Wayfarer Podcast – Wayfarer: Recent Episodes
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Just another wayfarer on life's journey, headed for Home. I'm carrying The Message, and I'm definitely waiting for Guffman.
https://anchor.fm/s/2742d354/podcast/rssOn this episode of the Wayfarer Weekend podcast, I had a conversation with Marcus Pittman, co-founder of LOOR.TV, a start-up streaming service targeted at “cigar and whiskey evangelicals,” whom he defines as men primarily from college to middle age. Based on a video gaming model, young and aspiring producers and filmmakers get an opportunity to put their faith-based and conservative work before LOOR’s subscribers, and subscribers get to virtually invest in the shows they want to continue. Subscriber gets to participate in what shows get funded to continue and which don’t. Comedy, Sci-Fi, and Animated content that appeals to young men looking for what they can’t find anywhere else. I found it to be a very interesting model that could, if it catches on, disrupt the entertainment and steaming model in big ways.
Marcus PittmanRemember! You can subscribe to the Wayfarer Podcast on any of the major podcast platforms from Apple to Spotify. Just seach for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well” and subscribe. It’s FREE and you’ll never miss an episode.
Artist Heather Holdsworth, Author of “Landscape of Hope”A year or two ago, I had the joy of meeting Heather Holdsworth via email when she reached out about one of my chapter-a-day posts in the Psalms. Our correspondence quickly turned to friendship. A resident of Scotland, we had several common touchpoints including our daughter and her family just living down the highway from Heather’s home in St. Andrews. She has a wonderful story, and I fell in love with her artwork on her website HeatherHoldsworth.com.
I asked Heather to be on the Wayfarer Weekend podcast a long time ago, but she was busy finishing her book Landscape of Hope at the time. The book is now published. I actually gave the book to three people this past Christmas and they all have given rave reviews of both Heather’s artwork and her insight on the Psalms.
Heather and I finally found an opportunity to connect for an interview. I think you’re going to love getting to know her. I encourage you to check out her website. She can also be found on Facebook and Instagram as HeatherHoldsworthWrites. Cheers!
https://anchor.fm/s/2742d354/podcast/rss
https://anchor.fm/s/2742d354/podcast/rssAnd have them make me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 25:8 (NRSVCE)
Our children posted a rather hilarious video of Milo over the weekend. At first, we couldn’t figure out what he was doing shaking his bum towards daddy’s legs. As we listened to the audio it became more clear that Milo was making like the Stegosaurus on his shirt and shaking his spiky “tail” to protect himself from the predator, played by daddy, whom I presume was cast in the role of a T-Rex. Yesterday, on our Father’s Day FaceTime, we got to witness Milo reprise his role for us a shake his little dino-booty for Papa and Yaya’s enjoyment.
It’s a very natural thing for us to make word pictures and games for our children and grandchildren to introduce them to concepts, thoughts, and ideas that are still a little beyond their cognitive reach. Even with spiritual things we do this. Advent calendars with numbered doors help children mark the anticipation of celebrating Jesus’ birth. Christmas gifts remind us of the gifts the Magi brought the Christ child. Wendy often recalls the Nativity play she and her cousins and siblings performed each year with bathrobes and hastily collected props which helped to teach the story behind the season.
In leaving Egypt and striking out for the Promised Land, Moses and the twelve Hebrew tribes are a fledgling nation. Yahweh was introduced to Moses in the burning bush. Moses introduced the Tribes to Yahweh through interceding with Pharaoh on their behalf and delivering them from Egyptian slavery. Yahweh has already provided food in the form of Manna and led them to the mountain. In today’s chapter, God begins the process of providing a system of worship that will continue to develop a relationship of knowing and being known.
As I described in my podcast, Time (Part 1), we are still at the toddler stage of human history and development. The Ark of the Covenant (yes, the one from Raiders of the Lost Ark) and the plan for a giant traveling Tent to house God’s presence, are all tangible word pictures that their cognitive human brains could fathom revealing and expressing intangible spiritual truths about God.
Along my spiritual journey, I’ve observed that as humanity has matured so has God’s relationship with us. Jesus pushed our spiritual understanding of God. “You have heard it said,” he would begin before adding, “but I say….” I have come to believe that Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection were like the “age of accountability” in which we talk about when children become responsible adults. Jesus came to grow us up spiritually and to mature our understanding of what it means to become participants in the divine dance within the circle of love with Father, Son, and Spirit. On a grand scale, God is doing with humanity what Paul experienced in the microcosm of his own life:
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.
