Podcast appearances and mentions of Phyllis Tickle

Elaine Heath is the abbess of Spring Forest, a new monastic community in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Spring Forest centers around communal prayer and meals, a vibrant farm, refugee support, and other ministries you can read about here. You can learn more about Elaine's work as an author and speaker on her website, or in articles like this one from the Center for Action and Contemplation.Many thanks to Elaine and her husband Randall for welcoming Ron and I and our audio producer, Colin, to the farm last June. Besides relishing the good company of our hosts, we enjoyed harvesting cabbage, feasting and praying with the Sunday evening group, walking through the woods, and petting some good-natured goats.Dr. Elaine HeathOn the farm.Someone had to help harvest the cabbage, so Ron and Colin and I pitched in.Elaine, husband Randall, and I in their lovely home.TRANSCRIPTElaine Heath If you are nurtured by traditional church—or let's say, conventional church—keep doing it, but also realize that for other people that's not nurturing. It feels dry and lifeless, and it's clear the Spirit is doing something new. So instead of insisting everybody stop doing the new thing, and everybody has to come and do the conventional thing, you can be conventional in your worship and bless and make space for others so that we have a plethora of experiments going on.Debra Rienstra Welcome to the Refugia Podcast. I'm your host, Professor Debra Rienstra. Refugia are habitats in nature where life endures in times of crisis. We're exploring the concept of refugia as a metaphor, discovering how people of faith can become people of refugia: nurturing life-giving spaces in the earth, in our human cultural systems, and in our spiritual communities, even in this time of severe disturbance. This season, we're paying special attention to churches and Christian communities who have figured out how to address the climate crisis together as an essential aspect of their discipleship.Today, I'm excited to introduce you to Dr. Elaine Heath. Elaine is founder and abbess of Spring Forest, a new monastic community centered on a 23-acre forest and farm property near Hillsboro, North Carolina. The farm supplies a CSA and supports food security for refugees and serves as the setting for outdoor programs for kids, cooking classes, potlucks, forest walks and more. But the Spring Forest community is a dispersed network of people who move in and out of the farm space in a variety of ways. They live on the farm for a time, they visit often to volunteer, or they simply join the community online for daily prayer. We got to visit the farm last spring, and I can tell you that Elaine's long experience with new monasticism, trauma-informed care, and contemplative practice make her an ideal curator of refugia space. The vibe on the farm is peaceful, orderly, and full of life. It's a place of holy experimentation in new ways to form Christian community and reconnect with the land. Let's get to it.Debra Rienstra Elaine, thank you for talking with me today. It's really great to be with you.Elaine Heath Yeah, I'm glad to be with you too.Debra Rienstra So you served in traditional parish ministry and in religious academia for many years, and then in 2018 you retired from that work to found Spring Forest. Why a farm and a new monastic community? What inspired and influenced this particular expression of faith?Elaine Heath I've always loved farms and forests. But actually, my dream to do this started about 25 years ago, and my husband and I bought a 23 acre property in North Central Ohio, right when I was right out of my PhD program and I got my first academic job at my alma mater, which is Ashland Theological Seminary. So I went there to direct the Doctor of Ministry program, and we bought this beautiful property. It had a little house that looked like the ranger station, and it had a stream and a big labyrinth cut in the field, and it had beautiful soil to grow, you know, for market gardening. And what we planned to do was gradually develop retreat ministries there. My husband was going to build some hermitages up in the woods, because I did a lot of spiritual direction with pastors who were burned out and traumatized, and we felt like that, you know, as I got older and phased out of academia, that would be something we could do together.So we were there for a couple years, and then I was recruited to go to Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. And we were very sad to leave our property behind, but we were clear that we were being called to Texas. So we bought a home in the city in a sort of mixed income, racially diverse neighborhood in Garland, and it was a big house with a nice yard, and soon after starting to teach evangelism—which, I kind of created my own path for how to teach evangelism, because I don't believe in selling Jesus or any of those kinds of colonizing things. So I was teaching about living a contemplative life and practicing social and environmental justice and being good news in the world, and being good neighbors to all our neighbors, and thinking of our neighbors as us and not them. And I had them reading Shane Claiborne and the people writing with the emerging church movement at the time, and pretty soon, I had students in my class coming to my office every week. It was a different student, but the same tears and the same kind of narrative: “Dr. Heath, I think I'm going to have to leave the church to answer my call. Tell me what I should do.” And it was because they were being called to do innovative, new monastic ministry, missional, new monastic kinds of things. But our denomination in particular didn't quite get it, even though early Methodism was very much like that.So I realized fairly quickly that this was God calling me through these students to focus my research and writing and my teaching in the area of emergence. Emergence theory, what's happening in the world. How do these currents of emergence intersect with what's happening politically and environmentally, and what's happening, you know, in the economy and with the church. So pretty soon, I don't know, it wasn't very long, I felt God was calling me to gather students and start some experiments outside, out in the city. And so I had a prayer partner, and we were praying for a house to come available, so that we could start a new monastic house. And she came to me one day and she said, “I saw the house coming. It'll be here soon.” And I said, “Okay.” I had no money for a house. You know, kind of a lowly professor, didn't make that much. And within two weeks, one of our neighbors came to me, who didn't really know me well at all, and said, “Hey, my mom has a rental property. It's been in our family for a long time, and we wondered if you might have some students that would like to live there. We won't even charge rent, just pay their utilities and not have drug parties or whatnot.” And I said, “No, that's unlikely,” you know. So I said, you know, I could throw the phone down and ran down to get in her car and go over to this house with her. And we were driving over, and she says, “You know, it's not the best neighborhood.” I said, “Perfect!” But we got there, and it was a really great little three bedroom house in a predominantly Latina neighborhood, and that was our first new monastic house. So I asked three of the students who'd been crying in my office, “Would you be willing to break your leases wherever you live and come and live here for a year?” And I can assign a spiritual director to work with you, and I can write a curriculum for an independent study on the theory and practice of new monasticism. And we can develop a Rule of Life based on our United Methodist membership vows. And they all immediately said yes, and so that's how we got started with our first house.Elaine Heath And then right around the same time, I started a missional house church that was quickly relocated into the neighborhood where most of the refugees are resettled in Dallas, because one of my students brought six Congolese men to our little house church worship, and that that was the beginning of realizing we were called to work with refugees.Debra Rienstra Oh, I see.Elaine Heath So that all got started around 2008. And by 2009, there was a student who came to Perkins who had been a commercial real estate banker on Wall Street. And he came to Perkins as a student. He was an older man. And we were going on my very first pilgrimage to Iona, Northumbria, and Lindisfarne, and Michael Hahn was with us too. He and I team-taught this class, so it was my first one. But it turned out that Larry Duggins, the student, had come to seminary because he really wanted to be equipped to help young adults who were feeling disillusioned with the church but wanted to be out in the world doing good work. And he started describing what he was called to, and I'm like, “Well, that's what I'm doing with these students.” So we joined forces and created a nonprofit called Missional Wisdom Foundation, and within three years, we had a network of eight new monastic communities across the metroplex. They were all anchored at local churches. Some of them were parsonages that weren't being used. And we wove into the expectations and sort of the lifestyle of those houses, urban agriculture.Debra Rienstra Oh, I was waiting for the farm to come back into it. Yeah, because I'm seeing these threads of experimentation and monasticism and place. We're sitting here today on your current farm land. So it's really interesting to hear all these threads being developed early on in an urban context.Elaine Heath Yes, it was quite something. These houses were all in different social contexts. There was one house, the Bonhoeffer house, that was in East Dallas, in a neighborhood that was not only mixed income and racially diverse, but also used to be where the mayor lived. And now there are people who are unhoused living there, and there are also people with nice houses living there. So it was a very interesting neighborhood. So that house, we learned quickly that you needed to take a year to get to know the neighborhood before you try to figure out how you're going to support whatever justice work needs to happen in the neighborhood. But that house got really close with the unhoused community and did a lot of good ministry with the guys and a few women. Then there was one for undocumented workers, the Romero House, and just different social contexts. But all of them had a backyard garden or, you know, some type of growing food kind of thing. And I used to take students to this farm that was an urban farm in DeSoto, which is just south of Dallas, where it was quite small, but these were former missionaries, the type that have crusades and show the Jesus film and everything in sort of poor countries. And then they had an awakening that happened, and they realized they were being called to help people in orphanages learn how to grow their own food in a sustainable way and raise the living standard for the whole village. So they had this little farm, and I would take students there every semester to experience the conversion of thought that this couple had over what mission is, and to experience the beauty and joy of tilapia that provide food for the lettuce, that provide for the bees, you know. So this closed system. So that also affected my imagination about what I really wanted to do in the future.And so gradually, the years—we were there for 11 years, and we lived in community the whole time that we were there. By the time we came here for me to work at Duke, we had a very clear picture of what we wanted to do here. And so we looked for the property back when we had to sell that first farm, when we were so sad about selling it, I had an experience in prayer where I sensed God was saying to me, “Don't give up on this dream. It's sacred, and it will happen in the future on a better piece of property, at a better time in your life for this.” And so when it was time to move here, I said to Randall, “This is the time. Let's look for that property.” So that's how we landed here.Friendly, very contented dairy goats, hanging out in the afternoon.Debra Rienstra Yeah. When talking about your students, you mentioned yesterday that you like to “ruin them for fake church.” So what do you mean by fake church, and how exactly do you ruin them for it?Elaine Heath Well, you know, church is really the people and not the building. You all know that. It's the people and we're called to be a very different kind of people who are a healing community, that neighbor well, that give ourselves away, that regard our neighbors—human and non human—as part of us, whether they think they're part of us or not. We have this sort of posture in life. And when I think of how Jesus formed the church, Jesus had this little ragtag group of friends, and they traveled around and did stuff and talked about it, and they got mad at each other and had power struggles and drama and, you know, and then Jesus would process the drama with them. And he would do these outrageous things, you know, breaking sort of cultural taboo to demonstrate: this is what love really looks like. And so we don't get to do much of any of that, sitting in a pew on Sunday morning, facing forward while the people up in the front do things. And so many churches—maybe you've never experienced this, but I certainly have. The pastor's sort of the proxy disciple while people kind of watch and make judgments and decide whether or not they want to keep listening to those sermons.Debra Rienstra Oh yes.Elaine Heath So when you experience Christian life in a community where it's both natural, it's just the way you live in the world, and it's also liturgically rich, and the life is a contemplative life, and it's also a life of deep missional engagement with the world— that other version of church, it's like oatmeal with no flavoring in it. It makes you, I mean, it's about the life together. It's how we live in this world. It's not about sitting somewhere for an hour once a week and staring forward.Debra Rienstra Right. Yeah, so I would, you know, of course, I would describe what you're describing as refugia, being the people of refugia. You know? Not that I'm—we'll come back to traditional worship and traditional forms of faith and religion. But it seems like what you're doing is living into something you say on your website that we are in the midst of a new reformation in the church, and I certainly sense that too. I think the evidence is all around us, and the research bears out that we've reached this inflection point, and it's a painful inflection point that a lot of people think of as decline, because living through it feels confusing and bewildering and dark and full of loss. So what is your sense of when we are, in this point in history, in particular, for those of us who've been part of church communities, where are we finding ourselves? Why is it so confusing?Elaine Heath I really believe we're in a dark night of the soul as the church in the West and perhaps places in the East too. I know we've exported a capitalist version of church all over the world, sadly. But I believe we're in a dark night of the soul, you know, classically understood, where it's spirit-breathed. It's not that the devil is doing something to us. It's spirit-breathed to detach us from our sort of corporate ego that thinks we get to show up and boss the world around and act like we own the joint.Debra Rienstra We call that church of empire.Elaine Heath Yeah. And so I think that's what's happening. And when, you know, if you study the literature, if you work in spiritual direction, and you're looking at what happens with the dark night of the soul. That's a real dark night, not a clinical depression or something like that, but an actual dark night. You have to go through it. You can't bypass it. You can't work your way out of it. You can't talk your way out of it. And what happens is you find yourself increasingly hungry for simplicity, for a simple but clear experience of God, because it's like God's disappeared. There's a deep loneliness, even a sort of cold hell, to being in a dark night of the soul. And so there's a restlessness, there's a longing for actual experience of God. There's a feeling of futility. Things that used to work don't work anymore. So you know the threefold path? The purgation, illumination and union is one way that we've learned to think about what happens. The purgation part is— we're there.Debra Rienstra We're being purgated.Elaine Heath We're being purgated, yeah. And at the same time that we're having these flashes of intuitive knowing, this sort of illumination is coming. “Oh, let's pay attention to the saints and mystics who lived through things like this. What gave them life? What helped them to keep showing up and being faithful?” And we're having moments of union too, when we feel like, “Oh, discipleship means I make sure that the trees are cared for and not just people. Oh, all living things are interconnected. Quantum physics is teaching us a spiritual truth we should have known already.” So the three parts of that contemplative path are happening simultaneously. But I think what feels most forward to a lot of people is the purgation piece where you're like, “Oh, things are just dropping away. Numbers are dropping. Things that used to work don't work. What's going to happen now?” Sort of a sense of chaos, confusion. Tohu va bohu, yeah.Debra Rienstra Yeah, do you want me to explain what that is?Elaine Heath Yeah, chaos and confusion. From the beginning of time.Debra Rienstra It's the realm out of which creation is formed. So the idea that the spirit is drawing us into this dark night is actually really reassuring. We are where we're supposed to be. And even though it feels confusing and painful, there are these moments of wisdom—that's so reassuring. In fact, one of the things you write: the new reformation is all about the emergence. So this emergence is happening of a generous, hospitable, equitable form of Christianity that heals the wounds of the world. What is your vision about what the church needs to release and hold and create right now?Elaine Heath We need to release everything that even slightly has a hint of empire, that we have thought of as what it means to be the church, because that completely reverts what church is supposed to be about. So giving up empire, we need to take up the great kenotic hymn of Philippians two and actually live it.Debra Rienstra The self emptying hymn.Elaine Heath The self emptying. And it's not—I know that that can be problematic when we're thinking of women or, you know, groups that have been forced to empty themselves in an exploited way. But that's not really what that's all about. It's about showing up to God, paying attention, seeing what God's invitation is, then cooperating with that and just releasing the outcome. That's what that's about, and really finding out, what am I in this world for? What are we in this world for? And being about that and not about something else.Debra Rienstra Yeah, it's hard to release the ways that we have done things. Well, you have a congregation, you have a pastor, you have a sanctuary, you have programs, you want the kids to come, you need tithes, all of those systems. And actually, what you're doing here at Spring Forest—let's talk about that. What you're doing here at Spring Forest doesn't have any of that. Sunday services. There's no church building. You have barn buildings, you have farm buildings. No Sunday school, no adult ed, no choirs, organs, praise bands, any of that stuff, right? Do you think of Spring Forest as a new model for church? Perhaps one among many?Elaine Heath It's one among many. We're definitely shaped by traditional monasticism. We're shaped by early Methodism. We're influenced by the Catholic Worker Movement, and definitely Bonhoeffer's work and a number of others: the Clarence Jordan and Koinonia farms. And so we're influenced by all of those. We do have music sometimes at Forest Feast, if we have someone that can lead it, and, you know, do a good job. But the backbone of our worship life is morning and evening prayer. And that is so wonderful. You were here last night for Forest Feast, and we use the same structure we use for morning and evening prayer, and we have a group of about six people who are writing the liturgies for us, who have been writing for a year and a half now.Debra Rienstra Who are those people?Elaine Heath Well, there's Steve Taylor is our lay leader, and his wife, Cheryl, and then there's Donna Patterson, who's—none of them were here last night. They all had to go somewhere. But some of them are lay people. Some of them are clergy.Debra Rienstra And they don't live here?Elaine Heath No, they live— well, some of the people that write live far away, and they're in our digital community. But, yeah, Steve and Cheryl live in Lumberton, which is, you know, almost two hours away. But they're beautiful. I mean, if you go online and look at some of the last month, look at the prayers and see the—they're just truly beautiful, and they reflect our spirituality of our community.Debra Rienstra Yeah. So the community, it seems to me, you have had people living on the farm itself, but your community, like the Iona community, is both located here on this land, but also dispersed. And so you have that interaction, that conversation between this residential life. So let's try to describe for listeners: there's the farm. You live here with your husband. You have interns from Duke. You have a farm. What do you call Larry?Elaine Heath He's our farm coach.Debra Rienstra Coach, yes, I love that. They have the farm coach who has the farming knowledge that you all sort of follow. You have chefs. They don't live here either, but they come in. So you have a lot of people coming in and out on this farm. And you do regenerative farming. You have programs for kids, you have refugee support, and you can talk about that, trauma informed rest for spiritual leaders. And then a number of other things. The farm produces vegetables and those go to a CSA, and also a lot of it is donated. Why this particular assembly of activities? How does it all fit together? And what are the theological principles beneath each of these endeavors?Elaine Heath The overarching principle is that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to every believer and to every person, let's just be honest. And the job of the pastor, the pastor teacher, is to fan those gifts into flame, to help them have the support they need to use their gifts and that the ministries should be shaped by the gifts of the people, which means you can't use a cookie cutter. And we have numerically a small community, but incredibly high capacity of people. So we have these gifts that they have, and then the ministries are emerging out of those gifts. And it might seem like, why do you have refugee support? And you know, just name anything else we're doing. How does this fit together? The organizing principle—okay, so you have the foundation. These are gifts given by the Spirit. Our ministries are emerging from our gifts. And the organizing