Podcast appearances and mentions of thomas shepherd

Lent 2 – B 02/25/2024 Most of us have played the game, “Follow the Leader”. It involves making choices whether to follow a person or not over and through things. There are some whom you can trust to keep you safe, there are others whom you need to be careful with. We have many people today who say, come, follow me.   What kind of criteria do we set up for whom we decide to follow? Number one, it is a good idea to look at their history and what kind of choices they have made in the past. Number two, how have they treated people especially those who have little. Number three what have they gained, knowledge or money, power and control.   There are no perfect human leaders. This week we will be the site for 3 precincts for the presidential primary elections, even though we probably know who the candidates are. As I said last Sunday, I would not tell you who to vote for, but these are criteria that I would use in making a decision. Above all ask God.   Healthy leadership in our work places are more and more difficult to find. There is so much anxiety on whether you have a job and how you look to the boss. Who is trying to please who? Doing a good honest job is not always the ticket today. We have experienced in many different forms a lack of work ethic.   That leads me to the question, “Who are people following?” As Christians, I believe that we are called to have a healthy work ethic. I worked at a Friendly's while going to seminary. After having worked the middle shift as a manager, the dishwasher for the night was a high school guy. He came in to pick up his check and quit on the spot. I felt that was irresponsible on the part of he and his parents. Yes there could have been extenuating circumstances, but at least 2 weeks' notice. I worked half of the shift then as the dishwasher.   Of course, as Christians, we are called to follow Jesus. Which we can never fully do. In our Gospel lesson for today Jesus is trying to let his disciples know what will be coming, that he must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  Peter was not looking for this in a leader, one to follow, thus he took Jesus aside and said no this won't be happening.   Jesus said, Peter your anxiety has gotten the best of you, you are setting your mind on earthly things and not trusting me, your leader. Thus, if you really want to follow me, you must let go of your anxiety and wanting to have it your way and take up your cross and follow me.   Now too often this gets interpreted to be, look at me, I have to do this all by myself. This is not what Jesus is saying. He is saying that we can't rely on ourselves for direction. We are called to rely on Jesus which means studying God's word and listening to others to discern how to carry the cross together.   Jesus models what it means to carry the cross until he physically has to do it. Jesus is trying to clue them in that following him and carrying his cross together may not be what we are looking for. It will mean realizing that we don't have the all the answers and focusing only on us is not following him.   Jesus is not asking us to throw our lives away when he says we need to deny ourselves and lose our lives. It is giving our wills over to Jesus. It is realizing that we own nothing in God's eyes as in reality, God owns everything. It is about forever trying to discern God's will for our life and living that out.   This is not what saves us, but it is a response to God's love in Jesus Christ. We are called to live our lives for the sake of others. This is what Jesus modeled for us, as recorded in our Gospels. Even to the end Jesus lived out God's will.   It is not easy, and it creates anxiety as it did for Peter. There are times we would like to say, no Jesus it's not supposed to be this way. Anxiety comes when we are trying to protect ourselves. Not all anxiety is bad. It can be a red flag, but it can also be something that clouds our view of God's will for our lives and life of our community of faith.   Change brings anxiety. We are in the process of transition, and we just lost one of our faithful witnesses. Walter was becoming the president of Faith Lutheran Church. When I think of the criteria that I suggested in looking to follow a leader, Number one, it is a good idea to look at their history and what kind of choices they have made in the past. Number two, how have they treated people especially those who have little. Number three what have they gained, knowledge or money, power and control. I believe I can see Walter fulfilling these to the best of his human ability.   He was also a valued voice on the transition team. From what I have heard and seen, Walter was a sure and steady leader. He listened to people, he helped guide Faith through some conflicted times. Walter was not out for glory as I believe what he prayed for is that this beloved community would become healthier and more focused on doing God's will at this time.   Walter saw changes that could be made to make Faith a healthier beloved community. When a trusted and valued leader moves on, it is important for us to stop and consider what he taught us by the way he led. It looks like our newly elected vice president, Randy Royalty will be taking over as president. Walter asked Randy to serve as vice president, not knowing that his life on earth was drawing to a close. I do believe Walter relied on God for direction here also.   What Jesus is calling us to do is to bear the cross together. We need leaders and we need followers. At certain times in our lives, we are called to be one or the other. Whether we are a leader or a follower it is all bearing the cross together.   God has been teaching through leaders, including Jesus, that we are called to put our wills aside for the care of God's people. Thomas Shepherd, pub.1693 Must Jesus bear the cross alone, And all the world go free? No, there's a cross for everyone, And there's a cross for us. v. 2 by Anonymous/Unknown How happy are the saints above, Who once went sorr'wing here! But now they taste unmingled love, And joy without a tear. v. 3 by George N. Allen, pub.1844 The consecrated cross we'll bear Till death shall set us free; And then go home our crown to wear, For there's a crown for us.   Jesus calls us today to follow him first, to bear his cross together. As we are deciding who we follow, consider these criteria: Number one, it is a good idea to look at their history and what kind of choices they have made in the past. Number two, how have they treated people especially those who have little. Number three what have they gained, knowledge or money, power and control.   Jesus modeled this for us and now calls us to follow him and that bearing the cross together we may model what it means to follow Jesus to carry and model his life giving love to this power driven world.  

