Spirituality for Ordinary People: Recent Episodes
Matthew David Brough - Helping you stay connected to God | Let God Be God | Let God Be Present
Tips, guidance, and practical advice for how to live out and keep the life in your relationship with with God.
The fifth in a 5-part series for Advent/Christmas 2022.
He is born among us and is one of us. The incarnation.
God with us and with intent, with imagination and creativity. Bearer of hope, and peace, and joy, and love.
And so, we can be religious about the incarnation. As God came into the world and loved the place and people to which He came, we can do the same.
You can see the places you find yourself through God’s eyes. You can be incarnational about where you are.
The fourth in a 5-part series for Advent/Christmas 2022.
The final advent theme is Love. Love is so central. It is at the core of who we are as human beings. We naturally love. Think of parents, children, grandchildren, wives, husbands, true friends.
And our faith takes us further with love.
Over and over we are asked to give ourselves to love. To be religious about it. To let our love reflect divine love.
As we move toward Christmas, we glimpse once again God with is. Love incarnate. Love itself in human form, for God is love.
The third in a 5-part series for Advent/Christmas 2022.
What if joy was something you could simply choose?
We tend to think joy is something that happens to us. It isn’t in our control. We would love to feel joyful, but that is really hard to do day in and day out. Is it the same as just being happy all the time? No, not really.So, what would it mean to be religious about joy?To say yes to joy, to make joy part of the pattern of our life. To give ourselves over to joy...
The second video in a 5-part short video series for Advent 2022.
Being religious about something is about devotion, it’s about commitment. It is about staying the course even when you don’t feel like it. We are compelled to stay with it. We’ve made it our religion, and ours is a religion of peace.
War is rampant, but we claim peace.
Jesus claimed “Blessed are the Peacemakers” and declared that they would be called the children of God. On Sunday, we share peace with one another. It is a sign of having reconciled relationships. Of a healing between us.
Peace is far more than an end of war. It isn’t about tolerating each other. It is things being set right. How they truly ought to be. It is a massive concept in the scriptures. The Hebrew word Shalom is peace, healing, wholeness, salvation. And we are people of this shalom.
The first in a 5-part series for Advent/Christmas 2022.
Getting religious about hope is not about being unrealistic or having some pie-in-the sky, everything will always be totally fine attitude. Religiously hoping means a full on acknowledgment of life in all its mess, brokenness, and still we fend off cynicism. We lament, but we don’t despair. We don’t just “hope everything gets a bit better soon.” We go bigger than that. We hope for complete renewal. We hope for reconciliation. We hope for a new heaven and a new earth...
"From now on you will be catching people" - Jesus says this to his followers and it does not sound positive at all. Catching people? So, the job of people who follow Jesus is to go and "catch" others? Trap them? Trick them into something? I'm going to just say NO to all of that, but also say that when Jesus said this, there was something far more going on (no surprise - it's Jesus!).
Matt welcomes AJ Sherrill for a conversation around a book that has one of the most amazing sub-titles of all time! - Being With God: The Absurdity, Necessity, and Neurology of Contemplative Prayer. AJ is the Lead Pastor at St. Peter's Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and is an adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he teaches popular courses on transformational preaching and the Enneagram. Visit is website at https://www.ajsherrill.org/
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is Part Ten - God With Everyone
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is Part Nine - Running Away From God's Presence
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is Part Eight - God NOT in the Earthquake, Fire, or Storm
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is Part Seven - God in the Temple part 2
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is part Six - God in the Temple part 1
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is part Five - God in the Tent
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is part Four - God on the Mountain
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is part Three - God in Pillars of Cloud and Fire
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is part One - God in a Dream and a Wrestling Match
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
The Audio version of Prairie Presbyterian Church's Be Still and Behold series: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
This is part One - God in the Garden.
For the printed liturgy and the original video series, visit https://www.prairiechurch.ca/worship
Matt Brough shares about a new series, Be Still and Behold: 10 Weeks Exploring God's Presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. Get an Overview of the series here.
Matt Brough welcomes Terence Lester to the podcast for a hopeful and inspiring conversation about justice. Terence is the founder of Love Beyond Walls, a nonprofit organization focused on poverty awareness and community mobilization and is the author of When We Stand: The Power of Seeking Justice Together.
This episode features reflections and a conversation with Rev. Mary Fontaine. Executive director of Hummingbird Ministries, ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and Indigenous Leader, Mary brings such wisdom as she reflect on her own work, the need for healing and listening, the power of music, dance, and the arts, and the the important of advocacy for indigenous youth.
As Jesus indwells the world so we too indwell the world. This might be an apt description of what is called "incarnational ministry." How might the incarnation be important for us as we reflect on being together in-person, and how might technology continue to play a vital role? (Maybe it always has!)
Based on a message that Matt Brough gave at an outdoor in-person gathering.
Referenced in this episode...
Finding an alternative to “incarnational ministry” - The Presbyterian Outlook
Incarnation: Theology in the Body - Reformed Journal
We made it to episode 100!! Whoohoo! And what better way to mark this milestone, and all the work that went into it, than with a conversation about resting.
Matt Brough and Kate Rademacher talk about her latest book Reclaiming Rest: The Promise of Sabbath, Solitude, and Stillness in a Restless World
This interview is so wide-ranging covering topics like:
- why truly resting is so hard
- why Sabbath on a Sunday can be difficult and how a practice of Friday night through Sunday afternoon might be a better pattern for many people.
- The importance of community in resting.
- The role of benedictions and liturgy in sabbath keeping.
- The deep connections between social justice and the sabbath.
Hope you will give this 100th episode a listen!!