sort of a cohesive piece is our rule of life that ties everything together. And so our rule of life is prayer, work, table, neighbor and rest. And that rule of life came about after we lived here for a year, when we first started Spring Forest with—there was another pastor that co-founded it with me, Francis Kinyua, who's from Kenya, and he was my student in Dallas, and did all those other things with me. So we invited him to come. We had to work with three different bishops to kind of make it work. But it worked, you know. Anyway, we just waited for a year to see. We had lots of work to do with getting the farm ready to go and Francis and I went to Church World Service right away to say, “Hey, we have a lot of experience supporting refugees, and we would like to do that here as well.” So we got started with that, but we waited a year and then just articulated, what are the practices that we do that are keeping us grounded here and keeping us right side up. And it was those things, so we named it.Debra Rienstra Okay, you were just doing it, and then you named those things.Elaine Heath Instead of creating sort of an aspirational rule and tried to live into it, we named what was actually working, what was actually grounding us and felt life giving.Debra Rienstra Hi, it's me, Debra. If you are enjoying this podcast episode, go ahead and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. If you have a minute, leave a review. Good reviews help more listeners discover this podcast. To keep up with all the Refugia news, I invite you to subscribe to the Refugia newsletter on Substack. This is my fortnightly newsletter for people of faith who care about the climate crisis and want to go deeper. Every two weeks, I feature climate news, deeper dives, refugia sightings and much more. Join our community at refugianewsletter.substack.com. For even more goodies, including transcripts and show notes for this podcast, check out my website at debrarienstra.com. D-E-B-R-A-R-I-E-N-S-T-R-A dot com. Thanks so much for listening. We're glad you're part of this community. And now back to the interview.Debra Rienstra You do partner a lot with, you know, “regular church folk.” It's that sort of in-and-out permeable membrane. How do you think about the relationship of what you're doing here, with Spring Forest, with the work of sort of standard congregations, is there like a mutuality? How do you think about that?Elaine Heath It's just like traditional monasticism. You've got a community that have this rule of life they follow. People who are not living in the community can become Oblates to the rule of life and have a special relationship. And usually those people go to church somewhere else. Part of our ethic here is we want to resist competition between churches, so we don't meet on Sundays to do things like programmatically. We usually just rest on Sundays and watch a movie and eat popcorn, you know.Debra Rienstra That's a spiritual practice.Elaine Heath But also, so there's that sort of historic piece, and people from churches come here for retreats. Lead teams come for retreats. People come—pastors, we have a lot of pastors who come here for a retreat. But also we are a mission community, so we're very active with supporting refugees. We're very active with the food programs that we have, and that gives people from a church—lots of churches don't have things like that going on. They don't have the resources for it, or they haven't figured it out. But that way, we can partner with churches and people can come here and they can actually get their hands in the soil, and they can teach somebody to read, and they can see little children learning where food comes from. They can help the chef with her kitchen things, you know. So it's a wonderful way to provide spiritual formation and missional formation to congregations that don't have those resources. And we can do these things together.Debra Rienstra Yeah. And that's that's premised on this being a place, an embodied place, a refugia space that people can come to. Yeah. I think that's a wonderful model. Do you yourself ever feel a sense of loss for “the old ways?” And I'm just thinking of this because at the beginning of your book, God Unbound, which is about Galatians, you write about how Paul challenges the Galatians to let go of their tight grip on the past, and you write about how you, reading that, felt yourself like a little bit of a traditionalist, you know, sort of defending, “But what about the past? What about the old ways?” Which you have loved too, right? So, how would you counsel people who have loved traditional church despite everything, and really do feel this sense of loss and wonder anxiously about what's next?Elaine Heath Yeah, I feel empathy. You know, something was going on in the Middle East at the time. I can't remember exactly the situation. There's always something going on, but it had to do with people's culture being wiped out and being told that what they believed didn't count and wasn't right and everything. And I was feeling such grief for them, and then all of a sudden, you know, I'm in Galatians, and think, “Well, that's how those people felt.” And even myself, there are things in my own daily practice that are—they're precious to me. My way of praying in the morning, the facing into the forest, you know, and things like that, that are rituals for me. And thinking, you know, if somebody told me “that doesn't matter,” how hard that would be. So I think in the spiritual journey, we come to the place, if we keep maturing, where we realize, in Merton's words, that so often we think it's the finger pointing to the moon, we think the finger is the moon. And it's that way about rituals and all sorts of things that we do, and we get to a place where we realize that intellectually and even spiritually, in an emotional way. But you can't force people to get to that point. This is something that happens as we grow and mature as life goes by. So what I have said to many people is, “If you are nurtured by traditional church, or, let's say, conventional church,”—because which traditional church are we talking about? One, right here, middle class, white, are we talking about Brazil? —”So if that nurtures you, keep doing it. But also realize that for other people, that's not nurturing. It feels dry and lifeless, and it's clear the Spirit is doing something new.” So instead of insisting everybody stop doing the new thing, and everybody has to come and do the conventional thing, you can be conventional in your worship and bless and make space for others so that we have a plethora of experiments going on. Because we're in a time of great emergence, as Phyllis Tickle wrote, and we need lots of experiments.Debra Rienstra Yeah. I appreciated what you wrote about trial and error. It's a time of trial and error, and it's okay to try things and have them not work. And that fits the refugia model too, really, really well. I mean, refugia don't always work. They just sometimes fail. Let's talk about a couple of key metaphors that I've noticed in your writings and in the website for Spring Forest too. One is that metaphor of the mycelial network, so the underground fungus that connects the creatures, the beings, the plants, the trees of the forest. I think is a wonderful metaphor too, for the way that faith and climate people, people who are worried about the climate crisis, and also people of faith—it's a great metaphor for how they're finding each other and connecting and building this sort of cultural and spiritual soil where the seeds of the future can grow. How is that metaphor meaningful for you here at Spring Forest?Elaine Heath Well, it means a lot in terms of the first of all, the diversity of expressions of ministry that are even here on the property, but also, especially in our dispersed community, through following the rule of life together, which—we are a practice-based community, rather than a dogma-based community. So as people are practicing those practices where they live and work and play, then they are forming community in a very specific, contextual way where they are. I think of Steve and Cheryl again, the friends I mentioned earlier. He's our lay leader. They live in a, I think a working class neighborhood in Lumberton, which is the land of the Lumbee here in North Carolina. And they have developed a wonderful, just neighborhood ministry there with—and they've been able, through potluck dinners and front yard barbecues and remembering people's birthdays and things like this, they've developed this friendship network in the neighborhood with people that are on complete opposite sides, politically, racially, and this is in the South, where you've got all sorts of issues. And they've taken the sort of ethic of Spring Forest here, but it's caused a mushroom to bloom there that looks really different from here. They don't have a farm, they don't have a forest, they've got this neighborhood. But the neighboring, the praying, the tabling, resting, all of those things are part of how they live there. And so it's fruiting there. And it's the same in other places in the world where we have people that live there.Debra Rienstra It's a good example, too, of how eating together is sacramental, both here and in these other networks that are connected to you. The Garden of Eden and the vision of the New Earth in Revelation are both important to you, that that whole long scriptural arc begin in a garden, end in a garden city, and then the Tree of Life is also your symbol, your logo. So how would you situate our work today as people of faith in that long arc of history, from the garden to the Garden City, and how does the Tree of Life fit into that for you?Elaine Heath There's a way in which the whole story is happening simultaneously. Does that make sense?Debra Rienstra Yeah.Elaine Heath It's all happening beyond time, sort of simultaneously. So sometimes we're living in the garden and we've been deceived, and now we have to figure out what to do, and sometimes we're rebuilding the wall, and sometimes we're on our way to Bethlehem, and sometimes we're in the garden of the new creation. And we can see it, and we're living that truth even while there's still the wall being built. There's a simultaneity to it all. But for me, I think especially of the theology of Julian of Norwich. That's why we have her icon here. There's this vision of love making all things new, that God, Christ, the risen Christ, says in Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new.” All things, not just a handful of people who get the right doctrine, not just—no, all things: horses and amoeba and all things are being made new in mysterious ways that we can't completely know.Debra Rienstra And that's Colossians one and Romans eight as well.Elaine Heath It's this thread that comes through scripture, and we get to participate in that, even while we don't see all the things completely made new, we get to be part of that. And to me, that's what it means to follow Christ. That's what it means to be a disciple. And to be the love of God enfleshed in this world is to keep participating in the making of all things new. This is why healing has such a central role in my theological vision and my practice, is it's making all things new.Debra Rienstra Healing land, healing people, healing communities.Elaine Heath Yeah, yeah. Healing theology. Theology has been so damaged by patriarchy and philosophy and all sorts of things, you know, and racism.Debra Rienstra Colonization. Yeah, so that embodiment is important even theologically, because we're not aiming for some abstract doctrinal perfection. We're not aiming to become disembodied creatures. We're aiming for this embodied redemption. And so working on the farm, healing, you know, getting muddy, walking through forests, harvesting veg, and you're able to invite people into that embodiment. Little kids doing yoga, I think that's wonderful. You know, just finding this kind of rest in their own little bodies. Eating—one of the most embodied and kinship-with-creation things we do, right? Taking it inside ourselves. And that, I think, is condensed in ritual. So I know that you have been playfully experimenting with rituals. I was able to be a part of the Forest Feast last night with my husband Ron and our friend Colin. And it was this beautifully curated event where we shared table together and then went through this prayer sequence that you described, and it was beautifully participative. I noticed you do a blessing of the animals too on the farm. So good thing these are blessed chickens and blessed dairy goats, blessed dogs and cats. What other sort of liturgical shenanigans have you tried to help people live into this embodied faith practice?Elaine Heath We do so many things. It's so much fun. It's never boring. It's never boring. We have a ritual in the fall, in late November, where we tuck the farm in and put it to bed for the winter, and we have the children come, we get some compost. You know, we've cleared out the beds, and they're gonna rest now. And so the children put some compost in. And we have a liturgy that we use. We light candles, and we thank Mother Earth for the food, we thank God for the opportunities. And so this is one of the things that we do ritualistically. We also have a spring ritual. It's very Hebrew-Bible like, right? With these seasons and the crops and the things with the liturgical seasons, we also have done a bunch of things. My favorite one so far was for epiphany, and this was two years ago. And so I had the interns from Duke Divinity School do the bulk of the planning. I just gave them a little bit of guidance about the four-fold order of worship and just some things like that. So we had a journey through the forest. It started here. We went on the forest trail. Of course, it was dark outside, and they had gone ahead and set up fairy lights at certain places where we're going to stop. And one of the interns' fiance was a musician, so he had his guitar, and he had one of those things where you can play the harmonica and play the guitar at the same time, but he was our troubadour, and all of us were the Magi. So there's this troop of Magi, and we would stop at each station along the way, and there were prompt questions that we would take five minutes, and people could respond to these questions. There would be a scripture reading, and we respond to the question, we go to the next station. And it was so amazing. People shared from their lives in a very deep way. It surprised me how quickly they went deep. Well, it was dark, and there were these twinkle lights, and there was the troubadour. Then we finally got up to the Christ child, and we went into the goat barn. And honestly, I get chills every time I even remember this. But the students had set up in the goat barn—and the goats were in the barn. Okay, they were behind a little chain link thing so they didn't step on the icons and everything. But they had set up an altar at the base of the feeding trough with a big icon of Mary with the Christ Child, candles, and some other things there. There were different icons and some fairy lights. And we went in there, and we all crowded in and began to sing. We sang “This Little Light of Mine,” we sang some Christmas carols, and finished the story. And then we came back to the house and had some snacks and talked about what kind of wisdom was given to us since we were Magi. We were going to be people seeking wisdom and seeking—it was the most beautiful thing. And we've done lots of things like that. We see the land here is a primary text to learn from and to listen to and to observe, not as a metaphor, but as, it's actually a conversation partner. So we do things like that.Debra Rienstra That playfulness is so exciting to me, this sense of using our tradition, using our scriptures, using the skills that we've honed as people of faith over generations, singing together, praying together, but experimenting with those things in new contexts and new ways, in new forms of embodiment that are just faithful and yet playful. And so, as you say, people go deep because they're sort of jarred out of their habitual ways, and that can be such a great formational moment and bonding moment too, and it's very memorable. We remember that in ways—you know, you had such joy on your face as you're describing that. What would you say as you look back over the last, well, let's see, it's been almost eight years? Seven, eight years here at this location. What would you say has given you the most anguish and what has given you the most joy?Elaine Heath Oh, anguish. Which story should I tell?Debra Rienstra Yeah, I don't want to make it sound like it's all been beautiful and romantic and perfect.Elaine Heath Whenever you have community, you have drama. Well, you know, at your typical church, you're gonna have drama sometimes. But what we've found a few times, and it's pretty predictable. This happens in traditional monasteries too, which is why they have novitiate periods that are sometimes quite lengthy and sort of staggered, like you put your toe in the water. People of very high capacity who are deeply grounded spiritually and have a real vision for the gospel, are attracted to community life like this. People who are really hurt, who've had a lot of brokenness, especially from religious institutions or abusive situations, trauma that that is unresolved, that has a lot of unhealed wounds, are also attracted to places like this, often with a sort of utopian hope, because of, you know, life's deficits.Debra Rienstra And they feel that this is a place of healing, and they're right about that.Elaine Heath They're right about it. And so what actually happens is sometimes with the person, the second category of person, will come and join in and just be so full of gladness, because, “Oh, these, these are real people, like they're really doing things in the world. This is what I've longed for.” But then, as relationships form, and we're doing life together, and we all bump up against each other at times, the unhealed wounds fester. And the way I see it is, God's bringing them to a place where, if they'll just do their inner work now, now that it's clear what's the next step—if they'll take the next step, whether it's get some therapy, stay on your meds, get some support for your addiction recovery, whatever the things are—if you'll take the next step, then this is a very supportive community that can help you. It's a village that can be around you and you will heal here in the context of this village. But sometimes people are not willing or not able, or it's not time in their own sense of what they can do, and so then they'll leave. Sometimes when people leave, this happens in traditional churches, for whatever reason, this is a common sort of psychological reaction, they'll create some sort of chaotic drama to be the excuse for leaving, rather than have to face the fact that it was time for me to take the next step, and I was too scared. Because that takes a lot of self awareness, you know, to come to realizations about things like that. So I know from talking to people, from, you know, friends that are in traditional monasteries and convents that this is a common thing that happens there. So it happens here sometimes, and it's never easy. It's always painful and always challenging, you know, but with God's help, we get through it. And so that's the anguish, when those kinds of things happen. We've had a time or two where, over the last 20 years, really, where a person would come in, usually a young adult who's very idealistic, and they're like, “This isn't a new monastic community. You're not forcing people to pray three times a day!” You know, whatever the thing is that they have in their head that is supposed to be, because we're pretty gracious, you know.Debra Rienstra You don't get up at three in the morning.Elaine Heath Yeah, that's not us. We can't do that because, especially if you've got families with children and, you know, you've got to get up and go to work in the morning. So sometimes there will be somebody that figures they know more than everybody else in the room, and they want to take over and run the joint. You know, that's not going to happen. So then that sometimes creates some anguish. What about the joy? The joy is—and there's so much to give me joy. I really, really love seeing people come alive, like I really love seeing people who have, especially people who have been harmed by religion, because of their identity or because of anything, and they find deep spiritual friendship. They find how to connect, in Buechner's words, their deep passion with the world's great need, and start a new thing. And it gives them so much joy. And it's actually helping people. It's helping the world. And just sort of fanning that flame, that gives me a lot of joy. I have so much joy being in touch with the land and the animals. I just really experience them directly mediating God to me. I feel the divine life in them, and I feel, I guess I get a lot of dopamine hits when I'm out there harvesting and when I'm, you know, brushing the goats and talking to the chickens and whatnot.Debra Rienstra They are blessed chickens!Elaine Heath They are blessed chickens.Debra Rienstra What advice would you give to church people who, even though they love their church and their community, recognize that something needs to change, but they don't know where to start? What advice would you give?Elaine Heath To start in their own home, if at all possible, start in their own neighborhood. Start having neighbors over for dinner. Do not tell them we're going to have a Bible study now, because that's—it's not to have a Bible study. It's to form friendships with our neighbors. Start neighboring well. Figure out who lives on my street. Who lives across the street? Invite them for dinner. Have neighborhood potlucks. We did this in Texas, right after we moved there, I think they're still going. We'd have 50 people in our house sometimes. But just invite the neighbors for dinner. Have a potluck. Get to know them. Remember their birthdays, go to their kids' graduation. When you find out their mother died, go to the funeral. It's so simple. It's just such basic neighboring. That's where to start. It's not a church program. It's not making you stop going to church somewhere, to go to church over here. What you're actually doing is living church in your own neighborhood. Start doing that.Debra Rienstra Elaine, it's been such a pleasure to be here on the farm with you and to talk with you, get to know you a little bit. Thank you for what you do, and thank you for spending some time with me today.Elaine Heath It's been a joy. Thank you for the interview.Debra Rienstra Thanks for joining us for show notes and full transcripts, please visit debrarienstra.com and click on the Refugia Podcast tab. This season of the Refugia Podcast is produced with generous funding from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Colin Hoogerwerf is our awesome audio producer. Thanks to Ron Rienstra for content consultation as well as technical and travel support. Till next time, be well. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substack.com

