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Sarah Arthur returns to the podcast as "A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time" is arriving in stores. We laugh our way through episode #140 and back at episode #59. Sarah is the author of numerous books and resources on the intersection of faith and great stories. Her first book was the best-selling youth devotional, "Walking with Frodo: A Devotional Journey through The Lord of the Rings," followed by the award-winning "Walking with Bilbo: A Devotional Adventure through The Hobbit." She's also the editor of the literary guides to prayer series by Paraclete Press, including "Between Midnight and Dawn: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide" (Jan. 2016).
Sarah is a graduate of Wheaton Collegeand Duke University Divinity School, she speaks around the country on the role of stories and imagination in spiritual formation. She lives in Lansing, Michigan, with her young sons, Micah and Sam, and her husband, Tom, pastor of Sycamore Creek Church.
A Light So Lovelyincludes interviews with people who knew Madeleine, including movie producer Catherine Hand and Madeleine's granddaughter, Charlotte Jones Voiklis, who wrote the book's foreword. Sarah also interviewed other writers/thought leaders including Phillip Yancey, Jana Riess, Sarah Bessey and Madeleine’s longtime housemate Barbara Braver. Be sure to look into Sarah's website for fall 2018 activities, including a podcast, in honor of Madeleine's would-be 100th birthday. Use the hashtag #mymadeleinemoment to share your favorite Madeleine moments on social media. Also keep Sarah in the loop with @holydreaming #alightsolovely!
Lastly, Sarah has just finished her first novel which she has been working on for 15 years! She is currently shopping it to publishers, so look for that in the future.
LINKS:
Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
alightsolovely.com
#121 Coffee with Deanna Thompson
#136 Coffee with Patrick Beaulier
Madcap Coffee
Michigan State University
Books by Madeleine L'Engle:A Wrinkle In Time
The Glorious Impossible
The Crosswicks Journals: A Circle of Quiet, The Summer of the Great-Grandmother, The Irrational Season, and Two-Part Invention
Books by Sarah Arthur: Coffee with God: 365 Devotions to Perk Up Your Day Walking with Frodo: A Devotional Journey through The Lord of the Rings Walking with Bilbo: A Devotional Adventure through The Hobbit Between Midnight and Dawn: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide Light Upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time -
LINKS:
Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Cohere Chicago
Rabbi Riffs
Open Dor Project
ELI Talk: "Community IS Everything"
Honi the Circle Maker
Hebrew Union College
Baltimore Hebrew University
Indiana University
InterfaithFamily/Chicago
MORE:
Founder of Cohere Chicago, Rabbi Ari Poster Moffic was ordained in 2007 from Hebrew Union College. She has an undergraduate degree from Indiana Universityin Religious Studies, a time when, she says, she got "slightly obsessed with Buddhism." She then went on to Baltimore to complete a Masters Degree in Jewish Education from Baltimore Hebrew University. She has been the Director of InterfaithFamily/Chicagoand spends her full-time rabbinate focused on supporting interfaith couples and families who are exploring Jewish life. Her husband is also a Reform Rabbi and they are the proud parents of a 8 year old and 10 year old. She is open to mall walking or meeting for a coffee and discussing how it is someone from Boston now lives in Chicago with no ocean.
Rabbi Ari is usually giving people a multitude of options to try out Judaism. Here, though, she challenges us with a dynamic new way to understand Jewish community, obligation, and belonging. Watch her ELI Talkon the Coffeepot Fellowship show notes page.
"Synagogues can't have the monopoly on what it means to be affiliated and what constitutes Jewish community. Synogogue is a vehicle for community for so many people. But the model isn't working for the majority of American Jews. And so we're going to need new models and new ways to think about Jewish community, not as opposed to or against, but in addition to. And we can tell people, We can encourage people to call their friendship groups and the people they meet up with to do Jewish things "community." - Rabbi Ari Moffic
Like Ari, I (Jay McNeal) deeply appreciate the sacred spiritual moments in Starbucks with engaged couples, sharing the journey into their married lives. The opportunity to support and assist wandering souls in love through a sacred, confusing and critical time is precious. This is, of course, the story of being a pastor, helping people through sacred times. And, indeed, what time in life is not sacred?
You can catch more of Ari in Rabbi Riffs!
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Fehlende Folgen?
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Rev. Eric Jackson's quote from the Freedom New Hampshirewebsite jumped out at me. Perhaps it should not be outstanding that a pastor is firmly standing up for transgender people. As humans we shouldn't be surprised anymore that God surprises us with naturally occurring phenomena. It makes sense to be surprised at what the surprise isbut decreasingly so that there is a surprise at all. God has got us beat, hands down, in the creation department. Now can we stop hurting the souls, transgender and everyone else, who are blessings in God's beautifully diverse Creation? This pastor and Hartford Seminarydoctoral student is helping all of us understand that God's love is for everyone.
