Coffeepot Fellowship Podcast

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg has her own ELI Talk with over 12,000 views, Twitter feed with over 18,000 followers, and is Rabbi-in-Residence at Avodah. She has also authored seven books "about the messy business of trying to be a person in the world, and how spirituality can transform that work." Married, mother of three, her latest book, Nurture the Wow, has an entire chapter about 'body stuff.'

Rabbi Danya has been named by Newsweek and The Daily Beast as one of ten "rabbis to watch," and one of the top 50 most influential women rabbis." She is highly sought after as a lecturer and keynote speaker. Related to her latest book we have also embedded her mini-podcast, Nurture the Wowcast, on the show notes page.

The Avodah Mision:

Avodah strengthens the Jewish community's fight against the causes and effects of poverty in the United States. We do this by engaging participants in service and community building that inspire them to become lifelong leaders for social change whose work for justice is rooted in and nourished by Jewish values.

Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders

Sponsor: Free Range Priest

Clergypreneur Training

Nurture the Wow: Finding Spirituality in the Frustration, Boredom, Tears, Poop, Desperation, Wonder, and Radical Amazement of Parenting by Danya Ruttenberg

Rabbi Danya's Website

Rabbi Danya on Twitter: @TheRaDR

Avodah Website

Avodah on Facebook

Nurture the Wowcast

Bethany Stolle is an interaction designer, curriculum developer, and entrepreneur with a ten years of experience. Bethany spent nearly a decade developing innovative, experiential curriculum for the non-profit religious publisher, Augsburg Fortress. Check out her work today at Stolle Creative.

I saw Bethany lead a workshop for Virginia Theological Seminary's eFormation program. When I saw what Bethany brought to the table, figuratively, and the design table, literally, I knew I wanted to have her on the podcast so you could invite her to your design processes.

On this show and in our sister ministry, United Faith Leaders, the notion of being entrepreneurial in ministry just keeps growing. Bethany brings her education and experiences, including the completion of an intensive program at Austin Center for Design (AC4D) called Interaction Design and Social Entrepreneurship to our creative and entrepreneurial conversation.

Bethany's stories range from birth to death as we hear about her then-eleven-month-old son and her EMT experience. I hear your questions and assure you that the answers are inside the interview, so enjoy. (And if they're not then feel free to ask on our Facebook page under the post of Bethany's interview! Then you can like the page while you're there.)

Links:

Sponsor: United FaithLeaders

Sponsor: Free Range Priest

Stolle Creative Website

Austin Center for Design (AC4D)

Free Range Priest by Cathie Caimano

eFormation

Lutheran (ELCA)

Virginia Theological Seminary

Rev. Sarah Trone Garriott is the Coordinator of Interfaith Engagement for DMARC, The Des Moines Area Religious Council, from which we grabbed the following biography!

"Sarah works with the diverse faith communities of the greater Des Moines area to support the mission of DMARC, while also creating resources and opportunities to support faith communities in their work. Sarah also partners with The Comparison Project at Drake University in their efforts for interfaith awareness, dialogue, and scholarship.

"As an AmeriCorps VISTA working for Northern New Mexico Legal Aid in Gallup, New Mexico, Sarah engaged community and faith leaders around the issue of Domestic Violence. As a hospital chaplain in Philadelphia and Chicago, Sarah supported patients and staff of all religious backgrounds. In parish ministry, first in rural Virginia and later in suburban Des Moines, it was her priority to build relationships beyond the church building and work together with interfaith partners.

"Sarah holds a BA in History from the College of St. Scholastica, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and ordination through Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

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Thank you to Sarah for coming on the show and for the courage to follow the full range of her callings! After our interview I had further opportunities to browse DMARC, The Comparison Project, and the Iowa Interfaith Exchange and they are very exciting projects! Be sure to check there for ideas and, in particular, the spring gathering of the Iowa Interfaith Exchange. The 2017 event appears to have been free so please participate if it is at all possible for you.

Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders

Clergypreneurs

Harvard Divinity School

DMARC Des Moines Area Religious Council

Americorps Vista

A Spectrum of Faith: Religions of the World in America's Heartland

Comparison Project

Iowa Interfaith Exchange

Sarah's blog a past church

Dr. Marsha Foster Boyd has been a seminary president, seminary professor, and the Director of Accreditation and Leadership Education at the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. She is the Chief Catalyst at Catalyst Connections Global and a co-founder of The Bridge Collective with Matthew Abrams. Come find out why her story of happiest ministry moment is now. Marsha has also just published a two-CD collection of stories called Healing on the Journey: Conversations to Shine Light on Your Path. Clearly, like us, she is a "story person," one who believes in and knows the power and importance of sharing stories. From this interview you also know that she has a rich life experience from which to draw so that her stories are laden with wisdom and insights. As a professor of pastoral care, a trained educator, and one who experienced the grief of an assassinated father, Dr. Boyd has a tapestry that is both gracious and inspiring. This was a fun interview to do, an honor that she said yes, and I hope we can share more time together. There are several ways to get more of Marsha! The Bridge Collective has an upcoming Spirituality & Social Change Retreat in Asheville North Carolina, November 9-12, 2017. If you miss the event or are too far away then ask them about future dates and locations. Links:

The Bridge Collective

Catalyst Connections Global

Healing on the Journey: Conversations to Shine Light on Your Path (2 CD set)

Spirituality & Social Change Retreat

Marcus Foster Education Institute

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders

Sponsor: Free Range Priest

Clergypreneur Training

Clergypreneurs Live: Wednesdays at 2pm EST

Coffee with Cathie Caimano

Katie Amin is a Muslim, female firefighter/emergency medical technician with the Chesterfield Fire Department with a passion for volunteering. She has four older sisters and a younger brother. She was born in Jerusalem and lived there until she was 13. Katie has very graciously accepted our invitation to help us expand our interfaith friendships. We're sure you'll agree, she is fun and inspirational.

Katie is a big believer in personal development. She's always learning and determined to just keep growing. She's successful in her day job and all her volunteer work because she's quite simply a good human with great people skills. Which is why she could have written the book she recommended to us, John Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, which could be called the 21 Laws of Being a Good Human.

In her own words, "You're never too important to say 'hi' to anyone." And, "as my dad says it and our prophet says it: 'Treat others as you would want to be treated.'"

Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders

Sponsor: Free Range Priest

Coffee with Father Cathie Caimano

Chesterfield Fire Department

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

Katie Amin on LinkedIn

Coffee with Mother Phoebe Roaf

Reverend Amelia Fulbright is the founding minister at Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministry. Amelia went to Wake Forest University then studied Pastoral Care and Counseling at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

After seminary Amelia served for five years as an Associate Pastor at University Baptist Church in Austin, TX, before transitioning to full-time campus ministry. In addition to her work as a pastor, Amelia has previously worked in community mental health services in Cincinnati, OH and as a domestic violence crisis counselor in Austin. Amelia has a wide range of interests, including a special affinity for feminist theologies, contemplative spiritual practices, holistic medicine, and bluegrass music. She is also happily married and enjoys being a mother to her daughter, Vivienne.

Even more succinctly:

Curator of silence. Connoisseur of well-chosen words. Seeker after justice. Beneficiary of grace.

Interesting to me was that I had previously interviewed Amelia's seminary president, Ted Wardlaw. That was on the Clergy for Hire Podcast which is the predecessor to the Coffeepot Fellowship. Perhaps we will initiate a Throwback Thursdays someday and re-publish those earlier interviews.

Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders

Just Texas - Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice

Amelia's Pro Facebook Page

Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministry on Facebook

Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministry Website

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

The University of Texas at Austin

Wake Forest University

University Baptist Church

Twitther: @labyrinthatx

President Ted Wardlaw, Austin Presbyterian Seminary President

Rev. Kathleen Buckley

Kyle Oliver is living in NY, NY. He is in the Communications Media and Learning Technologies Design Program at Columbia University's Teachers College in pursuit of a doctorate. Kyle studied nuclear engineering and engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is married and an Assistant Priest at St. Michael's Episcopal Church.

