Bishop on a Bike Podcast

I'm closing down this podcast at the end of June 2024. But, life goes on. I've moved all my written, audio and even video over to www.jameshazelwood.substack.com Join me there. It's been great   Thank you   James

I read the opening chapter of my new book, Ordinary Mysteries: Reflections on Faith, Doubt & Meaning. The book launches on April 30, 2024. But I've got a pre-launch special of a hardbound color edition. More information at www.ordinarymysteriesbook.com  or my website www.jameshazelwood.net  Book Description Journey between two realms—the sacred and the mundane—with this thoughtful collection of essays on spirituality in everyday life. Drawing upon personal stories, cultural references, and wisdom from every age, James Hazelwood invites readers to uncover the thin spaces where heaven and earth meet. From daily encounters in nature to the symbolism of dreams, the mundane is revealed as a gateway to the divine. Hazelwood explores the power to awaken grace and meaning through spiritual practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and compassion. With humor and heart, these stories and reflections offer insight for those looking to deepen their faith and nurture their spiritual life amidst the complexities of the modern world. Blending theology, philosophy, and psychology, this book will open you to the extraordinary mysteries in ordinary life. Discover how attentiveness and an open heart can reveal the holy ground beneath your feet. This is an invitation to the spiritual journey, where your own story is woven into the Infinite. Endorsements “ORDINARY MYSTERIES is extraordinary in how much in-depth theology, psychology, and spirituality are brought together in one book. Here is Carl Jung paired with Howard Thurmond. Explorations into Trinity, Beatitudes, Ash Wednesday. We are invited to a “holy curiosity” and “a gritty mysticism grounded in compassion.” Bishop Doug Fisher Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts “Throughout this book of essays, James Hazelwood extends a continual and continuous invitation that dares us to see differently. Adjusting the lens and opening the aperture, he offers a view that is wider, deeper and nuanced by a light that allows the detail of shadow to emerge. Jim's scope is broad, his humor wry and his gaze unflinching. Reading Ordinary Mysteries felt like meeting a friend for honest conversation over multiple cups of strong coffee. I was left with a sharpened awareness of The Holy within and around me.” Sheila Longo Petruccelli Director of Creative Embodiment The Haden Institute   James Hazelwood serves as Bishop of the New England Synod (ELCA Lutheran). His previous books include Everyday Spirituality and Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net

Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson is Associate Pastor at Tokyo Lutheran Church and the Founder of Thornbush Press. She has written, edited, and contributed to numerous books of both theology and fiction and has published hundreds of articles. She hosts the podcasts Queen of the Sciences, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Stories, and The Disentanglement Podcast, and writes the e-newsletter Theology & a Recipe. She is the Founder of Thornbush Press, launched in 2020, and author of a number of books under its imprint: I Am a Brave Bridge, Sermon on the Mount: A Poetic Paraphrase, Small Catechism: Memorizing Edition, Pearly Gates: Parables from the Final Threshold, To Baptize or Not to Baptize: A Practical Guide for Clergy, and A-Tumblin' Down. https://www.sarahhinlickywilson.com/theology   https://thornbushpress.com/books/      

Guest: Professor Volker Leppin, Horace Tracy Pitkin Professor of Historical Theology at Yale Divinity School. He is a native of Germany, and a Reformation scholar Show Notes In the interview, Volker suggests people read Martin Luther's Treatise on Christian Liberty also called the Freedom of a Christian. You can find many translations. Here is one for free online, though I prefer the version in Timothy Lull's Martin Luther's Writing collection. My regular Newsletter with an Essay on Mysticism and Psychology https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/ Volker Leppin Bio Educated at the University of Marburg Heidelberg University, and the Theological Academic Year in Jerusalem program, Volker Leppin received a chair in Church History at the University of Jena (Thuringia, Germany) in 2000. Ten years later, he moved to the University of Tübingen in Southern Germany, where he held the chair in Church History and directed the Institute for Late Middle Ages and Reformation from 2010 to 2021. He is a member of the Academies of Sciences at Heidelberg, the Saxonian Academy of Sciences, and as well the European Academy of Arts and Sciences, Salzburg, Austria, three distinguished scholarly societies in Europe. Professor Leppin is the author of 20 monographs, most of them in German. His biography of Martin Luther, Martin Luther. A Late Medieval Life, (Baker Academic,  2017) is also available in English. He has provided several critical text editions, e.g. William of Ockham, Dialogus. Part 2. Part 3, Tract 1, ed. with John Kilcullen, John Scott and Jan Ballweg (Oxford, 2011). In addition, he is the editor or co-editor of 53 books, and the author of more than 300 scholarly articles and chapters, altogether covering a broad range of interests from antiquity to the modern area. Professor Leppin's scholarship is particularly interested in medieval and Reformation studies. He argues that the Reformation should be understood as a transformation of the medieval world rather than a stark rupture. His work also focuses on the history of spirituality, mainly in mysticism. Accordingly, his most recent book is a history of Christian mysticism from the Bible to the 20th century: Ruhen in Gott (Rest in God). https://divinity.yale.edu/faculty-and-research/yds-faculty/volker-leppin Host: James Hazelwood James Hazelwood, author, bishop, and spiritual companion, is the author of Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life and Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net  

