Prepared to Drown: Deep Dives into an Expansive Faith

A romance on the ice shouldn’t feel radical, but Heated Rivalry hit Canada like a thunderclap because it exposes what so many people already know and rarely say out loud: hockey can demand silence from the very players and fans who love it most. We start with the show’s cultural takeover and quickly get into the real stakes behind the story, from sponsorship pressure and locker-room fear to the qu...

Loneliness has a way of lying to us. It tells us we’re the only one struggling, even when we’re surrounded by people, even when our phones never stop buzzing, even when we’re “doing meaningful work.” We sit down with labor activist and community advocate Ricardo Di Menezes, network weaver and community builder Laura Istead, and regional minister Rev. Karen Medland to get embarrassingly honest abou...

Fear is having a moment, and it’s not subtle. When politics starts sorting people into “insiders” and “threats,” when belonging is defined by exclusion, and when discrimination shows up in the open, we have to find the courage to name what we’re seeing and decide how we’ll respond. At the table with me are Scott Payne, a labor communicator and political strategist, and Francis Boakye, executive di...

Your body walks with you into every room, including church, including the gym, including the mirror moment you didn’t ask for. From a live recording in Calgary at McDougall United Church, we sit down for an honest, practical conversation about the stories we inherit about bodies and why so many of them leave people feeling ashamed, judged, or “not enough.” Bill Weaver is joined by Ricardo De Menez...

Headlines race ahead of facts, and the first loud version often becomes the truth we trust. We gather a panel to ask a bracing question: who gets to tell sacred and truth-bearing stories, and how do those stories shape who belongs, who is feared, and what we excuse? From a Monty Python hymn at a funeral to anime, Good Omens, and Lucifer, we trace how pop culture remixes Scripture, how satire refra...

Outrage is easy. Repair is hard. We open the new year by tackling the knotty space between public shaming and meaningful accountability, asking what real consequences and real repair require when harm is public, painful, and politically charged. With Reverend Tony Snow, we pull apart the difference between performative certainty and the slower work of listening, facts, restitution, and time away f...

A cold December night, a live audience in a church basement, and a question that won’t leave us alone: why do Christmas redemption stories still hit home when the world feels stuck? We open with the “villains” of our childhood—Scrooge, the Grinch, Frosty’s rival, the Abominable Snowman—and uncover what lingered: not just neat endings, but the stubborn truth that joy finds a way and community calls...

Two minutes of silence can’t carry the whole story. We lean into the hard questions Remembrance Day raises: how to honor courage without glamorizing war, how to include civilians alongside veterans, and how to keep memory honest when distance invites denial. With Canadian Armed Forces chaplain Capt. Justin McNeil and philosopher Dr. Trudy Govier joining our regulars, we navigate symbols like the r...

What if sin isn’t a tally of private failings, but a way to see how our choices shape each other’s lives? We open the door to a deeper, more human conversation with two guides who’ve lived it from different sides: Pam Rocker, a queer playwright and activist working at the intersection of faith, belonging, and justice; and David Sweet, a retired homicide detective whose mantra—leave people better t...

What if rest isn't a luxury, but our birthright? In this powerful Season 2 premiere, we wade into the deep waters of burnout culture and discover surprising currents of hope beneath the surface. The statistics are sobering: nearly half of Canadian professionals report burnout, with a third saying it's worse than last year. In Calgary, one in five police officers are on leave due to menta...

The night before General Council 45 marks a historic threshold for the United Church of Canada as it enters its second century. In this special live recording, we dive into the uncomfortable but essential question: What happens when resurrection doesn't come the way we expect it to? Sarah Charters, United Church of Canada Foundation President and Executive Officer of the United Church of Cana...

What happens when our three panelists put down their notes and just respond to whatever questions come their way? Magic, vulnerability, and surprisingly deep theology. In our season finale, we're opening the floor to you—our listeners—taking on the questions you've been curious about all season long. From deeply personal reflections on bucket lists and finding joy to theological explorat...

What happens when we free God from the boxes we've built—and in turn, free ourselves? In this deeply moving Pride Month conversation, we journey through the ancient Exodus story reimagined as a framework for gender liberation. The panel explores how "Egypt" represents systems of control that flatten human diversity, while offering a vision of divinity that celebrates authenticity ra...

What does it mean to be a “dam good neighbour” in a world that seems determined to divide us? We're running as long as we can with this play on words. This conversation isn't about politeness or etiquette – it's about neighbourliness that disrupts, crosses lines, and binds us together when systems pull us apart.    Drawing from Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, our panel ex...

Why do so many people struggle in a world of unprecedented abundance? This question lies at the heart of our raw, unfiltered conversation about poverty, privilege, and the myths we tell ourselves about success. We're not just examining poverty as an economic issue but as a spiritual one that reveals what we truly value as a society. When we frame poverty as a personal failure rather than a sy...

As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms our world, we're gathering to ask the deeper questions about its impact not just on our jobs or creative works, but on our sense of self, our communities, and our sacred spaces. In this thought-provoking conversation, we're joined by visual artist Aaron Navrady and poet/professor Bertrand Bickersteth to explore the collision between AI and hu...

Conversations about sexuality, consent, and faith are often fraught with shame, yet they are crucial for personal dignity and agency. In this spicy episode, Joanne and Ricardo are joined by Diana Wark (Centre for Sexuality) and Jess Andrews (Campus United) to explore the impact of purity culture, hear diverse experiences, and emphasize the urgent need for healthy conversations around love, intimac...

In our first episode of 2025, Ricardo and Joanne are joined by Rev. Tony Snow - Indigenous Minister, Traditional Knowledge Keeper, and Day School Survivor - to discuss the rise of Christian Nationalism in our society, and how we might endure through the chaos that seems to be swirling around us. Check us out at www.preparedtodrown.com Continue the conversation over at our Patreon: https://www.patr...

In our Christmas-themed episode, special guest Councillor Gian Carlo Carra joins Rev. Bill and Rev. Joanne for a deep and provocative discussion about the enduring power of a story proclaiming " peace on earth, and good will to all people ", the alleged "war on Christmas" (spoiler alert: there isn't one! ) and the importance of communities in maintaining hope for love to b...

Apocalyptic skies ... Global wars ... Human apathy ... Did we miss the rapture, or are the doomsday prophets just head of the game? Join Rev. Joanne, Rev. Bill, and Ricardo De Menezes as they talk about the end of the world, Hell, and if there's any hope for the rest of us! Check us out at www.preparedtodrown.com Continue the conversation over at our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Prepare...

In our pilot episode, Rev. Joanne Anquist, Ricardo De Menezes, and Rev. Bill Weaver talk about why conversations around deconstructing faith matter in a "go woke, go broke" world. Check us out at www.preparedtodrown.com Continue the conversation over at our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/PreparedtoDrown