The Light in Every Thing

In this episode, we take up two very broad questions that arose from patrons over the course of the “Discerning the Spirits” series. In response to the first question, Patrick and Jonah explore how the Holy Spirit lives and works in our discerning. The second question relates to suffering, human evolution and karma. If Christ is merciful and we are discerning His voice in our hearts and lives, doe...

Building on the idea from last episode that human beings are, by their very nature, worshipping beings, this episode turns to how our 'enemies' use this against us, tempting us with 'false gods' that seem worthy of our attention and life energies. The Book of Revelation offers us powerful pictures that contrast the beasts of earth and water, and the city of Babylon, with the La...

"...It may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you're gonna have to serve somebody." - Bob Dylan . With this episode we follow up on the last element of the story of Christ's temptation by the devil - “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). The last step will take us into the deepest expression of what we call religious life:...

In this episode we continue to follow Christ as He is led by the Holy Spirit into the desert to meet the adversary, the ruler of all the kingdoms of this world. These next two temptations help us further understand the relationship we, who look towards him and follow him, are called to have with the adversaries. How can we relate to them while living in their realm, working together with Christ to...

In this episode, Patrick and Jonah begin to explore the very first scene of the gospels after the baptism at the Jordan river - Jesus Christ’s encounter with the adversary in the desert. He is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and reveals to us a right relationship to the adversary. We can ask ourselves - Who am I when alone and hungry in the desert? Do I remain faithful even when I feel...

In this episode we continue to get to know one of the enemies that oppose us in our true humanity, who would corrupt us in our true kingship: the beast .  In the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, we are given an image of five different kings.  It is a meditation, in a short tale full of rich imaginations, on the nature of true kingship.  And kingship, itself, is an image of the sovereign human self. A...

After contemplating the place of darkness, emptiness and ‘void’ at the moment of the creation of our world (Genesis 1), Jonah and Patrick turn their attention to two key players, two decisive beings who play their part in the story of humanity: the ‘snake’ from Genesis 3 and ‘the beast’ that is introduced in Genesis 4.  What is this ‘snake’ that approaches Eve, the knower, in the realm of paradise...

In this episode we focus more specifically on naming the ‘Powers of Darkness’ active in the present age, the ones St. Paul refers to in his letter to the Ephesians. How do we discern their voices; both speaking within our own souls and expressed in the events of the world taking place around us? How do we bring the light of understanding towards these powers of darkness? These powers are described...

In this episode we dive deeper into the Christian world-view that orients us as to who our ‘enemies’ are - and perhaps even more important for our growing capacity of discernment, who they are not. Working with Paul’s letter to the Ephesians we learn that the enemies of our true humanity, the adversaries we encounter on the path, are “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:1...

In this third episode of our series on learning to discern Christ's voice - around us and within us - we take a deeper dive into Psalm 23: "The Lord is My Shepherd".  After focusing the mystery of the overall structure of David's Song, Patrick and Jonah open up the questions of how and why the "Valley of the Shadow of Death" and the presence of the enemies of our huma...

In this second episode on spiritual discernment, Patrick and Jonah delve into Psalm 23 , a ‘Song of David,’ as a way to deepen our understanding of what it means to align ourselves with and be guided by Christ. David’s song characterizes, line by line, what his guidance leads us to - and through - it culminates in an experience of being elevated from sheep to king: anointed with oil and blessed wi...

With this new episode, we are entering a series of conversations around cultivating spiritual discernment; can we develop the ability to perceive Christ’s nature and voice at work in our lives and the world around us? What other voices ‘compete’ with Christ’s voice?  How do we turn towards Him, align ourselves with Him and follow Him as our Helping Guide? Ask us a question here! Support the show T...

In this final episode of our series on Extended Reality, Patrick and Jonah ask: “How do we relate in a Christian way to the future of the earth, especially to the more difficult aspects that are already breaking in? How do we stay connected to the Light of the World in Every Thing, as humanity must encounter and bear the coming technological realities?” Many thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who compos...