Joanna Penn on Writing the Shadow   Episode 89.  Special Edition Interview with Author, Creative, Businesswoman and Host of the Creative Penn podcast, Joanna Penn. Joanna is a multidimensional person with interests spanning psychology, theology, business, writing, publishing, and Artificial Intelligence among many pursuits. She is the author of over 45 books, and she's already imagining the next one. Her most recent is Writing the Shadow: Turn your Inner Darkness into Words. That's the focus of our conversation in this episode. To join the kickstarter campaign or buy the book click here www.TheCreativePenn.com/shadowbook     Personal Updates On Wednesday evening, October 11, I'll be joined by local musician Mike Bussey for an evening called “Songs and Stories of Weird Wisdom.” Cross Mills Library in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Write me at jim@jameshazelwood.net My Weekly Newsletter with an Essay on Mysticism and Psychology https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/ Guest Bio - Joanna (J.F. Penn) Penn www.TheCreativePenn.com  www.CreativePennBooks.com She is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with 45+ books, with almost a million sold across 169 countries and 5 languages. She is a podcaster, international speaker, and award-winning creative entrepreneur.   Joanna (J.F.) Penn  New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Thriller Author Podcaster. Speaker. Award-winning Entrepreneur.  For authors and writers: www.TheCreativePenn.com  www.CreativePennBooks.com The Creative Penn Podcast: www.TheCreativePenn.com/podcasts/ www.twitter.com/thecreativepenn   Thrillers, dark fantasy, crime, horror:  www.JFPennBooks.com  www.instagram.com/jfpennauthor www.Facebook.com/jfpennauthor     Host: James Hazelwood   James Hazelwood, author, bishop, and spiritual companion, is the author of Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life and Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net  

Encountering Mystery   Guest: Professor Dale Allison, Princeton Theological Seminary, author of many books on the New Testament. The most recent book and topic of our conversation is Encountering Mystery: Religious Experience in a Secular Age     Personal Updates   On Wednesday evening, October 11, I'll be joined by local musician Mike Bussey for an evening called “Songs and Stories of Weird Wisdom.” Cross Mills Library in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Write me at jim@jameshazelwood.net My Weekly Newsletter with an Essay on Mysticism and Psychology https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/   Dale Allison Bio   Dale C. Allison, Jr. is the Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. He earned his MA and PhD from Duke University. His academic research and publications include the historical Jesus, the Gospel of Matthew, Second Temple Judaism, and the history of the interpretation and application of biblical texts. His book, Constructing Jesus, was selected as “Best Book Relating to the New Testament” for 2009–2010 by the Biblical Archaeology Society. His most recent books are The Resurrection of Jesus: Apologetics, Polemic, History and Encountering Mystery: Religious Experience in a Secular Age. He served for several years as the main New Testament editor for de Gruyter's International Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception and has been on the editorial boards of multiple academic journals. On a more popular level, he has written books on George Harrison, religious experience, and death and what might lie beyond.   https://www.ptsem.edu/people/dale-c-allison-jr   Host: James Hazelwood   James Hazelwood, author, bishop, and spiritual companion, is the author of Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life and Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net  