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In episode 683, Chad Allen delivers a game-changing strategy that could transform the way food bloggers think about growing their email lists: the powerful and often overlooked technique of email swaps Chad R. Allen is a writer, speaker, editor, and writing coach. A 25-year publishing professional, he has worked with such bestselling authors as Michael Hyatt, Caroline Leaf, Mark Batterson, and Phyllis Tickle. He is the creator of BookCamp, a training center and community for writers, as well as Book Proposal Academy, an online course. His passion is helping writers craft must-read books that reach large audiences, and he blogs at http://www.chadrallen.com/. In this episode, you'll learn about email swaps, how they can benefit you, and how to execute them effectively so you can get high-quality, valuable email subscribers. Key points discussed include: - Email is essential: You need an email list to build a solid business because social media is “rented property”. - Anyone can do an email swap: It is best to start with someone you know with a list comparable in size to yours. - Make it about them: If you're reaching out to someone you don't know, focus on how you can help them reach their audience. - The freebie matters: You want to offer an irresistible freebie to the other person's audience to encourage sign-ups. - Provide swipe copy: Make it easy for your partner by providing an email template they can adapt. - Email swaps yield warm leads: Email swaps can provide warmer leads than you find through paid ads. - Welcome new subscribers: Have a welcome email sequence to introduce yourself to new subscribers and build a relationship. - Avoid misaligned audiences: Make sure you and your partner have overlapping audiences. Connect with Chad Allen Website | Instagram