A lively conversation between Matt Brough and Steph O'Brien about how to "Make a Move." Often we have trouble making decisions and then even more trouble acting on them. Steph's latest book deals directly with this. On the big things and the small things, Steph provides sage wisdom for taking steps, even when they might be a bit stumbling or winding, along the path of your life. This episode focussed in on the importance of actually moving, experimenting, and just trying things, in the midst of discernment.
Often we might think we are supposed to listen for God's leading and then make a move. Steph and Matt both talk about how hearing from God, seeing where God might be leading is more usually done in the midst of the journey, so the key ingredient is to start!
Check out Steph O'Brien's book Make a Move:How to Stop Wavering and Make Decisions in a Disorienting World
And Matt Brough's book Let God Send: Crossing Boundaries and Serving in Christ's Name
In this Episode, Matt Brough and children's author, Laura Alary, have a conversation about the long season of "ordinary time" and how it can be understood as a time of growth. This interview is wide ranging, including how to talk to kids about the ascension of Jesus, and also how do adults contend with the bizarre nature of the Pentecost narrative.
Laura reads from her latest book, Breathe: a Child's Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time.
Has anyone else been having a hard time with joy? Maybe joy is something to fight for, something to learn to spot and well... enjoy. In this episode we discuss becoming a student of joy and talk about Disneyland, holding newborns, baptisms, the resurrection appearances of Jesus, and the unexpected delight of a fire hydrant in the middle of a forest.
Matt Brough and Jen Ostash-Gooch reflect on their experience walking through the practices for the fifth and final week of the "Liturgy for Life" resource. This week the focus is on the Others, especially those different from yourself.
Matt Brough and Jen Ostash-Gooch reflect on their experience walking through the practices for the fourth week of the "A Liturgy for Life" resource. This week the focus is on the Self.
Matt Brough and Jen Ostash-Gooch reflect on their experience walking through the practices for the third week of the "A Liturgy for Life" resource. This week the focus is on Neighbourhood and Nation.
Matt Brough and Jen Ostash-Gooch reflect on their experience walking through the practices for the second week of the "A Liturgy for Life" resource. This week the focus is on Family, Ancestors, and Descendants.
Matt Brough and Jen Ostash-Gooch reflect on their experience walking through the practices for the first week of the "A Liturgy for Life" resource. This week the focus is on creation.
In this special episode of the podcast, Matt Brough and Jen Ostash-Gooch go over a new resource for Lent that they developed together and invite you to think through how you will mark lent, paying attention to your relationships with God, creation, your family, your neighbourhood, and yourself.
Rich Lewis shares with Matt Brough about his latest book, Sitting with God: A Journey to Your True Self Through Centering Prayer. They discuss why this kind of prayer or any contemplative practice is so life-changing and how this particular practice might be a key one during challenging times.
This episode features a wide ranging conversation about the enneagram between Drew Moser and your host, Matt Brough. Drew covers some of the basics but also goes deep, especially in the areas of how our distinctive personalities effect our decision making. Drew speaks about his work as helping people navigate the big questions in life, such as Who am I? Why am I here? And Where am I going?
Drew's latest book is The Enneagram of Discernment: The Way of Vocation, Wisdom, and Practice
Matt Brough also shares about his upcoming book Let God Send: Crossing Boundaries and Serving in Christ's Name. Visit letgodsend.com for more details.
Loneliness is an epidemic, and is effecting young people and people of all ages in massive proportions. This may have only been heightened during the pandemic. In this conversation with Jason Gaboury, we consider whether we might be invited to wait and meet God in the midst of our loneliness and uncover a depth of presence and friendship. We also discuss imaginative ways of reading scripture and why that is important, and also having spiritual practices for particular contexts of life, even in times of exhaustion, confusion, or struggle.
In this conversation Matt Brough and Kate Rademacher talk about not always knowing or seeing, but still following, the spiritual path laid out by God. She shares her story of being raised Unitarian Universalist, being influenced by Buddhism, and being baptized as an adult in the Episcopalian Church. What does it mean to listen to “the still small voice?” Kate’s writing can be found at https://www.katerademacher.com/. Be sure to check out her books, Following the Red Bird: First Steps into a Life of Faith and Their Faces Shone: A Foster Parent’s Lessons on Loving and Letting Go.
In this conversation, Matt Brough and Ed Cyzewski talk about some of the perils of technology on our spiritual life, from distraction to addiction. Are there ways to use technology that don't lead toward the more negative side? What do we need to understand about the psychology of apps and social media in order to reconnect with what is most important?
Ed Cyzewski is the author of Reconnect: Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction, Flee, Be Silent, Pray, A Christian Survival Guide, and Coffeehouse Theology. He co-leads the Renew and Refine Retreat and works as a freelance writer who has contributed to numerous magazines and book projects. He blogs about writing and prayer at www.edcyzewski.com.
Andria Irwin is the online minister with Highlands United Church in North Vancouver. In this conversation with her we talk less about the "tools" of online ministry, and more about the Spirituality of what it means to do and be Church in an online space.
Matt Brough and J. Dana Trent have part 3 of their conversation on Ancient Wisdom in Chaotic Times, this time focussing on the season of Eastertide. Which Spiritual practices are most helpful right now and which ones might not be as much as we live with the realities of a Pandemic.
