Eps 85: Catacombic Freestyling with Swede Josef Gustafsson

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DETAILS:
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• Come back each Wednesday
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My guest today is a Swede!
Josef Gustafson.

swede-josef



SHOW NOTES:

MIN 1

Original Podcast Freestyle Christianity

Background… interests and the journey to create a podcast.

EXPLAIN Catacombic Theologian /

A desiring theology of becoming.

MIN 3:00 Education and a distaste for academia and models and formulas created there.

4:30

Explaining the name “freestyle Christianity”

experimental and a space that is open and with no doorkeepers.

And giving up the name

 

7:30 Religious background in childhood and how that’s changed

YWAM (Youth With a Mission)

10:00 Reading apologetic and learning about the boogie men of Evangelicals

Philosophy and Theologian as neighbors and a matter paychecks

12:30

Catacombic Theology explained in brief

asking to explain in old categories

Henri Berson

Taught to answer specific questions to guide our search for truth…. we should be shaping the questions.

We confuse the less with the more.

15:30

Why is there always something NEW?

17:30

• [Society] becomes oppressive because eventually the powerful decide the categories.

Sacrifice and squeezing in other groups into a form that wasn’t ever might for them and oppressive.

19:00 Cathedrals – catacombs in the basement. It may not reflect truth. It reflects what is being preached.

Re-present what we think is the truth. Not trying to re-present something.

Our theology (our cathedrals represent the people who built it.). We build boards (whether we see them or not and they function in an exclusive fashion.

The proclamation the church made that the spirit doesn’t move outside the Father or Son and the Son is found in the Church. (inside)

In theology, difference is looked at as if is presupposes opposition.

But it’s the other way around, opposition presupposes difference.

Novelty

26:00

EXAMPLE: the Internet and new categories .

The Pope follows no one back on Twitter, because an old institution is misunderstanding a new  category of communication.

27:30

How do the people of the Church gather in a way that works?

PETE ROLLINS episode & pints and parable


HERE THE EPISODE WITH PETE ROLLINS:


Twitter democratizes people and strips off labels of an old (pre digital) world.

New hierarchies are being created online where added a meaningful contribution makes you an important member.

Humans continue to have the same desire to connect (in-person) and gather.

Peter Rollin’s WAKE festival

The challenge of being present when you gather in person.

34:00

Church of Sweden

37:00

The growth of Pentecostalism worldwide.

38:30

Hillsong Church in Sweden drawing young people

39:30

Americanizes version of Christianity on the continent of Africa

40:00 Where the podcast is going.

Challenge themselves creativity but living in the algorithms that keep you in an echo chamber.

Bringing on guests that make subscribers uncomfortable.

Collaboration

Freestylechristianity.se

thecatacombicmachine.com on iTunes

@josefgustafsson

Catherine Keller theologian the dark and the light find what we can’t see in the light.

48:00

Be prepared to be unprepared for the novel and the new for that which will rupture our understand about what it truth and what is good.


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Eps 84: Recovering Your Mental Health, guest Michael Weinberger

Welcome to Spark My Muse!

DETAILS:
• Each FRIDAY, guests join me in a conversation.
• Come back each Wednesday
(on “Hump Day” aka Midweek) for a brief Soul School “lesson”–something for your interior world and common life.


WILL YOU HELP ME?

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October is Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s hard sometimes to realize that our brain can become ill, just like any other part of our body. Sometimes the condition is lifelong and other times we can mitigate the problems with certain treatments. Today, my guest, Michael Weinberger, shares his story of struggle and recovery that I think will surprise and inspire you.

mw-headshot-current


AUDIO PLAYER:


SHOW NOTES:

MIN 1
The misdiagnosis

MIN 3

The downward spiral, drinking and over eating and taking medicine wrongly, and over working.

MIN 7:30

Overdosing and hospitalization.

MIN 9:00

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and 12 step strategy brought the most relief.

(CBT) uses the theory that Thoughts precede Feelings which Precede Behaviors. The goal is to change beliefs.

