Know God

Listen in on this third episode on AWE - the anticipation of awe at the end of time. Awe comes from a spiritual experience - wrestling with life and death. 
A focus on apocalyptic scenarios misses the essence of the renewal of all things in the future. We may expect to be more impressed with the physicality of end times rather than the inner experience, and in the spirit realm. 
The awe at the end of times  is a future based on the experience of the presence of God making his home among people. God has been introducing that new experience all along the way. This is the basis of experiencing awe in the end of times.
Scriptures discussed include Romans 8:18-23, 1 Corinthians 15:35-55, Philippians 3:20-21, Revelation 21:1-6, and Colossians 1:15-20.

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This Know God episode is our second  on AWE. We demonstrate finding awe in the texts and stories of the Bible. We discussed 8 pathways to awe as presented in the book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, by Dr. Dacher Keltner. 
Scriptures discussed include Psalm 23, Genesis 28:12-18, 1 Kings 3:23-28, Luke 23:46-48, and Hebrews 12:25-29.

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The science of awe took off with the Apollo 8 mission of 1968. This episode explores the intersection of scientific research and biblical narrative as we consider the amazing benefits of the experience of AWE!
You’ve likely seen the iconic photo “Earthrise” taken by the crew of Apollo 8. For the first time humans saw their blue home planet rising above the forbidding lunar horizon. Awe enveloped them as this view of Earth changed their lives. Some say the beginning of the study of awe at the academic level began because of that Apollo 8 mission. Join us as we discuss “What is awe?” gleaning from scientific research and biblical teaching. Passages discussed include Luke 5:20-26 and 7:9-17.

We discuss 8 pathways to awe, from the work of Dr. Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley. He and his colleagues identify eight different pathways to experience awe: 1) The moral beauty of people, 2) nature, 3) collective effervescence,4) dance movement, 5) the cultural stuff of visual design, 6) music, 7) spirituality, and 8) big ideas in life and death. 

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Community Context is the third podcast in the CONTEXT series. Community context involves slowing down, reading details, connecting dots, and giving attention to the street signs of our local communities.
Listen to our conversation about, “How can I become a good neighbor?”

Many people don’t know their communities, and their communities don’t know them. Many people are sitting in their house; they don't know their neighbors and are pretty much content with that. We could just be a little more human as we take the initiative to connect with others. Grasping community context will get us on the right track.
I became fascinated to understand the concept of community context while reading the book Contextual Intelligence: Unlocking the Ancient Secret to Mission on the Front Lines by Leonard Sweet and Michael Beck.
Scriptures include Ephesians 4:18-24 and Matthew 6:26–29.

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Relational Context is about finding opportunities to develop stronger connections with others. Sometimes referred to as relational intelligence,  we describe how it takes trust, authentic love, as well as a commitment to a “not ‘on the clock’ kind of time with others. As a God-created facet of humanity, to not possess relational intelligence is to experience something clouding it, blocking it, veiling it, or to simply be afraid of it.
Gain insights and tools for relationships as we discuss passages, including Matthew 7:1-3, John 2:43-51, and John 3:1-12.

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CONTEXT informs translation and core principles of the Bible. In this episode the translation of the Greek word lambano as  “take” or “receive” is covered in detail. Context is shown to be key to determining translation. It even has implications for how we view Jesus Christ. Key passages highlight this significance.
Gain new insight in the significance of “receive versus take” as we discuss passages, including Philippians 2:5-8, John 1:11-14, and Philippians 3:12-14.

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What is the impact of rivalry? Can I feed rivalry and competition outside of my church life and not work counter to the environment of the church? Rivalry impacts behavior not only in athletics and business, but also in recreation, education, church, and politics. We discuss that the opposite of  rivalry is be a teammate. Insights into the impact of rivalry will come from history, and biblical passages, including Galatians 5:16-21, 1 Timothy 6:2-5, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Titus 3:9, Philippians 1:15-18, and Matthew 20:1-16.

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Why is this podcast called, “Know God”? The vision of Jesus was that we can know God. It’s reciprocal. God knows us; we know God. The hope that one can know God, to intimately have an experience in relationship with the Creator of the universe, is an incredibly high goal, but is exactly what we believe each person can have.
We take an approach of giving tools and lenses to people who are searching. Knowing God is so much bigger than mere rationalism. It’s intimacy and wholeness.
Scriptures discussed include John 17:3, John 10, and 1 John 4:7-9.

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How can I recognize when a church may be off track, out of kilter? Here’s a resource outlining characteristics of a church in good shape. This is the 4th and final episode on church as the visible Christian presence in a society or community.
We give our take on 6 biblical metaphors describing a healthy and authentic church. These metaphors are like snapshots of a church. What does it look like? How does it function? When is it the best version of the design Jesus had in mind? These metaphors vary from body, building, assembly, flock, kingdom, and family.
Scriptures include Epheseians 3:2-6,Ephesians 4:3-6, and 1 Peter 5:1-3.

