Soul Cafe Podcast

This is the final of three episodes promoting the RESISTANCE FEST—resist hate&reclaim love-a music festival on June 14 from 3pm-8pm on the lawn of Life’s Journey UCC in Burlington, NC. This episode’s guest is our headliner for the event JENNIFER KNAPP. We have an engaging conversation about music, Pride and more. www.jenniferknapp.com. Get tickets for the RESISTANCE FEST by going to EVENTBRITE.COM

This episode is featuring another of the great singer-songwriters that will be a part of the RESISTANCE FEST-resist hate&reclaim love. The interview is with JESS KLEIN—check her out at: www.jessklein.com. During this episode we listen to a couple of Jess Klein’s songs—The Big Table and Annie’s Place. Join us at the RESISTANCE FEST in Burlington, NC on June 14 from 3pm-8pm. Get tickets at eventbrite.com

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/resistance-fest-resist-hate-reclaim-love-tickets-1257161336399?aff=oddtdtcreator The above is a link to purchase tickets for the RESISTANCE FEST on June 14 from 3pm-8pm with RISSI PALMER, Jennifer Knapp, Abigail Dowd, Jess Klein, Maia Kamil and Jane Kramer. The RESISTANCE FEST is on lawn in front of Life’sJourney UCC at 2121 Edgewood ave in Burlington, NC. This episode is an interview with Rissi Palmer—check her out at: www.rissipalmermusic.com.

This is our annual episode in honor of MLK Jr. Hopefully we can keep his dream alive in the crazy days ahead. The episode uses with permission singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer’s songs IF NOT NOW and LEAN IN TOWARD THE LIGHT. The episode also uses by permission in its entirety John Pavlovitz’s reader supported The Beautiful Mess January 18 post—MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’S DREAM AND DONALD TRUMP’S MAGA NIGHTMARE. This old minister continues to be moved to action by the words of Martin Luther King Jr. and the words of younger prophets like Carrie Newcomer and John Pavlovitz.

Check out the brand new AR album released today Friday September 13!!!!!!!!! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1002938013597?aff=oddtdtcreator

A really good conversation with the Folk/Americana duo ADMIRAL RADIO, Becca and Coty. We share with you 3 of Admiral Radio’s songs Colorado, Love You Somehow and Slow Lane. Check Admiral Radio out at: https:admiralradiomusic.com @admiral.radio

Make sure you check out both Hannah Kaminer at: www.hannahkaminer.com and Jane Kramer at: www.janekramermusic.com

Check Out all of John Pavlovitz information and even shop for cool stuff at: www.johnpavlovitz.comAlso check out our sponsor: @beanssproutsnc or www.beanssprouts.com 

An interview with Democrat for NC Senate District 25-Donna Vanhook. We talk about social justice, making a difference locally and being involved in the process of bringing hope. Check Donna out at: donnavanhook.com And be a part of the change our world needs toward love and justice.

Readings from The Return of Light—12 Tales from around the World for the Winter Solstice by Carolyn McVicker Edwards.  Two songs are included in this episode—May I Suggest sung by Red Molly and written by Susan Werner and Light of a Clear Blue Morning sung by The Wailing Jennys and written by Dolly Parton.

This episode features an interview with Enumah (Mona) Evans the Enterprise Assistant and Family Reunification Advocate at Benevolence Farm in Alamance County, NC. Mona is a formerly incarcerated woman in the North Carolina prison system that got a second chance through the great work of the Benevolence Farm and is now on the staff. This episode will challenge you to get involved with social justice efforts in your community. www.benevolence farm.org

An interview with singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer talking about her brand new 20th album entitled: A Great Wild Mercy releasing on October 13, 2023. Carrie as always gives us hope for the living of these days. Make sure you go to: carrienewcomer.com to order an album or other cool merchandise

DNM Don’t Normalize Meanness This season is about “calling one another forward instead of calling out”. MLK Jr. Said it this way, “if you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl..whatever you do keep moving”. We may just need Another World right about now—not talking a ‘too heavenly minded to be any earthly good” kind of world…just a new way to look at things…a new way to treat one another. Libby Rodenbough’s new song-Another World—listen. So. We hope you will pull up a chair at the Soul Cafe Podcast—there is room at the table for everyone. We hope the Soul Cafe Podcast ‘through interviews with musicians, activists, deep thinkers and even some commentary from a long time Community Builder, we hopefully will join in solidarity to promote a more loving and just society’.

