We enjoyed this fabulous conversation with Stephen Lazarus! Stephen is the Literary Manager for the Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and the editor of Encountering Henri: The Living Legacy of Henri Nouwen. We visit about how earnestly and honestly Henri Nouwen lived his life and how impactful and invitational his way of being was. We invite you to live fully and in the spirit of Henri today and everyday! “It is by being awake to God in us that we can increasingly see God in the world around us.” 
Show Notes

• Encountering Henri: The Living Legacy of Henri Nouwen 
• Cardus NexGen program
• Henry Nouwen Legacy Trust
• Comment Magazine
• Robert and Margaret Jonas - Reviving Creation

Substack

• Check out Jenny's weekly reflection on the episode on our Substack.

Key Topics

• Henry Nowen's impact on spiritual life
• The concept of woundedness and healing
• Divine invitations and unexpected encounters
• Henry Nowen's influence on peacemaking and justice
• The importance of authentic identity in faith

Chapters
00:30 The Poetic Introduction to Love
02:38 Introducing Stephen Lazarus and His Journey
04:37 Encountering Henry Nowen: A Personal Connection
08:06 Who Was Henry Nowen?
10:04 The Humanity of Henry Nowen
16:00 Divine Invitations Through Henry's Work
20:47 The Communion of Saints and Connection to Ancestors
24:13 Contemplating Memories of Henry
28:47 Surprising Stories from the Book
30:37 Embracing Our Imperfections
34:25 Awakening to the Divine
34:59 The Meandering Path to Home
39:21 Engaging with the Common Good
43:55 Wounded vs. Broken: A Theological Perspective
49:03 Finding Identity in a Polarized World

We had a lovely conversation with the author of Girl in a Box, Paldrom Collins! Paldrom’s memoir walks us through her early days as a young woman who is seeking her own path in Oklahoma to her time in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in New York. Paldrom’s path is winding, full of wisdom, compassion, and the most surprising twists and turns. We enjoyed this insightful and honest chat about following yearning and trusting self. 

Show Notes:

• Only Breath by Rumi
• paldrom.com 
• Girl in a Box by: Paldrom Collins 
• How the Worst Day of My Life Became the Best by: Andrea Gibson 

Takeaways

• Following your inner knowing can lead to unexpected paths and growth
• Ritual and repetition serve as somatic practices that deepen spiritual awareness
• Non-dualism emphasizes interconnectedness beyond dualistic thinking
• Reciprocity is rooted in the natural interconnectedness of all life
• Embracing resistance and difficulty can hone spiritual resilience

Chapters
00:30 Transforming Pain into Art
02:36 The Journey of Becoming Findable
03:34 The Call to Write: A Spiritual Journey
06:59 Exploring Spiritual Backgrounds
09:23 The Meandering Path of Spirituality
12:46 Rituals and Repetition in Spiritual Practice
18:04 Interfaith Dialogues: Buddhism and Christianity
22:02 The Quest for Acceptance and Worthiness
26:11 Understanding Tibetan Buddhism's Teachings
30:34 Navigating Dualism and Non-Dualism
32:40 Reciprocity in Spiritual Journeys
34:39 The Knowing Beyond Knowing
37:23 Embracing the Unknown
42:22 Yearning and Creativity
45:12 Responding to Suffering in the World
47:31 The Ongoing Story of Life
51:04 Finding Shelter in Each Other's Stories

This week our minds are blown and our hearts are expanded by Day Schildkret, author, artist and teacher behind the Morning Altars movement, who inspires tens of thousands of people to make life more beautiful and meaningful through ritual, nature and art. Day talks to us about ritual, meaning making, presence, beauty, remembering, curiosity and more in this gorgeous conversation.

