Patrick's out this week, so the crew runs the show's technology solo for the first time — with Nathan trying to replace Tim again. It opens with a real conversation about 9/11's 25th anniversary, then swings through classic Passages chaos: weird news, a tractor accident, and an all-time bad preacher blooper reel. This week's passage comes from The Three Christs of Ypsilanti and leads into a real conversation about the prodigal son and finding meaning.

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Tim's out again this week, but the crew still covers a lot: a cookie taste test, a stack of weird news headlines, a real discussion on faith and scripture in a changing culture, and a musical AI-apocalypse tangent. The heart of the episode is this week's passage — a Dolly Parton quote on giving people your smile, postponed from last week in her honor — plus a tribute to author Wendell Berry, who passed around the same time.

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Dear Passengers, our deepest apologies for the tardiness getting this episode up on Spotify. The reason is silly and not worth detailing here, just know that we work tirelessly for your entertainment and regret the inconvenience.

Tim is back! After a long hiatus, the man, the myth, the legend returns to the studio just in time for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from cookie-related "blasphemy" to the incredible legacy of Dolly Parton.

We also dive into some other topics, including the latest tech controversies surrounding "flock" cameras, the renaming of Lake Ontario, and a major social media settlement. We also share a special moment honoring Charlie Cochran for a lifetime of service in ministry. Finally, we reflect on a powerful weekly passage from poet Mary Oliver about the difficult, beautiful, and non-negotiable path of love.

A McDonald's wedding, a Little League World Series pep talk, lots of lizards, Miss Universe Canada, and a whole lot more! And, of course our passage from GK Chesterton: "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. Solemnity flows out of men naturally, but laughter is a leap. It is easy to be heavy, hard to be light. Satan fell by the force of gravity."

It's a rapid-fire episode where we cover some baseball, a bad toddler on a plane, Florida Man, Kay Ivy bringing back a cult favorite, another impaling, snakes, and earthquakes. And, of course our passage from Jerry Sittser: "It is not what God does for us that demonstrates his greatest answer to prayer; it is what God does in us. God wants to change us to his liking, not to change the world to our liking."

Jason, Jackson, and Patrick hold down the show this week with Francis Bacon: "If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.”

We're buzzing the tower on this episode of Passages! In our rapid fire stories, we cover the Blue Angels, wildfire smoke, Nathan's hatred of NASA, how much killer whales really hate sunfish, 3D printing of the future, a woman's malpractice suit, an ER nurse and a walking stick, and someone who doesn't know how to drive. Also, there's a doozy of a Bad Preacher (or should we say Apostle?), and this week's passage from Jiddu Krishnamurti: "The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence."

It's another rapid-fire episode ranging from a rogue bison to loud datacenters and daylight savings time. Then, we get into what's going on Pell City - WHAT ARE THEY SEARCHING FOR - and why soccer players wear bras. Some fish are sentient and Patty Labelle tears it up at the MLB All Stars game. And, our passage from Justin Welsh: "Modern luxury is the ability to think clearly, sleep deeply, move slowly, and live quietly in a world designed to prevent all four."

In this episode, we cover a wide, rapid fire range of topics from snakes to dog's names to bigfoot to baby Jesus paintings and more. Also, our passage from CS Lewis' Four Loves: "“In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, 'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,' can truly say to every group of Christian friends, 'Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.' The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”

We're joined by two returning guests tonight, it's America's birthday, someone got engaged at the top (no, for real, the very top) of the Empire State Building, and we get the low down on a hate triangle in college football. Also, the French hate our AC, and a medical miracle occurred in 1983. And, our passage, the poem "How Alive" by Wade Forester.