This is a replay of the Facebook Live that Dana and Matt did on April 1st, 2020 about how in this time of emergency, crisis, and uncertainty, we have resources available to us embedded in the ancient wisdom of our faith. Together they explored: the 23rd Psalm, the Lord's Prayer, the difference between sabbatical and experiencing wilderness, and more. J. Dana Trent is a professor of World Religions and Critical Thinking at Wake Tech Community College in North Carolina. An ordained Baptist minister and former hospital chaplain, her work has appeared on Time.com, and in Religion News Service, Sojourners, Religion Dispatches, and The Christian Century. She is the author of Dessert First: Preparing for Death While Savoring Life, One Breath At a Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Christian Meditation and For Sabbath’s Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest. Matt Brough is a Presbyterian minister of a congregation in Winnipeg, Canada and also serves as the coordinator of the New Worshipping Communities Initiative of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. He hosts the Spirituality for Ordinary People podcast and is the author of Let God Be God: Give Control to the Only One Who Can Set You Free, Let God Be Present: Uncovering the Will, Courage, and Persistence to Truly Connect, and the Del Ryder series of fantasy adventure books.
This is a replay of the Facebook Live that Dana and Matt did on March 25th, 2020 about how in this time of emergency, crisis, and uncertainty, we have resources available to us embedded in the ancient wisdom of our faith. Together they explored: the importance of experiencing both joy and grief, how we need to lean into sabbath and why this is hard for us, and what we need in order to serve and love others in a time of physical distancing. J. Dana Trent is a professor of World Religions and Critical Thinking at Wake Tech Community College in North Carolina. An ordained Baptist minister and former hospital chaplain, her work has appeared on Time.com, and in Religion News Service, Sojourners, Religion Dispatches, and The Christian Century. She is the author of Dessert First: Preparing for Death While Savoring Life, One Breath At a Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Christian Meditation and For Sabbath’s Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest. Matt Brough is a Presbyterian minister of a congregation in Winnipeg, Canada and also serves as the coordinator of the New Worshipping Communities Initiative of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. He hosts the Spirituality for Ordinary People podcast and is the author of Let God Be God: Give Control to the Only One Who Can Set You Free, Let God Be Present: Uncovering the Will, Courage, and Persistence to Truly Connect, and the Del Ryder series of fantasy adventure books.
We are living in very uncertain times as we continue to face the realities of the Corona Virus. We might be anxious and afraid. And we might have all kinds of voices or thoughts that tell us to "be strong" or to not feel certain ways.
In response to this, I am sharing a short meditation that I wrote recently.
Start with your feelings
Acknowledge how you feel and actually feel it.
Don’t let voices creep in that tell you that you shouldn’t feel. “you shouldn’t be afraid” “you shouldn’t be anxious” “you shouldn’t be angry” “you should be crying” “you shouldn’t be over-reacting” “you shouldn’t be reacting at all” Stop all those words and pay attention to how you actually feel.
Feel the place in your body that is reacting. The back of your throat maybe tense shoulders perhaps Possibly the pit of your stomach
Draw your attention to how you feel and where you feel it most.
Now, know this deep truth: You are not alone You are not alone You are not alone
There is one who loves you deeply and calls to you: “Come to me, you who are weary and burdened… and I will give you rest.”
Focus on that call It was Jesus who first spoke these words. Listen to them anew. Receive his friendship and companionship
And be still. Be still and know. Know that you are not God, but that there is a God who is with you and loves you dearly.
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
This was such a fantastic conversation with Pastor Steph O'Brien about her book, Stay Curious, which is all about embracing curiosity, questions, and even doubts as a key to unlocking a more vibrant and dynamic relationship with God.
A lot of us sometimes think that we aren't supposed to have big questions about fundamental ideas about God, Jesus or the Bible. Or we might believe that the life of faith is about overcoming and eliminating doubt to have "true faith." Steph really challenges these notions, encourages intentionality in spirituality, and at the same time upholds the importance of community, the Church, the Bible, and Jesus.
While our conversation is really great, you should definitely check out everything Steph O'Brien does. Among other things, she teaches at Bethel Seminary, is on the pastoral staff of a Church, and co-hosts an amazing podcast called "Lead Stories." Steph is a really gifted speaker and teacher, and is well worth following. Visit Steph's Website for more about her and what she does.
A few books that were mentioned in this episode... Stay Curious: How Questions and Doubts Can Save Your Faith by Steph O'Brien
The Myth of Certainty by Daniel Taylor
Benefit of the Doubt: Breaking the Idol of Certainty by Greg Boyd
The Spirituality for Ordinary People Podcast returns with a reflection on rediscovering our identity.
Season 3 of Spirituality for Ordinary People is all about Prayer Walking. In this third episode, Matt Brough continues the conversation from episode 2 with Robin McGauley about Labyrinths.
Check out the resources below the picture of the Labyrinth...
Overhead view of the Labyrinth in Chartres Cathedrale
Resources:
- Veriditas: https://www.veriditas.org
- The Expressive Arts program at fleming college: https://flemingcollege.ca/programs/expressive-arts
- Robin's Website - Amazing metalsmithing - check it out!
- Season 1, Episode 8 of Spirituality for Ordinary People - Creativity, Metalsmithing, and Labyrinths with Rev. Robin McGauley
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Season 3 of Spirituality for Ordinary People is all about Prayer Walking. In this second episode, Matt Brough, welcomes Robin McGauley back to the podcast to talk about walking the Labyrinth.
This is such an amazing conversation. So amazing, that it has been broken up into 2 parts - so there will be another episode with the second half of the conversation!
Check out the resources below the picture of the Labyrinth...
Overhead view of the Labyrinth in Chartres Cathedrale
Resources:
- Veriditas: https://www.veriditas.org
- The Expressive Arts program at fleming college: https://flemingcollege.ca/programs/expressive-arts
- Robin's Website - Amazing metalsmithing - check it out!
