Faithfully Creative

Matt Brough and J. Dana Trent have part 3 of their conversation on Ancient Wisdom in Chaotic Times, this time focussing on the season of Eastertide. Which Spiritual practices are most helpful right now and which ones might not be as much as we live with the realities of a Pandemic.

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

This is a replay of the Facebook Live that Dana and Matt did on April 1st, 2020 about how in this time of emergency, crisis, and uncertainty, we have resources available to us embedded in the ancient wisdom of our faith.
 
Together they explored: the 23rd Psalm, the Lord's Prayer, the difference between sabbatical and experiencing wilderness, and more.
 
J. Dana Trent is a professor of World Religions and Critical Thinking at Wake Tech Community College in North Carolina. An ordained Baptist minister and former hospital chaplain, her work has appeared on Time.com, and in Religion News Service, Sojourners, Religion Dispatches, and The Christian Century. She is the author of Dessert First: Preparing for Death While Savoring Life, One Breath At a Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Christian Meditation and For Sabbath’s Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest.
 
Matt Brough is a Presbyterian minister of a congregation in Winnipeg, Canada and also serves as the coordinator of the New Worshipping Communities Initiative of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. He hosts the Spirituality for Ordinary People podcast and is the author of Let God Be God: Give Control to the Only One Who Can Set You Free, Let God Be Present: Uncovering the Will, Courage, and Persistence to Truly Connect, and the Del Ryder series of fantasy adventure books.

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

This is a replay of the Facebook Live that Dana and Matt did on March 25th, 2020 about how in this time of emergency, crisis, and uncertainty, we have resources available to us embedded in the ancient wisdom of our faith. Together they explored: the importance of experiencing both joy and grief, how we need to lean into sabbath and why this is hard for us, and what we need in order to serve and love others in a time of physical distancing. 
 
J. Dana Trent is a professor of World Religions and Critical Thinking at Wake Tech Community College in North Carolina. An ordained Baptist minister and former hospital chaplain, her work has appeared on Time.com, and in Religion News Service, Sojourners, Religion Dispatches, and The Christian Century. She is the author of Dessert First: Preparing for Death While Savoring Life, One Breath At a Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Christian Meditation and For Sabbath’s Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest.
 
Matt Brough is a Presbyterian minister of a congregation in Winnipeg, Canada and also serves as the coordinator of the New Worshipping Communities Initiative of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. He hosts the Spirituality for Ordinary People podcast and is the author of Let God Be God: Give Control to the Only One Who Can Set You Free, Let God Be Present: Uncovering the Will, Courage, and Persistence to Truly Connect, and the Del Ryder series of fantasy adventure books.

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

We are living in very uncertain times as we continue to face the realities of the Corona Virus. We might be anxious and afraid. And we might have all kinds of voices or thoughts that tell us to "be strong" or to not feel certain ways. 

In response to this, I am sharing a short meditation that I wrote recently.

Start with your feelings

Acknowledge how you feel and actually feel it.

Don’t let voices creep in that tell you that you shouldn’t feel.
“you shouldn’t be afraid”
“you shouldn’t be anxious”
“you shouldn’t be angry”
“you should be crying”
“you shouldn’t be over-reacting”
“you shouldn’t be reacting at all”
Stop all those words and pay attention to how you actually feel.

Feel the place in your body that is reacting.
The back of your throat maybe
tense shoulders perhaps
Possibly the pit of your stomach

Draw your attention to how you feel and where you feel it most.

Now, know this deep truth:
You are not alone
You are not alone
You are not alone

There is one who loves you deeply and calls to you:
“Come to me, you who are weary and burdened…
and I will give you rest.”

Focus on that call
It was Jesus who first spoke these words.
Listen to them anew.
Receive his friendship and companionship

And be still.
Be still and know.
Know that you are not God, but that there is a God who is with you and loves you dearly.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

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

This was such a fantastic conversation with Pastor Steph O'Brien about her book, Stay Curious, which is all about embracing curiosity, questions, and even doubts as a key to unlocking a more vibrant and dynamic relationship with God.

