Coming Soon: Podcast Season Two

It’s back!

After a long hiatus, my podcast, The Why Behind the What, is back with all-new episodes, a new logo, new music, and new ideas to share with you! Where have I been for the last few years? Well, not doing a podcast, that’s for sure. But rest assured it is back and ready to go.

Starting January 13th, a new episode will drop every two weeks based on the theme, ‘Ancient Contemplative Spirituality for Today’s Transformation.’

The past few years have brought me on a journey where I realized faith wasn’t working for me as it once had. My Christian life wasn’t what it once was. The prayers I said, the songs I sang, the church services I attended, the Bible I read, it all stopped working. I became disillusioned, bored, tired, and critical. I was burnt out. And, much of this happened while I was working as a pastor.

I needed something new in my faith and something more for my soul. What I discovered was that something ‘new’ was actually something quite old; ancient actually.

That’s what I’ll introduce you to this season. In these episodes, I’ll invite you into ancient spiritual practices that relieve stress, increase union with the Divine, and lead to personal and spiritual transformation. These practices have quite literally revived my faith, healed my soul, increased my passion, and allowed me to hear the still small voice of God.

If you have found yourself on a similar faith journey; one that isn’t working as it once did, one that has led you to become burnt out, cynical, or tired, I hope you will listen. And more than that, I hope you will open yourself up to the Divine and through ancient contemplative spirituality, you might be transformed today.

A few things you can do to help spread the word about The Why Behind the What:

• First, subscribe to the podcast on APPLE PODCASTS, PODBEAN, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OVERCAST, google play, podcast republic, or wherever you listen.

• sECOND, please share it on social media (I need your help to spread the word to the masses).

• THIRD, please review it on ITUNES PODCASTS so those silly algorithms will allow more people to find it.

Until then, may you have peace, may you have calm, and may you have happiness.

This podcast and blog were written and recorded on Monacan Land. For more about indigenous land and territories where you live and work, check out native-land.ca.

I Am With You Always. Yes.

As I was doing today’s Morning’s Office, a passage from the Gospel of Matthew was one of the readings. It’s a well-known text, Matthew 28:16-20. It reads, 

Meanwhile, the eleven disciples set out for Galilee to the mountains where Jesus arranged to meet them. When they saw him, they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them the commandments I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.

I love how sometimes you will read a familiar passage from the Bible and become completely befuddled by it. I can’t tell you how many times I have read a passage and immediately thought, “What? I don’t think I have ever read this before. I never noticed this. Wait, this is really in here?”

Today, I was struck by the first two sentences stating that the eleven disciples fell down before Jesus while some others hesitated. Were they falling down in worship? Why did others hesitate? Were they afraid? Unsure? What were they thinking? I don’t think I ever noticed those sentences before. 

If we are familiar with this story, we have probably heard a sermon or teaching on the later phrase “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Often, we are taught the command in this sentence is “go.” Preachers will preach that we are to go evangelize, go do ministry, leave home and go to another country to bring the Gospel message. On and on the sermons can go.

What’s interesting, though, is ‘go’ isn’t the command. It should be translated, ‘while going.’ The command is actually the word ‘make.’ While going, we are to make disciples. And, preachers preach about making disciples. Like, times a million. Of course, it is what the local church should be doing, making students and disciples of those who wish to follow the way of Jesus, the way of love. 

But what struck me the most this morning and what I think might be better news than the command itself comes at the end of the passage where Jesus says, “And know that I am with you always, yes.” 

Why haven’t I heard a preacher preach that for 35 minutes on a Sunday? That’s what I need to know, experience, and remember. Most days, I forget that or simply do not believe it. Most days I don’t think I live as if this is true. But, if is it true, it changes everything! 

The God incarnate, the invisible God made visible, is with me always. Yes. 

The Divine isn’t some distant deity but instead is as close to us as our very breath. Present with us always, through all things, in all things. Yes. 

How about that for some good news? Yes.