- Season 1, Episode 8 of Spirituality for Ordinary People - Creativity, Metalsmithing, and Labyrinths with Rev. Robin McGauley
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Season 3 of Spirituality for Ordinary People is all about Prayer Walking. In this opening episode, Matt Brough, goes over a few different kinds of prayer walks and invites listeners to consider making prayer walking a regular Spiritual Practice.
He goes over two main types:
1) Neighbourhood Prayer-Walking (Outward focus) This type of prayer walking intentionally focusses on a particular neighbourhood. Take time to walk around in a community and silently pray for the people who live, work, or go to school there.
Pray for discernment - Seek the gift of seeing the community through God’s eyes and to discern what God may be up to in the neighbourhood. Pray for greater insight into how God is at work among the people, events, and places you observe.
Pray for blessing - Observe situations and places that express both joy and brokenness in the community and silently give thanks and/or ask for healing, strength, or renewal.
- Personal Prayer-Walking (Inward focus) This type of prayer walking focusses on your own relationship with God and/or how God may be guiding you. The action of walking is a powerful metaphor for following Jesus. You are encouraged to pray for personal direction from God.
Most of this type of prayer is a listening prayer. Begin by praying questions such as: God, where are you leading me? God, what step would you like me to take? As you repeat these kinds of questions, try to quiet your mind and heart to listen to what God might be saying.
This type of prayer can be done anywhere, but it is often best to be outside in nature or pray using a Labyrinth.
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In this episode of the Spirituality for Ordinary Podcast your host, Matt Brough, continues the conversation with J. Dana Trent, author of One Breath At A Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Meditation. The first part of this conversation was in Episode 3 of Season 2.
This wraps up the season on the Examen.
For an overview of the Examen, you may want to go back to Episode 1 of Season 2 - The Examen in a Nutshell
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In this episode of the Spirituality for Ordinary Podcast your host, Matt Brough, begins with J. Dana Trent, author of One Breath At A Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Meditation. The second half of their conversation will feature in the next episode.
Most of this conversation goes over whether the Examen is helpful when you have days that are high stress or anxiety producing.
For an overview of the Examen, you may want to go back to Episode 1 of Season 2 - The Examen in a Nutshell
Visit J. Dana Trent’s Website for more about her.
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In this episode of the Spirituality for Ordinary Podcast your host, Matt Brough, has a conversation with Jen Ostash-Gooch about their individual experiences of the Examen.
They open up a conversation about a number of topics:
- how the Examen allows awareness of what God might be doing in life.
- how the Examen helps us to not simply drift through life.
- how the Examen helps us to stay in the moment and focus on what you are doing.
- How our experience of community being changed because of the practice of the Examen?
For an overview of the Examen, you may want to go back to Episode 1 of Season 2 - The Examen in a Nutshell
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In this episode of the Spirituality for Ordinary Podcast your host, Matt Brough, goes over the five steps in practice of the Examen and shares about his own ups and downs in trying to stay focused for a 10 to 20 minute time of prayer.
For an overview of the Examen, you may want to go back to Episode 1 of Season 2 - The Examen in a Nutshell
Episode 2 covers...
The temptation to just not do it or not try it. We can sometimes believe that any prayer practice (in this case The Examen) won't actually make any difference and so we rationalize not doing it. We are also "busy," and so cannot "find the time." How can we resist these tendencies and actually stop for 10 to 20 minutes for prayer that may actually have life-giving or life-transforming possibilities?
Musch of this episode is about the difficulty with focus. Matt shares about how he is always racing ahead to the future in his prayer time and how the Examen is reminding him to stay in the day. Matt is someone who likes to make plans and set goals, and so there is a particular challenge in reviewing the day to not get sidetracked with looking too far into the future.
Part of the Examen is about looking at the day ahead as well as the day just lived. "I’m finding it interesting that the Day ahead for me tends to be about getting things done, or my own interaction in a meeting or in leading something within the church, while the review of my day tends to be almost entirely about the blessing of interacting with people. Looking ahead is very focussed on me and what I’m going to do. Looking back is very focussed on others and how I was blessed by God through them."
Some other quotes or thoughts from the Episode:
"Something sacred is going on in this 10-20 minutes. This has a spill-over into the way we see our day. The time of prayer colours how we look at our day. The day is sacred as well as the prayer time. Both are a gift."
"My particular challenge, and where I’m finding the Examen particularly helpful, is this reminder to come back to the day."
" Something that hasn’t shown up on my highlight reel after doing the Examen 4 times this week: Watching TV, except for the times when I have been with family watching something that we are all enjoying. And anything that came from social media. In fact, my computer and my phone, the two things that I spend the most time with throughout my day, don’t feature at all in my daily reviews. I think this is because of the initial prayer - asking to see as God sees."
"Because my work varies from day to day, the praying for the day ahead part of the Examen helps me identify the priorities for that day. What is most important? I’m finding that I am better doing the Examen in the morning, and after I am done I can immediately write down 3 or 4 things that are the top things that must get done that day."
If you have questions about the Examen, or want to share your experience with this practice, feel free to be in touch by email matt at mattbrough.com or connect through Instagram...
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This is the first episode of Season 2 of the Spirituality for Ordinary People Podcast and we are about to shift the focus in a big way.
For this season, we are focusing completely on a single spiritual practice - The Examen.
Below is a modified version of the Examen, a prayer practice developed by Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556). This way of going through the Examen is outlined in the book A Simple Life-Changing Prayer: Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola's Examen by Jim Manney. The text below is from chapter 1 “the examen in a nutshell”
The examen is a method of reviewing your day in the presence of God. It's actually an attitude more than a method, a time set aside for thankful reflection on where God is in your everyday life. It has five steps, which most people take more or less in order, and it usually takes 15 to 20 minutes per day. Here it is in a nutshell:
- Ask God for light. I want to look at my day with God's eyes, not merely my own.
