Best Trifle Podcasts (2024)

1
Will the Real Devil's Foot Stand Up? 23:43

2d ago23:43

23:43

“kept as a secret among them” [DEVI] When Dr. Leon Sterndale said there was only one known specimen of radix pedis dioaboli – devil's foot root – in a laboratory in Buda, it was clear that it was a poison unknown to science. Just what was it that was "used as an ordeal poison by the medicine-men in certain districts of West Africa"? Dr. Robert Enni…

1
Command #64 - Don’t Fret About Trifles 6:36

23d ago6:36

6:36

Two individuals in the Gospels occasionally cause the sensitive heart a pang of empathy. In both instances, at first glance we feel that Jesus is a little harsh. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands …

1
Command #70 - Take Up Your Cross 6:45

1d ago6:45

6:45

The cross has become the essential symbol of Christianity. It was not so, however, when Jesus spoke these words. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.…

1
Command #69 - Remain Gratefully Aware of Your Spiritual Need 6:33

3d ago6:33

6:33

There are many "firsts" in the Gospel story -- the first disciples called, the first command, the first sermon, the first Follow me, etc. We have noted some of these as we have progressed through the Commands. One of the most instructive such firsts occurs in Matthew 5:3: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. From The…

1
Command #68 - Do Not Pray Ostentatiously and With Empty Phrases 6:49

9d ago6:49

6:49

This is a very interesting and seriously convicting command. And one mostly ignored by the vast majority of Christendom's churches. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phi…

1
The Second Collaboration 25:11

9d ago25:11

25:11

“His collaboration may be very necessary” [ILLU] There's a curious phrase in the beginning of A Study in Scarlet that requires a little more consideration. Do you know what it is? John Ball, Jr. did. And his theory about what that phrase signified is an intelligent and plausible one, lifted from a 1954 issue of The Baker Street Journal and The Bake…

1
When Bravo gives us whiplash with a stack of updates & #boycottRHOP or not? 1:37:02

9d ago1:37:02

1:37:02

What a start to the week, it seems fitting given the drought we're currently in. Did you know we're entering 5 weeks of no Bravo Housewives franchises!? Insanity, but lots of change is afoot. From house husbands filing for divorce, baby updates, engagements, trailers and some overdue firings we have been fed, and to top it all off the Real Housewiv…

1
Command #67 - Do Not Desire More Than God Gives You 6:33

11d ago6:33

6:33

Contrary to what many think, Jesus had nothing against either money or rich people. Many of his closest friends were possessors of means. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Micha…

1
EP 266 - Where Y'all Been?? 32:56

12d ago32:56

32:56

Well, it's been a long time...we shouldn't have left you....without an episode to step to...... Until next time

1
Trials and Tribulations 21:50

14d ago21:50

21:50

Be you

1
Command #66 - Worship the Lord and Serve Him Only 6:39

16d ago6:39

6:39

We here encounter a Command made all the more intriguing when we consider to whom Jesus addressed it. He did not speak these words to his disciples or followers or to the crowds. This was his response to Satan after the final temptation in the wilderness. Can we then consider it a universal Command which Jesus places upon his followers as well? Fro…

1
To Go to Norwood 22:19

16d ago22:19

22:19

“we shall certainly have to go to Norwood” [SIGN] The latest in our travel series takes us to Norwood. In particular, the Norwood in The Sign of Four. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Mary Morstan take a cab to a seedier part of London, and then a four-wheeler south to Norwood. How long would it have taken them? And what else might we find in this …

1
Command #65 - Do Not Show Goodness and Hospitality Only to Those Who Are Kind to You 6:43

18d ago6:43

6:43

So many of Jesus' Commands are interrelated. In these combined passages from Luke, we hear echoes of Love, Give to the poor, Do more than required, Be a servant, Be kind, Do good, Do not demand back what you have given, Serve the least of humanity as you would Jesus. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information o…

1
Tales from the housewives drought: Why you should be watching The Real Housewives of Cheshire & maybe it's time to say goodbye to taglines 1:29:28

22d ago1:29:28

1:29:28

Slight content warning on this week's pod as we get very risque when discussing the current level of taglines, while also asking the hard-hitting questions: should we say goodbye to taglines?

