Meditations 4 Misfits: Recent Episodes
Fred Grewe
These short reflections are intended to be spiritual hors d' oeuvres, bite sized morsels to whet your soul’s appetite. My hope is that what you hear will invite you into your own self-reflection and discovery.
This is the eighth chapter of "What the Dying have Taught Me about Living." Blessings, Fred
This is the seventh chapter of "What the Dying have Taught Me about Living." Blessings, Fred
This is the sixth chapter of "What the Dying have Taught Me about Living." Blessings, Fred
This is the fifth chapter of "What the Dying have Taught Me about Living." Blessings, Fred
This is the fourth chapter of "What the Dying have Taught Me about Living." Blessings, Fred
This is the third chapter of "What the Dying have Taught Me about Living." Blessings, Fred
This is the second chapter of "What the Dying have Taught Me about Living." Blessings, Fred
This reflection on the question Jesus asked in John 21:15, "Do you love me?" offers an insight into how God works to help us re-write our life-limiting stories. What if God doesn't want to rub it in, but rather, rub it out?
This podcast offers a reflection on the famous story of the woman caught in adultery as recorded in the 8th Chapter of St. John's Gospel. We suggest there is nothing that brings God greater happiness than helping us re-write our life-limiting stories. "Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover, or drunk. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again , come , come, to hope." - Rumi
This podcast offers a reflection on the question Jesus cried out in Matthew 27:46, "My God my God, why have you forsaken me?" Instead of trying to figure out why this happened, maybe it is better to see this question as an aid to answering how we should navigate our own times of suffering.
This podcast offers a reflection of the encounter Jesus had with the Gadarene Demoniac as recorded in Luke chapter 8. Jesus asked him and us, "What is your name?" "The soul wants to tell us the truth about ourselves." - Parker Palmer
“My idea of God is not a Divine Idea. It has to be shattered time after time. God shatters it Godself. God is the great iconoclast. Could we not almost say that this shattering is one of the marks of God’s presence?” - Clive Staples Lewis
This podcast offers a reflection on another question Jesus asked in the 6th Chapter of St. John's Gospel, "Does this offend you?" It is our suggestion that Jesus desires to liberate us from simply becoming spiritual tourists. “Spiritual shopping around is an attempt to find security, an attempt to find a way to always feel good about ourselves.” – Pema Chödrön
This week's podcast offers a reflection on a question Jesus asked in the 6th Chapter of St. John's Gospel, "How shall we feed these people?" “O my soul, be prepared to meet him who knows how to ask questions.”— T.S. Eliot
This podcast offers a reflection on a question Jesus asked in the 5th Chapter of the Gospel of John, "Do you want to be made whole?" In this reflection, we consider one of the root causes of dis-ease in the modern world - isolation. "We must love one another or die." - W.H. Auden
As we continue our series on "The Questions Jesus Asked", this podcast offers a reflection on the question recorded in Luke 7:44, "Do you see this woman?" This question is an opportunity to explore how we look at the people in our world.
This podcast offers a reflection on one of the most profound questions ever asked by a spiritual teacher. In the Gospel of John, chapter 1, Jesus asked some new would-be followers, "What do you want?" The poet / philosopher David Whyte calls this a “beautiful question.” He says a beautiful question shapes a beautiful mind, and that: “...a beautiful question starts to shape your identity as much by asking it, as it does by having it answered.”
This podcast offers a reflection on the question Jesus asked in the 5th Chapter of St. Mark's Gospel, "Who touched me?" In the sharing, we consider the possibility of healing for our existential fear of being alone. “The capacity to pay attention to an afflicted person is something very rare, very difficult; it is nearly a miracle. It is a miracle.” - Simone Weil
This podcast offers a reflection on the question Jesus asked in the 4th chapter of the Gospel of Mark, "Why are you so afraid?" We consider what is the basis of our human existential fear and how might we cope with it?