- Give thanks. The day I have just lived is a gift from God. Be grateful for it.
- Review the day. I carefully look back on the day just completed, being guided by the Holy Spirit.
- Face your shortcomings. I face up to what is wrong in my life and in me.
- Look toward the day to come. I ask where I need God in the day to come
If you have questions about the Examen, or want to share your exprience with this practice, feel free to be in touch by email matt at mattbrough.com or connect through Instagram...
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"Doubt is only a problem if certainty is the expectation."—Austin Fischer
Episode 70 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Austin Fischer. Austin is the Teaching Pastor at Vista Community Church. His latest book is called Faith in the Shadows: Finding Christ in the Midst of Doubt
Key Learnings
Everyone has doubts.
"The problem of evil" is a cold, rational way to talk about our doubts around the pain and suffering in the world. When we face real suffering it brings a crisis, because we have trouble squaring a God of infinite goodness with the amount of evil in the world.
Moving away from faith often happens because we hear nothing from God for very long periods of time. This may be more a perceived "hearing nothing" than what God is really up to.
Modern Science can still pose problems for Christians. Augustine is a great source to go to for how we understand the relationship between faith and science. He noted that when science and scripture appear to be in conflict, then the best thing is to go back to scripture and ask whether a literal reading is required.
Fundamentalism or rigid biblical literalism may in fact approach scripture in a more "scientific" way. It began a few hundred years after the Reformation and its roots may lie in an attempt to apply the scientific method and a search for accuracy to interpreting Scripture.
"The gravest threat to modern Christianity is neither fundamentalism nor science, but stuff!"
Love is the ultimate remedy for doubt.
Things to Think About
What are your own doubts? What crisis is being caused for you? What might you need to re-examine?
Will you "just think about your crisis of faith" or will you give away more of your stuff, serve the poor and needy?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode
Giving
Fixed prayer times throughout the day
"Praying with your eyes open"
Sabbath
Links and Resources:
- Austin Fischer's Website
- Faith in the Shadows: Finding Christ in the Midst of Doubt
- Unbelievable - The Debate mentioned by Austin in the Interview
Join others in contributing financially to help pay for hosting and equipment costs.
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"Meditation is intentional about holding the space for listening for God's still small voice."—J. Dana Trent
Episode 69 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features another interview with J. Dana Trent. Dana was on episode 67 speaking about the practice of Sabbath, and this time she is back sharing about Christian Meditation. She is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and professor of World Religions and Critical Thinking at Wake Tech Community College. An ordained Baptist minister and former hospital chaplain, her work has appeared on Time.com, and in Religion News Service, Sojourners, Religion Dispatches, and The Christian Century.
Key Learnings
The word "meditation" is in scripture. It means "to ponder," "to reflect."
Prayer is about talking to God, Meditation is about listening. It is about holding space to listen for the still, small voice of God.
Meditation has physiological benefits, including the body's ability to calm itself.
Things to Think About
What can you do to create space to breathe and listen for God?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode
Breath Meditation
Loving Kindness Meditation
Links and Resources:
- J. Dana Trent's Website
- For Sabbath's Sake by J. Dana Trent
- One Breath At A Time: A Skeptic's Guide to Meditation by J. Dana Trent
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"I knew all this stuff about God but I was lacking in terms of how much I knew God in my personhood, in my lived experience..."—Phileena Heuertz
Episode 68 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Phileena Heuertz. Phileena has spent her life in social justice work among the world’s poor. A member of the New Friar movement, for nearly 20 years she and her husband Chris served with Word Made Flesh in more than 70 countries building community among victims of human trafficking, survivors of HIV and AIDS, abandoned children and child soldiers and war brides. Author, spiritual director, yoga instructor, public speaker and retreat guide, Phileena is passionate about spirituality and making the world a better place.
Key Learnings
There is a deep connection between Contemplative Spirituality and being socially engaged.
Sometimes you have to let your dog out, even when considering the deepest of issues.
As one becomes more and more connected to God it implies a greater connection to others. We have inherited an unhealthy expectation of a separation between contemplation and action.
We have intellectualized the faith so much and divorced our intellectual beliefs from what difference it makes in our life and in the world around us. Jesus truly lived his spirituality. It wasn't primarily about intellectual beliefs.
A lot of us approach happiness externally (e.g. "if I could just get..."). Joy comes when we develop a capacity to live into our best selves in the midst of the real circumstances of life.
Things to Think About
What can you do in your life to bring together your personal relationship with Jesus and your active engagement in the world? How might contemplative Spiritual practices provide you with tools to bring these together?
Do you think you would be willing to try engaging more in contemplative practices?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode
Lectio Divina, Breath Prayer, Centering Prayer, Labyrinth, Yoga
Links and Resources:
- Phileena Heuertz's website
- Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation by Phileena Heuertz
- Pilgrimage of a Soul: Contemplative Spirituality for the Active Life by Phileena Heuertz
- Gravity Center
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"It's that one day a week that shapes the remaining six..."—J. Dana Trent
Episode 67 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with J. Dana Trent. J. Dana Trent is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and professor of World Religions and Critical Thinking at Wake Tech Community College. An ordained Baptist minister and former hospital chaplain, her work has appeared on Time.com, and in Religion News Service, Sojourners, Religion Dispatches, and The Christian Century.
Key Learnings
Sabbath is not ordinary time. Sabbath is about stepping out of paying the bills, doing errands, shopping, etc. and stepping into meaning-making, being closer to God, connecting to community.
