Portland Stories

Today's podcast is a little different. We are remembering our friend, Luis Palau, who went home to be with the Father last week. We hope this journey of remembrance and hope for a better world is encouraging. Luis would want that.

Two retired men, one ex-policeman and one ex-defense attorney, should not be friends... they should not love each other... they certainly could not be "brothers" or... could they.  This is a must-listen episode of personal transformation and the hope for a faith and community that could change the world. There is not a wasted minute, starring Larry Anderson and Wendell Birkland.  Listen now. To purchase the their book, "Unlikely Brotherhood," CLICK HERE.  

The necessity of intentionality.  How do we live authentically together?  What does intentional community look like?  How does it manifest... how does it manifest across human separations... separations as insidious as the one promoted as skin color? The Friday community of Portland, OR has been meeting for 28 years, attempting to transcend racial, class, economic and structural barriers.  Join Larry Anderson, Wendell Birkland, Greg Taylor, Janus Sanders and Tony Kriz for today's episode:  "Show Up!"

After two episodes about how men are stupid, the community turns our conversation to civility in the midst of these troubled times: election anxiety, violence in Portland's streets and continued racial inequity. Civil is an interesting word.  It means polite (protests can seem so very rude.)  It means "of and for citizens" (in-crowd versus out-crowd.)  It also means civilized (as opposed to savage.) Larry Anderson, Janus Sanders, JR Lilly and Tony Kriz discuss civility from the margins.

Following up on our last episode, "White Men Are Stupid," we convene a new panel to take public the sort of honest conversations our community has been sharing weekly for decades.   We acknowledge that this topic is a minefield.  Listen how we navigate it imperfectly and yet together. Join Larry Anderson, Jeff Moreland, Tom Wilson, Louis Barham, Grant Gustafson and Tony Kriz.

Today's discussion focuses on the stupidity of the white man.  Join Larry Anderson, Greg Taylor, Doug Crane, Janus Sanders, Sebastian Rogers and Tony Kriz and their lively and confessional exchange.  As always, this conversation is the byproduct of 30 years of weekly mutual submission as a cross-racial community.

Homogeneous community and culture is a destruction to God's intended order and incongruent with heaven's future reality. Being with, hearing, empathizing with and submitting to the other is essential to our training to love love the Great Other. Join these five men from Portland as they process their lives in mutual submission and empathetic love on today's episode of Portland Stories.

Oregon is on fire; almost a million acres are ablaze.  On today's podcast, our decades-old community sends four representatives from diverse backgrounds to discuss the reality of a world that is screaming "wake from your slumber" and the Creator who is inviting all of us to come closer.

Richard Twiss (June 11, 1954- February 9th, 2013) Seven years ago, our brother Richard was taken from this earth into the arms of the Creator.  I, Tony, for one miss him deeply.  No week goes by without my thoughts turning to him.   In this week's podcast, we chose to listen again to his testimony from the 2011 PBL Christmas Luncheon.

Today, Jim Eney joins Tony Kriz in a discussion of his long journey to know God within ministry and, sometimes, in spite of ministry.  Jim is now a grandfather but he is still touching lives from DC to Hollywood.

Enjoy Tony's conversation with Serena Morones, a forensic accountant in Portland and long participant in Portland Business Luncheons.

Tony Kriz and Wilson Smith host this year's luncheon at the Oregon Zoo (complete with a Golden Eagle guest).  This event embodied an intimate style that valued authenticity and personal disclosure.  Wan Henry and Katy Crane were the speakers.  Listen and enjoy the music, the scriptures, the testimonials and the hope.

Jeff Martin, President of the Children's Literacy Project (childrensliteracyproject.org) talks to Tony about his spiritual transformation, the power of small groups and the necessity of courageous art. He also shares about his new documentary, "SENTENCED" (sentencedfilm.com) and his Kickstarter to help fund this courageous and transformational piece of public art: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lucymartin/sentenced-an-activist-documentary?ref=section-homepage-view-more-recommendations-p1 Reminder:  There is still time to join us for this year's Christmas Luncheon on December 13th.  Learn more at pdxlunch.com

On this pod, Tony Kriz, the emcee of next month's Portland Christmas Luncheon (December 13th), shares his story about his past, his present and his future on the journey of faith as a writer and activist (tonykriz.com).  Tony was the speaker at a recent PBL monthly luncheon and this is what her shared. Note: Greg Taylor introduces Tony.  Greg was not adequately microphoned and so the sound quality for the first couple of minutes is not excellent. If you haven't signed up for the Christmas Luncheon, you can at pdxlunch.com

(note: in order to get Robert on the podcast, we recorded in an unideal environment. However the background noise and audio quirks were wholly unable to obstruct the significance of Robert's words.) Robert King, currently Portland City Hall's Senior Advisor on Public Safety, joins me to talk faith.   Robert was the speaker at last year's PBL Christmas Luncheon and left an indelible impression when he asked the room to stand if they were afraid for their lives. Please listen, through the din, as we discuss that transformative moment and much, much more. This year's Christmas Luncheon is December 13th, 2019 at the Oregon Zoo.  Katy Crane is our distinguished guest.  See pdxlunch.com for details.

Tony sits down with Donald Dixon, a 41-year counselor in the PDX school system, to talk about his challenging road to trusting God and his work with fatherless boys in his program "Boys to Men."  Please enjoy and don't forget to check out the Christmas luncheon at pdxlunch.com.

Raymond De Silva hops in the interviewer's seat to interrogate Tony Kriz about why PBL started the Portland Stories Podcast. You will hear these two friends discuss spiritual inspiration, the power of spiritual friendships and the hopes for this new podcast.  Please listen and subscribe.

Katy Crane is a decades-long leader and mentor in the Portland faith community and beyond.  She has run companies and non-profits.  Above all she is a loving mother, grandmother, friend and neighbor.  Please listen as Katy discusses where her true faith in Jesus was birthed and how she continues to live out her faith-questions in the public sphere.

Join us listening to Dr. Charlene Williams sharing about faith in the public sphere.  She shares about godly devotion and justice in the public school systems and beyond.  Dr. Williams is the Assistant Superintendent of the Camas School System and formerly the Principle at Roosevelt High School in Portland. To learn more about PBL go to pdxlunch.com Hosted by Tony Kriz (tonykriz.com)