This podcast offers an introduction to the series that will follow exploring the questions Jesus asked in the Gospels. This episode considers what Jesus had in mind when he said, "Who are my mother, and my sisters, and my brothers?" As Eugene Ionesco once wrote, “It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”
"Who" or "What" do you trust to lead you into "Truth"? This is the topic for consideration in this Pentecost(al) podcast. In our reflection, we examine what Jesus might have meant by stating that the Spirit will "prove the world wrong about sin, and righteousness, and judgment" (John 16:13). "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." - Julian of Norwich
This week's podcast offers a reflection on "The Call of Isaiah" as recorded in Isaiah chapter 6. This text gives us an opportunity to consider what is a true prophet - and what distinguishes a true prophet from a false one. “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.” - Nietzsche
This podcast offers a reflection on the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus as recorded in the 17th Chapter of John's Gospel, where Jesus prays that "we all might be one." What are the implications for us as would-be followers of Jesus today, with our hot-button issues? “Preachers err by trying to talk people into belief; better they reveal the radiance of their own discovery.” - Joesph Campbell
This podcast offers a reflection on the metaphor Jesus offered of himself as "The Good Shepherd" from the Gospel of John chapter ten. In this sharing, we will consider one of the great Christian paradoxes - that Christianity is meant to be personal but not individualistic.
In this week's podcast we take a look at a Resurrection story as recorded in Luke's Gospel, chapter 24. We consider what it might mean to be a "witness" and wonder what if the "Good News" is really good news.
In this reflection on the story of Jesus meeting with his followers on the evening of the Resurrection as recorded in John chapter 20, we consider what it might mean to live the resurrected life. “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” – G. K. Chesterton
This Easter podcast offers a reflection on the Resurrection story of Jesus as recorded in St. John's Gospel. The question being considered is, "What is Resurrection Life?" "I have come that you might have life - and have it to the fullest!" - Jesus (John 10:10)
This podcast offers a reflection on the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the week he was murdered as recorded in the Gospel of John (12:12-16). In this episode we consider the competing agendas that would lead to Jesus's eventual execution.
This lecture, The Value of Existential Distress, was delivered at the YOLO Cares Quintessential Care Summit on March 15, 2024, on the campus of Sacramento State University. You can download the slide deck that accompanies the lecture on my website, fredgrewe.com.
This podcast offers a reflection on the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, and suggests what it might mean to "trust in Jesus."
This podcast offers a reflection on the episode of Jesus turning over the money-changers tables as recorded in the Gospel of John, Chapter 2. We consider Jesus's declaration that The Beloved's house is to be a house a prayer for ALL nations (referencing Isaiah 56:7).
This podcast offers a reflection on the story of Jesus's transfiguration as recorded in Mark's Gospel 9:2-9. This reading invites us to consider how we might connect with the God who helps us get un-stuck. "God, you know that if we don't change the direction we're going, we're likely to end up where we're headed. Show us a better way. Show us your way." - Vicki Kemper
This podcast offers a reflection on the temptations that Jesus encountered in the wilderness (as recorded in the Gospel of Mark, chapter one). Instead of considering "Who we are?" a better question might be, "Who do we want to become?" “The men and women who are truly filled with light are those who have gazed deeply into the darkness of their own imperfect existence.” – Brennan Manning
In this reflection on the story of Zacchaeus found in Luke's Gospel (chapter 19), we consider what it might have meant to have been "saved" by Jesus. "At the still point of the turning world, neither flesh nor fleshless; neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is ... " - T.S. Eliot
This podcast offers a reflection on the healing ministry of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Mark Chapter 1. Was the idea of healing then different than it is today? "I suggest you can be healed without being cured." - Fred
This podcast is a recording of a lecture I presented as part of the Gillespie Lecture series at the Rogue Valley Manor in January of 2024. The title is "What's Your Story: A Narrative Approach to Meaning-Making." If you would like a copy of the slide deck that went with the lecture, you can download a copy from my webpage, www.fredgrewe.com.
