Creation's Paths

Babylon is often imagined as something distant, a system somewhere else, run by someone else. But what happens when we begin to see how its patterns show up close to home, in the ways we treat others and ourselves? This episode invites a deeper awareness of dehumanization, not to accuse, but to help us recognize and respond with clarity and care.

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Read the Labor Force Article here: https://www.ms.now/business-culture/300000-black-women-left-labor-force-3-months-s-not-coincidence-rcna219355

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#BabylonSystem #Dehumanization #SpiritualDiscernment #ChristianTheology #EmpireCritique #FaithAndCulture #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: The Fall of Babylon03:04 Babylon’s Commodification: People and Souls04:23 Historical Context: The Book of Revelation07:19 Labor as Commodity: The Modern Workforce09:35 Unjust Laws: Ancient Problem, Modern Reality12:17 How We Form Moral and Ethical Judgments15:15 Ethics, Morality, and Law: Understanding the Differences21:07 Can You Legislate Morality?25:37 Honor, Integrity, and Compassion: Living in Right Relationship29:40 The Silversmiths of Ephesus: Faith and Livelihood30:38 Fear as Babylon’s Foundation33:19 Recognizing Division and Manufactured Fear33:55 Closing: All Shall Be Well

Romans 13 has long been used to sanctify authority, but what happens when we read it in the light of love, context, and the wider witness of scripture? This episode explores how sacred texts are turned into tools of control and how they can be reclaimed as invitations into discernment. Beneath the debate is a deeper question about power, obedience, and the kind of world we are actually called to build.

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#Romans13 #BibleInterpretation #ChristianNonviolence #Theology #Jesus #Christianity #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: The Self-Sealing Circle00:22 Romans 13 & Acts 5:29 - The Contradiction03:34 The Problem of Biblical Inerrancy05:38 Creation Spirituality’s Chorus of Voices07:48 Understanding Romans 13 in Context08:33 Paul’s Imminent Expectation08:57 Chapter & Verse: A Medieval Invention10:07 Historical Misuse of Romans 1311:10 Rome’s Failure & Paul’s Sarcasm18:07 Historical Context: Revolt Era Rome20:50 Paul’s Maturity & Wise Action21:40 Future Bible Study Possibilities23:01 The Yo-Yo Between Two Passages26:40 Modern World vs. Paul’s World31:03 God Is Not Partisan32:16 Conclusion & Closing Prayer

Grace sounds beautiful in theory. It becomes complicated the moment someone who caused harm asks to come back.

This conversation explores the tension between redemption and responsibility through the story of Saul’s transformation and the life of early Christian communities. What does it mean to believe no one is beyond grace while still protecting the safety of the community?

Rather than offering easy answers, this episode sits honestly inside the tension between mercy, accountability, and discernment.

For more on this topic read the full article at Creation’s Paths:

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#GraceAndAccountability #SpiritualCommunity #Redemption #ChristianTheology #FaithAndJustice #SpiritualDiscernment #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Can Anyone Be Redeemed?

01:40 Welcome & Channel Updates

03:26 The Story of Paul’s Conversion

08:16 Paul’s First Mistake: Preaching Too Soon

15:56 Barnabas: The Importance of Vouching

18:31 Forgiveness vs. Trust

20:51 Earning Your Place: Humility & Testing

24:21 The Value of Paul to the Church

28:29 Community Discernment, Not Individual Authority

Most of us do not live in cultures that fully reflect our deepest faith and values. Scripture calls that condition exile.

In this conversation, we explore what it means to live faithfully in “Babylon” without becoming colonizers, without retreating into bitterness, and without surrendering the Spirit of Truth.

How do we build, plant, raise families, and seek the peace of a city that does not mirror our longing?

This episode offers orientation for anyone trying to remain rooted in a world of confusion.