"I believe in the radically inclusive love of God. This love extends to all of creation--including our transgender brothers and sisters-and calls me to support transgender equality in New Hampshire. At Smith Memorial UCC we are proud to welcome ALL of God's children to our congregation." -Rev. Eric Jackson
Eric Jackson received his Master of Divinity from Drew Theological Seminaryand is clergy in the United Church of Christ. Eric is currently the senior pastor at Brookside Congregational Church. When asked he said he'd apply the following hashtags to describe himself: #coffeefiend #pastor and #activist. If you or your congregation want any resources or assistance for making your faith community more multi-cultural or more multi-racial then you can contact Eric at [email protected].
LINKS:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Freedom New Hampshire
Drew Theological Seminary
Hartford Seminary
Brookside Congregational Church
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Minister Lyvonne “Proverbs” Picou is a preacher, speaker, poet, educator, creative social entrepreneur, and an Emmy-award-winning media producer. A New York City native, Lyvonne is currently a part of the inaugural cohort for the Do Good X Startup Accelerator. Do Good X nurtures Christian social entrepreneurs who wish to do good in the world. She was also recently profiled as a Millennial Womanist to Watch by The Millennial Womanism Project.
Through her organization, beautiful scars, Lyvonne promotes healthy and safe conversations around religion, sex, and Blackness in order to, ultimately, address the silence in the Black Church on sexual abuse.
Lyvonne graduated from Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Honors, Yale Divinity School with a Master of Divinity, and Columbia Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology. At Columbia, she published her thesis, The Problem with 'Father' God: Incest as a Silent Killer in the Black Church, an exploration of the praxis of using poetry to preach about sexual abuse from the pulpit.
Lyvonne is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She currently resides in Oakland, CA with her husband, Brandon, and can be found on the instructor bike teaching classes at RiDE Oakland and on Facebook and Medium, as well as Twitter and Instagram (@LyvonneP).
Lyvonne was kind and courageous enough to be our first podcast guest to be interviewed in front of a live audience inside of the Clergypreneursprivate Facebook group. It was awesome for me, as the host, to be able to share - in real time - the conversation as it unfolded and receive live responses with Facebook Live. Faith leaders are welcome to join at clergypreneurs.com. Members of Clergypreneurs Congregate get to give feedback and ask questions for future interviews in the extended, full interview inside the group. And, in this case, hear the very best part of the whole interview, was an original poem of Lyvonne's read by Lyvonne. All I can keep thinking is that I almost didn't ask her if she'd share a second poem with us before we said good-bye. Lyvonne, T-H-A-N-K--Y-O-U-! The poem was amazing!
Thank you for speaking so much truth: here, in pulpits, everywhere.
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Sponsor: Clergypreneurs Congregate
beautiful scars
RiDE Oakland
Do Good X
Twitter: @LyvonneP
Instagram: @LyvonneP
Squarespace
Psychology Today
2-1-1
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Rabbi Patrick Beaulier is a co-founder of Darshan Yeshiva and PunkTorah. He is an author, speaker, pastor, seeker and facilitator. He is the rabbi for Bonay Kodesh, an independent, progressive Jewish community started south of Richmond, VA. Patrick has written or edited several books including Ahavah Rabbah, PunkTorah: The First Anthology and the NewKosher Vegan Cookbook, as well as countless articles for blogs such as PunkTorah and My Jewish Learning.
Rabbi Patrick was ordained by Rabbinical Seminary International, a progressive rabbinical program in Manhattan, founded by the late Rabbi Joseph Gelberman. Patrick is also a member of the Richmond Rabbinical Association. You can find Patrick's profile at unitedfaithleaders.comwhere he also sits on the Board of Advisors.
Patrick has also been featured in many books, including, The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections, Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal, Oy Oy Oy Gevalt!: Jews and Punk, as well as articles in the Times of Israel, the Atlanta Jewish Times, and several other Jewish newspapers, magazines and blogs.
Patrick's happiest ministry moment story revolves around the idea that "Every person matters." It is a powerful message and brings clarity to how ministry can look. As the pastor of Bonay Kodesh, Patrick respects and honors everyone's unique journey. Whether people are served by a ministry or minister of Bonay Kodesh for a moment or a period of time, Patrick is not attached to the metrics of their community. Taking the "long view," according to Patrick, "leads toward something that is just ... a promised land."