In this podcast we explore how Jesus did and did not use power in his ministry. “New life is born in a state of total vulnerability – this is the mystery of love. Power kills. Weakness creates.” - Henri Nouwen
This podcast offers a reflection of the first proclamation made by Jesus in Mark's Gospel, "Repent, and trust in the Good News." And as Archimedes famously said, "Give me a firm place upon which to stand and I can move the world."
In this podcast, Fred offers a reflection on how our search for a "Why" can actually make becoming free more difficult. Don't let "Why" distract you from "Now."
This podcast offers a reflection on Genesis 1:2, where we are told that in the beginning God's Spirit vibrated over the chaos. “In the Bible we learn that God is a verb (Eh-heh-yeh - Exodus 3:14) … whenever you make a noun of God, you are making an idol.” – Rabbi Rami Shaprio
In this podcast, Fred simply offers a prayer for you as we begin 2024. "I asked for courage and the Beloved gave me dangers to overcome." - Hazrat Inayat Khan
We learn from a famous African proverb, "We are not made of flesh and blood and bone - we are made of stories." In this reflection, we consider how the God of the Bible has a history of interrupting our stories.
This week we offer some random thoughts on the two readings for the Third Week of Advent 2023 (Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 and Luke 1:46-55). Both readings speak to the modus operandi of the God of the Bible - who like to use ordinary things and people to accomplish the extra-ordinary. "For when I am weak, then I am strong." - Paul of Tarsus
What does it mean to be "baptized with the Holy Spirit?" This reflection on the 40th Chapter of Isaiah and the First Chapter of St. Mark suggests it means to have your world rocked. "Baptizo" means to be overwhelmed, repeatedly.
In this reflection on Mark 13:24-37, we consider not only Jesus's prophetic warning of dark days ahead, but also his wisdom on how to navigate those dark days. "We are distracted from distraction by distractions." - T.S. Eliot
This week's podcast offers a reflection on the parable of "The Sheep and the Goats" recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25. We consider how this story may give us a glimpse on the motivation Jesus expects from those who will be his followers. "Neither the sheep nor the goats knew what they were doing. Do you finally see? Nobody knows anything. What did the sheep trust? That God is the Love that will not let us go.” - Robert Farrar Capon
In this podcast we reflect on the words of the ancient Hebrew prophet Micah and the rabbi from Nazareth named Jesus, to discover wisdom that will help us navigate the turmoil and chaos that surrounds our lives. "Remember to build your life as a work of art." - Abraham Joshua Heschel
This podcast offers a reflection on the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids as recorded in the 25th chapter of Matthew's Gospel. In this reflection we consider what Jesus might have had in mind about the best way to prepare for the future.
This reflection on two biblical texts, Joshua 1:1-9 and Matthew 23:1-12, invites us to consider the promise of God: "Be courageous, don't be afraid for I am with you!" What ramifications does this promise have on our lives? "Life is not evil or absurd, actions do have consequences, and there is a Holy One who loves us and is with us – so be courageous and don’t be afraid!"
This podcast is a recording of a talk Fred gave at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon on Thursday evening October 26, 2023. The title is "A Spiritual Reflection on The Flourishing Life."
"So when all is said and done remember this: open your mind to wonder, your heart to compassion, and your hand to justice, that you fashion a whole and holy world." - Rami Shapiro
"I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I've got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
In this episode, Fred offers a reflection on the story of The Golden Calf from Exodus chapter 32 and explores why we prefer idols to the God who feels. “The minute you begin to speak with certitude about God, he is gone.” - Christian Wiman
In this podcast, we reflect on the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses as recorded in the book of Exodus chapter 20. In this story, we are given the cure for the disease of the Tiny God Syndrome. “Sometimes we wish the world could cry and tell us about that which made it pregnant with fear-filling grandeur.” - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
In this reflection on two texts, Exodus 17 and Mathew 21, the theme is who do we trust to help us navigate through the uncertainties of life and why do we trust them. “You will trust God to the degree that you know you are loved by God.” - Brennan Manning
This podcast offers a reflection on the story in Exodus 16 of the journey through the wilderness. It is an archetypal image of the journey between bondage and well-being, and a reminder that we are not alone on this journey.
