Best Sunday Mourning Podcast Podcasts (2024)

1
Thomas Merton's "The Quickening Of St. John The Baptist" 5:28

39m ago5:28

5:28

In today’s poem Thomas Merton, 20th-century author and mystic, comes to an understanding of his monastic vocation through a contemplation of John the Baptist’s prenatal gymnastics. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Good Grief: Understanding Lament, loss and mourning 24:17

5h ago24:17

24:17

Today's message of the New Hope Church podcast discusses the themes of mourning, loss, and lament in a series titled "Good Grief." Pastor Zack Killey, this episode explores the complexities of grief and how it can be a transformative experience when approached with the right perspective. Zack begins by questioning the societal norms around grief, h…

1
Ted Hughes' "The Thought-Fox" 7:02

40m ago7:02

7:02

Ted Hughes, one of the giants of twentieth-century British poetry, was born in Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire. After serving in the Royal Air Force, Hughes attended Cambridge, where he studied archeology and anthropology and took a special interest in myths and legends. In 1956, he met and married the American poet Sylvia Plath, who encouraged him to submi…

1
These JNF Canada donors are split about the embattled charity’s future 24:15

34m ago24:15

24:15

When news broke of the Jewish National Fund of Canada losing its charitable status on Aug. 10, the move meant the Canada Revenue Agency also stripped the venerable Jewish charity of its ability to issue tax receipts to donors. This poses a serious challenge to the historic Zionist fundraising organization–which received $20.2 million in donations i…

1
Mark Strand's "The Prediction" 5:09

1d ago5:09

5:09

Mark Strand was born on Canada’s Prince Edward Island on April 11, 1934. He received a BA from Antioch College in Ohio in 1957 and attended Yale University, where he was awarded the Cook Prize and the Bergin Prize. After receiving his BFA degree in 1959, Strand spent a year studying at the University of Florence on a Fulbright fellowship. In 1962 h…

1
John Keats' "On the Sonnet" 7:11

15m ago7:11

7:11

Today’s poem is a meta-reflection on the constraints of poetic form that has something to say about all of life’s formal constraints. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
JNF Canada CEO Lance Davis blasts CRA after charitable status revoked 29:26

1h ago29:26

29:26

The CEO of the embattled Jewish National Fund of Canada, Lance Davis, insists he is now “running a very tight ship” in the wake of the Canada Revenue Agency’s recent decision to strip the historic Zionist fundraising organization of its charitable status. Davis, who became JNF Canada’s CEO in 2017, maintains that many of the government's longstandi…

1
Emily Dickinson's "Wild nights - Wild nights!" 8:48

2h ago8:48

8:48

Today’s poem–perfect for a Friday–gives us a less familiar (PG-13) Emily Dickinson, dreaming of letting her hair down. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" 7:45

2h ago7:45

7:45

Today’s poem is a classic staple with Literature teachers for its expressive metaphors; it is a classic staple with me because it’s such a cracking-good poem. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Is the Western Church Falling Short in Spreading the Gospel? 35:50

13h ago35:50

35:50

This week's message focused on the early church as depicted in Acts chapter 2, highlighting the simplicity and essence of what it means to be a part of the church. Pastor Zach delved into the key aspects of the early church, emphasizing the importance of gathering together in both large and small groups, dedicating themselves to the apostles' teach…

1
Langston Hughes' "Theme For English B" 7:25

34m ago7:25

7:25

Today’s poem captures one of the universal challenges of education: recognizing the distinctions and distances between all human souls, and then bridging them without erasing them. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Robert Hayden's "Those Winter Sundays" 6:13

2h ago6:13

6:13

As the school year begins, today’s poem goes out to all of those everyday saints performing the unseen and unsung acts of love that make life possible for rest of us! Born Asa Bundy Sheffey on August 4, 1913, Robert Hayden was raised in the Detroit neighborhood Paradise Valley. He had an emotionally tumultuous childhood and lived, at times, with hi…

