Latter-day Faith

Here at the beginning of both a new year and new decade, Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon reflects on the spiritual concept of "renewal" and ways we might keep that notion and its power active in our lives. He reflects on the opportunities that our calendar (primarily the Christian calendar in this case) provides for us to renew, to gather energy afresh, and to release what is worn down, not working, and that does not represent our highest ideals. The rituals that precede these special days/seasons even allow us to mimic this deterioration in fun but symbolically potent ways. Dan also takes us into the heart of what renewal means and how it is best instantiated within our core selves through daily spiritual practice that allows us to tap into far deeper sources of energy and greater abilities than what our simple will-power alone can provide. (Insert your own instances when your "resolutions" didn't last much past the first few days of the year or season.)

This show continues the conversation with Phil McLemore, a yogi in the lineage of Paramahansa Yogananda and also a Latter-day Saint, this time focusing on Christmas and its various symbols and opportunities for better understanding Jesus and, more widely, Christ, the divine consciousness of God in every part of creation. Phil and Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon first discuss the importance of understanding things related to our divine development through myth and symbology rather than worrying if this or that story or account of something miraculous really happened historically. It's an important shift to make, allowing us to read scripture, situations, others, and all of life with new and fresh eyes, for in each of these is much we can draw on in our journeys. Mary, mother of Jesus, and the divine feminine then take front stage as Phil pulls wonderful wisdom from every aspect of what she represents as a virgin, as pregnant with Christ consciousness, as giving birth, and much more. What does the inn represent? What about the cave/stable? How can we look at the shepherds and the wise men/magi (and their gifts) more expansively? Elizabeth and Mary, each carrying in her womb a powerful, God-conscious child can be seen as much more than simply cousins communing together during their pregnancies. Plus more! Yogi Phil then takes us into greater depth, sharing some of the teachings and practices of Yogananda in relation to Christmas, and he then offers us a powerful meditative practice that will help take us deep in the meaning of this holy season and the patterns and archetypes playing themselves out in its stories and symbols, and even more importantly, within each of us as we journey toward divine consciousness and communion. Will we allow ourselves to be open to its many gifts?

This show continues the conversation with Phil McLemore, a yogi in the lineage of Paramahansa Yogananda and also a Latter-day Saint, this time focusing on Christmas and its various symbols and opportunities for better understanding Jesus and, more widely, Christ, the divine consciousness of God in every part of creation. Phil and Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon first discuss the importance of understanding things related to our divine development through myth and symbology rather than worrying if this or that story or account of something miraculous really happened historically. It's an important shift to make, allowing us to read scripture, situations, others, and all of life with new and fresh eyes, for in each of these is much we can draw on in our journeys.

Mary, mother of Jesus, and the divine feminine then take front stage as Phil pulls wonderful wisdom from every aspect of what she represents as a virgin, as pregnant with Christ consciousness, as giving birth, and much more. What does the inn represent? What about the cave/stable? How can we look at the shepherds and the wise men/magi (and their gifts) more expansively? Elizabeth and Mary, each carrying in her womb a powerful, God-conscious child can be seen as much more than simply cousins communing together during their pregnancies. Plus more!

Yogi Phil then takes us into greater depth, sharing some of the teachings and practices of Yogananda in relation to Christmas, and he then offers us a powerful meditative practice that will help take us deep in the meaning of this holy season and the patterns and archetypes playing themselves out in its stories and symbols, and even more importantly, within each of us as we journey toward divine consciousness and communion. Will we allow ourselves to be open to its many gifts?

Following up on the recent "Wisdom Jesus" show, this two-part episode features the wonderful yogi Phil McLemore offering extended insights in some of the things talked about in that conversation but also taking us deeper into the heart of what Jesus was really teaching and what his life actually means in relation to the notion of Atonement and our lives. In conversation with Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon, Phil teaches us about the "perennial philosophy" that underlies all spiritual traditions and shows how Jesus's life and messaging align perfectly with each of its elements. He also takes us through his own spiritual development journey and how the insights he has have come through direct experiences with the Divine.

In the second of the two episodes, they move the conversation into what has often been referred to as the "dark night of the soul." What does this mean? Does everyone on a spiritual journey experience what is often characterized as the terror of losing one's identity? Are there more helpful ways of discussing the type of surrender of our "small" selves to the eternal, glorious identities that we are, and to a love that surpasses all understanding? You won't want to miss this conversation!

Following up on the recent "Wisdom Jesus" show, this two-part episode features the wonderful yogi Phil McLemore offering extended insights in some of the things talked about in that conversation but also taking us deeper into the heart of what Jesus was really teaching and what his life actually means in relation to the notion of Atonement and our lives. In conversation with Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon, Phil teaches us about the "perennial philosophy" that underlies all spiritual traditions and shows how Jesus's life and messaging align perfectly with each of its elements. He also takes us through his own spiritual development journey and how the insights he has have come through direct experiences with the Divine.

