Presence: Experiencing the Nearness of God

Screwtape brings Wormword out of exile and gets his nephew up to speed with smartphones and other aspects of the 21st century. WW's "patient" - a white middle aged American Evangelical Catholic is preparing to vote. ST21 tells Wormword of the delicious hypocrisy this man and others like him show as they hurt those whom Christ identified as "my little ones."

"The Screwtape Letters," written by C.S. Lewis and published in 1942 is one of the most remarkable novels ever written about good and evil. What would the character Screwtape have to say about our world and the U.S. in 2022 and beyond. Listen and follow along at www. ST21century.com.

The Church begins the age old "O Antiphon" prayers on Dec 17th? Learn about these centuries old prayers and how they connect with the hymn O Come O Come Emmanuel. Today we pray for the coming of God's Wisdom to come upon us. Learn more at EdTechEmergent.com.

Its the rose-colored Third Sunday of Advent and we hear St. Paul's exhortation to "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing!" How do we do this in the brutal 2020 though? By remembering that Emmanuel - God with is - is here even in the midst of the mess. Find more at EdTechEmergent.com

Its the first weekday of Advent 2021 and the Church remembers Saint Andrew the Apostle. For the readings of the day and a video about St. Andrew, visit EdTechemergent.com

The Advent journey begins with Jesus telling us to 'Be watchful!' and 'Be alert!' We hear the prophet Isaiah reminding us that God has already done amazing deeds for those who wait for God. Listen to hear the themes of the four weeks of Advent and an invitation to be more mindful in your prayer during this season. For more resources visit EdTechEmergent.com.

The last week of the liturgical year begins with Christ the King Sunday. The week ends with a vision of a "new heaven and a new earth" as well as word from Jesus warning us "to stay vigilant" so we can endure "the tribulations to come". How do we do this, especially as we are on the cusp of the new liturgical year? For links to the scripture cited and more resources visit EdTechEmergent.com

My newest subpodcast for Advent 2021. Listen to the sevenish minute reflections on one or more of the liturgical readings - posted before each day of Advent. Follow my blog EdTechEmergent.com for links to the readings and much more!

"The most radical, hopeful act one can perform as a citizen is to love freely, deeply, articulately...This is how a decent society is built outside of its laws and continual quest for justice." From page 73 in 'Dictionary of the Undoing' by John Freeman. For more visit www.edtechemergent.com.

"If you have ever watched power crumble, you know it happens very suddenly. One day a wall is up and the next it is coming down" (p 70). We don't have to continue to be silent about the killing that takes place around us everyday. Listen and be inspired to stand up, rise up in boycotts and marching to tear down the monuments to violent and hatred and build memorials which inspire and remind us of...

"Justice may not be blind, it may give too much respect to the size of one's wallet, but it does respect momentum." (p 63) from "Dictionary of the Undoing" by John Freeman. Visit by blog for materials related to this episode -- www.edtechemergent.com

Has the rise of the internet and social media made Americans more self-centered? As our own individual 'I' has felt more powerful have we lost the experience of how much more powerful a 'we' is? The uprising that is continuing in the US shows what happens when we put down our devices and gather as a 'we, the people' Learn more at edtechemergent.com

Sunday, June 21st marks the 100th day since I began counting this Pandemic Period from Friday, March 13th. I go back and listen to and comment on the podcast episode I recorded on March 11th as the seriousness of the coronavirus and the disruption it could cause was becoming more apparent. In light of what I noted on March 11th, where are we today - 100 days later? Visit my blog at edtechemergent....

"Hope is less an emotion than a field, a magnetism...Hope operates as a positive charge between people and wants to move." These words are by John Freeman from page 45 of his book 'Dictionary of the Undoing'. We are living in a time of illness and uprising. Fear, playing out as denial, is around us. And yet an electric hope has driven people to the streets for 4 weeks now and change is happening....

Since the Pandemic Period began nearly 100 days ago, we have seen great human suffering. While the federal gov has been generally unwilling or unable to give in meaningful ways to aleviate this suffering, neighborhoods, groups and inviduals have heroically stepped up to give. In the uprising after the lynching of George Floyd, millions have poured into streets around the world in acts of protest a...

Have you ever seen a molten blob of super heated sand ready to be blown and shaped into glass? I have and you can too at my blog - EdTechEmergent.com. In his his chapter on how we acheive greater fairness in our nation John Freeman uses the metaphor of sand turned by great heat into glass. Listen as I reflect on how the current protests and inter–related traumas - health, economic, and white supre...

This Pandemic Period is showing us how the world looks with somewhat lower CO2 emissions. It is also shining a harsh light on meat packing and the risk of disease for workers in those factories. How should we think about the natural world as we eventually emerge from this crisis and seek to better care for creation? For resources supporting this episode visit www.edtechemergent.com

Its clear to see that over the past decade or so and especially since the 2016 election, there's been an erosion of what is considered "common decency" in our society. There's a shocking indecency specifically in words used to describe others and generally what is acceptable for elected leaders to say or Tweet. Listen as I reflect on how a presidential proclaimation made earlier today to 'open the...

I live in Ohio where our governor talks daily to the "citizens" of our state. Not far away in Wisconsin voters a few weeks ago had a stark choice - stay at home in safety or risk infection and go out to vote. Identifying as a citizen today and demanding a safe and fair vote in November is critical now. See the articles referenced in this episode at www.edtechemergent.com

Why do good people suffer? This is a foundational question that humans have asked throughout the ages. It is being asked more and more urgently during this time of pandemic. About 2600 years ago, the Israelite author of the Old Testament Book of Job asked this same question in one of the most famous narratives in history. How does Job react when all is taken from him? How does God respond to Job?...

This is a brief reading of the NRSV translation of The Song of Solomon. Includes 1.2-8. 1:8-17. 4:1-16. 5:2-16. 7.1-9. 7:10-13.

Are you feeling hopeful now? Are you feeling fear, anger or despair? To build a better world we need hope more than almost all else. The west African nation of Ghana showa us hope in action. Learn more at www.edtechemergent.org

Its the second episode in which I am going letter by letter through John Freemans new "Dictionary For The Undoing" Here I reflect on the second chapter and how even though we cannot be physically together during this pandemic time, we can and still connect with each other. Learn more at my blog - www.edtechemergent.com

Which nation had a significant revolution just after the US had its? France! Home of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity (going with the English here and not the French versions of the words) this country shows that nearly always it is through acts of protest that necessary change comes. For more on this value see www.edtechemergent.com

I begin another subpodcast. This one uses the words put forth in John Freeman's new book "Dictionary of the Undoing." I will share a few quotes from freeman and then reflect on how this word is relevant now in the midst of crisis and also later when we are reconfiguring a new way of living together. For much more visit my blog www.edtechemergent.com