This podcast offers a reflection on the story of Isaac in Genesis chapter 26, who uncovered the wells of his father Abrahm. Re-digging the wells can be seen as a metaphor for re-connecting with our life Source by remembering who we are. “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.” ― Sue Monk Kidd
In this reflection on Genesis 18:1-15, it is suggested that like Abrahm and Sarah, our calling and vocation may become activated as we engage in the God-like activity of hospitality.
In this week’s podcast we reflect on the parable of Jesus recorded in St. Luke chapter 14 called, “The Great Banquet.” The focus of this reflection will be on how to not allow the fear of not having enough cause us to miss the divine invitation of God’s amazing grace in the here and now. “We must be willing to get rid of the life we planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ― Joseph Campbell
In this podcast, we consider Jesus' parable about "The Friend at Midnight" and how it might inform our desire to connect with God. "Any god concerned with me but not with you is an idol.” - Abraham Joshua Heschel
In this reflection on the parable of "The Rich Fool" as recorded in St. Luke, Chapter 12, we consider what it might mean to live wisely. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” - Jim Elliott
In this reflection on the parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke's Gospel (10:25-37) the focus is not on what the Samaritan did to make him good, but rather on why he did what he did and why that is so important. “Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what is the use of seeing?” -Thich Nhat Hanh
In this podcast, Fred shares a personal reflection on what has become a central question in his own prayer life.
This episode offers a continuing short reflection on the parable of The Prodigal Son. The question is: "If we are going to claim we are Christian … will people be able to recognize a family resemblance?"
This podcast is a reflection on the famous parable of "The Prodigal Son" recorded in Luke Chapter 15. As Henri Nouwen observed, “Unlike a fairy tale, the parable provides no happy ending. Instead, it leaves us face to face with one of life’s hardest spiritual choices: to trust or not to trust in God’s all-forgiving love.”
In this podcast, we consider the Parable of the Talents from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 25. In this story, Jesus offers us a choice of which Realm we want to live in ... The Realm where you have to perform heroic deeds in order to be accepted and loved by God, or the Realm where you are already loved and accepted by God so that you might be liberated to live heroically?
In this parable of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew chapter 20, we are challenged to reflect on how we determine what is fair. Additionally, we may even consider how our own minds work to uproot gratitude from our hearts and replace it with seeds of envy.
This podcast offers a reflection on the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13. In this story, Jesus offers us wisdom on how to cope with the evil in our world.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:23-35 ) offers a tool to help us live a more liberated life. "Daniel-san, for person with no forgiveness in heart ... living even worse punishment than death." – Mr. Miyagi, (The Karate Kid, Part II)
In this podcast, we'll consider Jesus's advice from Matthew 18:15-20 on how we might better get along with each other. "We must all learn to live together as brothers and sisters or we will all perish together as fools." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
In this parable of the Sower and the Seed, we will explore what Jesus may have had in mind as he began to teach us about the Realm of God. "Jesus said, loud and clear, 'I, if I be lifted up, will draw all to myself'; the church, louder and clearer, insisted he only meant some." – Rober Farrar Capon
In the Gospel of Matthew, we are told, "Jesus spoke everything to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable." (13:34) May we have ears to hear to what Jesus was / is saying …
In this reflection on the story of Pentecost from Acts chapter 2, I’m struck by the initial evidence of the Spirit’s coming is the sanctified gift of language to break through the barriers of existential alone-ness that plague us all. “Any god concerned with me but not with you, is an idol.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel
In this reflection, we'll consider what Jesus might have meant by the phrase "Kingdom of God." Episcopalian priest Cynthia Bourgeault suggests, " You don’t die into it (the Kingdom of God), you awaken into it. It is not a place you go to, it is a place you come from."
