The Church Built a Stage Instead of a Table

On this episode of the Well Dwellers Podcast, I sit down with my former professor, longtime friend, and missional theologian Dr. Mark Love for a conversation that moves through disability, discernment, grief, belonging, and the future of the church.What unfolds is not simply a discussion about accessibility or inclusion, but a deeper interrogation of the church’s imagination. Together, we explore how the church often frames disabled people as recipients of care rather than as bearers of wisdom, presence, and theological insight. Mark reflects candidly on the failures of the missional movement to fully embody its theology and challenges churches to move beyond cosmetic welcome toward genuine participation and shared life.“The whole Bible is literature from and to people at the margins.”— Dr. Mark LoveDrawing from Acts 15 and his book It Seems Good to the Holy Spirit and to Us, Mark describes discernment not as a strategy for church growth, but as a communal practice of listening — one rooted in bodies, tables, grief, and relationship. We wrestle with difficult questions surrounding cure theology, accessibility, advocacy, and why so many churches continue asking why disabled people are absent instead of asking what has made belonging impossible.One of the most striking moments comes as Mark reflects on the church’s responsibility in public life:“The church would bear responsibility at several levels. The first is at the advocacy level… not speaking for disabled people, but giving them an opportunity to speak and to be heard.”He continues:“It is ethically and morally a part of the gospel to vote that way… not for our own comfort and well-being, but for the widow, the orphan, the disabled.”This conversation is deeply personal, theological, and at times uncomfortable — but in the best possible way. It is an invitation to reimagine what it means to belong to one another as the body of Christ.We also somehow manage to talk about Bob Dylan, Gary Clark Jr., vinyl records, discernment practices, and why the church might need fewer stages and longer tables.If you’ve ever wondered whether the church has overlooked disabled voices — or what the Spirit might be saying through those at the margins — this conversation is meant for you.Chapters:00:31 Meeting Mark06:07 Hard Truths For The Missional Church16:43 Looking Towards An Evolving Missional Movement24:14 From Stages To Tables25:57 It Seems Good To Us & The Holy Spirit33:11 Who Bears The Burden?38:02 Dis/abled & Missional Ears For Dwelling In The Word46:02 Reframing Social Justice For The Local Church — Advocate, Vote, & Empower55:56 Introducing The 1582 Collaborative1:04:23 Bob Dylan & Some Fun Before We GoResources: Get full access to At The Bottom Of The Well at www.atthebottomofthewell.com/subscribe