What does it mean to be fully alive and at peace with ourselves and our neighbors in the anxiety and fear of contemporary life?Joining Evan Rosa in this episode is Elizabeth Oldfield—a journalist, communicator, and podcast host of The Sacred. She's author of Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times.Together they discuss life in her micro-monastery in south London; the meaning of liturgical and sacramental life embedded in a fast-paced, technological, capitalistic, obsessively popular society; the concept of personal encounter and Martin Buber's idea that “all living is meeting”; the fundamentally disconnecting power of sin that works against the fully aliveness of truly meeting the other; including discussions of wrath or contempt that drives us toward violence; greed or avarice and the incessant insatiable accumulation of wealth; the attention-training benefits of gratitude and the identify forming power of our attention; throughout it all, working through the spiritual psychology of sin and topography of the soul—and the fact that we are, all of us, in Elizabeth's words, “unutterably beloved.”About Elizabeth OldfieldElizabeth Oldfield is a journalist, communicator, and author. She hosts a beautiful podcast called The Sacred. And she's author of Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times. Follow her @esoldfield, and visit her website elizabetholdfield.comShow NotesIntentional living community; pulling on monastic lifestyle and framework; read more about Elizabeth Oldfield's micro-monastery here.People passing through the micro-monastery and the sharing of a meal and sitting in silence with othersCeltic prayer book - The Aidan Compline (https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/offices/monday-the-aidan-compline/)Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times by Elizabeth Oldfield (http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/fully-alive/421701)How you see your liturgical life, the rhythms of your life however else you might describe you spirituality as providing the soil of this book?A personal writing experience - communicating something of her tradition with the outside worldWhat it means to be fully alive to you?Everything is about relationships and connection; to be fully alive is to be fully connected with the soulBetween Man and Man (https://www.routledge.com/Between-Man-and-Man/Buber/p/book/9780415278270) and I and Thou by Martin Buber - “all living is meeting” (https://www.maximusveritas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/iandthou.pdf)If all living is meeting, how are we failing in that regard?Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense by Francis Spufford (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/unapologetic-francis-spufford?variant=32207439626274)Sin is disconnection; a turning inward“Elegy on the Lady Markham” by John Donne (https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/elegy-lady-markham-0)“As I Walked Out One Evening” by W.H. Auden (https://poets.org/poem/i-walked-out-one-evening)The Sacred podcast (https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2017/12/06/introducing-the-sacred-podcast)Polarization, division, and the splitting of people - homophily and fight or flight responseJesus going to the margins, ignoring tribal boundaries and turning the other cheekSin and ReconciliationThe Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne Robinson, “I find the soul a valuable concept, a statement of the dignity of human life” (https://www.brethrenpress.com/product_p/9781250097316.htm)The soul is interesting and difficult to name but is so valuableRoom for uncertainty and poetry—we beat up our souls, keep ourselves distractedContemporary life is angry and greedyContempt is a poison for our souls and relationships and humanityStress and anxiety as a constantChristian non-violence traditionWe must feel our emotions - process them through the shared rituals of our communitiesDesire by Micheal O'Siadhail (https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481320061/desire/)Would you like to introduce your take on greed?Phyllis Tickle, dogged commitment of the scripture - the love of money is the root of all evilThe Parable of the Sower - Mark 4:19 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark 4%3A19&version=NIV)Made gods of wealth, greed, comfort, and connivenceGratitude is a medicine for greedOf Gratitude by Thomas Traherne? (https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/works-of-thomas-traherne-vii/of-gratitude/161CCCE8293EE4034F65AB436AB4D3F9)“These are the Days We Prayed For” by Guvna B (https://genius.com/Guvna-b-these-are-the-days-lyrics)Notice and give thanks; misplaced desireAcadia, spiritual apathy, and heavy distractionAttention and discipline are formationThe Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt (https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book)Community as accountability and rituals and set rhythms of lifeDivine Love, ultimate loveBaptism as a reminder of our death - love remainsQuiet space shared with others; honesty, vulnerability, emotional processingProduction NotesThis podcast featured Elizabeth OldfieldEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Kacie Barrett and Alexa RollowA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

