The Digital Examen Discovering Joy by Praying All of Life with W. David O. Taylor & Phaedra Jean Taylor
Sometimes sacred gifts arrive quietly—in the scent of broth simmering in the kitchen or in the gentle light cascading across a painting.
These small moments hold invitations for us to connect with God. But are our hearts prepared and open to do so?
In this episode of The Digital Examen, host Jay Y. Kim welcomes theologian W. David O. Taylor and visual artist Phaedra Jean Taylor for a moving conversation about embracing God’s interest and presence in our everyday life. Together, they share how prayers, paintings, and simple moments invite us to slow down, embrace a softened heart toward God, and receive the hidden graces we often overlook.
Drawing from their book Prayers for the Pilgrimage and the visual landscapes Phaedra creates, the Taylors reflect on the trust we foster amid struggle, how art and imagination cultivate hope, and how we can truly be met by God both in joy and sorrow. They wrestle with how to bring our full lives—our soup-making, our grumpy moods, our diaper-changing, our illnesses—into honest prayer. They also uncover Jesus’ subversive way of modeling joy amid suffering and offer creative ways to nurture an "undramatic attunement" to God's presence as we move through the world.
Tune in to learn how to experience Jesus and joy afresh today through vulnerability and praying through all of life’s emotions and experiences with God.
This episode highlights the following themes:
- How God meets us in pain, pleasure, and the ordinary moments of life
- How prayer and art invite vulnerability, honesty, and healing
- Practices for slowing down, noticing, and finding God everywhere
Links from this episode:
- Learn more about W. David O. Taylor
- Learn more about Phaedra Jean Taylor and her art
- Read Prayers for the Pilgrimage by W. David O. Taylor, with paintings by Phaedra Jean Taylor
- Read the transcript here
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Slowing down in a culture of speed isn’t easy. Noticing in an age of distraction might be even harder. But walking intentionally with God happens at the pace of peace, leading us to that which often feels elusive: joy and delight. In this season of The Digital Examen podcast, host Jay Y. Kim joins an array of writers, educators, artists, and theologians to explore the many gifts God offers just beneath the surface of our frenzied lives, often hidden in plain view. Together, we’ll discover that a life marked by joy and delight is available to any and all who would slow down and notice.
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Credits:
✅ Consulting Producer: Helen Lee
✅ Producers: Christine Pelliccio Melo and Travis Albritton
✅ Assistant Producer: Jack Reece
✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts
✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne
✅ Podcast Art: Kate Lillard and Elsbette San Blas
✅ Theme Song: "For They Will Inherit the Earth" by Stephen Keech
Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
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