A lot of us sometimes think that we aren't supposed to have big questions about fundamental ideas about God, Jesus or the Bible. Or we might believe that the life of faith is about overcoming and eliminating doubt to have "true faith." Steph really challenges these notions, encourages intentionality in spirituality, and at the same time upholds the importance of community, the Church, the Bible, and Jesus. 

While our conversation is really great, you should definitely check out everything Steph O'Brien does.  Among other things, she teaches at Bethel Seminary, is on the pastoral staff of a Church, and co-hosts an amazing podcast called "Lead Stories." Steph is a really gifted speaker and teacher, and is well worth following. Visit Steph's Website for more about her and what she does.

A few books that were mentioned in this episode...
Stay Curious: How Questions and Doubts Can Save Your Faith  by Steph O'Brien

The Myth of Certainty by Daniel Taylor

Benefit of the Doubt: Breaking the Idol of Certainty by Greg Boyd

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

The Spirituality for Ordinary People Podcast returns with a reflection on rediscovering our identity.

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

Season 3 of Spirituality for Ordinary People is all about Prayer Walking. In this third episode, Matt Brough continues the conversation from episode 2 with Robin McGauley about Labyrinths.

Check out the resources below the picture of the Labyrinth...

Overhead view of the Labyrinth in Chartres Cathedrale

Resources:

• Veriditas: https://www.veriditas.org


• The Expressive Arts program at fleming college: https://flemingcollege.ca/programs/expressive-arts


• Robin's Website - Amazing metalsmithing - check it out!


• Season 1, Episode 8 of Spirituality for Ordinary People - Creativity, Metalsmithing, and Labyrinths with Rev. Robin McGauley

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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

Season 3 of Spirituality for Ordinary People is all about Prayer Walking. In this second episode, Matt Brough, welcomes Robin McGauley back to the podcast to talk about walking the Labyrinth.

This is such an amazing conversation. So amazing, that it has been broken up into 2 parts - so there will be another episode with the second half of the conversation!

Check out the resources below the picture of the Labyrinth...

Overhead view of the Labyrinth in Chartres Cathedrale

Resources:

• Veriditas: https://www.veriditas.org


• The Expressive Arts program at fleming college: https://flemingcollege.ca/programs/expressive-arts


• Robin's Website - Amazing metalsmithing - check it out!


• Season 1, Episode 8 of Spirituality for Ordinary People - Creativity, Metalsmithing, and Labyrinths with Rev. Robin McGauley

Follow Spirituality for Ordinary People on Instagram

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | TuneIn Radio | Google Play

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

Season 3 of Spirituality for Ordinary People is all about Prayer Walking. In this opening episode, Matt Brough, goes over a few different kinds of prayer walks and invites listeners to consider making prayer walking a regular Spiritual Practice.

He goes over two main types:

1) Neighbourhood Prayer-Walking (Outward focus)
This type of prayer walking intentionally focusses on a particular neighbourhood. Take time to walk around in a community and silently pray for the people who live, work, or go to school there.

Pray for discernment - Seek the gift of seeing the community through God’s eyes and to discern what God may be up to in the neighbourhood. Pray for greater insight into how God is at work among the people, events, and places you observe.

Pray for blessing - Observe situations and places that express both joy and brokenness in the community and silently give thanks and/or ask for healing, strength, or renewal.

2. Personal Prayer-Walking (Inward focus)
This type of prayer walking focusses on your own relationship with God and/or how God may be guiding you. The action of walking is a powerful metaphor for following Jesus. You are encouraged to pray for personal direction from God.

Most of this type of prayer is a listening prayer. Begin by praying questions such as:
God, where are you leading me?
God, what step would you like me to take?
As you repeat these kinds of questions, try to quiet your mind and heart to listen to what God might be saying.

This type of prayer can be done anywhere, but it is often best to be outside in nature or pray using a Labyrinth.

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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

In this episode of the Spirituality for Ordinary Podcast your host, Matt Brough, continues the conversation with J. Dana Trent, author of One Breath At A Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Meditation. The first part of this conversation was in Episode 3 of Season 2.

This wraps up the season on the Examen.

For an overview of the Examen, you may want to go back to Episode 1 of Season 2 - The Examen in a Nutshell

 

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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