Tony talks with Jerusalem Greer, author of "At Home in this Life," and executive director of Procter Camp and Conference Center. Topics include living on the Darby Plains, rewilding projects, something not clicking in the city, Phyllis Tickle, needing to get to the land, a theology of place, being an early mommy blogger, staring at our spiritual bellybuttons, the growth of wild churches, the hunger to be connected, zhuzhing, and more.    Find Jerusalem at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

Tony talks with Jerusalem Greer, author of "At Home in this Life," and executive director of Procter Camp and Conference Center. Topics include living on the Darby Plains, rewilding projects, something not clicking in the city, Phyllis Tickle, needing to get to the land, a theology of place, being an early mommy blogger, staring at our spiritual bellybuttons, the growth of wild churches, the hunger to be connected, zhuzhing, and more.    Find Jerusalem at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

Phyllis Tickle (1934-2015) was a force of nature. She was a poet, author, publisher, teacher, professor, and so much more. She was one of the leading experts on the church in America, and her Divine Hours books introduced a generation of Christians to fixed hour prayer. And in the mid-2000s, she became a leading ally for and advocate of the Emerging Church Movement. She seemed the unlikeliest emergent – a lay Anglican in her late 60s, hanging around with a bunch of disgruntled GenX evangelical pastors – but by the time her book, The Great Emergence, came out, she had established herself as a leading voice in the movement. And there can be no doubt that her stature earned the movement great credibility in the eyes of many who would have otherwise been dubious. Phyllis spent the final decade of her life preaching emergence, and in this episode, we examine her legacy. Guests include Jon Sweeney, Brian McLaren, Nadia Bolz-Weber and Diana Butler Bass. You can read Tony's obituary of Phyllis here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/phyllis-tickle-rest-in-pe_b_8183642 Music by The Cobalt Season (compliments of Ryan Sharp), Solomon's Porch (compliments of Ben Johnson) Emerged is a crowdfunded project. If you join, you'll have access to extra material, ad-free episodes, private livestreams with the hosts and guests, and an array of gifts at various levels of partnership. Learn more and join at EmergedPodcast.com. Our Producers: Karen Sloan - karensloan.net The Open Table Network - https://opentable.network/ Pre-Order Tony's Book "The God of Wild Places: https://reverendhunter.com/books Get Tickets to Theology Beer Camp here: theologybeer.camp Produced by Josh Gilbert: joshgilbertmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1. Toward the beginning of his sermon, Tim “Oak of Righteousness” Suttle talked about our tendency to disengage from reality by moving into either cynicism or sentimentality. Using two Oscar Wilde quotes to help clarify, he defined a cynic as someone “who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing,” and a sentimentalist as someone who wants to “have the luxury of an emotion without paying for it.” Which of these two ditches do you most lean toward? Are there certain situations in which your tendency changes? In sharing about your answer, feel free to share examples of times in which you've seen yourself veer into one space or the other. Tim suggested that, if we can avoid the appeals of both cynicism and sentimentality, we can find a middle road, on which we see both the wind of God at work *and* the pain of the world around us. He named this orientation as one of hope. How accessible does a stance of hope feel for you? In what ways does it feel more natural? In what ways do you feel more resistance? Why do you think that is? 2. Tim also used Phyllis Tickle's idea of a “great rummage sale of wisdom” occurring every 500 years, pointing out that these big perennial shifts and evolutions in thought often result in some sort of split within the church at large. How does it feel to think of your “normal life” existing in the context of one of these enormous milestone eras? Is that an easy idea for you connect with, or does it take some considering and evaluating? How does it feel to conceive of your world and all of us living - right now - as being in the middle of an evolution of epic proportions? Scary? Exciting? Put some feeling words to your own internal responses. 3. Tim put forth the idea that, in our time, God is “reaching into the center of Christianity” and pushing down with his finger to make a “new gravitational center.” He talked about this new gravitational center's way of pulling us across boundaries and making irrelevant divisions that used to separate us. He talked about how this can pull us toward each other and toward God, and, with that, out of all the divisions, fighting, & chaos that we've known. He also talked about reasons why some might resist this new gravitational pull: In this paradigm, there's no place for delineating who is in and who is out. There's not easy access to control. Winning and affluence aren't the hallmarks of God's hand at work. For some, these shifts might be uncomfortable and unappealing. What about for you? It might be easy to name the appeals of a cultural shift that puts a greater emphasis on Jesus's way of life, long-standing church tradition, contemplative prayer, self-sacrificing love, a rejection of violence, and people of different religious traditions joining together in common purpose. But what are the aspects of this new vision for now that might stir up resistance in you? You may not be super motivated by dividing people into “in” and “out,” or the splash of prosperity promised by some. But a gravity that pulls us toward the things emphasized above also asks new things of us. What might you be asked to give up that you'd rather hold? What might you be asked to step into that you'd rather not approach? Put some thought about the possible “down sides” of the kingdom view Tim called to mind. (Because, if there were none, we'd all be doing it already). Share and discuss with the group.

Boost Your Book Sales: Effective Marketing Strategies with Chad AllenDoes this sound familiar? You pour your heart and soul into writing a book, only to see it struggle to gain traction in the marketplace. You've been told that all you need to do is publish your book, and it will magically sell itself. But the reality is, you're left feeling frustrated and disappointed as your book languishes in obscurity. The pain of seeing your hard work go unnoticed is demoralizing. But fear not, because there is a better way to launch your book and achieve the success you deserve.My special guest is Chad AllenChad R. Allen is a writer, speaker, editor, and writing coach. A 20-year publishing professional, he has worked with such bestselling authors as Michael Hyatt, Caroline Leaf, Mark Batterson, and Phyllis Tickle.He is the creator of Book Proposal Academy, an online course, and BookCamp, a mentoring and community hub for writers. His passion is helping writers get their books into the world, and he blogs at http://www.chadrallen.com/.He has been published in such online places as LifeHacker, The Accidental Creative, MichaelHyatt.com, Goinswriter.com, and The Good Men Project.Chad holds a B.A. in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an M.A. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Alyssa, live with their two children in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Hear more from Chad on his blog, or by following him on Facebook and Twitter.Books are products. And why do we buy products? We buy products to fix problems. - Chad AllenIn this episode, you will be able to:Master the book writing and publishing process to bring your story to life and captivate readers.Build a platform as an author to connect with your audience, gain visibility, and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.Structure your book and chapter outline for maximum reader engagement and a seamless reading experience.Nurture an email list for authors to cultivate a community of loyal fans, drive book sales, and establish long-term relationships.Develop a long-term marketing strategy for your books to reach new readers, generate buzz, and maintain a steady stream of sales. Please review and let me know if you need any further assistance!Mastering the book writing and publishing processUnderstanding the ins and outs of book writing and publishing can elevate an author's potential for success. This involves not only penning compelling content but also knowing how to navigate the market effectively. By mastering this process, authors can ensure their work makes the intended impact and reaches a wider audience, thus amplifying their recognition and potential book sales.Building a platform as an authorDeveloping a strong author platform is crucial for achieving and sustaining success in the literary field. An influential platform can significantly boost book visibility, while also promoting author-reader engagement. Authors who invest time and effort in this area can expect to see an increase in their follower base, reader retention, and ultimately book sales, lending to a successful book launch.The best launches come from authors who've been serving a community for a period of time. - Chad AllenLearn the art of structuring a bookA well-structured book is the backbone of a successful read, keeping the audience engaged from beginning to end. Understanding the art of structuring a book enables authors to logically present their content, guiding readers on a mindful journey through their work. This talent, combined with compelling content, paves the way for a successful book that will resonate with readers and ensure repeat sales.A great concept meets a real need that real people really have. It's not about the need you think they have, it's about the need they think they have. - Chad AllenThe resources mentioned in this episode are:Chad R. Allen's coaching services: Visit Chad's website to learn more about his writing coaching services and how he can help you overcome the challenges of starting the writing process.Chad's book marketing expertise: Discover how Chad can assist you in marketing your book and getting it into the hands of more readers. Check out his website for more information on his book marketing services.Bestselling authors Chad has worked with: Explore the works of bestselling authors like Michael Hyatt, Caroline Meef, Mark Batterson, and Phyllis Tickle, who Chad has collaborated with in his 20-year publishing professional career.Building a platform: If you're interested in building a platform before launching your book, Chad recommends dedicating at least 90 days to this process. Learn more about how to build and engage your audience on Chad's website.Self-publishing: If you want complete control over your book and a quick time to market, consider self-publishing. Chad can provide guidance on self-publishing and how to navigate the process effectively.Hybrid publishing: For those who want a team to support them throughout the publishing process, hybrid publishing may be a good option. Chad suggests doing thorough researchYou can find Chad Allen : Website: https://www.chadrallen.com/Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadrallen/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/chadrallenTwitter Profile: https://twitter.com/chadrallen If you've enjoyed more than 2 episodes, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review.With Content at Scale's world-class SEO AI writer, in just 5 minutes, you can generate high-quality, research-backed 2,500-word articles from your podcast episodes. Check it out now and get 20% more post-credits when you sign up using our link! Click HERE to explore Content at Scale!

