Spiritual Misfits Podcast

Carolyn Meers offers a contemplative journey through the mystery of light across traditions, through time, into prayer. This episode includes a guided practice of holding yourself and others in the light of dawn, midday, and twilight.At the end Caro reads Jan Richardson's blessing 'How the light comes'.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Christmas can be wonderful...and complicated. Especially when your beliefs have shifted and you're heading into family gatherings or other contexts where not everyone understands or agrees with where you're at now. In this conversation, Will sits down with pastor and spiritual director Carolyn Meers and therapist Linda Pesavento to explore why Christmas amplifies these tensions, how to navigate relational minefields with integrity, and what it looks like to create new meaning while honouring what remains beautiful from your past.Whether you're facing judgment from family, translating yourself to preserve relationships, or trying to figure out what Christmas means when the old story doesn't fit anymore, this episode offers practical wisdom, honest stories, and permission to keep yourself safe at this time of year.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Anne Lanyon joins Will to discuss her work with the Faith Ecology Network (FEN), an interfaith network of people bridging conversations between science and religion. Anne shares about her formative years growing up as an Irish Catholic in rural Victoria, the work she has done for many decades at the intersection of peace, ecology and justice, and the way she hears the earth speaking a prophetic message we all need to heed. Anne and Will explore the powerful and underestimated role of wonder, and the role it can play in science, spirituality and community. Learn more about the Faith Ecology Network: https://www.fen.org.auExplore the Ten Ways to Care for Biodiversity here: https://www.tenwaysbiodiversity.orgWant to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Explore the fascinating intersection of Advent and AI anxiety. The host delves into attachment hacking, cognitive atrophy, and the pressures of artificial general intelligence. With a focus on embodying hope, listeners are guided through a contemplative practice that encourages breath and presence. The discussion highlights the importance of facing reality with courage while naming deep concerns and bringing them to the divine. Ending with a soothing musical meditation, it invites everyone to find light amidst uncertainty.

Mike Hardie, a Uniting Church minister and founder of the inclusive faith community Oasis in Sydney, shares his fascinating journey through various Christian denominations. He discusses creating spaces that honor both mystery and conviction, essential for fostering spiritual growth. Mike dives into topics like theological struggles over LGBTQI inclusion, the importance of active listening, and nurturing children's spirituality. His vision emphasizes authenticity, embracing sacred curiosity, and the need for communities that can hold complexity while promoting justice and harmony.

Mikenzie Ling joins Will to explore three crucial tensions for our times:Can we be locally grounded with a global mindset?Can we stay physically embodied in an increasingly digital age?Can we be both ancient and progressive?A conversation that will spark your thinking and invite you into deeper listening.Will mentions the work of Vanessa Andreotti: Hospicing Modernity https://decolonialfutures.net/hospicingmodernity/and 'Burn out from Humans'https://burnoutfromhumans.net/Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

What do you do when you realise you haven't prayed in months, and you haven't missed it? Sally Douglas joins Will to explore what it means to 'rewild' prayer: moving beyond formulas, gendered God-language, and the Zeus-like deity many of us inherited. A conversation about trinitarian prayer, holy demanding, and finding your way back to the real when your ability to pray feels dead.Get Sally’s new book, ‘Rewilding Prayer’ here: https://www.sallydouglas.net/rewilding-prayerWant to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Mitch Forbes joins Will for another Pub Theology chat. They discuss topics like Christian indignation at Halloween, the existence of evil, thoughts about death, and questions about authenticity, performance and the essential nature of human beings.The Substack article Mitch and Will discuss regarding Authenticity: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/against-authenticity?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=qtmh6&triedRedirect=trueWant to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Biblical scholar Michelle Eastwood joins Will Small to discuss her journey from growing up Lutheran, journeying through multiple denominations and shifting in the way she engages the biblical text. Drawing from her PhD research on Psalm 71 and aging women, Michelle advocates for reading the Bible as a "flawed document" that can still inspire faith, without needing to explain away its difficult passages. For anyone who still wants to read the Bible, while acknowledging its violent and troubling nature, this is a great conversation.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Rev. Samuel Dow joins Will Small to share how he found his calling at the intersection of faith and ecology through Baroona Farm, an urban farm in Brisbane that grows food with and for refugees and asylum seekers. Will and Samuel discuss eco-theology, links between agriculture and spirituality and how to build more gentle and sustainable communities.Follow Baroona Farm on social media: @baroonafarmWant to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com