Feeling Beings Who Think

Expanding Our Beliefs

"I live my life in widening circles" quotes my guest The Rev. José Roberto (Berto) Gándara-Perea as he shares his love of Rilke's poetry, which speaks to his desire for an expansive life and faith. Berto has been ordained for thirty years, first as a Roman Catholic priest, now Episcopalian. We talk about the reasons for that, what catholic (note the small "c") truly means, we go deep with seeking to put words around what is hard to talk about: love, vulnerability, awe, yearning - words that in the Christian tradition, are part of the story we are about to celebrate. A story and an invitation to give birth to love and light. I hope this conversation meets you wherever you are and expands the circles in your life. Thanks for listening!
Bio - The Rev. José Roberto Gándara-Perea, or Berto as he is better known, was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. In 1983 he entered the Redemptorist Congregation, a Roman Catholic missionary order, where he made vows in 1986. Berto completed a BA in philosophy with the Dominican friars in Bayamón, Puerto Rico and then a four-year master’s degree in theology in the national seminary in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was ordained a priest in 1992. In 2004 Berto began a process of discernment concerning leaving the Roman Catholic Church and its priesthood and entering The Episcopal Church. He obtained a Diploma in Anglican Studies from The General Theological Seminary (GTS) in New York City and, after much prayer, he made the decision to "swim the Thames" in 2006.
Berto worked for three years as program director, case manager, and mental health counselor at Harlem United Community AIDS Center. He also worked at GTS as Director of the Hispanic/Latino Theology Program, adjunct professor, and Field Education Director. In 2009 he was received as a priest in The Episcopal Church and served for four year as priest-in-charge at the Church of the Intercession in Harlem, New York City. For the last eight years Berto has served as the rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Orcas Island, a small island of the Northwest coast of Washington state.
Berto has shared his life for the past sixteen years with his spouse, the Rev. Hugh McPhail Grant, also an Episcopal priest and psychotherapist from Atlanta, Georgia and their two amazing dogs: a tripawd called Ava and Bruno.
 

Wondering about Wonder

"I wonder..." This simple beginning is an invitation to deep conversation and connection. My guest today is Sally Thomas, creator of the Wondering Together Project.  Her experiences as a nurse, chaplain, busy mom, and Sunday school teacher led her to create a practice for families based on this invitation. I hope this rich conversation prompts wonder and possibilities for strengthening connections in the relationships that matter to you this time of year. Thanks for listening! 
Sally Thomas Bio - Since her children declared their innate theology as tiny sage ones, Sally has been attuned to the spiritual questions, and wisdom children spontaneously offer in this wondrous world. A chaplain in Portland, Maine, Sally recently completed a Doctorate in Ministry from Eden Seminary. The WonderingTogether Project – the fruit of her doctoral and ongoing research - focuses on how sharing our stories daily (simple, mundane, messy, and real) enhance our connectedness to one another in our digitally complex world. Sally has been sitting with circles of children and their families in ministry settings for 20+ years andenjoyed working as an RN and Nurse Practitioner, and Chaplain.

Being Held and Holding Space

My guest today is Kristofer Lindh-Payne, who wears a few titles (and a clergy collar, like me). He beautifully shares early experiences of being invited into religious traditions in ways that honored his curiosity and piqued his interest. The way we described this feeling is "being held", or, when we know we are seen, heard, and loved so it is safe for us to ask questions and challenge inherited belief systems - because they aren't being imposed. This continues to inform how Kristofer works in the world today inviting others into relationships for building up the common good. 
The Rev. Dr. Kristofer Lindh-Payne (he/him/his) serves as Canon for Congregational Vitality in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, as well as Co-Rector of St. Francis Episcopal Parish & Community Center in Timonium. He has a doctorate in congregational development from Bexley-Seabury, a master in pastoral care from Loyola, and a master of divinity from Seabury-Western. Kristofer is a friar in the Anglican Order of St. Francis (OSF), and is deeply formed in the Francis-Clarian tradition. A native of Baltimore, he was ordained in the Diocese of Maryland as deacon in June 2009 and as priest in January 2010. 

