The Rural Church & State Podcast

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James Decker is a rural mayor. Dan Stewart is a rural pastor. Both care deeply about their local community and want to make Stamford TX better! This is not a podcast on politics or theology, but a conversation on how to be a good neighbor...

Be sure to check out our bookshop.org book list to order the books we're reading! If you purchase from that list, it will generate a small commission to help grow The Rural Church & State Podcast.

On this episode, we give our election predictions! It's a short episode, but we give our best guess based on election polls around the country!

What We've Been Reading: (author - title)
James Decker
- J. Russell Smith - Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture
- Louis L'Amour - The Man from the Broken Hills

Dan Stewart
- Willa Cather - Death Comes for the Archbishop
- Montesquieu - Catherine Volpilhac-Auger
- Brandon Sanderson - Words of Radiance

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James Decker is a rural mayor. Dan Stewart is a rural pastor. Both care deeply about their local community and want to make Stamford TX better! This is not a podcast on politics or theology, but a conversation on how to be a good neighbor...

Be sure to check out our bookshop.org book list to order the books we're reading! If you purchase from that list, it will generate a small commission to help grow The Rural Church & State Podcast.

On this episode. Dan and James discuss the the false dichotomy that many people feel in national elections: picking the lesser of two evils. Instead, we should be involved in our local government and care for the community.

What We've Been Reading: (author - title)
James Decker
- Willa Cather - Death Comes for the Archbishop.  Book Link here
- Louis L'Amour - Lando. Book Link here
- Norman Wirzba - This Sacred Life. Book Link here

Dan Stewart
- Charles Marsch - Strange Glory. Book Link here
- Arthur Herman - How Scots Invented the Modern World. Book Link here
- Brandon Sanderson - The Way of Kings. Book Link here
- James SA Corey - The Mercy of Gods. Book Link here

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James Decker is a rural mayor. Dan Stewart is a rural pastor. Both care deeply about their local community and want to make Stamford TX better! This is not a podcast on politics or theology, but a conversation on how to be a good neighbor...

Be sure to check out our bookshop.org book list to order the books we're reading! If you purchase from that list, it will generate a small commission to help grow The Rural Church & State Podcast.

On this episode. Dan and James discuss the need to have a Christian politick first, before we build our opinion on American politics. We look at the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus' guiding light for His followers to follow. The Sermon on the Mount is not some "pie-in-the-sky" utopia, but it is the way for Christians to reflect the Kingdom of Heaven.

What We've Been Reading:
James Decker
- Leo Tolstoy - Anna Karenina - Book Link
- John Steinbeck - Cannery Row - Book Link
- The Southern Agrarians - I'll Take My Stand - Book Link

Dan Stewart
- Andrew Root - The Pastor in a Secular Age - Book Link
- Marc Morris - The Anglo-Saxons - Book Link
- Fareed Zakaria - The Age of Revolutions - Book Link
- Jacques Ellul - Spiritual Writings - Book Link
- Brandon Sanderson - The Way of Kings - Book Link

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Here is the bonus episode for The Rural Church & State Podcast. If you have interest in Wendell Berry, check this podcast out!

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James Decker is a rural mayor. Dan Stewart is a rural pastor. Both care deeply about their local community and want to make Stamford TX better! This is not a podcast on politics or theology, but a conversation on how to be a good neighbor...

Be sure to check out our bookshop.org book list to order the books we're reading! If you purchase from that list, it will generate a small commission to help grow The Rural Church & State Podcast.

On this episode, Dan and James discuss the upcoming election, and give an introductory episode into thinking about rural America in your political platform. In this introduction, James gives us a closer look into Wendell Berry and how Wendell has shaped his understanding of localized politics.

What We've Been Reading:
James Decker
   John Graves - Goodbye to a River - Book Link
                               - Hard Scrabble - Book Link
                               - From a Limestone Ledge - Book Link
   Myles Werntz - A Field Guide to Christian Nonviolence - Book Link
Dan Stewart
   Robin Hobb - Assassin's Apprentice - Book Link
                               - Royal Assassin - Book Link
                               - Assassin's Quest - Book Link
   Tim Alberta - The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory - Book Link

Localism Without Nostalgia - Adam Smith. Front Porch Republic

Wendell Berry:
1. Jayber Crow - Book Link
2. The Unsettling of America. - Book Link

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James Decker is a rural mayor. Dan Stewart is a rural pastor. Both care deeply about their local community and want to make Stamford TX better! This is not a podcast on politics or theology, but a conversation on how to be a good neighbor...

Be sure to check out our bookshop.org book list to order the books we're reading! If you purchase from that list, it will generate a small commission to help grow The Rural Church & State Podcast.

On this episode, we discuss New Year's resolutions! Have you already given up on them? Did you set yourself up to fail? How can we set ourselves up for success?

