Faithfully Creative

Episode 13 features an incredible interview with Glen Soderholm. Glen is the pastor of Two Rivers Church in Guelph, Ontario. Two Rivers began as a single house church of what he calls “a collection of strays, orphans, and exiles,”  born from the idea of actually being neighbours with the people you live close to. He had so much to share about the Spiritual life, including his theology of Spirituality and the very practical things he does.

As an accomplished musician, Glen spoke about the role of music in the Spiritual life and shared his love for some musicians that you may not have heard of. There are some links below to some of them. Check them out!

There is a discussion of icons, which is fascinating, and I've included in these notes images of two mentioned in the episode.

Glen has an amazing way of remembering quotes. Check out the quotes section below to read some of what Glen said.

Some of what we talked about:

• 
  

  Spirituality is being included in the Triune communion of God.

  
  


• 
  

  What it means to listen to God? How do we listen in our inner life.

  
  


• Being limited by a cognitive approach to spirituality.


• Healthy spirituality begins to integrate all the senses.


• Icons - what are they and how are they helpful?


• How prayer life and spirituality changes over time.


• Having a prayer binder


• Journaling


• The power of habit regardless of how we feel, but not driven by guilt.


• The idea of Jesus being our great high priest. That Jesus prays for us! The Spirit intercedes for us. Two thirds of the Trinity are already praying for us!


• It is not about persuading God. God is pursuing us and longs for a connection with us.


• Memorizing Scripture, in particular Psalms


• The role of music in Spirituality (see links below!)

Quotes from Glen Soderholm in the Podcast

• 
  

  “In this day and age, the last person we expect to be our neighbour, might be our actual next door neighbour.”

  
  


• “Spirituality is a gift that comes to us from God. God is the initiator in the spiritual life.”


• "Creation is the result of the overflow of God’s life of love.”


• "Spirituality means talking to ourselves in healthy ways."


• A Prayer that he uses every day...

I am the beloved child of God the Father.
I am the beloved friend of God the Son.
I am the beloved Temple of God the Holy Spirit.
I am enfolded in the Three in One.

Quotes from Others

"Prayer is the gift of participating through the Spirit in the Son’s communion with the Father.” - James Torrence

"Prayer is listening to God tell you that you are the beloved child.” - Henri Nouwen

“It is you that lights my lamp, the Lord, my God, lights my darkness.” - Psalm 18:28

“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of God’s willingness.” - Julian of Norwich

“The energy of reconciliation is the dynamo at the center of the universe “ - Eugene Peterson

Music Recommendations

• Palestrina (listen to Palestrina’s Motets for 5 voices on YouTube)


• Bach  (listen to Bach’s Magnificat on Youtube)


• John Tavener (listen to Tavener’s Fragments of a Prayer on YouTube)


• Henryk Gorecki (listen to Gorecki’s Totus Tuus on Youtube)


• Arvo Part (listen to Arvo Part’s Magnificat on Youtube)


• Bifrost Arts - https://bifrostartsmusic.bandcamp.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com

Listen in as Matthew Brough talks about Psalm 3 with its powerful images of God being a shield and the lifter of your head.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com

Episode 12 of Spirituality for Normal People features an interview with Lisa Whittle. Lisa is a speaker and the author of six books. From her official bio: "Her love runs deep to see people pursue Jesus for life, grow deep roots of faith, and walk strong in the midst of a world that so often seems to have gone crazy."

Lisa's latest book: Put Your Warrior Boots On: Walking Jesus Strong, Once and for All

What a great conversation! Lisa has incredible passion and straightforward honesty. Here is just some of what we talked about...

• How to deal with weariness and worry


• Moving from panic and fear to preparation and strength


• It is not about how you feel, it is about what you choose


• Choosing to love, obey, and follow


• Warrior boots as a symbol of walking in strength


• Pushing back on the idea of “brave”


• Receiving the power and strength of Christ


• Reading through the Bible continuously.


• Listening in Prayer


• Taking the pressure off for our prayers to be a particular way


• The power of simpler, shorter prayers

Quotes From This Episode

• "Choosing God stabilizes the other areas of our life"


• “You don’t have to know the particular storm if you know the vehicle to survive."


• “Christ’s strength is our strategy.”


• “The more we look at ourselves, the more we become insecure and fade…so fix your eyes on Jesus."

During the interview, Lisa mentioned a devotional she is reading, Peace in the Face of Loss by Jill Kelly

Lisa Whittle's Books

• Put Your Warrior Boots On: Walking Jesus Strong, Once and for All


• I Want God: Forever Changed by the Revival of Your Soul 


• Whole: An Honest Look at the Holes in Your Life—and How to Let God Fill Them


• Behind Those Eyes: What's Really Going on Inside the Souls of Women


• The 7 Hardest Things God Asks a Woman to Do

Look for Lisa's next book, a devotional, available in Fall 2017…

• 5 Word Prayers: Where to Start When You Don’t Know What to Say to God


• 5 Word Prayers Coloring Book (Lisa's sister did all the art for this book!)

Visit lisawhittle.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com

Episode 11 of the Spirituality for Normal People Podcast features and interview with Jennifer DeCombe. Jen is the associate secretary for Canadian Ministries, working at the National Office of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. At the end of the interview, there is a really interesting conversation about inviting non-Christian friends to learn about faith.

SOME OF THE TOPICS IN THIS INTERVIEW:

• What role can institutions or denominations play in the development of Spirituality?


• The ways congregations are struggling with engaging with following Jesus


• Leadership modelling what they hope for the wider community


• Daily Scripture Reading - The enriching of life through regular reading


• Ritualizing Bible study and prayer and linking it to daily activity (like drinking coffee!)


