Podcasts about Spiritual friendship

In this episode of For Soul's Sake, Radhika Das, Nama, and Stine explore the timeless story of Krishna and Sudhama from the Srimad Bhagavatam. Through heartfelt discussion and personal reflections, they unpack the spiritual depth of friendship rooted in devotion rather than convenience, the power of humble offerings, and the transformative nature of Krishna's mercy.The conversation highlights how genuine spiritual relationships transcend time, circumstance, and material differences. Through Sudhama's simple offering of chipped rice, they reflect on how Krishna values sincerity and love over external grandeur. The episode concludes with a thought-provoking discussion on wealth, humility, and the hidden ways Krishna helps devotees progress spiritually.03:40 – What Makes a Spiritual Friendship?07:27 – A Higher Purpose at the Center13:31 – The Essence of Bhakti15:12 – The Beauty of Humility16:56 – The Miracle of Unasked Mercy18:22 – When Devotion Comes First24:19 – What Are We Attached To?Want to connect further?Instagram: www.instagram.com/radhika_dasa/Facebook: www.facebook.com/radhikadasmusicYouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RadhikaDasWebsite: www.radhikadas.comPatreon: www.patreon.com/radhikadasLinktree: linktr.ee/radhika_dasa

19 May 2026 Ajahn Brahmali joins the Armadale Meditation Group online live.  Armadale Meditation Group (AMG) teaches you about meditation. The classes generally begin with chanting the Metta Sutta, meditation instructions, meditating together, asking questions, and, if time allows, a Dhamma talk. These weekly Tuesday night teachings are via Zoom from Bodhinyana or Dhammasara Monastery. For the AMG zoom link and more details: https://bswa.org/location/armadale-meditation-group/ Support us on: https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa BSWA teachings are available:  BSWA Teachings BSWA Podcast Channel BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel BSWA YouTube