Show Notes: 

• Morning Altars
• Day’s Books and Art
• Teacher Training 
• Day’s Instagram 
• Grief Ritual Series

Key Topics

• The origin story of Morning Altars and its healing modality
• The role of thresholds and thresholds in personal transformation
• The importance of meaning making and ritual in everyday life
• Reciprocity and the back-and-forth of giving and receiving
• The relationship between vulnerability, nature, and ritual

Chapters
00:30 The Power of Ritual and Nature
01:44 Thresholds and Transitions in Life
10:32 Meaning Making Through Creativity
14:46 Rituals: Boundaries and Simplicity
18:21 Cultural Challenges to Rituals
22:12 Personal Journey with Rituals
23:48 Exploring Sacred Ground and Relationships
27:56 The Concept of Reciprocity in Rituals
32:35 Vulnerability and Connection with Nature
36:45 Grief and the Role of Ritual
41:30 Grief as an Invitation to Transformation
44:51 Creating Alternative Spaces in a Capitalist World

Erica Smith, Sex Educator and author of the Purity Culture Recovery Guide joins us today on the pod! Erica’s invitational and open hearted writing explores the harms of Purity Culture and gives pathways to healing for those of us raised in it. Erica is a wealth of shame free sex information and this book is a must read for all people seeking a healthy, open hearted relationship to their bodies and their sexuality. 

Show Notes:

• The Purity Culture Recovery Guide by Erica Smith
• Linda Kay Klein Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free
• Netflix Documentary - Trust Me: The False Prophet
• Purityculturedropout.com
• Erica’s Instagram

Key Topics

• Impact of Purity Culture on Sexuality
• Healing from Religious Shame
• Sexual Rights and Autonomy
• Creating Safe Spaces for Healing
• Men's Group and Vulnerability

Chapters
00:10 The Power of Love Poetry
02:45 Introducing Erica Smith: A Journey into Sex Education
04:30 From Casual Christianity to Sex Education
10:38 Understanding Purity Culture: A Deep Dive
13:00 The Impact of Purity Culture on Relationships
17:02 The Broader Effects of Purity Culture
20:52 Healing from Shame: The Purity Culture Dropout Program
27:24 Creating a Safe Space for Conversations
27:52 The Birth of the Purity Culture Recovery Guide
30:18 Responses to the Book: A Positive Reception
33:01 The Sexual Bill of Rights: Empowering Individuals
33:05 Understanding Sexual Rights and Respect
35:41 The Importance of Men's Groups
39:33 Exploring Vulnerability in Masculinity
43:41 Forgiveness and Healing in Masculinity
47:24 Inviting Others Out of Purity Culture
51:00 The Benefits of Healthy Sexuality

Fabulous time today visiting with authors Adrienne Gibson and Scot McKnight on their new book Traumatized Church: What Paul's Relationship with the Corinthian Church Teaches Us About Helping Those Who are Hurting. Adrienne brings the perspective of a licensed therapist and Scot the knowledge of a New Testament scholar and together they have written a really hopeful and informative book on trauma, the church, Paul and the Corinthians, and on individual and collective healing. A must listen for anyone working in the church or who loves the church! 

Show Notes:

• Paul and Thecla from 2nd century
• Traumatized Church
• Valor Counseling - Adrienne’s Practice in Mesa, Arizona 
• Scot Mcknight on Substack
• Scot’s books

Key Topics

• Trauma in the church and its impact
• Paul's vulnerability and trauma as a leader
• Trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive church practices

Chapters
00:00 The Peace of Wild Things
02:06 Introducing the Authors and Their Journey
09:31 Understanding Trauma
11:47 The Church as a Traumatic Space
15:45 Becoming Trauma-Informed
19:16 Transforming Pain: Insights from Paul and the Corinthians
27:57 Understanding Paul's Humanity
30:46 The Impact of Trauma on Leadership
35:47 The Role of Pastors in Modern Churches
41:34 Breaking the Cycle of Harm in Churches
45:25 The Importance of Trauma Awareness in Ministry

Today on the pod sisters, co-authors, and co-founders of Wild Church Network and The Center for Wild Spirituality Valerie Luna Serrels and Victoria Loorz join us in sacred conversation. In this lovely conversation we visit about unlearning patriarchal ways of being, the importance of deep noticing, the reemergence of reciprocal relationships with the human and more than human world, and the mycelial network that connects us all. This is such an important and expansive conversation for the wild times we find ourselves in! 

