The Providence Podcast

God’s call is not to conform ourselves to everything happening around us but to allow the vision of God’s kingdom of justice, peace, and love to give us hope. God’s will is for us to work to make this vision a lived reality that’s good and pleasing and perfect for everyone. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/re...

Welcome to the Providence Podcast, where we reflect on Scripture and see how it relates to our lives and our faith, and we try to keep it real. We talk about life as it is and see how and where we find God. So, I hope you come along with us and see what God has to say to you. The Providence podcast is brought to you by God Space, a ministry of the Sisters of Divine Providence of Kentucky. At God S...

The beloved community is worth working for. In the spirit of Pentecost, as we celebrate the breath of the Spirit moving over people and drawing them together, God is calling us too. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at ⁠GodSpaceCommunity.com⁠. Subscr...

As grown-up disciples in the faith, we also must step up and step out to do the work of love and service that Jesus started. We have a whole lot of proclaiming to do. How is God calling us to serve now? How must we respond to this call? By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠. Sign up to receive o...

God is the source of my hope, and God shows me how to make a practice of hope. That’s not the same as trying to manufacture hope within myself; it’s more like seeking out the hope that God has already infused within me. By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP To find Brené Brown's book Atlas of the Heart, visit here: https://brenebrown.com/book/atlas-of-the-heart/ You can find all of the Scripture readin...

In God, there are many dwelling places. We dwell there together, and together we belong. Thanks be to God. To listen to Brené Brown reflect on belonging, you can listen here: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-on-strong-backs-soft-fronts-and-wild-hearts/ You can read more in her book Braving the Wilderness. You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here:  ⁠https://bible.uscc...

There are no spiritual life hacks into the Kingdom of God. It's something we work to build bit by bit, something that emerges from within us as we keep growing in the spiritual life. God loves us as we are and invites us to be more. In God’s invitation, there will likely be a little bit of challenge, and that’s okay. Challenge is how we grow. Someday we’ll look back and see how far we’ve come....

Were not our hearts burning within us? Yes, our hearts are burning. They might be big and blaze-y or softly glowing or sputtering with reluctant sparks, but God is with us. We seek God even as God seeks us, walking along the road we travel every single day. You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here:  https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar You can read the reflection an...

I’ve heard people say that questioning is okay but doubting is wrong, but I think questioning is okay and doubting is okay too. God doesn’t seem to mind when we doubt. In fact, doubt can be an opening for God to come closer and show us God’s love and care; it can be a means to transformation. You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here:  https://bible.usccb.org/readings/cal...

Darkness and light are neither good nor bad; they’re both parts of the whole. We can’t consider suffering apart from resurrection, and we can only enter into resurrection joy while bearing the experience of suffering. Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death and resurrection? Christ is with us in darkness and light. You can find all of the Scripture...

Palm Sunday shows us the extremes of human experiences as Jesus is celebrated but then betrayed, condemned, and executed. We see how fast things can change – in this Passion story and in our own lives too. However, through all of life’s joys and sorrows, we can trust that God is with us. And when the intensity of it all feels like too much to hold, God holds us. To hear the Passion Story read alou...

Why is important to hold a space for our grief, sorrow, and pain — especially if we’d rather look away or just go about our lives as if those emotions weren’t there? Because, despite their difficulty, our struggles give God a chance to show us God’s love and to show us that we have cause to hope. And we do have cause to hope. Maybe hope is what God’s glory feels like. You can read the reflection a...

We’re called to see as God does, to look beyond appearances into the heart of things, including our own hearts. As we go within, we recognize God working in our lives, and we discern how to respond to God with our whole hearts. You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and...

When we are present to reality instead of resisting, we catch a glimpse of who God is, and we can see God present in our midst. You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts or at godspacecommunity.com/providencepodcast . At God Space, you can...

Before going forth translates to a step forward, it’s an opening of the heart. It’s an energetic movement, one that opens us to others in love and relationship, one that calls us beyond what’s comfortable to risk something new. We're hosting a Decision-Making Workshop in March, and you can sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/DecisionWorkshop And if you're not local to the Cincinnati area but want to...

Humans are made to care for the earth and we are made from the earth. Hear more about the creation story in Genesis and our call to care for the earth in this beautiful reflection by Sister Fidelis Tracy, CDP.  We're hosting a Decision-Making Workshop in March, and you can sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/DecisionWorkshop And if you're not local to the Cincinnati area but want to participate...

Love and holiness move us beyond civility to something deeper, and that’s a good thing, even if it brings with it a healthy dose of discomfort from time to time. The love that the Gospel calls us to is a holy, gritty kind of love that encompasses neighbors and enemies, as well as ourselves. We're hosting a Decision-Making Workshop in March, and you can sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/DecisionWor...

God calls us to choose wisely, and we can trust that God will help us to decide and will love us through whatever we choose. Sign up for the Decision-Making Workshop here: https://tinyurl.com/DecisionWorkshop And if you're not local to the Cincinnati area but want to participate in an online version, stay tuned . . .  You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at...

God’s call to be bright and salty is not just about our personal growth; in our shining and sharing, can we also be open to the light in other people? God is calling us to shine and to lift up others’ light too. There’s plenty of room on the lampstand for all of us.  You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com.  Subscribe to the...

We’re blessed when we continue to build this Kingdom, when we work for this vision that Christ has inspired us to see. That’s our wisdom, and that’s our strength, and that’s our blessing. Blessed are we who are weak and foolish, we who believe the Kingdom of God is possible. You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com. Subscribe to the Pro...

When we listen to each other and honor the Spirit speaking within each person, we may not agree, but we will come to understand each other. When we understand each other, we remember our common purpose, which is to share the Gospel. Our diversity is beautiful — and a gift. Our call is to love, and in our love we’ll find our unity. You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsl...

What does God want from you? Service? Obedience? Or, is it something more, something more relational, more intimate? You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://availableon.com/theprovidencepodcast At God Space, you can come as you are. You belong here.  God...

Like the Magi, we have each other as travel companions. Community at its best stands together beneath the night sky, gazing at signs from God, and following where they lead. Where shall we go? Let’s discern together. You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at www. GodSpaceCommunity.com. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://ava...

On this day, which is so often a time of making resolutions, there’s an invitation to consider God’s call for us too — because Mary of Nazareth is not the last person God invited to do a thing, and God is calling forth a courageous yes in us too. God has continued to call people to bring about God’s kingdom, which upends corrupt power and uplifts the vulnerable, and God is calling us to this great...

In our Gospel, the shepherds hasten to the manger to behold the Christ child. It’s a beautiful, idyllic scene. However, we can learn a lot if we reflect on this scene more deeply, making real the image we often see on Christmas cards. How did those shepherds respond to the invitation to go and see the Christ, and how are we called to respond this Christmas as well? You can read the reflection and...