Sacramental Whine

Welcome to Episode 88, in this episode I have the honor of interviewing Father William Eddy.

Father William was ordained a priest in October of 2018 within the Ascension Alliance, and he has lived an eclectic spiritual life. At eight he challenged his Sunday school teacher. He had intuitively known that what was being told to him was not the truth. In his early teens, he read J. Krishnamurti, "on Education and the Significance of Life." This was his first intellectual exposure to the concepts of enlightenment and the limitations of individuality. This affected him.

He learned about Transcendental Meditation in 1972 and has greatly benefited from it. He learned the advanced program and moved to Fairfield, Iowa. The home of the Transcendental M movement. He started doing copious amounts of meditation in various modalities; however, his heart was getting restless. He had a lot of experience of spirit and consciousness, but his heart was not fulfilled. He started exploring other avenues of spiritual progress. He explored several things including the local Liberal Catholic Church parish.

In December of 2012, he became aware of a calling to become a priest after growing in the Liberal Catholic Church over the years. While he was supported there, he had an epiphany that lead him to Spiritus Christi a nearby parish within the Ascension Alliance.

Spiritus Christi is a very open and welcoming community. There are many similarities to the Liberal Catholic Church but more inclusive. There are women priests and gay clergy. It is theologically diverse and allows for individual growth.

Father William has done several things in his 71 years of life and I am happy to have him on the podcast.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and produced by the Community of Saint George (a Young Rite jurisdiction).

Welcome to episode 87, in this episode I have the honor of interviewing seminarian Laura Hayes Marsh.

Laura Hayes Marsh is currently a Seminarian with Ascension Alliance at Ascension Theological College. She has worn many hats in life such as mother, divorcée, and widow. Her previous educational pursuits include an associate degree in Chemistry and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology. She's a Sagittarius who likes to sing and bake. She currently works as a paraprofessional in a self-contained elementary classroom for students with Autism (ABLE) and works on weekends and holidays as a Pharmacy Technician. In the past, her occupations have included classroom teacher, state environmental investigator, and owner of a home bakery called, "Going Bananas."

Her spiritual formation began in the United Methodist Church; however, the Episcopal Church offered a part-time job in the late 1990s, after which the liturgy spoke to Laura's soul, and she became a member of an Episcopal parish. After Confirmation, God nudged her to do more than just singing in the Chancel Choir, and in 2015, she served as a Lector, a Eucharistic Minister, and as a Lay Eucharistic Visitor in the Episcopal Church. Serving in various church ministries led her to community service as an on-call Justice Court Chaplain and participation in the Behavioral Health and Suicide Prevention Taskforce. In 2017, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land opened her heart and mind, and she acknowledged a call to the Priesthood. She began discerning a vocation in the Episcopal church and working with a Spiritual Director. During the process of discernment, an unfulfilled need was discovered. Finding a Spiritual Director who was a better fit led her to pursue a Master of Divinity with Ascension Alliance. Her ministry goal is in Healthcare Chaplaincy.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and produced by The Community of Saint George (a Young Rite jurisdiction).

Welcome to episode 86! In this episode, I have the honor of interviewing the Most Reverend Cathy Chalmers.

Bishop Cathy is a bishop in the Ascension Alliance/Community of Ascensionists, and a Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) under the auspices of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC/BCCI). She works full time as a professional healthcare chaplain (both hospice and hospital chaplaincy), currently with the inpatient Palliative Care consult service at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, and serves as Director of Chaplaincy for the Ascension Alliance. Bishop Cathy also serves as a member of the Interfaith clergy staff at Unity in Lynnwood, Washington, in liturgical and teaching roles. She holds Master of Divinity degrees from Vanderbilt Divinity School (with Honors) and the Ascension Alliance's seminary, Ascension Theological College, where she now serves as faculty. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Florida State University and a Diploma in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston (summa cum laude). Prior to entering the ministry, Cathy had a lengthy career as a professional scientist and has also worked in the music industry professionally as a performing and recording musician. She has spent time over many years as a volunteer political activist for the LGBTQ community.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and is produced by the Community of Saint George (a Young Rite jurisdiction).

Welcome to Episode 85, in this episode I have the honor of interviewing the Right Reverend Bishop, Friar James Michael St. George, also known as Father or Friar Jim.

Friar Jim, serves as a Bishop within the Old Catholic Churches International and is the Bishop of the Diocese of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (which includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and part of New York) and serves as Pastor of Saint Miriam Pro-Cathedral Parish, and is a professed Franciscan.

He was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania and graduated from college and became a licensed Funeral Director and returned to help run the family funeral home before going back to college to attend formal seminary in Washington, DC. In addition to his prior funeral and business professional experience, his career has allowed him to serve as a youth pastor, nursing home and hospice chaplain, and as a Certified Trauma Chaplain focusing primarily on trauma and triage emergency services. Friar Jim served as a Trauma/Triage Chaplain at Lehigh Valley Hospital, a nationally recognized trauma and medical center in Allentown for over six years.

