Even though our society likes to portray the holiday season as a magical time to share with family and friends, there are scores of people who can’t wait for this time of year to appear in their rearview mirror. Sometimes it seems as if the Thanksgiving/Hanukah/Kwanza/Christmas season brings out the worst tensions simmering within families. There are reasons why that’s true, and there are helpful suggestions for dealing with them. But for those of us who are searching for, or living out, a life of spirituality perhaps there are possibilities a tad more helpful than just avoiding too much alcohol or ignoring Uncle Fred. Join us in the garage as we discuss positive approaches for surviving holiday family gatherings.

Have you ever heard a person referred to as a “saint”? Perhaps you have said your mother was a saint. Maybe you had a teacher in school you would classify as a saint. To hear the way people use that word we could easily conclude that a saint is a person who is kinder than everybody else, or more courageous, or more dedicated, or smarter than the average Joe. In other words, a saint is a person most of us will never be. We just can’t measure up to the standard. But is any of that true? Is the world made up of mediocre humans with a few rare individuals that just make the rest of us look bad? Join us in The Soul’s Garage as we look for saints in unlikely places.

As Halloween approaches, our society focuses on the things that terrify us. Children tend to be scared by witches, ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night, but our fears change over time. As adults, our nightmares lean more toward work, family, and other personal trepidations—not to mention the specific worries bedeviling us every time we watch the daily news. Does Halloween raise any relevant spiritual questions about the dragons we encounter in our lives, or is it just a good excuse for gorging on the leftover candy we bought for the Trick or Treaters? Join us in The Soul’s Garage, and let’s find out.

We probably would not get much disagreement when we say that all of us are living now in a time of fear. Our nation, and our world, are deeply polarized. There are serious economic concerns, growing authoritarianism, and brutal wars around the globe. Every poll indicates a deep fear gripping people everywhere. So what is to be done? We contend that what we do with fear is pivotal, and how we define hope is pivotal too. Is hope just wishful thinking—“I hope so”—or something deeper? Join us in the garage as we discuss finding hope in times like these.

In this final episode of our series on losing religion, we discuss how walking away from faith could be a good thing, and what might ultimately replace it. Can a person develop a perspective on life that could help them grow, evolve, and live positively in this world? We think so, but the process can be challenging, difficult, maybe even life-changing. We know. We have been there. Join us in the garage to find out why both of us, metaphorically speaking, feel like we walk with a limp.

Today in the garage we continue our discussion of reasons why someone might give up on faith, or “lose” their religion. And we do not make value judgments on anyone who chooses that path. In fact, we think it might be a good thing. How can two pastors make such a claim? Join us for “Losing My Religion-Part 2” to find out.

The two of us have a good time eloquently waxing and waning about the practice of spirituality or faith in today’s world, but some people just don’t swim in that ocean anymore. They would claim they have “lost” faith, and they are in good company. Join us in the garage for this first of three episodes where we will acknowledge and discuss the truly valid reasons why so many people walk away from a faith they once held.

Humorist Grady Nutt once said, “Laughter is the hand of God on the shoulder of a troubled world.” If that’s true, why is spirituality in general, and Christian spirituality in particular, so often associated with straightlaced, dour living? Could some Bible stories have comical elements that most of us have missed? Join us in the garage as we examine humor as a gift from God.

The Declaration of Independence claims we all have the right to “the pursuit of happiness,” and many of us spend a lot of time and energy on that search. Happiness, however, often seems fleeting and ephemeral. Should we be searching for something else instead? Join us in the garage as we discuss the difference between pursuing happiness and cultivating joy.

There are numerous biblical passages about God’s anger, as well as scores of preachers who seem to take a fiendish delight in dangling sinners over the fires of hell. Join us in the garage as we discuss whether God really does get angry, and, if so, what does God’s anger teach us about our own.