• Lighting candles at supper


• Praying the Lord’s Prayer together


• "Uncomplicated" Spiritual Practices


• “Resetting” Spiritual Practices - self-discipline and making a decision to go to the Bible.


• Having grace with yourself when you are in a rut spiritually.


• Mini-Habits - setting very small goals for connecting with God.


• Positive Rituals, Habits, and Practices


• An honest conversation about having a spouse who is not a Christian


• Inviting non-Christian friends to learn more about faith

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• The Answer to How is Yes by Peter Block - http://amzn.to/2qQ2q6D


• Community: The Structure of Belonging by Peter Block - http://amzn.to/2sw72QK


• Vital Churches Institute (Word, Prayer, Share Resource) - http://vitalchurchesinstitute.com/


• Life With God Bible - http://amzn.to/2rYbutW


• Revovare - https://renovare.org/


• Journal Bibles (with colouring pages!) - http://amzn.to/2sifEKp


• Lauren Winner - http://amzn.to/2rfywLK


• Mini-Habits - http://amzn.to/2svO9NH

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com

Episode 10 of the podcast features an interview with Rev. Dr. Margaret Mullin. Margaret is the executive director of Winnipeg Inner City Missions and the pastor of Place of Hope Presbyterian Church.  I had the opportunity to do this interview in person at Anishanabe Place of Hope in Winnipeg and Margaret was so gracious and generous in her honest conversation with me.

Margaret recently received a Women of Faith Award, which you can read about here.

TOPICS COVERED:

• Challenges of ministry in the Inner City of Winnipeg - 49% Indigenous population, a high percentage of immigrants, amongst the worst poverty in Canada, families who are dealing with generations of poverty


• There is a great need to discover hope.


• 
  Spiritual Practices that we touch on: Silent retreats (without any agenda), What is a Sweat and what is a Sweatlodge?; Journaling; Daily reflection time at the end of the day.
  


• 
  Indigenous Practices and Spirituality
  


• 
  The relationship between Christianity and Indigenous practices
  


• 
  What we need to know about Indigenous People in North America.
  


• 
  The apology to indigenous people as a first step.
  


• 
  The importance of relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous people.
  


• 
  The importance of learning the history.
  


• 
  What are the best ways to support ministry with First Nations people.
  

SOME QUOTES FROM MARGARET

• “I pray better at the end of a pen.”


• “There was no problem with the Irish people bringing their celtic traditions with them in following Jesus. So I don’t understand why it was a problem where my indigenous people could not bring their indigenous spirituality with them when they learned to follow Jesus.”

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• Winnipeg Inner City Missions - http://www.wicm.ca


• Circles for Reconciliation - https://circlesforreconciliation.ca/


• Reconciliation Canada - http://reconciliationcanada.ca/


• National Association of Friendship Centres - http://nafc.ca/en/friendship-centres/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com

Episode 9 of the podcast is with Juno-award winning musician, Steve Bell. This interview was such an amazing experience, recorded in Steve's own studio in Winnipeg. Steve was incredibly gracious and generous with his time and his honest sharing. Steve shared a ton in this episode, and you can find all kinds of links on the Spirituality for Normal People Website that reference just some of what Steve spoke about.

This podcast episode also features several of Steve's songs, used with his permission.

Get the full and very extensive show notes on the Spirituality for Normal People Website

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com

Listen in as Matthew Brough talks about Psalm 2 and the struggle we sometimes find between love and justice.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com

Episode 8 of the Spirituality for Normal People Podcast features an interview with United Church minister Robin McGauley. Robin is a metalsmith, makes amazing art and jewelry, and is also a Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, a faculty member of the Expressive Arts program at the Haliburton School of Art and Design, and a graduate of the Jubilee program in spiritual direction.

We discuss a quote on Robin's website but never get around to actually saying what it is. Here's the quote from Dark Nights of the Soul by Thomas Moore

Some things are best done in the dark, including the transformation of raw material into tools and pieces of art. There is a smith in our soul who works the failures and successes of everyday life into eternal shapes that make us who we are. It's not extraordinary, this dark place of heat and hammering, but rather an unspectacular scene of hard work. You might think of your dark night as such a place and realize the importance of keeping it stocked and fired and dim. Your job is to provide the setting and let the divine smith do his work.  

IN THIS INTERVIEW WE TALK ABOUT:

• The importance of craft, artistry, and creativity


• Claiming being creative as part of ministry


• The Metalsmith as a metaphor how God relates to us in times of difficulty or depression.


• Walking through times of sadness


• The “doing” and “being” involved in spiritual practices


• Using a long commute for meditation and prayer


• Noticing God, embodiment, and the incarnation


• What are Labyrinths and how they can be helpful for Spiritual Life

Full show notes, links and resources can be found here

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com

Episode 7 of the Spirituality for Normal People Podcast features an interview with Rev. Germaine Lovelace, minister of First Presbyterian Church in Kenora, Ontario, Canada. Prior to serving in this small town, Germaine ministered in his home country of Jamaica. 

Here are some of the topics discussed in the interview:

• The struggle of Church membership in small town, increasingly secular, contexts


• Ministering among the poor and the importance of the Church for the poor in small towns


• The difference in response to the gospel between Jamaican and Canadian contexts


• How serving and connecting with those in need can provide fuel for the spiritual life


• Communicating in other cultures


• Consistent prayer life and devotions to stay grounded in God


• What is means to pray without ceasing


• Prayer as the first place rather than last resort


• Reading a lot of devotionals


• Misconceptions about spirituality - what is it and who is it for?


• What do you do when you don’t “feel” God’s presence?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com

Listen in as Matthew Brough talks about Psalm 1 and the wonderful image of being like a tree planted by streams of water.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mattbrough.substack.com