We open the show on a wiffle ball game in the backyard. Adam's pitching. Jude's at the plate — right-handed, like always. Adam throws a sinker. Jude cranks it. Home run. On dad. In front of the whole family. Adam shakes it off, gets ready to deliver some justice on the next at-bat… and Jude steps over to the left side of the plate. "Jude, what are you doing?" "Dad. Just pitch the ball." Brushback pitch. Second swing — gone. Out of the park. Left-handed. Turns out Jude found out earlier that day he can bat from either side and forgot to mention it. Adam took it like a man — somewhere between humiliated and proud. Dave's response: this is why he still brushes his teeth left-handed. To stay coordinated. (Adam also has four cavities. Unrelated.)This week we're sipping Laphroaig Càirdeas 2024 — Triple Wood & PX Casks. Aged ten years in ex-bourbon and quarter casks, finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. 52.4% ABV. Dark cherry-amber in the glass — uncharacteristic for an Islay. The classic peat smoke is there, then it opens into ginger, fruit, sherry sweetness. Càirdeas means friendship in Gaelic, which is exactly where the episode is headed. About $130-$140. Limited release, every year a little different.Mary update: she's off the paralysis medicine. Still heavily sedated, but her eyes are open. She's looking around. Oxygen, blood pressure, heart rate — all trending in the right direction. More good days than bad right now. Adam and Lady Haylee are grateful. Keep them in your prayers.Then we get into it: spiritual friendship, through St. Aelred of Rievaulx — the 12th-century Cistercian abbot whose book Spiritual Friendship is basically the Catholic doctrine on what a real friend is. He opens it with this line: "Here we are, you and I, and I hope that Christ makes a third with us." That's the whole thing.Adam walks through the bell curve of zeal every man hits when he starts taking his faith seriously. Phase one: you read everything, you want to tell everybody, you should start a podcast. Phase two: you realize you know almost nothing and you go quiet. Phase three is where Aelred meets you — somewhere between "let me lecture you" and "I'm not qualified to say anything." The answer isn't to forfeit the zeal. It's to ground it in humility. You don't have the answers because you are not the answer. Christ is. But you do have your own experience, and what He's done in your life is yours to share.Aelred's rules for friendship cut right through the noise. Spiritual friendship is not a teacher-student relationship — both men give, both men receive. Don't sacrifice your own vocation to be a "spiritual father" to someone else. When you meet, it's not the depth of the conversation that matters most, it's the consistency. And the cheat-code question for getting under the surface: how's your prayer life? Try that on a buddy this week and see what happens.We close on Aristotle and the Eucharist. Nicomachean Ethics lays out hierarchies of friendship — friendship of utility, of pleasure, of virtue — but you can't be an authentic friend if you don't first know the good. And the good, ultimately, is Christ in the Eucharist. If the man you call your friend doesn't live a Eucharistic life, you may have a buddy. You don't yet have a spiritual friend. Make one. Be one. Bring him to Christ.Raise your glass.TOPICS COVEREDJude's ambidextrous wiffle ball ambush and the inevitable day every dad gets cranked onAdam's left-handed toothbrushing regimen and his four cavities (related, probably)Why the Càirdeas release is one of the most interesting Islay bottlings out thereAn update on baby Mary — off the paralytic, eyes open, more wins than lossesThe bell curve of zeal — and why most men quit halfway up the back sideSt. Aelred of Rievaulx, the 12th-century Cistercian abbot the Church basically credits as the doctor of friendship"Here we are, you and I, and I hope that Christ makes a third with us" — the opening line of Spiritual FriendshipWhy spiritual friendship is not a teacher-student relationship and why treating it like one ruins itThe danger of becoming the guy who turns every conversation into a lectureDon't sacrifice your own vocation to play spiritual father to someone else'sConsistency beats intensity — and why a Pelagian attitude toward your men's group will wear you out"How's your prayer life?" — the question that breaks past small talk in under thirty secondsVulnerability as a man's strength, not his concession to a cultural buzzwordWhy one man's honest confession in a group does more for the listeners than the speakerLady Haylee and Lady Pamela both telling their husbands, in different houses, the same thing: you're a better man when you come back from those groupsSubsidiarity in friendship — the smallest circle is always the most important circleAristotle's hierarchy of friendship and why you can't be an authentic friend without knowing the goodThe Eucharist as the prerequisite for real spiritual friendship between menMake a friend. Be a friend. Bring a friend to Christ.Bourbon of the week: Laphroaig Càirdeas 2024, Triple Wood & PX CasksREFERENCED IN THIS EPISODEBooks:Spiritual Friendship by St. Aelred of Rievaulx — be careful of older translations from the 60s and 70s that read sexualization into the text that isn't thereNicomachean Ethics by AristotlePurgatorio by Dante (Adam's office reading group, currently working through it)Saints:St. Aelred of RievaulxSt. Benedict (and the Cistercian reform out of the Benedictine order)St. Peter (the lawn chair analogy)People & references:Lady Haylee MinihanLady Pamela NilesAdam's Substack (where he wrote about the Dante reading group)The friend in Adam's office who told him, "I didn't even realize that friendship like that existed"Concepts & passages:John 15: "I no longer call you slaves, but friends"The three Aristotelian friendships: utility, pleasure, virtueThe four ends of friendship in St. AelredThe "Friends of Laphroaig" plot programThe three TCMS pillars: Protect, Provide, EstablishSPONSOR BLOCKSponsor: Select International Tours — selectinternationaltours.comWhen Adam and Dave decided to lead their first pilgrimage, the same name kept coming up: Select International Tours. Having now used them, we can tell you they're the real deal. Whether you want to lead a pilgrimage or join one, Select has a tour ready for wherever the Lord is calling you. Head to selectinternationaltours.com and take a look.

In this Christmas Agape Latte, Emily Egan, Associate Director of Campus Ministry, and Doc Miller, Arrupe Mentor at Boston College, share their experiences, joys, and lessons from having one another as spiritual friends over the years. Watch Emily and Doc's Agape Latte at https://youtu.be/JBxAmg8Ju9I  Date of talk: December 9, 2025 Learn more about and follow Agape Latte: Website: https://bc.edu/agapelatte Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapelatte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgapeLatte/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/AgapeLatte 

We continue our series, Embodied Love: Bodies, Desire, and Relationships in the Way of Jesus. Over these weeks, we're exploring the Christian vision of what it means to live and love well as embodied people created with meaning, shaped by desire, and formed in relationship.    This Sunday, Pastor Matthew Fourie will be preaching “Spiritual Friendship and the Church as Family." Together, we'll explore how the Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation, but within relationships of deep belonging, shared life, and mutual formation. In a culture that often places romantic relationships at the center, we'll rediscover the beauty and importance of spiritual friendship in the way of Jesus.   