What A Funeral Taught Me

Most of us don't think about funerals until we have to. In this short episode, I share a personal story. It's the story of the funeral I walked through that changed all my thoughts and feelings about what my role at a funeral, as a priest, is for. I hope you find support, resonance, or encouragement in whatever way you, and we all have to at some point, are or have navigated loss in your life.
Here is the piece I reference, "Why I Like a Good Funeral."
Thanks for listening.

Grief and Gratitude

How do you love people the way they need to be loved? My conversation partner today, Erin Weber Johnson, brings us full circle to that question. This is the second time Erin has joined me on this podcast. The first was "Being Connected." We continue to talk about connection in our relationships and with ourselves. Are we able to recognize our self-imposed sense of responsibility and choose to do something courageous? Ask a question! Something as simple as, "What do you need?" 
We laugh about food and feelings, share our holiday plans and how we're grappling with the grief in the world alongside our feelings of gratitude at the beginning of this holiday season.  Thanks for listening!
You can learn more and connect with Erin here.

Belonging To Yourself

How often do you change who you are to meet the needs of others? Do you belong to yourself so much that taking care of yourself empowers you - without guilt- to take care of others? In this episode, I share some reflections on Brené Brown's definition of belonging. Belonging as a feeling, an awareness, a choice that supports the lifelong work of "adulting"! And I connect my understanding of Brown's wisdom to what I teach and preach - particularly around the holidays. I hope you enjoy this solo episode. Thanks for listening.

Transitions and Change

Change is hard. Yes, and - neglecting our feelings about the transitions change brings can make change harder still. Today I’m talking with Mike Coe, a Master leadership coach who works with leaders who want more creativity, creatives who want more leadership, and anyone navigating change in their life. Mike specializes in coaching Veterans, military, and spouses through their inner transition as they reenter civilian life. 
We talk about the feelings that change brings, the learnings that we gain from difficult changes, like divorce, and how humor and the framework of improv, are creative ways to accept change when it happens - whether we like it or not.
I hope this conversation prompts resonance, laughter, and encouragement to look inward and get curious about how you might support yourself through the transitions that change brings in your life. Enjoy!
www.coach.net
www.vetsatease.com.  

Feelings and Faith with Fr. Mark Robin Collins

He's back by popular demand! The Rev. Mark Robin Collins joins me to talk about the hard-won wisdom of owning our past, the experiences of great love and great sadness that have shaped who we are and how we work, and how powerful it is when another person validates the feeling of faith in our worthiness. Enjoy!
If you enjoy this podcast, please take a moment to like or rate it and perhaps even share it.  Thank you!
 

Connecting with All Our Parts

You and I spend considerable time each day having an internal conversation that goes like this - one part of me wants to do "this" while another part of me wants to do "that."  Sound familiar? My guest today, is Emily Kokenge, an award-winning brand builder and business leader providing design leadership and business strategy for more than 30 years. Why is she talking to this priest? Because we are both engaged in the work of building people up through coaching and teaching frameworks that help us get in touch with all the parts of who we are.
The parts that feel like an imposter, or confident parts, or the parts we want to avoid all together! Alas, better to dig in and listen and learn from all these varied parts which is what we talk about. I hope this conversation connects with parts of you. Thanks for listening! 
You can learn more about Emily at her website.

Spirituality and Sobriety with Erin Jean Warde

My conversation today is with Erin Jean Warde, Episcopal priest, spiritual director, recovery coach, and author of the soon-to-be-released, “Sober Spirituality.” Erin and I talk about what supports us and what gets in the way of being awake to our lives. We talk about binaries, those dualistic, either/or mindsets that keep us stuck! Stuck when we want to look at our spiritual practices, or when we are scared by the feeling that we want, and don't want, to think about our relationship with alcohol. 
With compassion, humor, and storytelling Erin offers empathy and support for people seeking mind, body, and soul healing. 
You can connect with Erin and her work through her site, her online course, and on Substack.  And you can find her book here and of course, here.