Rector S Cupboard Podcasts

In recent years, there has been a growing number of people who have moved from one Christian faith tradition to another. Some of the lines within Christian expression have been fairly rigid. This rigidity has even led, in some instances, to the assumption that “those other churches” are not even Christian. One of the main lines of distinction has b…

Have you been feeling like things are a little precarious at the moment? If so, you are certainly not alone. For our first Host Only episode of season five, we gather to discuss some of the precarious nature of our current days. The conversation is not entirely serious, the facial expressions of cats and destructive nature of a local bear come up a…

John Lennox is a mathematician and bioethicist at Oxford University, where he is a Professor of Mathematics. He has spoken internationally and written many books on the intersection of science and philosophy and religion. His latest book, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, came out in 2020. While most of us here at Rector’s C…

Around this time last year, we had the distinct pleasure of speaking to musician, author, theologian, and all around wonderful person, Julian Davis Reid. Next week, October 13 and 14 in Vancouver, BC, we are having an in-person conference around the theme of vocation and rest and Julian is our keynote speaker. In honour of that we thought we’d repl…

In the United States and elsewhere, including Canada, large numbers of people are leaving church. A recent book, The Great Dechurching, points out that the movement is the largest religious cultural shift in American history. Many writers, professors, and observers have often used the word “decline” to talk about such a phenomenon. The truth is mor…

Rector’s Cupboard is pleased to welcome Brian Zahnd. Brian is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian has been somewhat of a trailblazer in contemporary expressions of hopeful theology. His books, including Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God and Beauty Will Save the World, outline a thoughtful, positive…

In some religious circles, dialogue or collaboration with people of other faiths is seen as dangerous. In some evangelical contexts, such interfaith consideration may even have been labelled as faithless. Hopeful Christian theology sees interfaith dialogue as faithful, not faithless. True interfaith dialogue is neither dangerous nor insipid. Rather…

Ram Dass once famously said, “If you think you are enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” We came across this quote when David Hayward, known as NakedPastor, quoted it after seeing his own family. Arthur Boers, our guest on this episode of Rector’s Cupboard, delves deeper into the truth of family of origin than even a week together can aff…

The second part of our interview with Julia and Jeremiah, sex therapists and hosts of the podcast Sexvangelicals. If you haven’t listened to part one, we encourage you to go back and listen to that before this episode. In this episode, we spoke with Julia and Jeremiah about how we got to the place where conversations around sexuality are framed aro…

In a previous episode of Rector’s Cupboard we were pleased to interview Linda Kay Klein, author of the book Pure on purity culture within the evangelical church. Through Linda, our guests for this episode found Rector’s Cupboard and connected with us. Julia and Jeremiah are sex therapists who work often with people who were raised in high control r…

Rector’s Cupboard is part of a larger non-profit that exists to articulate Hopeful Theology. A theologian whose work informs our perspective is Karl Barth. This episode delves into the theology of Barth by way of the work of Dr. Marty Folsom. Barth’s writing is extensive, with his major work, “Church Dogmatics” consisting of over 9,000 pages over m…

If you have been raised in a religious context, you may assume that the way your church, your denomination, conceived of faith was and is the very definition of faith. Obviously, there is a lot that impacts what we believe and how we practice and express that belief. Dr. Mathew Guest helpfully describes how a particular way of seeing the world (neo…

Rich or poor or somewhere in-between, our sense of security and identity can often have to do with money. Who we are, how we relate to others, and how we feel about our well-being is impacted, for good or ill, by whether we feel we have enough money. Mark Petersen has lived much of his life in the world of money and philanthropy. He has also taken …

We are pleased to be joined by Tim Dickau of CityGate and The Centre for Missional Leadership. He is also the author of Forming Christian Community in a Secular Age. Tim speaks with us about his vision for how faith and church should be blessing in the world. Tim was pastor of Grandview Calvary in Vancouver for many years and has helped facilitate …

How do you remember Christmas? What traditions are essential to make it really feel like Christmas? So much of how we experience Christmas is based in nostalgia, an understanding and, often, idealization of the past. The Cupboard hosts gathered to enjoy a Christmas tasting (recipe below), share memories, and discuss the of role nostalgia at Christm…

Story is the universal human language. We learn who we are and how to make sense of the world through story. It can also be a means through which we can engage with and encounter others. Story can communicate truth in a way that other forms of communication cannot. In this episode, we spoke with fellow podcaster, Jonathan Wright, from the podcast H…

In so many ways, we often feel ground down, in the words of this episode’s guest, “disintegrated.” Julian Davis Reid speaks to us about rest. This is more and better than simply disengagement or a break from the grind; rest is an essential part of what it means to be human, in the image of God. Julian starts from a recognition of the profound restl…