Show Notes:

• Margaret Wheatley - Using Emergence to Take Social Innovation to Scale
• Dean Radin, PhD - IONS
• The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist 
• The Great AI Unraveling: Tristan Harris on Sounds of SAND
• The Holy Wild Podcast
• Wild Church Network
• Wild Church Online
• Why I Should Hike Every Day No Matter What by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

Key Topics

• The roots and growth of the Center for Wild Spirituality and Wild Church Network
• The paradigm shift towards interconnectedness and emergence in spirituality
• The biomimicry and feminist principles guiding wild church structures
• The role of love, love as awareness, and sacred reciprocity in transformation
• Science and spirituality: understanding the impact of consciousness on the physical world
• The importance of community, unlearning, and vulnerability in spiritual evolution

Chapters
00:00 The Power of Nature and Freedom
03:49 Introduction to the Wild Church Network
06:54 Roots of the Center for Wild Spirituality
09:42 Emergence and Community Building
12:32 Biomimicry and Networking
15:27 The Role of Feminine Leadership
18:37 The Importance of Listening and Awareness
21:25 Love and Change in the World
24:11 Worldview Shift and Sacred Reciprocity
27:24 Personal Journeys of Undoing
30:06 The Journey of Trust and Passion
36:42 Navigating Personal Struggles and Community Support
39:07 The Journey of Acceptance and Grief
43:45 Understanding Burnout and Resilience
47:28 The Sacredness of Life's Challenges
50:29 Awareness and Renewal in the Face of Grief
54:51 Emerging Futures and the Balance of Hope and Grief
58:47 Choosing Love Amidst Uncertainty

We were so honored to speak with the author of Everything is a Story Kaitlin Curtice! Kaitlin is a an award-winning author, poet-storyteller, public speaker, and enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation. Today she walks us through the importance of the stories we tell ourselves, rewriting the stories we’ve been told that we’ve outgrown, and telling new stories about community and connection to ourselves, to the land, and to one another. Join us as we dive deep this week into stories, imagination, and hope amidst collapse. 


Show Notes:

• Substack - Liminality Journal
• Everything is a Story
• Kaitlin’s Instagram
• Don’t Bother the Earth Spirit by: Joy Harjo

Takeaways

• Stories are time capsules that evolve with us, reflecting our growth.
• Grief is a sacred space that, when embraced, can lead to profound healing.
• Imagination is a vital tool for envisioning a better world and living beyond our limitations.
• Connecting with ancestors and the earth provides guidance and strength.
• Healing stories require patience, presence, and a willingness to face discomfort.

Chapters
00:00 The Power of Storytelling
04:02 Childhood Narratives and Personal Growth
12:20 Healing Through Reflection and Connection
17:46 Catalysts for Change and Presence
23:51 Collective Stories and Community Healing
27:55 Healing Through Grief and Community
31:18 The Role of Imagination in Writing
36:07 Wisdom of Midlife Transitions
41:47 Navigating Edges: Pleasure, Risk, and Pain
47:35 Fear and Failure as Invitations
50:27 Claiming Words as Medicine

Conservation ecologist and writer Dr. Andrea Adams joins us on the pod today! We chat about nature, spirituality, finding new pathways as life shifts in unexpected ways, and hope that's rooted in action during these uncertain times. Andrea brings depth, honesty, and reminders of nature's reciprocity and endless invitations in our conversation and through her lovely Substack Hopecology. 