Say little, do much. (Pirkei Avot 1:15)
Evident from our Christmas and Hanukkah references, our conversation was recorded months ago. Sharing a message that is as valid in April 2018 as it was in December 2017, he offered encouragement in our difficult times. An important element of our conversation which should not be overlooked, is Rabbi Patrick's comment on the rise of nazism. Despite the gravity of this observation, Patrick, with a nod to Rob Bell, reassures our listeners that, in the end, love wins.
LINKS:
Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Sponsor: Clergypreneurs Congregate
Rabbinical Seminary International
United Faith Leaders Board of Advisors
United Faith Leader Profile for Rabbi Patrick
Bonay Kodesh
Darshan Yeshiva
rabbipatrick.com
PunkTorah
Patrick on Wikipedia
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Micah Redding is the Executive Director of the Christian Transhumanist Association and producer of The Christian Transhumanist Podcast. Micah is from many places including Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today he lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his spouse. What's Christian Transhumanist, you ask? Micah is the right Christian to ask.
(Full show notes with pictures and links at http://coffeepotfellowship.com/micahredding)
On their public sites you will find the following explanation.
As Christian Transhumanists, we seek to use science & technology to participate in God's redemptive purposes, to cultivate life and renew creation.
1. We believe that God’s mission involves the transformation and renewal of creation including humanity, and that we are called by Christ to participate in that mission: working against illness, hunger, oppression, injustice, and death.
2. We seek growth and progress along every dimension of our humanity: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental—and at all levels: individual, community, society, world.
3. We recognize science and technology as tangible expressions of our God-given impulse to explore and discover and as a natural outgrowth of being created in the image of God.
4. We are guided by Jesus’ greatest commands to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…and love your neighbor as yourself.”
5. We believe that the intentional use of technology, coupled with following Christ, will empower us to become more human across the scope of what it means to be creatures in the image of God.
In this way we are Christian Transhumanists.
By listening to the Christian Transhumanist Podcast you can discover that Micah is a software engineer, the history of the word transhumanist, and that "ultimately it's about creating a world with more good and less bad in it" (Koen De Paul).
LINKS:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
The Christian Transhumanist Podcast
The Christian Transhumanist Association
The Christian Transhumanist Facebook Page
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Rev. Melanie Mullen lives her life in professional service to God and others as the Director of Reconciliation, Justice, and Creation Care at the Office of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. So this episode holds stories that connect her North Carolina roots, her time in Richmond, and certainly her time now in D.C., New York City, and everywhere Bishop Curry's staff goes!
My original lead for the show notes was, "If you're wondering what a "drag show for the saints" is then this could be your favorite episode of the Coffeepot Fellowship Podcast," but I went another way. That statement, however, still holds true. This is another great story of an Episcopal priest truly asking herself (and letting congregants ask) what a gathering time together can and should look like, how it can be most fulfilling for participants? (I cannot help recall a future podcast guest, Rev. Megan Anderson, in California and several guests from the past. Keep your eyes open for Megan in the future.)
We interviewed Melanie especially because I kept crossing paths with her in Richmond every time I showed up for a justice event! Often she would be one of the coordinating leaders. Clearly we were colleagues who cared about many of the same things in the world and it can feel lonely out there as clergy doing justice work. I'm sure, at least I hope(!), that Melanie wished I had been more present, more supportive at more justice advocacy events! And she would not be surprised that I also wish I was able to be present for more advocacy ministry.
The first place I met Melanie was requesting special assistance from an Episcopal priest as a Baptist seminary student. My final year of seminary I was fulfilling an internship and one of my personal objectives was to learn to offer Eucharist in the tradition of the Catholic Church. But no Catholic priest was allowed to teach a non-Catholic minister that holy sacrament. So my Sr. Pastor (past guest, Jim Somerville) reached out to to the Rector at St. Paul's and poor Melanie got asked if she would help me out. I met her in her office, we talked, she lent me some of her personal books on the matter and I kept them entirely too long! (But I did eventually return them.) It was after I graduated and engaged Richmond more widely as clergy that I began happily seeing her out and about.
Melanie is also my second Episcopal priest friend who has worked closely with Bishop Curry. The Rev. Canon Catherine A. Caimano served as canon for regional ministry for the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina before launching her Free Range Priest ministry. Father Cathie speaks very well of Bishop Curry so I was frustrated when he came to Richmond recently and he was preaching at the same time as my wife.
With so many Episcopal connections in Upstart Ministry, Free Range Priest, United Faith Leaders, the Coffeepot Fellowship, and social justice in general, it is no surprise that I keep crossing paths with Melanie Mullen. For Mellanie's time at Virginia Theological Seminary I checked her connections with our past podcast guests: Tricia Lyons, Kyle Oliver, Alex Moreschi, Sarah Stonesifer, and Taylor Devine.