Benevolence Farm seeks to cultivate leadership, promote sustainable livelihoods, and reap structural change with individuals impacted by the criminal legal system in North Carolina.Go to website: www.benevolencefarm.org to learn more.Go to www.beanssprouts.com to learn more about the sponsor of this episode.

Songs used:  Rude Awakening as sung by Della Mae—permission granted.                          Morning Birds as sung by Mandee Radford Langley and Cristi Johnson known as Alathea—permission granted                          www.Alathea.comSponsors:  beanssprouts.com    @beanssproutsnc*special note——a couple of small glitches in the recording—sorry our editor is on vacation. But do please find some of the humor in the glitches.

As always, we are rudely awakened by the Americana/Bluegrass band, Della Mae with Celia Woodsmith belting out Rude Awakening and the episode closes with another song by Della Mae-For the Sake of My Heart.  Both songs used by permission from Concord Music.Conversation between Frank and Jennifer around the influences of MLK Jr on vocation, intersections of faith and life, etc.

This Soul Cafe Podcast featuring permission granted music by: Della Mae and The Sea the Sea.Public domain music: Huron Carol in part accompanied on piano by Jill NewsomeSpecial substack reading  by permission authored by Carrie Newcomer.     www.carrienewcomer.substack.comBlessing by: Jan Richardson.

The Soul Cafe ‘where life is served-up freshly brewed’.  As always to get our minds and hearts to open up we might just need a Rude Awakeing (by Della Mae and permission by Della Mae and Concord Music).  Wake us up Della Mae!Are we not all struggling right now?  People on both sides of the fence yelling at each other and yelling at ourselves—yes, we are a divided people.  Now we are not calling for some kind of blind unity (Kum ba Yah) that means absolutely nothing—maybe we need to figure out some ways to get around the table—-and listen to each other—to sense each other’s humanity—lots of listening.Getting around the table—starting with basic humanity.  We quote a little from the book SAVING GRACE—Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive you Nuts by Kirsten Powers.  We talk a little about famous odd couples of differing political and other persuasions—and how they found common humanity.Bell Hooks said “How do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their capacity to be transformed”.We pause to ponder having Room at the Table for everyone by listening with permission from singer-songwriter Carrrie Newcomers song—ROOM AT THE TABLE.  “but there is room at the table for everyone—-so pull up a chair”Then we focus a little on Frank’s wife Jill’s new buisness in retirement—BEANS AND SPROUTS—beanssprouts.com —one way of making room for everyone is justice—-selling fair trade and organic coffee where the farmers around the world are getting a fair wage and helping to transform their communites—Drink Coffee and Be the Change.  And selling local organically grown herbs and plants.  Also selling Sweet Justice products by (Deans Beans) organic and fair trade dark chocolate disc and hot cocoa mix—giving 10% of the sales to a local agency named—Benevolence Farm near Graham, NC helping formerly incarcerated women to have room at the table.Frank then switches gears slightly by pointing out that this whole struggle is not about opposing sides not standing for anything—as the Dali Lama says, “if you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion” which leads us even among division to declare humanity for all—-so………………………..VOTE AS IFYour skin is not whiteYour parents need medical careYour spouse is an immigrantYour land is on fireYour child is transgenderYour house is floodedYour sister is a victim of gun violenceYour brother is gayYour water is unsafeBecause Privilege has no place in an Election, But Empathy Does!Winding down today….an Armenian American writer William Saroyan penned these words in his breakthrough article “The Daring Young Man on the flying Trapeze”, published in 1934.  You might say this is a rousing piece of advice that reads like a rallying cry to live life to its fullest:  “Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste the food when you eat, and when you sleep really sleep.  Try as much as possible to be wholly alive, with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell.  And when you get angry, get good and angry.  Try to be alive.”Yes, it is almost Halloween—crazy how for some that even divides people—but I say get out there—let your bones rattle—pull out the witches—strobe lights—fog machine—-and laugh with the whole neighborhood—we are in this together—and be ready for some good ole gratitude humanity as Thanksgiving approaches.We head off into nature—as Della Mae sings—For the Sake of My Heart———just maybe the table needs to be outside—all humanity breathing the same air—watching the change of seasonsThe Soul Cafe—the table is large enough for all—-see you next time.

