Elane interviews Doug Pagitt of VoteCommonGood.com about the similar challenges of running ultramarathons and changing the world.

Doug is founding pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis and is the host of "Now We're Talkin' With Doug Pagitt." Learn more at dougpagitt.com and votecommongood.com.

Music Credits

"Now" Words & music by Benton Stokes. Available on Turn Off The Moon (CD on BentonStokes.com; digitally on Amazon and iTunes)

Our theme music: “Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)”. Words & music by Benton Stokes. Available on Grace & Gravity  (CD on BentonStokes.com; digitally on Amazon and iTunes)

Copyright 2018 Songs From the Basement (BMI).  All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

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Timestamp Info

0-4:50 Our weekend at Wild Goose, including conversations with post-evangelicals, John Pavlovitz, Jen Hatmaker, Brian McLaren, Frank Schaeffer, Diana Butler Bass, Randall Balmer, and Trey Pearson. The unholy alliance between Empire & Christianity. Benton’s post-Evangelical view of Wild Goose vs. Elane’s liberal-Christianity view of the same event.

4:50-5:50 Our pirate cocktail: The Anne Bonny—rum, fresh tangerine juice, triple sec, fresh lime juice, orange bitters.

5:50-11:00 Introduction of Doug Pagitt by fan girl Elane. Solomon’s Porch, the Emergent Church, quantum physics, and Pagitt’s influence on Elane’s pastoring. Shelley Pagitt and Yoga Sanctuary’s new training program for teachers (yogasanctuarympls.com).  The aim of Vote Common Good (votecommongood.com) to flip Congress for the Common Good.

11:00-15:00 Doug Pagitt on being affably intense and an Enneagram 8, running ultramarathons, and the long run for the common good. Not taking a break from yourself in exercise or worship.

15:00-21:00 What happens when you reach a big goal, like running an ultramarathon…or transforming Christianity…or influencing the collective life of humanity. The power of the narratives of the Christian story. How those can change the current American reality that damages people, politically and religiously.

21:00-31:00 Pagitt’s nerdy interests in politics and religion. Serving the common good by barnstorming the country to move voters to flip Congress. It is up to the people to change the status quo. “When you live in a time when there’s big social issues, you don’t do nothin’.” Invoking traditionally Republican religious voters to vote their actual, bleeding-heart-conservative consciences, which tend to the charitable.

The loss of the concept of the common good. The role of abusive and controlling pastors in forming people who are ready to be abused and controlled by a political leader. The role of fashionable celebrity leaders in taking power from people.

31:00-36:00 Making a statement by running for President in every election to remind us that the President is just one of the By The People people. The body of Christ. Voting for the common good by writing in “common good” or simply not voting, or voting for the democratic candidate.

Barnstorming 46 congressional districts in 25 states via  caravan, September 6-November 6. Involvement is needed, online,  in the caravan, and on the ground, as is financial support. Visit www.votecommongood.com to sign up!

36:00-40:40 Benton reflects on Pagitt’s thoughtful-yet-not-angry insight into current American politics. Going for long-road goals.

Find Doug Pagitt at SolomonsPorch.com, DougPagitt.com, GreaterThingsFoundation.org.

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