1
Three arrested after Jewish senior attacked Sunday at pro-Israel rally in Toronto 20:29

7d ago20:29

20:29

Toronto police have arrested and charged three people—including two pro-Israel protesters—in connection with a violent incident at a weekly community rally in Toronto that saw an 88-year-old Jewish volunteer beaten and thrown to the ground. It happened on Sunday, Aug. 18, at the event held on Bathurst Street at Sheppard Avenue West. Video from the …

1
Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess" 6:04

1h ago6:04

6:04

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, sometimes a portrait of your last wife who died under suspicious circumstances is as good as a confession. Happy(?) reading! Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Even More Limericks 2:14

1h ago2:14

2:14

Hopefully five days of limericks has made this week a little lighter and a little brighter. See you next week for more of our regularly programming. Till then, happy reading! Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Pure Heart 28:51

1d ago28:51

28:51

What does Jesus mean by blessed are the pure in heart?Matthew 5:8, Jeremiah 4:14, Psalms 24:1-5, 1 Tim 1:5, Psalms 51, Psalms 139:23-24, 1 Peter 1:22By Cory Clark

1
More Limericks 2:16

16h ago2:16

2:16

Today’s limericks are all about unexpected consequences. Happy reading. Children’s poet and educator Constance Levy earned degrees at Washington University and currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri. Known for its careful attention to external and internal rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and assonance, Levy’s work frequently takes encounters with the …

1
What Does It Mean to Speak the Truth in Love Within a Church Community? 41:17

13d ago41:17

41:17

Podcast Episode Synopsis: "Unity in Community" The podcast episode from New Hope Church focuses on the theme of unity within the church community. Pastor Randy Spacht leads the discussion, emphasizing the importance of being part of a community and utilizing individual gifts to contribute to the collective growth of the church. The episode delves i…

1
Did Jewish summer camps do enough to support kids' mental health this summer? 19:01

9d ago19:01

19:01

As Jewish overnight camps' summer 2024 sessions come to a close this week across most of Canada, several camp communities in Ontario have had to deal with sudden tragedies: the unexpected death of a councillor at one camp, and an accident at a different camp that took the lives of several cleaning employees. In each case, camp directors quickly cal…

1
Beard Limericks 2:36

22m ago2:36

2:36

Things are getting hairy. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
JNF Canada ‘blindsided’ after Ottawa fully revokes charity status. What’s next? 23:52

13d ago23:52

23:52

The official revocation notice of the Jewish National Fund of Canada’s charity status, published in the Canada Gazette on Aug. 10, caught many by surprise—especially JNF officials themselves. Lance Davis, CEO of JNF Canada, says the venerable Jewish charity was “blindsided” by the Canada Revenue Agency’s move because it came so quickly, despite eff…

1
Two "Practical" Limericks 1:44

10m ago1:44

1:44

While limericks can be plenty nonsensical, today’s are downright sensible–especially that of Leigh Mercer, famous for his mathematical wordplay and best known for creating the enterprising palindrome, “A man, a plan, a canal: Panama!". Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe…

1
Edward Lear's "There was an Old Man of Thermopylæ" 4:48

19h ago4:48

4:48

It’s another weekly gimmerick here on the Daily Poem. Edward Lear (12 May 1812 – 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised. His principal areas of work as an artist were threefold: as a draughts…

1
From the archives: How to mark the Tisha b'Av holiday of mourning after Oct. 7 24:38

1d ago24:38

24:38

On the night of Aug. 12, Jews around the world will mark the holiday of Tisha b’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. It's considered the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. On this date, it's believed the First Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. And nearly 500 years later, Roman Emperor Titus and his legions des…

1
Blessed Are The Merciful 24:30

17d ago24:30

24:30

Are we withholding harsh treatment to those who deserve it, and having compassion on them?Matthew 5:7, 2 Cor 5:21, John 3:16, Heb 9:11-15, Matt 18:21-27By Cory Clark

1
Nazim Hikmet's "On Living" 11:56

19d ago11:56

11:56

Nâzim Hikmet was born on January 15, 1902, in Salonika, Ottoman Empire (now Thessaloníki, Greece), where his father served in the Foreign Service. He was exposed to poetry at an early age through his artist mother and poet grandfather, and had his first poems published when he was seventeen. Raised in Istanbul, Hikmet left Allied-occupied Turkey af…

1
Who kicked this ‘devastated’ Jewish volunteer out of London’s JCC? 19:19

4d ago19:19

19:19

On July 25, the London Police Service picked up a very upset Darlene Zaifman-Guslits by her arms and legs, and carried her away from the front door of the Jewish Community Centre. The London resident had just been issued a trespass notice for refusing to leave the building where her community was hosting a speech by Conservative party leader Pierre…

1
Billy Collins' "Forgetfulness" 5:46

5d ago5:46

5:46

Maybe you remember the experiences recounted in today’s poem—maybe you don’t. Happy reading! Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Is Communion About More Than Bread and Wine? 31:55

5d ago31:55

31:55

Pastor Zach Killey delivers a thought-provoking and introspective message in this podcast episode from New Hope Church. The episode is part of a series called Ekklesia, focusing on the essence of the church. Pastor Zach delves into the significance of communion within the church, emphasizing that communion is not just about the physical act but als…

1
T. S. Eliot's "Old Deuteronomy" 5:20

6d ago5:20

5:20

T. S. Eliot is remembered as a great poet, but he is surpassingly underrated as a namer of cats. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
After escaping the Jasper forest fires, this tourist couple found safety in the Jewish community 27:13

6d ago27:13

27:13

Sharon Chodirker and Chaim Bell consider themselves lucky: they were among the tens of thousands of tourists and residents in Jasper who were evacuated from the forest fires that devoured a third of the buildings in the iconic Rocky Mountain resort town on July 24. The Toronto couple, who were on a hiking trip, managed to escape Jasper while smoke …

1
Robert Penn Warren's "Bearded Oaks" 9:27

9d ago9:27

9:27

Warren (1905-1989) was born in Kentucky and educated at Vanderbilt University and the University of California, Berkeley. Though perhaps best known for his 1946 novel All the King’s Men, he was the author of over a dozen books of poetry in addition to his prose work. He is the only writer to have won Pulitzer Prizes for both fiction (in 1947) and p…

1
A Druze IDF veteran reflects on Oct. 7—and fears for the future of his community 32:36

7d ago32:36

32:36

Nohad Mansour, a 22-year-old combat veteran of the Israel Defense Forces, is keeping a close eye on developments back home in Israel—especially his native Druze village of Isfiya, overlooking Haifa. With the prospect of an imminent Iranian-led attack on Israel this week, the region, close to the Lebanese border, is a likely target for Hezbollah. Hi…

1
Bruce Lansky's "Confession" 5:07

23d ago5:07

5:07

Bruce Lansky is an internationally known poet and anthologist. He has a passion for getting children excited about reading and writing poetry. Lansky’s poetry books—including A Bad Case of the Giggles (2013), Peter, Peter, Pizza-Eater (2006), Mary Had a Little Jam (2004), If Kids Ruled the School (2004), and Rolling in the Aisles (2004)—are among A…

1
Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness 24:52

21d ago24:52

24:52

Matthew 5:6By Cory Clark

1
Two by Ogden Nash 2:59

19d ago2:59

2:59

Today’s poems from Ogden Nash, “The Ant” and “The Ostrich,” are the perfect marriage of wit and attention. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
‘Hate has been given a free rein in our streets’: Hear highlights from Toronto's Pride of Israel solidarity rally 24:15

11d ago24:15

24:15

With the synagogue’s shattered front glass windows still boarded up with plywood sheets and an emergency fundraiser underway to repair the damage, Toronto’s century-old Pride of Israel congregation opened its doors to host a large community solidarity rally on the evening of July 31.More than a dozen federal, provincial and municipal politicians, a…

1
Oliver Herford's "The Platypus" 6:14

12d ago6:14

6:14

Oliver Herford (2 December 1860 – 5 July 1935), regarded as “the American Oscar Wilde,” was an Anglo-American writer, artist, and illustrator known for his pithy bon mots and skewed sense of humor. His obituary in The New York Times nicely sums up his unique brilliance: "His wit…was too original at first to go down with the very delectable highly r…

