Shows
Radical Love LiveA Conversation with Brian E. Pearson Part 2In this two-part adventure, Mark talks with Brian E. Pearson, priest, musician, and author, for a deep and wide-ranging conversation about vocation, soul, and joy. Brian reflects on his years of ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada, including his time as rector of St. Stephen’s in Calgary—and the moment that nearly cost him his calling when he was warned by his bishop, “Do this again and you will be fired,” after officiating a marriage for a trans parishioner.
Our journey takes us through his parallel passion for music and the near-miss of a professional career, his love of writi...
2025-09-2153 min
Community Matters PodcastEpisode 6: Brian Roland, SPECIAL EDITIONIn this deeply moving episode, we sit down with Brian Roland to explore the life-altering accident that changed everything. Brian opens up about the journey of healing, the unwavering support of his family, and how they’ve emerged stronger—reconnecting with the community in powerful new ways. This special edition is a testament to courage, love, faith, and the spirit of comeback.
2025-09-181h 13
Radical Love LiveBrian E. Pearson: Joy, Vocation, and Talking to the TreesIn this two-part adventure, Mark talks with Brian E. Pearson, priest, musician, and author, for a deep and wide-ranging conversation about vocation, soul, and joy. Brian reflects on his years of ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada, including his time as rector of St. Stephen’s in Calgary—and the moment that nearly cost him his calling when he was warned by his bishop, “Do this again and you will be fired,” after officiating a marriage for a trans parishioner.
Our journey takes us through his parallel passion for music and the near-miss of a professional career, his love of writi...
2025-09-1546 min
Spread Great Ideas: The PodcastTaylor Pearson: "The End of Jobs," History, and Navigating Uncertainty Please welcome my friend Taylor Pearson to the show. Taylor is a fellow father and entrepreneur, the author of The End of Jobs, an essayist with his Interesting Times newsletter, a fellow Tennessean, one of the founders of a long-volatility and tail-risk hedge fund, and a former college football player, where he played offensive line. He's spent the last decade researching and writing about how you can better invest your time and money in an uncertain world, i.e., how to be more antifragile. Welcome, Taylor. Taylor Pearson Quotes From the Episode "Re...
2025-04-221h 20
Story of My Pet: Tales of Animal Rescue, Fostering & AdoptionShark Tank Success: Frame Your Feline's Journey to FameBrian Vermeire and Kristina Hughes, founders of Frame Your Feline, return to the podcast to share their journey from creating innovative cat furniture to landing a spot on Shark Tank.• Frame Your Feline offers wall-mounted frames that cats naturally jump into, becoming "living masterpieces"• Traditional cat furniture takes up floor space and often looks unattractive in homes• Their frames provide cats with vertical space while maintaining home aesthetics• Only 100 businesses out of 50,000 applications make it onto Shark Tank episodes• Both founders actively support cat rescue eff...
2025-04-2153 min
Slow Down To Speed Up#020: The Discomfort of Stability [Will Pearson]"Am I failing as a founder if I'm not constantly pushing for more growth?"After achieving stability in his 5-year-old business, Will Pearson brings this question to our coaching session. With a 4-year-old daughter and 7-month-old son at home, Will has found a balance between work and family, but feels guilty about it.This episode explores:The identity crisis that comes with business stabilityHow founder narratives create unnecessary pressureWhy rest periods are essential for sustainable growthFinding confidence in your own definition of successFor anyone who's ever wondered if they're "hungry...
2025-04-1449 min
Grief 2 GrowthYou Don't Have To Die To Get To Heaven- Sue Pearson's Shared Death Experience- EP 416🕊️ What if you could accompany a loved one partway to heaven? Would it change the way you see life, death, and everything in between? In this unforgettable episode of Grief 2 Growth, Emmy Award-winning journalist Sue Pearson shares her shared death experience (SDE) with her father, a moment that completely transformed her understanding of the afterlife.Sue also opens up about:✅ The mystical experiences that followed her father’s passing✅ Her encounters with divine guidance and the signs from loved ones beyond the veil✅ The true power of...
