something beautiful

pam hogeweide :: 5.4

jdblundell — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:53:04 +0000

pam hogeweide

pam hogeweide is the author of the new book “unladylike: resisting the injustice of inequality in the church.” today she talks about her book, and how women and men can end sexism in the church.

music ::

admiral bob (feat. shannon hurley) – sunshine (unplugged)

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luke harms (pt 2) :: 5.3

jdblundell — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:09:58 +0000

this week we continue our talk with US army veteran luke harms.

harms served in both iraq and afghanistan as a member of the US army and then returned to afghanistan as a civilian contractor.

harms shares his unique perspective on the war and the military meta-narrative and the struggle he faced adjusting from living in a combat zone to civilian life.

be sure and listen to part 1 of luke’s story if you haven’t already.

things to consider as you listen ::

what does it mean to be a maker of peace?
do you agree that by viewing one group as sub-human, it enables us to view anyone as sub-human?
how has guilt played a part in your journey?
how can we better process guilt and tragedy in our lives and the lives of those around us?
how has nationalism and/or american exceptionalism shaped your view of the current war on terror?

related ::

luke harms part 1

luke’s blog
luke on twitter
tony campolo shares his draft story (prince of peace – god of war)

music ::

psalters – dumpter divers

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luke harms :: 5.2

jdblundell — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:27:55 +0000

luke harms

this week we talk with US army veteran luke harms.

harms served in both iraq and afghanistan as a member of the US army and then returned to afghanistan as a civilian contractor.

harms shares his unique perspective on the war and the military meta-narrative and the struggle he faced adjusting from living in a combat zone to civilian life.

things to consider as you listen ::

how does harms story compare to the narrative you’ve heard about the wars in iraq and afghanistan?
how did 9/11 shape and inform your theology and ideology?
how has the “army hero” meta-narrative shaped your view of the military?
how has nationalism and/or american exceptionalism shaped your view of the current war on terror?

music ::

psalters – dumpter divers

luke harms :: 5.2 is a post from: something beautiful

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joy bennett :: 5.1

jdblundell — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:49:10 +0000

joy bennett

we’re kicking off 2012 with a conversation with blogger joy bennett.

joy is, ‘a Christian woman writing through grief and loss depression, and the overhaul of my faith in the face of suffering.’

joy’s oldest child was born with severe special needs and passed away in 2008 at the age of 8 and she shares her journey on her blog and this week with the sbpodcast family.

joy describes herself:

I am a writer, mother of four, wife, reader, follower of Christ, bereaved, asker, and lover of rich soil, good food, music, and sunshine, listener… in no particular order. Two of my children were born with serious congenital heart defects, including my first. It was quite an initiation to motherhood. Between the two of them, we’ve been through six open-heart surgeries and countless nights in the hospital. This writer learned to give shots, insert feeding tubes, run i.v. pumps, measure in mLs, and pronounce words like tracheomalacia. I’ve blogged since 2005, writing on faith and doubt, family life (which is always humorous even with the medical spin), grief, and the depression that I only recognized a year after our oldest died at the age of 8.

some questions to ask yourself while you listen ::

what tragedies or crisis in your life have shaped your faith?
what helped you through the crisis?
how can you use your experience to help walk others through their journey?
do you believe that all things are good – even the “bad things” – or do you agree more with joy that “good can come out of bad things?”

music ::

ureiel asher – i don’t know

joy bennett :: 5.1 is a post from: something beautiful

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Competition: Win Come Let Us Adore Him by the Lower Lights

headphonaught — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:08:01 +0000

Hey everyone… I hope you enjoyed our Christmas ‘nines’? It really came together and I am grateful to everyone who contributed to the episode. It would be wrong for me to single out any particular contribution… because there was a real synergy effect in action.

That said… I do want to pay tribute to music of The Lower Lights. I was bowled over when they allowed us to use their music on the show. I am a huge fan of their rootsy folk sound and it really was the icing on the cake when they said “yes”… via the wonder of Twitter.