Season 2–Episode 1Episode NotesWelcome to the Soul Cafe Podcast—-Season 2–Episode 1–the Soul Cafe “where life is served-up freshly brewed”.Yes, it has been awhile since Season 1 ended back in May—-Geez—I have retired since then—moved from Portsmouth, NH to Graham, NC—-even working with my wife on a cool venture named Beans&Sprouts—a mobile business from our 1995 Mazda Scrum Mini-truck named Miss Betty (Betty White)—-selling 1 lb bags of organic fair trade coffee—roasted and sourced from the unbelievable Deans Beans …we have 2 Blends and Sprouts special blends and 1 Soul Cafe blend…and super organically grown local herbs and plants from J&B farms in Roxboro.www.beanssprouts.comRemind me to tell you the whole story sometime.Speaking of stories—we have with us today the superb story teller—story catcher—story listener—Mark Yaconelli—-we will be chatting about his brand new book—BETWEEN THE LISTENING AND THE TELLING—How stories can save us”markyaconelli.wordpress.comBut first we all need an awakening—wake up—-well, yes many today have somewhat polluted the term ‘woke’—but folks we all need an awakening—do we not?—-so let my friends —Americana—bluegrass—beyond label—Della Mae lead us to a RUDE AWAKENING (by permission of Della Mae)So to help wake us up a little today—we have Mark Yaconelli—-Anne Lamott says about his new book—this is an “owners Manuel for the Soul”——-Okay we are at the Soul Cafe—“where life is served-up freshly brewed”Mark Yaconelli—speaker, facilator and author of five previous books—founder of the Hearth, a non-profit—Profiles of Yaconelli’s work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, NPR, ABC World News Tonight—-he and his wife have 3 adult children and they live in Ashland, Oregon.Welcome Mark!!!!Okay—I am a believer that stories can save us—-and have been for some years—-I understand this book has been in the making for like 10 years—that means to me this is important!!—-so Mark—why this book—why this book at this time in history??Okay Mark—let’s just cut through it—-in the chapter entitled “Home” (instead of me—which I do sometime) can you please read from your book—page 168–starting with “our world is in crisis” through top of page 171?Pandemic—-an awakening—-or not??Chapter 6– The Hearth—-page 84—“in many faith traditions, there is an individual salvation——through page 85—“peace by picnic”.   Comments Mark??Mark—-my goal with the Soul Cafe Podcast—-pretty much with my life’s—and 40 plus years of ministry—to bring people together around the table—a big ass table—to talk—to listen—-so help me—-tell me how telling/listening/catching stories can contribute to this ‘beloved community’ goal?dSo we have gone deep—a little fun—I will blame you—for books like—practicing the presence of—-etc—for my going to some contemplative time out in Frontac Minnesota—at a monastery in the middle of nowhere—-silence—I mean I had been at Youth Ministry—working with teenagers for some 20 years at that point—Stephen Iverson singing chant like—Peace by still====and then that story you told in one book about Mildred—a senior adult youth worker—stories that changed medOr your dad—to crazy for his own good…Dangerous Wonder/ MessyMessy Spirituality —world may be going to hell in waste basket but what your family may need is rousing game of Capture the Flag—ping pong championship?Our journey’s Up here today—-wow—thanks—brother!!!Thanks Mark for taking the time in your very busy schedule to help me flesh out what the Soul Cafe Podcast is really all ABOUT—telling and listening to stories—-around a big ass table where all——are welcome.  BYEAnd so we wrap it up today—humbled by this guy—Mark Yaconelli—that has reminded us in his new book—BETWEEN THE LISTENING AND THE TELLING—How stories can save us” that we need to be at the table—the bar—the picnic—wherever—listening—-telling—our storiesAnd we need to listen to one more story and that is of mother nature calling us to get outside and be—be with—listen—so we go with a song by The Brother Brothers—Red and Gold. (By permission of the Brother Brothers music)thanks for joining us at the Soul Cafe

