Six Ways From Sunday

There couldn't be a more fitting time than right now to be speaking with Kevin Gangel - non-profit and corporate leadership professional, change management consultant and keynote speaker, and co-founder of Unstoppable Conversations. Kevin is a fellow Albertan, and like Ben, narrowly escaped a career in aerospace engineering, enjoys craft beer, and cares deeply about the future of our planet and ou...

This week Robin and Ben talk about "ascension day", the 40th day after Easter when Christ's ascension is celebrated in the Christian Church. When Jesus leaves his disciples (again) they are found standing around staring at the sky, likely feeling a bit lost and uncertain about what would come next. Perhaps even feeling a longing to go back to the way things were, for things to just be "normal" aga...

Kelly Henry (she/they) recently became an official member of the Bashaw United Church congregation, even though she lived in a city roughly an hour away. Finding a church family/home where you can feel safe, welcome, connected and comfortable is not always easy, and for those in the LGBTQ2S+ community it's also not something you might expect to find in rural Alberta, in a town of 860 people. Still...

How we celebrate Mother's Day, and other important, big, life events in the midst of a pandemic, says a lot about the ways we connect and come to know one another. It could also be an opportunity to rethink how we know God, who is after all, alive in all of us and transcends any physical separation, time or distance.

The last time Javan came on the podcast we talked about his film, "Facing Fire". Well today we're talking about facing "fear". In the midst of a global pandemic that has all of us wondering about the future and feeling more uncertainty, anxiety and fear than we normally grapple with, it's important to take a look under the hood and examine our relationship with fear itself. One of my favourite sta...

Meet Tammy. She's a registered psychologist in Ponoka, finding new ways to deliver mental health support services to her existing clients as well as new clients who are feeling the effects of home isolation, anxiety, fear and other struggles during this COVID-19 crisis. Tammy has a great story and incredible passion for her work, and she also shares some really valuable tips and suggestions for ho...

After a month of lock-down and pivoting to live streaming and zoom calls for everything from book club meetings to pastoral care and Sunday morning church services, how are we as "the Church" meeting the spiritual health needs of our communities? Rev. Stephen Harper from Symons Valley United Church in Calgary joins Rev. Robin King and Ben Wilson for a conversation about the role of church as front...

We've been through a rollercoaster of emotions this week, not only in following along with the journey of Holy Week and leading into Easter, but also in following the news of a global pandemic that has both isolated and united all of humanity like nothing we've seen in our lifetime. It's been a transformative experience already, and we're not through it yet. So was Easter. And as much as we'd like...

If you're starting to lose track of what day of the week it is, today is Thursday and Palm Sunday is only a few days away. We're all in COVID-19 self-isolation mode, so how do we celebrate this important religious tradition? It's hard to be festive when you can't have all the festivities. But it's also an opportunity to look at Holy Week a bit differently, to walk through each of the days of this...

In the two weeks since our last podcast, the COVID-19 outbreak has gone from "totally under control" in Trump's words, to a fully global pandemic with many millions of people on full lock-down or voluntary self-isolation, and NYC as the new epicentre of the crisis. Change sometimes happens a lot faster than we're ready for, and we've all had to adapt in so many ways, learning to use new technologi...

Robin and Ben share some personal wilderness stories, how God led them through times of uncertainty, doubt and fear, through Robin's journey into ministry at Bashaw United Church, and through Ben's solo flying adventure across Canada.  We talk about what we learned from these "wilderness experiences" and also dive into some other wilderness stories, from Noah's Ark and quarantined cruise ships to...

The wilderness, literal or metaphorical, can feel like a scary place. Temptation, isolation, solitude, struggle and hopelessness is what we often associate with finding ourselves alone in the desert, or cast out of the garden. But maybe the bible's many "wilderness stories" point to something else, something that could offer us a way back to wholeness.

What role does religion/church/faith play in your life, really? What better time to ask that question than right after the story of Jesus being revealed (transfigured) on the mountain, and right before the season of Lent? Let's take a look at the "why" within our religious structures, routines and practices, and explore some confronting questions that could help remind us what Jesus stood for.

If Jesus gave an inspiring 18 minute lecture at a TED conference, it would probably sound a lot like the "sermon on the mount", which he began with, "you are blessed." In this conversation, Robin and I dove into this famous teaching to explore what Jesus' words mean for us today.

After Christmas we often talk about Epiphany, the revealing of Jesus. So, is Epiphany simply about revealing the divinity of Jesus, the Messiah who the Magi had been waiting for, based on ancient prophecies? Or, is Epiphany about the humanity of Jesus, the word made flesh, a man who would first ask "what are you looking for?", and then, offer us the chance to come and see?

The third annual Sugar Plum Family Christmas Ball was a huge success last weekend. The purpose of the event is to create a magical evening of celebration for the entire community, where children and adults of all ages and all income levels can get together and experience the joy and wonder of the holidays. In this episode, Ben Wilson and Melissa Lenz have a conversation with three Grade 10 student...

The end is near (of the church calendar), and Advent begins this Sunday. Are you ready for Christmas? Ready to greet the baby Jesus? Ready for Christ to return? So much to prepare for and so much to reflect on this Christmas, like how and where we meet Jesus in every moment of life. I love how Robin put it today: "If you're living the way the adult Jesus teaches, you are always prepared for the ar...

Bringing comfort, kindness and peace to the thresholds of life and death, "threshold singing" is a selfless act of love and compassion. Ron and Leah have been part of this global movement for several years and this week they shared with me their beautiful story and their beautiful voices.

We've talked about "end times" before, and at this time of year it's thematically appropriate to revisit the topic right before we dive into the season of Advent, but this week we decided to expand on the conversation and talk not only about the troubling signs of armageddon and apocalypse that are all around us, but also about the way in which we engage each other around things like politics, cli...

This week I was asked to share the story of our Rising Spirit Ministry project with Rev. Stephen Harper from Symons Valley United Church in Calgary, for their new podcast.  You can also listen to this conversation with Stephen on their website as well as other episodes of the Symons Valley podcast at  http://symonsvalleyuc.com/podcasts/

We've talked about "holding space" for someone, and "authentic listening" on this show before, and how powerful and important this type of human connection is for the soul.  Well, Alan Richards is a man who specializes in just that.  In church language we call it "pastoral care", and Alan is really good at it!

Author of "Radical Wholeness" and "New Self, New World", Philip Shepherd's work aims to transform our disconnected experience of self and world.  Philip lives on a small island near Toronto, and offers private coaching, weekend workshops, retreats and keynote presentations, and we had the privilege of recording a conversation with him during a "Radical Wholeness" workshop in Camrose, Alberta.  Lea...

Have you ever asked yourself "who am I?", "what are we doing here?" or "what does it mean to be a human?".  We talk a lot on this show about identity, connection, relationships, community and creating meaningful living.  This question really ties all of those themes together, so there's a lot to unpack and explore.

We've been told it's impossible to worship both God and money, and that it's easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven, but we've also been told to give generously to the church.  Maybe instead of focusing on money, the conversation should be about value, caring for what matters to us most, and truly being stewards over the wellness of our world.

A woman, bent over from a crippling ailment, is healed by Jesus. On the Sabbath. This week we're discussing the power of human connection and authentic listening in helping others to release their burdens and become whole. We're also talking about miracles, self-care and what the Sabbath is really supposed to be about. Thanks for joining us!