Big Fish, Little Pod

Is it important to identify ourselves with one spiritual designation or is it an advantage to have our practice composed of multiple traditions? This week, we explore Amy's spiritual journey, including growing up in the church, attending a Jesuit university, meditating with Buddhist monks, chanting with yogis, studying Science of Mind, and attending ministerial school.

This week, we explore Bob's spiritual upbringing, the influence his parents' faith had on his own, and the natural relationship with God he had since childhood. Amy inquires how Bob's original vocational goal of helping people make good choices in their leisure time transitioned to something more spiritually focused as the years went on. 

Performing at our best can be a daily challenge, especially when it comes to spiritual practice. Sometimes its the small, simple, yet spiritually nourishing activities that can really support us on our journey: a walk in nature, warm cup of tea, or drive to the ocean. Bob and Amy discuss the spiritual supports in their own lives and how they have contributed to their spiritual progression. 

Are we capable of shifting from frustrated and discouraged to inspired and productive? Is God's presence in our lives just as potent as it was in the lives of the disciples? These and other questions that Bob and Amy disagree on during this week's episode of Big Fish, Little Pod!

Criticism and gossip may not be habits we hope to increase in our lives, but they don't seem as detrimental as lying, cheating, and stealing either. So why then do so many spiritual traditions emphasize the negative effects criticism and gossip can have on our spiritual progress? Bob and Amy discuss the strange temptation to participate in criticism even when they know it does only harm.

This week, Amy and Bob continue their conversation about the church and its role in our modern life. According to the Pew Research Center, millennials in America are less likely to identify as religious, believe in God, or attend church as the older generation. But does this mean they are less happy or even less spiritual?

According to the Pew Research Center, millennials in America are less likely to identify as religious, believe in God, or attend church as the older generation. But does this mean they are less happy or even less spiritual? What happens when a millenial, raised in the church, no longer relates to the tradition they were brought up in? How should their parents and the church, itself, respond?

According to the Pew Research Center, young adults are far less likely than older generations to identify with a religion, believe in God or engage in a variety of religious practices. Does this mean that they are less spiritual or less happy? What happens when a millennial, raised in the church, decides not practice as an adult? How should older generations, and the church itself, respond?

Usually, we feel that the things we choose to include or exclude in our lives are done so for good reason. But are those preferences based on some universal truth or just our own conditioning? This week, Bob and Amy discuss how challenging it can be to check your own biases when you have believed them for so long.

During the holiday season, hope is a recurring theme central to many traditions. Is hope an unrealistic wish for an unlikely outcome or is it a tangible strength that supports through life's difficulties? This week, Bob and Amy discuss the true meaning of hope.