In the second of the two episodes, they move the conversation into what has often been referred to as the "dark night of the soul." What does this mean? Does everyone on a spiritual journey experience what is often characterized as the terror of losing one's identity? Are there more helpful ways of discussing the type of surrender of our "small" selves to the eternal, glorious identities that we are, and to a love that surpasses all understanding?

You won't want to miss this conversation!

Following up on the recent "Wisdom Jesus" show, this two-part episode features the wonderful yogi Phil McLemore offering extended insights in some of the things talked about in that conversation but also taking us deeper into the heart of what Jesus was really teaching and what his life actually means in relation to the notion of Atonement and our lives. In conversation with Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon, Phil teaches us about the "perennial philosophy" that underlies all spiritual traditions and shows how Jesus's life and messaging align perfectly with each of its elements. He also takes us through his own spiritual development journey and how the insights he has have come through direct experiences with the Divine.

In the second of the two episodes, they move the conversation into what has often been referred to as the "dark night of the soul." What does this mean? Does everyone on a spiritual journey experience terror about losing her or his identity? Are there more helpful ways of discussing the type of surrender of our "small" selves to the eternal, glorious identities that we are, and to a love that surpasses all understanding? You won't want to miss this episode!

Following up on the recent "Wisdom Jesus" show, this two-part episode features the wonderful yogi Phil McLemore offering extended insights in some of the things talked about in that conversation but also taking us deeper into the heart of what Jesus was really teaching and what his life actually means in relation to the notion of Atonement and our lives. In conversation with Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon, Phil teaches us about the "perennial philosophy" that underlies all spiritual traditions and shows how Jesus's life and messaging align perfectly with each of its elements. He also takes us through his own spiritual development journey and how the insights he has have come through direct experiences with the Divine.

In the second of the two episodes, they move the conversation into what has often been referred to as the "dark night of the soul." What does this mean? Does everyone on a spiritual journey experience terror about losing her or his identity? Are there more helpful ways of discussing the type of surrender of our "small" selves to the eternal, glorious identities that we are, and to a love that surpasses all understanding?

You won't want to miss this episode!

In this episode, highly experienced family therapist, Julie Keanaaina introduces a model known as the Stages of Change that has been found to be very helpful in not only addiction therapy but applied more widely, and then she and Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon move to compare its categories/levels with those laid out by Stages of Faith author James Fowler as adult stages of faith and worldview development. It's an instructive and fascinating conversation about mental states and physical action that is part teaching, part conversation, part personal storytelling, and all terrific and insightful. The Stages of Change have (without calling each by the names discussed in the podcast) been adapted into a wonderful poem by Portia Nelson that is shared in the episode:

Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters

Chapter I

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost ... I am helpless.

It isn't my fault.

It takes me forever to find a way out.

Chapter II

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in again.

I can't believe I am in the same place.

But it isn't my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in ... it's a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter IV

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter V

I walk down another street.

Listen in! You'll find a lot that will cause you to think with more focus about our lives, issues, changes, and our faith journeys.

In this episode, highly experienced family therapist, Julie Keanaaina introduces a model known as the Stages of Change that has been found to be very helpful in not only addiction therapy but applied more widely, and then she and Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon move to compare its categories/levels with those laid out by Stages of Faith author James Fowler as adult stages of faith and worldview development. It's an instructive and fascinating conversation about mental states and physical action that is part teaching, part conversation, part personal storytelling, and all terrific and insightful. 

The Stages of Change have (without calling each by the names discussed in the podcast) been adapted into a wonderful poem by Portia Nelson that is shared in the episode:

Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters

Chapter I

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost ... I am helpless.

It isn't my fault.

It takes me forever to find a way out.

Chapter II

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in again.

I can't believe I am in the same place.

But it isn't my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in ... it's a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter IV

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter V

I walk down another street.

Listen in! You'll find a lot that will cause you to think with more focus about our lives, issues, changes, and our faith journeys.

Rebekah Simon-Peter is a Christian teacher from a Jewish background who specializes in helping clergy (and anyone who feels "called" by God to do something "kingdom oriented") to "dream like Jesus." We are excited to have her on Latter-day Faith where she and host Dan Wotherspoon explore together what a Jesus-like dream looks like. In likely the most inspirational LDF episode to date, they draw from and discuss elements of Rebekah's new book, Dream Like Jesus: Deepen Your Faith and Bright the Impossible to Life (Market Square Publishing, 2019), to ask us all if we are dreaming big enough, involving our communities, as well as trying to do our part, like Jesus, in bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth. Rebekah is so remarkably powerful that it is not hard to believe that we can, in partnership with God, do in this world far more than we have ever imagined! Listen in! You'll likely be returning to this episode often!