0:00 - Introduction
2:00 - What are we reading?
  James Decker:
    1. G.K. Chesterton - The Outline of Sanity - Book Link.
    2. Christian Beamish - The Voyage of the Cormorant - Book Link.
  Dan Stewart:
    1. Cixin Liu - Death's End - Book Link.
    2. Joe Abercrombie - The First Law Triology - Book Link.
    3. Jeremy Popkin - A New World Begins - Book Link.
    4. Andy Stanley - Not in it to Win it - Book Link. 
12:30 - Resolution Discussion

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James Decker is a rural mayor. Dan Stewart is a rural pastor. Both care deeply about their local community and want to make Stamford TX better! This is not a podcast on politics or theology, but a conversation on how to be a good neighbor...

On this episode, we discuss the difficult, human side of the Christmas season. Join us for a vulnerable, real conversation about the Season of Hope.

0:00 - Introduction
2:57 - What Are We Reading?
   James Decker:
   1. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren - Book link.
   2. A Sand County Almanac - Aldo Leopold - Book link.
   Dan Stewart
   1. Making All Things New - Henri Nouwen - Book link.
   2. All it Takes is a Goal - Jon Acuff - Book link.
10:10 - Christmas Discussion
  Merle Haggard - If We Make it to December - Youtube Link.

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James Decker is a rural mayor. Dan Stewart is a rural pastor. Both care deeply about their local community and want to make Stamford TX better! This is not a podcast on politics or theology, but a conversation on how to be a good neighbor...

On this episode, we continue with our mini-series on isolation by interviewing Dr. Myles Werntz, who wrote a book called From Isolation to Community.

0:00 - Introduction
1:30 - Interview Introductions
13:30 - Definition of Isolation
35:50 - Danger of Survival Mode
47:30 - What should someone caught in isolation do?
51:30 - Church is Life Together or Not at All
54:20 - Recommended Resources
- Myles Werntz - West of 98 Substack;
- James Decker - Christian Ethics in the Wild; Why Are We Lonely? Article Link
- Dan Stewart - Book of Acts.

Life Together - Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Book Link

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James Decker is a rural mayor. Dan Stewart is a rural pastor. Both care deeply about their local community and want to make Stamford TX better! This is not a podcast on politics or theology, but a conversation on how to be a good neighbor...

On this episode, we begin a multiple episode discussion on the dangers of living in isolation, and the innate need that all of us have for community. Then, we interview Lauren Decker, the wife of James, and the owner of Stamford Commons.

0:00 - Introduction.
8:10 - What we're currently reading.
  James:
   - The River - Peter Heller. Book Link
   - The Hidden Wound - Wendell Berry. Book Link
   - Small is Beautiful - E.F. Schumacher. Book Link
  Dan:
   - Wool - Hugh Howey. Book Link
   - Atomic Habits - James Clear. Book Link
    - No Silver Bullets - Daniel Im. Book Link
14:40 - Discussion on Isolation Begins
  Reading Recommendations on Isolation and Community:
  Dan:
   - From Isolation to Community - Myles Werntz. Book Link
   - Island - Aldous Huxley. Book Link
   - The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger. Book Link
  James:
   - Jayber Crow - Wendell Berry. Book Link
   - The Work of Local Culture - Wendell Berry.
45:55 - Interview with Lauren Decker
   - Present Over Perfect - Shauna Niequist. Book Link

988 - National Suicide Hotline

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James Decker is a rural mayor. Dan Stewart is a rural pastor. Both care deeply about their local community and want to make Stamford TX better! This is not a podcast on politics or theology, but a conversation on how to be a good neighbor...

On this episode, the discussion portion is on community in crisis! How are we to respond as good citizens and neighbors in tough times. Then, our hosts interview Preston Cox, the chamber of commerce manager in Stamford to talk about the importance of community engagement for the life of the town, and its individual citizens.

0:00 - Introduction
5:45 - What we're currently reading
         James Decker:
               - "Citizenship Papers" - Wendell Berry. Book Link
               - "True North" - Jim Harrison. Book Link
         Dan Stewart:
               - "The Three Body Problem" - Cixin Liu. Book Link
               - "A Church Called TOV" - Scot McKnight. Book Link
7:30 - Community in Crisis Discussion
22:45 - Book recommendations of crisis
          James Decker:
               - "Endurance" - Alfred Lansing. Book Link
               - "Into the Kingdom of Ice" - Hampton Sides. Book Link
               - "Unruly Saint" - D. L. Mayfield. Book Link
               - The Work of Local Culture - Wendell Berry (Essay, not a book)
          Dan Stewart:
               - "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction" - Eugene Peterson.  Book Link
               - "The Wounded Healer" - Henri Nouwen. Book Link
               - "Evil and the Justice of God" - N. T. Wright. Book Link
41:25 - Interview with Preston Cox