This is the second podcast recommendation that I have “completed”. I can’t say that I have listened to every episode, but I am more than halfway done. I am currently in Season 3 of this podcast. This is one of the later recommendations I received (31 out of 36), after I had found a church community in Billings, MT. For Spring and Summer 2018, I attended the CMYK community. It’s not your traditional church, as it meets in an arthouse/cinema. You can have popcorn at the morning or night service, and you could add on a beer if you attend church on Sunday nights. When I arrived in March, they had just started a series called “Stories” where they had several members of the community sharing their stories. I felt right at home as I had just completed writing my own story, which I am now turning into a podcast.
One of the members of CMYK serves in a number of capacities in the community, and I met her early on when I started attending. We had dinner together as I prepared to leave for New Zealand, and this was her recommendation to me.
Recommendation #31 from Kris Glenn
The Liturgists Podcast by Mike McHargue and Michael Gungor
The podcast debuted on July 28, 2014, and there are currently a total of 97 episodes. It is broken down into seasons on iTunes, and they are in the midst of season 4. Both hosts grew up in the Christian church, but walked away from their faith as they struggled with understanding and reconciling the God they grew up believing in, and the world we live in today. They eventually returned to the Christian church, primarily through mysticism and meditation, but their faith had been transformed through the intense periods of doubt and disbelief. They now host the podcast to discuss a range of issues through the lenses of art, faith, and science.
Mike McHargue, better know as “Science Mike”, is an author, podcaster and speaker who has done extensive reading into the science of the brain and physics, while Michael Gungor is a grammy nominated musician and composer. At the start of season 4, two additional hosts were added: Hillary McBride, a PhD candidate at UBC and a Registered Clinical Counsellor, and William Matthews, a singer/songwriter with passions of artistry and advocacy.
I have appreciated hearing their stories and their compassion for understanding God, the world, and their neighbor in complex, nuanced ways. They give me hope that the Christian church is evolving. And they have made me recommend this podcast in person to several people already.
To jump right in, I would recommend listening to episodes #6 and #7, entitled “Lost and Found”. They are the stories of Mike and Michael, and they chronicle how they left and returned to their faith. From there, I will give you a list of my top 10 episodes that I have heard so far, although I have enjoyed them all:
Episode #6 – Lost and Found (part 1)
Episode #7 – Lost and Found (part 2)
Episode #20 – LGBTQ
Episode #5 – Spiral Dynamics
Episode #37 – The Enneagram
Episode #29 – Philosophy and Radical Theology
Episode #35 – The Cosmic Christ with Richard Rohr
Episode #34 – Black and White: Racism in America
Episode #40 – Women
Episode #2 – Genesis & Evolution
Do your mind a favor and try out listening to The Liturgists. Even if you don’t normally listen to podcasts, I don’t think you will be disappointed. Listen with some friends and have a discussion together. I am sure it would be a great way to enrich your minds and grow closer together.
The song for today is from my ReVivified playlist for today’s date. It’s about re-writing headlines, calling for ceasefires, and reaching out to our enemies.