Episodes
Sunday Jan 18, 2015
157: Letting Justice Roll
Sunday Jan 18, 2015
Sunday Jan 18, 2015
As a writer, I always knew that "dumping the notebook" would create a longer and less focused news story. The time and discipline it takes to match ideas and paraphrase would trade density for brevity, rather than the opposite. This look at how police work is conducted today and the impact that has on local, particularly minority, communities does the opposite. It's more sprawling and anything but brief. On an issue where jumping to quick conclusions is far too common, I felt the need to take more time. The short summary is simple, though: we can do better than we are today.
Different Drummer: Amos of Tekoa
Thursday Nov 27, 2014
154: Holiday Jukebox
Thursday Nov 27, 2014
Thursday Nov 27, 2014
Even from an Advent Calendar perspective, I prefer music to chocolate. This includes Christmas music, both reverent and irreverent, along with songs that would be more accurately described as "winter holiday" than Christmas music.
Different Drummer: George Frideric Handel
Sunday Jul 06, 2014
146: The Idea Of Christ
Sunday Jul 06, 2014
Sunday Jul 06, 2014
A century ago in sermons and speeches that would become My Utmost For His Highest, the current sad state of Christianity was described aptly with the question, "Are you loyal to Jesus or to your notion of him?" by Oswald Chambers. We see the problem when Christians openly dispute the things Jesus said, or when popular versions of Bible stories don't match the "inspired word of God" and those obsessed with Biblical perfection fail to side with the inerrant text. Chambers might say that we are guilty of siding with what we believe without much regard for God's will. If this is true of individuals, it is certainly true of organizations and groups -- no matter how we may defer to their "religious beliefs."
Different Drummer: Oswald & Gertrude Chambers
Saturday Mar 01, 2014
140: Gathering 'round the Campfire
Saturday Mar 01, 2014
Saturday Mar 01, 2014
So-called "mountaintop experiences" are often called "beyond description" by those who are careful about sharing religious experiences. I know. I am one of those people, with podcast episodes like this one being an exception. With a connection to the team building concepts in the previous show on spiritual development, let's go behind the scenes -- metaphorically around the campfire -- at a spiritual retreat or two.
Different Drummer: Max Lucado
Sunday Feb 23, 2014
139: Spiritual Stunting and Divine Development
Sunday Feb 23, 2014
Sunday Feb 23, 2014
Community building relies more heavily on understanding the stages of spiritual growth than we often realize. Team building does not hinge upon every member being at the same level of maturity and experience. It is crucial, though, to understand the progression and manage those differences with unity as the common purpose. Sadly, this does not describe very many groups in our society today, including churches.
Different Drummer: M. Scott Peck
Wednesday Jan 01, 2014
136: Converse versus Convert
Wednesday Jan 01, 2014
Wednesday Jan 01, 2014
It's not funny, it's hypocritical, how the same words can sound hateful or not based solely on whether they are heard rather than spoken. Sometimes we only understand the worst aspects of how we communicate when we hear ourselves through the angry words of others. The principle is very simple: if words you hear directed toward you are wounding rather than healing, then those same words directed toward others are hateful rather than loving.
Different Drummer: Peter of Bethsaida
Friday Dec 13, 2013
134: Gender Segregation
Friday Dec 13, 2013
Friday Dec 13, 2013
Once misinformation becomes "tradition" it is extremely difficult to correct. This is true of a pope 1,500 years ago who willfully merged the identity of several women into one misleading "Mary" to deliver a sermon series on sinful women. More broadly, it is true of those who ignore the way Jesus interacted with women during his earthly ministry. Walk The Earth podcast (6) looked at how these mistaken views of gender impact the local church. This Inappropriate Conversation looks at the impact to the church-universal and the great distance between the example of Christ and what we too often see today from clergy.
Different Drummer: Mary of Magdala