Stage & Story

Fear and doubt love to stand in the way of creativity. They make the road to creating beautiful things very difficult. So, how do we keep going when we feel unprepared or unworthy? Here's a clue: remember, we're not alone. 

'First Reformed' was ranked as #1 of the Top 10 films of 2018 by a well-known Christian movie reviewer. Is this a great film for a thinking Christian? Is the filmmaker upholding or subverting the Christian faith? Pastor Brandon and Dane dive into these questions and more. (Warning: Spoilers in the episode.) 

REFERENCED ARTICLES 

Director Paul Schrader Test His Faith In 'First Reformed' with Terry Gross

Paul Schrader on First Reformed: "This is a troubling film about a troubled person" by Alissa Wilkinson 

PODCAST HOSTS

Dane Bundy is president of Stage & Story and secondary principal at Providence Academy in Johnson City, TN. Find out more about Dane and Stage & Story at www.stageandstory.org.

Brandon McCulloch is associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Twin Peaks and head of the Bible department at Lake Arrowhead Christian School. Find out more about Pastor Brandon McCulloch and his podcast here.

Dane Bundy explores the relationship between rest and creativity, mixing personal narrative and cues from Solomon. Some of this material was previously published in a newsletter for Regents School of Austin. 

For further reflection read 1 Chronicles 22:6-19. 

See the pictures referenced in the episode here. 

PODCAST HOST 

Dane Bundy is the President of Stage & Story and the Director of Fine Arts at Regents School of Austin in Austin, TX. 

Dane Bundy dives into his favorite play of all time, "Hamlet," to find the ways that God and his Story echo throughout the work. 

• Section 1 - What are the echoes of God? (see Echoes of Eden by Jerram Barrs)
• Section 2 -  Hamlet's plot and story type
• Section 3 - What defines each act of the play?
• Section 4 - Following the echoes of God in Hamlet

PODCAST HOST 

Dane Bundy is the President of Stage & Story and the Director of Fine Arts at Regents School of Austin in Austin, TX. 

"Don't waste the pandemic. . . but let it enhance your imaginations."

Dr. Roger Duke shares about John Bunyan and how his time in jail led to his great work of imaginative fiction -- "Pilgrim's Progress." Eric Rutherford continues the discussion about ways that constraint actually promotes creativity and offers some thoughts on how to cultivate our imaginations. This talk was recorded live at our Stage & Story Winter Gathering over Zoom and edited for time.

Dane Bundy mentioned an interview with Marian Jacobs called, "Writing in the Cracks and Chunks: An Interview with Writer Marian Jacobs." You can find Marian Jacobs' writing at www.majacobs.com. 

HOST & GUESTS 

Dane Bundy is president of Stage & Story and secondary principal at Providence Academy in Johnson City, TN. Find out more about Dane and Stage & Story at www.stageandstory.org.

Dr. Roger D. Duke  is an advisory board member and the scholar-in-residence at Stage & Story. Dr. Duke is an ordained Baptist minister and has taught at the college and graduate school levels for over 20 years. Dr. Duke holds graduate degrees from The University of the South’s School of Theology at Sewanee, TN; The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Harding University’s Graduate School of Religion. He has written or contributed to more than ten volumes (including works on John Bunyan) with the latest volume scheduled to be released in 2018. Visit his website at www.InvertedChristian.com. 

Eric Rutherford is president of Entrusting the Faith ministries (www.entrustingthefaith.com). He’s the author of Leading Well at Home: How Husbands and Fathers Can Biblically Lead Their Families and lives in Murfreesboro, TN. Eric earned his M.Div from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves on the S&S Board. 

Pastor Brandon McCulloch shares challenges he sees the church faces in cultivating the Christian imagination, but he also offers some solutions. This talk was recorded live at a Stage & Story Winter Gathering held over Zoom. 

HOST & GUESTS 

Dane Bundy is president of Stage & Story and secondary principal at Providence Academy in Johnson City, TN. Find out more about Dane and Stage & Story at www.stageandstory.org.

Brandon McCulloch is associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Twin Peaks and head of the Bible department at Lake Arrowhead Christian School. Find out more about Pastor Brandon McCulloch and his podcast here.

What is the imagination? What is the Christian imagination? How do we cultivate our imaginations? Listen to a dialogue between Pastor Brandon McCulloch, Chelsea Carrier, and Dane Bundy. 

EPISODE OVERVIEW 

|00:45| What is the imagination? 

|14:00| How does Scripture help us understand the imagination? 

|24:30| What is the Christian imagination? 

|34:15| How can we cultivate our imaginations? 

HOST & GUESTS 

Dane Bundy is president of Stage & Story and secondary principal at Providence Academy in Johnson City, TN. Find out more about Dane and Stage & Story at www.stageandstory.org.

Brandon McCulloch is associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Twin Peaks and head of the Bible department at Lake Arrowhead Christian School. Find out more about Pastor Brandon McCulloch and his podcast here.

Chelsea Lee Carrier teaches eighth and tenth grade English at Providence Academy. She earned a B.A. in English from Union University and is studying in Faulkner University's Great Books Honors Program. She has six younger siblings and a cat named Strider.

Dane Bundy considers the sting of sadness that accompanies creative work and the hope that comes  from Godward reflection. 

Read the blog entry at stageandstory.org. 

PODCAST HOST

Dane Bundy is president of Stage & Story and secondary principal at Providence Academy in Johnson City, TN. Find out more about Dane and Stage & Story at www.stageandstory.org.

Thinkers, both Christian and non-Christian alike, have kept journals to hold their reflections. But, in the 21st century, with technology so accessible, why would we still want to keep a journal that we can hold in our hands? Dane Bundy outlines both WHY and HOW we can journal. . .and how we can do it to cultivate the Christian imagination.  

Though this podcast has updated insights, read the original articles with pictures (woohoo!) on the Stage & Story website: 

• Article #1 
• Article #2

PODCAST HOST

Dane Bundy is president of Stage & Story and secondary principal at Providence Academy in Johnson City, TN. Find out more about Dane and Stage & Story at www.stageandstory.org.

Last Saturday, I (Dane Bundy) saw Christopher Nolan's new film Tenet (2020). Here are some reflections on returning to the theater in a global pandemic, the film's craft and worldview. Warning: Major Spoilers ahead!

Read the written review at stageandstory.org.

PODCAST HOST

Dane Bundy is president of Stage & Story and secondary principal at Providence Academy in Johnson City, TN. Find out more about Dane and Stage & Story at www.stageandstory.org.