Another mutual friend was revealed because of ABCD (Asset Based Community Development) rather than being Episcopalian. That connection is with our common colleague Wendy McCaig. Wendy and I both went to Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. My wife, Kelli, also did her first year master of social work internship at Embrace Richmond, the ministry Wendy founded. Embrace Richmond has been implementing ABCD for over a dozen years. Now Wendy and Melanie have both taken this model of ministry to the national scene, Melanie with Called to Transformation and Wendy with View from the Bridge. I know Wendy and Melanie both want to spread this model as widely as possible so that the greatest benefit can be affected for the most people. So please review all of their resources and contact them both. The work is plenty and the laborers are few so this is an "all hands on deck" endeavor.
There may be more, in hindsight, but I have only just realized before publication that past guest Stephanie Spellers is also an Episcopal priest and currently on the Presiding Bishop's staff! Maybe with all of these connections, we'll get to have the Bishop himself on the show! Would he be the first bishop on the Coffeepot Fellowship Podcast? Indeed, he would not. Let the record show Coffee with Will Willimon Part 1 and Coffee with Will Willimon Part 2.
Thought we had to be done? As we had photos to the show notes, more connections become apparent! Coffee with Phoebe Roaf and Coffee with Winnie Varghese! I may need to convert if this keeps up.
Asset Based Community Development:Called to Transformation
View from the Bridge
From the Sanctuary to the Streets: How the Dreams of One City's Homeless Sparked a Faith Revolution that Transformed a Community by Wendy McCaig
Coffee with Wendy McCaig
LINKS:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Sponsor: Free Range Priest
Sponsor: Clergyprenuer Training
Clark Atlanta University
Virginia Theological Seminary
University of NC Chapel Hill
Coffee with Stephanie Spellers
Coffee with Tricia Lyons
Coffee with Kyle Oliver
Coffee with Alex Moreschi
Coffee with Sarah Stonesifer
Coffee with Taylor (Poindexter) Devine
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Lisa Sharon Harper confirms here that one reason President Obama was able to create the DACA program was because of a broad coalition of evangelical Christians advocating for major immigration reform?
From Ferguson to New York to Germany and South Africa, Lisa leads trainings and helps mobilize clergy and community leaders around shared values for the common good. A prolific speaker, writer and activist, Lisa is the founder and president of FreedomRoad.us, a consulting group dedicated to shrinking the narrative gap in our nation by convening forums and experiences that bring common understanding, common commitment, and common action toward a just world.
In 2015 The Huffington Post recognized her as one of “50 Powerful Women Religious Leaders to Celebrate on International Women’s Day.” Most recently, Relevant Magazine recognized The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong can be Made Right as one of “Six Books that Will Change the Way You See the World” and Lisa as one of “Seven Leaders to Follow in 2017.”
In the ordination process with the Evangelical Covenant Church, Lisa is the author of several books. We have linked to four titles below and included a video about The Very Good Gospel.
As we interview and publish this episode I (Jay McNeal) am in the midst of getting to experience Lisa's leadership firsthand as she is facilitating a great conversational work in Richmond, VA over the course of many months. If you move quickly enough, you too can come aboard. There will be two more three-day opportunities, the next is March 20, 2018.
Lastly, we reopen this interview after our initial sign-off, so be sure to hear the most urgent part of the interview after our usual ending.
LINKS:
Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
FreedomRoad.us
LisaSharonHarper.com
Lisa at FreedomRoad.us
Lisa at Sojourners
Lisa on Facebook
March 20, 2018 in Richmond with Lisa
Matthew 25 Pledge
UCLA
The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong can be Made Right
Forgive Us: Confessions of a Compromised Faith
Left Right and Christ: Evangelical Faith in Politics
Evangelical Does Not Equal Republican...or Democrat
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Stephanie is the pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Formerly she was the Associate Pastor for Campus Ministry at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. She has also served other churches in Kentucky.
She is married to Andy Wing, another Presbyterian minister. They have two boys, Isaac and Micah, 4 and 2 years old, respectively. Both Stephanie and Andy are children and grandchildren of pastors.
In this interview Stephanie asks those of us not already engaged in self-awakening to take action on our own development. We're invited to encounters with racism. As resources Stephanie recommends the work of Sandra Kim, Safety Pin Box, and the fast-approaching March for Our Lives.
