Practice Not Perfect

A Fireside Chat with Roger Wolsey.

I sat down with Roger Wolsey to discuss his book Discovering Fire: Spiritual Practices that Transform Lives. Roger is a spiritual director, pastor, speaker and blogger. He is well known in progressive Christian circles as the author of Kissing Fish: Christianity for People Who Don't Like Christianity. His latest book explores spiritual practices that have nurtured and aided Roger in his own journey from woundedness to wholeness. Some of these practices come to us from the Christian Tradition; some of them are practiced by the Spiritual-but-Not-Religious set and yet are a resource that Christians and other spiritual travelers can all draw on for their own journey to wholeness. 
 
If you would like to check out Roger's work, you can find him on his Facebook Author page, his Kissing Fish Book Facebook page, at RogerWolsey.com or on his blog at Patheos, Holy Kiss: 
 
https://www.facebook.com/RogerWolseySoulCoach
https://www.facebook.com/KissingFishBook 
https://www.rogerwolsey.com/
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogerwolsey/
 
If you would like to purchase Discovering Fire, you can find it on Amazon and Audible:
https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Fire-Spiritual-Practices-Transform/dp/B0BZ9V9V8H
https://www.audible.com/pd/Discovering-Fire-Audiobook/B0CPTHKW8Q?qid=1712382762&sr=1-1&ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=HYD4Z70JK1CZY7NPC01S&pageLoadId=PHcJynqUsVFdAgx1&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c
 

Praying with Saint Patrick: a conversation with Aaron Burns and Matt Mikalatos on their new book

I got to talk with Aaron Burns and Matt Mikalatos about their new book, Praying with Saint Patrick: Prayers and Devotions Inspired by the Irish Hero of the Faith. Aaron is a filmmaker (producer, director, screenwriter) and Matt is an author, screenwriter and speaker (and my first repeat guest!).  The two of them previously collaborated in writing the screenplay for Legacy Peak (2022). In this project they explored the life and writings of Saint Patrick, and they have produced this little devotional/prayer book which invites us to pray along with Patrick's Story. 
 
You can order their book from the Publisher here: https://www.tyndale.com/p/praying-with-saint-patrick/9781496446756
from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Saint-Patrick-Devotions-Inspired/dp/1496446755/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y25YYFln7wn1tu7K749l71NE-ukJR8EYbt0grGnHSpLWl2sv3NqEpAyftbxjX14V-CYAoIjlX2qwssl0fZR049jHYkR9ahZnkqx5EiZRxEjOo7Fiw860sxRXBtLVj0GVX3uikeWiEB7Kv7MTmUzInzL-bJOADd6URpKbMr7veS2CShopRLuY6ypFIA5q9alg_SMYXlGVu6zXkredVn1ktmP-hT81tVUzh9r1oh-PWAw.YRGUag2E2ihG8CiONXHgQvl8Js5fyXHNBriaKVbV_ns&dib_tag=se&keywords=praying+with+saint+patrick&qid=1710224264&sr=8-1 
Or from your local bookstore.
 
You can follow Matt Mikalatos on social media here:
https://www.threads.net/@mattmikalatos
https://twitter.com/mattmikalatos
https://www.instagram.com/mattmikalatos
https://www.facebook.com/matthew.mikalatos
 
And you can find Aaron Burn's website:
Burns & Co at https://burnsco.us/
or his company's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/burnscoproductions 
 
 
 

Embodied Presence: a conversation about embodiment with Ashe Van Steenwyk

I got to sit down with Maki Ash Van Steenwyk (She/They) to discuss the role that embodiment plays in spirituality, activism, in our mutual belonging, and in the ways, we navigate the world.
If you want to connect with Ashe in her work, head on over to Center for Prophetic Imagination website: https://propheticimagination.org/
 
Or you can also follow the Center for Prophetic Imagination on 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/propheticimagination
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/propheticimagination/?hl=en
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@propheticimagination?hl=en
 
 
If you are interested in checking out books that Ashe has written here isa linked to some of the books she has written or contributed t(pay no attention that this is Amazon, and find these books elsewhere): https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mark-Van-Steenwyk/author/B002BMN6IS?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1709538273&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
 
 

“Voices of Resurrection: Exploring Romero’s Easter Letter” a conversation with Julio Hernandez

Julio Hernandez is a pastor and activist here in the US, but his family heritage is Salvadorian. We got together to discuss the legacy and witness of Archbishop Óscar Romero and the first of his Pastoral Letters, The Easter Church, written on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1977.  
If you are interested in learning more about Saint Óscar Romero, you can find links to his writings (including the pastoral letters) at the Archbishop Romero Trust: http://www.romerotrust.org.uk/
 
 

How to Practice Lent: a conversation with Christine Sine

I got to chat with Christine Sine—author, activist, gardener, contemplative, spiritual director and "liturgical rebel—about what Lent is and how we can practice it. What I loved about this conversation was how passionate and insightful Christine is. And I learned a lot. Did you know that Lent was in the hunger time in the Northern Hemisphere, so the practice of giving stuff up, was away for more well-off Christians to identify with the suffering poor who struggled through these winter months? 
 
I know you are going to find this conversation enlightening and encouraging as you seek to practice your way through the Lenten season. 
 
If you want to catch up with what Christine Sine's work you can follow her on her website: https://godspacelight.com/. Purchase her books @ https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christine-Sine/author/B00BL4EC3A?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1707821520&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true or follow her on Facebook or Instagram
 
Look for her podcast: Liturgical Rebels (Coming Soon!)

Between the Listening and the Telling and a Long Delay: a conversation with Mark Yaconelli

Mark Yaconelli wrote Between the Listening and the Telling in 2022. We had a great conversation about it then, and after a long delay I present it to you for your listening pleasure. Mark reminds us of the hunger in each of us to connect, to be heard, to be understood. You will want to listen to this!
 
You can order Mark's book from Broadleaf Books: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/productgroup/2046/Between-the-Listening-and-the-Telling
And catch up with his work as a story-catcher, and teacher of story-craft through his non-profit, The Hearth:
https://www.thehearthcommunity.com

How to Practice Discernment: a conversation with Adam Shields

Adam Shields is a book blogger (at Bookwi.se) and a spiritual director (at aspiritualdirector.com). In this episode we discuss the nature of Spiritual Discernment, what it is, why it is an important part of Christian Spirituality, and what are some misunderstands, obstacles and limitations to discernment.
You can catch up with Adam on his blog or on his socials. His handle is AdamRShields, and he is most active on Twitter and Threads.
Some books and resources discussed in the Podcast: 
 
Anderson, Hanna, All That’s Good. Chicago, Moody, 2018.
Anderson, Laura, When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion. Grand Rapids, Brazos Press, 2023.
Beck, Richard, Hunting Magic Eels: Recovering an Enchanted Faith in a Skeptical Age. Minneapolis, Broadleaf, 2021.
Brooks, David “David Brooks on How to Know A Person” The Russel Moore Show,  produced by Russell Moore, January 3, 2024, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-brooks-on-how-to-know-a-person/id1074011166?i=1000640420856
Gallagher, Timothy, OVM, The Discernment of Spirits: an Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living. New York, Crossroad, 2005.
Graves, Marlena, Bearing God: Living a Christ-Formed Life in Uncharted Waters. Colorado Springs, NavPress, 2023.
Howatch, Susan (Starbridge Series, various)
Ignatius of Loyola, Personal Writings. New York, Penguin, 1996.
MacIntyre, Alasdair, After Virtue. South Bend, University of Notre Dame Press, 1981.
Martin, James, SJ. Becoming Who You Are: Insights on the True Self from Thomas Merton and Other Saints. Mahwah, Paulist Press. 2006.
McConnaughey, Janyne, Trauma in the Pews: the Impact on Faith and Spiritual Practices. Glendora, Berry Powell Press, 2022.
Winner, Lauren, The Dangers of Christian Practice: On Wayward Gifts, Characteristic Damage and Sin. New Haven, Yale University Press

The Art of Hope & Resistance in an Age of Empire: a Conversation with Jackie Allen-Ducot

Jackie Allen-Ducot is a spiritual director, a member and cofounder of the Hartford Catholic Worker (HartfordCatholicWorker.org), and an artist. We got together to talk about hope, activism and art, and how both protest and art looks at the grim realities of our present world and helps us imagine what it would be like to inhabit a different world.