(Cambridge Insight Meditation Center) Situation Crafting in the social science of creating conditions that bring out the best in a group and/or an individual. One could see the teachings of the Buddha as elegant situation crafting with the aim of creating conditions that gradually led to awakening. Through meditation, contemplative inquiry, study, and reflection, we'll explore how the teaching of spiritual friendship is a brilliant form of situation crafting that liberates the heart.

Explore Bhakti Yoga, spiritual friendship, and sacred community with S.B. Keshava Swami and Rev. Dr. Teddy Hickman-Maynard in this beautiful opening gathering of the 2026 Bhakti Yoga Conference, filmed live at Harvard Divinity School. In this inspiring session, devotion, love, and spiritual relationships are explored as essential parts of walking the path of Bhakti Yoga together. The 2026 Bhakti Yoga Conference brings together renowned monks, scholars, yogis, musicians, and spiritual leaders around one heartfelt theme: Sacred Community — Walking the Path of Love Together. Through wisdom teachings and meaningful dialogue, this gathering explores how devotion, friendship, and spiritual connection can support and deepen our path. Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of love and devotion — a spiritual path centered on cultivating a personal relationship with the Divine through service, compassion, and sacred community. The opening session is hosted at Harvard Divinity School, and the closing session is hosted at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. Register free here: https://www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-yoga-conference

This week Pastor's Paul sermon found us in 1 Samuel 18. What is a spiritual friendship and how important is it in your life? Do you have one? If not, how can you develop one? All of these questions are answered in this episode.

(Insight Santa Cruz)

(Insight Santa Cruz)

Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the importance of 'Admirable Friendship' for our spiritual progress. 'Kaḷyāṇa Mittatā' can be translated as 'Beautiful Friendship', 'Noble Friendship' or 'Good Spiritual Friendship'. It means a friend who causes our wholesome qualities like virtue, generosity, kindness and wisdom to increase when we associate with them, because they have developed these qualities themselves. Such a friend in a 'Kaḷyāṇa Mitta'. The opposite, a bad friend that causes us to get more angry, stingy and deluded, is called a 'Pāpa Mitta'. Bad Friendship is 'Pāpa Mittatā'. Underlining the crucial importance of good friendship for our Dhamma practice, the Buddha once famously said to Venerable Ānanda: "Having good spiritual friends is 100% of the holy life" (Saṃyutta Nikāya/Connected Discourses 45.2)Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:⁠⁠⁠https://www.dhammagiri.net/news⁠⁠⁠Our email Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter⁠⁠⁠Latest Photos⁠⁠⁠https://latest-pics.dhammagiri.net⁠⁠⁠Our Youtube Channel:⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/⁠⁠⁠@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724#buddhism #friendship #goodfriends #buddhistwisdom #dhammatalk #dhamma

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This talk was given by Matthew Brensilver on 2025.12.06 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) This talk explores how spiritual friendship encompasses the entirety of Buddhist practice, examining how we become intimate with ourselves, others, and the world through connection and accompaniment. Drawing on suttas, poetry, and personal stories, it reveals how talking about the dharma, offering presence to one another, and cultivating tenderness through difficulty are essential paths to awakening.

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) This talk explores how spiritual friendship encompasses the entirety of Buddhist practice, examining how we become intimate with ourselves, others, and the world through connection and accompaniment. Drawing on suttas, poetry, and personal stories, it reveals how talking about the dharma, offering presence to one another, and cultivating tenderness through difficulty are essential paths to awakening.

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) This talk explores how spiritual friendship encompasses the entirety of Buddhist practice, examining how we become intimate with ourselves, others, and the world through connection and accompaniment. Drawing on suttas, poetry, and personal stories, it reveals how talking about the dharma, offering presence to one another, and cultivating tenderness through difficulty are essential paths to awakening.