In addition to his serving as Pastor at Saint Miriam Parish, Friar Jim is an Adjunct Professor and Instructor at two Philadelphia area universities teaching in the areas of Ethics, World Religions, Philosophy, Introduction to the Bible, Religion, and Culture, Catholic Theology and Urban Studies and Justice. Friar Jim serves now, or has previously served, on the Adjunct Staff for Community College of Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, University of Phoenix, and has lectured at The University of Pennsylvania and various churches and inter-faith groups in the Philadelphia region.

Friar Jim is an alum of Gannon University, Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, Howard University, Howard University School of Divinity, and completed additional course study and received certifications at Virginia Theological Seminary, Catholic University, St. Louis University, Canterbury Cathedral International Studies Centre, the Benedictine Abbaye Notre-Dame du Bec in Normandy France, Sibley Hospital in Washington, DC, Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, PA, and Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, with a Residency in Clinical Pastoral Education.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and is produced by the Community of Saint George (a Young Rite jurisdiction).

Welcome to Episode 84, in this episode I have the pleasure of welcoming back the Reverend Subdeacon Tim Olivieri. I initially interviewed Tim in episode 47 and had him back in episode 58.

We talk about Institution Building, nonprofit status, 501c3, and the offering of ecclesiastical degrees.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and produced by the Community of Saint George (a Young Rite jurisdiction).

Welcome to episode 83, In this episode, I have the honor of interviewing Deacon Taylor Tracy.

He is a deacon within the Progressive Catholic Church and, after years of formation with many unexpected and exciting turns, he is slated to be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, February 13, 2021.

Deacon Taylor's love for ministry began at an early age when he began to sing in his church choir at the age of ten. By the time he was twelve, he was composing and conducting ensembles in his community, and by thirteen, he was hired as a church music director. Since that time fourteen years later, he has served as the director of music at churches ranging in size from 60 to 600. In addition to music ministry, he served as the director of divine worship and community at St. Paul University Parish, where weekly attendance grew from 600 to 2,000. His time at St. Paul's was a turning point; he got to see what "healthy" ministry really looks like; he led a staff of twelve and learned far more from them than they probably did from him. He continued his journey by serving as the executive director of a non-profit which served students in some of Wichita's most impoverished neighborhoods. He then moved to Kansas City with his fiancé, where he served in two United Methodist churches as director of music and youth and as the church administrator in another parish simultaneously.

He is currently on the Board of Directors for the North Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and has previously served with the National Association of Pastoral Musicians' local chapter. He is also the founding artistic conductor of the sixty-voice chorus, United in Voice, a group composed of nine denominations and counting with an emphasis on celebrating traditional sacred music.

In addition to countless hours of church leadership and formation seminars, Deacon Taylor has studied at Wichita State University in music education, at Newman University in theology and philosophy, The Liturgical Institute, and the Sancta Sophia Academy for Clergy Formation in the Progressive Catholic Church, under the direction and mentorship of Bishops Robert Chung and Dr. Marc Morales Del Castillo.

Deacon Taylor Tracy is the founding pastor and lead planter for Christ the King Church in Kansas City, Missouri, an independent and affirming Catholic community. He is currently completing an 11-month planting process and will launch on Sunday, February 14, 2021, the day after his planned ordination to the priesthood.

His primary vocational interests include; church planting, parish ministry, church health, and evangelism.

Links:

• Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.
• Practical Church Planting Podcast.
• Canva.
• Book: "No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform your Ministry," by Daniel Im.

This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and produced by the Community of Saint George (a Young Rite jurisdiction).

Welcome to episode 82!

In this episode, I discuss the life and legacy of Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew, a Grandfather of the Independent Sacramental Movement.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by David Oliver Kling and is produced by the Community of Saint George (a Young Rite jurisdiction).

Welcome to episode 81! In this episode, I have the honor of interviewing Deacon Mir Plemmons.

Chaplain Mir Plemmons is a brand-new Deacon in the Ecumenical Catholic Communion and a Novice of the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans. He has been a Franciscan for 28 years and has served as a chaplain for 34 years.

He and his wife live *almost* far enough from Seattle to enjoy the natural terrain Washington has to offer, and he teaches high school special education. He does disaster mental health as a Field Traumatologist. He has extensively taught socio-emotional skills. He is a writer and an editor and serves and advocates for Intersex, QUILTBAG+, and Science Fiction & Fantasy Fandom. He volunteers extensively in multiple organizations including, but not limited to, the Society for Creative Anachronism, Civil Air Patrol, and Okanogan Fire Protection District 12.

He tries hard to pay attention to his wife's reminders to get enough self-care and rest to at least not be a bad example…

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association.

The Society for Creative Anachronism.

STARFLEET International.

Our Lady of Fatima Chapel (Richmond, VA).

This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and produced by The Community of Saint George - a Young Rite jurisdiction.

Welcome to Episode 80! Hard to believe we have been around for 80 episodes. I'm excited to be interviewing The Reverend Canon Michaelangelo D'Arrigo.