1 Corinthians 13:11
I have also observed, however, that human beings have a way of getting stuck in our development. Many adults I know are living life mired in adolescent patterns of thought and behavior. Many church institutions are, likewise, mired in childish religious practices designed to control human social behavior, but they do very little to fulfill Jesus’ mission of bringing God’s Kingdom to earth. Again, Paul was dealing with this same thing when he wrote to Jesus’ followers in Corinth:
And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3a
There is a great example of this from today’s chapter. God provided the Ark of the Covenant, and a traveling tent called the Tabernacle, as a word picture of His presence and dwelling with the wandering Hebrew people. It was a physical sign that God was with them. Once settled in the Promised land, the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem became the central physical location of God’s presence. When Jesus came, however, He blew up the childish notion of the God of Creation residing in one place. Jesus matured our understanding of God’s very nature and the nature of God’s presence. With the pouring out of God’s Spirit to indwell every believer, Jesus transformed our understanding of God’s dwelling and presence. “Wherever two or three are gathered,” Jesus said, “I am among them.” The place of worship transitioned from the Temple to the dining room table. After the resurrection, Jesus was revealed during dinner in Emmaus, making shore-lunch for the disciples along the Sea of Galilee, and at the dinner table behind locked doors where the disciples were hiding.
Wendy and I have this quote from Brian Zahnd hanging on the fridge in our kitchen:
“The risen Christ did not appear at the temple but at meal tables. The center of God’s activity had shifted – it was no longer the temple but the table that was the holiest of all. The church would do well to think of itself, not so much as a kind of temple, but as a kind of table. This represents a fundamental shift. Consider the difference between the temple and the table. Temple is exclusive; Table is inclusive. Temple is hierarchical; Table is egalitarian. Temple is authoritarian; Table is affirming. Temple is uptight and status conscious; Table is relaxed and ‘family-style.’ Temple is rigorous enforcement of purity codes that prohibit the unclean; Table is a welcome home party celebrating the return of sinners. The temple was temporal. The table is eternal. We thought God was a diety in a temple. It turns out God is a father at a table.”
In the quiet this morning I find myself thinking about the ancient Hebrew people struggling to mature their understanding from a polytheistic society with over 1500 dieties to the one God who is trying to introduce Himself to them in ways they can understand. I am reminded of the ways Jesus tried to mature our understanding of God even further. I find myself confessing all of the ways through all of the years of my spiritual journey that I have refused to mature in some of the most basic things Jesus was teaching.
As Wendy and I sit down together to share a meal together this week, my desire is to acknowledge Jesus’ presence. To make our time of conversation, laughter, and daily bread a time of communion with God’s Spirit. I think that’s a good spiritual action step.
Bon a petite, my friend. May you find God’s Spirit at your table this week.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
On this Wayfarer Weekend (WW) podcast, my conversation with Mark Scandrette, author of "The Ninefold Path of Jesus, Hidden Wisdom of the Beatitudes."
An index of chapter-a-day posts from the book of Lamentations published by Tom Vander Well in December 2021.
In this Wayfarer Weekend (WW) podcast, we'll talk about layers of introspection from devotional chapter-a-day thoughts to an annual focus on "one word." Earlier in 2021, I talked about my "one word" for this year. Today, I'll recap some of the places my focus on that word led me, and how it's helped me in my spiritual journey.
Hey friend, I hope your weekend is going well! I wanted to thank my friend Reuel Sample at the Pastor’s Voice Podcast for inviting me to be a guest this past week. I had a fantastic time and look forward to future conversations. You can listen online at thepastorsvoice.net and you can subscribe to the … Continue reading Listening Opportunities →
On this Wayfarer Weekend Podcast, I interview Kathie Evenhouse, co-author of Strike the Match, Light the Fire.
This week, my Wayfarer Weekend podcast is a phone conversation Dr. Bob in which we discuss topics from preaching to life and to the meta-lessons Bob has observed and learned in over 50 years of preaching and teaching.
The Wayfarer Podcast, complete with both chapter-a-day and Wayfarer Weekend podcasts is now available through Amazon Music.
“I worked my whole life to end up on Skid Row.” Andy Bales At the age of 15, just a few months after my decision to become a follower of Jesus, I met Andy Bales. For the next three formative years he was my youth pastor, my mentor, and my friend. When I think of … Continue reading Wayfarer Weekend Podcast: Andy Bales on Skid Row →
On this Wayfarer Weekend podcast we welcome Ron L. Deal for a discussion about second marriages and blended families.