We conclude our 3 part Calgary road trip with a visit to Jerremie Clyde from Alberta Yak Co and Little Loaves Farm (check out their Instagram page for some amazing yak photos @littleloavesfarm). Did you know that yaks purr? Or that they can survive at -64 degrees Celsius (for any American listeners that’s -83 Fahrenheit)? We certainly didn’t before…

We continue our 3 part series of Rector’s Cupboard on the Road. In July several of us from Rector’s Cupboard headed to Alberta for a few days to speak with some farmers. On this episode we spoke with Rod Olson. Rod works with several local organizations. He is a certified nutrition farmer with the organization Leaf and Lyre, planting and overseeing…

Rector’s Cupboard, on the road! We travelled to Calgary this summer and met some amazing farmers. In this episode we talk to Marcus and Sarah Reidner from Happiness By the Acre, a regenerative farm in Didsbury, Alberta. Marcus and Sarah have cows, chicken, pigs, and ducks but they say what they really grow is grass, because that’s what the land wan…

Who are the people in your neighbourhood? For some this might be geographical, your literal neighbours, for others it might include the more expansive community in which you find care and support, or perhaps an online neighbourhood where you connect with others. As we begin season 4, we take some time to consider those in our neighbourhood. For Rec…

For the first episode of season 4, the Cupboard is pleased to welcome Nelson Boschman to speak with us about his book, The Growing Season, and to lead us in an informative wine tasting. A pastor, teacher, and musician, Nelson considers himself a wine enthusiast rather than an expert. He sees in the vineyard and wine-making the stuff of life and spi…

The Cupboard had intended to take a break over the summer to plan and prepare for season 4 in the fall, but some topics and stories are too timely to ignore. The recent decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade by the United States Supreme Court compelled us pause and discuss what it means to us. For this bonus summer episode, we’re pleased to welcome Rev.…

Two years ago Rector's Cupboard interviewed Katherine Stewart, an author and leading voice on the “Christian Nationalist” movement in the United States. At the time, we spoke about her book "The Power Worshippers". This week, Stewart had an article in the New York Times that discussed the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. This week we're re-releasing th…

Our final episode of season 3 of Rector’s Cupboard. We were honoured to speak with James K. A. Smith, professor of philosophy at Calvin University and editor-in-chief of Image Journal. The conversation is centred largely around a fantastic book that Jamie has written and that will be available in September. Jamie’s work demonstrates a hopeful view …

In 2021, a book by Canadian writer and broadcaster David Cayley was published. The book was a biography of Ivan Illich who, in the 1970’s, became quite well known for his criticism of the church, and for institutions of education and medicine. We find Ivan Illich compelling because he speaks about faith and society in ways that can shape and inform…

Have you heard a good sermon lately? 83% of people surveyed who attended a Christian church service said that the top reason for choosing and remaining in a church is the sermon. In this episode we talk with Rev. Dr. Will Willimon about sermons and listening to sermons. He is a pastor, bishop in the United Methodist Church and the author of, in his…

What sort of conversations should the church be having around mental health? What is it’s role in supporting those in congregations who are experiencing mental health challenges or know someone who is? Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, a Vancouver based organization is doing some amazing work in regard to conversations about mental health in the …

Our first ever Rector’s Cupboard Arts and Culture (and Entertainment) panel. Amanda, Allison and Todd speak about some television shows, books and movies that you may find interesting, engaging, thoughtful and offensive. In case you didn’t take notes during the episode here is a list of the shows, movies, and books we talked about. TV Shows: Righte…

The question “What is a woman?” has upset people on the left and on the right. We speak with our guest, Brenda-Lee Sasaki, about her writing on Christian faith and motherhood. How are expectations and gender roles perceived in evangelicalism? Our conversation with Brenda-Lee focuses largely on her recently published essay, “I Am More Than a Mother:…

Have we become disconnected from creation? What should our relationship and engagement with nature look like? This week, the Cupboard was honoured to speak with Lauren Aldred, a counsellor at the College of New Caledonia. Lauren teaches workshops on Land-Based Healing and Wellness and shared with us stories and reflections from these courses. Much …

Is God with us? If so, how? Is God omnipresent and all-powerful? If you have thought about faith at all, then you have considered the tension present in believing in an all-powerful God, present with you, and the difficult, sometimes terrible realities of life. Dr. Monica Coleman is a writer, theologian, and educator who outlines a particular way o…