In this reflection on John 14:15-21, we consider how it is so much easier to worship Jesus rather than do what he told us to do.
Catholic theologian John S. Dunne has observed, "To understand what God is doing and to do what God is doing are the functions of Jesus in the Gospel of John." If this is so, what might be the implications be for us as followers of Jesus?
On the road to Emmaus, two early disciples thought their dreams for liberation had died along with Jesus. While what they thought they wanted may have died - it also gave birth to something entirely new. Joseph Campbell has observed, "We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
In this episode, we’ll consider a reading of John chapter 20 where the post-resurrection Jesus breathes on his friends … energizing them with his Spirit to embark on the work of helping make the invisible God more visible …
In this podcast we’ll reflect on why it is the first disciples had such a hard time recognizing the risen Jesus … and why we may as well. The poet Christian Wiman suggests that maybe we come to a place like a church on Easter Sunday morning because we "feel that burn of being that drives us out of ourselves, that insistent, persistent gravity of the ghost called God."
In this story of the raising of Lazarus found in the 11th Chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus asks, "Where have you buried that which you have loved and now think is dead?" Sr. Lauretta Mather gives us this warning, "When we step out of the tombs, we become an enormous threat to the tomb-dwellers."
When we look at others as commodities to advance our personal agendas, or as obstacles to our personal agendas then we are spiritually blind. As the spiritual leaders in this story from the Gospel of John chapter 9 ask, "What, are we blind too?"
In this podcast, Fred shares a reading of the famous "Woman at the Well" story from the Gospel of St. John where Jesus goes to a place he should not be to find someone no one else wants. Similarly, Mozart’s Requiem contains this wonderful line … “Remember, merciful Jesu, That I am the cause of your journey.”
Over a hundred years ago in the Deep South, a phrase so common in out Christian culture today, born again, was seldom or never used. Rather, the phrase used to describe the breakthrough into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was, “I was seized by the power of the great affection.” - Brennan Manning
In this podcast, Fred shares some thoughts how we might live more soulfully and less selfishly by resisting the temptations to be relevant, popular, and powerful. “Self is the soul minus God.” – Eugene Peterson
An Ash Wednesday reflection. "The Spirit of God that moved over the face of the waters “in the beginning” continues to move, continues to create ... 'Create' is not confined to what the Spirit did; it is what the Spirit does." - Eugene Peterson
In this podcast, Fred shares a reflection on the biblical story of the "Transfiguration" and how we can cause harm in our efforts to convert each other. “None of us go into our spiritual maturity completely of our own accord, or by a totally free choice. We are drawn by Mystery, which religious people rightly call grace.” - Richard Rohr
In this podcast, Fred shares some thoughts about Jesus' teaching from Matthew 5:21-37. “There is, perhaps, no greater hardship at present inflicted on mankind in civilized and free countries than the necessity of listening to sermons.” - Anthony Trollope (in 1857)
In this podcast Fred shares some thoughts on what constitutes an authentic spiritual experience, and how this can shape our identity.
"Ministry is the profession of fools and clowns telling everyone who has ears to hear and eyes to see that life is not a problem to bel solved but a mystery to be entered into." - Henri Nouwen
"Who is the God to whom I pray? leads directly to the question, "Who am I who wants to pray to God?" - Henri Nouwen
In this reflection, Fred shares why he believes the Good News is good news. "What is most important – the destination or the journey?" The wise man answered, "The companions." That’s why we do this together … so that when we allow fear to rise up and cause us to behave in ways that dishonor the love we have been given, we can remind each other to wake up and live into our destiny once again.