Thank you for listening! Our stream dropped out a little after the sermon started but we hope you're blessed by what is spoken here!

As a pastor of Crosspointe Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN, Thomas Shepherd and his wife Kari have been involved in ministry for over 15 years and are passionate about strong families in the local church. In this 2-part podcast series, Pastor Shepherd encourages local church families in developing good parent-teen relationships and getting involved as a family in local church ministry.

As a pastor of Crosspointe Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN, Thomas Shepherd and his wife Kari have been involved in ministry for over 15 years and are passionate about strong families in the local church. In this 2-part podcast series, Pastor Shepherd encourages local church families in developing good parent-teen relationships and getting involved as a family in local church ministry.

Dan Padavona knows the secrets to reimagining failure. Whether a book isn't reaching the right audience or receiving negative criticism, he stresses the importance of remaining confident, persistent, and willing to pivot in the face of “the crickets” . Dan is the accomplished author of over twenty novels, including the Wolf Lake series and Thomas Shepherd series. He also co-wrote Shadow Witch with J. eight years ago. To preorder his upcoming novel, The Killer Inside, follow the link below. From Amazon.com: When you read one of my books I hope you feel like you are sitting around a campfire with me at midnight. If you happen upon me, you'll probably find me reading Stephen King, Rachel Caine, Dean Koontz, or one of the many authors who have so enriched my life with their ability to tell a good tale. More than anything, I love a good story. Let me tell you one. Sign up for my VIP Readers Group at www.danpadavona.com and download a free screen background. In this episode, you'll discover: How to find the overlap between self-fulfilling and marketable writing When to walk away from your day job Why writing can be so unmotivating How individuality can hurt your prospects Links: J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/ Dan Padavona - https://www.danpadavona.com/ The Killer Inside - https://books2read.com/u/mqXRne Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/ Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/ and Ghostwriting University - https://www.ghostwritinguniversity.com/ Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/ Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/ Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ *Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writersink/support

A new MP3 sermon from Crosspointe Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Having a Happy Home Speaker: Thomas Shepherd Broadcaster: Crosspointe Baptist Church Event: Sunday - PM Date: 7/31/2022 Bible: Proverbs 17:22 Length: 25 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Crosspointe Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Dollars & Cents: Managing Your Finances God's Way Subtitle: It's A Wise Investment Speaker: Thomas Shepherd Broadcaster: Crosspointe Baptist Church Event: Sunday - PM Date: 2/20/2022 Bible: Matthew 6:24 Length: 52 min.

