Dance With God

This is the second episode in our Advent season theme "Waiting on Justice and Mercy" with an interview by Jessica Deese and a panel of diverse voices in the Baldwin County, AL community. In this episode, we speak with several individuals who have been actively involved in the organization Ecumenical Ministries, to learn about the effective, relational model they employ for solving long term systemic problems.  Ecumenical Ministries is a non-denominational, comprehensive social service agency that has been providing aid to low-income families and individuals in Baldwin County, Alabama for more than 45 years.   Twenty six years ago, they launched a unique empowerment arm that has effectively helped communities identify local problems of injustice, and work with those in power to solve them.   The views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of our home church, Apostles Eastern Shore in Montrose, AL but are of those in today's conversation.   

Heart for Haiti begins our first episode in our Advent season's theme "Waiting for Justice and Mercy." In this episode Jessica Deese interviews Stephanie Robinson.  Stephanie, along with her husband, Ryan, founded and operate, Konbit Haiti, an organization that seeks to partner with Haitians in order to develop healthy, self-sustaining growth in their own communities.  Konbit serves families, children and entire communities by building and supporting clean water, jobs and training programs.  Their relational, empowerment approach is transforming Haiti into a more just and stable place for the people that reside there.  The views and opinions expressed in this and all episodes in our Dance With God podcast are those of the individuals in conversation and not necessarily a reflection of the views of our home church, Apostles Eastern Shore in Montrose, AL. 

This is our FINAL episode in season one (Ordinary Time). Stay tuned for Season 2, where we move into Advent and "waiting for justice and mercy .... "  In episode 12, Ruth Seawell interviews her husband Robert Seawell, as they prepare to launch into a two month sabbatical to England together. (Upon release of podcast they have returned!) She asks him questions about his early faith development and what he sees God calling him to in this next phase of his ministry. Even after 33 years of marriage, Ruth learns things she didn’t know about Father Robert in this interview. Hopefully you will too.

In episode 11, Ruth Seawell interviews Tom Aiken as we continue our journey through season one of our Dance With God podcast, ordinary time.  Tom talks about how his encounter with a high school youth group in New Orleans brought him to faith in Christ. He describes how issues with evangelical expressions of Christianity led him to appreciate the more contemplative approach of Richard Rohr and others, giving him a much deeper understanding of Christian faith traditions. Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in this and all episodes of Dance With God are those of the individuals in conversation and not necessarily those of our home church, Apostles Eastern Shore in Montrose, AL. 

On Episode 10 Julie Wilkins interviews Katie Gustafson Hill from Nashville, TN. Katie is a psychotherapist who has also worked in the Christian music industry. She is a gifted musician, singer, and songwriter.  We speak about her journey growing up in a charismatic non-denominational church and then moving into the Episcopal church in her youth. Katie speaks to discovering herself as an enneagram 4, and how her own contemplative journey has helped her through darker times. This leading her to the discovery of experiential therapy, and how this approach to working with her clients has been transformative. Katie is now integrating enneagram resourcing into her private practice which is www.katiegustafsoncounseling.com.  The views and opinions expressed on this and all episodes of the Dance With God podcast are not necessarily those of our home church, Apostles Eastern Shore in Montrose, AL, but are those of the individuals within each episode. This is a space for wonder, curiosity, and spiritual exploration

Today's episode is a conversation between two contemplative Christian co-workers led by guest interviewer, Ruth Seawell.  Ruth interviews her work colleague Stephen Pecot about his early desires to be a priest to where he is today; a career forester active in his church ministries experiencing God in all aspects of his life, even the dark times such as the death of his wife to suicide. Hear how Stephen continues to look for and find the God in all aspects of his life, even the secular workplace. The views and opinions expressed on this and all episodes of the Dance With God podcast are not necessarily those of our home church, Apostles Eastern Shore in Montrose, AL, but are those of the individuals within each episode. This is a space for wonder, curiosity, and spiritual exploration.

In Episode 8 of Ordinary Time, Julie Wilkins speaks to Ceil Striplin, wife, mother, teacher, and blogger. We talk about Ceil's spiritual walk, the "unlearning" that occurred to move into a more Grace filled life, her rich and deep prayer practices, and her devoted Bible study group that encouraged her to start putting her voice into the world via blogging.  Ceil's blog is www.readingsandponderings.com.  The views and opinions expressed on this and all episodes of the Dance With God podcast are not necessarily those of our home church, Apostles Eastern Shore in Montrose, AL, but are those of the individuals within each episode. This is a space for wonder, curiosity, and spiritual exploration. 

In Episode 7, Angel Coleman shares her recovery story and inspires listeners to never give up on their journey to becoming who God really wants them to be. We discuss the process that occurred to move Angel into recovery from an eating disorder and alcoholism, and how the 12 step program really reframed her understanding of spirituality and religion. From her early upbringing in a southern Baptist church, to her current spiritual practices and formations, Angel shares deep personal insight in this inspiring conversation.    The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not those of any specific church or denomination, but are strictly those of the individuals participating in this conversation. Dance With God is a space where wonder, curiosity, and doubt are encouraged and appreciated. 

The Enneagram is a personality typology tool quickly gaining popularity. Determining our personality type through the Enneagram does not put us in a box, but helps us see the box from which we experience the world. It has become a tool for self growth, self awareness, and deep insight into ourselves and our world.  Today we talk to Hahna Kimbrough to gain insight on this personality inventory, learn about the 9 "types", and gain insight in the Enneagram phenomenon. Hahna shares her personal journey through the Enneagram study, and how this tool helped her in her own personal and spiritual growth process.    Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are not those of Apostles Eastern Shore, and are only representative of the individuals within these conversations. 

Episode 5 is a conversation from a gathering of women of different backgrounds who came together to discuss life as a woman in the church. We discuss the contemplative path and what this means to each of us, how we've grown in our faith journeys, and what it's like in this season of ordinary time.  Enjoy hearing from Jessica Deese, Angel Coleman, Mary Brocato, Hahna Kimbrough, and Julie Wilkins.  The views and opinions of this episode are not necessarily those of our home church, Apostles Eastern Shore in Montrose, AL but are those of the individuals participating in the conversation. This is a space where wonder, curiosity, questions, and doubt are welcome. 

Dr Katie Penry is a clinical psychologist and founder of A Friendly Affair, a parenting blog and resource filled community supporting parents of infants and young children. In today's podcast, Katie opens up about the challenges she endured as a young woman growing up in the church, her deep desire to become a priest, and the highs and lows of being in relationship with the church. We talk about her time at Wheaton College studying clinical psychology, and how the liturgical church really held space for her during that season. We talk about contemplative Christianity and the spiritual life of children as well as her love of liturgy, rhythms, structure, and mystery, and how these practices inform her work and family life.  Katie reminds that "what we are doing is giving our children a faith that will last beyond a question."  Views and opinions expressed in the Dance With God podcast are not necessarily those of Apostles Eastern Shore.  This is a space where discussion, doubt and wondering are welcome.

In episode 3, Julie Wilkins interviews Laurin Karadimos on her journey to become an end of life doula. In this conversation, we take a sensitive look at death and dying, and how we can design the end of life experience to be an embrace of the sacred. Laurin is a Fairhope, Al native, single mom of two young boys, Godly Play storyteller, yoga teacher, and friend. Laurin has recently received her end of life doula training through INELDA under Henry Fersko-Weiss, author of the book, Caring For The Dying.  Make sure to subscribe as our next episode will be released in early July! As always, the views and expressions in this episode and all episodes of Dance With God, are those of the individuals and not necessarily our home church Apostles Eastern Shore in Montrose, Alabama. This is a space where discussion, curiosity, wonder, and doubt are welcome. 

In Episode Two, Jessica Deese sits down with Gertrud Nelson, author of the Podcast’s namesake, To Dance with God.  In addition to sharing the story of how the book originated, Gertrud provides insights into how we might transform the ordinary moments of our lives by developing a contemplative lens.  We talk about the importance of connecting to nature, establishing sacred rhythms, and slowing down enough to see the holy in the ordinary.   Nelson's book, To Dance With God, shows how to use ritual and celebration throughout the church year by creatively combining rites and folk customs to celebrate sacred mysteries.  "The paradigm of where God is has shifted. We are seeing God under our feet more than ever before. It makes us face this earth we've been given, and how we in turn, need to be in holy cycles with the seasons."   Views and opinions expressed in the Dance With God podcast are not necessarily those of Apostles Eastern Shore.  This is a space where discussion, doubt and wondering are welcome.

For our podcast launch, Julie Wilkins sits down with Ruth Seawell. Ruth discusses the inspiration for the liturgical arts collective, and the challenges of bringing the arts into the church. We hear the story of Ruth's discovery of Nelson's resource, To Dance With Go, which re-directed her spiritual life in a profound way. We talk about the power of wonder and mystery, and how creativity is an important aspect of our spiritual lives. Views and opinions expressed in Dance With God podcast are not necessarily those of Apostles Eastern Shore. This is a space where discussion, doubt, and wondering are welcome.  

A podcast inspired by one of our favorite resources, Gertrud Mueller Nelson's book To Dance With God. Developed in collaboration with our home church, Apostles Eastern Shore in Montrose, AL, we hope to create an evolving platform offering inspirational interviews, discussions, and other resources for liturgical practices and contemplative living. Views and opinions expressed in Dance With God podcast are not necessarily those of Apostles Eastern Shore. This is a space where discussion, doubt, and wondering are welcome.