Inappropriate Conversations

Walk The Earth 8

Whether "old" church (pre-Reformation) manages ritual better than church today in more modern or contemporary settings?

136: Converse versus Convert

It's not funny, it's hypocritical, how the same words can sound hateful or not based solely on whether they are heard rather than spoken. Sometimes we only understand the worst aspects of how we communicate when we hear ourselves through the angry words of others. The principle is very simple: if words you hear directed toward you are wounding rather than healing, then those same words directed toward others are hateful rather than loving.

Different Drummer: Peter of Bethsaida

Walk The Earth 7

Whether there is any one correct style of a ritual, including communion and baptism?

135: Nestor the Audio Commentary

From "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" to "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" Rankin/Bass Productions seemingly could do no wrong. Output from there was far less consistent, including Nestor -- "Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey" from 1977.

Different Drummer: Fred Astaire

134: Gender Segregation

Once misinformation becomes "tradition" it is extremely difficult to correct. This is true of a pope 1,500 years ago who willfully merged the identity of several women into one misleading "Mary" to deliver a sermon series on sinful women. More broadly, it is true of those who ignore the way Jesus interacted with women during his earthly ministry. Walk The Earth podcast (6) looked at how these mistaken views of gender impact the local church. This Inappropriate Conversation looks at the impact to the church-universal and the great distance between the example of Christ and what we too often see today from clergy.

Different Drummer: Mary of Magdala

Walk The Earth 6

Whether gender plays a role in the experience of worship?

133: Radical Gratitude

I've been known to sarcastically say "life has dealt you a rotten set of cards" to people who lose track of the blessings they have received in the midst of temporary, and often small, setbacks. For example, I could complain that I've never had the talent to see a musical note on a page and fight the correct tone with my voice. As a music-by-ear singer, I tend to follow others rather than truly joining the choir. On the other hand, I should be grateful for all of the music I've imitated. Thanksgiving, as a day or a state of mind, means being grateful even when circumstances are much more severe.

Different Drummer: Horatio Spafford