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
March for Our Lives: March 24, 2018
Stephanie on Facebook
Trinity Presbyterian Church on Facebook
Trinity Presbyterian Church
Sandra Kim: everyday liberation
Safety Pin Box
Kenyon College
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
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The Rev. Dr. Patricia (“Tricia”) Lyons is currently serving on the Bishop’s Staff as Missioner for Evangelism and Community Engagement for the Diocese of Washington. For 17 years, she was a chaplain, religion teacher, varsity coach and JK-12 Director of Service Learning at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Episcopal) School in Alexandria, VA. She has also taught as an adjunct at the Virginia Theological Seminary, teaching evening and summer courses to masters and doctoral students. Tricia has taught courses in Systematic Theology, C.S. Lewis, Sigmund Freud, Theology and Fiction, and most recently, Christian Themes in Harry Potter.
Tricia is an honors graduate from Harvard College in the Comparative Study of Religion. She holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Harvard Divinity School. She received her doctorate from the Virginia Theological Seminary. Her doctoral thesis was a study of the stages of moral and spiritual development of adolescents.
Tricia is the author of two acclaimed books. The first is a study of the spiritual lives and languages of teenagers, entitled, The Soul of Adolescence. And she recently published her second book on faith formation, Teaching Faith with Harry Potter. She has published numerous sermons, articles and book chapters on moral and spiritual development theory, as well as consulted for independent schools on moral formation and service learning programs. She has been a speaker at the annual conferences of regional independent school associations across the country as well as the national conferences of NAIS. She has worked as a consultant to individual independent schools, as well as to The National Association of Episcopal Schools on how to handle issues of community, diversity and justice in JK-12 independent schools. Tricia has also been a speaker at regional and national conferences in the Episcopal Church on faith formation, social justice, digital ministry and evangelism.
Tricia was surprised as any that Harry Potter became something of importance in her life and ministry. The latest developments in God's surprising Tricia are in her role as the Hogwarts Chaplain! That's right, Tricia's most recent Facebook video as the Hogwarts Chaplain has over 2.5 thousand views! So your first stop should definitely be the Hogwarts Chaplain Facebook Page to watch some videos. Fair warning, don't underestimate the depth and information you're about to experience!
Within our interview Tricia a provocative question arose, "Why doesn't God autosave?" As we conclude I invite you to ponder and respond on the Coffeepot Fellowship Podcast's Facebook Page.
LINKS: Jay's Year-End Updates:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Upstart Ministry
Clergypreneur Project
Free Range Priest
Backstory Preaching
Interview with Dr. Lyons:The Hogwarts Chaplain!
Teaching Faith with Harry Potter by Patricia Lyons
The Soul of Adolescence: In Their Own Words by Patricia Lyons
Harvard College
Harvard Divinity School
Virginia Theological Seminary
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Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg has her own ELI Talk with over 12,000 views, Twitter feed with over 18,000 followers, and is Rabbi-in-Residence at Avodah. She has also authored seven books "about the messy business of trying to be a person in the world, and how spirituality can transform that work." Married, mother of three, her latest book, Nurture the Wow, has an entire chapter about 'body stuff.'
Rabbi Danya has been named by Newsweek and The Daily Beast as one of ten “rabbis to watch,” and one of the top 50 most influential women rabbis." She is highly sought after as a lecturer and keynote speaker. Related to her latest book we have also embedded her mini-podcast, Nurture the Wowcast, on the show notes page.
The Avodah Mision:Avodah strengthens the Jewish community’s fight against the causes and effects of poverty in the United States. We do this by engaging participants in service and community building that inspire them to become lifelong leaders for social change whose work for justice is rooted in and nourished by Jewish values.
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Sponsor: Free Range Priest
Clergypreneur Training
Nurture the Wow: Finding Spirituality in the Frustration, Boredom, Tears, Poop, Desperation, Wonder, and Radical Amazement of Parenting by Danya Ruttenberg
Rabbi Danya's Website
Rabbi Danya on Twitter: @TheRaDR
Avodah Website
Avodah on Facebook
Nurture the Wowcast
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Bethany Stolle is an interaction designer, curriculum developer, and entrepreneur with a ten years of experience. Bethany spent nearly a decade developing innovative, experiential curriculum for the non-profit religious publisher, Augsburg Fortress. Check out her work today at Stolle Creative.
I saw Bethany lead a workshop for Virginia Theological Seminary's eFormation program. When I saw what Bethany brought to the table, figuratively, and the design table, literally, I knew I wanted to have her on the podcast so you could invite her to your design processes.
On this show and in our sister ministry, United Faith Leaders, the notion of being entrepreneurial in ministry just keeps growing. Bethany brings her education and experiences, including the completion of an intensive program at Austin Center for Design (AC4D) called Interaction Design and Social Entrepreneurship to our creative and entrepreneurial conversation.
Bethany's stories range from birth to death as we hear about her then-eleven-month-old son and her EMT experience. I hear your questions and assure you that the answers are inside the interview, so enjoy. (And if they're not then feel free to ask on our Facebook page under the post of Bethany's interview! Then you can like the page while you're there.)
