I sat down with Roger Wolsey to discuss his book Discovering Fire: Spiritual Practices that Transform Lives. Roger is a spiritual director, pastor, speaker and blogger. He is well known in progressive Christian circles as the author of Kissing Fish: Christianity for People Who Don't Like Christianity. His latest book explores spiritual practices th…

I got to talk with Aaron Burns and Matt Mikalatos about their new book, Praying with Saint Patrick: Prayers and Devotions Inspired by the Irish Hero of the Faith. Aaron is a filmmaker (producer, director, screenwriter) and Matt is an author, screenwriter and speaker (and my first repeat guest!). The two of them previously collaborated in writing th…

I got to sit down with Maki Ash Van Steenwyk (She/They) to discuss the role that embodiment plays in spirituality, activism, in our mutual belonging, and in the ways, we navigate the world. If you want to connect with Ashe in her work, head on over to Center for Prophetic Imagination website: https://propheticimagination.org/ Or you can also follow…

Julio Hernandez is a pastor and activist here in the US, but his family heritage is Salvadorian. We got together to discuss the legacy and witness of Archbishop Óscar Romero and the first of his Pastoral Letters, The Easter Church, written on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1977. If you are interested in learning more about Saint Óscar Romero, you can fin…

I got to chat with Christine Sine—author, activist, gardener, contemplative, spiritual director and "liturgical rebel—about what Lent is and how we can practice it. What I loved about this conversation was how passionate and insightful Christine is. And I learned a lot. Did you know that Lent was in the hunger time in the Northern Hemisphere, so th…

Mark Yaconelli wrote Between the Listening and the Telling in 2022. We had a great conversation about it then, and after a long delay I present it to you for your listening pleasure. Mark reminds us of the hunger in each of us to connect, to be heard, to be understood. You will want to listen to this! You can order Mark's book from Broadleaf Books:…

Adam Shields is a book blogger (at Bookwi.se) and a spiritual director (at aspiritualdirector.com). In this episode we discuss the nature of Spiritual Discernment, what it is, why it is an important part of Christian Spirituality, and what are some misunderstands, obstacles and limitations to discernment. You can catch up with Adam on his blog or o…

Jackie Allen-Ducot is a spiritual director, a member and cofounder of the Hartford Catholic Worker (HartfordCatholicWorker.org), and an artist. We got together to talk about hope, activism and art, and how both protest and art looks at the grim realities of our present world and helps us imagine what it would be like to inhabit a different world.…

One of my favorite seasons in the church year is this season before Christmas (beginning Sunday Dec. 3 this year) where we prepare our hearts for Christmas and the coming of Christ. I sat down to talk to Stacey Gleddiesmith, Director of Worship Arts at Columbia Bible College, in Abbotsford, BC to discuss what Advent is and how we may practice it. Y…

I got to sit down with author, pastor, spiritual director Zac Cannon to discuss his creative process and the ways spiritual direction and spiritual practices have enabled to be more present in his vocation as writer and as a creative. Zac is a good friend and we got to hang out together as part of a Spiritual Direction program we both attended. You…

Who are our ancestors and why does that matter? Why do we tell certain family stories and not other ones? Are there ancestors we need to hear from or ones we need to heal from? I got to sit down with Sandhya Rani Jha (They/Them) to discuss their new book, Rebels, Despots, and Saints: The Ancestors Who Free Us & The Ancestors We Need to Free and the…

I caught up with Dan Wolpert to discuss with him the new edition fo his first book, Creating a Life with God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices which Upper Room Books recently re-released as a 20th Anniversary Revised Edition. Daniel Wolpert is the cofounder of the Minnesota Institute of Contemplation and Healing (MICAH). He worked as a research…

I had a chance to sit down with Kathy Khang and Matt Mikalatos to discuss their new book, Loving Disagreement: Fighting for Community Through the Fruit of the Spirit. While fighting, dissension, and disagreement are commonplace. in today's world, many of us run from conflict. Others of us, dig our heels and get ready to fight. Mikalatos and Khang e…

I sat down and had a conversation with Kevin Sweeney. He is the author of The Making of a Mystic: My Journey with Mushrooms, My Life as a Pastor, and Why It's Okay for Everyone to Relax. We talked about what a mystic is and what it means to pursue a direct relationship with the divine, what it means to die, and how to live You can catch up with Kev…

I had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher about her new translation of Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence from Broadleaf books. You can find out more about Carmen or order her books from her website - CarmenButcher.com The music on this podcast was Lawrence Grey's Laundromatted (CC BY 3.0)…

Join us as we experience Spiritual Practice in the Christian Tradition. A new podcast speaking with contemplatives, activists and other spiritual practitioners about how to live out their faith. Music in Episode: Modulation of the Spirit by Little Glass Men (Creative Commons with Attribution).By James Matichuk