Guest Sept 2023 is Sheri Kling Coming up. Interviews with Dale Allison Encountering Mystery, David Tracey, Volker Leppin and Joanna Penn   Substack Newsletter. https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/ Thanks to the newest supporter, Jonathan V, and others Charlie, Paul, Marilyn, Rick, Matt, Ron, William, Leslie.   https://www.jameshazelwood.net/   Today's interview As an accomplished keynoter, faculty member of the Haden Institute, and director of Process & Faith for the Center for Process Studies and Claremont School of Theology, Dr. Sheri regularly speaks to groups, leads retreats, works one-on-one with individuals who seek to deepen their spiritual lives, and guides groups in online and in-person special events. Her primary text, A Process Spirituality: Christian and Transreligious Resources for Transformation was published by Lexington Books in 2020. She has numerous other publications and has released three music CDs. Dr. Sheri Kling holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Religion (Claremont School of Theology) and a M.A. of theological studies (Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago). She is a faculty member of the Haden Institute and a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and recording artist who considers herself a “voice for transformation." https://www.sherikling.com/    

Episode 86 or Episode 5 of Season 2 Guest: Rev. Stuart Higginbotham, Episcopal Priest serving Grace Episcopal Church in Gainsville, Georgia. http://www.gracechurchgainesville.org. Full Bio below   Author of The Heart of a Calling     News Commend to you the work of Dr. Martin Shaw. Martin is a storyteller and author. https://drmartinshaw.com Stephen Jenkinson. He is a former Hospice and Palliative Care director in Toronto, Canada. Grief & Mystery. https://orphanwisdom.com Dr. Fanny Brewster has a new book out titled Race and the Unconscious: An Africanist Depth Psychology Perspective on Dreaming  August 4, 2023 Book Launch https://www.pacifica.edu/pacifica-news/dr-fanny-brewster-book-launch/ Personal Updates On Wednesday evening, September 13, I'll be joined by local musician Mike Bussey for an evening called “Songs and Stories of Weird Wisdom.” Cross Mills Library in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Write me at jim@jameshazelwood.net My Weekly Newsletter with an Essay on Mysticism and Psychology https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/   Poem by William Stafford The Way it Is There's a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn't change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can't get lost. Tragedies happen; people get hurt or die; and you suffer and get old. Nothing you do can stop time's unfolding. You don't ever let go of the thread.     Stuart's Bio I began my cure as rector of Grace in early January 2014, after serving as Senior Associate at St. Benedict's in Smyrna, Georgia, for over five years. Working with the entire leadership team at Grace, I have a particular passion for the intersection of contemplative practices and congregational development. Grace is an extraordinary community of nearly one thousand souls, and I feel blessed to live and pray among them as we prepare to celebrate our Bicentennial in 2028. I also serve as Assistant Professor in the Practice of Spiritual Formation and Ministry at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. At Candler, I focus on the contextual education of the Episcopal and Anglican seminarians, exploring the dynamics of congregational life in a “laboratory of spiritual imagination.” Candler School of Theology Anglican/Episcopal Studies Program My broader work as a priest, teacher, retreat leader, and author is grounded in the Christian contemplative tradition. I continue to share in ongoing conversations with friends from the New Contemplative Exchange, a fellowship first gathered by Thomas Keating, Richard Rohr, Tilden Edwards, and Laurence Freeman at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado in August 2017. Since that time, I contributed to and co-edited the volume Contemplation and Community: A Gathering of Fresh Voices for a Living Tradition (Crossroad, 2019) and am the author of The Heart of a Calling: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness in Congregational Ministry (Crossroad, 2021). Before “church life,” I studied in the pre-med program at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas (B.S. in Biology, summa cum laude), and I did my initial theological studies at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia (M.Div, honors in spiritual formation). I also completed a certificate in Anglican Studies and the Doctor of Ministry degree from the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee Tennessee. With the global contemplative community, I have worked with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, the World Community for Christian Meditation, Contemplative Outreach, the Candler School of Theology, Mepkin Abbey, and others. As well, I continue my practice and research into the connections between the Christian contemplative tradition and the Tibetan/Himalayan Buddhism, and I have a deep appreciation for the intersection of poetry and contemplative practice. My wife, Lisa, and I have one daughter, Evelyn. We both grew up in Southeastern Arkansas, in the Mississippi Delta, with fried catfish, sweet tea, and mosquitoes the size of small birds.                      https://contemplativereformation.blog   Host: James Hazelwood   James Hazelwood, author, bishop, and spiritual companion, is the author of Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life and Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 85 or Episode 4 of Season 2   Guest: Sheila Petruccelli  Emails and letters Write me at jim@jameshazelwood.net   My Weekly Newsletter with an Essay on Mysticism and Psychology https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/   Interview Guest & Links Sheila Petruccelli is the Director of Creative Embodiment at the Haden Institute which is a Center for Spiritual Direction training in North Carolina. She is also an artist and spiritual director herself. You can find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sheila.petruccelli/   Links from our conversation Haden Institute https://www.hadeninstitute.com The Poetry of David Whyte https://davidwhyte.com   Photo of My Dream Book from my time in the Creative Space   The Work of Brene Brown on Creative Shame https://brenebrown.com Robert Bly's Poetry https://robertbly.com His book Loving a Woman in Two Worlds   Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart : Poetry for Men  Edited by Bly, Hillman and Meade    About Sheila Sheila Petruccelli is the Director of Creative Embodiment at the Haden Institute, a Center for Spiritual Direction training in North Carolina. She is also an artist and spiritual director herself. You can find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sheila.petruccelli/     James Hazelwood, author, bishop, and spiritual companion, is the author of Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life and Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net        