On this Wayfarer Weekend (WW) podcast I welcome Dr. Eric Recker to the Vander Well Pub for a conversation about his mission from God that sprung out of the COVID-19 pandemic and one of the most difficult days of his life.
When I was a young man my mentor encouraged me to "number my days." Years later he asked me if I'd be willing to speak at his funeral and share about the things I learned in doing so. I'm sorry to say I didn't have the opportunity to do that, but I'm sharing it with you in this podcast.
I confess that “holy” is a word, and a spiritual concept, that I failed to fully understand, or flat out got wrong, for most of my journey.
Concentric circles. God’s Spirit, God’s creation, God’s love, God’s praise are always pressing outward, reaching out, embracing, pulling in, and sending out. As I follow Jesus, that’s where I’m constantly led in my spiritual journey.
In the quiet this morning, I hear God’s Spirit whispering to my spirit. The Spirit gently reminds me that, in both the macro and the micro, “I’ve got this.”
Throughout the Great Story, "new" is a repetitive theme. In fact, if you step back and look at the Great Story from a macro level, doing something "new" is a part of who God is.
Following Jesus is a faith journey because it requires me to find assurance in hope that isn’t readily apparent in my present circumstances.
This Wayfarer Weekend Podcast: Trivial Pursuit, Naked Tenders, Synergy, Magnanimity, Thomas Aquinas, Kenosis, Quarantine, Peter Heck, English Premier League, and Ted Lasso as we discuss “One Word.”
On this Wayfarer Weekend podcast, the second-half of my chat with Matthew Burch. As a therapist, consultant, and advisor, Matthew believes that everyone is having a conversation with life.
On this Wayfarer Weekend podcast, we welcome Matthew Burch. As a therapist, consultant, and advisor, Matthew believes that everyone is having a conversation with life.
How much do I miss out on because I make assumptions about others? Am I going to hold the people at my class reunion to the people they were 30 years ago? How do I walk with my adult children as they forge their own paths, even though they aren't the paths I envisioned for them? These questions and more in the second half of my conversation about Spiritual Transformation with Laine Korver.
On this Wayfarer Weekend podcast, the first half of my conversation with an amazing lady full of joy and wisdom. Laine Korver shares her own journey and her insights on spiritual formation.
I couldn't help but notice this morning that David's faith, hope, trust, and praise are not the result of his circumstances. David is choosing them despite his circumstances, the same way he always has.
On this Wayfarer Weekend (WW) podcast is Part One of my conversation with Dr. Karen Cleveland, Clinical Psychologist, and Certified Enneagram coach.
On this Wayfarer Weekend (WW) podcast is Part One of my conversation with Dr. Karen Cleveland, Clinical Psychologist, and Certified Enneagram coach.
This week's Wayfarer Weekend podcast comes on the heels of the most contentious Presidential election in recent history during the most strange year of our lifetimes. Where is it all going? Thoughts from a "wayfaring stranger traveling through this world of woe."
The Wayfarer Weekend Podcast is Part One of "Companions on Life's Journey" with special guest, Kevin Roose.
In this episode, we're going to talk about metaphor and the books of poetry (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs). From "Why do bad things happen to good people?" to a healthy expression of the God-given expression of sexuality, this episode is an entry-level introduction to ancient Hebrew poetry and how it continues to resonate with us today.
The Wayfarer Podcast can now be found on several podcasting platforms. Links for all of them in the post!
The Kingdom of God is not like the kingdoms of this world, and it requires the eyes and ears of my heart to see and hear beyond the simplistic choices fed to me by this world.
In my experience, clergy across the various denominations, and even religions, are all lumped together in the minds of most people. Either they aren't sure what to call you, or they simply use whatever word they know from their own experience. And yet, there are major differences in both meaning and role.
If there was a blueprint Jesus provided for design of the church, it would look exactly like me.
I believe that we are moving into a time when followers of Jesus are tearing the curtain once more and rediscovering the fullness of what Jesus meant when He told his followers, "I will destroy this temple and raise it in three days."
When Jesus came He blew up the childish notion of the God of Creation residing in one place. Jesus matured our understanding of God's very nature and the nature of God's presence. The place of worship transitioned from the Temple to the dining room table.
Over the nearly 40 years I have been a follower of Jesus, I've experienced that my time of quiet with God each morning has an effect on the peace with which I handle the stress of each day.