2025-02-041h 14
Estela PearsonDOWNLOAD [PDF] Million Dollar Habits: Proven Power Practices to Double and Triple Your Income By Brian Tracy (Author) Full Episohttps://yuandipro.firebaseapp.com/?GASS=1599186144 . Click This Link To Access Million Dollar Habits: Proven Power Practices to Double and Triple Your Income by Brian Tracy (Author) Book Supports all formats, Such as: EPUB, PDF , AZW3, MOBI, IBA, & RTF Book Title: Million Dollar Habits: Proven Power Practices to Double and Triple Your Income Book Author: Brian Tracy (Author) Book Rating: 9+ ratings Powered by Firstory Hosting
2024-10-2200 min
Moonshots Podcast: Superstar mindsets and success habits21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating. Eat That Frog! by Brian TracyAre you ready to supercharge your productivity and eliminate procrastination once and for all? In Episode 268 of the Moonshots Podcast, hosts Mike and Mark discuss Brian Tracy's timeless wisdom and best-selling book Eat That Frog!, guiding you through practical and proven techniques to master your time and achieve your goals.Brian Tracy’s philosophy revolves around tackling your most important and daunting tasks first—what he calls “eating the frog.” This approach builds momentum early in your day and creates a sense of accomplishment that powers you through to even greater success. This episode is packe...
2024-09-2449 min
The Mystic CaveFrom "Them" to "Me Too:" How Writing Groups Can Bring out the Writer in UsClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).So many writers hide their light under a bushel, thinking they don't deserve the term "writer." But writing groups can put the lie to that fear, coaxing us and our words out from hiding. The UnderStory Collective is the writing group I belong to. I invited them to the Cave to share the reassuring and emboldening benefits of having writerly friends. Members of the UnderStory CollectiveSuzanne Johnston, Allan Cooper, Jessica Waite, Anne Marie Nakagawa, Brian Pearson
2024-04-2157 min
Get Your Edge#170 SYE Sean Skahan and Logan PearsonIn this episode we revisit our episodes with Sean Skahan and Logan Pearson.
1 We talk about why people choose to become a strength coach and influence mentors have.
2-We talk about the benefits of private sector small group training.
3- We discuss Logan and being a late bloomer.
4-Leading by example!
Help us grow our GET YOUR EDGE community! Share this podcast on X- THE GRAM- FACEBOOK- Help others get better!
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2024-03-2443 minGet Your Edge#168 Division 3 POY Logan PearsonIn this episode we welcome in the DIII player of the year and former Kimberly grad Logan Pearson
TOPICS COVERED
1- Logan talks about what it was like for him to be a late bloomer and how he trusted the process for his development.
2. Logan shares how he has learned to lead by example.
3. We talk =TRANSFER PORTAL.
4. Logan gives us his GET YOUR EDGE advice.
If you enjoy the podcast please share it with your athletes- teachers- parents and other coaches. Help us grow our GET...
2024-03-1724 min
The Mystic CaveWill the Angels be Happy: A New Years' TuneClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Here's a song I wrote a few years ago that has become special to me. I often use it to close my performances of music and storytelling. This version is just a demo, meaning the song is still in development. But I wanted to share it with you as is, as a small gift at New Years. Enjoy!Song Credit: Music and lyrics by Brian E Pearson; recorded in The Mystic Cave studioDouble bass performed...
2023-12-3104 min
The Mystic CaveChristmas in a Car Wash: A Modern TaleClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Set in 1995, when people still smoked and few had cell phones, this retelling of the Christmas story imagines a young couple overwhelmed by circumstances larger than themselves and by a dark and inhospitable world seemingly incapable of welcoming their newborn. Until the city utility truck arrives, and then a carload of academics. Story Credit: Written, performed, and produced by Brian E PearsonSoundscape Credits:Copenhagen Streetscape by iwilhelm13; Attribution Non-Commercial License 4.0Old Station Wagon...
