Mindful Leader

Dr. Bruce Birch: Sing the Lord's Song in a New Land

(Normal release for this Podcast is Mondays.  I generally post it when it is ready, usually a few days before Mondays.  Note:  it can be shared. A reward to subscribers and those looking for the podcast on their service. A transcript is HERE. The Transcript Service provides the recording, so if you desire, you can listen while you read. (I won't get a count of you logging on, but ... ))

Join Dennis Shaw, host of Mindful Leader, in a compelling conversation with Dr. Bruce Birch, retired Dean Emeritus at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.

In this episode, they delve into the profound theme of exile as depicted in the Bible and its relevance to today's world. Dr. Birch's expertise in Old Testament and Biblical Theology sheds light on the historical and emotional aspects of exile. He explores how the concept of exile has molded responses in times of crisis, offering hope and a path to renewal.

Through stories from the Biblical era to modern-day challenges, Dr. Birch discusses the importance of turning towards God's new paths, embracing change, and finding new ways to sing the Lord’s song amidst adversity. Whether you are part of a faith community or navigating your personal journey, discover the lessons of resilience, creativity, and community in times of loss and transformation. This engaging dialogue examines how the faithful can find strength and purpose when the familiar is uprooted, encouraging us all to look forward to God's new future beyond nostalgia.

**** Some Potential Links of Value ****

Amanda McDow is the Pastor at Los Angeles First United Methodist and they are singing a new song.  Mindful Leader Podcast is HERE.  

Here is Jonathon Haidt on a different topic than I promised and it is good.  I refund your subscription price if you don't like it!  

The real Haidt talk I am referring to in my conversation with Dr. Birch is HERE -- it is a TED Talk from 2012.  Quite good I felt.  

Next week I expect the Podcast to be on church leadership on health and wellness.  One of the guests is Tracy Reinhard and HERE is a YouTube video of her story.  

Dennis email is HERE.

Episode 9: A Mindful First Chat with Annie Arnoldy

Our guest today is Annie Arnoldy, Superintendent for Vitality and Connectional Ministry at the Mountain Sky Conference of the United Methodist Church.  

I have known Annie since her student days at Colorado State University when we collaborated a little on Youth Ministry.  In addition to her studies at CSU, Annie holds a Master in Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology and a Masters Certificate in Organizational Leadership from Denver University.  Annie is a Mountain Sky Conference Elder and she entered ministry from Hope UMC in Greenwood Village, CO.  

Her local church experience includes Grand Junction First UMC and Highlands Ranch Saint Andrews UMC.  

I consider this part 1 of what I expect to be a continuing conversation on the direction of the Mountain Sky Conference in the area of Leadership Development.  

If you are having trouble getting Mindful Leader into your podcast app, send me a note at dennis at mantuan dot org (spelled that way to confound the bots.)  

This podcast was released on September 4, 2023.  My next guest along with topic will be confirmed on September 5.  That podcast will be released on September 18, 2023.  

Episode 6: Zach Bechtold-- Bozeman UMC

The change in tone and direction of today from earlier podcasts is intentional.  I hope to be moving more to church leadership in a mindful manner on these excursions and use colleagues both in the Mountain Sky Conference and other conferences to talk an idea (or two or three or six) of leadership. 

Our guest is Zach Bechtold.  Zach has completed his first year as Pastor at Bozeman UMC in Bozeman, Montana and is part of a wave of younger clergy leading a number of our pillar churches.  Zach's LinkedIn page is HERE and is part of where I got my introduction.

Our theme was making new from old.  

Zach sees the church year, i.e., Ash Wednesday, All Saints, Easter, as important elements to help him discern how to make new from the old.  He also sees connecting with where he has been planted while retaining the connection with remote colleagues as important.  

Zach and (new) fellow Mountain Sky pastor Matthew Franks (Castle Rock UMC, Castle Rock, Colorado) have their own Podcast.  It is Bearded Theologians and their podcasts are HERE. Both of them are baseball fans, which means by definition, they understand failure, success, sacrifice, perseverance and getting home, safe.  

During our discussion, we talk a little about David Foster Wallace and "This is Water."  HERE is a good place for both sound (in two bursts on Soundcloud) and the actual text.  It is probably NSFW but quite good.  I listen to it regularly and I don't agree with all of it, I do find it quite compelling.  