In this week's episode, Paul, Aaron, and Gunnar welcome Mike Kellar to the Big Idea podcast to close out the Spiritual Friendship Series with a discussion on Covenant Friendship. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, press play, and join the conversation.

Luke 6:20-31Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.“Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. There is a patron saint for almost anything. If you have a fear of caterpillars, meet St. Magnus - the Patron Saint for Protection against those creepy crawlers. Work at a gas station? St. Eligius is your saint. He was the patron saint of horses and blacksmiths, until cars came along and someone decided he should cover gas stations too. If you are a beer lover, Arnold is your saint. The tradition goes, some thirsty people prayed to him to give them what they lacked and a pot of beer appeared. And if the morning after gets rough, there's even St. Bibiana, the patron saint of hangovers. I'm not making that up. Then, there's Drogo, patron saint of unattractive people, not that any of you need to pray to him. I think you get the point. There is a saint for nearly every situation. One of my favorite saints, and the one I think we need inspiration from today, is Saint Aelred of Rievaulx, the patron saint of friendships. You've probably never heard of him, which is part of why I love him. Aelred wasn't known for miracles or dramatic conversions, but for the way he understood and practiced friendship as a path to God.He was born in northern England, the son of a married priest before that became outlawed, and he was well-educated and well-liked from an early age.In his twenties, he served in the Scottish court under King David I: respected for his intelligence, diplomacy, and trustworthiness. But at age twenty-four, he walked away from what was surely a promising career and entered the monastery at Rievaulx in Yorkshire. I'm sure his parents were thrilled since monking makes such good money. He quickly became known for his warmth and wisdom. He eventually rose through the ranks and became the abbot of the whole monastery, overseeing more than 600 monks. But he didn't lead the way we usually imagine leaders do—commanding, strict, or heavy-handed.Aelred was gentle and empathetic, rarely a harsh disciplinarian, and always attentive to the spiritual and emotional needs of the people entrusted to him.He's best known for his writing and preaching on friendship. Aelred had a gift for befriending the people others overlooked, those who were weak, temperamental, or thought to be less than holy. In his most famous work, Spiritual Friendship, he describes a true friend as:“the guardian of my very soul” the one who protects all the secrets of my spirit in loyal silence, the one who bears and endures anything wicked they see in my soul. For a friend will rejoice with my soul rejoicing, grieve with its grieving, and feel that everything that belongs to a friend belongs to themself”. That kind of definition might make us rethink who we call a friend. Aelred's idea of friendship isn't casual or convenient; it sounds more like the love of a spouse, a parent, a sibling, or that one person who walked with us through the best and the worst. And for many of us, that's the person we remember today on All Saints Sunday.Today is unusual in the church year. Instead of primarily giving thanks to the God we know in Jesus Christ, this Sunday is set apart to remember the people we have known and loved in Christ, the ones who have gone before us and now rest in him.And whether we realize it or not, we're also honoring the love shared between us: the risk of loving and being loved, or as Aelred might say, the holy work of friendship.On All Saints Sunday, we remember not just the people we loved, but the risk it took to love them and the risk they took in loving us. Every real relationship carries the possibility, maybe even the certainty, of hurting and being hurt.And that's true of the saints we remember today. Some of them were anything but saintly. Some were difficult. Some were wounded, and some were wounding. Even the best of them didn't consistently love their enemies, pray for those who hurt them, or give generously all the time.But in the Lutheran tradition, that's not what makes a saint. A saint isn't someone who got it right. A saint is someone who tried, failed, and is forgiven by God. That is what makes a saint: a forgiven sinner.Which means this loving and being loved is risky business, no matter who it is. C.S. Lewis puts it this way:“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe and dark, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.To love is to be vulnerable.”Is there anyone who knows this risk — this vulnerability — more than the God we know in Jesus Christ? He left heaven, only to be betrayed by his own people, abandoned by his friends, and to have his heart beaten and broken until it stopped on the cross. And he did it so that we might be made into saints — forgiven sinners. Truly, there is no greater love than that.This morning we don't just remember the saints in our lives, we remember the love it took to be in relationship with them, and the risk that love always requires. Saint Aelred reminds us that to love is to risk. And to follow Jesus is simply to keep risking love again and again. Which means this life of faith is never without risk.Today is not only All Saints Sunday; it's also the launch of our capital campaign. You've seen the plans, the pictures, and you've given feedback along the way. And today we want to show you where all of that has led us.Because at the heart of this campaign is not just more seats in a sanctuary, or a bigger building. At the heart of it is more relationships. Buildings don't make a church. Relationships do.But buildings can give us the space where those vulnerable, holy friendships can take root. That's what we're after: a sanctuary that makes room for more people to experience the grace of Jesus Christ, and one that finally allows everyone to enter, serve, and participate fully in worship. And a Community Hub: a space where neighbors can connect, where learning and conversation can happen, where kids can play and grow, where anyone can meet, make, or find a friend.Does this involve risk? Absolutely. Not just financial risk, though that's part of it. The deeper risk is opening ourselves to the people around us.We risk people coming into our space simply to use it — and nothing more. We risk people learning what we believe about God's grace and deciding they want nothing to do with it.And we risk forming new friendships that will stretch our hearts and our community to make room for the people God sends our way. We could get really attached to these people. We could give our hearts to them. And that requires vulnerability.But that's the life Jesus calls us to — a life of risk, of friendship, of love.And if that is not at the heart of why we're doing this — if all we want is a bigger building with more empty chairs and tables — then this campaign can be damned. But if we are willing to take the risk — to open ourselves, to make the kind of friends Aelred made, the ones others overlook and dismissed, and to share the love of Jesus with a community who needs to see it, hear it, and feel it — then we are truly rooted in grace and growing in mission.Since there's a saint for nearly every situation, let Aelred be our saint for this moment. Not because he built anything, but because he loved people others ignored. Because he believed friendship was holy work. Because he knew the work of grace was making room for the overlooked and the imperfect.This campaign is not about numbers or square footage. It is about making more room for that kind of love: the kind that turns strangers into friends, and friends into saints.Because as Aelred wrote, “True friendship draws us right up to the edge of what it means to know God and experience God.”Amen

