The Cosmic Citizen

This week on the Cosmic Citizen we are proud to feature Ms. Sally Morgenthaler who is recognized as an innovator in Christian practices worldwide. Since 1992, she has been pioneering new worship forms characterized by both cultural relevance and worship faithfulness. Her prophetic role among church leaders and local congregations continues to increase in denominational scope and impact, as her work now broadens into new forms of leadership and the untapped potential of women. Known best for her book Worship Evangelism (Zondervan, 1998), Morgenthaler became a trusted interpreter of postmodern culture and a guide to the crucial shifts that the North American church must make if it's to have a transforming presence within pre-Christian communities. She also has been a contributing author in eight books. Her latest collaborative effort is An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, released in April 2007 by Baker Books. Morgenthaler's chapter, "Leadership in a Flattened World: Grassroots Culture and the Demise of the CEO Model," has been hailed as a prophetic work - a clear alternative to the ego-driven ministry leadership paradigms of the 1980s and 1990s. For the past 12 years, Morgenthaler has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses. Academic venues include Yale University, Asbury Seminary, Bethany Seminary, Claremont Institute for Continuing Ministry Studies, Denver Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, George Fox University, Gordon Conwell Seminary, Mars Hill Graduate School and numerous others. Morgenthaler has been a featured speaker at numerous worship conferences, including Injoy's Catalyst, The American Society for Church Growth, The Beeson Institute, The Emergent National Conference, Net Results, Integrity Hosanna's Seminars4Worship, and The National Pastors Convention. Morgenthaler lives in her native state of Colorado, where she runs SoulPix, a card company featuring her intimate photography of the Rocky Mountains.

This week we are interviewing Suza Scalora. She has been called a modern day myth-maker. Her work speaks to the alliance between nature, man, and myth. The underlying message is that there is more to life than meets the eye and that we must open ourselves to the magic that surrounds us everyday. Suza has taught at the International Center for Photography in NYC and the Omega Center. She lives in NYC. She is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and has received wide recognition in the last 12 years for creating photographic images that captivate all that is immaculate, colorful, and magical. Her beautiful work is the culmination of sharp attention to detail, precise lighting, and a strong yet refreshing visual sense. In addition to advertising and editorial work, Suza has successfully projected her unique vision onto a completely different genre of imagery as photographer and author of a series of ethereal books. The first, “The Fairies: Photographic Evidence Of Another World” (Harper Collins Publishing), was named by Newsweek as one of the 10 best picture books in 2000. Saks Fifth Avenue NYC showcased characters from ”The Fairies” in their spectacular Millennium Fifth Avenue windows. Suza's second book, "The Witches and Wizards Of Oberin” continued her journey into the unseen world. She has been profiled in some of the industry’s leading publications including: PDN, Communication Arts, Elle, GQ, and American Photo. Her most recent book “The Evidence Of Angels” was published in 2009. We hope you will join us with this accomplished and interesting guest.

This week our guest is Tianna Galgano. Tianna is an expert on dream interpretation. She has certification training and over 25 years of expertise in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and Hypnotherapy. In the past several years, she has also become a specialist in EFT/Meridian Tapping. She uses the above methods singly -- or in combination -- to help a client achieve personal transformation. She specializes in Dream-work, Inner Child Healing, Belief and Behavior Changes, Anxiety, Depression, Anger Issues and Overcoming Trauma. She helps people to release fears, transform stuck states, realize goals, and achieve potentials. Tianna has been in private practice in Colorado since 1985 and works with adults, teens, and children. She is a skilled Dream Expert who has helped thousands of of clients to decipher their dreams. She does not decipher dreams for people but she helps people learn to decipher their own dreams. Many of these dreams and the interpretations (done by the dreamer) are detailed in her first book: DECIPHER YOUR DREAMS, DECIPHER YOUR LIFE. Tianna began researching dreams in 1982, and by 1985 had created and developed two intertwined processes for interpreting dreams. She calls her method DREAM DECIPHER. Intuition Mastery is the first part of this process and Tianna has devised an exercise which helps people to pinpoint the exact location where they hear their “Voice of Intuition" (their voice of Spirit). One, therefore, calls on their inner-guide to do the second step in the dream interpretation process. If you have ever had a dream that you have pondered the meaning of, you will want to listen and call in.