"You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves." — 'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver   Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an author, teacher, poet, and award-winning translator of spiritual texts. Today Carmen and I talk about the importance of practice; chanting, lectio divina,walking meditation, poetry, drawing, and other customized pecularily particular practices. Carmen models what her practices looks, sounds, and feels like shares the impact on her life. This conversation is a reminder that in times of anguish, joy, or suffering, practices keep our heart pumping and our internal hearth fired. Visit Carmen at carmenbutcher.com | IG: @cab_phd | Visit Contemplify.com Looking for a live practice with a dispersed community? A few options... Lo-Fi & Hushed Contemplative practice every Wednesday with Contemplify (virtual) Center for Spiritual Imagination (virtual and in-person)

This month, we introduce a new season of the show, focusing on Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. More importantly, we introduce a new host: Angela Henning. If you are interested in the the 2019 Book of Common Prayer, you can find the Daily Office app and website here and you can follow Phyllis Tickle's work on fixed-hour prayer here. Reach out to us at intheway.podcast@gmail.com or through facebook at facebook.com/intheway.podcast. Go pray!

While churches are rapidly declining in numbers, new things are popping up. Dave Schmelzer will explore what's happening and the hope for what might be next with rich perspectives from thinkers like Phyllis Tickle, Charles Taylor, Hartmut Rosa and others... alongside some anecdotes from his friends that might ring a bell for you.Mentioned on this podcast:Charles Taylor's A Secular AgeHartmut Rosa's Resonance: A Sociology of Our Relationship to the WorldPhyllis Tickle's The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why

A sermon by Jamie Howison for the Feast of Pentecost, May 28, 2023,  on Acts 2:1-21.Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to audio and recommend this episode to your friends. We invite you to rate us or write a review of what we are doing on Apple Podcasts. Reviews help others join the conversation.* * *This podcast is created at saint benedict's table, a congregation of the Anglican Church of Canada in Winnipeg, where we've been making great audio since 2006. Listen to other recent episodes on our website and see our entire catalogue of well over 700 shows on our hosting page.Our MissionTo provide rich and stimulating audio resources to the wider church and engage topics and issues relevant to the concerns and questions of the larger culture in which we live.

David and Dorian sit down and discuss how Phyllis Tickle has impacted their spiritual walk individually, and breakdown her profound thoughts around the idea of Emergence Christianity. Below we have posted the two YouTube videos we mention throughout this episode.Part 1 - https://youtu.be/aG-GNvDeFV8Part 2 - https://youtu.be/2O0gyzU8Dn0Phyllis Tickle (photo by Teresa Hooper)

Disciple Up #290 Christian Baby Boomers Want Change Too By Louie Marsh, 1-12-2023   Here's some excerpts from the article I read and commented on in this podcast…   https://broward.us/2023/01/04/christian-boomers-like-me-want-change-too/   Christian Boomers Like Me Want Change Too Some of us are working to change the unhealthy evangelical church culture we helped create. MICHELLE VAN LOON | JANUARY 4, 2023   In the last couple of decades, American Christian boomers (myself included) have been given an advance peek at the kind of obituary the church and the world has already begun to write about us.   Not all these critiques are made in good faith—whether they're from political scientists, sociologists, op-ed writers, exvangelicals, or from the generations born before and after us—but a surprising majority of them are.   For example, CT's Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast details the leadership failure and organizational implosion of the church franchise led by Mark Driscoll. And while Driscoll himself was a Gen X pastor, Mars Hill was nourished in the soil cultivated by boomer megachurch leader culture.   In a CT piece earlier this year, “The Church Is Losing Its Gray Heads,” Adam MacInnis offered a snapshot of many boomers who've exited the church building, even though “just under half of Christians over 40 who stop attending church feel they're still practicing their faith.” Like some members of the younger generations, many boomers still love Jesus, but not the local churches they once attended.   The late Phyllis Tickle famously observed that the church engages in a kind of spiritual rummage sale that every 500 years or so—and in these times of “rearrangement and upheaval,” the “institutionalized church throws off things that are restricting its growth,” which allows a “more vital form of Christianity” to arise in the aftermath.   Michael Metzger of the Clapham Institute summed it up well: “To date, our legacy as Baby Boomers is indulgence, narcissism, and moralism. If we are to emerge as wise elders, our view of faith, fame and forever ought to migrate from Boomer biases to a more biblical Christianity.”   For one, Boomers played an outsized role in encouraging greater authenticity in the church.   We learned from our culture in the 1960s to let it all hang out. As that messaging filtered through the church in subsequent decades, it became more acceptable to share our struggles and questions in Christian community.   The unwritten rule of the churches I attended back then was that it was only acceptable to talk about your struggles if they happened before you were a Christian. SNL star Dana Carvey's Church Lady character may have exaggerated church life for comic effect during the 1980s, but too many congregations back then seemed to encourage a religious facade.   Secondly, boomers have helped lead the movement toward both destigmatization and education of mental health issues in many evangelical streams.   There's still much work to be done in how the church embraces mental health issues, but it has certainly come a long way over the past few decades.   Third, many boomers have joined, and in some cases are leading, the effort to create safe communities for those who have experienced church abuse.   Christian social media can be a cesspool of conspiracy theory, bullying, and wacky theological hot takes. But it has also been an essential connection point for survivors of abusive leaders or toxic congregations.   In The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis said that “the typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, ‘What? You too? I thought I was the only one.'” Social media has created powerful fellowship as survivors discover they aren't the only ones—and this has brought them together to drag into the light what has festered in the dark corners of the church.   Finally, many boomers are exhibiting a growing distaste for evangelical leader culture.   Perhaps the boom bubble in churches built around the pastor-as-CEO or spiritual Ted Talk gurus hasn't quite burst, but it seems to be deflating—and few seem interested in reviving it.   While mostly anecdotal, I hear regularly from boomers who have been burned or are burned out from their nondenominational megachurches. Many are seeking simpler, more organic forms of gathering with other believers for worship and fellowship—or they're finding their way into churches with formal liturgy and denominational structures.   And while we boomers of faith won't be around to see how things unfold in the larger movement, we can spend the time we have left rewriting our own obituary.   This rewriting begins with the kind of unflinching humility prescribed in James 4:7–10—wherein we humbly submit ourselves to God and trust that he will uphold us. Only this heart posture will allow us to own our specific sins while recognizing the impact our generation's proclivities have had on those who come after us.   Michelle Van Loon is the author of seven books, including Becoming Sage: Cultivating Meaning, Purpose, and Spirituality in Midlife.

Today's meditation comes from The Gospel Of Matthew in The New Testament and from the writings of Phyllis Tickle, with music by Acreage.

This week Jonathan expands on his sermon about the Lord's Prayer and discusses the why, how, and what of prayer. As always you can email us at Midweek@shadesvalley.org.   JM's Album of the Week: "You're Here With Me" - Shades (new single) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON SPOTIFY CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC Bradford's Book Club: The Divine Hours (Vol. 3): Prayer For Springtime: A Manual For Prayer by Phyllis Tickle

What on earth is going on? If it seems like everything in the world is in tumult and that dramatic change continues to roll over us in waves, then fear not, Phyllis Tickle tells us we are not crazy because big change is happening. Her book, "The Great Emergence," asserts that the Church is in the midst of once-every-500 year revolution. In this podcast, Phil and Rebekah give a brief overview of Tickle's book and talk about what on earth is happening in the world! Join us.

