Archive for the ‘Podcast’ Category
The spirituality and practicality of Progressive Christianity
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on February 15th, 2010
Episode #28 of SpiritualityandChristianity.com is a conversation that took place at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, December 2009.
Nick Brenton, a follower of a network of Spiritual Progressives, lives in Melbourne just a few blocks from the new convention hall. A conversation between a spiritual progressive and a Christian Scientist would naturally lead to an exploration of the meaning of spirituality. We agreed that the disconnect from human will is what allows God into the center of our lives. “Awareness” is the way Nick describes the consciousness into one’s inner being. Awareness is a joy, bringing awe and wonder. 
While we share a desire to find God at the center – whether it’s the “kingdom of God” or the consciousness within one’s being – we also agree that spirituality needs to be made practical. Nick thinks that one must take a position in the public sphere and be willing to engage politically. He said that progressives may tend to lean left, but their greater priority is to challenge the polarity of left and right. I also resist polarity, because I find Christ as type of “option 3” – that is, when left and right oppose each other, I think they miss the relevance of spiritual ideas. Prayer, we agreed, in its basic form awakens us to forces beyond the mundane life. This is where we find practical, real solutions for the human experience.
Let me introduce the magazine Nick shared with me: Tikkun — whose mission is to “create a new bottom line, a world that values compassion, creativity, ecological sanity, awe and wonder; and not just money and power.”
Asking God for help
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on August 25th, 2009
This episode of Spirituality and Christianity.com is a conversation with Bob Wellington about asking God for help.
He’s really good at caring for others and being attentive to the needs of others. But he never liked asking for help for himself — until the day he had no alternative.
I don’t want to give away the adventure in the wilderness in the show notes here, because it’s more fun to hear Bob tell it himself on the podcast. What we can say is that the scary moments brought him face to face with the realization that his own strength and wit were not enough.
We thought together a bit about why so many people face reluctance in asking God for help. Obvious reasons may include pride and doubt. But there are also more subtle excuses that keep us wandering in the dark far too long. Getting over that reluctance has added benefits as well. Bob and I discovered that in our moments of humility, when we surrender to God’s availability and capacity to help, we discovered our own increased desire to help others.
Be sure to check out Bob’s entire website, where he shares the details of this story more fully. You’ll also find his personal reflections and transparent prayers dealing with other tough life situations.
Don’t forget how much we’d like to hear from you too. Have you had to struggle with the reluctance to ask God for help? What made you do it? What happened? Share your comments at the end of the show notes on this website, at Spirituality and Christianity.com.
References in the podcast:
S+C | Politics and Religion
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on July 22nd, 2009
Episode #26 is a conversation with Will Buchanan on the relationship between politics and spiritual ideas.
Sometimes the effort to discuss politics and religious convictions in the same conversation can be hazardous. All the more reason to find a basis for successful conversations.
Will is a student at Principia College, where he’s studying political science. He’s also deeply committed to his spiritual growth. Our discussion raises questions and uncovers possibilities for those who deeply care about the relevance of spiritual living in a political context.
Whether you lean left or right, it’s encouraging to find common ground in the belief that God’s goodness is available to everyone at all times. It gives hope for peace, and it encourages grace in the midst of our differences.
It might be helpful to clarify one point in the podcast conversation. Near the end of the podcast, Will is discussing “three degrees” of human experience, which come from his study of Mary Baker Eddy’s book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (115). He is distinguishing between the second and third degrees, in which the second is a transitional state of thought to the third level, which includes spiritual understanding and power. Will describes the meaning of that third state of human thought without clearly identifying it; but his point is that it’s helpful for us as humans to be clear about the type of thinking we bring to our experiences. We are able to achieve wisdom, spiritual understanding, and spiritual power (the “third degree”) as we grow spiritually; and on that basis we are not victims of politics, but contributors to society’s well-being.
Please do join us in this conversation. We’re interested in they way you make connections between your spiritual searching and your political pragmatism. Share your comments at the end of the show notes on the website, SpiritualityandChristianity.com.
Some relevant links:
Eucharist prayer for a Catholic and Christian Scientist
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on July 4th, 2009
Episode 24 is a conversation with Michele Moon, a Roman Catholic, and Shirley Paulson, a Christian Scientist, about their mutual love of the Christian Eucharist prayer.