In this podcast, Fred shares some reflections about the baptism of Jesus found in Matthew 3:13-17. "Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the 'Beloved.'"― Henri J.M. Nouwen
In this reflection on the famous "sheep and goats" passage from Matthew 25, Fred shares some thoughts to help guide us into 2023. “Our culture says that ruthless competition is the key to success. Jesus says that ruthless compassion is the purpose of our journey.” - Brennan Manning
In this short reflection based on the Gospel of John 1:1-20, Fred shares some thoughts on the implications of Christmas.
In this reflection on the Christmas Story from the Gospel of Matthew, Fred shares what the experience of God might have been like for Mary and Joseph. “All-wise. All-powerful. All-loving. All-knowing. We bore to death both God and ourselves with our chatter. God is not to be expressed, only experienced.”- Frederick Buechner
“The task of bringing holiness into the world, which is the main obligation of every Jew, has always been seen in the Bible as a partnership, a combined project of humans and God.” – Rabbi Sharon Sobel
"You enter the path of transformation when you begin to practice what you proclaim." - Thich Nhat Hanh
In Matthew 24:42 Jesus commands us to "Stay Awake." What if he means “Don’t be so preoccupied with what might happen in the future that you miss what is going on around you Right Now?” In this reflection, Fred continues to share on the theme of how we might work to help make the invisible God visible.
In this reflection, Fred shares some ideas from today's lectionary readings, Colossians 1:11-20 and Luke 23:33-43, that might influence how we could behave as a church.
A reflection of contrasting worldviews as presented by Isaiah (65:17-25) and Jesus (Luke 21:5-19) in the lectionary readings. "The key to living well is remembering that nothing lasts." - Rami Shapiro
"The secret," the great trapeze artist Rodleigh told Henri Nouwen, "is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything."
"Be careful when drawing near to G-d. Seek not to sacrifice or appease; seek only to hear." - Rami Shapiro
Our God Concepts greatly influence how we live our lives and relate to others. In this reflection on Jeremiah Chapter 1, Fred asks us to consider what we "see" when we think of God.
In this reflection on the Gospel of John chapter 21, Fred shares how Jesus invites us to the place of hot, burning coals not to shame us but to liberate us.
"It’s when we won’t let go of a thing that we are defeated by it. 'Let me go…' says the Spirit of God. And Jacob answers, 'I will not let you go until you bless me.' And therein lies the secret of winning all the struggles of our lives. We must learn to let go of them so that we can come to the blessings hidden within them." - Joan Chittister
In this reflection on Isaiah 6:1-10, Fred shares some thoughts on how Isaiah's experience can help us become more compassionate followers of Jesus. This recording concludes with wisdom from Julian of Norwich, "All shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."
In this podcast, it is suggested that our primary focus as followers of Jesus is to be agents of reconciliation. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation..." - The Apostle Paul
Recorded at the Rogue Valley Manor on Sunday, June 26th, this is a reflection on Jesus' teaching found in Luke 6:20-36.
In this podcast, Fred helps us explore what it is we mean by the word "church" and offers some suggestions on what it might include.
This reflection on the Gospel passage of the Wedding Feast at Cana (John 2:1-11) was recorded at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Ashland, Oregon on Sunday May 15, 2022. Fred's focus is on the theme of transformation.
Fred shares some thoughts on the biblical text, Luke 13:1-9. The theme is reconciliation. This reflection was recorded at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Ashland Oregon on Sunday, March 20th, 2022.
A look into the parables of Jesus so see how we might live more fully, more engaged with the people we love, the people we live with and work with, and live more in tune with the world around us as it really is.
I want to be a conduit of God's grace rather than a participant in the fear of "not enough."
This reflection offers a way for us to explore the inevitability of death and what is important to us in the light of our mortality. The contemplation asks us to question what we are doing in our life at this very moment and to see what is important for us to do in order to prepare for death.
The dying well paradox: contemplating death compels our living a fully engaged life now, and living a fully engaged life now is the best preparation for death.
A blessing is simply calling attention to a particularly special quality or characteristic in someone you love and encouraging that trait into greater realization. Embedded within a blessing is the transformative power to heal old wounds, reframe past failures, and set a course for future destiny.
