Rector’s Cupboard Podcast

Have you heard a good sermon lately?   83% of people surveyed who attended a Christian church service said that the top reason for choosing and remaining in a church is the sermon.   In this episode we talk with Rev. Dr. Will Willimon about sermons and listening to sermons. He is a pastor, bishop in the United Methodist Church and the author of, in his approximation, about 100 books. We have had the pleasure of speaking with Will about his writing on several occasions and were very happy to speak with him again about his most recent book, “Listeners Dare. ” It is an engaging examination of the role of the listener in the sermon. Will points out that any true hearing of a sermon requires divine assistance.   Here are a few notes from the book;   To preachers: “Beginning a sermon with a joke is nearly always a bad idea; including a sweet story about a child (particularly if the child is yours). It risks adulterating the gospel with maudlin sentimentality.” “Don’t read your sermons; preaching is personal, bodily testimony to the gospel truth you have received, not a lecture about God.”   To listeners: When told by a listener about a sermon, “I didn’t get anything out of it”, a reply should potentially be, “So how much did you put into it?” “God’s word usually comes to us through others, those who dare to tell us truth we wouldn’t tell ourselves.”

What sort of conversations should the church be having around mental health? What is it’s role in supporting those in congregations who are experiencing mental health challenges or know someone who is?   Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, a Vancouver based organization is doing some amazing work in regard to conversations about mental health in the church. We had the honour of welcoming Daniel Whitehead, Sanctuary CEO, and Dr. John Swinton, Sanctuary Ambassador, Practical Theologian, and newly appointed Chaplain to the Queen, to talk with us. We spoke with Daniel and John about the role of the church in mental health, ways to reframe our understandings about mental health challenges, and some helpful resources for those wanting to learn more about mental health and faith.   Sanctuary has just released a free course for churches to work through how to have these kinds of conversations and to have better understandings about mental health issues.   Tasting Notes   We enjoyed two Amaro based drinks, a Negroni and an Amaro Spritz, made with Amaro from The Woods Spirit Co. based in North Vancouver. If you’d like to mix your own drinks here are the recipes:   Negroni 1.25 oz Gin (we used gin from The Woods) 1 oz Amaro .75 oz Red Vermouth Garnished with a slice of orange peel   Amaro Spritz 2 oz Amaro 3 oz Prosecco Topped with soda water and garnished with an orange wedge

Our first ever Rector’s Cupboard Arts and Culture (and Entertainment) panel. Amanda, Allison and Todd speak about some television shows, books and movies that you may find interesting, engaging, thoughtful and offensive. In case you didn’t take notes during the episode here is a list of the shows, movies, and books we talked about. TV Shows: Righteous Gemstones Shameless Derry Girls Only Murders In the Building Somebody Somewhere Late Night with Seth Meyers Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed Movies: Everything Everywhere All At Once Turning Red Encanto Books: The School for Good Mothers – Jessamine Chan We Don’t Know Ourselves – Fintan O’Toole The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien Butcher, Blacksmith, Acrobat, Sweet – Peter Cossins This Here Flesh – Cole Arthur Riley Run Towards the Danger – Sarah Polley Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi

The question “What is a woman?” has upset people on the left and on the right.   We speak with our guest, Brenda-Lee Sasaki, about her writing on Christian faith and motherhood. How are expectations and gender roles perceived in evangelicalism? Our conversation with Brenda-Lee focuses largely on her recently published essay, “I Am More Than a Mother: Dismantling the Madness of the Motherhood Myth".   Cupboard Master Ken Bell pours a special cocktail as we speak about gender conversations in the news. Tasting Notes: Ken's unnamed cocktail: 1.5 oz gin 1 - 1.5 oz peach schnapps 1 oz mango or peach nectar Shake with ice and serve in a hi-ball or martini glass. Or, alternatively, serve with the ice in a collins glass and top with sparkling water or flavoured soda water. Article referenced in this episode: “Republicans thought defining a ‘woman’ is easy. Then they tried.”, Washington Post, April 6, 2022  

Have we become disconnected from creation? What should our relationship and engagement with nature look like?   This week, the Cupboard was honoured to speak with Lauren Aldred, a counsellor at the College of New Caledonia. Lauren teaches workshops on Land-Based Healing and Wellness and shared with us stories and reflections from these courses. Much of what Lauren teaches appears to be common sense. However, responses to her work and interest in her classes, demonstrate the need to be reminded that we are in a living and dynamic relationship with all other creation and with the Creator.   We spoke with Lauren about how connection with creation can heal and restore us. We spoke about generosity and reciprocity. We spoke about relationship with land, and about the benefit of noticing even a dandelion growing in a sidewalk crack.   Some Further Resources from Lauren: Safe & Ethical Guideline for Wildcrafting  Good Medicine: Ideas for Supporting Land-based Healing and Wellness During the Pandemic, First Nations Health Authority  If the Land is Sick You Are Sick: An Aboriginal Approach to Mental Health in Times of Drought, Scroll   Materials referenced in this episode: Breaking Brethren, City News Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, Discovery Plus