2023-12-2423 min
Hollywood Native Brian LallyJody St. Michael & Jack Walker-Pearson on Acting, Meisner, Adler, Strasberg, Stanislavsky, Hagen, & more...Episode 22 with Jody St. Michael & Jack Walker-Pearson, Brian Lally, and Scott Williams.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/BrianLallyHollywoodNative
LOLAS Acting School https://lolasactingschool.com
Chew on Vegan https://www.youtube.com/@ChewonVegan
Jody St. Michael
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/little_st_jody
Jack Walker-Pearson
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/superbyronx4
Podcast https://3brothasandashotamilk.com
Brian Lally Hollywood Native
Website https://brianlallyhollywoodnative.com
Patreon https://patreon.com/BrianLallyHollywoodNative
Instagram https://instagram.com/brianlallyhollywoodnative
Facebook https://facebook.com/b...
2023-10-201h 45
Hollywood Native Brian LallyJody St. Michael & Jack Walker-Pearson on Acting, Meisner, Adler, Strasberg, Stanislavsky, Hagen, & more...Episode 22 with Jody St. Michael & Jack Walker-Pearson, Brian Lally, and Scott Williams.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/BrianLallyHollywoodNative
LOLAS Acting School https://lolasactingschool.com
Chew on Vegan https://www.youtube.com/@ChewonVegan
Jody St. Michael
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/little_st_jody
Jack Walker-Pearson
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/superbyronx4
Podcast https://3brothasandashotamilk.com
Brian Lally Hollywood Native
Website https://brianlallyhollywoodnative.com
Patreon https://patreon.com/BrianLallyHollywoodNative
Instagram https://instagram.com/brianlallyhollywoodnative
Facebook https://facebook.com/b...
2023-10-201h 45
The 318 Experience#18- Tom Pearson - Director of The Monroe ZooWelcome to The 318 Experience podcast! In this engaging episode, we sit down with Tom Pearson, the Director of the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, to embark on a fascinating journey through the remarkable transformation of the Monroe Zoo. Join us as we explore the zoo's captivating growth and evolution over the past decade under Tom's visionary leadership. From revitalized exhibits to groundbreaking conservation efforts, we uncover the heartwarming stories and incredible successes that have made the Monroe Zoo a thriving sanctuary for wildlife and an unforgettable experience for visitors. Tune in to this inspiring conversation with Tom Pearson as...
2023-07-2548 min
No Way OutCreating Investment Mismatches and Embracing Economic Uncertainties with Taylor Pearson | Ep 30Send us a textEver wondered how to navigate the complexities of management, company building, and investing in a world that seems to be changing at breakneck speed? Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Taylor Pearson, where we'll uncover how to apply John Boyd's OODA Loop in turbulent markets. From Austin's booming tech scene to the Global Financial Crisis, we'll explore the fascinating journey that led Taylor to discover Boyd's work and create a 70-page guide that helps newcomers grasp the concept of the OODA Loop.Together with Taylor, we'll delve into the work o...
2023-07-051h 01
Copeland's Corner with Brian CopelandCalifornia Homeless Issue, Serial Podcast's Adnan Syed Is Free, & What's Wrong With Randall Pearson?!This week's edition of Copeland's Corner, with featured Headliners Chris Riggins & Lauren Mayer... Brian discusses the homeless issue in California, Adnan Syed of Serial Podcast fame is released from prison, and Chris & Brian debate on the character of Randall Pearson from This Is Us. All this and much more from this week of news... --For more from Brian...Visit his website: www.BrianCopeland.comFollow on Social Media: Twitter & Instagram - @BrianCopieEmail: BrianCopelandShow@Gmail.com--Copeland's Corner is Created, Hosted, & Executive Produced by...
2022-09-221h 05
Queer TheologyMusic And The Journey Of Coming Out with Trey PearsonWith his band Everyday Sunday, Trey Pearson has sold hundreds of thousands of albums and amassed millions of streams. He’s had 5 #1 U.S. singles and 20 Top 10 hits. His song “Wake Up! Wake Up!” earned the most-played Christian rock song of the year, and “Best Night of Our Lives” broke onto the coveted Billboard 200 chart. Pearson has toured in all 50 states and 20 countries, including arena tours and major Christian music festivals.
