Embracing Transformation and Liberation with Rev. Tom Brackett
In this episode of Visions&, host Erendira Jimenez Esquinca engages in a profound conversation with Reverend Tom Brackett, the now former Manager for Church Planting and Missional Development for the Episcopal Church. Brackett shares his journey from a rigid evangelical background to an open, wonder-filled spiritual leader. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a childlike curiosity and embracing the cyclical nature of life, where ongoing birth and death are necessary. The discussion explores themes of hierarchical structures, emerging spiritual practices, and the necessity of letting go. Brackett illustrates how new life and hope can emerge from what seems like darkness, proposing a shift from power over to power with, and advocating for mutual learning, storytelling, and the reclamation of tradition. The episode delves into ways of navigating institutional constraints, fostering transformation, and midwifing the new into being.
00:00 Introduction to Visions&
00:58 Meet Reverend Tom Brackett
02:27 Tom's Spiritual Journey
04:26 Valerie Kaur's Impactful Sermon
08:08 Exploring Spiritual Longing and Tipping Points
11:42 Wrestling with God and Archetypal Stories
16:08 Institutional Challenges and Spiritual Hunger
22:39 Embracing Death and Rebirth in Spiritual Systems
27:05 New Ways of Gathering and Community
30:34 A Slave to It All
30:54 Dancing with Different Faiths
33:08 Returning to Childlike Wonder
33:43 The Power of Play
36:53 Learning to Dance Again
38:35 Navigating Religious Structures
41:25 Embracing Change and Tradition
46:13 The Wisdom of Letting Go
51:22 A New Horizon