Anyone who knows anything about Roman Catholicism and Christian Science knows that we celebrate the Eucharist in entirely different ways, but Michele and I were interested in discovering its profound meaning in both of our lives.
For Michele, the celebration of the Eucharist is an awakening to the presence of “kairos,” or the meaning of life’s moments filled with God’s presence. For Shirley, the celebration (which takes place without ritual) is a pricking of the heart, reminding us of God’s healing love. Our mutual enthusiasm for this sacred prayer is that it calls us to ministry. The cross, for instance, is more than a symbolic reminder of Jesus’ crucifixion. When we think deeply about it, we’re impelled to “take up our own cross,” as Jesus asked of his disciples. We notice others in need, and we confront our own obstacles that would keep us from binding up the broken hearted and seeking healing for others.
What a rich experience it is to share our mutual love of this prayer. We’d like to multiply our exploration on this topic and hear what Eucharist means to you. Would you jot down your own thoughts or life experiences with it? We’re convinced this is a topic that provides lots of space for learning from each other. Submit your comments just below the show notes on the website, SpiritualityandChristianity.com.
References from the show
S+C | Religion, technology, and emerging media
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on May 31st, 2009
Episode #23 is another conversation with Meg Ballias, a student at Butler University and Shirley Paulson, a Christian Scientist.
Meg is immersed in the issues of emerging media, and we decided to explore together the impact this new technology might have on religion, and vice versa. Meg is a Journalism student who was selected as one of the scholarship students attending the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) convention in Boston this year. She was featured on episode #21 also.
Globalization can offer exciting new opportunities, but the idea of a single currency for the world, for example, can also be scary if it leads to the end of society as we know it. Meg wonders aloud whether journalism technology is contributing to it or offering sufficient warnings against it. Some of our other questions have to do with the relationship between soul and digital machinery. Does God give humanity dominion, or are we victims of our own creations? Does moral strength play a role in the development of technology?
We feel like kids peering into an unopened treasure box, ready to discover things no one ever told us about before. We’d love to hear your insights and questions too. This is a topic that needs the best of everyone’s thinking. Please join in! Post your comments on the Spirituality and Christianity.com website. Subscribe to the podcass at the link on the right side of the website page: “Sunbscribe to S+C Podcast.” Thanks!
Related Links:
S+C | Mother’s Day without Mothers
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on May 6th, 2009
Episode 22 is a conversation with Judy Valente (see episode 9) and Shirley Paulson about how they love and honor their mothers on Mother’s Day, when they’re no longer with them.
My mother passed away just a few weeks before Mother’s Day this year, and Judy’s mother passed on suddenly a few years ago. Our different faith backgrounds — in Christian Science and Roman Catholicism — have given strength, love, and spiritual insights to the meaning of our mothers’ lives.
While it’s never a good time to say goodbye to those we love so much, we both found that our own spiritual depth has given us more profound ways of living the blessings of our mothers. Judy’s poem (read on the podcast) is a beautiful tribute to her mother’s affection for the Madonna, and I find my tribute to my mother in my every day actions.
Loving our mothers has also helped our spiritual journeys progress. We have discovered that it’s easier to understand life beyond corporeality, and that the meaning of life is greater as we transcend the limitations of our bodies.
We’d love to have you join the conversation. Please post your comments on the Spirituality and Christianity.com website. And if you haven’t subscribed to these podcasts yet, there’s an easy “Subscribe to S+C Podcast” link on the right side of the website page. Thanks!
S+C | Religious identity and diversity
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on April 24th, 2009
Episode 21 is a conversation with Meg Biallas and Shirley Paulson.
Meg is a religiously minded Journalism student at Butler University. She is one of nine scholarship students who attended the recent Religion Communicators Council (RCC) convention this year, and I had the privilege of being appointed as her mentor. This year’s topic - Identity amid diversity - was a perfect springboard for our podcast conversation. Meg has just been discovering the depth of spirituality within herself, so the anchor of her identity is important while she navigates the contemporary pluralistic religious world. I have lived with a more secure religious foundation, but the security of my identity is increasingly challenged in the context of the same increasing pluralism.
