Wilderness Times

The Premier of Ontario is all about building more prisons, getting rid of encampments and shutting down safe comsumption sites. Like a lot of things, Jesus has a story for that. Link to " A Safer Ontario " ad from the Government of Ontario. --- Wilderness Times is co-created with Broadview , an award-winning Canadian publication known for thoughtful journalism that attends to spirituality, justice...

Some messy thoughts as Bri-anne attends Texas' 600th execution carried out in the Modern Era of the Death Penalty. --- Wilderness Times is co-created with Broadview , an award-winning Canadian publication known for thoughtful journalism that attends to spirituality, justice and the questions that tug at our collective conscience. Broadview is a registered charity and has made this Substack freely...

On this episode, we ask a difficult question: what happens when the language of protecting women is used to harm others instead? Through politics, scripture, and the story of Dinah in the Book of Genesis, we explore how easily protection can become a mask for power. --- Wilderness Times is co-created with Broadview , an award-winning Canadian publication known for thoughtful journalism that attend...

There is a particular kind of loneliness that comes from being the only awake person in a house where someone is dying. This episode tells the story of my father’s final year during COVID and asks what happens when grief is carried without witnesses. --- Wilderness Times is co-created with Broadview , an award-winning Canadian publication known for thoughtful journalism that attends to spiritualit...

Rev. Bri-anne shares an interview with her spiritual advisee in the days leading up to his scheduled execution. They talk about faith, his desire to donate one of his kidneys, and how he sees it as a means to atone for past mistakes. More complete shownotes can be found on our website. BIBLE BITES "Keeping Awake within in the Prison Cell" MUSIC Gravity of Love - The Brilliance Foxes & Birds - ...

Rev. Bri-anne sits down with Cantor Michael Zoosman to talk about L'chaim: Jews Against the Death Penalty and the importance of advocating against Captial Punishment. More complete shownotes can be found on our website. GUESTS Cantor Michael Zoosman BIBLE BITES The Final Three Plagues Bri-anne specifically reads: Exodus 11 from outside the former Don Jail MUSIC See the Love - The Brilliance Let He...

With a few audio issues (oops) Rev. Bri-anne sits down with author Cynthia Vacca Davis as they discuss Cynthia's newly released book Intersexion , as well as Cynthia's journey of allyship, and the cost of being Intersex in a complicated church landscape. More complete shownotes can be found on our website. GUESTS Cynthia Vacca Davis BIBLE BITES Psalm 138:14 read by Julian | King Julez from Toronto...

Rev. Bri-anne sits down with Rev. Daniel Hayward as they discuss disability justice, the United Church of Canada’s statements on Medical Assistance in Dying, and some thoughts about balancing the rights of the individual against the welfare of the collective. More complete shownotes can be found on our website. GUESTS Rev. Daniel Hayward Dan's Twitter BIBLE BITES Jeremiah 29:7 Read by Landon Hamme...

Rev. Bri-anne sites down with Marshall Project Investigative Reporter, Keri Blakinger.  Together they discuss her new book, "Corrections in Ink", the dehumanizing nature of the criminal justice system, and how public safety might be best served by actually treating prisoners with compassion. More complete shownotes can be found on our website. GUESTS Keri Blakinger BIBLE BITES Matthew 25:34-40 Rea...

In this episode, Rev. Bri-anne sits down with progressive Christian mystic, Damon Garcia, as they talk about Damon's new book, "The God Who Riots: Taking Back the Radical Jesus." Anchored with the story of Jesus overturning the tables in the temple, we discuss the origins of Damon's book, the importance of understanding the context out of which the Jesus movement emerged, and how absolutely ridicu...

Rev. Bri-anne sits down with pastor, author and sacred spacemaker, the Rev. Aurelia Dávila Pratt as they talk about Aurelia's new book, A Brown Girl's Epiphany: Reclaim Your Intuition and Step into Your Power . In this episode, Bri-anne and Aurelia talk about Imago Dei, the pressures of productivity culture, and how to live into our most authentic selves (just as God intended us to be). A full tra...

In our very first episode(!), Rev. Bri-anne sits down with musical group, The Many to discuss their origins, the power of pivoting when the world seems like its on fire, and the power of the arts to disrupt us out of our comfort zones. A full transcript of this episode is available . More complete shownotes can be found on our website. GUESTS Members of The Many: Gary Rand Darren Calhoun Christa S...

Welcome to Wilderness Times , a new podcast brought to you by Resistance Church and Jubilee United Church in Toronto. Join me, Rev. Bri-anne Swan, as we explore what it means to seek justice and love mercy in this often broken, yet beautiful world.  Expect engaged conversation, biblical reflection, music and more.  Wilderness Times arrives on your favourite streaming platform on September 21, 2022...