Sabbath is a privilege. It is no longer a right in American/Canadian culture
God takes time away from creating to be in awe of the creation. When we take time to be in awe of creation a few things happen: we rest, we become more worshipful, we connect with community.
There is a tradition of the visit of the Sabbath Queen visiting your house when you keep sabbath well. Could this be a powerful image of royalty visiting your house. What would that be like?
"The community that rests together is the community that resists together."—Barbara Brown Taylor
The three barriers in the way of Sabbath keeping are: the ego, not being humble, and not trusting.
Children are great at Sabbath keeping!
Sabbath has a way of revealing what your real life is.
Sabbath can be a time for taking stock, for introspection, for asking questions about your life.
Things to Think About
How can the Sabbath be the priority that you work towards? And how can you allow the Sabbath day to shape the other six days?
How can you better prepare for Sabbath or better keep the boundaries of Sabbath?
In what way can you start small to practice Sabbath? (e.g. an afternoon, an hour, a meal with friends, etc.)
If you are a clergy person how can you model Sabbath for your congregation?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode
Sabbath (Obviously!)
Links and Resources:
- J. Dana Trent's Website
- For Sabbath's Sake by J. Dana Trent
- One Breath at a Time: A Skeptics Guide to Christian Meditation by J. Dana Trent
- Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller (outline of a Sabbath Day in the back of the book)
- Kate Rademacher's website (author of Following the Red Bird)
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"Beauty is a form of truth that God uses to display His glory. Imagination allows us to tap into that again - to see God through beauty."—Manuel Luz
Episode 66 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Manuel Luz. An aerospace engineer by day jazz/pop musician by night, Manuel Luz was called to be a worship pastor 18 years ago. He continues playing gigs, has combined engineering and music in surprising ways (inventing a new musical instrument), and serves at Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California.
Key Learnings The importance of being yourself (being authentic) in the context of worship, and how this must be modeled by worship leadership.
Beauty is a form of truth that must not be discounted. Imagination (which is part of the intellect) is a primary way in to appreciate, understand, and recognize the truth of God.
Worshipping in the pronouns - pay attention to what are the operative pronouns in the songs being sung in worship. We need a balance of songs where we sing to God ("You"), about God ("He"), and about our response to God ("I"/"We").
We have a tendency to lean into the spiritual disciplines that we do really well and we don't venture out.
Things to Think About What would it look like for you to be honestly yourself before God and in your Church?
What artistic or imaginative gift might you have that you could offer for the benefit of your worshipping community?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode Journalling/Blogging
Reading
"Putting on Different Eyes" - entering into the moment wherever I am and imagining God in it. Paying attention to creation, paying close attention.
Playing music, practicing as a form of worship.
Links and Resources: * Maneul Luz's Website * Walkabout Drum * 7 habits of the artist-friendly church * 81 Things You Can Do to be a more Artist Friendly Church * Astral mystery endures in Nova Scotia church
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Matt Brough explains why there won't be any new episodes of Spirituality for Ordinary People coming out in November. He needs a bit of a buffer time as he adjusts to his new role working as the Program Coordinator for the New Worshipping Communities Initiative (Cyclical PCC) for his denomination. The role is half-time, and he will be staying on as pastor of Prairie Presbyterian Church on a half-time basis as well.
Listen in as he explains the approach to starting new Churches and how it is a deeply spiritual process focussed on discerning what the Holy Spirit is up to.
In Episode 65 of the Spirituality for Ordinary Podcast we revisit two old interviews with children's authors S.D. Smith and Laura Alary who speak about the importance of imagination, ritual, story, and how we need to inspire hope. Matt Brough also shares a bit about his own fiction writing for children, and reads from Laura Alary's new children's Bible, titled Read, Wonder, Listen.
Links
Matt Brough's Del Ryder Fantasy Adventure Series
S.D. Smith and his Green Ember Series
Read, Wonder, Listen by Laura Alara
"Habits can be a tool, a means to an end, or they can become a distraction if we're not careful because they're not the point—God is the point—they're only there to help us pursue God."—Darryl Dash
Episode 64 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Darryl Dash. Darryl is a pastor and church planter in Toronto with over 25 years of ministry experience, and author of How to Grow: Applying the Gospel to All of Life. He serves as pastor of Liberty Grace Church and also helps equip church planters with FEB Central. Together with his wife, Charlene, he founded Gospel for Life, an online resource designed to help people grow.
Key Learnings The gospel needs to be central to our daily living. "Self-help Christianity" (i.e. "just try harder) is the opposite of living with the gospel at the center of life.
It is possible that half of our life runs on "auto-pilot."
We will do better at connecting with God if we can develop habitual routines - things that we don't need to think about or figure out in the moment.
Darryl talks about 3 core practices to lead to deeper connection with God:
- Reading or listening to Scripture
- Prayer
- Engage in Worship and Community in a Church
Look for the times in your lives when you have effectively built habits in order to know what you need to have in place to develop habits in the areas or prayer, reading scripture, and participation in Church.
In order to develop a habit, make your daily goal so ridiculously small that you are 85% sure you will do it. See B. J. Fogg's website, Tiny Habits, or Mini Habits by Stephen Guise.
Things to Think About What would it look like for you to pray honestly and throughout your day?
How might God be calling you to share more deeply within your Church community?
