Join Dennis as he takes a trip to 1970s Michigan and recounts what is was like to grow up as a young black man.  It was a time of challenges to be sure, but it was a time of hope and of pride.  Dennis remembered the importance of being "Black and Proud."  The 2020s is a time period where Black Pride seems nowhere to be found.  What happened?  Dennis looks into the question, Is Black Still Beautiful?What Happens When a Slogan Becomes the Curriculum by Conor Friedersdorf‘The Narrative Is, “You Can’t Get Ahead”’ by Conor FriedersdorfThe Virtue Signalers Won’t Change the World by John McWhorterBe sure to rate us and leave a review.  Share the podcast with others!  Questions? Send an email: [email protected].  website: spheresofinfluence.orgTwitter: @CompanyPolite Facebook: YouTube Channel Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

A lot of pastors are leaving the ministry and it has only worsened during the pandemic.  Why?  Dennis shares his own frustrations as a pastor in this very challenging time.  If you are ordained, have you ever considered leaving the ministry?  Or, are you a former pastor that left in frustration? What got you into the ministry and what would made you leave or tempted to leave?  If you’re willing to share please drop me a line via email at [email protected] or through Twitter by going to @CompanyPolite.  I look forward to hearing from you!Thanks to all of you who have rated the podcast or left a review. The more you can do that, the more this podcast can be found by others.  Also consider subscribing!I have had 28 pastor friends resign this year, by Dan WhitePastors are leaving their congregations after losing their churchgoers to QAnon by Sophia Ankel6 reasons why your pastor is about to quit by Thom RainerFor some pastors, the past year was a sign from God it was time to quit, Religion News ServiceFailing Pastor BlogBe sure to rate us and leave a review.  Share the podcast with others!  Questions? Send an email: [email protected].  website: spheresofinfluence.orgTwitter: @CompanyPolite Facebook: YouTube Channel Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when the last person of integrity is pushed out of the GOP?  As Rep. Liz Cheney’s leadership position hangs in the balance, we are about to find out.The GOP is at a turning point. History is watching us. By Liz CheneyGOP eyes voter fraud conspiracy theorist to replace Liz Cheney (Washington Post)Why Liz Cheney's brave Trump crusade is so depressing to Republicans like me by Susan Del PercioBe sure to rate us and leave a review.  Share the podcast with others!  Questions? Send an email: [email protected]: spheresofinfluence.orgTwitter: @CompanyPoliteFacebook: YouTube Channel Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Dennis uses his ADHD/Aspergers brain and takes on a potpourri of issues such as President Biden's speech to Congress, the role of the state and the center-right, Sen. Tim Scott's response and the United States as a racist nation, America becoming a post-religious nation and the fate of the mainline Protestant church.  He caps things off with a tribute to the "forgotten astronaut" of Apollo 11, Michael Collins.Show Notes: The Era of Limited Government is Over, by Ross DouthatIndividual and National Freedom: Toward a New Conservative Fusion by Brad LittlejohnWhat libertarianism has become and will become — State Capacity Libertarianism by Tyler CowenThree Motivations for State Capacity Libertarians by Sam HammondAmerica Will Be! Podcast EpisodeI Love My Country. But Let’s Not Kid Ourselves, by Dennis SandersAmerica Without God by Shadi HamidBreaking Faith by Peter BeinartWill the ELCA Be Gone in 30 Years? By Dwight ZscheileWhy I Can’t Give Up on the Mainline, by Dennis SandersAstronaut Michael Collins was the ideal ‘Forgotten Man’ for Apollo 11 (Orlando Sentinel from 2019)Be sure to rate us and leave a review.  Share the podcast with others!  Questions? Send an email: [email protected]: spheresofinfluence.orgTwitter: @CompanyPoliteFacebook: YouTube Channel Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Why does the Interstate Highway System matter?  What made it so amazing?  Why is it so unappreciated today?  How is it learning from its past mistakes?To answer those questions I talk to Rob Sanders who like me, is a transportation geek.  Rob is the creator and host for Road Guy Rob, a video, web, and podcasting platform which connects the general public with today’s cutting-edge developments in transportation engineering. A Utah native, 12-year veteran of public radio, where Rob was drawn to every transportation story he got his hands on.  He was so interested in transportation that he went back to school to get a Master's in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University in 2018.In this episode, we talk about the Interstate Highway System and its impact on the United States. Show Notes:Road Guy Rob's websiteRoad Guy Rob YouTube ChannelDennis Sanders-Thoughts from a Freeway LoverFreeways without Futures- Congress for New UrbanismCelebrating Fifty Years of the Interstate Highway System- US Department of TransportationBiden's New Infrastructure Might Begin To Dismantle Racist Urban Planning- National Public Radio Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

The following is the audio version of a meditation Dennis did for his congregation yesterday, looking at the murder of George Floyd from a religious standpoint.Show notes:Evening Prayer (Midweek Vespers) for April 21, 2021Written Version from the Church websitePress Release from the Minneapolis Police DepartmentBe sure to rate us and leave a review at your favorite podcast platform.  That makes it easier for others to find us.  Questions? Send an email: [email protected]: spheresofinfluence.orgTwitter: @CompanyPoliteFacebook: YouTube Channel Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Dennis reflects on the guilty verdict of former Minneapolis police Derek Chauvin. Show notes:The complicated relief of the Chauvin verdict (Vox)Why Chauvin’s conviction matters (Vox)Chauvin’s Conviction Is the Exception That Proves the Rule (The Atlantic)'It upsets me': Black man reacts to White friend's traffic stop (CNN)The Trial of Derek Chauvin- Advisory Opinions PodcastAnti-Anti-Chauvinism (The Bulwark)A 50-year Downward Spiral (Medium)Episode TranscriptBe sure to rate us and leave a review at your favorite podcast platform.  That makes it easier for others to find us.  Questions? Send an email: [email protected]: spheresofinfluence.orgTwitter: @CompanyPoliteFacebook:  Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

No matter who you are, at some point you are going to get sick. Who will pay those doctor bills.  In this episode, we look at why the center-right should take up real health care reform.Consider signing up for News of the Sphere, this is where you will find articles of interest and listen to past episodes.  To signup, go to https://newsofthesphere.substack.com/. Questions? Send an email to [email protected]. Show Notes:Nixon and Universal Health CareThe Swiss Health SystemThe Singapore Healthcare Model Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Can conservatives believe in an active government that can help people in need?  Throughout history, the center-right has believed that government can address issues like inequality and also believe in the importance of a free market.  In this episode, Dennis talks about why it's necessary for conservatives to believe in "one nationism" again.Articles of Note:America Needs a “One Nation” Movement by Chris VanceThe Working Hypothesis by Oren CassBeyond Growth by Abby McCloskeyRepublicans Used to Put Ordinary Workers First—and They Should Again by Brian StewartWorking Class Republican by Henry OlsenDoes Anyone Really Believe Free Market Fundamentalists Are ‘Running the Show’? by Jonah GoldbergThe Case for Common-Good Capitalism by Marco RubioGrand New Party by Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Is America a good nation?  Can a nation with a past that includes slavery and the mistreatment of Native Americans be a force for good in the world?  In this episode, Dennis tries to answer those questions honestly.If you have a question, email it to [email protected] notes:America the Good by Jonah GoldbergThe Problem With America's Patriotism Deficit by Jonah GoldbergLet America Be America Again by Langston Hughes Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe