but I know that God is close to me through my fear and that gives me something helpful, something to work with. ~ Karen Marsh
When you push forward and do it afraid, you get release from the bondage of it. ~ Susie Davis
At the very bottom of my fears, I wanted to avoid pain. ~ Susie Davis
I keep turning to these stories of people who experienced pain and suffering and loneliness, and they encountered God and God encountered them and they had a vision beyond their pain and beyond their fear – a vision of The Big Story, The Beautiful Story. ~ Karen Marsh
If we can pay attention and just listen for that little laugh and feel the breeze in the dark, we can realize that maybe we are in the open when we think we’re locked up. ~ Karen Marsh
Karen’s advice to her 20-year old self: Find a good, older woman who will remind you that life is complicated and it won’t be everything you expected, it will be twisty and turny, but there’s so much goodness in it and there’s so much joy in it, and you have so much to give.
Try stepping outside for 15 minutes of quiet in the morning with your coffee.
Thoughtfulness takes time and intention. ~ Susie Davis
Listening is spiritual hospitality. When we listen to somebody, we are offering the deepest hospitality. ~ Karen Marsh
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CONNECT WITH KAREN
website | facebook | instagram | twitter
… grateful, grateful for Davis sharing their music for the DD Podcast. :)