Show notes:

• Dr. Andrea Adams Website 
• Hopecology 
• Christ the Yogi: A Hindu Reflection on the Gospel of John 
• How Dark the Beginning by Maggie Smith 

Key Topics

• The role of hope in ecological and personal resilience
• The intersection of science, spirituality, and indigenous knowledge
• Transformative experiences and personal growth after trauma
• The importance of doubt and humility in scientific practice
• Practical actions for hope and care in ecology

Chapters
00:00 The Dark and the Light: A Poetic Introduction
02:47 Introducing Dr. Andrea Adams: A Journey of Hope and Ecology
06:43 The Birth of Hopecology: From Trauma to Transformation
10:25 Spirituality and Personal Evolution: A Complex Relationship
18:37 Finding Hope Amidst Environmental Collapse
24:19 Transformation Through Adversity: Embracing the Roar
34:54 Embracing Your Strange Path
36:00 Navigating the Edges of Comfort
38:39 The Nature of Science and Intellectual Humility
46:28 Reciprocity Between Science and Spirituality
54:10 Hope as Action in Ecology
01:01:32 Learning from Nature: Biomimicry and Reciprocity

Today is Radical Sacred’s 100th Episode! Hard to believe we’ve spent 100 hours conversing with artists, theologians, poets, authors, naturalists and more over the past 2.5 years. Each conversation has been a joy and has served as an invitation to a deeper knowing of self and the world around us. Friend of the pod Melissa Fritchle who is a Holistic Psychotherapist and Spiritual Counselor, a Wild guide with Center for Wild Spirituality and co-founder of Intimate with the Moon and Soil and the author of The Conscious Sexual Self Workbook and the substack Soul Entwined with Earth, interviews us about all the lovely inner workings of Radical Sacred. We loved talking with her about intimacy, our hopes, our roots, and more in this special episode. Thank you for listening to us, for journeying with us, and for your support! There is no Radical Sacred without our community of listeners and friends and we are grateful for you! 


Show Notes

• Radical Sacred Substack 
• Radical Sacred Website 
• Radical Sacred on Youtube
• Melissa Fritchle’s Website
• Melissa’s Substack - Soul Entwined with Earth 
• Intimate with the Moon and Soil - Melissa’s new venture!
• On Friendship by Khalil Gibran

Key Topics

• The origin of the podcast and its focus on deep, rooted conversations
• The importance of vulnerability and authenticity in spiritual spaces
• The role of nature and interconnectedness in personal growth

Chapters
00:00 The Essence of Friendship
02:31 Celebrating 100 Episodes
05:36 The Journey of Radical Sacred
13:03 The Dynamics of Friendship
17:02 Vulnerability in Conversations
30:47 Transformative Beliefs and Worldviews
35:12 The Journey of Transformation
35:59 Attention and Intention in Pilgrimage
37:34 Memorable Conversations and Surprising Insights
39:07 The Impact of Connections and Community
40:59 Navigating Change and Personal Growth
42:44 The Role of Community in Times of Crisis
44:18 Interconnectedness and Collective Hope
47:34 Radical Sacred: Embracing Change
53:19 Looking Ahead: Future Conversations and Themes

Today we are blessed to chat with Sister Lynne Smith, Amy Alstad, Everline Jeruto, and Mary David Walgenbach of Holy Wisdom Monastery of Madison, Wisconsin. Holy Wisdom is an Ecumenical Benedictine Community that is known for their land restoration, love of the earth, and love of all people. We chat about restoration of land, reciprocity in the natural world, deep connections, and welcoming humans and the more than human world as if they were Christ. We were so inspired by the work of Holy Wisdom and know you will be too!


Show Notes:

• Holy Wisdom Monastery
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Midday Prayer Stream
• Regal Fritillary Butterfly 
• How Would You Live Then by: Mary Oliver

Key Topics

• Ecumenical Benedictine community
• Land restoration and prairie planting
• Ecological listening and biomimicry
• Community, justice, and hospitality
• Renewable energy and net zero goals

Chapters
01:00 The Beauty of Nature and Reflection
02:01 Introduction to Holy Wisdom Monastery
05:25 The Heartbeat of Holy Wisdom Monastery
13:04 Listening to the Land
19:09 Towards a Sustainable Future
21:02 Funding and Community Engagement
22:51 Welcoming All: A Benedictine Approach
26:19 Restoration and Ecological Hospitality
33:05 Modeling Community and Reciprocity
40:39 Cultural Exchange and Learning
43:40 Finding Joy in Nature
47:58 Retreats: A Space for Reflection
51:28 Hopes for the Future