The Reverend Canon Michaelangelo D'Arrigo lives in the Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, area with his wife, Claudia, a Therapeutic Massage Therapist, son, D'Mitri, a high schooler, two doggies, and a cat. Before ordination, he worked as a professional musician, and as a substance abuse counselor

He was ordained to the Anglican Priesthood in 2006 and spent two years in parish ministry, specializing in Pastoral Counseling and Liturgical Writing. He then worked as a missionary to the homeless community in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, for three years.

After his mission work ended, Michaelangelo spent the next two years working with non-denominational churches in the Metropolitan Atlanta area, specializing in Pastoral Counseling, and Music Ministry.

In 2012, after a brief stint back in a parish setting, the Holy Spirit led him to start Metanoia Ministries. This church was established to serve everyone; gay, straight, trans, disenfranchised, seekers, those abused by other churches, and everyone in between. His mission continues to be to spread the Good News to all. To counsel as needed, to teach, to provide folks the tools they need to work through their salvation.

Metanoia later transformed into what is now Agape Fellowship of Greater Atlanta. They are exploring what it means to be the church in our ever-evolving cultural landscape.

Michaelangelo is an Elder/Priest in the Convergent Christian Communion, and Canon to their Presiding Bishop.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by David Oliver Kling and produced by The Community of Saint George, a Young Rite jurisdiction.

Welcome to episode 79, in this episode I have the honor of interviewing Father Joseph Grieboski. His bio is long, but I didn't know what to cut out so want to share it all with you. I think you will find his story fascinating.

Joseph K. Grieboski is a social entrepreneur whose innovative ideas have revolutionized thinking across a number of fields.

In 1999 – at the age of 24 – Grieboski founded THE INSTITUTE on Religion and Public Policy, a well-respected and world-renowned non-governmental organization at the forefront of religious freedom advocacy. Many years and several Nobel Peace Prize nominations later, Grieboski has become an internationally recognized expert in religious freedom, national security, counter-extremism, human rights, and conflict transformation. As a matter of fact, in a letter to Grieboski in 2005, His Majesty, King Mohammed VI, of Morocco referred to Grieboski's work as the "foundation of a new civilization".

His extensive travels to over 140 countries in every corner of the map have allowed Grieboski to meet, interact with, and befriend leaders of business and industry, government, entertainment, advocacy, and other arenas, giving him one of Washington's best and most sought-after rolodexes.

From confidence-building programs in Darfur to post-conflict reconstruction in Kosovo, from track-three diplomacy efforts in North Korea and Iran to minority protection and reintegration in Iraq and Afghanistan, from authoring countless laws for numerous countries to securing the successful release of hostages and prisoners, Grieboski has been at the forefront of some of most crucial and sensitive issues in the world.

Grieboski is a Senior Fellow with The Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute and was one of three finalists for United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and nominee for United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants and Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, demonstrating global recognition of his expertise on international human rights and security issues. Chairman of the Board of International Center on Religion and Justice, he also serves as Chairman of the Board of International Campaign for the Rohingya; Member of the Board of Directors of Interfaith Alliance; Member of the Board of Trustees of the International Foundation for Tolerance; Member of the Board of Directors of The Working Group on Children Recruited by Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups; Member of the Board of Advisors of Rumi Forum; Strategic US Advisor to the Directorate, Faith and Globalization Program, Durham University, United Kingdom; Secretary-General, Interparliamentary Conference on Human Rights and Religious Freedom; Member of the Board of Honor, Planète Citoyenne; Member of the Board of Advisors, Arakhan Rohingya Union; Member of the Board of Advisors, Military Religious Freedom Foundation; Member of the Board of Advisors, Anti-Predator Project; Member of the Expert Advisory Group on "Promoting and Protecting the Universal Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief through Law: Current Dilemmas and Lessons Learned", International Development Law Organization.

The author of over 50 articles and two recognized publications with Palgrave Macmillan and Oakton, Grieboski served as a columnist for The Huffington Post and a foreign news editor and contributor for The Cutting Edge News. His book, Because I Believe: Inspiring Stories from People Who Are Changing the World, is due out in 2021.

Former Chair of the US State Department Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society Working Group on Religion and Foreign Policy Subgroup on International Development and Humanitarian Assistance under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Grieboski has also worked inc lose partnership with the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the European Parliament, the Holy See, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, and many other national and international entities. As a religious freedom, human rights, and international policy expert, Grieboski has testified before the United States Congress, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the European Parliament, and numerous other legislative and international bodies.

In April 2010 Grieboski was inducted into the International Board of Sponsors of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College – Martin Luther King's alma mater. The award honors those who have made significant contributions to the civil and human rights nonviolence movement in the tradition of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King.

Grieboski holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree and a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies, both from Georgetown University. He is completing a Master's in Sacred Theology from Agape Seminary. In 2008, Grieboski received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Marywood University in Scranton, PA.

Ordained a priest in the Independent Old Catholic Church in April 2019, Grieboski lives in Alexandria, VA, with his wife, Tracy, and their dog, Eddie, and cats Theo, Charlie, and Bridgie.

Links:

Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.

This podcast is hosted by David Oliver Kling and produced by The Community of Saint George - a Young Rite jurisdiction.