Spiritual Misfits Podcast

A couple weeks ago there was a very special convergence of communities at Hamilton Baptist Church. I know many of you have listened to the episodes with Andrew Dodd and Scott Higgins sharing their stories and the story of Hamilton. If you haven’t listened yet add those to your up next. Anyway, Andrew invited me to come along to Hamilton and share some thoughts and poems. And Mitch Forbes and some of the New City Baps crew came along, as well as a few others from Meeting Ground church. So we ended up with a very special mix of people in the room, and honestly it was so lovely to meet a number of podcast listeners in person and to celebrate being a bit of a rag-tag group on the fringes of faith. Which can be a pretty fun place if you make it a party. Before the morning Andrew Dodd asked me if we could make this a ‘live’ podcast episode. So that’s what you’re about to hear. Andrew’s the host for this one. And there’s a bit of variety. First, a conversation with Mitch Forbes. Then we hear from one of our listeners, Alison. Shout-out to you Alison. And then the bulk of the episode is a mix of Andrew interviewing me and me sharing some poems around evolving faith and LGBTQI+ inclusion.  This was a lot of fun and I hope you get the sense that you’re in the room with us experiencing the energy of it. On that note, if you would be interested in hosting or collaborating on some sort of spiritual misfits meet-up or live gathering, hit us up. Who knows what could happen? Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Laurie Wevers is a spiritual director and a therapist, who works with people at the intersection of religion and trauma. Her work is informed by her own story, growing up within white evangelicalism and with narcissistic parents, yet eventually finding her way towards mystical and contemplative spirituality, including being a student at Richard Rohr’s Living School.Of course, there are aspects to this story and this work that are deeply painful. Laurie calls these teachers. Our conversation left me with hope though, as Laurie is the kind of person committed to helping people walk into the new. There’s no going backwards, she told me, only progress, and the discovery of what that looks like for each different person. As I spoke to Laurie I felt like she was exactly the kind of guide that many people need as they navigate the disorienting and uncharted territory of leaving certain spaces, without knowing where to next. We spoke about what this journey might look like for people, and towards the end we got into some really interesting territory talking about what kind of communities might help facilitate this process as well.You can check out more of Laurie’s work and connect with her here, otherwise I hope this conversation is helpful for you, where ever you are in your own journey.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Earlier this week I was sitting in my lounge room, which generally looks like a tornado (aka children) has swept through the place, reading Thomas Merton on the contemplative life. At first, this seemed slightly humorous, as my life couldn't feel any further from the 'monastery' right now. But it got me thinking. And I started to ponder my favourite parable Jesus told about a mustard seed. Which potentially means something quite different to what it sounds like on the surface. And the parable about the mustard seed and the moment with Merton in my chaotic lounge room started to help me some big things in fresh ways. So here are some thoughts about all of that. Followed by a short 'examen' prayer I'm inviting you to join me for if you'd like to.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Did you grow up within ‘purity culture’? If you’re unsure, here are some signs that maybe you did: You or your friends had a crack at ‘kissing dating goodbye.’God’s love seemed entirely contingent upon your sexual abstinenceYou got the impression that boys/men were unable to control their sexual desires, and girls/women were entirely responsible for any ‘sexual immorality.’ Sex outside of marriage felt like the worst and most shameful thing you could possibly do……after getting married though, a flip would switch and sex would suddenly be an amazing gift from God! The epicentre of purity culture was evangelical America in the 90s. But it certainly made its way to Australian shores. In this week’s episode of the podcast, Hannah and I reflect on our own experiences of purity culture and the ‘hangover’ left in its wake. Towards the end of the episode we turn our attention towards the question of what we would like to pass on to our own kids when it comes to understanding sexuality and spirituality. Is there a Christian sexual ethic that ditches the shame while still treating our sexuality with care and sensitivity? We don’t claim to have an answer to this question. But we at least want to talk about it! We reference several books in this episode that are worth reading if you want a deeper dive after this discussion: Pure, Linda Kay KleinJesus and John Wayne, Kristin Kobes Du MezAfter Evangelicalism, David GusheeThe Deeply Formed Life, Rich VillodasWant to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Mitch and I riff on some questions from the Facebook discussion group and then get into a slightly more impassioned discussion about fracturing denominations, peoples obsession with sexuality and why 'sola scripture' logically leads to polarisation. Questions we discuss from the Facebook group: - Divinisation/theosis. Did God really become human, so we could become God? - Missing texts from the Bible. Are we missing out? - What did it mean for Jesus to be ‘fully human’? Was he limited to the thinking of the time and all the ignorance / belief systems that came with it? Or did he somehow still contain all the wisdom of the cosmos in that human body and chose not to share the knowledge that would come from future discoveries etc?- What’s the deal with the Diocese of the Southern Cross? Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Will does the majority of the interviews on this podcast, so Hannah decided it was time to flip the roles around and interview him. Will gave Hannah permission to play the role of investigative journalist and grill him.... there may not have been any 'gotcha' moments, but the wide-ranging conversation did include: the origins of 'spiritual misfits'things Will regrets from his teenage yearsthe biggest thing Will is struggling with spirituallythoughts about the creative process, thoughts about staying positive when things feel like they're falling apart.