Is God with us? If so, how?   Is God omnipresent and all-powerful? If you have thought about faith at all, then you have considered the tension present in believing in an all-powerful God, present with you, and the difficult, sometimes terrible realities of life. Dr. Monica Coleman is a writer, theologian, and educator who outlines a particular way of addressing the question of God’s presence. In her book, Bipolar Faith, she tells her story of growing up, her story of faith, and her story of trauma and mental health. She does this within the frame of a larger consideration of what it means that God is present in this world, that God is with us.   We won’t give away just what she has to say, we’ll simply say that we hear from Dr. Coleman a spiritual theology that speaks about God’s constant presence in change. Such understanding can be consoling, realistic, and even hopeful.   If you're interested in learning more about process theology, Dr. Coleman offers a course, Process Theology 101.

As we move past the halfway point of the third season of Rector’s Cupboard, we take the opportunity to discuss the origins of the podcast. We go through the story of one particular church fight and what that long ago battle has to do with what Rector’s Cupboard is aiming to do.   The church fight which we speak about is legendary. One small manifestation was demonstrated by a group of people opposed to changes in a particular church. The dissenters would loudly sing alternate songs when hymns that they did not like were being sung in church. That could be fun. Whenever someone has the audacity to begin singing “Majesty” a crew of agitated protestors in the congregation can belt out, “Shine, Jesus Shine” or maybe, “Hopelessly Devoted to You”.   In this episode we outline some parts of what we have called “Hopeful Theology”. We present the idea that the renewal needed in the evangelical (and beyond) church is primarily theological. That is, perhaps concepts that have led to polarization and division, and practices based in fear, ought to be reconsidered. There is a deep history of Christian theology that is not fearful and divisive, and renewal from that tradition could make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and in the future of the church.   Articles Referenced in this episode:   Ritualism Riots – The detailed history of St. George-in-the-East St    All Year Round – The Charles Dickens story about the riots    The marking of the 150th Anniversary of the riots and Archbishop Rowan Williams’ sermon that day 

We speak with Rod Wilson about his just released book, “Thank You, I’m Sorry, Tell Me More: How to Change the World with 3 Sacred Sayings”.   Rod Wilson has worked as a psychologist, served as a pastor in three churches, and held multiple roles in theological education, including President of Regent College in Vancouver from 2000-2015. Rod currently works with Lumara Grief and Bereavement Care Society, A Rocha, The Society of Christian Schools in BC, and In Trust Center for Theological Schools, and maintains an international teaching and mentoring ministry.   Rod’s book outlines each of these sayings and then presents very many vignettes of how they function in our lives and relationships. We can’t be human with the other. In Hopeful Christian theology we can’t be healed (or “saved”) without the other. This book reminds us that the way of humility and love is what allows us to most know our humanity and the humanity of every person whose life meets ours. The sacred sayings are most brought to life with those who are closest to us and those most known over years, friends and family. The sacred sayings are hospitable and healing with those who we barely know and with those who are distant from us or different than us.   Rod has a wealth of insight and experience that he brings to this book. He brings also much of the personal and human from his own relationships. ARTICLE REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: “For many inside the Freedom Convoy, faith fuels the resistance” CBC, February 15, 2022 TASTING NOTES: This episode we tasted the Bitter Orange Rosemary Cider and Plum Cider from Salt Spring Wild Cider.

The Cupboard hosts speak with Heidi Groot, who grew up in a loving, evangelical family. The loving part is all good and continues to have positive impact for personal, mental, and emotional health. The same might not be said for the evangelical part.   Do you carry some terrible and damaging ideas of God and self that were handed to you in evangelical culture? Heidi speaks with us about her experience, but very many people are able to identify with many aspects of her story. Heidi grew up in the church, left church, went back again and then left again.   This episode demonstrates again that “most people are better than their theology”. Some of the most loving people in Heidi’s life passed on some horrendous views of God and the future. Thankfully, many of those same people have come to find greater alignment between their compassionate character and their religious belief.   Article referenced in this episode: The Language Rules We Know But Don't Know - BBC, September 2016

On this first episode of Rector’s Cupboard for 2022, we present a COVID time capsule. Yet again, we feel like we maybe, perhaps, just might be emerging from the pandemic that has defined much of life in most of the world for two years.   As we listen to people reflect upon their lives during a pandemic, we consider what healing from this time might look like.