Word for the Week

Here's part 1 from our series on humility, followed by mental performance coach, Mary Rose (minute 3:35). Last week she explained how habits are formed. This week she tells us about the science behind motivation. Then Al & Jeff talk about Drew Brees and share their opinions on NFL rookie QBs today. Of course, they line up this weekend's biggest NFL and college games (minute 23:30).

It's been a while since my last Word for the Week Podcast. I've started a new format featuring input from some really neat people I've gotten to know. I'll start each podcast with a devotional "word for the week," and then follow it up with different segments each week.

This week, I introduce the topic of humility—a powerful virtue that is often misunderstood. I'm followed by a Mental Performance Coach, Mary Rose. Then we get to hear from Al and Jeff—two guys who love to talk sports.

In the following weeks, I'll keep my opening devotional a little more compact as I share my thoughts from the book, Humilitas: A Lost Key to Life, Love and Leadership. This is a work in progress, so I'm hoping I can make this something you enjoy and actually benefit from while you're on your commute, or just out running around.

Finally, please send in your comments in questions via the "Send Voicemail" feature at the right of your screen. Click on it, record your comment or question, and it will automatically send it to me. I'd love to include your comment or question in my next show. We want to hear from you!

In our final podcast, Pete and Brian talk about our own challenges with engaging with other religions. How can we remain passionately Christian while still humbly interacting with those of other faiths? We talk about some of the lessons we learned interacting with other religions and some of the challenges that we still face.

Islam is at the forefront of inter-religious thought in America for the last two decades. We bring a lot of baggage to this conversation and it makes it very difficult to understand the religion from the point of view of practitioners.

This is again a 101 level discussion between Pete and Brian about the basics of Islam. We once again try to see the problem that Islam is attempting to solve and some of the ways in which they go about it.

To get an insider's perspective, read In the Footsteps of the Prophet. It is written in a devotional style for Muslims. For a history written closer to the time of Muhammad read Life of Muhammad by Ibn Ishaq.

In the United States we are inundated with subtle references to Buddhism. Whether it is a bumper sticker that says, "My Karma Ran Over Your Dogma," or Hollywood stars talking about their Zen practices, we hear bits of Buddhist practice often taken out of context. This podcast is a conversation about Buddhism in a beginning discussion aimed at understanding the religion of over 500 million adherents.

Check out the book Buddha by Deepak Chopra. It is a work of historical fiction about the life of Siddhartha Gautama or the Buddha. While not heavy on doctrine, it will help you understand the story.

For Westerners there may be no more confusing religion than Hinduism. With its plethora of gods, lack of orthodoxy, and strange practices, Hinduism is an enigma.

This is another discussion about the basics of this religion claiming over a billion adherents in the world (primarily in India). Find out what Hindus believe about the problem in the world and how their faith aims to resolve it.

To jump right into Hinduism from one of the most popular original sources, try reading the Bhagavad Gita.

Here also is an interesting book review of Why I Am a Hindu which highlights some of the challenges of understanding this religion.

Pete and Brian talk on how we understand religion. In this podcast you will hear some definitions of religion and some ways to analyze them. At the center is the framework presented by Stephen Prothero in God Is Not One. At its core, we start to understand religions by finding out what they see is the fundamental problem with the world and how their religion proposes to solve this problem. From there we must seek to understand the techniques and ways to get to the solution.

As we start a dialogue about other religions this podcast may help you in your effort to understand religions very different from your own.

Check out Prothero's book here.