What would a helpful habit be for you to connect more with God?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode Reading or listening to Scripture
Prayer
Engage in Worship and Community in a Church
Having a regular morning routine
Having a Rule of Life
Links and Resources: * Darryl Dash's website * How to Grow by Darryl Dash * Gospel for Life
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"It's not depth, it's not breadth, it's not knowledge... it's can you be consistent in your time spent with Jesus?"—Grant Vissers
Episode 63 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Grant Vissers. Grant is a pastor at St. Paul's Leaksdale Church, a writer, blogger, and host of the Young Church Leaders Podcast.
Key Learnings When trying to figure out a calling, a vocation, or a next step, listen to the people around you, but make sure that the ones you are listening to have earned the right to speak into your life.
"Competency will only take you as far as character will allow." — Carey Neiuwhof
Being called into community is a spiritual practice!
There is no one who has the perfect/right spiritual guidebook or practice.
Physical health impacts emotional health and each impact spiritual health
Things to Think About What is the place of desire and/or fear in discerning calling, vocation, or taking a next step?
What habits are you cultivating that will allow you to run the race well into the future?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode Community and accountability to figure out what practices will lead to consistency
Physical Exercise as a core practice
Reading through individual books of the Bible, reading the Psalms
Journaling / writing
Praying through listening to or playing music
Links and Resources: * Young Church Leaders Podcast
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"There is a part of discipleship that always leaves us in motion, even if we've lived in the same place our entire lives"—Michelle Van Loon
Episode 62 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Michelle Van Loon. Since coming to faith in Christ at the tail end of the Jesus Movement, Michelle’s Jewish heritage, spiritual hunger, and storyteller's sensibilities have shaped her faith journey and informed her writing. She is the author of five books and a regular contributor to Christianity Today's women's blog, In Touch magazine, and is the co-founder of www.ThePerennialGen.com, a website for midlife women and men.
Key Learnings The vocational questions of early adulthood change as we move into the second half of life, moving more toward questions of character.
"A pilgrim is formed by the question 'do I trust God?'"
Every time there is an exile in Scripture it is meant to transform us. "Exile is never the destination, pilgrimage is."
"Moral pilgrimage" is the exterior way that we are living out our obedience to God, and it IS a journey.
We find ways to talk about ambition and comfort that sound "biblically acceptable."
Things to Think About What are the key questions you are dealing with at this time in your life?
How might you be wandering? What is the possibility for transformation at this time?
There is a map for life, but the map is like a blank page that we discover by taking steps.
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode Daily Bible Reading using the St. James Daily Devotional
Writing as prayer and worship
Intentional conversation with others
Links and Resources: * Michelle Van Loon's website * www.ThePerennialGen.com - A Space for Christian women and men in the second half of life * Born to Wander: Recovering the Value of Our Pilgrim Identity by Michelle Van Loon
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"The Celtic Christian tradition is not what I would call 'I need a hug theology.' It's deeply grounded in the revelation of Father, Son, and Spirit..."—Ross Lockhart
Episode 61 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Dr. Ross Lockhart. Ross is Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership at St. Andrew’s Hall. Ross serves as the Presbyterian Director of Denominational Formation at Vancouver School of Theology as well as an Adjunct Professor of Homiletics at St. Mark’s College, UBC. He also teaches regularly at Regent College.
Key Learnings Looking at how faithful witness happened in a pre-Christian culture might help us understand how to witness today in a post-Christian culture.
Things to Think About Lockhart quotes Maggie Dawn stating, "The hardest pilgrimage is sitting still and going inside yourself." How do you respond?
How might we be courageous in our proclamation understanding that sometimes "no" might be the answer?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode Pilgrimage as Adult Catechesis/learning opportunity
Links and Resources: * Beyond Snakes and Shamrocks: St. Patrick’s Missional Leadership Lessons for Today by Ross Lockhart * Ross Lockhart’s official bio - http://vst.edu/people/rev-dr-ross-lockhart * Vancouver School of Theology - http://vst.edu/ * St. Andrew’s Hall - http://standrews.edu/ * The Accidental Pilgrim by Maggie Dawn
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"Only about 13% of Christians 'speak God' about once a week... that's shocking! Because we say we love God, we say we love faith, but we don't talk about faith..."—Jonathan Merritt
Episode 60 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Jonathan Merritt. Jonathan Merritt is an award-winning writer on religion, culture, and politics. He currently serves as a contributing writer for The Atlantic and contributing editor for The Week. Jonathan has published more than 3500 articles in respected outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. As a respected voice, he regularly contributes commentary to television, print, and radio news outlets and has been interviewed by ABC World News, NPR, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, Fox News, and CBS’ “60 Minutes.”
Jonathan's latest book is Learning to Speak God From Scratch: Why Sacred Words Are Vanishing--and How We Can Revive Them. In it, he argues that Spiritual or Religious Language is fading from use. He went to the field of linguistics and studied "come-back languages" - languages that had faded from use and had been recovered (e.g. Yiddish, Celtic). He argues for a re-imagining of spiritual words in order to revive sacred speech.
The book is really in two parts. The first is the argument about language fading and the need for imaginative recovery. The second is a series of essays focussed on individual words that provide a model for re-imagining around that word.
This interview is also in two parts, where we talk about the overall argument of the book, but also spend time exploring a few of the words that Jonathan includes in his book.
Key Learnings Religious and spiritual language is fading from use in general society, and this is a major loss. We are losing the ability to express the deep realities of our lives.
Only 13% of practicing Christians say they have spiritual conversations on a regular basis.
God loves language. Of the ten commandments, two of them are about the use of words. As we look at Scripture, words and language are central.
The "word" in John 1 (logos in Greek) is dynamic rather than static. An early translation of John 1, uses "conversation" rather than "word."
Languages make a come back not through a simple "re-use" but through reimagining their meaning in their re-use.