Trey Pearson, the founder and owner of Everyday Sunday, came out of the closet to make national and worldwide news. His announcement started a national conversation with a tel...
2022-01-1651 min
The Mystic CaveThe Way of Wisdom: A Conversation with Don McLeodClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Reluctant to move on too quickly from my recent conversations with Michael Trotta and Philip Shepherd, I invited my friend Don McLeod to spend some time with me processing what we'd heard. Don, the co-founder of the Wisdom Centre, sees connections between what Michael and Philip were saying and the ancient Wisdom tradition--a way of knowing that is imaginal, embodied, and holistic. Jesus himself, Don believes, was a Wisdom teacher. In the end we found ourselves feeling new hope for...
2021-12-1255 min
The Mystic CaveRadical Wholeness: A Conversation with Philip ShepherdClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).It's not that we think too much; it's that we think too much using only our heads! We have cut ourselves off at the neck, losing touch with the natural intelligence of our bodies. Philip Shepherd wants to remove the barriers between the head and body and return to a wholeness we have not known since the Neolithic revolution had us subduing the earth and, by extension, becoming alienated from our own bodies. The head and body need to be...
2021-11-2851 min
The Mystic CaveThe Life-Changing Power of Story: A Conversation with Michael TrottaClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Myths and ancestral stories don't tell us who we are. But they set our feet on a journey to find out. Storyteller Michael Trotta left the confines of the education system to explore and to teach these deeper life-changing tales. Wherever we find them, myths and stories contain the power to open us to wonder and to the unique life waiting within each of us, to be born. Links:Michael's web site: https://www.storymischief.com...
2021-11-1446 min
The Mystic CaveSuccess is a Mytho-Logical Quest: Storyteller Michael TrottaClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Why is it so difficult to find our way in the world, our true way? Why is a feeling of success, of having arrived, having made it, so elusive? And why can no one ever answer these questions? Storyteller Michael Trotta thinks it's because we trust logic when we should be trusting something else--stories. In the myth, the magic, and the mischief of the stories we tell are hidden the answers to life's most persistent questions. Only, they're not answers...
2021-10-3146 min
The Mystic CaveAnd in the End: Some Personal Reflections on Death and DyingClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).It's been a rich exploration, these past six weeks, talking about death and dying. But what does it all mean? What have we learned? Where does it lead us on the spiritual journey? Perhaps, right back to where we started ... to the path stretching out beneath our feet, to this life. Live well now, in other words--purposefully, lovingly, gratefully--and the rest will take care of itself.Credits:Closing Song: "I'm Going to Miss all This"; words and...
2021-10-1724 min
The Mystic CaveA Lamp Unto our Feet: A Conversation with Spiritualist Jane FlemingClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Spiritualists like Jane Fleming are well acquainted with the strange phenomena associated with death and dying. But they know that the larger purpose of that phenomena is to help us on our spiritual journey toward our ultimate union with the Creator. In this lifetime we may get glimpses from beyond the veil, but our steps return us to the path at our feet, here and now. Books mentioned in this conversation:"Hands-on Healing" by Jack Angelo"...
2021-10-1041 min
The Mystic CaveIn the Beginning: A Conversation with Margot McKinnon, PhDClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).We might ask, "What happens when we die?" in order to gain wisdom about how to live. But finding out, at the end, might prove too late. What if we asked, "Why was I born in the first place?" If "heaven" is the same at both the beginning and the end of life, it might be the same question. Contacts: Margot's Web Site: https://www.drmargotmckinnon.comMargot's Email: drmargotmckinnon@gmail.comCredits:...