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#LivingInBabylon #FaithInExile #Jeremiah29 #ChristianSpirituality #TheologyDiscussion #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: The Reality of Living in Babylon

04:19 Scripture Reading: Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

07:27 Building Houses and Gardens in Babylon

10:45 Babel: The Land of Confusion

14:11 Defiant Refusal: Lessons from Daniel and the Fiery Furnace

16:26 Nonviolent Resistance and Civil Disobedience

18:23 Building Community Sanctuaries for Resistance

20:03 Praying for Shalom: The Wholeness of the City

21:51 Embracing Impermanence: No Happy Endings

24:51 Social Constructs Can Change

27:04 The Three Dharma Keys: Change, Interconnection, and Liberation

29:58 Closing Reflections and Upcoming Topics

31:25 Benediction: Peace in All Cities

In this episode of Creation’s Paths, we sit with Jesus’ stark warning that we cannot serve both God and Mammon. This is not a simplistic rejection of money, but a deeper unveiling of allegiance. When wealth becomes savior, security becomes devotion. Together, we explore what it means to return to the One Life and live in right relationship rather than economic fear.

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#YouCannotServeGodAndMammon #Matthew624 #SpiritualAllegiance #ChristianMysticism #JesusTeaching #EconomicJustice #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Biblical Warning to the Wealthy

02:23 Understanding Mammon: More Than Just Money

05:13 The Trap of Self-Isolation Through Wealth

08:52 Historical Context: Wealth Before Money

10:51 The Industrial Revolution and Wage Slavery

12:28 Biblical Commands: Care for the Oppressed

13:28 Wage Theft and Profit Extraction

14:47 A Christmas Carol: Lessons in Transformation

18:25 The Problem with Charity and Control

20:14 Modern Feudalism: Same System, Different Names

22:22 Restoring Dignity: The Dehumanization of Poverty

25:12 Money as Ecosystem: The Flow of Resources

26:33 The Math of Wealth Inequality

27:14 Building Better Systems

30:28 Closing Prayer and Series Information

In Matthew 11:12, Jesus speaks a warning that has echoed through centuries of empire, fear, and religious violence. This episode sits with that warning slowly, remembering that Jesus spoke as a refugee in a colonized land, not as a ruler offering control. Together, we explore how the kin-dom is seized, how it is defended, and how it is quietly refused. This is not a call to certainty, but an invitation to discernment, courage, and faithful restraint.

Check out the full article here:

Genetically Modified Skeptic: Evangelical Christianity Is Literally a PSYOP

Drew’s Channel: Our Evangelical Christian Universities Were CIA Assets?

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#JesusAndEmpire #KinDomOfGod #CreationSpirituality #Christopagan #NonviolentFaith #LiberationTheology #SpiritualResistance #RefusingEmpire

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: The Temptation of Jesus

01:48 Welcome & Series Overview

03:41 The Cost of Power

04:55 The Woes: Wealth & Isolation

11:03 The Experience of Being Alive

13:19 Doc’s Story: Community Over Wealth

16:44 Setting Boundaries, Not Battles

17:49 Modern Examples: Evangelical Universities & the CIA

21:47 The Spirit of Antichrist

23:45 True Greatness: Being a Slave to All

24:31 Refusal as True Power

25:43 Practice: Notice Where Power Tightens You

29:06 Closing Prayer

This is a discussion following a more detailed essay. Read more here:

What if the Kin-dom Jesus proclaimed was never meant to be captured by power, enforced by law, or protected by violence? In this episode of Creation’s Paths, we sit with the unsettling claim that the Kin-dom is not a thing to be seized but a way of being that endures even under domination. This is a reflection on spiritual sovereignty, inner freedom, and how life remains green and alive even in narrow places. Come listen for the freedom that cannot be taken from you.

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#CreationsPaths #KindomOfGod #JesusAndEmpire #CreationSpirituality #Christopagan #MysticFaith #SpiritualFreedom #Matthew1112

Chapters:

00:00 Opening: Violence and the Kingdom

01:31 Introduction and Series Overview

04:23 The Kingdom Cannot Be Seized

05:20 Understanding Kin-dom vs Kingdom

09:01 The Problem with Coercive Grace

15:31 Free Grace vs Cheap Grace

17:06 True Repentance: Changing Your Mind

19:47 Morality vs Ethics

21:36 The Three Laws of Love

25:16 Everything is Kin

26:28 The Art of Living: Justice and Kindness

27:33 The Power of Nonviolent Resistance

30:13 Taking Action Where You Are

32:24 Closing: Season of Imbolc and Brigid

In times of injustice, celebration can feel indulgent, even irresponsible. But what if joy is not a distraction from justice, but one of its deepest disciplines?