1
What changes are required to follow Jesus? 29:50

23d ago29:50

29:50

In this episode of the New Hope Church podcast, Pastor Randy Spacht delves into the concept of being called to Jesus and the implications of this call on our lives as believers. The episode begins with Pastor Randy introducing the series on the church titled "Ekklesia," which means church in Greek. He highlights the collaborative nature of the past…

1
Gerard Manley Hopkins' "As Kingfishers Catch Fire" 10:33

27d ago10:33

10:33

Today’s poem begins with humble beasts but wings its way to the loftiest mysteries of existence. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

1
Margaret Wise Brown's "Wild Black Crows" 3:24

14d ago3:24

3:24

Margaret Wise Brown (May 23, 1910 – November 13, 1952) was an American writer of children's books, including Goodnight Moon (1947) and The Runaway Bunny (1942), both illustrated by Clement Hurd. She has been called "the laureate of the nursery" for her achievements. Brown was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, the middle child of three …

1
A Hezbollah rocket put this Canadian IDF soldier in intensive care. His parents are asking for prayers 17:32

14d ago17:32

17:32

When the Israel Defense Forces announced on July 24 that one of their soldiers was badly wounded by Hezbollah rocket fire aimed at an army base in Northern Israel, they didn't disclose the young man's identity. But his parents want the Jewish community to know. Just before they flew to be with him at his hospital bedside, the parents of Ben Brown, …

1
Katherine Craster's "The Centipede's Dilemma" 5:27

18d ago5:27

5:27

Today’s poem, written in 1871, actually gave the name to the since-codified psychological phenomenon known as the “centipede effect” or “centipede syndrome.” Psychologist George Humphrey (for whom the condition is alternatively named “Humphrey’s Law”) said of the poem, "This is a most psychological rhyme. It contains a profound truth which is illus…

1
Canada's kosher meat packers won in federal court. How will this affect the Jewish community? 24:00

15d ago24:00

24:00

Last week, the Federal Court of Canada sided with Jewish communities in Montreal and Toronto in their dispute with the federal government over new biological guidelines covering how cows are slaughtered. On July 24, the judge granted kosher meat producers a temporary injunction, effectively pausing the enforcement of new guidelines that are aimed a…

1
Blessed Are The Meek 28:35

28d ago28:35

28:35

What did Jesus mean by saying blessed are the meek?Matthew 5:5, Titus 3:1-9, Matthew 11:29, 1 Sam 26:10-11By Cory Clark

1
Gerard Manley Hopkins' "Morning, Midday, and Evening Sacrifice" 7:33

29d ago7:33

7:33

G. K. Chesterton wrote: “Oscar Wilde said that sunsets were not valued because we could not pay for sunsets. But Oscar Wilde was wrong; we can pay for sunsets. We can pay for them by not being Oscar Wilde.” Perhaps Hopkins was anticipating that sentiment in today’s poem. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.subst…

1
"The Lady of Shalott" Pt. 4 5:35

22d ago5:35

5:35

Today’s poem is the fourth and final section of Tennyson’s Arthurian ballad. I have been reading his 1842 version and (I think) the final stanza is where it differs most from the 1832 original. You can compare both below to see for yourself how Tennyson’s alteration ramps up the pathos. Happy reading! 1832 conclusion: They cross'd themselves, their…

1
Ekklesia: The Church 19:13

21d ago19:13

19:13

In this episode of the New Hope Church podcast, Pastor Zach Killey delves into the concept of the church, exploring the meaning of Ekklesia, the Greek word for church. He starts by engaging the audience in a thought-provoking exercise, highlighting the unique names given to groups of animals and drawing parallels to the church. Pastor Zach then del…

1
This CUPE member is suing one of Canada’s biggest unions over systemic antisemitism 22:19

19d ago22:19

22:19

On Oct. 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas terror attack on Israel, Fred Hahn—the president of Ontario’s chapter of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)—wrote a tweet on his social media account: “I’m thankful for the power of workers, the power of resistance around the globe. Because #Resistance is fruitful and no matter what some might say…

1
"The Lady of Shalott" Pt. 3 3:45

20d ago3:45

3:45

Today we come to the turning point for the Lady of Shalott. Happy reading. Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribeBy Sean Johnson

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