I was introduced to Kyle more than a year ago when he was the Digital Missioner at Virginia Theological Seminary in Northern Virginia. As the Digital Missioner he help found and implement the annual eFormation Conference which, beginning this year, takes place in various locations as mini-conferences instead of one big conference so that it can reach its growing audience. The Digital Missioner job title now belongs to a previous guest, Sarah Stonesifer. Listeners may also remember Alex Moreschi, who was also a guest and helped with with the 2016 eFormation Conference.

This interview will likely leave you wanting to read all of Douglas Adam's books, Kyle's newsletters, as well as salivating in anticipation of the fruits of his doctoral labors. Thanks to Kyle for his time with us and thanks to our listeners for also living into who you are fully called to be.

Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders

Kyle's Blog & Newsletter

Teachers College, Columbia University

University of Wisconsin-Madison

eFormation

Virginia Theological Seminary

Center for the Ministry of Teaching at VTS

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams

Backstory Preaching

Coffee with Lisa Cressman

Coffee with Sarah Stonesifer

Coffee with Alex Moreschi

Dr. Amir Hussain is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on world religions. His own particular speciality is the study of Islam, focusing on contemporary Muslim societies in North America. His academic degrees (BSc, MA, PhD) are all from the University of Toronto where he received a number of awards, including the university's highest award for alumni service. His most recent book is Muslims and the Making of America where Dr. Hussain addresses the fear of American Muslims and the misconceptions regarding the religion.

In this interview Amir mentions some fascinating distinctions in the story of Abraham's being called to sacrifice his son. While Jews and Christians work from the shared text of Genesis 22, Muslims have the same story with slightly different text in the Quran. The name of the son is missing in the Quran and is believed to be Abraham and Hagar's son, Ismail.

In Amir's story of greatest trial he graciously reflected with us just after the 25th anniversary of his wife's passing. Shannon died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism when she was just 28. In his reflections Amir invoked this poem by William Blake when Amir said, "It is any easy thing to rejoice in the tents of prosperity."

"What is the price of Experience? Do men buy it for a song? Or wisdom for a dance in the street? No, it is bought with the price Of all that a man hath, his house, his wife, his children Wisdom is sold in the desolate market where none come to buy And in the wither'd field where the farmer ploughs for bread in vain

It is an easy thing to triumph in the summer's sun And in the vintage and to sing on the waggon loaded with corn It is an easy thing to talk of patience to the afflicted To speak the laws of prudence to the homeless wanderer To listen to the hungry raven's cry in wintry season When the red blood is fill'd with wine and with the marrow of lambs

It is an easy thing to laugh at wrathful elements To hear the dog howl at the wintry door, the ox in the slaughterhouse moan; To see a god on every wind and a blessing on every blast To hear sounds of love in the thunderstorm that destroys our enemies' house; To rejoice in the blight that covers his field and the sickness that cuts off his children While our olive and vine sing and laugh round our door and our children bring fruits and flowers

Then the groan and the dolour are quite forgotten and the slave grinding at the mill And the captive in chains and the poor in the prison and the soldier in the field When the shatter'd bone hath laid him groaning among the happier dead It is an easy thing to rejoice in the tents of prosperity: Thus could I sing and thus rejoice: but it is not so with me." ― William Blake

The next picture is with Morgan Freeman and the American Muslim calligrapher, Mohamed Zakariya. Amir is an advisor to The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, and they filmed a segment at the Islamic Center of Washington DC. This was the third episode of the second season, titled "Proof of God".

Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders

Muslims and the Making of America by Amir Hussain

Oil & Water: Two Faiths One God by Amir Hussain

A Concise Introduction to World Religions

World Religions: Eastern Traditions

World Religions: Western Traditions

Video Interview on PBS (Travis Smiley Show)

LMU.edu Bio and More

Loyola Marymount University

California State University Northridge

William Blake

Abraham's Blood Sacrifice (Muslim, Christian, and Jewish interpretations vary)

The Qur'an: English translation and Parallel Arabic text (Amir referred to chapter 55)

Richard Thompson

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Albert Collins (not Albert King)

Mark Knopfler (from Dire Straits)

Dire Straits

A few months ago I had the opportunity, along with 1500 others, to hear Dr. Takiyah Nur Amin on a panel discussion representing BLUU, Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism. Our Unitarian Universalist denomination is courageously discussing its past and present participation, along with the rest of America and religion, in white supremacy. BLUU is critical in helping our organization get woke.