In this week's episode, Paul, Aaron, and Gunnar welcome Brent Macleod to the Big Idea podcast for a week eight Spiritual Friendship Series discussion on forgiveness. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, press play, and join the conversation.

Pastor Jin Lee of Chelten: A Church of Hope teaches about the importance of spiritual friendship from the book of Proverbs.

In this week's episode, Paul, Aaron, Daniel and Gunnar step into the ring (a literal ring) for a week seven Spiritual Friendship Series discussion on rebuke. ☕️ Pour yourself a cup of coffee, press play, and join the conversation.

//Andrew Lundy | 1 Samuel 18:1-9

In this week's episode, Paul, Gunnar and Aaron discuss week six of our Spiritual Friendship Series on encouragement. ☕️ Pour yourself a cup of coffee, press play, and join the conversation.

Send us a Text Message - include your name!In this episode of Faith Over Breakfast, Andy and Eric completely let loose. They talk baseball. They talk board games. They talk about their two churches teaming up for a baseball, kickball, and board-gaming extravaganza. It's friendship, laughter, and chaos all wrapped into one conversation.Honestly, they're just having a blast. This episode is pure fun, one you'll want to hear more than once. If this description doesn't convince you to listen, I'm not sure what will.Support the showSUPPORT THE SHOW BEYOND SUBSCRIPTIONS1. CASH APP2. Justgive"Faith Over Breakfast with Pastors Andy & Eric" is a weekly podcast where Pastors Andy and Eric come together over a imaginary delicious breakfast to talk about faith, food, sermons, culture, and more. In each episode, the pastors delve into thought-provoking topics and offer inspiring insights and practical guidance for those seeking to deepen their relationship with Jesus. With occasional guests joining the conversation, "Faith Over Breakfast with Pastors Andy & Eric" provides a unique perspective on what it means to live a life of faith in today's world. Whether you're a seasoned Christian or just starting on your faith journey, this podcast is the perfect companion for your morning routine. So join Pastors Andy and Eric each week as they explore the intersections of faith, food, and life over a delicious breakfast.Support:https://www.buzzsprout.com/97804/support

In this week's episode, Paul and Gunnar welcome Lindsey Crandell to the conversation as they discuss week five of our Spiritual Friendship Series on empathy. ☕️ Pour yourself a cup of coffee, press play, and join the conversation.

How to establish, cultivate and nourish deep meaningful friendships rooted in Christ.

In this week's episode, Paul, Aaron and Gunnar discuss week four of our Spiritual Friendship Series on “It's good to share the “wrong things” with the right people”. We invite you to pour yourself a cup of coffee, press play, and join the conversation. You can also find more resources at isonrise.com/spiritual-friendship

In this week's episode, Paul, Aaron and Gunnar discuss week three of our Spiritual Friendship Series on “We make friends, then friends make us”. We invite you to pour yourself a cup of coffee, press play, and join the conversation. You can also find more resources at isonrise.com/spiritual-friendship

I have such a fun show for you today! You are getting a sneak peek into a conversation with one of my oldest friends, Pam Fierst-Walsh. This is Pam's second time on the show. It's so fun to record with a friend. I even forget we were on a podcast at one point because this is just who we are and how we talk. As you will hear, Pam and I recently went on a retreat together. During the trip, Pam impromptu asked if we could record a special summer episode, and here it is! It's perfect timing as the leaves are changing here in Chicago and the weather is starting to change. This show is a great way to wrap up summer and to focus on a fun and deep topic – spiritual friendship. During today's podcast, Pam and I discussed:That we have been friends for 27 years and we haven't aged a day!What motivated Pam to join me in Montana for the retreat.How Pam and I met in 1998 and almost bumped into one another in 1997.What the definitions of spiritual friendship and doppelganger are.The impact our friendship has had on both of us.If we can't spend a lot of time together because we are so similar and the energetic connection is strong.And Pam's most recent advice on the 1-2 ways women can be braver at work!Here is more about Pam:Pamela Fierst-Walsh is the Vice President of Government Affairs for North America with the DeBeers Group. Pamela is the former VP of Traceability at PVH where she worked with the Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein brands on global traceability objectives. She is also the former CEO of her consultancy, PFW Advisory, where she provided advisory services for regulatory and supply chain needs, particularly with respect to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns.

In this week's episode, Paul, Aaron and Gunnar discuss week two of our Spiritual Friendship Series on "You and God" are not enough. You can also find more resources at isonrise.com/spiritual-friendship

Friendship is at the core of who we are. God Himself models perfect relationship in the Trinity, and He invites us into that same kind of connection with one another. And yet, we live in a time when isolation and despair are on the rise—where loneliness is being called an epidemic, and where the lack of meaningful connection is costing lives. All of this points to our deep need for the kind of relationships God has made us for. Welcome to the Big Idea Podcast: Reading with Friends, where each week we invite you to join us as we sit down for a conversation about the weekend's message and how, together, we can step into the kind of friendship and connection we were made for—friendship with God and with one another. Episode Description: On this first episode, we ask: Why a podcast, and why now? We talk about how the Spiritual Friendship Series came to be, what we've learned along the way, and what you can expect in the weeks ahead. We also model what's to come as we open the Bible with friends and reflect on the Big Idea and key passages from the weekend's message.

Listen as Lead Pastor Kris McDaniel and Spiritual Formation Pastor Adrienne share what's ahead for our church this fall, exploring how the season of Ordinary Time invites us into growth, discipleship, and deeper relationships. They unpack Trinity's core commitment to creating space for meaningful and reconciled relationships.They also highlight upcoming opportunities to live this out together, including the launch of Neighborhood Groups, a Wellness Workshop on Spiritual Friendship with Bishop Brian Wallace, a Faith & Night on Sexuality, the Grace and Truth course, a talk with Deacon Erin Moniz, and our Marriage Retreat. Throughout the episode, they reflect on intimacy, community, and what it means to be formed in Christ in everyday life.

This Dhamma talk was offered on August 16, 2025 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.