“When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us.” - Lewis Smedes
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou
"There would have been more I love yous, more I’m sorrys, but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it, live it, and never give it back." - Erma Bombeck
"The acid test for any theology is this: Is the God presented one that can be loved, heart, soul, mind, and strength? " - Dallas Willard
"Like a wild animal, the soul is tough, resilient, resourceful, savvy, and self-sufficient: it knows how to survive in hard places." - Parker Palmer
"May your concept of God be feisty and imaginative and rich enough to incorporate all the hungers of your heart.” - John O’Donohue
“Ministry means the ongoing attempt to put one’s own search for God, with all the moments of pain and joy, despair and hope, at the disposal of those who want to join this search but do not know how.”- Henri Nouwen
"God, my God, God Whom I meet in darkness, with You it is always the same thing! Always the same question that nobody knows how to answer!"– Thomas Merton
“The mystic keeps the God question clean of all our unworthy and inferior answers … Meister Eckhart says the nearer you get to the presence the more God ceases to be God and is allowed to become completely Godself. So the spiritual life is about the liberation of God from our images of God.” - John O'Donohue
“All-wise. All-powerful. All-loving. All-knowing. We bore to death both God and ourselves with our chatter. God is not to be expressed, only experienced.” - Frederick Buechner
“When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us.” - Lewis Smedes
Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die. - Anne Lamott
"Since no one really knows anything about God, those who think they do are just troublemakers." - Rabia al-Basri (8th Century Sufi mystic)
Through it all, the fires, the sirens, the numerous re-locations, the unbreathable smoke-filled air, the grief of loss, the uncertainty of the future – there was always a wordless awareness of being held by our Sacred Other. Never abandoned. Never alone. I experienced at the raw reptilian fear level what one writer observed, “Life is arbitrary, God is not.”
Many Christians observe this season of Lent by giving up something, or fasting from something. Might I suggest that this Lent, we consider give up being afraid? Give up being vengeful? Give up being angry? Who knows, if we do, we might become more the people we want to be come Easter?
"He who learns must suffer, and, even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despite, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God." - Æschylus
I remembered the Anne Lamott line that “becoming a writer is about becoming conscious.” I didn’t want to be conscious. I wanted to be comatose.
"Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken. But this is not our spontaneous response to suffering. What we desire most is to do away with suffering by fleeing from it or finding a quick cure for it … Our ability to enter into solidarity with those who suffer [is our greatest gift]." - Henri Nouwen
"Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not “How can we hide our wounds?” so we don’t have to be embarrassed but “How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?” When our wounds cease to be a source of shame and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers." - Henri Nouwen
"Preachers err by trying to talk people into belief; better they reveal the radiance of their own discovery. " - Joseph Campbell
When you look into God's face, what do you see? In this podcast, Fred shares one of his most significant experiences of spiritual liberation.
John O’Donohue, in his poetically Irish way says,
A blessing is different from a greeting, a hug, a salute, or an affirmation; it opens a different door in human encounter. One enters into the forecourt of the soul, the source of intimacy and the compass of destiny.
Catholic priest, Richard Rohr, has said, “I do not think you should get rid of your sin until you have learned what it has to teach you.”
The wonderful spiritual writer Joan Chittister advises, "It’s when we won’t let go of a thing that we are defeated by it. "Let me go . . . ,' says the Spirit of God. And Jacob answers, 'I will not let you go until you bless me.' And therein lies the secret of winning all the struggles of our lives. We must learn to let go of them so that we can come to the blessings hidden within them."
The existentialist philosopher Martin Heidegger suggests the antidote to other-ing is being-with. For me being-with has two interrelated aspects: discovering more of my own inner being to offer to the other and by really listening to the other. The idea is that as I go inside myself to reflect on who I am, why I am, what I desire, and why do I act as I do – this self-reflection can open in me a space to receive others who are struggling with the very same issues.