Our guest this week is Preston Thomas (link to bio) who will speak on sharing the Urantia Book with Christians. Preston wrote a Biblical retelling of Jesus' life called, The Life and Teachings of Jesus. It is not Part IV of The Urantia Book but is a book for Biblical Christians that puts the gospel accounts into chronological order based on the Urantia Book. Says Preston, "Is it important that we live and share the truths we have discovered in the Urantia Book with family, friends, and associates in the Christian world? Consider that: (1) We live in a Christian world; do we want to feel a part of this world or live separate from it? (2) There exists great harmony between basic Christian beliefs and the fundamental teachings of the Urantia Book. (3) The Urantia revelation exalts Christianity and calls us to minister to the Christian world. We are called to bring forth Jesus’ kingdom out of the cocoon of Christianity; our task is not to destroy the cocoon but rather to help the butterfly emerge. To achieve this task the Urantia Book's authors (the revelators) direct us to bring forth a new revelation of Jesus. It is Jesus, his actual teachings, his personal religion, his original gospel of the kingdom, and his real life demonstration of living the Father’s will, that is the hope of our dark and confused planet. The revelators prophecy that the teachings of Jesus are destined to rule our world, to bring about a bright new age in the near future—a spiritual renaissance. Our part is to relate to Christians, as Jesus did to the Jews, through the many truths that are held in common, especially through his life and teachings. In this way we may openly live the teachings of Jesus and seek to bring a new and better understanding of his actual gospel of the kingdom." If you are interested in outreach, please join us.

Two dynamic and wonderful guests, Tom and Patricia Strawser, return this week to share their wisdom and insights on overcoming life's hardships and actually living a life filled with love, personal peace and happiness. Tom and Patricia have developed a system called Spiritual Engineering, based on Tom's book by the same name, which expounds on principles from physics, psychology, and spirituality, to help people find God and personal satisfaction as well as enhance their personal relationships. Tom has a degree in engineering and has experienced tremendous personal, even miraculous, transformations in his life. He has triumphed over addiction and personal tragedy to become an absolute beacon of hope for others. Patricia is a native of Colombia who works with the Hispanic immigrant community. She has an indelible and deeply spiritual faith which she shares effectively and liberally. Patricia has worked as a teacher and social worker. Tom and Patricia will soon have their own weekly shows under the Cosmic Citizen umbrella. Tom will host a regular show on Spiritual Engineering and Patricia will be hosting a show in Spanish to serve Spanish speakers who are interested in the Urantia Book and its teachings. We hope you will join us!

This week Christilyn is taking the day off and Paula's guest will be Jo Ann Wiedman. Jo Ann is a gifted Reiki Master and healer. Jo Ann has studied and earnestly endeavored to live the Urantia teaching since 1974. She has done public outreach with the book, staffing booths at expos and giving introductory talks, and currently works for The Urantia Book Fellowship. Jo Ann was raised in the Chicago suburbs, the oldest child in a family of 5. In college Jo Ann discovered that she had healing abilities when she healed friends of headaches and viruses. It fascinated her that people responded so well when she prayed for them or put hands on painful places. Jo Ann is deeply spiritual and an intuitive who possesses an organic feminine wisdom. In the 90's she became skilled in Reiki. Reiki is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine. Through the use of this technique, practitioners claim to transfer healing energy in the form of Ki through the palms. Training in Reiki provided Jo Ann a focused framework for her healing energy. It also was the beginning of profound experiences with healing energy and a realization that we are all energy beings who direct energy with our intentions. In addition Reiki, Jo Ann is trained in Emotional Freedom Therapy and the TARA approach trauma therapy and many other forms of natural healing. She is an accomplished artist and an interfaith minister who works for world peace and believes in approaching perceptual differences with an attitude of “profound respect.” She believes that our divinely bestowed individuality determines unique views, motivations and activity. If you are thinking about alternative methods of healing please join us. Be sure to call in and ask questions.