País Estados Unidos Dirección Stephen Gaghan Guion Stephen Gaghan, Thomas Shepherd, Chris McKay. Personaje: Hugh Lofting Música Danny Elfman Fotografía Guillermo Navarro Reparto Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Jessie Buckley, Harry Collett, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson Sinopsis Después de perder a su mujer hace siete años, el excéntrico Dr. John Dolittle , un reputado doctor y veterinario, se encerró en sí mismo tras los muros de su mansión con la única compañía de su colección de animales exóticos. Pero cuando la joven reina cae gravemente enferma, Dolittle tendrá que dejar, muy a su pesar, su vida de ermitaño para embarcarse en una épica aventura a una mítica isla en busca de una cura, recuperando su sentido del humor y su coraje a medida que se cruza con viejos adversarios y mientras descubre maravillosas criaturas.

I Samuel 26:25

A new MP3 sermon from Crosspointe Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Fruit of Meekness Subtitle: The Fruits of the Spirit Speaker: Thomas Shepherd Broadcaster: Crosspointe Baptist Church Event: Sunday - PM Date: 3/14/2021 Bible: Galatians 5:22-23 Length: 50 min.

The Heart of a Christian - Pastor Thomas Shepherd - 2/7/21 by Moses Lake Baptist Church

From Mountaintop to Valley - Pastor Thomas Shepherd - 2/7/21 by Moses Lake Baptist Church

A new MP3 sermon from Crosspointe Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Fruit of Peace Subtitle: The Fruits of the Spirit Speaker: Thomas Shepherd Broadcaster: Crosspointe Baptist Church Event: Sunday - PM Date: 1/31/2021 Bible: Galatians 5:22 Length: 51 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Crosspointe Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Fruit of Joy Subtitle: The Fruits of the Spirit Speaker: Thomas Shepherd Broadcaster: Crosspointe Baptist Church Event: Sunday - PM Date: 1/17/2021 Bible: Galatians 5:22 Length: 47 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Crosspointe Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Fruit of Joy Subtitle: The Fruits of the Spirit Speaker: Thomas Shepherd Broadcaster: Crosspointe Baptist Church Event: Sunday - PM Date: 1/17/2021 Bible: Galatians 5:22 Length: 47 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Crosspointe Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Fortification of Faith (Part 3) Subtitle: The Fortification of Faith Speaker: Thomas Shepherd Broadcaster: Crosspointe Baptist Church Event: Midweek Service Date: 1/13/2021 Bible: Luke 22; James 1 Length: 43 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Crosspointe Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Fortification of Faith (Part 3) Subtitle: The Fortification of Faith Speaker: Thomas Shepherd Broadcaster: Crosspointe Baptist Church Event: Midweek Service Date: 1/13/2021 Bible: Luke 22; James 1 Length: 43 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Crosspointe Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Fruit of Love Subtitle: The Fruits of the Spirit Speaker: Thomas Shepherd Broadcaster: Crosspointe Baptist Church Event: Sunday - PM Date: 1/10/2021 Bible: Galatians 5:22-23 Length: 48 min.

1788 to 1820s Australian Grape Vine Stories; A race to the other side of the world Ambitions for a wine industry in New South Wales were caught up in the British Government's aspirations of expanding trade routes and wealth creation. From 1788 to the 1820s, colonial wine was a cottage industry but the pioneers from Sir Joseph Banks in London to John Macarthur and nurseryman Thomas Shepherd in Sydney believed that Australia could become the France of the Southern Hemisphere. But the first years of settlement were not without political troubles and serious economic challenges.

Thomas Shepherd - Controlling 2020 by West Coast Baptist College

Teen 1, 2018. Thursday Night. Thomas Shepherd. 1 Samuel 16:7 www.southlandcamp.org

Teen 1, 2018. Thursday Night. Thomas Shepherd. 1 Samuel 16:7 www.southlandcamp.org

Thomas Shepherd preaches about discouragement.