2021-10-0349 min
The Mystic CaveShall We Gather at the River: A Conversation with Sarah KerrClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Deathwalkers, psychopomps, ancestors--we may be alone on our final voyage, but we needn't be lonely. The Universe itself will welcome us home, just as it birthed us in the first place. Death, it turns out, is a wondrous window on life itself, and who better to remind us of this than a death doula and ritual healing practitioner. Contacts:Sarah's work with the dying and their families: https://soulpassages.caSarah's courses and workshops on death...
2021-09-2644 min
The Mystic CaveGhost of 'Boy Meets Girl': A Conversation with Jessica WaiteClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).It was difficult enough when Jessica's husband Sean died suddenly, leaving her as a widow and a single mom. But posthumous revelations about his secret life turned her grief into rage. When it appeared he was trying to reach out to her from beyond the grave, she might not have returned his calls; but something compelled her to start paying attention. Perhaps they could help one another heal, from both sides of the Great Divide we call death. ...
2021-09-1945 min
The Mystic CaveAt the End of the Line: A Conversation with Tara LivingstonClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).With this episode I introduce a series of conversations on death and dying ... on the other side of church land, or, what the church never told us. Tara Livingston joins me as we share thoughts and experiences of funerals, "good deaths," and what happens on the other side. Contacts:Tara Livingston: www.TRLConsulting. caBrian Pearson: www.mysticcaveman53@gmail.comCredits:Opening Song: "Into the Mystic," words and music by Van Morrison; performed...
2021-09-1241 min
The Mystic CaveWhat We Did on our Summer VacationsClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Welcome to the first episode of a new season of The Mystic Cave, a reflection on the soulful experiences of summer, including our return to nature and our return to the past. Credits:"Into the Mystic": words and music by Van Morrison; performed by Colin James; licensed for use by SOCAN;"How the Story Goes": words and music by Brian Pearson; performed by Brian Pearson with Rob Vause on bass guitar;"Hymn": words and music...
2021-09-0528 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: One Degree of SeparationClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply)."There is a crack, a crack, in everything. That's how the light gets in"--Leonard CohenCredits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal LinksMy web site (where you can sign up for my blog): https://www.brianepearson...
2021-08-2917 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: The Great Cedar Lake Land Claims RaceClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Clergy aren't perfect. Far from it. They may announce each week God's bountiful grace for all. But even they want to get the edge when faced with the possibility of losing out.Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal...
2021-08-2620 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Powers and PrincipalitiesClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Being nice has its limits. Jesus himself was not always very nice. He knew that our 'pleases' and 'thank-you's' don't take us very far ... not when we're confronting the powers of hell. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal L...
2021-08-2223 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Jim Thompson's SederClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply)."All are welcome!" All churches say that. But do they really mean it? And what would have to change, if they did? Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal LinksMy web site (where you can sign up f...
2021-08-1925 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Where Your Treasure IsClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Material things have no value in and of themselves. They only have the value we ascribe to them. So, what we value may say more about us than we really care to know. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPe...
2021-08-1524 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Weddings 'R' UsClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply)."Don't cast your pearls before swine," Jesus told us. He wouldn't have been thinking about brides and grooms, would he? But if the snout fits ... Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal LinksMy web site (where you c...
2021-08-1218 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: WordsClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Blah, blah, blah! Sometimes it feels like we are drowning in a world filled with words. It takes something wordless, like a mime, say, to remind us of what those words were saying in the first place. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@g...
2021-08-0823 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: ForgivenessClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Forgiveness should be a way of life. It's not. It's a way back to life when we've lost our way. Unfortunately, this is not something we can learn without experiencing it, which means, after it's too late.Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53...
2021-08-0519 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: A Prayer Stool for PaulClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).It is said that faith is "caught, not taught." If that's true, looking back, how we did we catch it, if we did; or how did we miss it, if we didn't? And what is it that others might "catch" from us? Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The M...
2021-08-0118 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Brotherly LoveClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).People often ask God for things that, were they to receive them, might make them wonder what they were thinking of in the first place. Brotherly love, for instance. It sounds good, in theory. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.com
2021-07-2921 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Chicken SoupClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).There is no funeral service for chickens. But what we think we're grieving is not always what we're actually grieving. Funerals, inevitably, are about more than whoever’s lying in the box. They’re about all our losses. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysti...