11:00 The primary focus is 12 Step Recovery is addiction. You only have control over yourself. Humility and acceptance are key to success.

Mindfulness to deal with depression and anxiety that leads to emotional over or under engagement and reactions leading to negative outcomes.

Compassion for self and others.

All the methods and modalities need to be integrated into life.

MIN 13:00

Dr Denise Brooks

“Your diagnosis doesn’t matter.” (Manage your symptoms; Don’t blame the illness.)

MIN 14:30

Thinking of negative thoughts differently

MIN 15:00

Owning up to thoughts and feelings.

But not being ashamed and (also) getting some distance.

MIN 15:30

“Now, I witness my diagnosis responding to situations”

MIN 17:00

DBI (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)

Noticing the triggers create reactive states. (Notice the internal dialog to self and others and stopping repeat conversations.)

The treatments rewire your brain and get you unstuck and lessen stress.

MIN 20:00

Our human emotions are outnumbers by negative emotions so we have to practice gratitude to even things out.

MIN 22:00

The app Michael created called A Plan For Living.

The Happiness Formula:

Gratitude + Spirituality + Mindfulness = Awareness 

(Awareness = Happiness)

Seeing the world differently and being present.

MIN  34:00

Being prepared for war or thinking lovingly toward people in the first place.

MIN 35:00

Examining thoughts and making the process easier in real life through technology.

Measures progress

 • WEBSITE – a plan for living.com

• email: mweinberger@aplanforliving.com

• TWITTER: @aplanforliving

Available at the Play store and App Store

MIN 40:00

Reminders, medication reminders, micro goals for each day, track food, and challenge friends.

Staying in tune with how you are feeling and social sharing and emailing.


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Soul School – Lesson 54: What is the Meaning of Life (Series Finale)

Welcome to Spark My Muse

and to SOUL SCHOOL.

• Soul School “lessons” are released each Wednesday (aka “Hump Day” aka Midweek).

• On FRIDAYS I feature guests and on a variety of topics!


FUNDING:
Today is a great day to help the show. I need YOU.

Listeners, like you, give in support to defray the cost so the show can stay alive and well. Thank you for giving. 

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What can you give $5, $10, or $20?
It 
takes just a few seconds.


AUDIO PLAYER:


HEAR the OTHER parts in the series:

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5


SHOW NOTES:

Today is a continuation of the series on Wisdom text. Start at Lesson 50, if you are new to the series.

• If you want to read Ecclesiastes, try this link  (This is NOT the translation I am reading on the program.)

Thank you for listening!


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Eps: 83 Ryan J. Bell and Life After God

Welcome to Spark My Muse!

DETAILS:
• Each FRIDAY, guests join me in a conversation.
• Come back each Wednesday
(on “Hump Day” aka Midweek) for a brief Soul School “lesson”–something for your interior world and common life.


WILL YOU HELP ME?

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Would you give $5, $10, or $20, today to support the program?
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SHOW NOTES:

Today, my guest is a follow podcaster and blogger Ryan J. Bell. Ryan came into some notoriety when he, as a Seventh Day Adventist Pastor, decided to blog about living a year without God and he gained a large following as a columnist on Huffington Press as well. What happened next and what he’s up to now makes for an interesting story. Listen in.

AUDIO PLAYER:


MIN 1:00
Ryan’s blog: yearwithoutgod.com (The Blog)

A year without God at patheos.com

The PODCASTlifeaftergod.org

About Ryan’s religious background, education, and pastoral experience.

humanities studies

7th Day Adventist explained in brief

Restorationist movement mid 19th Century

some Methodist and Deist roots.

• Stone Campbell 

• Churches of Christ (similar off shoot)

prophetic interpretation and end times predictions

lost truths that mainstream Christianity left behind.

MIN 6:00

He started reading theology that differed from the framework he came from. It was less restrictive and exclusive toward others.

9:00

Atheism and the blog “A Year Without God” started in January 2013

9 month break,

Spiritual but not religious, American, individualism version of spiritual experience:  “Everybody is having their own private isolated experience of wonder.”