Three weeks later at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in New Orleans, after we had recorded this interview online, I had the very brief opportunity to swap a quick, real-life hug with Takiyah after a panel discussion she was leading. She was super busy but, of course, I had to say hello!

You will certainly be able to tell from this interview that Takiyah has a very sharp mind and a very gracious heart. If that sounds like the making of a great faith leader, teacher, and social justice advocate then I would have to agree with you. But there's at least one more important ingredient that's important, passion around at least one subject. And she's got passion! About what? It's better if I let her tell you in her own words in the interview.

Notes from the interview:

Hypervisibility and misrecognition (Melissa Harris Perry), 'when you're a black person in the room, everyone sees you but they don't really know what they're looking at.'

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - Harriet Tubman

"I don't believe that you can teach people who you don't love." - Takiyah Nur Amin

"Maybe none of us deserves anything but we're all worthy of everything." - Takiyah Nur Amin

Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders

Dr. Amin's Website

UNC Charlotte Biography

Unitarian Universalist Association

Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU)

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Melissa Harris Perry

Girl Get Your Money Straight: A Sister's Guide to Healing Your Bank Account and Funding Your Dreams in Seven Simple Steps by Glinda Bridgforth

Dying is part of America's null curriculum. Even in many Christian congregations, denominations, and seminaries, death and dying are rarely discussed. Today's guest is an author, speaker, and professor of religion at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, Dr. Deanna Thompson. Like all our listeners, she's living. But like only some of our listeners, she's living with incurable cancer.

Since her diagnosis, Dr. Thompson has brought her experiences of cancer to bear on her work as a religious scholar. Recent books include The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World and Hoping for More: Having Cancer, Talking Faith, and Accepting Grace

We could easily have focused on the Book of Deuteronomy or Martin Luther and the Reformation for our interview. But we're focusing instead on Dr. Thompson's insights into what's it's like to live acutely aware of her mortality.

You can order any of Deanna's books below except one she's writing about trauma, illness, and religious communities' understandings and responses to those who are seriously ill. The new book takes some of its inspiration from Paul Kalanithi's book, When Breath Becomes Air. Reading Kalanithi may be the best way to prepare for Deanna's next publication. Both books will help readers find the strength and appreciation to get up and engage the day we have.

I can only imagine how hard it is to get up and live a day fully when one feels badly. I imagine that it is challenging to plan trips and activities if one doesn't know how they'll feel on those distant days. But look at all Dr. Thompson has accomplished since her own diagnosis. In addition to the professional records there are vast numbers of family pictures of fun stuff going on with her, her husband, and her daughters. Even as this podcast is in production she is on a trip to London.

In preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation marked by Martin Luther's posting of his 95 Theses, I must also recommend ordering Dr. Thompson's Crossing the Divide: Luther, Feminism, and the Cross.

My final note, which I just find too cool to resist mentioning, is that Dr. Thompson was recently inducted into her high school hall of fame! Dr. Thompson's 8th grade English teacher saw the potential in 14-year-old Deanna, recognized Deanna's teaching and leadership at Hamline University since 1996, her consistent personal traits, and recommended Dr. Thompson for consideration. October 7th, 2016, Burnsville High School immortalized one of its Class of 1985 graduates in Professor Deanna A. Thompson. While neither the Coffeepot Fellowship Podcast nor United Faith Leaders officially gives out awards yet, we're certainly proud to stand up and cheer Dr. Thompson.

Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders

The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World by Deanna A. Thompson

Hoping for More: Having Cancer, Talking Faith, and Accepting Grace by Deanna A. Thompson

Crossing the Divide: Luther, Feminism, and the Cross by Deanna A. Thompson

Deuteronomy: A Theological Commentary by Deanna A. Thompson

Deanna's Website

CaringBridge

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Thomas Becket ("I am not in danger, only near to death.")

Samuel Beckett ("I can't go on. I'll go on.")

Vanderbilt University (PhD)

Yale University Divinity School (M.A.R.)

St. Olaf College (B.A.)