Everyday Spirituality

Jeff Thiemann is the CEO of Portico Benefit Services, which provides Financial, Health and Planning services to over 10,000 members in the ELCA.  (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)  In this episode, we talk about Jeff's call to ministry, as well as the work of Portico.  The kicker is in the second half where we explore the topic of Discipleship. www.porticobenefits.org www.bishoponabike.com...

This episode features a conversation with Pastor Carrie Smith, who serves the English Speaking congregation of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem in the old city.  We talk about the Palestinian Israeli conflict, serving the Lutheran church as a missionary and discover her love of cats. Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Carrie's Blog      

In Episode 16 I sit down with Tim Gnaneswaran who works at Mosaic Ministries in Cromwell, CT.  This organization works with people with Intellectual Disabilities. www.mosaicinfo.org   Tim's personal story is equally remarkable, as he had an early spiritual encounter that brought him to a life of service. www.bishoponabike.com  

No, not the former NFL player.  This Reggie McNeal is the author of the Get off Your Donkey, and most recently Kingdom Collaborators .  I had the opportunity to speak with Reggie via a Skype call, and recorded it for the podcast.  You can listen to it here. Reggie has a perspective on US American congregational life that spans the range of mainline as well as evangelical christianity.  He used to...

Episode 14: When Gary Anderson was about to begin a position in city planning for the Town of Manchester, CT, he was surprised to see an early appointment on his calendar.  Some people from a local church wanted to meet with him.  They had been praying for him, for the city of Manchester, and they had a project in mind to help build community life in the downtown section.  This episode, recorded i...

In this Episode, number 13, I have recorded my presentation to the Lutheran and Episcopal Clergy of New Hampshire. I discuss themes around the challenges of being a pastor in today's cultural climate.  This was a part of our joint, Chrism Mass, and day away during Holy Week 2018.   www.bishoponabike.com  

In this Episode number 12, I talk with Diana Butler Bass about her new book Grateful.  But, before we get to that we cover a wide range of topics including her life journey and the parallel of North American Christianity, what might mainline protestants do in response to all the changes we are experiencing.  You can learn more about her work at www.dianabutlerbass.com My website is www.bishoponabi...

We catch a glimpse of what the church of the future might look like, or at least one variation of it, in this episode.  Pastor Linda Forsberg leads the ministry Church Beyond the Walls in downtown providence, Rhode Island.  You'll hear about the history of this project birthed out of the Occupy Providence movement along with ideas for your own congregation.  You can find out more at www.churchbeyo...

How do you lead a 150 year old congregation from a traditional church structure to a multipurpose sanctuary?  In my conversation with Pastor Tim Weisman of Zion Lutheran in Pittsfield, MA  http://zionlutheranpittsfield.org/  we learn about how to lead change, renovate a building and remain a centered person in the face of resistance.  

Pastor Jon Niketh serves First Lutheran Church in Lynn, Massachusetts.  He is a man who cares deeply about liturgy and the life of the people in his congregation.  In this episode he defines the parameters of what it takes to be a pastor, what he learned about his role in the years since he was ordained.   My website is www.bishoponabike.com The New England Synod can be found here www.nelutherans....

So when was the last time you stood on your head?  How is your health?  Are you sleeping, eating, exercising, praying?  Pastor Heidi Johnston of Faith Lutheran Church in Quincy, Mass joins us for a conversation about here journey from aspiring broadway singer to ordained Lutheran minister.  Along the way, she discovers the healing power of food.  Real food.  It changed her life. My website, blog a...

This episode is a recording of Bishop Mitchell Rozanski and I live at the Student Prince, a bar and grill in Springfield, MA.  This was the concluding event in our emphasis on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.  Rev. Nathaniel Anderson serves as host of the conversation.

Part 2 of my conversation with Heidi Richards about raising a child who has identified as transgender.  We discuss the way in which she connected with health professionals, how this experience has impacted her family, as well as her understanding of God and her Christian faith.

In this episode, I talk with Heidi Richards, who is the mother of two children.  One of her children is transgender.  In part one, of this two part episode, we discuss how she came to understand her child, and the various experiences of navigating a culture that is still learning about transgendered persons.

In this episode (part 2 of 2), we sit down with Laura Everett.  She serves as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, and is the author of the book Holy Spokes: The Search for Urban Spirituality on Two Wheels . Most of our conversation addresses the question of church vitality, spiritual maturity and what's going to happen to denominations.  This is a two part Interview.

In this episode, we sit down with Laura Everett.  She serves as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, and is the author of the book Holy Spokes: The Search for Urban Spirituality on Two Wheels . Most of our conversation addresses the question of church vitality, spiritual maturity and what's going to happen to denominations.  This is a two part Interview.

In this episode, I talk with Tim Stein about his new company, which is called "Verse 4."  We discuss his unusual path to ministry and the work he is doing helping congregations with their buildings, as they transition to a new way of doing ministry.

Profiles and interviews exploring the questions of being people of faith in progressive New England.  This is the semi-official podcast of Bishop James Hazelwood of the New England Synod of the Lutheran Church in America.