Voices from the Desert

Today, much of the church practices a theology with moral law at centre of the gospel. How are we to reclaim a theology centred on the the actual gospel? Did God come to make a more moral people, or is the gospel about something more profound that that? Join Josh and Murr as they dive in with David Takle from Kingdom Formation Ministries. For more about David Takle and Kingdom Formation Ministries...

In this episode, Josh and Murr sit down to talk with David Takle, in part about his latest book and how we can recapture a Christ centered theology. In the West, we have exchanged a moral law framework as our theological center. In essence, we tend to operate as if God's objective was to make more law-abiding citizens. But that captures only a miniscule sliver of the heart of God. And it trul...

We are back! After a cross country move and many happenings on the farm we are finally back for more Voices from the Desert! Tune in as Murray and Josh revisit why they do what they do and what to expect in the upcoming episodes of your favorite desert podcast.  For more about Joshua Hoffert, visit: https://www.windministries.ca/ For more about Murray Dueck, visit: https://www.samuelsmantle.com/ T...

This is the last podcast of the year folks and it is a doozy. Murray and Josh welcome a new friend, Andrew Arndt - someone like them. Andrew discovered the Desert Fathers while going through burnout and disaffection from the "Charismatic Church". What he discovered in the fathers and mothers of the 3rd and 4th century transformed his life, ministry, and his approach to leadership. So muc...

Presently, there is a resurgence of interest in the "spiritual disciplines". What do these things do and why are we to do them? What are the scary thing the early fathers called "the passions"? What is the relation between the disciplines and the passions? Or is there one? Join Josh and Murray as they dive in to find out! For more about Murray Dueck, visit: https://www.samuelsm...

On the podcast today, Murray and Josh interview their good friend Steve Schroeder, the President of CMA (www.canadacma.org). Steve talks about above the line thinking, hub and spoke ministries and churches, shifting to an open architecture mindset, and the difference between call and assignment. The boys go deep in this one. Join the Voices from the Desert crew as they dive in! For more about Stev...

It seems that today we are trying our best to build, cast vision, influence, spread the word, bring the kingdom, and create space for the miraculous in our churches and communities. Sometimes, it seems as if the problem is not us, but Jesus. If Jesus would just get on board with our plan things would go swimmingly. Murray had a dream a few years ago that illustrates the point perfectly. And it all...

When it comes to salvation and healing of the soul (see all the previous episodes on the spiritual life), what exactly are we being healed of? Is it sin? Our hurts and brokenness? Our disillusionment? The early fathers of Christianity often spoke of healing in relation to "the passion". What did they mean by that? Join Josh and Murray as they dive in to what the earliest "voices fro...

If salvation is about making it to heaven, why should we bother with formation here on earth? What do our theories of salvation and eschatology have to do with our present day practices? Murray and Josh take a dive into some patristic wisdom as they discover what it means to be "saved." "Someone asked Abba Anthony, ‘What must one do in order to please God?‘ The old man replied, ‘Pay...

What is the aim of Christianity and salvation? Is it to get as many people saved as possible? To create a moral perfect society? To fulfill the vision of a particular ministry?  The mark we set determines a lot about what we do. In light of all the recent scandals in leadership, Murray and Josh talk about what measurable effect inner prayer and the way of Christ ought to have on leadership. Join t...

When it comes to how Christians are taught prayer, much of the church has been found wanting. The teaching of Jesus on prayer are often overlooked in favor of some occasional concomitant. What was Jesus thinking when he said, "And when you pray..." and why do we ignore these kinds of statements? The way of Jesus is clearly interior prayer and the early church fathers read scripture with...

Sometimes it seems as if we read the scriptures as a series of commands or instructions, rather than an invitation to follow the way of Jesus and to know him intimately. In this episode, Josh and Murray begin diving into the Lord's prayer and the Sermon on the Mount. Is the Lord's prayer a formula to pray? Is the Sermon on the Mount a great moral teaching? Or is there perhaps more to bot...

All of our practices are pointed towards the end of turning the inner gaze towards the heart to discover the Father within. What happens when a culture adopts practices that turn the gaze inward but all they find is an empty abyss? Join Josh and Murray as they talk about training the thoughts to discover the beauty of God and lead a prayerful exercise walking through Scripture. For more about Murr...