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Hello friends!As I mentioned last week, with the birth of a new member of our family, I’ve dug out a couple of my favourite interviews from other shows I’ve hosted in the past, while I take a short break from doing interviews. This week’s conversation is truly top-shelf in my opinion and I’m sure you’ll learn something if you listen.For this week, I’ve grabbed an interview my friend Benj Gould and I originally did for the Forming Church podcast. We interviewed a diverse range of people about what the future of the church might look like in a post-pandemic world (taking into consideration all the other cultural and technological shifts we have been living through in recent years).This was a very special chat with Jo Saxton. Jo was born in London to parents who immigrated from Nigeria, and now lives in the US. She’s an internationally sought after author, speaker and leadership coach, and as you’ll see she’s just brilliant.We spoke with Jo about grief, lament, and both racial and gender inequality, and how the church of the future must genuinely grapple with these things if it’s going to survive and thrive.This interview was done in February 2021, and involves some COVID-specific reflections from that moment in time, but the majority of the conversation remains incredibly relevant for where we are right now.This is a conversation about some topics that’d can be difficult to speak about, but remain so deeply important. Check it out, and then join us in our Facebook discussion group to share your thoughts.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Joel McKerrow is a poet and educator. He speaks to large groups of people. He writes wonderful books. He occasionally paints skateboards or does wood carvings. He’s one of those people who is basically brilliant at everything he does. And he has a deep understanding of the winding pilgrimage that honest spirituality entails. A couple years ago Joel published a book called ‘Woven: a Faith for the Dissatisfied’. It’s a great book that most listeners of this podcast would deeply resonate with. Head to joelmckerrow.com after the episode to grab a copy.I actually did this interview with Joel during the launch tour for the book. We were speaking about self-awareness and the spiritual journey, and we cover a whole lot of interesting ground during this chat. It is well worth your time. This interview originally appeared on the Inhabit podcast, which I use to make with my buddy Benj Gould. If you haven’t listened to that show, you may be interested in checking it out, there’s lots of good episodes there.Content warning: Joel shares a story in this episode which involves sexual assault and abuse which may be sensitive for some listeners. Please take care while listening and reach out to a support service if you need help.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Prepare for an experience with this one…featuring some tunes that are bound to get you moving! Simon Buckingham Shum is an academic who works at the intersection of education, technology and ethics. But, today we’re talking about his experiences as a part of a movement of alternative expressions of liturgy, worship and church back in the 90s in England.I was fascinated the first time Simon shared about some of these experiences with me and although I was never really into electronic dance music, Simon was ultimately talking about creative pioneering and experimentation and trying to find new ways of engaging the sacred And that’s a bigger conversation than any particular musical genre.  In the decades since then Simon’s faith journey has seen its own evolutions, and he’s been in a few different spaces stylistically as well as theologically. So, in this conversation we’re following the threads of a particular story but we’re also talking about more broadly about the interwoven relationships between communities, creativity,  forms of worship and our underlying motivations.Simon’s also written a really helpful reflective piece of writing about this journey. It’s immersive and includes pictures of event flyers from that time. That’s on our website here and I would recommend you read it alongside listening to this episode, as they play off each other. After listening join us in our Facebook discussion group to share your thoughts and keep the conversation going. Music in this episode:“I Lift My Cup (To The Spirit Divine”) by Gloworm 1992 (5 mixes) https://hoojchoons.bandcamp.com/album/i-lift-my-cup-to-the-spirit-divine“Miserere” by Sue Wallace (composed for Visions services in early 90s). More tracks at: https://suevisions.bandcamp.comWant to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

I think a lot of us have come to know the forms of Christianity that we don’t want. We’ve seen politicised versions of faith that we want nothing to do with. We’ve witnessed institutional failings, scandals and cover-ups that we want to distance ourselves from. But, sometimes it’s harder to answer the question, what now? How do I put the pieces back together?A few years ago someone told me it’s not enough to know what you’re running away from. You’ll be sustained by knowing what you’re running towards. I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that. So, the question is,  are there more attractive, beautiful, faithful, life-giving ways of following Jesus? When I see people embodying and giving voice to authentic answers to this question it gives me great hope.   Graeme Anderson is one of those people. He’s a pastor at Northside Baptist in Crows Nest, Sydney and over many years his understanding of what it means to follow Jesus and to live in the kingdom Jesus described has evolved significantly. It’s moved from a knowledge-based, propositional faith to an embodied, open, generous way of being in the world that is attentive to what love might look like here and now. To help other people experience this Graeme’s written a book called Follow — and created a range of accompanying resources including a 4 week email devotional series. I’ve just finished it and was genuinely surprised at how refreshing, accessible and invitational it was. If you’re interested you can check it out at follow.org.au Here’s a conversation with Graeme about what following Jesus might look like when we feel our institutions have let us down. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com