#125: Bitter and Sweet — the journey of Lent (with Tsh Oxenreider)

This month I connected with long-time blogger and author Tsh Oxenreider all about Lent. Tsh grew up big Bible church and after living abroad for many years found herself drawn to the Catholic church. Her new book, Bitter & Sweet: A Journey into Lent is a practical, easy to use devotional tool for leaning into the upcoming season of Lent. Our conversation has got me reflecting on the seasons of nature, especially winter, the darkness and the hope we need, and how Lent grew out of the human need for hope in this season. Did you know that Lent predates the Bible? We talk about all this, and the idea of “being in the season of Lent”, rather than Lent as something you do.

Jonathan PuddleFebruary 18, 2022lent, catholic, spiritual practices, devotional, liturgyComment

#114: Embracing an authentic spiritual life (with Liz Milani)

Liz Milani is a writer and seeker who runs The Practice Co app and Instagram, and joins me this week to talk about daily spiritual practices that are authentic to our self of sense. We talked about leaving church when our bodies break down, deconstructing and reconfiguring our faith, and reconnecting to our bodies and a more holistic, sustainable spirituality. Liz and her husband Jesse were formerly pastors at a megachurch in Australia—we have loads in common, this was a really refreshing discussion for me personally, and there’s loads of hope and practical wisdom in here for anyone wrestling with God, church and their sense of self.

Jonathan PuddleMay 20, 2021deconstruction, church, pastoring, faith, spiritual practicesComment

#111: Cultivating wholeness through spiritual practice (with Lisa Colón DeLay)

This week I am joined by my friend Lisa Colón DeLay to talk about the healing power of spiritual practices. Lisa begins by explaining why we should acknowledge that we live in a white-dominant culture and the importance of learning about non-white spiritual practices, especially embodiment. We discussed a rubric for identifying our core areas of trauma as well as how to move them from areas of non-awareness into conscious awareness, through spiritual practices led by the Holy Spirit. Lisa unpacks many themes from her excellent book, The Wild Land Within: Cultivating Wholeness Through Spiritual Practice, which is an excellent discipleship resource.

Jonathan PuddleApril 30, 2021healing, wholeness, race, white supremacy, diversity, embodiment, discipleship, spiritual practices, trauma, contemplativeComment

#81: A Deeply Formed Life (with Rich Villodas)

Rich Villodas, pastor of New Life Fellowship in the heart of Queens, NY, joined me on the show this week. I’ve been hugely impressed by Rich’s depth of thought and the integration of emotional health, racial reconciliation, Holy Spirit power and more that he teaches and embodies. We discussed sexual wholeness, contemplative spirituality and discipleship all in the lens of his new book, The Deeply Formed Life.

Jonathan PuddleJune 5, 2020covid-19, discipleship, church, pastoring, spiritual practicesComment

#56: To Hell with the Hustle (with Jefferson Bethke)

Jefferson Bethke (along with his wife Alyssa) is a popular YouTuber, as well as an author and speaker. You know him from the spoken word video Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus. Jeff has a new book out on hustle culture and the importance of slow, quiet, spiritual rhythms. We discussed a whole bunch of things, from social media to Sabbath. Listen here or anywhere you find podcasts.

Jonathan PuddleOctober 10, 2019hustle, lifestyle, family, silence, spiritual practicesComment