I get to chat with Thomas Shepherd who runs Toresh Games. We chat about: How he made over 6 games in 2 years Selling through Amazon instead of Kickstarter And the best places to visit in Colorado

Thomas Shepherd gives a Biblical reminder about the Christian life.

Thomas Shepherd preaches about the need for a spiritual hunger and how to gain that.

Thomas Shepherd preaches about the faith to step out as a college student.

Thomas Shepherd preaches about having a better understanding of the God we serve!

Thomas Shepherd challenges Christians about the presence of God on this summer.

Thomas Shepherd delivers challenging answers to the question, "If I could go back 13 years, what would I tell myself?"

Often times in life we can so quickly slip from being in a place of close relationship to God, to far away. How does that happen? This message gives you internal signs from the life of David to help ensure that we stay close to Christ.

Often times in life we can so quickly slip from being in a place of close relationship to God, to far away. How does that happen? This message gives you internal signs from the life of David to help ensure that we stay close to Christ.

Thomas Shepherd - How To Continue Revival by West Coast Baptist College

College Chapel

College Chapel

Teen 1, 2018. Friday Night. Thomas Shepherd. 2 Samuel 21 "The reality of the fight. The resilience of the foe. The responsibility of the future. This is your time. Who's going to surrender?"

Thomas Shepherd shares key thoughts on preparing the heart for the call of a pastor.

The verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin has stirred outrage in the African-American community and among a large portion of the American population. A jury of six Florida women found Zimmerman not guilty, but many people feel some sort of accountability should have been extracted for the death of an unarmed 17-year-old. Even the President has weighed in, saying he could have been Trayvon 35 years ago. Regardless of how anyone looks at the verdict, discussion about race in America has definitely accelerated in its aftermath. This week the Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd and Rev. Claudell County will look at racial justice in the Unitsed State in the light of this ongoing controversy.

This week on Let's talk About It, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd shares the microphone with two students from his World Religions online class—Susan Bryan and Freida King—as the discussion turns to the oldest continuously practiced religion on the planet, Hinduism. Guests from the Hindu community will share insights and answer questions about what it means to be a Hindu today.   

With the new year, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd begins a new series about the old, great religions of the world. The program lineup will parallel his Unity Institute online course in World Religions and will feature guests from various religious traditions and students from Dr. Tom's class. This week will be about the ancient roots of religion and spirituality. Are we hard-wired for prayer and ritual? How far back in time does organized religious activity go? Is there any evidence that other species—not just humans—may share a sense of wonder at the mystery of life? Tune in and listen as Dr. Shepherd's panel discusses The Origins of Religion—What Is the Sacred, and Why Do People Need It?

This week Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd's guests will be Rev. Manzel Berlin, United Methodist minister and adjunct faculty at Unity Institute and Seminary; Rev. Edith Washington, ordained Unity minister and certified practitioner in the Healing Art of Touch Therapy; and licensed Unity teacher Bernadette Swanson, education editor at Unity Worldwide Ministries. All of the above are currently at work on new writing projects, so not surprisingly, the topic will be their new books in the works. If you're an aspiring author—or if you just like good books—tune in to hear this distinguished panel of spiritual writers discuss how the creative process works for them.

In this episode, Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd will discuss the fine art of creative writing with some up-and-coming authors. Guests include novelist W. David County and other members of the Unity Village writers group Profits and Scribes. Dr. Tom and Dave will read selections from their fiction works in progress.

In the modern world, advocates of pacifism and those who support the "just war" concept have been slugging it out for almost a century. Pacifists often say, to paraphrase Gandhi, that there are some things for which they are willing to die but nothing for which they are willing to kill. Advocates of the "just war" philosophy say that some causes are worth fighting for, even if it requires lethal force; Hitler and the Nazi holocaust are often mentioned by "just war" philosophers. This week on Let's Talk About It, Dr. Thomas Shepherd's panel of distinguished guests will consider the ethical, theological and political dimensions of this ongoing debate.