We're diving deep into the world of spiritual discernment with Cheryl Weaver. Cheryl breaks down what spiritual discernment really is and why it's not just some lofty, intimidating concept, but a super practical tool for everyday life. We explore how tuning into God's invitations can transform our decision-making processes and help us move away from the pressure of going it alone. Plus, Cheryl shares some gems about the role of a spiritual director, making it clear that this journey is all about creating space for genuine connection with God and others.Episode HighlightsSpiritual discernment involves being aware of God's guidance as we make daily decisions.Community plays a crucial role in spiritual discernment, offering support and perspective along the journey.The practice of spiritual direction is about creating space for personal growth and connection with God.It's essential to prioritize intentional living and create space for spiritual practices in our lives.Resources MentionedCedar Rock Ministries Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction by David G. BennerThe Next Right Thing by Emily P. FreemanThe Next Right Thing Podcast with Emily P. FreemanRelated Episodes You Might Also LikeEP 5 - Reader Review: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark ComerEP 33 - Creating Breathing Room: Why I'm Taking a SabbaticalEP 39 - The Source of Empowerment with Becky BeresfordEP 41 - Are You Sleepwalking Through Life?EP 55 - Breathing Room: How Stepping Back Makes You a Better MomEP 62 - From Panic to Peace: How to Make Room for What Matters with Rachel EarpEP 66 - Faith-Based Body Awareness for Overwhelmed Women with Cheryl WeaverConnect with CherylEmail: Cheryl@CedarRockMinistries.com Connect with RachelWebsite: racheldbaker.comInstagram: @rachel.d.baker Email: rachel@racheldbaker.comIt means so much to me that you are part of this community! I never recommend anything to you that I don't truly love and believe is worthwhile. Some of the links I share are affiliate links, and I will earn a tiny commission if you go through...

AMDG. “Sister, is God a person for you, or an idea?”   Diocesan priest, author, and former hermit Fr. Wayne Sattler joins the Kolbecast to share his life-story from high school teacher to almost-married to hermit; his two books, which originated in his notes from years leading spiritual retreats; spiritual direction, or as he prefers to call it, “spiritual friendship”; relating to God as a person, not as an idea, which is the theme of one of his books; and so much more. Fr. Sattler's humor, hope, and humility shine through every story he tells, and his words reflect the wisdom he has gained from his years of experience counseling others.   Links mentioned & relevant:  Books & articles by Fr. Wayne Sattler:   Remain in Me and I in You – Relating to God as a Person, Not an Idea  And You Will Find Rest: What God Does in Prayer  Wasting Time with God, an article on Catholic Exchange  Other books:  The Four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance by Josef Pieper  Seeking Spiritual Direction by Rev. Thomas Dubay S.M.   Related Kolbecast episodes:  183 Gratuitous Gifts: Sherry Weddell on Charisms  123 A Change of the Ages, 213 This Is a Beginning, and 224 Forming Apostolic Hearts with Msgr. James P. Shea  Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.   We'd be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

In this paradigm-shifting episode of "You, Me, and Jesus," Keenya challenges the notion that our closest relationships must be with fellow believers, sharing how her diverse friendships have actually strengthened her faith rather than compromised it.Discover the beauty of finding your faith community beyond church walls as Keenya unpacks friendship as a spiritual practice. She shares the hilarious misunderstandings between her faith worlds and practical ways to cultivate authentic relationships that help you grow spiritually without hidden agendas.In our "What Would Jesus Actually Do?" segment, we explore how Jesus—who was called a friend of sinners—might respond to someone whose best friends aren't Christians, affirming the value of diverse relationships while encouraging authentic living.Whether you're struggling with lonely church attendance, feeling guilty about your non-Christian friendships, or simply longing for deeper community, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on the ministry of genuine friendship.If you felt empowered by this episode, take a screenshot for your stories and tag Keenya on Instagram @keenyakelly. I would be honored to hear your takeaways and re-post your share!Important Links from the show:Understanding your spiritual gifts is definitely one of the foundational things that every single Christian needs to know.If you'd like a quick and free spiritual quiz assessment to understand why and how God gifted you what you have in life click here https://keenyakelly.com/ministry/!Subscribe to our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@youmeandjesus Connect with Keenya on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keenyakelly/ Connect with Keenya on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keenyakelly Connect with Keenya on Twitter: https://twitter.com/keenyakelly For more information on courses and resources: https://keenyakelly.com/Are you building a business and you want to know what God is saying to you about your business?Looking for strategy on what to do next with your business or market your business in a way that's Christ focused?Click the following link to book a creative consulting session to get a strategy together for your business that is faith focused: https://keenyakelly.com/creativeconsulting/