2021-07-2519 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Sweet RegretClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Have you ever thought about the road not taken, the path we chose not to follow? Might it have had a life, a trajectory even, of its own, as if in some parallel universe? And what if that path crosses the path we did take? Would we feel the connection?Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https...
2021-07-2220 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: The Return of William TrelawnyClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).All of us have a "there" back there, someplace we've left behind to get to where we are now. What would happen if we tried to go back, even for a visit? Would it still be there? Would we find ourselves, waiting?Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The...
2021-07-1819 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Pulling Up TaresClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Be careful if you're going to start weeding. You don't know where it might end up. That's why Jesus said, "Live, and let live" ... sort of. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal LinksMy web site (where y...
2021-07-1521 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Bud Blakelock's BequestClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Unity is hard to achieve in any human endeavour, especially in the realms of religion and politics. But sometimes the alternative is unthinkable.Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal LinksMy web site (where you can sign...
2021-07-1117 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Mr. Briggs Goes to ChurchClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Open mindedness has its risks. But open minds can lead to open doors, where any God-created thing can enter in. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal LinksMy web site (where you can sign up for my b...
2021-07-0819 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: The Rise and Fall of Arthur PitfieldClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).An insignificant man, humble and unassuming, is elevated to the church's highest position. He eschews ecclesiastical power for simple presence. But is that what the church wants? Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal LinksMy web site (w...
2021-07-0419 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: GravityClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).The sign of ashes may be about our repentance. But dirt, or 'humus,' is the sign of our humanity, which is sometimes born of humiliation. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal LinksMy web site (where y...
2021-07-0120 min
The Mystic CaveHOW THE LIGHT GETS IN: Country KitchensClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).A new young minister who likes to eat, an old farming community that likes to feed. What could go wrong? Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Links:Web Site: https://www.brianepearson.caFace Book Group: "The Mystic Cave"Email: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comPersonal LinksMy web site (where you can sign up for my b...
2021-06-2719 min
The Mystic CaveJohn Pentland, part 2: A Spirituality for AllClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).John Pentland talks about how Christian belief has changed: from a distant to a present God; from Jesus the answer to Jesus the question; and from a church set apart to a church engaged in the world, even online. It's a hopeful vision that leaves no one out, and promises exciting new discoveries for those willing to travel the Unknown Path.Contacts:www.hillhurstunited.comjohn.pentland@hillhurstunited.comPersonal Links...
2021-06-2034 min
The Mystic CaveJohn Pentland, part 1: A New Kind of ChurchClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).John Pentland invites us to imagine a church, not for dyed-in-the-wool believers, but for never-been-to-church seekers. All are welcome. Hillhurst United Church, where John's been the minister for over sixteen years, has seen its congregation grow, not only in its pews but also online. Its burgeoning membership now includes people from around the world, many of whom have never even set foot in the building. And its appeal? It asks the right questions. Contacts:www.hillhurstunited.com
2021-06-1330 min
The Mystic CaveDerwyn Costinak, part 2: A Mysterious GodClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Many think of religion as a matter of the heart--loving God, loving your neighbour as yourself. But wars have been fought over the words we use to describe that love, and the ideas behind those words. For Christianity in particular, the words matter. Derwyn Costinak is an Anglican priest whose beliefs were formed growing up in the Pentecostal Church. The evolution of his beliefs from those evangelical roots has brought him to a place of openness to the mysterious ways...
2021-06-0633 min
The Mystic CaveDerwyn Costinak, part 1: Long Way from HomeClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Many think of religion as a matter of the heart--loving God, loving your neighbour as yourself. But wars have been fought over the words we use to describe that love, and the ideas behind those words. For Christianity in particular, the words matter. Derwyn Costinak is an Anglican priest whose beliefs were formed growing up in the Pentecostal Church. The evolution of his beliefs from those evangelical roots has brought him to a place of openness to the mysterious ways...