March is Jesus Month on Let's Talk About It. The topic for LTAI's this week is "Miracle Stories Featuring Jesus of Nazareth.” Dr. Thomas Shepherd's distinguished panel of biblical scholars and students of scripture will look at the nature of supernaturalism in the Hebraic and Hellenistic worldview, asking whether some “miracle” stories can be explained in naturalistic terms. They will also consider the ethical implications of divinely appointed miracle-working. Why heal one person or raise that man's child from the grave, when so many others go without heavenly assistance? The Christological questions will be even more profound. Did the earliest disciples of Jesus actually believe he was God in their midst? What was the first-century church saying about the development of the "Christ of faith?" Did Jesus really have the power to work wonders? Don't miss this one!

Forget being in the Now, for now. Grab your diary and your wish book, and let's talk good memories and secret hopes. And while you're at it, look the pundits in the eye and shout, “Get thee behind me, Recession—it's time for Christmas!” Not everything has to come in a velvet box or with a big price tag. Not every celebration has to be midnight mass at the cathedral. This week Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd's panel of distinguished guests will take a look at holiday celebrations and great gifts, past and future. Tune in to LTAI to hear great memories and creative ideas to make this the best holiday season ever.

Should justice be calibrated by principles of retribution, deterrence, social protection, correction, or rehabilitation? Every society establishes methods for dealing with citizens who murder innocent people or commit other heinous deeds, but many areas—such as the European Union—have abolished the death penalty. Shall the United States and other nations who still carry out capital punishment join them and end the practice of killing its killers? This week Dr. Thomas Shepherd's panel of guests will discuss the ethical and theological implications of the ways in which societies respond to serious crime.

In his book Prosperity, published during the Great Depression of the 1930s, Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore wrote: “We cannot be very happy if we are poor, and nobody needs to be poor. It is a sin to be poor.” Unity ministers have been defending that remark for more than 70 years. Today the “Prosperity Gospel” has gone mainstream. Televangelist Joel Osteen regularly assures his audiences that God wants them to be happy and prosperous. Yet, surprisingly, some of Rev. Osteen's harshest critics are not members of the Religious Right but progressive theologians, liberal Christian thinkers who question the morality of asking for personal wealth in a world where so much hunger and economic oppression persists. This week Rev. Dr. Robert Martin of Saint Paul School of Theology will join Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd's panel of distinguished guests to consider the controversial “Prosperity Gospel” in 21st-century Christian thought.

Music is one of the oldest forms of religious celebration. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors danced around the fire at the end of the day, singing songs of the hunt and calling upon the Divine to bring success for tomorrow. Great compositions filled European cathedrals with majestic praise in musical form; serfs, slaves and tenant farmers sang of deliverance from bondage as they worked the fields. Yet sometime in Church history, music began to drift from the center of worship to become filler material that got you from one form of spoken word to the next. The Protestant church service has been uncharitably referred to as a “hymn sandwich” by modern reformers. Now there is a new wind stirring, bringing fresh music in the breeze. And not just among Metaphysical Christians—our friends in many other Protestant traditions are rediscovering the power of music as worship, and they are being joined in this melodious awakening by Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, and other communities as well. This week Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd and his panel of musically minded guests will discuss these new trends.

October 31 provides more to celebrate than just Halloween. It also marks the anniversary of the day in 1517 when an obscure German priest and professor of theology named Martin Luther wrote a list of critical points about the doctrine of the Church and nailed it to the door (bulletin board) at the Castle Church of Wittenberg University. Luther's Ninety-Five Theses were written in Latin and meant for scholarly discussion, but friends soon translated his arguments into German and other modern languages, and with the aid of the newly invented printing press, the work quickly circulated throughout Europe. Almost overnight, the monkish scholar had become unwilling leader of a massive uprising to reform the Church. The Protestant Reformation shook the Christian world, and it is probably fair to say that other reform movements, like Unity, would not be here without that innocent act of scholarly inquiry by Doctor Luther. In our time, retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong has called for a “New Reformation” in Christian thought. Is he right? What needs to be reformed, and what will a new Christianity updated for the 21st century look like? Join Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd and his panel as they wrestle with questions about a New Reformation on Let's talk About It.

