Expansion Lab

Do I stay Christian?  

In this episode, we talk with author, speaker and activist, Brian McLaren, about this powerful question that a surprising number of people are asking. We discuss the reasons to say no and yes to that question and he ultimately shifts the question to how we stay human.


https://brianmclaren.net/

https://read.macmillan.com/lp/do-i-stay-christian/

When your faith expands, it can feel lonely and disorienting, especially at first.

We are talking about what happens when you learn more and experience more in your faith and then you live according to it- when your faith evolves past the boundaries you once knew.

There’s a grief in the loss of the familiar and the certain- it affects all areas of your life. And there are fears that can come with the growth- even freedom can feel scary.

But it’s all worth it. Our faith can be bigger, wider, more aligned and lead us to a freedom deeper than we ever imagined.

In this episode, we talk with our dear friend, pastor and author- Kevin Sweeney, about what it means to live the spiritual practices of a mystic in our everyday lives. We talk about embracing each moment for exactly what it is and the power and simplicity of stillness. He shares about his journey with mushrooms, the trend of psychedelics and whether it can be helpful in your spiritual journey. We discuss how there’s no substitute for consistent, open-hearted spaces with love and what we are all finding hopeful in this new space we are finding ourselves in. His new book, The Making of Mystic, is out on May 31. Get it!

In the first episode of Season 4 we talk about This New Space we are finding ourselves in spiritually, relationally, politically, economically, technologically, racially- basically every way. We talk about the universal pattern of human spiritual growth and transformation that’s currently unfolding in our world and that we are in the midst of a hinge time.  Phil shares some of our personal story about what led us to step out of the church we were leading and into new and unknown spaces. We discuss how deconstruction Christianity is not new, how it’s necessary, but also only part of a process.

BONUS EPISODE! Crypto currency- it’s all the talk recently.  But what is it and will it really stick around? Phil talks with director of Bitcoin Beach and President of the non-profit Missionsake, Mike Peterson, on our recent trip to Bitcoin Beach in El Salvador about the ways that Bitcoin is transforming and empowering a community by bringing financial inclusion and opportunities to the most marginalized. They talk about the future of the economy, the revolution of decentralized money, the ways in which our world is becoming more deinstitutionalized and why it matters.  

To learn more:

https://www.bitcoinbeach.com/

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-22/in-el-salvadors-bitcoin-beach

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tatianakoffman/2020/07/14/this-el-salvador-village-adopts-bitcoin-as-money/?sh=156fdd20447b

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/on-the-coast-of-el-salvador-bitcoin-is-becoming-the-standard-2020-01-13

In this one, we have a conversation with our friend Rob Bell about how growth and change work. We talk about how change is baked into the whole of existence and that we are only ever going forward. We discuss what holds people back from making the changes that they want in their lives and how to become aware of and engage your internal life. He shares about what he is seeing right now and some of the beautiful changes he is observing as the last few years have sped up many societal shifts.

In this episode Phil and Jen discuss the changes happening in the Evangelical Church. They talk about how according to a recent NYT article by David Brooks, the future of the Christian church is not going to look like the past and how many people are leaving the Church to keep going- not because they don’t believe in Jesus or have faith, but because they don’t believe the Church actually believes what it teaches. They discuss some recent social commentary about the current form and how the movement of the Spirit is like a river- it will always find a way forward.

Notes & Links: NYT article by David Brooks, Aaron Neiquist IG post, Angora Lake Rock Jumping Spot in Lake Tahoe

In this episode, we talk with Wim Hof and XPT breath-work and recovery instructor, Nolan Kim, about the benefits of breath-work and cold and heat therapy for our mental and overall health. We discuss our experience of attending his Breath and Recovery workshop, the benefits of breathing exercises and cold therapy as well as how to breathe properly. We talk about practical strategies to promote better mental and emotional health and simple ways to calm our nerves in this season we all find ourselves in.

You can find Nolan's work at www.powercoachingnow.com or on Instagram at @powercoachingnow

You have what you need. As you face the world and all that it holds today, disorientation, confusion, and fatigue are common. It is normal to feel overwhelmed or even just tired. In this episode, Phil and Jen talk about the reality that everyone they know (including each other) are tired right now and also how we all have what we need. They talk about tapping into the deep well of the Spirit, allowing emotions to pass through you, the need to be tender with ourselves and others in this time, and how sometimes it takes awhile for your whole self to catch up with change.

As we are talking about growing and making change in ourselves and in the world in any way- (from thought patterns to faith to creative endeavors to habits and on and on), something happens when we step into that. Resistance. No one is exempt from it. Not even Jesus. You cannot escape it. It is baked in to the process. But when you recognize its presence (and power), name it, and face it, it is actually a force that can catapult you on your journey and even let you know that you are on to the right things.