Episode 84 or Episode 3 of Season 2   Guest: Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown   Link to my Substack Article on Howard Thurman and Carl Jung https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/p/howard-thurman-and-carl-jung   News I was a guest on the Retirement Wisdom Podcast Podcast Episode here PSYCHE & EARTH -A Relationship in Crisis https://www.civilizationintransition.com    November 2–5, 2023 Santa Fe, New Mexico Hartford International University Eco-Spirituality Program Click here   Personal Updates Emails and letters Write me at jim@jameshazelwood.net My Weekly Newsletter with an Essay on Mysticism and Psychology https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/   Interview Guest & Links Lerita Coleman Brown, author, speaker, heart and kidney transplant recipient, and former psychology professor. As a Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation graduate, I serve as a *spiritual director/companion retreat leader. She lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA, with my husband, and our family includes two grown children and one grandchild who resides in Dallas, Texas, and Baltimore, Maryland. Author of a New Book on Howard Thurman, “What Makes Your Heart Sing: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman.” Lerita Coleman Brown's website https://leritacolemanbrown.com Howard Thurman resources On Dr Coleman Brown's website page https://leritacolemanbrown.com/?page_id=76262 PBS Documentary on Howard Thurman “Backs Against the Wall” https://youtu.be/wVl_irB59lM?t=2 Candler Emory University Thurman Audio Archives https://thurman.pitts.emory.edu/items/browse Books by Howard Thurman mentioned in the Podcast Howard Thurman, With Hand and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1981. Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited Boston: Beacon Press, (1949), 1996 (reprint edition). Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart Boston: Beacon Press, 1999 Doctor Coleman Brown's new book What Makes Your Heart Sing 2023     James Hazelwood, author, bishop, and spiritual companion, is the author of Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life and Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net        

Episode 83 or Episode 2 of Season 2   Guest: Rev Dale Selover, Spiritual Director at the House Next Door News Holy Land trip January 15 to 25, 2024 NY Jung on Hudson Event July 16 - 22 Where did the phrase gritty mysticism come from? Book Contemplating Christ: The Gospels and the Interior Life by Vincent Pizzuto Discussion Guide for Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life is available now, The Study Guide can be found here - click here   Personal Updates Emails and letters Sue asks a question about John 14:6 and the seemingly exclusionary saying of Jesus “I am the Way, the Life, and the Truth; no one comes to the Father except through me. I recently preached on this text at Redeemer Lutheran in Bangor, Maine, and they recorded the sermon on their Facebook page. It's here, and the sermon begins at the 26-minute mark. Write me at jim@jameshazelwood.net Interview Guest Pastor Dale Selover serves as the Director of The House Next Door, a Prince of Peace Lutheran Church ministry in Princeton Junction, NJ where she provides a spiritual direction and retreat ministry. Pastor Selover received her training as a spiritual director through Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development. She also on the teaching staff of Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development. Pastor Selover has been a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for over thirty years.  She has served congregations in New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and Gettysburg College.   Dale is married to Pastor Peter Froehlke. They are the proud parents of two daughters: Sara Grace and Hannah Ruth. To contact Dale Selover, visit the House Next Door's website:  www.housenextdoornj.org. James Hazelwood, author, bishop, and spiritual companion, is the author of Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life and Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net