Links:Sponsor: United FaithLeaders
Sponsor: Free Range Priest
Stolle Creative Website
Austin Center for Design (AC4D)
Free Range Priest by Cathie Caimano
eFormation
Lutheran (ELCA)
Virginia Theological Seminary
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Rev. Sarah Trone Garriott is the Coordinator of Interfaith Engagement for DMARC, The Des Moines Area Religious Council, from which we grabbed the following biography!
"Sarah works with the diverse faith communities of the greater Des Moines area to support the mission of DMARC, while also creating resources and opportunities to support faith communities in their work. Sarah also partners with The Comparison Project at Drake University in their efforts for interfaith awareness, dialogue, and scholarship.
"As an AmeriCorps VISTA working for Northern New Mexico Legal Aid in Gallup, New Mexico, Sarah engaged community and faith leaders around the issue of Domestic Violence. As a hospital chaplain in Philadelphia and Chicago, Sarah supported patients and staff of all religious backgrounds. In parish ministry, first in rural Virginia and later in suburban Des Moines, it was her priority to build relationships beyond the church building and work together with interfaith partners.
"Sarah holds a BA in History from the College of St. Scholastica, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and ordination through Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
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Thank you to Sarah for coming on the show and for the courage to follow the full range of her callings! After our interview I had further opportunities to browse DMARC, The Comparison Project, and the Iowa Interfaith Exchange and they are very exciting projects! Be sure to check there for ideas and, in particular, the spring gathering of the Iowa Interfaith Exchange. The 2017 event appears to have been free so please participate if it is at all possible for you.
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Clergypreneurs
Harvard Divinity School
DMARC Des Moines Area Religious Council
Americorps Vista
A Spectrum of Faith: Religions of the World in America's Heartland
Comparison Project
Iowa Interfaith Exchange
Sarah's blog a past church
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Dr. Marsha Foster Boyd has been a seminary president, seminary professor, and the Director of Accreditation and Leadership Education at the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. She is the Chief Catalyst at Catalyst Connections Global and a co-founder of The Bridge Collective with Matthew Abrams. Come find out why her story of happiest ministry moment is now. Marsha has also just published a two-CD collection of stories called Healing on the Journey: Conversations to Shine Light on Your Path. Clearly, like us, she is a "story person," one who believes in and knows the power and importance of sharing stories. From this interview you also know that she has a rich life experience from which to draw so that her stories are laden with wisdom and insights. As a professor of pastoral care, a trained educator, and one who experienced the grief of an assassinated father, Dr. Boyd has a tapestry that is both gracious and inspiring. This was a fun interview to do, an honor that she said yes, and I hope we can share more time together. There are several ways to get more of Marsha! The Bridge Collective has an upcoming Spirituality & Social Change Retreat in Asheville North Carolina, November 9-12, 2017. If you miss the event or are too far away then ask them about future dates and locations. Links:
The Bridge Collective
Catalyst Connections Global
Healing on the Journey: Conversations to Shine Light on Your Path (2 CD set)
Spirituality & Social Change Retreat
Marcus Foster Education Institute
Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Sponsor: Free Range Priest
Clergypreneur Training
Clergypreneurs Live: Wednesdays at 2pm EST
Coffee with Cathie Caimano
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Katie Amin is a Muslim, female firefighter/emergency medical technician with the Chesterfield Fire Department with a passion for volunteering. She has four older sisters and a younger brother. She was born in Jerusalem and lived there until she was 13. Katie has very graciously accepted our invitation to help us expand our interfaith friendships. We're sure you'll agree, she is fun and inspirational.
Katie is a big believer in personal development. She's always learning and determined to just keep growing. She's successful in her day job and all her volunteer work because she's quite simply a good human with great people skills. Which is why she could have written the book she recommended to us, John Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, which could be called the 21 Laws of Being a Good Human.
In her own words, "You're never too important to say 'hi' to anyone." And, "as my dad says it and our prophet says it: 'Treat others as you would want to be treated.'"
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Sponsor: Free Range Priest
Coffee with Father Cathie Caimano
Chesterfield Fire Department
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
Katie Amin on LinkedIn
Coffee with Mother Phoebe Roaf
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Reverend Amelia Fulbright is the founding minister at Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministry. Amelia went to Wake Forest University then studied Pastoral Care and Counseling at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
After seminary Amelia served for five years as an Associate Pastor at University Baptist Church in Austin, TX, before transitioning to full-time campus ministry. In addition to her work as a pastor, Amelia has previously worked in community mental health services in Cincinnati, OH and as a domestic violence crisis counselor in Austin. Amelia has a wide range of interests, including a special affinity for feminist theologies, contemplative spiritual practices, holistic medicine, and bluegrass music. She is also happily married and enjoys being a mother to her daughter, Vivienne.