A Spiritual Community consists of Individuals; a group does not consist of Individuals. What is individuality? How can an ordinary group support our efforts to transcend the group? Excerpted from the talk The Individual, the Group, and the Community by Sangharakshita given in 1971. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspiration three times a week. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dharmabytes-from-free-buddhist-audio/id416832097 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UHPDj01UH6ptj8FObwBfB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeBuddhistAudio1967  

This talk was given by Nikki Mirghafori on 2025.04.28 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

Dr. Wesley Hill is a New Testament scholar and seminary professor, and I found him through his new book called, simply, Easter. If you want Easter to be more than a chocolate bunny and the question of how to deal with wearing pastels after a long winter, this is your episode! Dr. Hill helped me remember again the deep and profound joy and hope that Easter brings, not just on that one Sunday each spring but every day before and after. Wesley Hill is an Episcopal priest and associate professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary. His PhD in New Testament is from Durham University in the UK. He has spoken and lectured at numerous Christian colleges and seminaries in the U.S. and internationally. A contributing editor for Comment magazine, he writes regularly for Christianity Today, The Living Church, and other publications. Among his books are Washed and Waiting, Paul and the Trinity, Spiritual Friendship, and The Lord's Prayer. Find him online at wesleyhill.tumblr.com.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

This talk considers the importance of a good teacher and also of a sangha. It discusses ways of relating to the teacher and how to determine whether the teacher and the teachings are right for you. Peter Case was a monastic for two years at the House of Inner Tranquility in the 1980's and continues to be a student of Paul Harris.. This talk was given in December 2023.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

Encore show from January 7, 2025 Fr. Bobby Blood joins Patrick to discuss Spiritual Friendship What is Friendship? (10:47) How do we navigate seasons of life? (15:20) Susanne - Greeting people daily. Having been retired taking care of people. I've found that being kind like to the cashier at the grocery store. (19:06) Break 1 Maria - How can I attain a spiritual director so I can have a spiritual friendship? (22:59) Nora - I have a couple of nieces who are adults. They appreciate my friendship, but I don't hear back from them. How should I deal with this? How do we know what friendships are good to have and which ones are not healthy? What is the role of forgiveness in friendship? Jessica - I was just recently at confession and my priest told me that I need to seek friends in the church. Why is that so important? I feel that I am old now and have a hard time understanding the why. (40:44) Break 2 How do you navigate friendships between men and women? Francesca - I'm a convert. 10 years ago. Old friends who are certainly non-Catholic. There's been tension. Any ideas if I should pursue this friendship or how to approach.

Fr. Bobby Blood joins Patrick to discuss Spiritual Friendship What is Friendship? (10:47) How do we navigate seasons of life? (15:20) Susanne - Greeting people daily. Having been retired taking care of people. I've found that being kind like to the cashier at the grocery store. (19:06) Break 1 Maria - How can I attain a spiritual director so I can have a spiritual friendship? (22:59) Nora - I have a couple of nieces who are adults. They appreciate my friendship, but I don't hear back from them. How should I deal with this? How do we know what friendships are good to have and which ones are not healthy? What is the role of forgiveness in friendship? Jessica - I was just recently at confession and my priest told me that I need to seek friends in the church. Why is that so important? I feel that I am old now and have a hard time understanding the why. (40:44) Break 2 How do you navigate friendships between men and women? Francesca - I'm a convert. 10 years ago. Old friends who are certainly non-Catholic. There's been tension. Any ideas if I should pursue this friendship or how to approach.

DateDecember 22, 2024SynopsisIn this sermon, we dive into what happens when vulnerability meets blessing through the lens of Mary's visit to Elizabeth. We explore how creating safe spaces for truth-telling—like Elizabeth's home and the muskrat's winter den—allows us to encounter transformative love that empowers us to sing new songs of hope. This fourth Sunday of Advent reminds us that authentic love makes room for our whole selves, not just our highlight reel.ReferencesScripture: Luke 1:39–55 About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center)