When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, and when He commanded His followers to take His message to Samaria, He was addressing systemic racial prejudice. Jesus was pointing His own people back to the heart of God that motivated the law repeated twice in yesterday's chapter and today's.
The way of Jesus has always been about letting go, giving up, and leaving behind. The diminishment of self for the gain of others is not an optional path for those followers of Jesus who want an advanced spiritual placement. It's foundational to being a follower at all.
How do I, as a 21st century follower of Jesus, relate to an ancient Hebrew text that is basically a code of law dealing with specific instances of slavery around 3,500 years ago? How can this possibly relate to my life today? I have a couple of thoughts.
Monday mornings are always a mental and spiritual "reset" button for me. As I prepare to enter another work-week I'm thankful for Jesus' reminder that all of the Commandments, rules, and laws in God's Book are summed up in two: Love God with everything you've got. Love others as you love yourself. Now that is a pitch I can hit.
What is a parent's relationship like with a toddler? The parent dictates the rules and asks the child to obey. Rules and obligations. Parents graciously extend protection and provision. They expect obedience. While the child can't cognitively understand just how graciously his or her parents are being, they simply understand that when they obey things are okay and when they disobey they get in trouble. At Sinai, I believe that God and humanity are in the toddler stage of relationship.
Within any human system, there is a structure of power and responsibility. In some cases, that structure is well-defined and ordered like a community organization with by-laws run by Robert's Rules of Order. Companies have organizational charts to define who answers to whom. My observation is that the more intimate and small the system, the more difficult things can get.
One of my observations along life's journey is that humans have a penchant for whining at every stage of life, it just looks different in adults than it does in childhood. It transforms from emotional tantrums in children to adults wallowing in grumbling, complaining, and lament.
In the quiet this morning I find myself confessing that I never think about my needs because there has never been a day of my life journey that I couldn't take for granted my basic needs would be met. This means that my entire life journey has been spent measuring the "quality" and "success" of life by the relative equation of my wants versus my acquisitions.
I believe that God infused music with powerful properties. One of them is the way music ties us emotionally and spiritually to moments of our life journeys.
In today's chapter, I found it so clearly hiding in plain sight. Moses and the escaping Hebrews find themselves stuck at the shore of the Red Sea as the Egyptian army advances on them. In escaping their chains of slavery and oppression the Hebrews looked back at what was and found themselves mired in fear. Moses was focused on standing firm, but that leaves the situation between the proverbial rock and a hard place. God wants them to move forward.
In episode five of the series we pick up the Great Story at the end of Moses' story and overview the continuation of the story through the "Historical Books" of the Old Testament.
In our fourth episode of the series we're going to start wading through the major sections of the Great Story. We begin with the ancient and mysterious texts of the first five books, known as "The Books of Moses." In them, we'll discover the problem and the prophetic plan through the promise to a person who will become a people.
In our third episode of the series we're going to talk about some of the "meta-themes" in the Great Story and, since all good stories are a reflection of the Great Story, we'll look at some examples of the meta-themes we find in our favorite movies and epic stories.
Second episode of the series in which decode some of the basic confusion people often have about the Great Story (aka The Bible) and provide some suggestions and recommendations for diving in to the "shallow end" where you won't drown in discouragement!
First episode exploring the basics of the Great Story (aka The Bible) for both those who have little or no prior knowledge, and for those who do and simply want a refresher on some of those basics. In episode one we'll explore three foundational themes as we begin this journey: metaphor, context, and mystery.
The unexpected third part of what was planned as a two-part series contemplating time. How we approach appointed time, the prophetic, and staying in the flow of what God is doing.
The second part of a two-part series contemplating time as it relates to eternity, history, the future, end times, and my own earthly journey.
The first part of a two-part series contemplating time as it relates to eternity, history, and my own earthly journey.
Wayfarer returns from self-imposed exile, with thoughts and reflections on the theme of exile in God's Message and our current times.
Thoughts on "unplugging" from blogging and social media for Lent, and introduction of the concept of The Four Levels.
How foolish we are as adolescents, how systems influence us and society, how we progress in our respective journeys, and the gift given to me by my Junior High Principal.
This week's podcast brought to you by the letter "C" including Creed, Crash, Costner, Catholic, Cold, and Cutting the Chord.
Tom Vander Well embarks on his podcasting journey by sharing why his blog and podcast are dubbed "Wayfarer" and how it all began.