1
The Manor House Case 22:54

23d ago22:54

22:54

“consult me over that Manor House case” [GREE] In addition to fascinating cases and clients, the Sherlock Holmes stories saw some wonderful house names. How did some of them get their names? We look at the history of house names, call out the story names that were also house names, and mention a few of our favorite lesser-known country houses in th…

1
Command #63 - Do Not be Diverted by Externals, Traditions, and Doctrines, But Look to the Heart 6:57

25d ago6:57

6:57

The passage from Mark 7 concerning the pharisaic worship of the letter of the law, as manifested by an obsession with clean cups and bowls and hands, gives a singularly important teaching in all the Gospels. Jesus here addresses an inevitable tendency in all religions--the susceptibility of truth to degenerate into doctrines and legalisms, defined …

1
Bet it all on Blonde & Potomac, at last! 1:33:40

29d ago1:33:40

1:33:40

As we continue wading through the drought that is no new Real Housewives franchises, we take a quick look back at the Erika Giradi spinn-off, Bet it all on Blonde and a quick look at season 18 of Real Housewives of Potomac. Remember to hit us up over @fromthelowerlevelpod and let us know which housewives episodes you'd like us to dive into during t…

1
Command #62 - Do Not Be Called Teacher or Leader 6:22

30d ago6:22

6:22

An entire history of Christendom could be written from the perspective of the slow, steady, continuous divergence of Christ's followers from Christ's commands. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands an…

1
B Is for Biscuit 25:17

30d ago25:17

25:17

“one of biscuits” [GLOR] It's not often we find ourselves with a Muppets crossover, but after stumbling across a few trifling references in the Sherlock Holmes stories, we began to think about the Cookie Monster in Baker Street. Of course, there were no cookies in Baker Street. Only biscuits. Where might we find mentions of biscuits in the Canon? A…

1
Command #61 - Trust and Have Faith in God 6:23

1M ago6:23

6:23

Faith is truly one of the most complex attributes of spirituality. It is a word bandied about easily and casually by the unbelieving world as readily as it is used in the believing world. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon…

1
A tale of two finales, PT2: Beverly Hills Reunion 1:11:22

1M ago1:11:22

1:11:22

This week it's all about the season 13 Beverly Hills Reunions. From Dorit, being the problem, to Kathy putting a curse on Sutton, we're mentioning it all. Swing by our DMs and let us know what you'd like to hear as we head into our first-ever Housewives drought!

1
Command #60 - Be a Good Steward Over What God Has Given You 6:48

1M ago6:48

6:48

It is unfortunate, in one sense, that the Lord's parable of the talents is about money and the return gained from its use. This has led to the false idea that God cares about the world of finance. The misappropriation of the truth of this parable has contributed to many foolish prosperity doctrines that are an embarrassment to the church. Because o…

1
The Effect of Trades on the Body 30:35

1M ago30:35

30:35

“the weaver by his tooth or the compositor by his thumb” [COPP] On the third week of every month, we look at a piece of Sherlockian scholarship in a series we call "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist." In this episode, the article "The Effect of Trades on the Body" by Remsen Ten Eyck Schenck from Vol. 3, No. 1 of The Baker Street Journal in 1953 serv…

1
Command #59 - Have Salt in Yourselves 6:50

1M ago6:50

6:50

New Testament scholar William Barclay says plainly about Mark 9:48-50, "These three verses are amongst the most difficult in the New Testament to interpret." From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and …

1
A tale of two finales PT1: The Real Housewives of Miami 1:12:04

1M ago1:12:04

1:12:04

We're back after a staggering hiatus while we went in search of she who must not be named on behalf of "the firm", and we're dishing on everything we loved and were gagged by from the season 6 Miami reunion. Next week we're doing Beverly Hills so get in with your tea & question @fromthelowerlevelpod

1
Command #58 - Receive the Kingdom of God Like a Child 7:00

1M ago7:00

7:00

At first I wrote Bring children to me in order to more directly represent Jesus' words. Then I realized that Jesus was addressing a larger principle: The childlikeness required to receive the principles of God's kingdom. There are several huge implications involved. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on…

1
Canonical Luggage and Railway Journeys 31:58

1M ago31:58

31:58

“whatever luggage you intend to take” [FINA] We're back on the rails this week, with our monthly travel-related episode. This time, we turn to an article written by H.J. Curjel for The Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 12, Nos. 3 & 4, Summer 1976. Specifically, we review his survey of stories in which railway journeys long and short took place, and spe…

1
Command #57 - Learn Of Me 6:45

2M ago6:45

6:45

We continually find that the familiarity of certain of Jesus' words often obscures their astonishing meaning. Here, for example, many images of what it means to take upon oneself the Lord's "yoke" spring to mind, along with his oft-quoted words of comfort, You shall find rest for your souls. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Ki…

1
Command #56 - Do Not Justify or Worry How To Defend Yourself 6:26

2M ago6:26

6:26

Self-defense is one of the most automatic of human responses. When challenged, threatened, contradicted, or accused, we blurt out a defense before the voice of criticism has even died away. Often we do not wait so long as that to defend ourselves, but interrupt to counter the word against us before it is even finished. From The Commands by Michael …

1
Half Measures 26:13

2M ago26:13

26:13

“half-humorous, half-cynical” [DEVI] Celebrate our terquasquicentennial with us as we take a full look at "half" mentions in the Canon. While there are nearly 400 instances of the word, there are a select few that tell us something about hte personality of Sherlock Holmes. Namely, that Sherlock Holmes used the term "half" strategically when he want…

1
Command #55 - Be Born Again 6:25

2M ago6:25

6:25

With so much emphasis in Christendom through the centuries on salvation, it is remarkable that Jesus did not spell out in more detail exactly what salvation is. In his conversation with Nicodemus, in which he said that one must be "born again" to see the kingdom of God, in the single most well-known verse of the Bible, he connects being born again …

1
Command #54 - Seek No Spiritual Signs 6:35

2M ago6:35

6:35

One of the curious anomalies to arise out of the Evangelical and Pentecostal renewal of the late 20th century has been an inordinate obsession with spiritual "signs and wonders" as validating the work of the Holy Spirit. Entire churches, ministries, evangelistic movements, and schools have devoted themselves to the miraculous, and the encouragement…

1
Secret Societies 25:48

2M ago25:48

25:48

“the secret societies must have done it” [STUD] Here and there across the Sherlock Holmes stories, we find ourselves embroiled in the intrigue that involves secret societies. Many are of foreign origin, and they're almost always associated with death and violence. What are these organizations and in which stories can we find them? It's just a Trifl…

1
Command #53 - If Someone Takes From You, Do Not Demand Back What You Have Given 6:32

2M ago6:32

6:32

There are a variety of Commands that all point in the same direction: Give and expect nothing in return. Some emphasize giving more than has been requested: Go two miles instead of one, when asked for your coat give your cloak as well. The Command before us from Luke 6 contains three messages. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael …

1
Command #52 - Let Your Light Shine Before Men 6:34

2M ago6:34

6:34

We continue to encounter the strange dichotomy in the Lord's words between public and private righteousness. How do we balance, Beware of practicing your piety before men, with, Let your light so shine before men? The two commands appear less than a chapter apart in the Sermon on the Mount, yet seem to instruct us in completely opposite directions.…

1
Corpulence in the Canon 27:54

2M ago27:54

27:54

“His body was absolutely corpulent” [GREE] Join us for another "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist" episode, in which we bring a piece of Sherlockian scholarship about a trifling issue to you. This time, we look at Anna Brindisi Behrens' article "Corpulence in the Canon: Beyond Stereotypes" from the Winter 2023 issue of The Baker Street Journal (Vol.…

1
Command #51 - Guard Against Hypocrisy 6:37

2M ago6:37

6:37

Note that Jesus does not directly command Don't be a hypocrite. Is the reason perhaps because, in truth, to a degree we cannot help being hypocrites. We are all sinners, and thus hypocrites, together. It is part of the human condition. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may …

1
BJs in Beverly Hills & Petty Pippin in Miami 1:15:22

2M ago1:15:22

1:15:22

Patrizio & Moshi are back together this week, and the jury's out on whether that is a good thing. This episode is messy, it's loud and just foolish. We hope you enjoy it.

1
Command #50 - Honor Your Father and Mother 6:42

2M ago6:42

6:42

None of the Ten Commandments has been so diminished of its power by our modern culture more than honor to one's parents. Independence is the god of our age. The cancer that has infected our time is not merely anti-family, as serious as that threat is. It goes far deeper. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More informati…

1
An Essex Adventure 25:44

2M ago25:44

25:44

“not far from Frinton.” [RETI] It's travel time again! The second episode of every month in Season 8 is travel-themed, and we ride the rails again with "An Essex Adventure" by A. Godfrey Hunt from The Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Winter 1992). Here we have the case of Holmes getting a client-cum-suspect out of the way. And in doing so, …

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