Key Conversation Points: The ordinary moments anchor us and connect us across neighborhoods, states, countries and oceans....even for Lisa-Jo's friend in Ukraine. Lisa-Jo graciously reminds us that acts of extraordinary courage are getting up and advocating for our kids, sick spouse or family abroad or taking time to serve at church or sharing our platforms with someone.  It all is courageous in the middle of hard times when all we really want to do is stay in bed. The rhythms of anticipation can feel like Christmas, even as we feel stuck in the end of winter. What is engraved in Lisa Jo's bag that anchors her in such a powerful way right now? Let us know in the reviews what is anchoring you right now. We want to hear your stories. Read Psalm 77 in The Message, “I yell out to my God, with all my heart…and He listens.” Current ordinary rhythms for Lisa-Jo and Christie: What the Land Already Knows: Winter's Sacred Days (Stories from the Farm in Lucy) by Phyllis Tickle  Bitter and Sweet: A Journey Into Easter by Tsh Oxenreider. Amazon Prime show called Upload by Greg Daniels who created The Office and co-created Parks N Rec. Dick Francis's detective novels where the heros are ordinary and unexpected.   Dorthy Sayer writes mysteries in Lord Peter.  Podcast links: Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast. https://www.blackbarnonline.com/ _______ Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible. Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary130 to get $130 off including free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well! https://greenchef.com/ordinary130 Click here to join over 1 million people taking charge of their mental health through the online counseling offered by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month. http://www.betterhelp.com/ordinary Click here to visit Nutrafol and use the promo code ORDINARY to save $15 off your first subscription. https://nutrafol.com/ _______ Click here to sign up for your own digital Paper&String care package curated by Christie, Lisa-Jo and friends. http://outoftheordinarypodcast.com/ps

Platform… it's one of those words that feels mysterious, intimidating, and maybe even confusing to many authors. You've heard that you need a platform and you're willing to do the work, but why do you need one and how do you build it? My friend Chad Allen is here on this episode to join me for a conversation about these questions and more. Chad is a writer, speaker, editor, and writing coach. As a twenty-year publishing professional, he served in acquisitions and directorial roles for Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, before going full-time with his own business. He has collaborated with numerous bestselling authors including Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, Mark Batterson, Phyllis Tickle, and many others. Chad is also the creator of Book Proposal Academy, an online course, and BookCamp, a mentoring and community hub for writers. His passion is helping writers get their books into the world. He blogs at ChadRAllen.com. Chad holds a B.A. in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an M.A. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Alyssa, live with their two children in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this conversation, you will learn all about your author platform, including the #1 reason publishers turn books down, the best ways to grow your platform, the role of blogging and social media, how to change your mindset about growing your platform, and more. I had the privilege of meeting Chad a couple of years ago at Jeff Goins' Tribe Conference, and I can tell you he is the real deal. He is an excellent book coach and knows more than just about anyone on the planet about what it takes to put together an excellent book. Over the years, I have read and used dozens of books where Chad had a hand in their success… I just didn't know it at the time! In addition, Chad has a special offer for Daily Writer listeners, which is a free 30-day trial of Book Camp, his community that will help you grow your platform. Check out Chad's special offer for this community, his book proposal course, and ways to connect with him below: ChadRAllen.com Free 30-Day Trial of BookCamp Book Proposal Academy Follow Chad on Twitter Connect with Chad on Facebook *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community.  Check out our Daily Writing Prompts, which will help you break through creative blocks, brainstorm new ideas, and get back into a state of flow. Writing prompts are a fantastic creative tool for creative writing, journaling, teaching, social media posts, podcasting, and more! Connect with Kent:  https://DailyWriterLife.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders  Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders  LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kent-sanders  Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders  

Platform… it's one of those words that feels mysterious, intimidating, and maybe even confusing to many authors. You've heard that you need a platform and you're willing to do the work, but why do you need one and how do you build it? My friend Chad Allen is here on this episode to join me for a conversation about these questions and more. Chad is a writer, speaker, editor, and writing coach. As a twenty-year publishing professional, he served in acquisitions and directorial roles for Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, before going full-time with his own business. He has collaborated with numerous bestselling authors including Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, Mark Batterson, Phyllis Tickle, and many others. Chad is also the creator of Book Proposal Academy, an online course, and BookCamp, a mentoring and community hub for writers. His passion is helping writers get their books into the world. He blogs at ChadRAllen.com. Chad holds a B.A. in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an M.A. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Alyssa, live with their two children in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this conversation, you will learn all about your author platform, including the #1 reason publishers turn books down, the best ways to grow your platform, the role of blogging and social media, how to change your mindset about growing your platform, and more. I had the privilege of meeting Chad a couple of years ago at Jeff Goins' Tribe Conference, and I can tell you he is the real deal. He is an excellent book coach and knows more than just about anyone on the planet about what it takes to put together an excellent book. Over the years, I have read and used dozens of books where Chad had a hand in their success… I just didn't know it at the time! In addition, Chad has a special offer for Daily Writer listeners, which is a free 30-day trial of Book Camp, his community that will help you grow your platform. Check out Chad's special offer for this community, his book proposal course, and ways to connect with him below: ChadRAllen.com Free 30-Day Trial of BookCamp Book Proposal Academy Follow Chad on Twitter Connect with Chad on Facebook *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community.      Check out our Daily Writing Prompts, which will help you break through creative blocks, brainstorm new ideas, and get back into a state of flow. Writing prompts are a fantastic creative tool for creative writing, journaling, teaching, social media posts, podcasting, and more!     Connect with Kent:     https://DailyWriterLife.com     Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders     Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders     LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kent-sanders     Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders    

What does pressure mean for you? Jim and Steve discuss their own journeys with pressure and nerves, as well as the potential for healing through those around us. What kind of energy do we bring to others and how does it affect them? Steve mentions Phyllis Tickle's book “The Divine Hours” which you can find here: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Phyllis-Tickle/The-Divine-HoursTM-Pocket-Edition/11411564

What are your habits of faith? What comes to mind when I say that? Do you have faith habits that ground you and keep you centered on God, even when the going gets tough? This episode, we are going to get into the benefits of faith habits, why they are important to our Christian faith, and how they can actually be the key to others entering the faith! Jen answers questions like... There are some who do not want their faith to become "religious" or routine. Even then, why do we want to make faith a habit? Is there a particular heart posture we need to make our faith more than a mere habit but a continual, life-giving spiritual experience? In the book, you include the faith habit of scripture. What other habits of faith do you consider to be the most vital to our Christian experience? Jen Pollock Michel is the award-winning author of Teach Us to Want, Keeping Place, and Surprised by Paradox. She holds a B.A. in French from Wheaton College and an M.A. in Literature from Northwestern University. An American living in Toronto, Jen is a wife and mother of five. She is the lead editor for Imprint magazine, published by the Grace Centre for the Arts, and host of the Englewood Review of Books podcast. Resources: https://www.amazon.ca/Habit-Called-Faith-Bible-Follow-ebook/dp/B08JKMK5X1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1620850881&sr=8-1 (A Habit CAlled Faith) by Jen Pollock Michel https://www.amazon.ca/Liturgy-Ordinary-Sacred-Practices-Everyday-ebook/dp/B01N2GWBNM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= (Liturgy Of The Ordinary) by Tish Harrison Warren https://www.amazon.ca/Common-Rule-Habits-Purpose-Distraction-ebook/dp/B07N7QYLKB (The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction) by Justin Whitmel Earley https://www.amazon.ca/Divine-Hours-One-Prayers-Summertime-ebook/dp/B000GCFWDC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= (The Divine Hours (Volume One): Prayers for Summertime: A Manual for Prayer) by Phyllis Tickle https://player.captivate.fm/episode/3ec85cc6-71e3-402d-9b6b-b28e75634bcc (Episode 26: How to Read the Bible and Why it Matters with The Bible Recap's Tara-Leigh Cobble) https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c165ea5b-5e98-4141-bd6a-d5bcb45a5b14 (Episode 27: The Spiritual Discipline of Fasting and Why it Matters with Wendy Speake) https://player.captivate.fm/episode/78e14aaf-f029-4a02-82bf-c7c8f20e836c (Episode 3: How to Cultivate a Sabbath Practice with Becca Treharne) https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ad2965c1-0829-40bd-b27f-d0564bdb4a94 (Episode 13: Leah in the Lab: Creating a Sabbath Practice) https://www.speakpipe.com/faithschoolpod (Birthday Messages) Connect with Leah: IG:https://www.instagram.com/leah.rempel/ ( @leah.rempel) FB:https://www.facebook.com/groups/4075541105853974 ( Intentional Women of Faith) Merch Shop:https://www.redbubble.com/people/leahrempel/shop?asc=u ( RedBubble Shop) Template Shop: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/I68Shop?ref=seller-platform-mcnav (I:68 Shop) Website:http://leahrempel.com ( leahrempel.com) Connect with Jen: IG: https://www.instagram.com/jenpmichel/ (@jenpmichel) FB: https://www.facebook.com/jenpmichel (Jen Pollock Michel) Website: https://www.jenpollockmichel.com/ (www.jenpollockmichel.com)

Welcome to episode 95, the countdown to episode 100 is on!  Can you believe we are only 5 episodes away from 100! In this episode, I will be talking about the Convergence Movement and have as my guests Father Kevin Daugherty and Father Michaelangelo D’Arrigo. The Reverend Father Kevin Daugherty is a priest and an Elder and Secretary-Treasurer within the Convergent Christian Communion. The Reverend Canon Michaelangelo D'Arrigo is a Priest and an Elder in the Convergent Christian Communion, and Canon to their Presiding Bishop. Links: Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine. Resources on the Convergent Movement. Recommended Books on the Convergent Movement: "Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why," by Phyllis Tickle. "Becoming Orthodox: A Journey to the Ancient Christian Faith," by Peter Gillquist. "Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal: Why the Church should be all three," by Gordon T. Smith. "Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail: Why Evangelicals are Attracted to the Liturgical Church," by Robert Webber. This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and produced by the Community of Saint George (a Young Rite jurisdiction).

Reflecting on Jeremiah 31:31-34 & John 12:20-33 this sermon uses Phyllis Tickle's Book "The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why" as a source of inspiration. These texts are often Reformation texts. Tickle observes that every 500 years something significant happens in the church. 500 years ago was the 16th Century Reformations; we find ourselves due for another one. How can we understand the changing reality facing Christianity, and COVID-19, as yet one more evolution in our faith and practice of following Jesus? Listen to wrestle with that topic. 