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When someone says I’m going to give church a try the next question is, “Which church?” Here’s a resource to make one aware of the factors that may help make that decision. This is Part 3 of the series on church.

Churches are diverse. Many nuances make individual congregations unique. Here are some musings on the style of churches. How the church feels when I walk in the door. How it plays out in relationships. We discuss the impact that church life of the American frontier during the early 19th Century continues to impact church now. Camp meetings became a template of revivalism and nondenominational Christianity. Church size and organization structure strongly determine the experience of those entering into the life of a congregation. Scripture includes Acts 16:31-34 with a discussion of “household” as a translation of the Greek “oikos”.

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In this deep dive into Christian denominations we hope to create pathways of understanding. We dive deep into background issues that make denominations different from each other. Many nuances make church denominations and congregations unique. Understanding these can only enhance understanding among believers. Our season 1 podcast, “5 Principles of Interpretation” answering, “How do you build your faith from the core out?” is a good companion to this podcast. 

When someone says I’m going to give church a try the next question is, “Which church?” Here’s a resource to make one aware of the factors that go into making that decision.

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Church experience can have a lot of negatives, still, in this podcast we talk about how one life can make a difference in the lives of other people in this environment we call the church. Meet Mary, who when her church closed said to herself, “I decided to pick up my faith one more time and find a new church.” Find out why and how she made church life better for many.  
We could get so hung up on the details of the structure or doctrine of the church, that those can be spot on to what we believe is right, and the church can be unhealthy in relationships because people are not being open and honest and not connecting with each other. 
Scriptures include Acts 11:19-26.

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The ideal “to never stop praying” has fed a misconception that the most heartfelt practice of prayer is impromptu, extemporaneous, or conversational.

Mindful prayer IS in the moment, yet that does not mean that the words of my prayer must always be without forethought. Impromptu prayers can leave us with fewer and fewer words to speak to God. This approach to prayer may become just as repetitive as any prepared or memorized prayers. We  consider new approaches to prayer to help move us out of prayer doldrums, engaging our creative selves to be intimately talking to God. Scriptures include 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Matthew 6:7-13, and Psalms 3, 5, 8 and 139.
AND, there’s a lot of singing in this episode - impromptu singing!

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Let’s talk dirt and plants, “nature” and mindfulness, and spiritual experience. It’s common to think that nature has little to do with Christian spirituality. We discuss ways we can be in the elements and experience God - to know him better. Knowing our elemental composition may lead us to engage fully in life. Listen in as Tony, Sandy and Micah share personal ways they connect to nature. The last 10 minutes includes an exploration about the elemental nature of church sacraments. Bible passages include Genesis 2, Psalm 8, and Psalm 139.

Check out our previous podcast (Season 2, Episode 9, Let’s Talk About Zombies & Ghosts.

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Meditations with pace, rhythm, and cadence can strengthen the practice of mindfulness. Words or phrases that help one to be in the moment rather than in the future lead to the best practice in mindfulness. Find passages to coincide with your circumstances such as:

• Meditations of inner serenity; 
• Meditations of personal or spiritual growth;
• Meditations of community. 

Mindfulness is a fundamental practice to let good dwell in one’s heart and soul. Passages in this podcast include Psalms 27 and 46; Zephaniah 3:17; Colosians 2:5-7; and Matthew 25:40.

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A perfect way to practice mindfulness is during seasons like Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas or any other spiritual holy day or season. Jesus asked his followers to keep watch (vigil) with him on the night he was betrayed. His birth found shepherds keeping watch over their sheep at night. Keeping watch opens us up to new spiritual experiences. Passages include Mark 14:32-42.

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What's the big deal about mindfulness? Why bother? Many are drawn to mindfulness through the desperation of their anxiety. Others are looking for a competitive edge in the workplace. Some practice it to be one in reality. Some Christians pursue mindfulness to attain a holiness of life and others to know God. Explore reasons to practice mindfulness with us in this podcast. Passages include Psalms 131 and 46. 

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Listen in on a conversation that introduces the why and how of the practice of mindfulness. Growing in mindfulness in a simple moment sets us up to be mindful in a chaotic moment. One leaves behind the double-mindedness that works against mindfulness. Passages include Genesis 2:7, James 4:8, and Luke 6:44-46. Previous podcasts referenced are Zombies and Ghosts and What is a Soul?

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We want to share a Christmas meditation for this season. You may be longing for a good Christmas experience and we want to encourage you. In this podcast we share how we may experience Christmas peace. What can you do to have that peace? Listen to this meditation for some ideas.

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What is a mentor? How can I find one? How can I be a good one? A mentor in the basic sense is a role model in some area of life: work, family, spirituality, and so on. Become acquainted with the mentoring relationship of Paul and Timothy found in the Bible. Mentees are inclined to imitate a mentor. It's the reason they may have chosen that person as a mentor. A mentor is looking for someone who is striving to grow.

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