Is all our Christian busyness interrupting our ability to grow spiritually? That is my first question to today’s guest Megan Westra. Megan is a pastor, speaker and an author. Her new book, “Born Again and Again,” touches on many of the words or concepts that may carry baggage for many people undergoing faith reconstruction.
At different spots on our path we grow tired of or maybe lose the ability to use some faith practices we have grown up with. For me, a practice I have needed to reconstruct is prayer. I was taught to pray using the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication) method but a number of years ago, constantly asking God for "things" just didn't feel very prayerful anymore. So what do we do? We have to reconstruct. On this episode I am talking with Marcia and Tom Hotchkiss.
The truest form of reconstruction is when your internal trust of God matches your external experiences with God. The Rev. Dr. Lil Smith is a seasoned Spiritual Director and a guide for many who are listening to new expressions of God in their lives.
If an empath has learned to practice hope, then we can definitely learn to add to our own faith by listening. On this episode of the Reconstruction Calls Podcast, Aaron Manes speaks with Christy Stone (a therapist, spiritual director and an empath) about how to find the higher good in the midst of so much anxiety.
As a spiritual director, I am a trained listener. In a spiritual direction session often I am just listening for the movement of God in someone's life. Over the course of this podcast I was really struck by a couple of moments so I wanted to bring those back and listen to them again. The podcast is all phone themed (I hope you have picked up on that by now) so let's just call this episode a recall.
Deconstruction, like other types of change or loss, presents itself with recurring emotions and feelings. In this conversation with my friend Brian Brooks we talk about his story and experiences during his deconstruction process a few years ago. My hope here is for anyone currently in deconstruction to hear that they are not alone. For those of us who may be reconstructing, it is healing to hear these stories and reflect on our own journey again. Brian comes from the Church Of Christ tradition so we play a little game about acapella music and get a book recommendation.
Reconstructing people are unique people to be pastoring. If we are coming back to church, often we are coming from dynamic circumstances that may include abuse, loss of faith, radical belief change and much more. I called my friend and my pastor, Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson-White, to get some insight on what that is like. We discuss how to look for a church and why she thinks the deconstruction/reconstruction journey is a move of the Holy Spirit. And of course we play a game and Blair recommends a few books and a podcast in "Hung Up."
Sue Monk Kidd has been on a sacred feminine journey for some time now and she beautifully weaves in many of these themes into these characters. We get to hear the quiet prayer lives of the women including their prayers to Sofia. Ana is busy writing the stories of the s/heroes of the Hebrew faith and we even have an encounter with the goddess Isis.
In this episode of "Reconstruction Calls," Spiritual Director Aaron Manes talks with fellow spiritual director Kim Verriere. For several years Kim has been tracking and working with her dreams as part of her faith journey. So mute your line and listen in on this conversation of intentional reflection, listening to your deepest self and hearing from God in a new way; plus you will hear Aaron sing a little Billy Ocean.
When you read spiritual books that are more general, they are about information and some story. When you read books on sacred feminine, they are about journey.
Spiritual director Aaron Manes calls his friend Ryan Flanigan (Worship Director at All Saints Anglican Church in Dallas, TX, and founder of Liturgical Folk - www.liturgicalfolk.com) to talk about reconstructing church music in an era of contemporary and traditional worship services - they also play a game called “OT or T. Swift” along the way.
Spiritual Director Aaron Manes, calls his friend Kenton Self to talk about the process of deconstruction, and they talk about René Girard, Brian McLaren and Amy Grant.
The Sacred Feminine is a journey worth engaging. Our world is dominated by the hierarchical structures of the Sacred Masculine dominant world of faith. Sue Monk Kidd has become a reliable voice for me when it comes to exploring other worlds of spiritual direction.
Spiritual Director Aaron Manes calls his friends Mike and Kari Baumann to talk about evolving in faith as partners and walking the road of parenting as reconstructed people. We talk about everything from Enneagram to DC Talk to growing up adjacent to Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.
What is the meaning of your life? A better question may be, what is making up your life? Eckhart Tolle’s most recent book, “A New Earth” teaches that life is made up of today, this present moment for it is all we have.
In a conversation with my spiritual director we were talking about living in the present moment and how intentional living creates presence (and hopefully an incarnate life as well).
What Chance conveys about faith is so great. His music is laced with references to church and God and Faith and specifically - his family. Be it his mom or grandma or friends, his community of faith supports his interaction with God.
There are moments in life when we can no longer stay at “home.” The lure of the city, a new love, no responsibilities, a change - whatever it may be you have likely lived part of this story.