This podcast details the story of how three gay men with AIDS helped liberate me from being an Other into a brother.
While God did ask a number of questions in the Bible, God also gave a lot of commands, or mitzvot. The ancient rabbis boiled them down to some 613. One of those is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Unlike the command “to go forth and multiply,” love your neighbor is one we’ve had a really hard time with.
One of my favorite aspects about these primal stories passed down to us from our faith ancestors, is how insightful they are into human nature. They really cause me to wonder how far we have progressed (or not) as a species in the past several millennia. This Cain and Able story proports to be the genesis of the “us” versus “them” attitude that has plagued humanity from our very beginnings.
This episode considers aids to help make decisions for the choices that shape our lives.
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot
One of the hardest parts about being a refugee is the emotional distress that comes with knowing you are committing the ultimate cultural sin: being needy.
Our new recording setup is still a few weeks away. So this podcast is a recording of a talk I gave several years ago exploring another "God Question." In this episode, I share a pivotal story that helped call me out of hiding and into life. Blessings, Fred
While we are still in the process of securing a new home and recording equipment, here is another older podcast from earlier this year in series called "Holy Moments." This episode explores the components of wisdom.
You may not have heard, but we were among those who lost their homes in the recent fires in southern Oregon. So until I can get a new recording set up, I'll post some previous recordings - pre Meditations 4 Misfits days - I sill find helpful. This one is about becoming freer human beings and may not be quite as off-putting as you may think.
What if there are simply seasons in our lives when God withdraws for a time to urge us into deeper intimacy?
Religions by and large offer explanations about the experience of death and insights into how to live a good life prior to death. What I look for in my religion, are ideas to help me grow in wisdom and compassion.
This episode explores the existential issues we all struggle with: meaning, isolation, uncertainty, and death. The bad news is, there is no cure for these existential issues. The good news is they can be diminished and made more manageable by honestly talking about them. The even better news is that existential distress can become the fertile soil for living a rich and significant life.
This is a true story of how one crazy night in a morgue helped me become a freer human being.
In the years that I’ve worked with Death and felt his presence at the bedside of a dying patient, I’ve thought about his costume. I mean, what’s with the hooded cowl?
I wonder if Death uses the cowl to hide his own grief, grief at having to come and collect folks who have never really lived? Never given their hearts freedom to love and be loved? So afraid of what others think, seduced by culturally unachievable standards of wealth, beauty, and knowledge, or traumatized by painful life experiences that they spent their limited precious moments in a self absorbed sleep walk. Why is the Grim Reaper so grim? Maybe because he aches so deeply for the missed opportunities we all had to really live?
The late preacher Howard Thurman, a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr., famously wrote,
"There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have. And if you cannot hear it, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls."
This observation captures my aim. My goal is that we both, you and I will grow in freedom. Free to become the most authentic human beings we each can be.
So to help achieve this aim, what follows are short reflections. They are intended to be spiritual hors d oeuvres, bite sized morsels to simply whet your soul’s appetite. My hope is that what you will hear will invite you into your own self-reflection and discovery.
I was afraid of dying, so I became a hospice chaplain. I figured if I hung around with Death, made friends with him—at a safe distance—I’d get used to him, and he wouldn’t be so scary. So, for the past fifteen years I have had the privilege to journey with more than three thousand folks who have gone on to the other side.
I’ve seen firsthand that no one escapes this world without experiencing pain, suffering, and death. It was a rather startling setback for me when this truth torpedoed my well-constructed life a few years ago. I had spent most of my faith-filled Christian years trying to do everything in my power to avoid pain and suffering. I’d been taught that if I prayed enough, read the Bible enough, lived a clean life, and volunteered to work in the church nursery once in a while, God would protect me from all pain and suffering. The thought that suffering could be good for me in any way wasn’t even on my radar screen. But that was before I began to learn what the dying could to teach me about living . . .