Even more succinctly:
Curator of silence.
Connoisseur of well-chosen words.
Seeker after justice.
Beneficiary of grace.Interesting to me was that I had previously interviewed Amelia's seminary president, Ted Wardlaw. That was on the Clergy for Hire Podcast which is the predecessor to the Coffeepot Fellowship. Perhaps we will initiate a Throwback Thursdays someday and re-publish those earlier interviews.
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Just Texas - Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice
Amelia's Pro Facebook Page
Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministry on Facebook
Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministry Website
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
The University of Texas at Austin
Wake Forest University
University Baptist Church
Twitther: @labyrinthatx
President Ted Wardlaw, Austin Presbyterian Seminary President
Rev. Kathleen Buckley
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Kyle Oliver is living in NY, NY. He is in the Communications Media and Learning Technologies Design Program at Columbia University's Teachers College in pursuit of a doctorate. Kyle studied nuclear engineering and engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is married and an Assistant Priest at St. Michael's Episcopal Church.
I was introduced to Kyle more than a year ago when he was the Digital Missioner at Virginia Theological Seminary in Northern Virginia. As the Digital Missioner he help found and implement the annual eFormation Conference which, beginning this year, takes place in various locations as mini-conferences instead of one big conference so that it can reach its growing audience. The Digital Missioner job title now belongs to a previous guest, Sarah Stonesifer. Listeners may also remember Alex Moreschi, who was also a guest and helped with with the 2016 eFormation Conference.
This interview will likely leave you wanting to read all of Douglas Adam's books, Kyle's newsletters, as well as salivating in anticipation of the fruits of his doctoral labors. Thanks to Kyle for his time with us and thanks to our listeners for also living into who you are fully called to be.
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Kyle's Blog & Newsletter
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Dr. Amir Hussain is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on world religions. His own particular speciality is the study of Islam, focusing on contemporary Muslim societies in North America. His academic degrees (BSc, MA, PhD) are all from the University of Toronto where he received a number of awards, including the university’s highest award for alumni service. His most recent book is Muslims and the Making of America where Dr. Hussain addresses the fear of American Muslims and the misconceptions regarding the religion.
In this interview Amir mentions some fascinating distinctions in the story of Abraham's being called to sacrifice his son. While Jews and Christians work from the shared text of Genesis 22, Muslims have the same story with slightly different text in the Quran. The name of the son is missing in the Quran and is believed to be Abraham and Hagar's son, Ismail.In Amir's story of greatest trial he graciously reflected with us just after the 25th anniversary of his wife's passing. Shannon died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism when she was just 28. In his reflections Amir invoked this poem by William Blake when Amir said, "It is any easy thing to rejoice in the tents of prosperity."
“What is the price of Experience? Do men buy it for a song?
Or wisdom for a dance in the street? No, it is bought with the price
Of all that a man hath, his house, his wife, his children
Wisdom is sold in the desolate market where none come to buy
And in the wither'd field where the farmer ploughs for bread in vainIt is an easy thing to triumph in the summer's sun
And in the vintage and to sing on the waggon loaded with corn
It is an easy thing to talk of patience to the afflicted
To speak the laws of prudence to the homeless wanderer
To listen to the hungry raven's cry in wintry season
When the red blood is fill'd with wine and with the marrow of lambsIt is an easy thing to laugh at wrathful elements
To hear the dog howl at the wintry door, the ox in the slaughterhouse moan;
To see a god on every wind and a blessing on every blast
To hear sounds of love in the thunderstorm that destroys our enemies' house;
To rejoice in the blight that covers his field and the sickness that cuts off his children
While our olive and vine sing and laugh round our door and our children bring fruits and flowersThen the groan and the dolour are quite forgotten and the slave grinding at the mill
And the captive in chains and the poor in the prison and the soldier in the field
When the shatter'd bone hath laid him groaning among the happier dead
It is an easy thing to rejoice in the tents of prosperity:
Thus could I sing and thus rejoice: but it is not so with me.”
― William BlakeThe next picture is with Morgan Freeman and the American Muslim calligrapher, Mohamed Zakariya. Amir is an advisor to The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, and they filmed a segment at the Islamic Center of Washington DC. This was the third episode of the second season, titled “Proof of God”.