Episode 9 Soul Cafe Podcast With special guest:  Marissa Renee LeeAuthor of GRIEF IS LOVE WELCOME to the Soul Cafe ‘where life is served-up freshly brewed’ are you ready to wake up? As always listen in to Della Mae’s song (with their permission of course) Rude Awakenings,My very special guest today is Marissa Renee Lee author of a new book entitled—GRIEF IS LOVE—Living with Loss.  Marissa is a “rabble-rouser of social healing and a frequently called-upon writer and grief advocate.  She is a former appointee in the Obama White House, former managing director of My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, cofounder of the digital platform Supportal, and founder of the Pink Agenda, a national organization dedicated to raising money for breast cancer care, research, and awareness.  She is a regular contributor to Glamour, Vogue, MSNBC, and CNN.  She lives in the DC area with her husband, Matt, son Bennett, and dog, Sadie.Thanks so much Marissa for joining me today…………………So today we are going to focus mainly on Marissa’s book—that I believe is dynamite—yes, it was a tough book to wade through —tough no doubt because Grief is Love—or as I messed up recently and said—Love is Grief—which is so true also.Marissa—I always like to ask the question of an author—why—why did you write this book?  You know the passion that propelled you—and still propels you to talk to crazy Podcast like the Soul Cafe? I am a Pastor in a progressive church—have been doing this Minister gig for over 40 years now—did I already say I am retiring in a week—-yes, even that loss is Grief is Love—but I say all of that because I have been acquainted with grief a lot—I have walked the valley with countless people—and yes, i too have said some of the dumbest things in the name of comfort to people who have experienced great loss.  And that brings me to something you say in your book that really popped out for me—“What I’ve learned most is that instead of fighting against our feelings, we need to work on letting them take up space.  I now allow myself to be overcome by all my grief emotions, and there continue to be so many of them.  It is really annoying.  I have stopped trying to intellectualize them and instead I just feel.  In giving my feelings, my grief, the space it needs, I have come to the most obvious realization:  YOU DON’T GET OVER IT.”  I would add—that there is nothing a person who is grieving needs to hear more than this—STOP TRYING TO GET OVER IT—and if you are trying to help someone —walking with them in their grief—don’t tell them they will get over it one day.  Help me here Marissa—talk to us. IN  my opinion—what really engaged me into this book was the raw honesty (some call that vulnerability)—the belly laughing humor—real ness you might say—like when Marissa is talking about life at Christmas after the death of her mom—“my mother was the Queen of Christmas—-no matter how sick she was, the whole spectacle was completely over the top.  I struggled with Christmas after she died, but eventually, with the help of Matt, I found my way.  Every year, we host an over-the-top holiday party called “Tacos and Baby Jesus”.  We serve multiple kinds of tacos, do a homemade cookie swap, host a charity food drive, and give out prizes for the most outrageous costumes.  You wouldn’t believe what some folks will put on just to win a semi decent bottle of wine.”  Thanks to that story now my wife wants us to do Tacos and Baby Jesus since the death of her over the top Christmas mom.  Humor has always been part of the journey for me—any other funny stories you would like to share—please…..?(i also love the one about the Pastor at your wedding) As the book is beginning to wrap up Marissa talks about legacy—“i often found myself confusing her legacy with the idea of honoring her or keeping her memory alive externally, out in the world…..her legacy is how i choose to live as a result of life and death…..legacy is based on the fact that there was someone you loved dearly and who loved you back, and that love now lives on through you.”  Marissa would you continue your thought process on legacy? So, saved the hardest reality to the end—more societal grief—10 killed in Buffalo by a young man consumed with racism—pure hate that he has no doubt learned from all of us—in the book you talk about how “you have come to recognize that we struggle hardest when we don’t feel protected—this often makes grief tougher for people of color.  Black people in particular; because the safety that vulnerability requires is so much harder to access.  How can you grieve when you can’t breathe?  I am exhausted as a white person that cares—but what are you feeling right now—with COVID—racism—Grief is love? Marissa …… Folks—you need to get this book—Grief is Love—as Willie Geist, host of Sunday Today with Willie Geist and New York Times bestselling author says about the book—“Authentic, all-inclusive, and utterly breathtaking, this is the book that will help you deal with your darkest days and walks with you as you venture back into the light.”Thanks you so much Marissa for taking the risk today to join me at the Soul Cafe—i hope our paths will cross again.   I have been really blessed with some great guest this season and today is the end of season 1…thanks for listening in…next season starts in September.  As I reflect back over this season and in life in general I have been saying this little mantra to myself a lotDag Hammarskjold once said:For all that has been….Thanks!For all that shall be….Yes!Get outside for the sake of your heart. For the sake of your soul…Della Mae take us outside.You can join Marisa Renee Lee on Thursday May 19th, 2022 from 7:30-8:30pm at Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, NH.