Finding the "original meaning" of words (particularly from ancient languages) is near impossible. The meaning of words is often fluid.
Things to Think About What spiritual words do you avoid using? (perhaps sin, judgment, hell, mystery, brokenness?) Reflect on why you avoid particular words. How might you re-imagine one of these words for you to be able to use it more regularly?
What holds you back from regularly talking about God, or having spiritual conversations?
Links and Resources: * Jonathan Merritt's website * Learning to Speak God From Scratch: Why Sacred Words Are Vanishing--and How We Can Revive Them.
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"Fearing one another, hating one another, not welcoming one another... We have to somehow overcome and see what Christ has done when Jesus walked on earth. He didn't build walls, he broke them down..."—Grace Ji-Sun Kim
Episode 59 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim. Grace is Associate Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion and is the author of over 15 books. Her latest include... Healing Our Broken Humanity, co-written with Graham Hill, The Homebrewed Christianity Guide to the Holy Spirit.
Key Learnings Community, society, family is so important when looking at our brokenness, sin, and need for repentance and change.
The initial steps toward healing a broken humanity are for local communities of faith, to begin with being convicted of, acknowledging, and lamenting our own sin and our participation in sin.
There are four stages to repentance (it is a process!): conviction, contrition, commitment, and change.
Things to Think About What community are you a part of? How can your community better reflect the new humanity in Christ?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode Communal lament.
Repentance as a practice
Links and Resources: * Grace's Website and books * Earlham School of Theology * The Global Church Project (Graham Hill)
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Click here and Enter for a chance to win a copy of Amos Smith's latest book, Be Still and Listen
"Augustine said that people try to fill that God-shaped hole in the brothel, in the bar, with their spouse, but nothing really satisfies, gives a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose, like a direct experience of God's presence. "—Amos Smith
Episode 58 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview Amos Smith. Amos writes at his website about Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots and is the author of Healing The Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots and BE STILL AND LISTEN: Experience the Presence of God in Your Life.
Key Learnings Having 40 minutes a day for silence and centering prayer, though counter-cultural, ought not be unusual for Christians. Indeed, it is not unusual for the Eastern Church.
Mystics can sometimes be branded as either "deranged" or dangerous to the establishment.
Time away for silence is vital for a deepening relationship with God in Christ.
Spending regular and extended time with God provides the possibility for personal transformation and this has the potential to have a major impact on the lives of the people around you.
Things to Think About Would you consider "jumping into the deep end" and doing a 10-day silent retreat?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode Centering Prayer - See the episode with Rich Lewis for a more detailed description of Centering Prayer
Silent Retreats
Links and Resources: * Amos Smith's Website * Healing The Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots * BE STILL AND LISTEN: Experience the Presence of God in Your Life
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"It was amazing to me that in this hard part of scriputre, there were things we could immediately apply."—Rachel Schmoyer
Episode 57 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features Rachel Schmoyer. Rachel has a website called "Read the Hard Parts" which focusses on looking at some of the most difficult passages in Scripture and looks to discover what truth we might glean.
Rather than the usual interview format, Rachel and I do an essentially unplanned Bible Study on Malachi 1:1-5:
1 The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob; 3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” 4 Though Edom says, “We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins”; thus says the Lord of hosts, “They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the Lord is indignant forever.” 5 Your eyes will see this and you will say, “The Lord be magnified beyond the border of Israel!”
Key Learnings Some amazing things come from reading, thinking about, and discussing difficult passages of scripture, especially when we keep an open mind about various ways of looking at a text.
Things to Think About Who might you read and discuss the Bible with?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode * Reading hard parts of the Bible
Links and Resources: * Read the Hard Parts by Rachel Schmoyer * Rachel's Bible Reading Chart * The Finishing Touches: Preparing for Christmas with the Book of Malachi: An Eight Day Devotional * Let's Eat! Giving Thanks with Jesus at Mealtimes: A 5 Day Devotional
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"When I look beyond my own circumstances and catch these other glimmers of how God is moving and acting in the world and in other peoples' lives, then I realize He is here with me..."—Alicia Brummeler
Episode 56 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with Alicia Brummeler. In it, we focus on her book, Everywhere God: Exploring the Ordinary Places. We discuss encountering God in when spiritually adrift, having or not having tangible experiences of God, encountering God in rituals, encountering God in literature.
Key Learnings Having friends who sit with, pray with, or are present with you are so important.
Universalizing spiritual experience, particularly for others, in times of dryness, is not helpful.
Things to Think About Do we trust that God is, in fact, at work even when we don't seem to experience God?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode * Journaling * Reading through the Psalms * Being Outside * Eating together with family * Reading
Links and Resources: * Alicia Brummeler's website * Everywhere God: Exploring the Ordinary Places
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"There's something about naming God's goodness in a thing that softens your heart toward it."—John van Sloten.
Episode 55 of Spirituality for Ordinary People features an interview with John van Sloten. In it, we focus on three areas: 1) God's presence in popular culture 2) Our jobs as parables for understanding God
The interview is a deep dive into understanding the revelation of God. How is God speaking / or revealing himself.
Key Learnings There is always an opportunity to learn about or know God.
We are made in the image of a God who works, therefore our jobs are imaging of God.
Things to Think About Reflect on your work. How is your job a parable for understanding God?
Spiritual Practices Discussed in this Episode This whole episode is about seeing God everywhere!
Links and Resources: * John van Sloten's Website - includes the sermons referenced in the interview * The Day Metallica Came to Church: Searching for the Everywhere God in Everything * Every Job a Parable: What Walmart Greeters, Nurses, and Astronauts Tell Us about God
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