The Radiant Soul

In this episode of The Friary, we explore one of the heart questions of faith: What does it really mean to love God, ourselves, and others? Jesus’ teaching on the two greatest commandments — to love God and love your neighbor as yourself — points us into a deeper truth about spiritual vision, identity, and transformation.

We trace this thread from the story of creation, through Christ’s call to take up our cross, into the work of spiritual healing and the renewal of our vision. Along the way we draw from Scripture, Franciscan theology, and a powerful poem by Rumi that invites us to see love not as fragmented but as one unified movement.

Whether you’re wrestling with self-worth, seeking a deeper experience of God’s presence, or longing to make your faith more embodied and generous, this conversation will invite you to:

• rethink what it means to love yourself
• rediscover the image of God within you
• and learn how loving others becomes a natural overflow of divine love

This episode is for seekers, believers, and anyone longing for spiritual growth, clarity, compassion, and connection.

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In this episode, Br. Jay sits down with Bishop David Strong, presiding bishop of the Apostolic Catholic Church in America, to explore the Independent Sacramental Movement and the kind of ministry that takes shape beyond traditional parish walls. We talk about priesthood on the margins, the healing power of sacrament, and what it means to build a Church that makes room for LGBTQ people, African American communities, and all those told they did not belong.

We also explore how New Thought spirituality has shaped Bishop Strong’s theology, bringing together inner transformation, divine presence, and embodied faith. This is a conversation about a Church still being born, about power that looks like blessing, and about God showing up wherever love is allowed to breathe.

Pull up a chair. The table is wide.

"God draws straight with crooked lines."

We’ve all heard it, but what does it actually look like when your life feels more like a zigzag than a straight shot?

This week at The Friary, Brother Jay dives deep into the "crooked lines" of his own journey-from the pain of being kicked out of a fundamentalist church to finding a radical, expansive home as an Episcopal Franciscan. It’s a story about panic attacks at Pride services, the "Jesus-adjacent" life, and the startling realization that the God who promised "I will never leave you" actually meant it.

As we stare down a New Year, we’re ditching the "Hustle" and the "Apathy." We’re looking for a Third Way.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why your "Vision Board" might be keeping you from seeing what’s actually there.

• The shift from a Map (which is rigid) to a Compass (which is directional).

• How to find "The Table" when you’ve been told you don’t belong.

• A Franciscan rhythm for 2026 that is about beholding rather than achieving.

Whether you are a devout contemplative, a cynical seeker, or someone just looking for a gentler way to exist in the world—pull up a chair. The door is unlocked.

Let’s breathe, settle in, and begin.

In this heartfelt episode of The Friary, Brother Jay sits down with The Very Rev. Br. Tyler C. Richards, OCS - dean of a cathedral, Dominican novice, preacher, writer, spiritual companion, and digital creator (@priestnthenorth).

Tyler shares the story of a childhood encounter with God, leaving fundamentalism, discovering Anglicanism, and slowly realizing the shape of the vocation that had been chasing him for years.

Together, they explore Dominican spirituality, the tug of religious life, the ache of suffering, the gift of silence, and why young adults are finding their way into the Episcopal Church. Tyler also reflects on leading a parish through COVID and what gave him hope when the world seemed to unravel.

This is a conversation for anyone discerning their place, wrestling with questions, or longing for a faith that is ancient, honest, and alive.

The Very Rev. Br. (Michael) Tyler C. Richards, OCS, is a native of Alabama. He attended the University of Alabama for his undergraduate degree and holds a Bachelor's of English Literature. His seminary training occurred at The School of Theology at Sewanee: The University of The South, where he earned a Master’s of Divinity. He also holds a certificate of Spiritual Companioning from The University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, and is currently working towards a Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching from The School of Theology. Dean Richards is a novice Friar in the Episcopal Dominican Order of Christ the Saviour and serves as deputy director of education for the order. His written works have been published in Forward Day by Day, as well as contributions made to The Disciples Way, also published by Forward Movement. He is the author of “This Far by Grace,” a blog hosted on Substack, as well as being a digital content creator on TikTok @priestnthenorth. Dean Richards also serves as the convener for the Mission Action Team for Discipleship and Formation for the Diocese of Wisconsin and as a deputy for General Convention.

In this episode, Br. Jay offers a brief message of hope - of a God willing to enter to muck to clean us, to wash our feet, and love us... warts and all.

What if the path to God isn’t up, but down? This episode is the second episode on Franciscan Mysticism and explores how the wisdom of St. Francis, the Letter of James, and the ancient teaching of non-dual seeing invite us to find the sacred in what we usually overlook-the ordinary, the broken, and the beautifully human.

What if God isn’t found in power or perfection, but in humility, simplicity, and the small wonders of daily life? In this episode, we explore the heart of Franciscan mysticism and spirituality-seeing Christ in creation, embracing poverty as freedom, and finding divine beauty in the ordinary. It’s an invitation to rediscover the good, the true, and the beautiful pulsing through everything.

In this episode Br. Jay explores what prayer is, and why the question "Does God answer prayer?" might better be asked, "Does God meet us in prayer?"

Is God’s love truly without end? In this episode of The Friary, I sit down with David Burnfield, author of Patristic Universalism, and his wife Wendy, who shares about this ancient hope on Instagram. Together we explore the roots of universalism in the early church, what the Fathers taught about ultimate restoration, and why this conversation is far from new. We also talk about their own faith journeys, what led them to this work, and how the message has been received.

Patristic Universalism Website  http://www.patristicuniversalism.com 

Instagram 

Patristic & Biblical Universalism Fellowship | Facebook

In this episode of The Friary, Brother Jay welcomes D. T. Bryant, priest at St. Mary of Bethany Parish, spiritual director at The Center for Hope and Healing in Nashville, and co-founder of the Black Mental Health Counselor Reparations Foundation. He is also the author of Unless a Seed Falls to the Ground: Welcoming the Death of the Whiteness Gospel.

Together they explore Danny’s upbringing, the experiences that shaped his faith, and the journey that led him to confront what he calls the “whiteness gospel.” With honesty and hope, Danny shares why certain patterns must die for the church to be reborn into Christ’s true life, and how the image of a seed falling into the ground speaks to both death and resurrection. This is a conversation about faith, justice, and healing that invites us all into deeper transformation.

Links:Unless a Seed Falls to the Ground: Welcoming the Death of the Whiteness Gospel

Spacious Living Spiritual Direction

Blessed Uncertainty