Spiritual healing has been a part of world religious traditions throughout history. The Hebrew Bible reports that Captain Naaman of Syria was cured of leprosy by Elisha the Prophet. Jesus essentially practiced a healing ministry everywhere he went. It is so central to the Gospels that one wonders if people came to the Sermon on the Mount primarily to hear him teach or to watch for a healing miracle or two. The Book of Acts says the apostles of Jesus also had healing gifts. Other religions describe similar gifts among the spiritually attuned. Muslim traditions record that Mohammed healed blindness and even a broken leg. The phenomenon cuts across the religious landscape—from Pentecostal healing services with “laying on of hands” to Roman Catholics making the pilgrimage to Lourdes for a miracle cure, many people still believe in the possibility of spiritual healing as an act of God in the physical world. Yet faith healing is not without its critics, and there have been notorious charlatans among those who minister to health-challenged believers. Join Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd and his guests as they look at issues and controversies in spiritual healing.

Nature hiking on a golden autumn day or meditating in a candlelit cathedral; attending midnight mass or praying at dawn; vision questing, Sufi dancing, centering prayer, walking a labyrinth, lighting incense sticks, chanting psalms or resting in the Silence—there has been an explosion of knowledge about the array of spiritual practices available to 21st-century people. This week Dr. Thomas Shepherd and a guest panel, representing several religious traditions, will discuss tips and techniques to discover peace and joy in a busy world.

Science and religion have tried to answer the same question over the ages—what is going on out there in the universe, and how does it relate to me and my world? In earlier times, religious explanations have filled in the gap where human knowledge ended. The gods rolled up the night sky and peppered it with stars, then unfurled the day and rode their fiery chariot across the heavens to warm the earth. Sometimes great religious scholars led the way as science leaned more about our cosmos, and other times the church fought back against new knowledge as a threat to its established doctrines. Today religion and science continue dancing in the dark, sometimes as allies, sometimes as enemies. This week Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd and his panel of distinguished guests will consider the theme for the upcoming Lyceum 2009 academic conference at Unity Institute®, “Science and Religion: An Evolving Dialogue.”

Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd recalls how he became interested in this topic: "Early in my career as a military chaplain and pastoral counselor, I noticed that the couples who came to see me were usually in troubled relationships already. So, instead of continuing to function strictly as a spiritual emergency room for traumatized partners, I joined the growing number of ministers who practice preventive ministry among healthy couples. Working with chaplains from all sorts of denominations, I sponsored marriage enrichment retreats, taught ‘fair fighting' techniques, and put together couples' support groups. I quickly discovered that people were eager to improve their interactions with significant others before the post-nuptial love boat headed for the rocks. That's what this week's program is about—making good relationships better."

How does Unity view the Bible? Charles Fillmore points to an allegorical view in his talk "The Divine Law Exalted" from September 25, 1932. My special guest is Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd, instructor at Unity Institute.

Are you “spiritual, not religious?" Does this trendy new phrase really mean anything, other than a declaration that someone is not a participating member of a church, mosque or synagogue? How should people who are practicing members of a faith community respond to the challenge of the nonobservant among us? Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd's guests will ask [and answer] the hard question: “What good is the church in a postmodern world?”

Senator Ted Kennedy, who himself suffers from a brain tumor, has repeatedly called for Congress to recognize that health care is a fundamental right rather than a privilege. But what about those who hold that it isn't a right but a personal responsibility? Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd's guests will wade into the ethical, political and theological implications of universal health care.

With the recent flap over President Barack Obama's comments in the aftermath of the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, people are once again asking questions about racial equality in the United States. What are the religious, ethical and moral issues of race relations, and will we ever achieve true equality? Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd's guests will wrestle with the social, political and theological implications of America's status as a multiracial, multicultural society.