I really love their latest album… Come let us adore Him… it combines their timeless sound with the joy and anticipation of Christmas. I do get annoyed when we only sing carols in Advent… consider the sheer power of the lyrics to “O holy night” for example:

Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. And in his name all oppression shall cease.

It really doesn’t get any better than that… in my opinion.

Anyway… due to an administrative error… I’ve ended up with two copies of Come let us adore Him and have been given permission by the band themselves to give one away… rather than return it to them… which is wonderfully generous of them.

So… it’s competition time!!!

To enter… please visit the Bandcamp page for Come let us adore Him and pick your favourite song from the thirteen songs on the album. Leave a comment on this page with the name of your fave Christmas song, as sung by the band, and give us a reason why. The person who leaves the best reason why… by midday (GMT) on Saturday (7th January 2012)… will win the CD.

I hope that makes sense? While you are there… please take the time to check out their other albums: A hymn revival is particularly strong… and please do what you can to support grassroots independent music in all its wonder flavours.

Thomas

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the christmas nines 2011 :: 4.40

jdblundell — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:46:45 +0000

it’s time for our (almost-annual) christmas special! this year we’re bringing back “the nines” with readings from the sbpodcast crew and our listeners.

a little background from wikipedia:

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a format for a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus that is traditionally followed at Christmas. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir music.
The format was based on an Order drawn up by Edward White Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury but at that time Bishop of Truro, in Cornwall, for use on Christmas Eve (24 December) 1880. Tradition says that he organized a 10 pm service on Christmas Eve in a temporary wooden shed serving as his cathedral and that a key purpose of the service was to keep men out of pubs on Christmas Eve.
The original liturgy has since been adapted and used by other churches all over the world. Lessons and Carols most often occur in Anglican churches, but also in some Roman Catholic, Lutheran parishes, and Presbyterian institutions. However numerous Christian churches have adopted this service, or a variation on this service, as part of their Christmas celebrations. In the UK, the service has become the standard format for schools’ Christmas carol services.

we hope you enjoy the readings, the music and have a wonderful time with friends and family remembering the birth of our savior.

readings ::

genesis 3:8-19 – jonathan blundell
genesis 22:15–18 – tim jones
isaiah 9:2; 6–7 – laurie blundell
isaiah 11: 1–3a; 4a; 6–9 rob griggs-taylor
luke 1: 26-35; 38 – stewart cutler
luke 2: 1; 3–7 – travis mamone
luke 2: 8–16 – will taylor
matthew 2: 1–12 – thomas mathie
john 1: 1–14 – olwyn matthie

additional greetings ::

pastor nar
miriam mathie

music ::

john wickham – the holly and the ivy
the lower lights – in the bleak midwinter
the argyle project – jesus christ, the apple tree
so elated – redemption
stephanie gray – o come, o come emmanuel
shaun groves – kingdom coming
the lower lights – oh come all you faithful
will taylor – silent night
fields of ypress – heaven’s lullaby
the lower lights – little drummer boy
ben thomas – peace, here
tripp fuller – promise

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ariah fine :: 4.39

jdblundell — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:48:06 +0000

ariah fine

this week we talk with author, and community organizer ariah fine about his latest project, clean water for elirose.

ariah shares why community and social justice matter to him and how he was inspired to write a children’s book to share the story of clean water with his young children.

some questions to ask yourself while you listen ::

what issues are dear to your heart?
are resources available to explain those issues to people of all ages?
what resource could you create to better explain the issue?
what could you and your family do to help provide clean water for people around the world?

music ::

so elated – god is with us

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joshua becker :: 4.38

jdblundell — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:30:24 +0000

joshua becker

this week we talk with blogger and author joshua becker.

joshua is an associate minister for a church outside phoenix, arizona and he writes about his journey towards becoming a minimalist in his spare time.

he shares how he stumbled into the idea of minimalism, what a rational minimalist entails and how it plays out with his faith.

music ::

justin horrell – christmas time is here

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Clean Water for Elirose

jdblundell — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:49:05 +0000

Ariah Fine has just published his second book – a children’s book – “Clean Water for Elirose.”