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Muslims and the Making of America by Amir Hussain
Oil & Water: Two Faiths One God by Amir Hussain
A Concise Introduction to World Religions
World Religions: Eastern Traditions
World Religions: Western Traditions
Video Interview on PBS (Travis Smiley Show)
LMU.edu Bio and More
Loyola Marymount University
California State University Northridge
William Blake
Abraham's Blood Sacrifice (Muslim, Christian, and Jewish interpretations vary)
The Qur'an: English translation and Parallel Arabic text (Amir referred to chapter 55)
Richard Thompson
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Albert Collins (not Albert King)
Mark Knopfler (from Dire Straits)
Dire Straits
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A few months ago I had the opportunity, along with 1500 others, to hear Dr. Takiyah Nur Amin on a panel discussion representing BLUU, Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism. Our Unitarian Universalist denomination is courageously discussing its past and present participation, along with the rest of America and religion, in white supremacy. BLUU is critical in helping our organization get woke.
Three weeks later at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in New Orleans, after we had recorded this interview online, I had the very brief opportunity to swap a quick, real-life hug with Takiyah after a panel discussion she was leading. She was super busy but, of course, I had to say hello!
You will certainly be able to tell from this interview that Takiyah has a very sharp mind and a very gracious heart. If that sounds like the making of a great faith leader, teacher, and social justice advocate then I would have to agree with you. But there's at least one more important ingredient that's important, passion around at least one subject. And she's got passion! About what? It's better if I let her tell you in her own words in the interview.
Notes from the interview:Hypervisibility and misrecognition (Melissa Harris Perry), 'when you're a black person in the room, everyone sees you but they don't really know what they're looking at.'
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - Harriet Tubman
"I don't believe that you can teach people who you don't love." - Takiyah Nur Amin
"Maybe none of us deserves anything but we're all worthy of everything." - Takiyah Nur Amin
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
Dr. Amin's Website
UNC Charlotte Biography
Unitarian Universalist Association
Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU)
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Melissa Harris Perry
Girl Get Your Money Straight: A Sister's Guide to Healing Your Bank Account and Funding Your Dreams in Seven Simple Steps by Glinda Bridgforth
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Dying is part of America's null curriculum. Even in many Christian congregations, denominations, and seminaries, death and dying are rarely discussed. Today's guest is an author, speaker, and professor of religion at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, Dr. Deanna Thompson. Like all our listeners, she's living. But like only some of our listeners, she's living with incurable cancer.
Since her diagnosis, Dr. Thompson has brought her experiences of cancer to bear on her work as a religious scholar. Recent books include The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World and Hoping for More: Having Cancer, Talking Faith, and Accepting Grace
We could easily have focused on the Book of Deuteronomy or Martin Luther and the Reformation for our interview. But we’re focusing instead on Dr. Thompson’s insights into what’s it’s like to live acutely aware of her mortality.
You can order any of Deanna's books below except one she's writing about trauma, illness, and religious communities’ understandings and responses to those who are seriously ill. The new book takes some of its inspiration from Paul Kalanithi's book, When Breath Becomes Air. Reading Kalanithi may be the best way to prepare for Deanna's next publication. Both books will help readers find the strength and appreciation to get up and engage the day we have.
I can only imagine how hard it is to get up and live a day fully when one feels badly. I imagine that it is challenging to plan trips and activities if one doesn’t know how they’ll feel on those distant days. But look at all Dr. Thompson has accomplished since her own diagnosis. In addition to the professional records there are vast numbers of family pictures of fun stuff going on with her, her husband, and her daughters. Even as this podcast is in production she is on a trip to London.
In preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation marked by Martin Luther's posting of his 95 Theses, I must also recommend ordering Dr. Thompson's Crossing the Divide: Luther, Feminism, and the Cross.
My final note, which I just find too cool to resist mentioning, is that Dr. Thompson was recently inducted into her high school hall of fame! Dr. Thompson’s 8th grade English teacher saw the potential in 14-year-old Deanna, recognized Deanna’s teaching and leadership at Hamline University since 1996, her consistent personal traits, and recommended Dr. Thompson for consideration. October 7th, 2016, Burnsville High School immortalized one of its Class of 1985 graduates in Professor Deanna A. Thompson. While neither the Coffeepot Fellowship Podcast nor United Faith Leaders officially gives out awards yet, we’re certainly proud to stand up and cheer Dr. Thompson.
Links:Sponsor: United Faith Leaders
The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World by Deanna A. Thompson
Hoping for More: Having Cancer, Talking Faith, and Accepting Grace by Deanna A. Thompson
Crossing the Divide: Luther, Feminism, and the Cross by Deanna A. Thompson
Deuteronomy: A Theological Commentary by Deanna A. Thompson
Deanna's Website
CaringBridge
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Thomas Becket ("I am not in danger, only near to death.")
Samuel Beckett ("I can't go on. I'll go on.")
Vanderbilt University (PhD)
Yale University Divinity School (M.A.R.)
St. Olaf College (B.A.)
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