April 29, 2023, Everyday Spirituality Podcast Show Notes     Yes, we are back after a two-year period of hibernation.   In this episode, I relaunch the show, describe the new format and play a throwback interview from November 202 with Jungian Analyst Jason Smith.     Dick Russell Biography of James Hillman Volume II releases May 30, 2023 The Life and Ideas of James Hillman: Volume II: Revisioning Psychology   News of the Passing of Rev Bob Haden, Founder of the Haden Institute Obituary Here   Haden Institute Summer Conference on Dreams & Spirituality With Joy Harjo, Catherine Meeks & John Phillip Newell May 28 to June 2   My New Book, Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life Released April 27, 2023   Interview Guest - Jason Smith, Jungian Analyst Author of Religious but Not Religious: Living a Symbolic Life Host of the Digital Jung Podcast Website     Connect with me on Social   LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Email jim@jameshazelwood.net      

Episode 81 is a sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, Vermont on May 16th on the occasion of their Confirmation of two young men in the rite of Affirmation of Baptism. The reference to the book Primary Speech: A Psychology of Prayer by Ann & Barry Ulanov www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 80. I speak with Dave Daubert about his new book the Hybrid Church. What's going to happen as we emerge from the pandemic? https://www.day8strategies.com https://www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 79: We make the transition to a new format of Poems, Stories and Ancient Tales around a particular theme. This episode explores "Friendship"

In this episode, we listen to the final chapter Chapter 27 "Wonder" from Everyday Spirituality www.everybodyspiritualitybook.com  

We grieve, and yes, it's a form of Spirituality. We listen to chapter 26 of the audiobook Everyday Spirituality www.everdayspirituality.org  

Episode 76 We listen to Chapter 25 "Lose" from the audio book of Everyday Spirituality www.everydayspirituality.org  

Episode 75 Author Anna Woofenden is our guest. We discuss her new book "This is God's Table.' Anna is also the co-host of the Food & Faith Podcast. https://annawoofenden.com/podcast-2/ https://annawoofenden.com www.everydayspirituality.com  

Episode 74 features Chapter 24 "Disagree" from the audiobook Everyday Spirituality www.everydayspirituality.org  

Episode 73 - We listen to Chapter 23 from the audio version of my book Everyday Spirituality. I originally titled this chapter "Both" but since I had all these verbs for other chapters, my editor talked me out of it. Thus an awkward title for a chapter that tries to get at the idea of paradox. www.everydayspirituality.org  

Episode 71  We listen to Chapter 22  "Surrender" from the audiobook Everyday Spirituality   www.everydayspiritualitybook.com  

Episode 71 we listen to Chapter 21 of the audio book Everyday Spirituality www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 70 we talk with Jungian Analyst Jason Smith about his new book Religious but not Religious. www.jungiantherapist.net Religious but not Religious book site www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 69 we listen to Chapter 20 of the Everyday Spirituality Audiobook. www.everydayspiritualitybook.com  

Everyday Spirituality Chapter 19 "Garden". We listen to the practice of gardening in this episode www.jameshazelwood.net www.everydayspiritualitybook.com  

In this episode we listen to chapter 18 on Service from the book Everyday Spirituality  www.jameshazelwood.net  

In this Episode we listen to Chapter 17 "Clean" from the book Everyday Spirituality. No it's not about that kind of clean, it's about another kind.

In this Episode 65, we listen to chapter 16 from the book Everyday Spirituality.  "travel"

Chapter 15 'Sing' from the audiobook Everyday Spirituality www.everydayspiritualitybook.org www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 63 we resume our publishing of the audiobook Everyday Spirituality. Thiis is chapter 14 'Walk' www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 62 features a recording of the Creation Care Team of the New England Synod

In Episode 61, I talk with Arnold Thomas about his project in Vermont to engage helpful conversations on the topic of Racism in Vermont and in America.  Note: This interview was originally recorded in April 2020.

Episode 60 features a conversation with three ministry leaders on the subject of Generosity & Stewardship in a TIme of a Global Pandemic. A brief letter highlighting some of the best practices can be found here. Pastors Marjo Anderson, Erik Karas, and Steven Wilco are my guests.  

Episode 59 features a recording of my sermon on Doubting Thomas as the patron Saint of these Pandemic TImes.  You can also view a video of this message on You Tube via my website www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 58 of the Podcast explores the creation of a home altar. In this episode, which is an audio recording of a YouTube video I made link here we look at an altar I have created over the years. This may be a helpful resource for people cultivating an everyday spirituality, especially in these times of the Coronavirus. You Tube Link https://youtu.be/3E2UuU5R3ME www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 57 I talk with Pastor John Polk, Board Certified Chaplain and Transition Pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in N Easton, MA. John has developed a strategy for providing a Lay led shepherding ministry. We also talk about grief and lament during this time. of the Coronavirus Crisis. John's Paper on the work can be found here Click Link You can also contact John with question at pastor@htlceaston.org  