Charlie and Brian explore celebration as a spiritual practice that protects the soul, reshapes anger, and keeps justice from collapsing into bitterness.

Here, joy is not denial. It is resistance that remembers how to breathe.

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#ViaTransformativa #CreationSpirituality #JusticeAndJoy #SpiritualResistance #FaithInPractice #HolyJoy

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: The Divine Banquet

04:15 The Excuses We Make

05:24 Systems Designed to Keep Us Busy

08:48 The Via Transformativa: Working For, Not Against

11:34 Shared Abundance vs. Enforced Equality

15:36 The Lie of Scarcity

17:13 Celebration as Restoration

18:34 Serving Life, Not Two Masters

23:13 The Banquet Heals and Provides

25:21 Mutual Aid, Care, and Support

28:16 Being a Good Team Player

30:28 Getting Started: What Can You Offer?

33:01 The Importance of Dance and Catharsis

34:37 Closing Prayer to Brigid

What do you do after you refuse violence but still feel the fire of urgency burning in your chest? This episode of Creation’s Paths, Charlie and Brian continue their exploration of nonviolent resistance by stepping into the Via Creativa: the path of creative, active hope. This is the moment where many of us get stuck. We refuse violence, but the anger, fear, and urgency remain. The instincts to fight, flee, or freeze keep returning.

This episode names a third way.

Drawing on the teachings of Jesus, the parable of the strong man, and the lived realities of resistance, this conversation explores how imagination becomes a spiritual shield, how liberation must be acted from rather than merely declared, and why removing injustice without envisioning what comes next only recreates the same wounds.

This is not about policy papers or perfect plans. It is about learning to dream, to see, and to stay engaged without surrendering our humanity. Active hope is not a feeling. It is a vision compelling enough to get us out of bed and into the work of building something better.

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#CreationsPaths #CreationSpirituality #ViaCreativa #ActiveHope #NonviolentResistance #ThirdWay #FaithAndJustice #SpiritualResistance #Christopagan #Druidry #KinDomOfGod

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: The Energy of Resistance

01:09 Step Three: Creating Something New

02:01 The Fight, Flight, or Freeze Decision

04:14 Finding the Third Way

08:28 The Prophetic Call: Tear Down and Build Up

10:13 Acting from a Liberated Place

12:19 The Power of Creative Imagination

13:25 The Parable of the Strong Man

17:05 Breaking Free from Scarcity Mindset

19:45 The Great River of Trust

24:12 Living Without Guilt and Shame

26:10 Healing Takes Time

27:31 Reflection Exercise: Dream Your Future

29:41 Closing Prayer to Brigid

There are moments when taking up the sword feels justified, even righteous. This Via Negativa episode explores why refusing violence is not weakness, retreat, or denial of harm, but a disciplined spiritual stance shaped by trust, formation, and long memory. We sit with the tension between power that coerces and power that protects, and ask what it means to resist without becoming what we oppose.

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New to The Seraphic Grove learn more

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Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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#ViaNegativa #CreationSpirituality #ChristianNonviolence #SpiritualResistance #FaithAndJustice #MysticalTheology #ContemplativePractice

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Responding to Violence

02:08 The Challenge of Accepting Anger

03:37 Understanding Anger as Fire

06:42 The Forge: Making Tools, Not Weapons

10:18 Systemic Change & Historical Accountability

13:01 Discipline & Keeping the Fire Alive

18:24 Searing the Fire: Sustainable Practice

22:03 From Reaction to Intentional Action

22:59 Building Sustainable Energy for Change

25:21 Closing Reflection & Personal Discoveries

27:48 Closing Prayer