As we move past the halfway point of the third season of Rector’s Cupboard, we take the opportunity to discuss the origins of the podcast. We go through the story of one particular church fight and what that long ago battle has to do with what Rector’s Cupboard is aiming to do. The church fight which we speak about is legendary. One small manifesta…

We speak with Rod Wilson about his just released book, “Thank You, I’m Sorry, Tell Me More: How to Change the World with 3 Sacred Sayings”. Rod Wilson has worked as a psychologist, served as a pastor in three churches, and held multiple roles in theological education, including President of Regent College in Vancouver from 2000-2015. Rod currently …

The Cupboard hosts speak with Heidi Groot, who grew up in a loving, evangelical family. The loving part is all good and continues to have positive impact for personal, mental, and emotional health. The same might not be said for the evangelical part. Do you carry some terrible and damaging ideas of God and self that were handed to you in evangelica…

On this first episode of Rector’s Cupboard for 2022, we present a COVID time capsule. Yet again, we feel like we maybe, perhaps, just might be emerging from the pandemic that has defined much of life in most of the world for two years. As we listen to people reflect upon their lives during a pandemic, we consider what healing from this time might l…

Is it possible that conversations about the church might be interesting or even fascinating? Rector’s Cupboard was invited to partner with David Goa, a friend of the podcast (Sunny Boy, December 2020 and Most People are Better Than Their Theology, January 2020) to speak with others about the state and future of the church as we move from 2021 to 20…

Is it possible that conversations about the church might be interesting or even fascinating? Rector’s Cupboard was invited to partner with David Goa, a friend of the podcast (Sunny Boy, December 2020 and Most People are Better Than Their Theology, January 2020) to speak with others about the state and future of the church as we move from 2021 to 20…

Is it possible that conversations about the church might be interesting or even fascinating? Rector’s Cupboard was invited to partner with David Goa, a friend of the podcast (Sunny Boy, December 2020 and Most People are Better Than Their Theology, January 2020) to speak with others about the state and future of the church as we move from 2021 to 20…

Is it possible that conversations about the church might be interesting or even fascinating? Rector’s Cupboard was invited to partner with David Goa, a friend of the podcast (Sunny Boy, December 2020 and Most People are Better Than Their Theology, January 2020) to speak with others about the state and future of the church as we move from 2021 to 20…

Is it possible that conversations about the church might be interesting or even fascinating? Rector’s Cupboard was invited to partner with David Goa, a friend of the podcast (Sunny Boy, December 2020 and Most People are Better Than Their Theology, January 2020) to speak with others about the state and future of the church as we move from 2021 to 20…

Is it possible that conversations about the church might be interesting or even fascinating? Rector’s Cupboard was invited to partner with David Goa, a friend of the podcast (Sunny Boy, December 2020 and Most People are Better Than Their Theology, January 2020) to speak with others about the state and future of the church as we move from 2021 to 20…

Is it possible that conversations about the church might be interesting or even fascinating? Rector’s Cupboard was invited to partner with David Goa, a friend of the podcast (Sunny Boy, December 2020 and Most People are Better Than Their Theology, January 2020) to speak with others about the state and future of the church as we move from 2021 to 20…

Maybe the real world is just too upsetting right now. Perhaps we need a pretend world in which to live. Hallmark to the rescue! Cupboard hosts and friends discuss the continuing takeover of Christmas by the advance of movies in which the imperfect exists only to make way for the somewhat sickeningly perfect. Are carefully crafted false worlds anoth…

The existence of the division and hatred in our world is undeniable. Religion is often enlisted to fuel this division and to fuel dehumanization. Many of us have longed for more beautiful, hopeful ways to envision the world, to relate to those with whom we disagree. This episode of Rector’s Cupboard invites us to consider the words and work of one …

Do you attend church? Is church something that you used to attend? Luke Edwards is Associate Director of Church Development for the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. Luke has written a book called “Becoming Church: A Trail Guide for Starting Fresh Expressions”. Luke’s work and writing address the reality that church …

Just a note, this episode discusses domestic violence and spiritual abuse. It might be difficult for some listeners. If you’d like more resources on domestic violence check out WhenLoveHurts.ca. There are informative articles and services available if you or someone you know needs help. The Cupboard welcomes Jessica Leslie to tell her story of grow…

By Rector‘s Cupboard

Addressing matters of mental health and wellness often comes in the forms of ideas, tips, diagnosis and treatment plans. While these are all helpful, sometimes most helpful of all is to be reminded that you are not alone, that others have faced similar challenges. In this episode of Rector’s Cupboard, Markku Kostamo shares his own story of misdiagn…

By Rector‘s Cupboard