Meg and I are happy to discover in our discussion how much the changing landscape of increasing contact with new religious communities has been enriching in our experiences. Meg points out that contact with her new Muslim friend at RCC (another scholarship student) made her ask herself about her own level of devotion. And I find it helpful to learn that others cope with feeling as isolated or different as I do. And an even greater benefit is the unifying power we discover together in our mutual love for God. Regardless of our different religious practices, our desire to be close to God and to live faithfully to God brings the security we need in the midst of the diversity.
Here are some questions we’d love to hear your thoughts on:
- How have you related to others with strong differences in faith backgrounds?
- How do you balance the need to establish an identity for your religious community, and yet maintain your unique individuality?
- How has your experience with religious pluralism benefited your own faith?
Please post your comments just below the links related to this podcast on the Spirituality and Christianity.com website. Also, if you haven’t subscribed to these podcasts, there’s an eas “Subscribe to S+C Podcast” link on the right side of the website page. Thanks.!
Some related links:
S+C | Healing with God Part II
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on April 2nd, 2009
Episode #20 is a conversation about healing from a faith perspective.
Shirley Paulson, a Christian Science practitioner, and Barbara Zeman, a Roman Catholic, find common ground in the quest for healing. The complexity of healing arises out of the limitations of human language, but the beauty of healing is evident in the closer relationship with God.
While we might be enthusiastic about the spiritual adventure of seeking healing through prayer, we also recognize that the struggle that precipitates the healing often includes the battle with the very thing that resists the healing. Stubbornness is an example. Despite our shortcomings, though, we agree that God or Christ is able to move our thoughts where we need to be in order to welcome the healing adjustment.
People need personal healings, and the whole family of humanity needs healing of injustice, oppression, and economic disruption. We’d love to welcome your thoughts on healing of any kind. Tell us how you’ve experienced healing, or how you heal others. Please scroll down to the “comments” here on the Spirituality and Christianity.com website. Tell us your thoughts or experiences. Thanks!
Some related links:
- Christian Science healing
- Catholic healing prayers
- Beliefnet healing prayer archive
- Healing prayer: online resource for Christian prayer
- Christian Science Sentinel (print version)
S+C | Healing with God, Part I
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on March 15th, 2009
Episode #19 is a conversation with Barbara Zeman, a Roman Catholic, and Shirley Paulson, a Christian Science practitioner, on the subject of our healing practices.
We know it’s a topic close to the hearts of many spiritually minded people, as was evident in a recent cover story with TIME magazine, called, “How Faith Can Heal.” Barbara did a healing service with her colleagues at the hospital, and I keep a full time office devoted to healing through prayer.
Even though our traditions and practices are different, we find a common thread in our understanding of the way healing happens. God’s will is harmony, peace, wholeness, and blessing, so our prayers for healing are for the purpose of finding alignment with God. It appears that the sincere desire to be close to God inspires us to find healing for our own broken hearts, broken peace, or even broken bodies; and this is the same inspiration that impels us to extend that same kind of healing for others.
Please join the conversation and tell us your healing experiences. Click on the comments button at the end of the show notes, here on the website, “spirituality and Christianity.com.” thank you!
References from the podcast:
- Healing in the History of Christianity, Amanda Porterfield, p. 158
- Saint Blaise
- Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp.326-442
S+C | Living with God on a daily basis
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on March 1st, 2009
Episode #18 is a conversation with Bob Wellington, a long time friend and spiritual thinker. Bob has experienced a variety of religious practices, searched for his own path, and exemplifies a kind of postmodern approach to religion and spirituality. We’re discussing a very contemporary problem: how to be responsible with mounting pressures from economic stress.
Sometimes people who live with a deep-seated spiritual connection with God are challenged to show how that spirituality can be relevant in the midst of lost jobs or lost hope. The theme of our conversation centers on responsibility, because so many people find it tough to take care of themselves during economic downturn, let alone care for dependents and 
others. Bob and I think that a very spiritually understanding of God, or love for God brings genuine hope and peace. It’s not naive, because finding the connection with God’s grace and government opens our eyes to the presence of goodness.
Please join the conversation and tell us your stories. Click on the comments button at the end of the show notes here on teh website, spiritualityandchristianity.com. Thank you!