His first novel, “Giving Up” deals with a number of justice issues and his latest book, continues with the same theme but shares it in an easy to understand way for younger children — alongside great illustrations by Don Robb.

The book tells the story of Maria and her friends and how they join together to build a clean water well for Elirose.

Amazing how stories can simplify so many complicated ideas — isn’t it?

The book also includes a brief discussion guide to help you and your children discuss the issues together.

You can order a copy of the book today – and a portion of the proceeds go to help build a clean water well through charity:water.

Order the book.

And if you’d like to see the book before you buy… can also read the entire book right from your computer screen – right now.

What’s even cooler — is the book is now available with a Pay-What-You-Can model. So you can pay $3 for the book or $50 and know that what you’re giving goes to make a difference in the lives of others this Advent season.

And finally….

Ariah is also giving away one book a day from Dec. 1st to Dec. 15th. And there are a few ways to enter each day:

Like the Clean Water for Elirose Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/CleanWaterForElirose
Refer someone to “Like” The facebook page (proven by them posting your name on our wall as the person who referred them)
Follow @WaterForElirose on Twitter
Tweet or post on Facebook about Clean Water for Elirose linking back to the website, facebook or twitter page
Blog about Clean Water for Elirose on your blog (counts as two entries) – And you might want to post it on our Facebook or email info@cleanwaterforelirose.com just so he doesn’t miss it

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The Kingdom of God…

jdblundell — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:44:29 +0000

In this time of Advent, when we remember how the Creator God became flesh and blood and moved into our neighborhood, we reflect on his Kingdom.

An upside down Kingdom. But a Kingdom that is at hand — now — and one that we’re all invited to help bring about.

So what will it look like? The prophet Isaiah writes (65:17-25):

“Pay close attention now: I’m creating new heavens and a new earth.

All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten.

Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I’m creating: I’ll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, create my people as pure delight.

I’ll take joy in Jerusalem, take delight in my people: No more sounds of weeping in the city, no cries of anguish;

No more babies dying in the cradle, or old people who don’t enjoy a full lifetime; One-hundredth birthdays will be considered normal-anything less will seem like a cheat.

They’ll build houses and move in. They’ll plant fields and eat what they grow.

No more building a house that some outsider takes over, no more planting fields that some enemy confiscates, for my people will be as long-lived as trees, my chosen ones will have satisfaction in their work.

They won’t work and have nothing come of it, they won’t have children snatched out from under them. For they themselves are plantings blessed by God, with their children and grandchildren likewise God-blessed.

Before they call out, I’ll answer. Before they’ve finished speaking, I’ll have heard.

Wolf and lamb will graze the same meadow, lion and ox eat straw from the same trough, but snakes-they’ll get a diet of dirt!

Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill anywhere on my Holy Mountain,” says God.

Beautiful!

What do you think? How do you read it?

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What e-books would you buy?

jdblundell — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:48:50 +0000

With the holiday season upon us – many people are making their gift lists and checking it twice.

And with Amazon’s Kindle line getting an upgrade this year, many people will be joining the e-reader ranks this holiday season and looking for new books to read.

So we’re curious.

If you had $50 to spend on Kindle books – what would you buy?

What stories have captured your imagination?

What books have brought you to new understandings of faith, God and life?

What are those books you’ll never part with?

Take a look at the Kindle selections and let us know in the comments – what Kindle books would you’d buy with $50 to spend?