In this latest episode of our series, Patrick Kennedy and Paul K. Chappell explore more thoroughly the compelling nature of Virtual/Extended Reality and its potential to become the most addictive phenomenon ever created. A key component of the Peace Literacy curriculum is building the capacity to recognize what our true non-physical needs are: belonging, nurturing relationships, expression, inspir...

In this second conversation on extended reality with Paul K. Chappell, Patrick asks him to share his vision for more deeply understanding what is happening in our time with the technological advances, particularly from the past 100 years.  What Paul shares is something like a divine-moral cosmology: what once were the powers of the (Greek) Gods are now in mortal, fallible, vulnerable human hands....

In this first of a short series of conversations, Patrick speaks with Paul K. Chappell, executive director of the Peace Literacy Institute , about the challenges that “Extended Reality” will pose to humanity.  They set the stage to understand the appeal of virtual reality: how trust among people and in institutions is at an all-time low; how we are motivated by “non-physical” needs, which can be e...

In the final Q&A episode of the discipleship series, Jonah and Patrick take up several questions which relate elements from the spiritual guidance given by the founder of Anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner, to the path of Christian discipleship. Jonah and Patrick answer the question of how the “path of feeling” Steiner describes relates to the path devotional gospel reading, prayer and worship, and...

In this first Q&A episode, Patrick and Jonah address three broad questions from our Patreon community. To begin, they discuss a question about ‘fear’ in the gospels and how we might understand its role in our lives as disciples. From there, the role of sacraments, the gospel readings throughout the year, and even the sacramental nature of our own biographies, are considered as expressions of t...

The path of discipleship begins with a call to pick up our cross and follow (Matthew 16:24)  and ends with a resurrection - not of Jesus, but of a 'prophet'.  We hear Jesus speak to the 'dead man' who was carried out of the town, Nain, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" (Luke 7:14).  Suffering, death and resurrection - this threefold process is the signature of Christ&...

 9.22.21 - The Path of Discipleship - Episode 9                                                                                                                    This episode explores the next level of moral substance and practice that disciples are called to cultivate, as described in this week’s gospel reading (Matthew 6: 19-34). What is spiritual treasure? Where am I placing my faith? Have I f...

Summary: 9.15.21 The Path of Discipleship - 8:   With this eighth gospel reading in our series (Luke 17: 5-10) , the apostles return to Christ Jesus after their sending and ask Him to increase their faith.  His response takes the conversation on a surprising turn, referring to the disciples as ’douloi’ (Greek: slaves) to their master.  This controversial phrasing leads Jonah and Patrick to deepen...

9.8.21 The Path of Discipleship - 7:    In this seventh episode of our series we hear of a second sending forth of disciples. Not the twelve disciples from our fourth gospel reading (Luke 9: 1-17) , but an expanded community of 70  are sent forth "like lambs among wolves" (Luke 10: 1-20) . Patrick and Jonah explain how this apostolic community of 70 has its roots deep in the hidden spiri...

9.1.21. The Path of Discipleship - 6:    Patrick Kennedy and Jonah Evans explore the second healing in our series of gospel readings on discipleship: the healing of a deaf and mute man ( Mark 7: 31 - 37 ).  In great contrast to the healing of the blind man at Jericho, we hear about a healing that reaches deep into the afflicted one, with Jesus placing his finger in his ears, touching his tongue wi...

8.25.21 The Path of Discipleship - 5:  With this episode, we arrive at the center of our ten episodes on discipleship. After hearing in the last gospel passage of the disciples’ mission to proclaim the divine kingdom and to heal the sick, Jonah Evans and Patrick Kennedy lead us into the first in the series of discipleship readings that describe a concrete healing: the healing of the blind man at J...

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?”  - Revelation 7:13 5.6.2021   In this episode, Jonah and Patrick turn their attention to the, then upcoming, ordination of priests on the weekend of May 14-16.  After describing the ceremony a little, Patrick shares his experience of the first time he attended a Sacrament of Ordination as a...