Religion for Atheists – Alain de Botton

He submitted his idea of “middle space–between belief and non belief” for the Huffington Post Religion Page and it was very popular.

15:00

People approached him because they didn’t have anyone to talk to about their doubts and questions.

Space for dark spots of doubt.

19:00

Do you hang on to any spiritual practices or vestiges of your old life?

Coming to a centered place in the now and in focused and non judgmental way and noticing feelings.

22:00

What have you done with “The Big Other” and the baggage from your upbringing?

Do you have gratitude toward the Big Other, or how is it expressed?

Not locating a destination for his gratitude.

26:00

Morality of an atheist. Being good for goodness sake.

A bottom up thinker

27:00

Draw to Judaism because it had created a theology around a community not a community out of a theology.

Judaism: Built around love, work, sex, food–the whole life lived.

Norms and wrong & right

29:00

Why he started the Life After God podcast

The response to the question:

“How do we community, both online and in person, in both groups and one-on-one, ….to help people around their changing viewpoints.”

Dealing with the challenges and life issues after a life where people stop believing in God.

32:30

A community of revolt coheres poorly. -Lisa

Atheists that move into Humanism (a secular moral philosophy to guide life)

35:00

• Jennifer Michael Hecht – A LOVE FEST SEGMENT-

Jennifer’s episode on Spark My Muse:

Poetic Atheism (as opposed to what Ryan called “Vulcan Atheism” -a logical-focused (MR. SPOCK from Star Trek) approach to the world)

Denying our humanity by letting beauty shape our decisions at times.

When we deny those things that give us beauty and awe, we are repressing, fighting or resisting the idea that we are deeply emotional creatures.

DOUBT (the book)

40:00

Aeon.com What is “soul” – emotional seat in our brains.

Religious words and language. Words can hold larger meanings.

Tad DeLay (Our conversation)

Outside of religious contexts:
• Soul – can mean awareness

• Spiritual – can mean aliveness -Lisa

Part of the human experience is beyond words so we have to use what we have available in bigger ways. -Lisa

Jennifer gives permission to have a deeper (and more artistic) appreciation and ways for living.

43:00

Life After God- the Ex-files

We are storytelling creatures and isolation is dangerous for people.

Post religious and post-theistic communities and progressive communities have a exciting times ahead.

Greta Vesper (episode link)

Sunday Assembly and Oasis meet up.

We need to be challenged and comforted regularly.

47:30

Curiosity about life and learning

49:30

Asking questions

Power systems (or any one who’s trying to sell something) have something to lose if you ask questions because threats to disturb the status quo.

51:00

lifeaftergod.org

Brian Peck

My Life After God – Insta-journalism

54:00

Trying to understand why atheism is attractive to people and why people lose their faith/belief


THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
I have a slew of diverse voices on Spark My Muse. Hear more below!


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Soul School – Lesson 53: What is the Meaning of Life (Part 4)

Welcome to Spark My Muse

and to SOUL SCHOOL.

• Soul School “lessons” are released each Wednesday (aka “Hump Day” aka Midweek).

• On FRIDAYS I feature guests and on a variety of topics!


Today is a great day to help the show. I need YOU.

HOW FUNDING WORKS:
Spark My Muse takes me 25-30 hours per week and costs money out-of-pocket each month to create, produce, and host online. Listeners, like you, give in support to defray the cost so the show can stay alive and well. Thank you for giving. 

paypal
What can you give $5, $10, or $20?
It 
takes just 90 seconds a few clicks.


AUDIO PLAYER:


HEAR the OTHER parts in the series:

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5


SHOW NOTES:

Today is a continuation of the series on Wisdom text. Start at Lesson 50, if you are new to the series.

• If you want to read Ecclesiastes, try this link  (This is NOT the translation I am reading on the program.)

Albert Camus

Thank you for listening!


Listen to some recent episodes:


Pick an option that is right for you: