Wondering Free

Fear, Shame, and Centering Prayer with Dr. Brian RussellWelcome to Wondering Free, a podcast designed to create more space in our spiritual lives and to explore how our practices, experiences, and beliefs shape our relationships with God, each other, and the world around us. We are free to ask big questions. We are free to look beyond ourselves and our comfort zones. We are all free to wonder.In this episode, Dr. Brian Russell and I invite you into our conversation on Centering Prayer, Fear, Guilt, Shame, and Love. We talk a bit about the theological, biblical, and historical bases for silent prayer, the effects of shame, guilt, and fear on our relationships, and, finally, how a practice like Centering Prayer can lead to transformation and freedom to be our true selves as God sees us. Throughout the conversation, we refer to Brian's new book, available for pre-order, Centering Prayer: How Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life.Guest Bio: Brian Russell (Ph.D.) is an award winning professor of biblical studies and a transformational coach for pastors and spiritually-minded professionals. His personal mission is to seek out, study, and embody the deepest truths about God so that he can share them compellingly, lovingly, and transformationally with others. He is the author of Invitation: A Bible Study to Begin With (Seedbed 2014), (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World (Cascade 2015); and the forthcoming Centering Prayer: How Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life (releasing 9/14/21 from Paraclete Press--preorder via Amazon or signup for updates: www.centeringprayerbook.com). He is also host of the Deep Dive Spirituality Conversations podcast.Connecting with Brian:Twitter: @briandrussellInstagram: @yourprofessorforlifeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrussellphd/ Coaching for Pastors: www.deepdivespirituality.comBusiness and Life Coaching: www.drbrianrussellcoaching.com Podcast: deepdivespirituality.podbean.com

God Speaks with Gabriel Gordon, Part 2Welcome to the the Wondering Free podcast, where we're creating a more spacious spiritual life by exploring our experiences, practices, and beliefs, and how they shape ourselves and the world around us.I'm so excited to share part two of this two-part series with my friend, author, and biblical studies scholar at Portland Seminary, Gabriel Gordon. We got together to discuss his new book on Scripture and the implications of holding certain beliefs about inspiration, but we had such a great time that we decided to break our conversation up into 2 episodes.Gabriel and I begin this second episode by closing the the content-driven part of the interview and discussing the ways Jesus interpreted and used the Hebrew Scriptures. Then we spend the rest of our time together exploring some implications of Gabriel's views of inspiration and revelation for our lives and relationships with God, others, and the world.If you haven't yet listened to Part 1, I highly recommend starting there, since it provides the content and sets the stage for our discussion on the implications of Gabriel's new book.Guest Bio: Gabriel Gordon graduated with a double major in Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Ministry from Oklahoma Baptist University. He is currently working on his Masters of Theological Studies with a specialization in Biblical Studies from Portland Seminary. He has authored two books and is featured in an edited volume of essays on Christian leadership. In addition, he's a confirmed member of the Episcopal church part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a self-identified Anglo-Orthodox; and one of the co-founders of The Misfits Theology Club, a blog, podcast, and annual conference dedicated to providing a place of dialogue and working to build unity amongst diverse Christians. He currently lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, with his wife Hannah, and his dog Karl Barth.Here are some additional links to other individuals and organizations we discussed:Misfits Theology PodcastCenter for Open & Relational TheologyThomas Jay Oord & Essential KenosisLinks to Gabriel's other publications:Late Night Meanderings with God: A Collection of EssaysOpen and Relational Leadership: Leading with LoveFollow the Podcast:Facebook Instagram Twitter

God Speaks with Gabriel Gordon, Part 1Welcome to the the Wondering Free podcast, where we're creating a more spacious spiritual life by exploring our experiences, practices, and beliefs, and how they shape ourselves and the world around us.I'm so excited to share part one of a two-part series with my friend, author, and biblical studies scholar at Portland Seminary, Gabriel Gordon. We got together to discuss his new book on Scripture and the implications of holding certain beliefs about inspiration, but we had such a great time that we decided to break our conversation up into 2 episodes.This episode goes into the details of Gabriel's book, the problems with popular understandings of inspiration, and his proposal for another way to think about inspiration and Scripture. In Part 1, we focus on the theological material to better understand the implications of different views on inspiration, and it definitely enters into nerdy territory, but don't worry, we had a really good time with it and so will you. Gabriel may be a biblical scholar, but he definitely isn't boring!!!Stay tuned for Part 2 because in the second episode, we talk about the implications of our beliefs about God and Scripture for our lives and our relationships with others and the world around us.Guest Bio: Gabriel Gordon graduated with a double major in Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Ministry from Oklahoma Baptist University. He is currently working on his Masters of Theological Studies with a specialization in Biblical Studies from Portland Seminary. He has authored two books and is featured in an edited volume of essays on Christian leadership. In addition, he's a confirmed member of the Episcopal church part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a self-identified Anglo-Orthodox; and one of the co-founders of The Misfits Theology Club, a blog, podcast, and annual conference dedicated to providing a place of dialogue and working to build unity amongst diverse Christians. He currently lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, with his wife Hannah, and his dog Karl Barth.Here are some additional links to other individuals and organizations we discussed:Misfits Theology PodcastCenter for Open & Relational TheologyThomas Jay Oord & Essential KenosisLinks to Gabriel's other publications:Late Night Meanderings with God: A Collection of EssaysOpen and Relational Leadership: Leading with LoveFollow the Podcast:Facebook Instagram Twitter

Episode 3: The Enneagram with Keith KristichWelcome to the the Wondering Free podcast, where we seek to create a more spacious spiritual life by exploring our experiences, practices, and beliefs, and how they shape ourselves and the world around us.In this episode, Keith Kristich and I invite you into our conversation on the Enneagram, that nine-pointed personality tool that everyone likes to talk about. Keith gives us an overview of the Enneagram, then we flip the interview and microscope into the my Enneagram type to give you an idea of how the Enneagram can be used to better understand ourselves and as a tool for personal growth. Guest Bio: Keith is a contemplative and nature lover, who walks with those who wish to nourish and deepen their spiritual life and wellbeing through contemplative prayer, meditation, and personality study. He leads retreats, contemplative practice groups, and does one-on-one coaching, in person and online.  Keith is also a certified Enneagram teacher, which is the focus of our discussion today. You can find more information about Keith at his websites KeithKristich.com and CloserThanBreath.com. Here are some additional links to other individuals and organizations we discussed:Typology PodcastWisdom of the Enneagram (Book)The Sacred Enneagram (Book)The Complete Enneagram (Book)Richard Rohr's Intro to the Enneagram (YouTube)Follow the Podcast:Facebook Instagram Twitter

Centering Prayer with Rich LewisEpisode 2: Centering Prayer with Rich LewisWelcome to the the Wondering Free podcast (Formerly Heretics in Heaven), where we explore the spiritual life with humility and wonder.In this episode, Rich Lewis and I invite you into our conversation on the practice of Centering Prayer, the true self, his journey of writing as a spiritual practice, and his book Sitting with God: A Journey to Your True Self Through Centering Prayer.Guest Bio: Rich Lewis is an author, speaker and coach focusing on Centering Prayer as a means of inner transformation. Rich has published articles for a number of organizations including Contemplative Light, Abbey of the Arts, and Contemplative Outreach. He publishes a weekly meditation, book reviews and interviews on his website, Silence Teaches.Here are some additional links to other individuals and organizations we discussed:Amos Smith (Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots)Contemplative OutreachSubscribe to Wondering Free:Spotify, Anchor.fm, RadioPublic, Google Podcasts, Breaker, and more to come!Follow the Podcast:Facebook Instagram Also, I'm working on a website with even more content and resources. Stay tuned!

Episode 1: Happiness & Joy with Father Nicholas AmatoWelcome to the first interview of the Wondering Free podcast (Formerly Heretics in Heaven), where we explore the spiritual life with humility and wonder.In this episode, Father Nicholas Amato and I invite you into our conversation on the contemplative life, prayer and contemplation, noticing and cultivating joy in life, and his new book Happiness & Joy: Can the Spiritual Life Have Both? Guest Bio: Father Nicholas Amato has been a priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore for over 50 years. He ministered as a pastor for over 20 years, and for the last 15, he has been leading retreats, parish missions, and days of recollection full time. Father Nicholas is a speaker, a spiritual director, and the author of several books, including Living in God: Contemplative Prayer and Contemplative Action, Moving from Stress to Joy, and the book we're going to discuss today Happiness and Joy: Can a Spiritual Life Have Both?You can find Father Nicholas on Facebook, events he facilitates at Church of the Nativity, and his books linked to Amazon above (but you can order through your local bookstores as well). 

Welcome to Wondering Free, a podcast designed to create more space in our spiritual lives and to explore how our practices, experiences, and beliefs shape our relationships with God, each other, and the world around us. We are free to ask big questions. We are free to look beyond ourselves and our comfort zones. We are all free to wonder.In this episode, Dr. Brian Russell and I invite you into our conversation on Centering Prayer, Fear, Guilt, Shame, and Love. We talk a bit about the theological, biblical, and historical bases for silent prayer, the effects of shame, guilt, and fear on our relationships, and, finally, how a practice like Centering Prayer can lead to transformation and freedom to be our true selves as God sees us. Throughout the conversation, we refer to Brian's new book, available for pre-order, Centering Prayer: How Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life.Guest Bio: Brian Russell (Ph.D.) is an award winning professor of biblical studies and a transformational coach for pastors and spiritually-minded professionals. His personal mission is to seek out, study, and embody the deepest truths about God so that he can share them compellingly, lovingly, and transformationally with others. He is the author of Invitation: A Bible Study to Begin With (Seedbed 2014), (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World (Cascade 2015); and the forthcoming Centering Prayer: How Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life (releasing 9/14/21 from Paraclete Press--preorder via Amazon or signup for updates: www.centeringprayerbook.com). He is also host of the Deep Dive Spirituality Conversations podcast.Connecting with Brian:Twitter: @briandrussellInstagram: @yourprofessorforlifeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrussellphd/ Coaching for Pastors: www.deepdivespirituality.comBusiness and Life Coaching: www.drbrianrussellcoaching.com Podcast: deepdivespirituality.podbean.com

SPECIAL COLLABORATION EPISODE!A few weeks ago, Gabriel Gordon and I recorded a special God Speaks book launch episode for the Misfits Theology Podcast. Of course I'm posting it here as well for all of you to enjoy! This one isn't a typical Wondering Free episode. Gabe and I celebrate the launch of God Speaks (available on Amazon and other booksellers) with some beverages (Gabe enjoys a couple local beers from Ramblebine Brewing Co. and I sip on some Caol Ila 12-year scotch). We have some fun, crack some jokes, take a deep dive into some topics from the book, and talk about the book-writing experience. This episode also features music from Grand Junction, CO artist Crepe Girl.Since this was Gabe's party and isn't the typical Wondering Free episode, I'm giving you a disclaimer that this one may contain some language not appropriate for the little ones. If you have a sense of humor and open mind, are into nerdy theology and biblical studies, and you're in it for the long haul, then come on in and join the fun!

Welcome to the the Wondering Free podcast, where we're creating a more spacious spiritual life by exploring our experiences, practices, and beliefs, and how they shape ourselves and the world around us.I'm so excited to share part two of this two-part series with my friend, author, and biblical studies scholar at Portland Seminary, Gabriel Gordon. We got together to discuss his new book on Scripture and the implications of holding certain beliefs about inspiration, but we had such a great time that we decided to break our conversation up into 2 episodes.Gabriel and I begin this second episode by closing the the content-driven part of the interview and discussing the ways Jesus interpreted and used the Hebrew Scriptures. Then we spend the rest of our time together exploring some implications of Gabriel's views of inspiration and revelation for our lives and relationships with God, others, and the world. If you haven't yet listened to Part 1, I highly recommend starting there, since it provides the content and sets the stage for our discussion on the implications of Gabriel's new book. Guest Bio: Gabriel Gordon graduated with a double major in Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Ministry from Oklahoma Baptist University. He is currently working on his Masters of Theological Studies with a specialization in Biblical Studies from Portland Seminary. He has authored two books and is featured in an edited volume of essays on Christian leadership. In addition, he's a confirmed member of the Episcopal church part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a self-identified Anglo-Orthodox; and one of the co-founders of The Misfits Theology Club, a blog, podcast, and annual conference dedicated to providing a place of dialogue and working to build unity amongst diverse Christians. He currently lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, with his wife Hannah, and his dog Karl Barth.Here are some additional links to other individuals and organizations we discussed:Misfits Theology PodcastCenter for Open & Relational TheologyThomas Jay Oord & Essential KenosisLinks to Gabriel's other publications:Late Night Meanderings with God: A Collection of EssaysOpen and Relational Leadership: Leading with LoveFollow the Podcast:Facebook Instagram Twitter