Episode 56 We discuss the Coronavirus and the ways we can respond. Personal, Spiritual, Communal, Financial and Societal. Everyday Spirituality has applications. here as well. Here is Dr. Sharkawy's letter I’m a doctor and an Infectious Diseases Specialist. I’ve been at this for more than 20 years seeing sick patients on a daily basis. I have worked in inner city hospitals and in the poorest slums of Africa. HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis,TB, SARS, Measles, Shingles, Whooping cough, Diphtheria…there is little I haven’t been exposed to in my profession. And with notable exception of SARS, very little has left me feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed or downright scared. I am not scared of Covid-19. I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent that has spread the world over and continues to find new footholds in different soil. I am rightly concerned for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge. But I am not scared of Covid-19. What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others. I am scared that our hospitals will be overwhelmed with anyone who thinks they ” probably don’t have it but may as well get checked out no matter what because you just never know…” and those with heart failure, emphysema, pneumonia and strokes will pay the price for overfilled ER waiting rooms with only so many doctors and nurses to assess. I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games…that could be kiboshed too. Can you even imagine? I’m scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession. But mostly, I’m scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, open-mindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested. Covid-19 is nowhere near over. It will be coming to a city, a hospital, a friend, even a family member near you at some point. Expect it. Stop waiting to be surprised further. The fact is the virus itself will not likely do much harm when it arrives. But our own behaviors and “fight for yourself above all else” attitude could prove disastrous. I implore you all. Temper fear with reason, panic with patience and uncertainty with education. We have an opportunity to learn a great deal about health hygiene and limiting the spread of innumerable transmissible diseases in our society. Let’s meet this challenge together in the best spirit of compassion for others, patience, and above all, an unfailing effort to seek truth, facts and knowledge as opposed to conjecture, speculation and catastrophizing. Facts not fear. Clean hands. Open hearts. Our children will thank us for it. Dr. Abdhu Sharkawy,  University of Toronto, Canada  

We listen to Chapter 13 "Cook" from the Audiobook of Everyday Spirituality. www.everydayspirituality.org  

Chapter 12 "Question" from the audiobook of Everyday Spirituality www.everydayspirituality.org  

A reading of Chapter 11 "Trust" from the book Everyday Spirituality www.everydayspirituality.org www.jameshazelwood.net Get the Book on Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733388605

In Episode 52, we speak with Emily Carson about her new book Holy Everything. This compilation of selected essays from her regular column in the Rochester Minnesota Post Bulletin Newspaper.  Find out more about her book at www.holyeverything.com Emily serves as the Assistant to the Bishop in the Southeast Minnesota Synod of the ELCA. Everyday Spirituality www.everydayspiritualitybook.com www.jameshazelwood.net  

Episode 51 includes a reading from Chapter 10 "Friend" from the book Everyday Spirituality www.everydayspiritualitybook.com  

We read chapter 9 "Laugh" from the book Everyday Spirituality www.everydayspiritualitybook.com  

Episode 49 Jeffrey Kjellberg is our guest as we discuss his new book, Imagining a New Church. We discuss how the Christian Church got to its current point as well as some options for moving forward. Jeff's Author website is https://www.jeffreykjellberg.com Kairos website https://www.kairosandassociates.com Information about my work can be found at www.jameshazelwood.net    

In Episode 48, We listen to Chapter 8 "Sleep" from the book Everyday Spirituality www.everydayspiritualitybook.com  

Chapter 7 Spend from the AudioBook Everyday Spirituality. We explore how money is EVERYWHERE in our lives, and how its use is an expression of our spirituality. www.everydayspirituality.org  

A Conversation with Charles Lane author of Ask, Thank, Tell and the new book Reflections on Faith & Finances.  www.embracingstewardship.com www.jameshazelwood.net    

We listen to Chapter Six "Move" from the Audio Book Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. The full audiobook is now available everywhere as a digital download. www.everydayspiritualitybook.com  

Chapter Five "work" from the AudioBook Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace and Meaning. www.jameshazelwood.net www.everydayspiritualitybook.com  

Chapter 4 from the Book Everyday Spirituality focuses on Smell as an act of spirituality.  We also celebrate fall with Pumpkin Pancakes and announce the winners of our AudioBook Giveaway. www.everydayspiritualitybook.com www.jameshazelwood.net