Captain Midnight Secret Squadron Decoder Ring Information:  

• UMCOR is United Methodist Committee on Relief. 
• A CRM is a Congregational Resource Minister -- a Mountain Sky "thing."
• A DS is a District Superintendent -- the Bishop's representative over a subset of the Conference.  

I try to keep these to about 40 minutes but it is a podcast.  Stop and restart if you have finished your walk, exercise, dishes, household chores, whatever and we are still talking.  This one is 46 scintillating minutes.  

My blog is HERE.  I will try on occasion to write a piece or three about the topic at hand.  

Send me a note (dennis at mantuan dot org -- and written that way to confound the bots) if you need help getting your podcast app to find Mindful Leader.  Might I ask for you to share if you think worthy?  

I apologize for the four + weeks since last podcast.  People are simply out of town.  Plan I think will be every two weeks.  That schedule should start on/about 23/24 July.  I hope.  

Epiphany +4 - To Love as God Loves

The scripture is 1 Corinthians 12: 31b through the end of 13.  

Gift and Fruit of Love.  Paul has been driving to this point in his letter and lays out his theology of Love.  To love, in a mature way, as God loves.  

Epiphany +2 -- Listening Peacefully

Gifts of the Spirit, Fruit of the Spirit, Gifts are what you have been given, fruits are what is made manifest by your connection to God.  Big ideas:  common good, community, trusting the Spirit for others to have gifts I don’t have.  GC2019 – Peace is a fruit.  Peace will (might?) come if we collectively take a deep, inspiring, breath.  

Advent 2, 2018 -- Waiting Patiently, in Peace

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31 (English Standard Version)

From my newsletter article (Click to read):  Our theme for Advent will be: Waiting patiently in hope, peace, joy and love.  Each week will focus on one of those four ideas.  We want to honor Advent I think part of how we honor the season is cherishing and embracing waiting.  The Isaiah above is a theme for all who want to move quickly.  ‘Renew your strength:  wait.’ 

This week, we are somehow, waiting patiently … in peace … Last week the invitation was to be alert, be awake, be on watch, here are there God sightings which make us hopeful and if yes, don’t wait to be a messenger for God on this.  Yes, wait patiently, but patiently is not necessarily silently.  Go and tell people the Good News.  Be a messenger.  Be a Malachi.  Be a John the Baptist (ok, maybe not a John the Baptist).  The Lord IS coming.  Go tell someone! 

November 25, 2018 -- Christ the King!

John 18: 33-37

 

We stand at the end of the church year.  It is New Year’s Eve in New York City and the ball has gone down and we are here to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.  Who is Jesus for us?  Really for us?  What is our no equivocation answer?  He is King? 

 

If not, why not?  I expect while the scriptures are NOT John 3: 15-17, I will get to John 3: 15-17, particularly 17.  We can live according to the cynical values of Pilate or …. the choice is ours. 

November 11, 2018 -- Serving Means Letting Go

Scripture Readings: Luke 15: 11-12 (yes, short). 

 Big idea:  God calls on people to serve.  I am mindful that the son had a different agenda than serving but what I want to focus on is letting go.  The father let go.  In today’s world, we are served by many and parents, grandparents, friends, have to let go. 

 “In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.”  Deepak Chopra

 Part of our task is know when to let go, and when to hang on. 

Season of Pentecost - James -- Are you "All In"? Why Not?

Pentecost 17:  18.09.23

James 3:13 - 4:8a

Pastor Dennis “Big Idea”: 

I decided to take to the area of which wolf will you feed?  Which wisdom will you honor? Played with the idea of what it means to be "all in".  Sometimes it means you are exhausted or tired.  But other times, it means, I am totally with this.  I am "all" in. No guilt.  No shame.  But at the same time, where are you?  

Revealed this service my financial contribution to the church.  Not for guilt, or shame, but to show Marilyn and I are all in.   

Sunday Four of Five Straight RCL Sundays on James

^3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. ¹⁵ Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. ¹⁶ For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

^4:1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? ² You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures….

⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ^8a Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

 

 

Season of Pentecost - James -- Being and Becoming

 

James 1 and his commentary on faith without works is meaningless.  True.  Context does matter ...