Welcome to the the Wondering Free podcast, where we're creating a more spacious spiritual life by exploring our experiences, practices, and beliefs, and how they shape ourselves and the world around us.I'm so excited to share part one of a two-part series with my friend, author, and biblical studies scholar at Portland Seminary, Gabriel Gordon. We got together to discuss his new book on Scripture and the implications of holding certain beliefs about inspiration, but we had such a great time that we decided to break our conversation up into 2 episodes. This episode goes into the details of Gabriel's book, the problems with popular understandings of inspiration, and his proposal for another way to think about inspiration and Scripture. In Part 1, we focus on the theological material to better understand the implications of different views on inspiration, and it definitely enters into nerdy territory, but don't worry, we had a really good time with it and so will you. Gabriel may be a biblical scholar, but he definitely isn't boring!!!Stay tuned for Part 2 because in the second episode, we talk about the implications of our beliefs about God and Scripture for our lives and our relationships with others and the world around us. Guest Bio: Gabriel Gordon graduated with a double major in Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Ministry from Oklahoma Baptist University. He is currently working on his Masters of Theological Studies with a specialization in Biblical Studies from Portland Seminary. He has authored two books and is featured in an edited volume of essays on Christian leadership. In addition, he's a confirmed member of the Episcopal church part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a self-identified Anglo-Orthodox; and one of the co-founders of The Misfits Theology Club, a blog, podcast, and annual conference dedicated to providing a place of dialogue and working to build unity amongst diverse Christians. He currently lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, with his wife Hannah, and his dog Karl Barth.Here are some additional links to other individuals and organizations we discussed:Misfits Theology PodcastCenter for Open & Relational TheologyThomas Jay Oord & Essential KenosisLinks to Gabriel's other publications:Late Night Meanderings with God: A Collection of EssaysOpen and Relational Leadership: Leading with LoveFollow the Podcast:Facebook Instagram Twitter

Episode 3: The Enneagram with Keith KristichWelcome to the the Wondering Free podcast, where we seek to create a more spacious spiritual life by exploring our experiences, practices, and beliefs, and how they shape ourselves and the world around us.In this episode, Keith Kristich and I invite you into our conversation on the Enneagram, that nine-pointed personality tool that everyone likes to talk about. Keith gives us an overview of the Enneagram, then we flip the interview and microscope into the my Enneagram type to give you an idea of how the Enneagram can be used to better understand ourselves and as a tool for personal growth. Guest Bio: Keith is a contemplative and nature lover, who walks with those who wish to nourish and deepen their spiritual life and wellbeing through contemplative prayer, meditation, and personality study. He leads retreats, contemplative practice groups, and does one-on-one coaching, in person and online.  Keith is also a certified Enneagram teacher, which is the focus of our discussion today. You can find more information about Keith at his websites KeithKristich.com and CloserThanBreath.com. Here are some additional links to other individuals and organizations we discussed:Typology PodcastWisdom of the Enneagram (Book)The Sacred Enneagram (Book)The Complete Enneagram (Book)Richard Rohr's Intro to the Enneagram (YouTube)Follow the Podcast:Facebook Instagram TwitterAlso, I'm working on a website with even more content and resources. Stay tuned!

Episode 2: Centering Prayer with Rich LewisWelcome to the the Wondering Free podcast (Formerly Heretics in Heaven), where we explore the spiritual life with humility and wonder.In this episode, Rich Lewis and I invite you into our conversation on the practice of Centering Prayer, the true self, his journey of writing as a spiritual practice, and his book Sitting with God: A Journey to Your True Self Through Centering Prayer.Guest Bio: Rich Lewis is an author, speaker and coach focusing on Centering Prayer as a means of inner transformation. Rich has published articles for a number of organizations including Contemplative Light, Abbey of the Arts, and Contemplative Outreach. He publishes a weekly meditation, book reviews and interviews on his website, Silence Teaches.Here are some additional links to other individuals and organizations we discussed:Amos Smith (Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots)Contemplative OutreachSubscribe to Wondering Free:Spotify, Anchor.fm, RadioPublic, Google Podcasts, Breaker, and more to come!Follow the Podcast:Facebook Instagram Also, I'm working on a website with even more content and resources. Stay tuned!

Episode 1: Happiness & Joy with Father Nicholas AmatoWelcome to the first interview of the Wondering Free podcast (Formerly Heretics in Heaven), where we explore the spiritual life with humility and wonder.In this episode, Father Nicholas Amato and I invite you into our conversation on the contemplative life, prayer and contemplation, noticing and cultivating joy in life, and his new book Happiness & Joy: Can the Spiritual Life Have Both? Guest Bio: Father Nicholas Amato has been a priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore for over 50 years. He ministered as a pastor for over 20 years, and for the last 15, he has been leading retreats, parish missions, and days of recollection full time. Father Nicholas is a speaker, a spiritual director, and the author of several books, including Living in God: Contemplative Prayer and Contemplative Action, Moving from Stress to Joy, and the book we're going to discuss today Happiness and Joy: Can a Spiritual Life Have Both?You can find Father Nicholas on Facebook, events he facilitates at Church of the Nativity, and his books linked to Amazon above (but you can order through your local bookstores as well).