What roles does the imagination play in prayerful exercises? Are visionary experiences a thing for today? Join Josh and Murray as they dive into the writings of the Christian mystics to see what they have to say! For more about Murray Dueck, visit: https://www.samuelsmantle.com/ For more about Joshua Hoffert, visit: https://www.windministries.ca/ To check out the book Murray recommended: https://w...

Today on the podcast, we interview CR Wiley, an author, podcaster, and pastor. CR Wiley co-hosts The Theology Pugcast. CR Wiley is a reformed pastor who discovered great a value in Athanasius's Life of Anthony. Helping us discern trust and make sense of the world, this 1500 year old monk has a lot to say to modern Christians. Join Voices from the Desert as they dive in with CR and Anthony the...

In the 16th century, a man named Ignatius codified certain exercises that have become popular in the spiritual formation/direction/inner healing crowd today. Was he out to lunch? Can you track a history of said exercises? Join Josh and Murray as they explore the Ignatian exercises and cover Anthony the Great's tests of a true or false vision.  For more about Murray Dueck, visit: https://www.s...

Join Josh and Murray as they continue to explore the concept of bridal intimacy in scripture and history as they dive into the ancient practice called Lectio Divina. What do we want to accomplish when we read scripture? Is it to learn what a moral life looks like? Is it to understand fundamental concepts of theology and doctrine? Or is there a deeper, more impactful layer that can bring us to the...

When it comes to the church, theology, and the Chrsitian life, sometimes we tend to talk in theory and principle, rather than practice. In this episode, Murray and Josh begin to explore what does it mean to understand the Bridal language of scripture and the mystics, and how do we apply all of that to our daily lives. The whole episode ends with Murray leading a contemplative exercise designed to...

In part 2 of Josh and Murray's interview with Fr Michael Gillis, Fr Mike shares about the eyes of the heart and dives into the layers of the human being. What marks the difference between how the Orthodox Church views the process of maturity and how the evangelical church views maturity? Join the guys as they dive in! For more about Father Michael Gillis, visit: https://www.holynativitychurch...

In the west, we have taken metaphors and made them systems. But God describes his bride through familial language. For Fr Michael, it is not mechanism we must discover, but the family we must encourage. Beginning in foster homes at a young age, discovering the Charismatic move in the 70s and 80s, and eventually discovering the early church fathers and the Orthodox Church, Father Michael Gillis tou...

What would it look like to incorporate confession, liturgy and creeds into a modern Charismatic church? Josh Lewis from The Remnant Radio has undertaken the challenge. 8 years after launching a successful podcast where he and his team interview theologians of all shapes and sizes, Josh has ventured into church planting while incorporating historical practices in a modern context.  What is the stor...

We at Voices from the Desert are excited to welcome Josh Lewis of The Remnant Radio for an in-depth conversation about theology, prophecy, and how we get 5-fold ministry completely wrong. Join Josh, Josh and Murray as they dive into Josh Lewis' story, why he started The Remnant Radio, and the new church plant King's Fellowship Church in Ada, Oklahoma. For more about King's Fellowshi...

As we continue to dive into the concept of bridal intimacy in the church age, what implications does this have on how and why we "do church?" Some seem to think the church should be the moral arbiter of the age, the judicial witness to God's judgement, or the place of warfare against contemporary culture. But what if there is a different way? Join Josh and Murray as they talk about...

When we look at Jesus we see a stark contrast with our modern world. He does not seem rushed, he is not hurried, and he encourages us to become like little children.  Have you ever watched a child lost in play? Time is a foreign concept to them.  What would we look like if we could recapture what it means to live from the place of rest Christ promised to be for us? The wisdom of the Christian myst...

How do our models of redemption reflect scripture? And how do the contemplative authors talk about redemption? Is penal substitutionary atonement a thing? Join Josh and Murray as they dive into Saint Symeon, the early church fathers, encountering God, and the gulf between models of redemption based upon wrath and models based upon love. For more about Murray Dueck, visit: https://www.samuelsmantle...