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lucas land :: 4.37

jdblundell — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:30:50 +0000

lucas land

now that you’re all stuffed from a big thanksgiving meal — we talk food and food ethics with farmer and all around ag-guy, lucas land.

lucas and his family have been involved in farming and agriculture for several years, including a post-graduate internship at world hunger relief in waco, texas. and he’s just returned from a brief stay in bolivia where he focused on water issues.

he’s actively involved in finding and sharing the intersection between our faith, ethics and the food we eat.

music ::

jj heller – wake up the world

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joshua hanson :: 4.36

jdblundell — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:30:57 +0000

joshua hanson

this week we talk with joshua hanson, one of the founders of nomad’s land in alabama. nomad’s land is a 40-acre property that’s becoming a place of rest for weary travelers built around sustainable building and agriculture.

joshua talks about his “rock-n-roll” lifestyle following the grateful dead and other bands around the country, ending up meeting with a shaman who bathed him in cow manure and how a group of ex-hippies showed him a love he hadn’t experienced anywhere else.

related ::

nomad’s land
kingdom promotions

music ::

jes karper – the third kind

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dr. carl bradley :: 4.35

jdblundell — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

dr carl bradley

this week we talk with dr. carl bradley, a man of many hats. dr. bradley is an educator, a former school administrator and he’s been a church organist for most of his life.

he’s served as a teacher in the public elementary school system, an administrator at both baylor university and the university of mary hardin-baylor and now teaches at temple college and works in supervisory roles helping train new teachers.

dr. bradley shares that while he initially felt called “into the ministry” he discovered that “ministry” encompasses so much more than just a 9-5 job at the local church.

music ::

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#sb1more is live

jdblundell — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:00:50 +0000

The something beautiful 1 more event is live!

Thanks so much for everyone who participated and shared a video.

We hope you’ll take some time to view each video, listen to the messages being shared and then leave your feedback in the comment section on the page or share your thoughts on Twitter using the #sb1more hashtag.

Thanks again to all who participated and we look forward to everyone’s feedback.

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stephen burke :: 4.34

jdblundell — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:00:43 +0000

stephen burke

this week we talk with stephen burke, who heads up the Lord will provide end-time ministry.

stephen talks about how he transitioned from an advertising exec, to a church planting ministry and now into a ministry in building cities of refuge.

music ::

wisely woven – throne to the earth

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joy wilson :: 4.33

jdblundell — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:35:27 +0000

joy wilson

this week we talk with joy wilson, who’s an author and a provocateur. joy and her husband, bud, are two life-long hippies. she is an outlaw preacher and an active participant in kairos prison ministry.

she’s recently published her book, “uncensored prayer: the spiritual practice of wrestling with god.”

she gives us a great insight into her writing and her story on this week’s podcast.

music ::

paul haggis – disco (doontown)

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connections

jdblundell — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:54:43 +0000

Who knows what impact the connections you make today will have on future generations….

How are you making connections and being the hands and feet of Jesus to your sphere of influence?

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something beautiful #1more

jdblundell — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:07:33 +0000

Got a question, idea or dream for the church that you’re just itching to share with everyone?

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

As we reflect back on Oct. 31, 1517, we’re reminded that it was with a simple list of statements, posted on the door of the The Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany that started the Protestant Reformation.
And it led us to think — if we could say just one thing to the Church universal — what would it be?
If we could add “1more” item to Luther’s list — what would we add?
And more importantly, what would YOU add?
So between now and Oct. 24, 2011 we want to gather your voices, and your thoughts (and your videos) to put together one giant list of unique ideas for the Church.
And on Oct. 31, 2011 we’ll share those videos with the world — right here on our website. So anyone and everyone can come and listen and hear what you have to say.

Be sure to get your video together, post it online and then tell us where to find it – by Oct. 24th.

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carl medearis :: 4.31

jdblundell — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:00:08 +0000

carl medearis

this week, we chat with carl medearis, an expert in arab-american and muslim-christian relations and the author of several books on the topic. medearis is a catalyst for a number of current movements in the middle east to promote peace-making, as well as cultural, political and religious dialog leading toward reconciliation.

during our conversation, medearis explains how he learned to stop evangelism while serving as a missionary in beirut, lebanon and hopes to encourage other followers of jesus to do the same.

music ::

fun – bensen hedges

carl medearis :: 4.31 is a post from: something beautiful

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