Human Flourishing in a Distracted World: Lee C. Camp on Paying Attention & the Practice of Faith

About this sermon

What if the most faithful thing we could do right now is simply pay attention? In this episode of For the Love, Jen Hatmaker and Amy Hardin sit down with theologian, ethics professor, artist, and podcast host Lee C. Camp for a thoughtful conversation about faith, attention, and what it means to live well in a distracted world As part of the Wake Up Call series on faith, Lee invites us to slow down and notice the world around us—our lives, our neighbors, and the beauty that keeps trying to reach us. Together, they explore why paying attention is not a luxury but a spiritual practice, and how our obsession with productivity, planning, and certainty can cause us to miss the most meaningful and formative parts of our lives. Lee reflects on what it means to understand ourselves as deeply beloved by God, not because of what we produce, but because love is the starting point of a life well lived. The conversation weaves together themes of human flourishing, imagination, and beauty, asking why art, poetry, nature, and story often teach us more about God than arguments ever could. Drawing from his work on the No Small Endeavor podcast, Lee challenges listeners to consider what Christians are being called to wake up to in this season: deeper community, greater care for creation, and a vision of church as something we practice together, not merely attend. If you are longing for a faith that feels grounded, spacious, and alive—one that helps you live a good life in the world you actually inhabit—this episode offers a gentle and necessary wake-up call. Key Quotes: “What Christianity most needs right now is to rediscover the basics of the beautiful story which we claim to believe.” — Lee C. Camp “The model of the cross means that if we take up our cross and follow Christ, we can expect difficulty. And yet that life has triumphed over death, love over hatred, and beauty and goodness over hostility. That is the big story.” — Lee C. Camp “For me, the story at its best is so beautiful that even when belief is hard, it’s a story worth wanting to live into—embodying beauty, brokenness, and tangible ways to do life together.” — Lee C. Camp Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Jen Hatmaker on Lee Camp’s No Small Endeavor podcast | Jen Hatmaker: When Everything Breaks: Grief, Growth, and Human Flourishing – https://www.nosmallendeavor.com/jen-hatmaker-when-everything-breaks-grief-growth-and-human-flourishing No Small Endeavor Podcast – https://www.nosmallendeavor.com/ Munther Isaac: Palestinian Christian Pastor on War, Hope, and Love –https://www.nosmallendeavor.com/munther-isaac-palestinian-christian-pastor-on-war-hope-and-love Munther Isaac Sermon | Christ in the Rubble – youtube.com/watch?si=zK8OKK_xGMZR64ZD&v=ZPTrmN6Dzmw&feature=youtu.be Guest’s Links: Website - https://www.leeccamp.com/home Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/LeeCCamp Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/leeccamp Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Rk2D2fHz5mzmJT8G-x9uO5kyhQiU1N2 Podcast - https://www.nosmallendeavor.com/ The Subtext Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-subtext/id1835471106 Connect with Jen! Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.

Topics

• Faith