This week, the Reverend Michael Dowd, America’s evolutionary evangelist, will be our guest. Michael is the author of the best-selling book, Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World (Plume: 2009). His book has been endorsed by 6 Nobel laureates and other science luminaries, including noted skeptics, as well as by religious leaders across the spectrum. Michael is a "religious naturalist" whose personal religion is about living in integrity. His philosophy is a marriage of science and religion and reveals that the purpose of humanity is simply to glorify God and enjoy God forever. Reverend Dowd interviews the top evolutionary Christian thought leaders on his own radio show. Check out the impressive lineup here: http://evolutionarychristianity.co/blog/speaker-bios/ Michael challenges us by pointing out that most human beings are primarily consumers, rather than servants and stewards of our world and the universe. He talks about the omnipresence of God as pervading the very atoms and molecules of our bodies and explores the relationship between beliefs and knowledge. He asserts that no longer is our experience of reality to be just handed down to us by our elders but rather that the experience and evidence of our age of science and truth are equally valid interpretations of God's nature. He also teaches that, if we are going to be happy or live joyous lives, we have to realize that we are made to serve each other and the world, i.e., where our joy and the world’s needs intersect.... there is our calling. Michael loves to quote from, It takes a Universe: by Father Thomas Barry: “The Child awakens to the universe…It takes a universe to fulfill a child and the universe is fulfilled in the child…” Michael Dowd truly believes that this is a glorious time to be alive. We hope you will join us for this insightful interview to learn why.

Christilyn B. Larson and Dave Tucker are our hosts for this week’s Cosmic Citizen program, the topic of which will be: Men and Women in Relationship. Gender and Romance. We thought this would be a great topic for discussion prior to Valentine’s Day. That (sometimes dreaded) next big retail required national shopping holiday after Christmas. When we are all expected to express our love and affection to family and friends as well as to lovers and mates, by sending cards, flowers and candy (or other extravagant gifts). Valentine's Day is the number one engagement date of the year, followed by Christmas and New Year’s Eve (the next most romantic date of the year according to polls). We will look at the topic of how the genders relate, what our expectations are and how they are different, as well as what behaviors, approaches and skill sets etc., help the romance process or hinder it. We will also discuss the growing and eternal nature of relationships as well. Callers are welcome to join us and we have asked some special couples who we have asked to call-in and share their experiences. We hope you will call in and share yours!

This week Christilyn and Paula are having an open phone segment. We want to talk to YOU, our listeners about these challenging times. Do you have anxiety about the current world situation? Do you sometimes feel as though the world is coming unhinged? Is worry about the future robbing you of joy and inner peace in the moment? Is the stress affecting your relationships? What can anyone do to make the world a better place? Should we even bother? Perhaps your at the end of your rope and you want to tell somebody, please call us. Perhaps you have some excellent suggestions on how to restore peace and balance in troubling times! Call us, let's talk about it. Maybe there's a way we can all just snap out of it! "Urantia (Earth) is now quivering on the very brink of one of its most amazing and enthralling epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment." The Urantia Book, (195:9.2)

This week our guest is author Gerdean O'Dell. http://www.odellbowen.com/. Gerdean is no stranger to metaphysics, but is also well grounded in the finite reality of material existence. Even as she pushes the envelope of conventional spirituality, by purportedly communicating with the spiritual realm, she knows that this world is where we live and work and have our being. Her work focuses mostly on The Word in its many manifestations: hers and yours, personal and professional, fact and fiction, written and oral, sacred and profane. Gerdean was introduced to the Urantia Book in 1968 by a friend and has attended and hosted Urantia study groups for many years. She has traveled extensively throughout the US teaching the book's concepts and has engaged in a wide range of occupations ranging from owning a rare bookstore to being a Judicial Secretary. She is also proud to list being clean and sober for 20 years as one of her many accomplishments. She has authored three books and has her own publishing company, Harp of God: (1) 1999 -- "Fruits of the Spirit" is a brief channeled work about the Divine Spirit, compiled over a period of six months and published in 1999. (2) 2002 -- "The Zooid Mission" was written over a period of 20 years, from 1971 until the summer of 1991 and then took another 11 years to publish. www.HarpofGod.org (3) 2010 -- "Spirits of Promise" is a study based on a theory that the Seven Chakra Vortices and the Seven Adjutant Mind Spirits (from the Urantia Book) are virtually the same thing. This book was nominated for the 2010 New Mexico Book Awards. Learn more about it here: http://www.harpofgod.org/bookstore.html. This show should be informative, mystical, fun and eclectic. We hope you'll tune in to listen, join in the chat or call.