On episode eighteen I'm talking with my friend Donnell Wyche. This conversation was a lot of fun and we talked about many important topics, including Liberation Theology (and why African American theologians have been overlooked), ethnic diversity in the Church, Critical Race Theory, and much, much more! About Donnell: The Reverend Donnell Wyche currently serves as Senior Pastor and Head of Staff at the Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor where he has served for 21 years. Passionate about the intersections of race, faith, politics, and technology, Pastor Donnell is a member of the racial equity team for the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's office and the co-coordinator of the Washtenaw Faith Leaders Forum. Pastor Donnell has advocated for peace and justice as the president of the board of the InterFaith Council for Peace and Justice (ICPJ) and has pursued issues of affordable, fair, and accessible housing as a board member of the Religious Action of Affordable Housing (RAAH). As a trained computer engineer, Pastor Donnell created, in partnership with the late Phyllis Tickle, the online home of The Divine Hours available at annarborvineyard.org. His latest technology project is Community Center for Churches, a software tool to help pastors better care for and shepherd their congregants, available at getcommunitycenter.com. Pastor Donnell is married to Maria, an early childhood literacy advocate and speech-language pathologist, and together, they are raising three multi-ethnic, spiritually engaged, peace-loving, politically aware children. You can reach Pastor Donnell online @donnell. Recommended Resources: "The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism," by Edward E. Baptist (https://amzn.to/3uccTuc) "The Cross and the Lynching Tree," by James H. Cone (https://amzn.to/3axl2S8) "Jesus and the Disinherited," by Howard Thurman (https://amzn.to/3qzhd4h) "Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times," by Soong-Chan Rah (https://amzn.to/37sfwhT) "The Sin of White Supremacy: Christianity, Racism, & Religious Diversity in America," by Jeannine Fletcher Hill (https://amzn.to/3s6LOH4) Donnell's articles at Missio Alliance: https://www.missioalliance.org/author/donnell-wyche/ Check out the gear from The Happy Givers (https://bit.ly/3jZe6jW)

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday using The Divine Hours compiled by Phyllis Tickle, a mystic, who was also a dear friend of Blue Ocean. For Phyllis, this form of prayer became (over time) not just “saying our prayers”—which is what it feels like at first, but it became a portal into a deeper […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday using The Divine Hours compiled by Phyllis Tickle, a mystic, who was also a dear friend of Blue Ocean. For Phyllis, this form of prayer became (over time) not just “saying our prayers”—which is what it feels like at first, but it became a portal into a deeper […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday using The Divine Hours compiled by Phyllis Tickle, a mystic, who was also a dear friend of Blue Ocean. For Phyllis, this form of prayer became (over time) not just “saying our prayers”—which is what it feels like at first, but it became a portal into a deeper […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday using The Divine Hours compiled by Phyllis Tickle, a mystic, who was also a dear friend of Blue Ocean. For Phyllis, this form of prayer became (over time) not just “saying our prayers”—which is what it feels like at first, but it became a portal into a deeper […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday using The Divine Hours compiled by Phyllis Tickle, a mystic whose long practice of this form of prayer became a portal into a rich experience of the divine. Remember, think of this form of prayer as a structure conversation—beginning with the greeting (hello) and ending with a blessing […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday using The Divine Hours compiled by Phyllis Tickle, a mystic whose long practice of this form of prayer became a portal into a rich experience of the divine. Remember, think of this form of prayer as a structure conversation—beginning with the greeting (hello) and ending with a blessing […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday using The Divine Hours compiled by Phyllis Tickle, a mystic whose long practice of this form of prayer became a portal into a rich experience of the divine. Remember, think of this form of prayer as a structure conversation—beginning with the greeting (hello) and ending with a blessing […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday using The Divine Hours compiled by Phyllis Tickle, a mystic whose long practice of this form of prayer became a portal into a rich experience of the divine. Remember, think of this form of prayer as a structure conversation—beginning with the greeting (hello) and ending with a blessing […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Wednesday and our practice of the most ancient form of prayer in the Abrahamic traditions—fixed hour prayer, or The Divine Hours, with a user-friendly version of the same, complied by Phyllis Tickle (available in three volumes if it floats your boat.) We’re not using our own words in this […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Wednesday and our practice of the most ancient form of prayer in the Abrahamic traditions—fixed hour prayer, or The Divine Hours, with a user-friendly version of the same, complied by Phyllis Tickle (available in three volumes if it floats your boat.) We're not using our own words in this […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday. For Wednesdays and Thursdays between now and Ash Wednesday on February 17, the daily prayer podcast will feature prayer from The Divine Hours, compiled by Phyllis Tickle (and available for purchase in book form.) Because familiarity is a plus with this form of prayer, we'll use the same […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday. For Wednesdays and Thursdays between now and Ash Wednesday on February 17, the daily prayer podcast will feature prayer from The Divine Hours, compiled by Phyllis Tickle (and available for purchase in book form.) Because familiarity is a plus with this form of prayer, we’ll use the same […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Wednesday and our practice of the most ancient form of prayer in the Abrahamic traditions—fixed hour prayer, or The Divine Hours, with a user-friendly version of the same, complied by Phyllis Tickle (available in three volumes if it floats your boat.) We're not using our own words in this […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Wednesday and our practice of the most ancient form of prayer in the Abrahamic traditions—fixed hour prayer, or The Divine Hours, with a user-friendly version of the same, complied by Phyllis Tickle (available in three volumes if it floats your boat.) We’re not using our own words in this […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday. For Wednesdays and Thursdays between now and Ash Wednesday on February 17, the daily prayer podcast will feature prayer from The Divine Hours, compiled by Phyllis Tickle (and available for purchase in book form.) Because familiarity is a plus with this form of prayer, we'll use the same […]

  Welcome to daily prayer for Thursday. For Wednesdays and Thursdays between now and Ash Wednesday on February 17, the daily prayer podcast will feature prayer from The Divine Hours, compiled by Phyllis Tickle (and available for purchase in book form.) Because familiarity is a plus with this form of prayer, we’ll use the same […]

  Merry Christmas! Today, with help from Julia Huttar Bailey, rector at Trinity in the Woods Episcopal Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan, we observe Christmas with the prayer for Christmas Day from The Divine Hours, complied by Phyllis Tickle (of blessed memory). Phyllis popularized the prayers at set intervals through the day that monks and […]

  Merry Christmas! Today, with help from Julia Huttar Bailey, rector at Trinity in the Woods Episcopal Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan, we observe Christmas with the prayer for Christmas Day from The Divine Hours, complied by Phyllis Tickle (of blessed memory). Phyllis popularized the prayers at set intervals through the day that monks and […]

Theme: The Call to the Practice of Prayer I first encountered Phyllis Tickle as the founding editor of the Religion Department for Publishers Weekly, and I've longed to speak with her ever since. Phyllis is a true authority on religion in America. She is the author of more than three dozen books, but perhaps best known for The Divine Hours series on fixed-hour prayer. We talk about how Christian fixed-hour prayer relates to the call in Islam to pray five times a day, if the call to prayer is universal or unique to particular traditions, and how she prays as a lay Eucharistic minister and lector in the Episcopal Church.

Phyllis Tickle was at Fuller Seminary for a talk about her new book "The Age of the Spirit". She then came over to (a)Spire to have a pint with us. This was no ordinary pint! Tripp brewed 'The Grain Emergence: a 500 year rummage ale'.   We do some Q & R with Phyllis - then Barry Taylor chats with her. Then we played "Au Contraire Mon Frère II" with Tripp and Tony.  Round 3 will be in Chicago at the Progressive Youth Ministry Conference later this month. This is a rough-cut edit. That means that a couple of swear words made it through the filter ... and that some things removed for public conception.  We want to thank Andy and his team plus all those who helped to make this event happen and to those who came out and made this an amazing night. PS Claire also brought some amazing home brew.  That was tasty. We also want to wish Phyllis a Happy 80th Birthday!! Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phyllis Tickle founded Publishers Weekly's Religion Department and has written numerous books about modern American Christianity, including "The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why." Phyllis begins our conversation by describing 500-year social, cultural, and religious cycles in parts of the world influenced by Abrahamic faiths. Building upon that, she asserts that our current historical moment lies at the edge of two such cycles. The upshot of this is a breakdown in traditional understandings of authority and a period of chaotic exploration. Emergence Christianity, like other emergent faiths, is developing as a response to this period of transition. Though religion has been a regular theme in the background of The Conversation, this is our first episode dedicated entirely to it. As a result, we introduce a lot of new themes and you will hear fewer explicit connections to earlier episodes. Having said that, there are some interesting ties between Emergence Christianity and the income gap which harken back to Chuck Collins, Francione-like questions of purity versus pragmatism, and more Tim Cannon and Max More-style transhumanism than you'd ever expect.

Deacons I am thrilled to let you all in to a live HBC house-show & yard party with your favorite British PoMo theological and cultural super star Barry Taylor (check him on the podcast, with Peter Rollins on the Apostle Paul and at Theology After Google). The show is almost an hour and a half of interactive theology, inappropriate religious jokes, guitar strumming, Pop Culture commentary, & curse word Bingo (Barry will explain…I hear lay people at his church invented it).  If you can't imagine course language and thick sarcasm being use for something fruitful then please don't listen.  Pete Rollins may have his Pyro-theology but we got Profane Theology.  This was recorded September 30, 2011. We discuss Scot McKnight's King Jesus Gospel, Peter Rollins, Mark Driscoll's Thug Jesus excitement, reality TV (and Christianity), Phyllis Tickle, Mel Gibson's love of the Jewish people, the Passion of the Christ, Rob Bell, Love Wins, Rick Warren, Shane Hipps, techno-noise, AC/DC, the Star Wars religion, changing religious data, skulls, and trash art. Dr. Barry Taylor is the Associate Rector at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, California. He also teaches theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he is the Artist-in-Residence for the Brehm Center, and he teaches advertising and design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, topics that were part of his theological doctoral study program. He writes and plays music, usually with friends, occasionally for money – his songs have shown up in a few movies, and he has composed a couple of soundtracks for largely over-looked films. He has written a few books: A Matrix of Meaning with Craig Detweiler, A Heretic's Guide to Eternity, with Spencer Burke, as well as his latest, Entertainment Theology. Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices