Pepperdine Spiritual Life Podcast

Seaver College Chamber Choir sings "Angels We have Heard on High" as part of a collection of Christmas carols released to join people together during the 2020 holiday season. Directed and Produced By: Ryan Board,  Professor of Music, Pepperdine University The First Noel Traditional English/French Carol (?)   The first Noel the angel did sayWas to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,On a cold winter's night that was so deep. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,Born is the King of Israel. They looked up and saw a starShining in the east, beyond them far;And to the earth it gave great light,And so it continued both day and night. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,Born is the King of Israel. And by the light of that same starThree Wise Men came from country far;To seek for a king was their intent,And to follow the star wherever it went. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,Born is the King of Israel. This star drew nigh to the northwestO'er Bethlehem it took its rest;And there it did both stop and stay,Right over the place where Jesus lay. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,Born is the King of Israel. Then entered in those Wise Men threeFull reverently upon the knee,And offered there, in his presence,Their gold and myrrh and frankincense. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,Born is the King of Israel.

Seaver College Chamber Choir sings "Angels We have Heard on High" as part of a collection of Christmas carols released to join people together during the 2020 holiday season. Directed and Produced By: Ryan Board,  Professor of Music, Pepperdine University Angels We have Heard on High Angels we have heard on highSweetly singing o'er the plainsAnd the mountains in replyEchoing their joyous strainsGloria in excelsis Deo!Gloria in excelsis Deo! Shepherds, why this jubilee?Why your joyous strains prolong?What the gladsome tidings be?Which inspire your heavenly songs?Gloria in excelsis Deo!Gloria in excelsis Deo! Come to Bethlehem and seeHim whose birth the angels sing;Come, adore on bended knee,Christ the Lord, the newborn King.Gloria in excelsis Deo!Gloria in excelsis Deo! See Him in a manger laid,Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth;Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,With us sing our Saviour's birth.Gloria in excelsis Deo!Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Seaver College Chamber Choir sings "Silent Night" as part of a collection of Christmas carols released to join people together during the 2020 holiday season. Directed and Produced By: Ryan Board,  Professor of Music, Pepperdine University   Silent Night  Silent night, holy night,All is calm, all is brightRound yon virgin mother and child.Holy infant, so tender and mild,Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night,Shepherds quake at the sight;Glories stream from heaven afar,Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!Christ the Savior is born,Christ the Savior is born. Silent night, holy night,Son of God, love's pure light;Radiant beams from thy holy faceWith the dawn of redeeming grace,Jesus, Lord at thy birth,Jesus, Lord at thy birth. Silent night, holy night,Wondrous star, lend thy light;With the angels let us sing,Alleluia to our King;Christ the Savior is born,Christ the Savior is born.

Seaver College Chamber Choir sings "O Come O Come Emmanuel" as part of a collection of Christmas carols released to join people together during the 2020 holiday season. Directed and Produced By: Ryan Board,  Professor of Music, Pepperdine University Veni Emmauel HymnAttributed to J.M. Neale  O come, O come, Emmanuel,And ransom captive IsraelThat mourns in lonely exile hereUntil the Son of God appear. Rejoice, RejoiceEmmanuel shall come to thee,O Israel O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheerOur spirits by Thine advent here;Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,And death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice, RejoiceEmmanuel shall come to thee,O Israel O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem,Unto your own and rescue them!From depths of hell your people save,And give them victr'y o'er the grave. Rejoice, RejoiceEmmanuel shall come to thee,O Israel O come, Desire of nations, bindIn one the hearts of all mankind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,And be Thyself our King of Peace Rejoice, RejoiceEmmanuel shall come to thee,O Israel

Transcript: Welcome to writing as a spiritual practice.  Whether you consider yourself a writer or rarely take the time to write things down, writing can be a helpful place for us to get in touch with the deeper longings within our hearts. Writing can help us process complex emotions and help us express meaning to the lives we are living. Author Henri Nouwen says “...Quite often, a difficult, painful, or frustrating day can be redeemed by writing about it. By writing, we can claim what we have lived and integrate it more fully into our journeys. In this way, writing can become lifesaving for us and sometimes for others too.” Let's begin writing. Take some time right now to express your inner thoughts on paper. Think back on the day-- what experiences or people were life-giving, and what experiences or people were life-draining? What brought about consolation or desolation, feelings of nearness to God or distance from God? Connection to yourself and others, or disconnection from yourself and others? Don't be afraid to write out whatever comes to mind. Don't manage how you write, or what you write-- feel free to bare your soul before God who “knows all things” and “holds all things together” for you. Express your sorrow, burdens, joys, and hopes freely.  If it's helpful, imagine Hagar's interaction with God in Genesis 16. Find yourself in the questions God asks Hagar, “Where have you come from, and where are you going?”  “Where have you come from, and where are you going?” As you answer these questions, know that Hagar's declaration of God extends to you, “You are the God who sees.” God sees you and is with you. Amen.

Today's spiritual life podcast features Pepperdine Student leaders and members of the Student Wellness Association Board (SWAB). Listen in as Sara asks Seaver students, Giuliana Golon, Amanda Fricker, and Morgan Clinton to reflect on their experiences with SWAB at Pepperdine and what it means to engage the spiritual as part of wholistic health.  

Today's spiritual life podcast features four Seaver College seniors. Listen in as Sara asks students, Caroline Sisson, Matthew Pastor, Jared Lee, and Allison Lee to reflect on their spiritual lives and how they are processing recent interruptions to their senior year. 

Jennifer Berry Hawes shares remarkable testimonials from the 2015 shooting at  Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Hawes recalls conversations with the three surviving victims and discusses her book, "Grace Will Lead Us Home: The Charleston Church Massacre and the Hard, Inspiring Journey to Forgiveness.” Jennifer Berry Hawes works on the newspaper's Watchdog and Public Service team focusing on investigations and long-form narratives. She has worked on the newspaper's staff for 15 years covering religion, healthcare and other beats. Hawes led the newspaper's coverage of the Emanuel AME Church massacre and published a book about the tragedy with St. Martin's Press entitled, "Grace Will Lead Us Home: The Charleston Church Massacre and the Hard, Inspiring Journey to Forgiveness."

Three professors from Pepperdine's Rick J Caruso School of Law, Professor Michael Helfand, Dr. Sukhsimranjit Singh and Professor Tiffany Williams discuss Pepperdine's Christian mission and spiritual experiences from their diverse faith traditions. They share wisdom from their own experiences an Orthodox Jew, a Sikh, and a Christian. Michael Helfand is a professor of law and Associate Dean for faculty and research. He's an expert on religious law and religious Liberty as well as a frequent author and lecturer. Sukhsimranjit Singh is the managing Director of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. Dr Singh travels all over the world speaking about dispute resolution. Tiffany Williams is an Assistant Professor of legal research and writing. Professor Williams has extensive experience in law firms and as an administrative law judge and she is an ordained Christian minister and advocate for the global advancement of women and girls.

Fr. Greg Boyle, founder of the largest gang rehabilitation center in the world, discusses the radical power of kinship. "Father G" as he is most commonly referred, shares his own formation journey and calling into vocational ministry. His stories and experiences of finding God in all things are sure to inspire any listener towards a life of radical kinship.  In the face of law enforcement tactics and criminal justice policies of suppression and mass incarceration as the means to end gang violence, Fr. Boyle, his parish and community members adopted what was a radical approach at the time: treat gang members as human beings. In 1988 he founded what would eventually become Homeboy Industries, a conglomerate of social enterprises employing and training former gang members in a range of vocations, as well as providing critical services to thousands of men and women who walk through its doors every year seeking a better life. Father Greg is the author of the 2010 New York Times-bestseller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. His 2017 book is the Los Angeles Times-bestseller Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship. He has received the California Peace Prize and been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2014, the White House named Father Boyle a Champion of Change. He received the University of Notre Dame's 2017 Laetare Medal, the oldest honor given to American Catholics.

Season 2, Episode 1 kicks off with the 8th President of Pepperdine University, Jim Gash and First Lady, Joline Gash. Jim and Joline share their vocational journeys, early memories that sparked their love, and their hopes and dreams for a new season of Pepperdine. Listen in as President Gash shares his dream to see Pepperdine as a unified body gathering with more intentionality towards worshipping and praying together. Jim Gash (JD '93) began his term as the eighth president and chief executive officer of Pepperdine University on August 1, 2019. The first alumnus to lead Pepperdine as president, Gash has served the University in a professional capacity since 1999. Prior to assuming the presidency, he was the associate dean for strategic planning and external relations at the Pepperdine School of Law, where he provided operational oversight for many signature development initiatives. As a 20-year Pepperdine Law professor, his primary areas of focus included evidence, torts, and international human rights. He is married to Joline Gash ('92), and together they have three children, Jessica ('18); Joshua, a Seaver College senior; and Jennifer, a Seaver College sophomore.

In today's spiritual life podcast, Sara talks to Dr. Thema Bryant Davis and Dr. Mallory Wyckoff about the relation of sexuality to our spiritual lives, in particular, purity culture and the impact of sexual trauma on survivors' theological perception and spiritual formation. This podcast has advice and significance for every listener out there! Listen in as Dr. Thema and Dr. Mallory discuss the spiritual life as an embodied spiritual journey filled with study, the arts, ministry, worship, therapy, spiritual direction, and healing.

This spiritual life podcast features Sara's conversation with author, speaker, educator, and interfaith leader, Dr. Eboo Patel. Eboo founded Interfaith Youth Core on the idea that religion should be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. He is inspired to build this bridge by his identity as an American Muslim navigating a religiously diverse social landscape. On the podcast, Sara asks about Eboo's spiritual practices, the role of his mother's faith in his life, and his hopes for the young people to whom he devotes his life. Eboo founded Interfaith Youth Core on the idea that religion should be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. He is inspired to build this bridge by his identity as an American Muslim navigating a religiously diverse social landscape.

In this podcast, University Chaplain, Sara Barton talks to Olivia Robinson (Seaver College, 2020) and Hope Mueller (Seaver College, 2019) about their spiritual journeys. Olivia reflects on her recent Pepperdine TEDx talk and her hopes for love as a strategy for reconciliation. Hope talks about what it was like to be the first female Christopher Parkening classical guitar student and how her Christian upbringing was stretched and affirmed while at Pepperdine.   

Poet and Hip Hop artist, Jason Petty, better known as “Propaganda,” shares his spiritual biography, journey to Hip Hop and few behind the scenes insights to some of his music. Propaganda is an American Christian hip hop and spoken word artist and poet from Los Angeles, California. He has released four albums as an independent artist and co-hosts the Red Couch Podcast with his wife, Dr. Alma.

Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, Seaver College parent and seminary professor at North Park University, shares the reasons he is excited for his daughter to attend Pepperdine, and his research as an experienced pastor and academic on topics including lament, authenticity in worship, faith deconstruction and religious cynicism, and the globalization of the Christian movement in modern history. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah enjoys helping students find answers to difficult questions. "Working in ministry, you start to ask good questions that you don't have easy answers to. The questions you're asking are deep, important questions. At North Park, you'll examine real-life scenarios that people encounter, allowing for theological engagement of practical ministry," says Dr. Rah. As an ordained minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church, Dr. Rah has seen firsthand the denomination's significant growth in urban areas, and an increasing need for intercultural ministry. He was founding senior pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, Cambridge, Mass., a multi-ethnic, urban ministry-focused church committed to living out the values of racial reconciliation and social justice in the urban context.  

Dr. Tabatha Jones Jolivet and Dr. Chris Collins discuss their new book, White Jesus: The Architecture of Racism in Religion and Education. The conversation centers on racism, higher education, and spiritual life. Drs. Jolivet and Collins share their vulnerable experiences while choosing the book's cover and invite us to draw deeper as a community. Dr. Chris Collins is a graduate of Pepperdine, Oklahoma Christian, and UCLA.  He works at Azusa Pacific U and is a member at the Camarillo Church of Christ. His Dad is a preacher and Mom is an educator, and he has three brothers.  He has been married for 12 years to Kristy, who currently works at Pepperdine and they have two kids: Mateo (6) and Adela (3.5).     Dr. Tabatha Jons Jolivet is a graduate of Pepperdine and Claremont Graduate University.  She worked at Pepperdine for more than 20 years and is presently a faculty member at Azusa Pacific University.  She worships with a house church community along with her parents - father, Dr. Ira Jolivet, a retired Pepperdine faculty member and preacher; and mother, Marcy Jolivet, a preschool teacher. Tabatha has two brothers; a daughter, Shelby (who also works at Pepperdine); 4 nieces and 2 nephews.   

This podcast, hosted by Pepperdine University Chaplain, Sara Barton, discusses how people in the Pepperdine community, along with friends and guests, are finding and joining God's good work in the world. Podcast 2 features Pastor Albert Tate, founding Pastor of Fellowship Monrovia. Pastor Tate, Founding Pastor at Fellowship Church Monrovia, discusses starting a multiethnic, intergenerational church, the value of finding God in and through community, faith deconstruction and religious cynicism, and going after greatness in service of one another. Albert Tate is the founder and lead pastor of Fellowship Monrovia. From Sweet Home Church of Christ Holiness USA in Pearl, Mississippi to Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, California, Albert Tate has been preaching the Gospel to people of all ages and races. Hearing the call from God, Albert and his wife LaRosa planted Fellowship Monrovia a Gospel-Centered, Multi-Ethnic and Intergenerational church in January 2012.

This podcast, hosted by Pepperdine University Chaplain, Sara Barton, discusses how people in the Pepperdine community, along with friends and guests, are finding and joining God's good work in the world. Podcast 1 features Andrew K. Benton, President of Pepperdine University.  Andrew K. Benton, President of Pepperdine University reflects on his call to Pepperdine, his intimate prayer life and sacred practices of finding God, and how his Christian faith influences his role as President. Andrew K. Benton has served as the seventh president of Pepperdine University since 2000 and continues to lead Pepperdine to prominence among the nation's top universities. A lawyer by training, President Benton regularly teaches courses within the University and is deeply involved in the lives of students—often being called "the students' president."