In this episode we are reminded again that our very relationship to religious life is at stake, if we cannot find  the way to an authentic expression of prayer. Beyond that, we are shown how prayer is essentially about Life of the highest order; how, through prayer, “spiritual forces from the heavenly realms can be received and taken in and made fruitful on the earth.”

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The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."

In this new series “The Heart of Religious Renewal,” we take up the subject of prayer as a foundational expression of and path to ‘whole humanness.’ First, what do we mean by religious life? And, secondly, what are the particular qualities of prayer that, in our time, allow for the renewal of religious life?

Support the show

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."

In this episode, we take up two very broad questions that arose from patrons over the course of the “Discerning the Spirits” series. In response to the first question, Patrick and Jonah explore how the Holy Spirit lives and works in our discerning. The second question relates to suffering, human evolution and karma. If Christ is merciful and we are discerning His voice in our hearts and lives, does that mean we’ll suffer less?

Support the show

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."

Building on the idea from last episode that human beings are, by their very nature, worshipping beings, this episode turns to how our 'enemies' use this against us, tempting us with 'false gods' that seem worthy of our attention and life energies. The Book of Revelation offers us powerful pictures that contrast the beasts of earth and water, and the city of Babylon, with the Lamb who suffers with us and for us and the New Jerusalem in which he will be its very light. How do we awaken and direct our hearts more and more freely towards the One who holds our true selves in His Being, and through the cross, offers us true Life?

Many thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed the theme music, “Seeking Together.” You can find more of his music here.

Thanks also to Camilla Lake for the show notes and Patreon/Podcast communications and production.

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of the Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website.

Support the show

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."

"...It may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you're gonna have to serve somebody." - Bob Dylan.

With this episode we follow up on the last element of the story of Christ's temptation by the devil - “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). The last step will take us into the deepest expression of what we call religious life: What does it mean to worship some thing or someone? Are there qualities of worship that reveal whose voice we are following?

Many thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed the theme music, “Seeking Together.” You can find more of his music here.

Thanks also to Camilla Lake for the show notes and Patreon/Podcast communications and production.

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of the Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website.

Support the show

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."

In this episode we continue to follow Christ as He is led by the Holy Spirit into the desert to meet the adversary, the ruler of all the kingdoms of this world. These next two temptations help us further understand the relationship we, who look towards him and follow him, are called to have with the adversaries. How can we relate to them while living in their realm, working together with Christ to build the New Kingdom and the New Human Being, seeded here on earth and in us?

Support the show

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."

In this episode, Patrick and Jonah begin to explore the very first scene of the gospels after the baptism at the Jordan river - Jesus Christ’s encounter with the adversary in the desert. He is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and reveals to us a right relationship to the adversary. We can ask ourselves - Who am I when alone and hungry in the desert? Do I remain faithful even when I feel disconnected and challenged on all fronts?

Support the show

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."

In this episode we continue to get to know one of the enemies that oppose us in our true humanity, who would corrupt us in our true kingship: the beast.  In the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, we are given an image of five different kings.  It is a meditation, in a short tale full of rich imaginations, on the nature of true kingship.  And kingship, itself, is an image of the sovereign human self.

Support the show

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."

After contemplating the place of darkness, emptiness and ‘void’ at the moment of the creation of our world (Genesis 1), Jonah and Patrick turn their attention to two key players, two decisive beings who play their part in the story of humanity: the ‘snake’ from Genesis 3 and ‘the beast’ that is introduced in Genesis 4.  What is this ‘snake’ that approaches Eve, the knower, in the realm of paradise?  And who is this ‘crouching at the door’ that influences Cain, the doer, just after being ‘cast out’? And how do they stand in relationship to the one who offers up his life, in love, for all humanity? These questions and more are taken up in this episode.

Reading you will be glad to have near at hand...

- Genesis, chapter 1 - Darkness, Light and their Harmonization by the Creator Elohim

- Genesis, chapter 3 - The snake, the tree with wisdom-fruit, the infection of egotism, God's prophecy about the seed of the woman and the prevention of the infected humans from eating the fruit of the life-tree.

- Genesis, chapter 4, verses 1-16 - Cain and Abel's offerings, Cain's rejected offering, and God's word to Cain that describes the 'beast': "...sin is crouching at the door.  Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it."

Further reading about "The Beast" in the bible

Of the 46 times that the Greek term, θηρίον (wild beast) is used in the New Testament, 31 of those times come in the Book of Revelation, including the powerful images that come in chapter 13.

Many thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed the theme music, “Seeking Together.” You can find more of his music here.

Thanks also to Camilla Lake for the show notes and Patreon/Podcast communications and production.

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of the Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website.

Support the show

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."

In this episode we focus more specifically on naming the ‘Powers of Darkness’ active in the present age, the ones St. Paul refers to in his letter to the Ephesians. How do we discern their voices; both speaking within our own souls and expressed in the events of the world taking place around us? How do we bring the light of understanding towards these powers of darkness? These powers are described in the Christmas liturgy of The Christian Community as having two distinct dynamics - beings of false light and beings who draw us into the senses’ unworthy craving. These signposts help us begin to distinguish the forces acting upon us that seek to rob us of our true humanity.

Support the show

The Light in Every Thing is a podcast of The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America. Learn more about the Seminary and its offerings at our website. This podcast is supported by our growing Patreon community. To learn more, go to www.patreon.com/ccseminary.

Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together."