In Good Faith

Larry Cesspooch was born on the Uintah & Ouray Ute Reservation in Northern Utah, where his grandmother picked him out when he was still a child as having spiritual gifts. But it wasn't until after he returned from serving in the Navy as a radioman in Vietnam that he began to take on the duties of a spiritual leader among his people in the Ute tribe. He talks about the creator, our purpose in life, and how all living things are connected. Visit Larry's website at: ThroughNativeEyes.net  Larry Cesspooch, Ute Tribe

Dr. Tala'at al-Shuqairat is a medical doctor who found himself leading worship in his local mosque when he came to the US, since there was no one else to do it. As he studied more deeply, he found himself more and more committed to his faith, and discovered that he actually saw the differences between his religion and his culture more clearly once he had left his homeland in Jordan. In this episode, he shares a recitation of a favorite section from the Quran and how prayer and fasting improve his life. Dr. Tala'at al-Shuqairat

Dr. Richard Mouw was the President of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, for 20 years, where he still teaches. He is known world-wide for extended interfaith dialogue with adherents of Islam, Catholicism, and the LDS Church, among others, and shares why he feels that's important, and how civil conversation with those of other faith traditions can strengthen your own faith. (Also, his favorite hymn? Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.) Dr. Richard Mouw

Chaplain (and retired Major General) Douglas L. Carver has served at every level of the Army, from Platoon to the Pentagon--ending his 38-year career serving as Chief of Chaplains. In this interview he talks about what makes a good chaplain, putting listening ahead of preaching, and about finding your "life verse" in the scriptures.

Lieutenant Colonel Ruth Segres wasn’t looking for a ministry. In fact—as a child of the 4th generation of preachers in her family—she was looking elsewhere, but when ministry came calling, she finally answered that call and found herself completely at home in a place she had never imagined, as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force.  You’ll love her spirit, her commitment to the men and women she serves, and be inspired by her preparations for her daily walk with God among his children as a carrier of God’s presence. And here’s an acronym to listen for; her mission to save a S. O. L. E.

Author and activist Dr. Eboo Patel is nationally and even internationally known for his interfaith work on college campuses as the founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core, but as a young man, religion wasn’t even on his radar.  In this interview we’ll follow his path back to faith and to interfaith work, and why he feels it’s important enough to devote his life to it. If you’ve ever wondered what interfaith work is or why it should matter to you, please take a listen. The interview is followed by a panel discussion with four Chaplains who serve people of all faiths or no faith, in college, hospice, prison, and a police department, and how they have seen interfaith relationships strengthen people and communities.  There's also a link below to a video of Dr. Patel’s recent address at BYU on the purpose and the history of interfaith work in the US. Click the link to watch the video of Dr. Eboo Patel speaking on interfaith work at BYU conference. He is introduced at 21:12 into the video.

Whether it's in her books, her podcasts, or her online articles, Elissa Bjeletich finds ways to make her Orthodox Christian beliefs more than Sunday-only events, and to live them out with her family and in her private moments throughout the week as well.

Bob Greiner serves as a Deacon at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston, and works as an administrator at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, where he spoke with me about his faith journey through several denominations, on receiving his call to ministry at an age when most people are retired, and how he feels connected to God through service. (Photos: Top, Deacon Bob Greiner. Bottom, Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston, Massachusetts, where the interview took place.) Deacon Robert Greiner St. Paul's Cathedral Church in Boston, Massachusetts

Rev. Elizabeth McVicker, Pastor at First United Methodist Church and Centenary United Methodist Church, shares her family's journey from China to Burma to the US, and how her call to ministry unfolded bit by bit. And, she'll tell us why she considers herself a "utility pastor." Rev. Elizabeth McVicker

Dr. Dale Coulter, Associate Professor at Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia Beach, shares his faith as a Pentecostal member of the Church of God. He talks about combining faith and scholarship for a broader view of each, and about the experiential nature of Pentecostal worship. "I've come to the conclusion that we're shaped today by the prayers that were uttered by our ancestors 100 years ago. Not because they knew how those prayers would shape us, but because the God to whom they uttered them knew." In this episode of In Good Faith Dr. Dale Coulter talks about his faith journey, including how his brother's suicide helped him develop more empathy towards everyone around him. Dr. Dale Coulter