2021-05-3033 min
The Mystic CaveTara Livingston, part 2: A New CommunityClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Having shared with us her spiritual journey, from the inclusion and support of her early years in the church to the hurt and frustration that led her to leave her ministry as an Anglican priest, Tara now joins me to consider the needs of the seeker--on the other side of church land. And what do we discover? It's all about community. Not about biblical authority and clergy role-playing and the need to have all the answers. But simply seekers supporting...
2021-05-2334 min
The Mystic CaveTara Livingston, part 1: It Takes a VillageClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Tara's journey looks a lot like my own: a church-going childhood, a sense of call, an ordained ministry; then hurt and disillusionment, leading her to leave the church, but with her faith intact, even if it expresses itself differently now. In this, the first part of our conversation, Tara tells us her story. In the second, we'll unpack it. You can contact Tara directly through her web site at: www.TRLConsulting.caPersonal...
2021-05-1635 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES: Interview with the AuthorClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).In this episode, the first of the interview sessions, I talk with the author of Lost Rites: Leaving Church Land. That would be ... me. I just want to say, talking to oneself is highly underrated. Your personality begins to disintegrate as different parts step forward for their moment on the stage. But that's not the point. The point is that this is a look behind the writing of the memoir that has been the centrepiece of this podcast for the...
2021-05-0930 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES: EpilogueClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).All the church's failings began with faithfulness. Someone was trying to do the right thing. But then they clung to that thing, afraid of having to make difficult decisions, or to have faith, ever again. So the scriptures, the creeds, the sacraments, the ordered ministries--they all hardened into stone, like the mighty cathedrals they inspired, and ceased to have life or breath. I choose life. And miraculously, I have found that life still flows ... on the other side of church...
2021-05-0219 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 15, Part 3: One Last Good-byeClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).We did the deed, performing an "irregular" wedding. We received the censure we were expecting. Everyone went back to their jobs. But for me, it was over. I would devote my time to my people at St. Stephen's and to our many engaging ministries, but also to my plans to leave. Something deep inside was telling me it was time. When I left, I'd be done. Credits:Interlude: Feels Like Home to Me by Randy Newman, performed...
2021-04-3022 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 15, Part 2: New JerusalemClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).The people of God, according to the Prophet Micah, already know what God requires of them: "to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." But what if those are the very people who are unjust, unkind, and proud? What if someone has to step outside the bounds of their faith community in order to be God's people? Is that not a kind of heresy, or pride, in the guise of righteousness? Or is that...
2021-04-2521 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 15, Part 1: Beginning of the EndClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).What a difference a day makes. With the election of a new bishop for the Diocese of Calgary, the church was about take a turn to the past, leaving progressive parishes like mine feeling more like islands than parts of the mystical Body of Christ. And things would only get worse. Credits:Interlude: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Ton Koopman / License: SOCAN2021Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van...
2021-04-2321 min
2021-04-2020 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 14, Part 2: Big God, or Small?Click here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).We opened our doors and the world came in. Isn't that what's supposed to happen? We were changed as a result. Isn't that also what's supposed to happen? The lines between ourselves, as Christians, and others, each in their own religious guise, were blurring. The walls that kept our faith in and the world out were coming down. We were moving freely through the border country and discovering that God was, in fact, everywhere. A God without borders. So why...
2021-04-1825 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 14, Part 1: Blessed Here and NowClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).As I was entering the "days of my greatest creativity," my church of St. Stephen's was, as well. We were learning to climb down Jacob's ladder, leading us back down to earth rather than up to heaven. Whatever delights awaited us in the next life, they could wait. We were finding fulfilment in the challenges and in the mysteries of this one. We were growing up. Credits:2nd Interlude: What a Wonderful World, by Bob Thiele and G...
2021-04-1629 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 13, Part 2: New LifeClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Inner work manifests outwardly. Just as my soul work had opened new doors for my pastoral ministry, the parish's inner work was about to manifest in a massive building renovation to support its re-energized calling, as servants of God and of the world. The new space would not only serve the wider community, it would inspire us in our worship. We were changing, and it was all for the better.Credits:1st Interlude: Carpenter's Workshop and Stripwood...
2021-04-1126 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 13, Part 1: Soul WorkClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).It seems that we are our own weakest link. We can't help others if we can't help ourselves. We can't love others if we don't first love ourselves. So when, finally, I did the work necessary for the healing of my own soul, I was ready to assist in the healing of others. That meant becoming a mentor to midlife men, a ministry that came to me; I didn't go looking for it. But what's better than one-on-one work with...
2021-04-0928 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 12, Part 2: Rising UpClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).If there's a turnaround in my story, it begins here. But it's a slow turning. I would be entering the years of "my greatest creativity," just as Bishop Bothwell had predicted, back in Niagara. But it wouldn't be with the church's approval, or with its blessing, as I might have imagined. Fuelled by a new vitality bursting from within, it would be with the blessing of my own soul. Credits:1st Interlude: Gonna Fly Now ("Theme from R...
2021-04-0427 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 12, Part 1: Risking EverythingClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Sometimes, you can't rise up until you get down. All the way down. And a marriage breakup will do that for you. I don't care what the pious judges say. No one walks out the door easily. It tears you apart, and scars you for life. But somewhere in the violent darkness, life itself is calling out to you. At least, it was to me. And I was willing to risk everything to reach out and take it. ...
2021-04-0227 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 11, Part 2: Battening Down the HatchesClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).My new ministry, and our family's new life in Calgary, brought both joys and challenges. The diocese proved a lonely dysfunctional place. The parish needed a clean sweep. Only my home life seemed as it should be ... though in truth, that too was headed for trouble. I was writing again, and finding friends not only in the pages of my new novel but also in the real people life was bringing my way. I would need them all for the...
2021-03-2829 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 11, Part 1: Once More Into the BreachClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Our move to Calgary was accompanied by signs and wonders, as if heaven and earth were being moved to make it so. Doors were being opened for both my new parish and my new diocese. Expectations ran high. Even our family life was finding a new footing. But appearances can be deceiving, and first impressions do not always last. Credits:1st Interlude: Polyphased_Angelic_Particles by Polyphased / license: Attribution2nd Interlude: Hope by tictac9 / license: Attribution...
2021-03-2625 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 10, Part 2: Foggy SeasClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Heaven on earth is a nice idea. But we all know it can't last. It was a pity our time on the Coast couldn't have lasted longer. It was so close to my heart's true home. But forces from without and forces from within were nudging us to move on to our final destination--no, not THAT final destination, but to a new and concluding chapter for my ministry, in Calgary. Once again, however, the way would be fraught, and the...
2021-03-2129 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 10, Part 1: Working SabbaticalClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).We had intended to move to Calgary. But we overshot it by a thousand kilometres, placing us on the outer edge of Vancouver Island, in Tofino and Ucluelet. It was a wild new place to call home and an exposure tour for all of us. Sandy was employed by the local tribal council. The kids saw nature up close and personal. And I had to learn to accomplish less in a week than I was used to. We would all g...
2021-03-1928 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 9, Part 2: Back into the FireClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Our move to St. Simon's in Oakville changed the names and faces, but not my underlying problems. Once again, I was caught up in all the exciting new possibilities. As once again my family started to take a back seat to my ministry, I could feel that familiar enervation. I was working too much and too hard. But I wasn't going to let that happen to me again. The counselling I sought, and the soul work I began to do...
2021-03-1428 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 9, Part 1: Work, Rest, and PlayClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).I thought I was moving up in the world. Having made a splash in my first major parish, maybe I could raise my profile even higher by moving to a new diocese. That's what my ego was saying. But just about every other part of me was saying I needed to rest, and to reconnect with my wife and family. Fortunately, Church of the Redeemer, Stoney Creek, in the Diocese of Niagara, allowed me to do both. The parish didn't...
2021-03-1227 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 8, Part 2: No Way OutClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).In my big new parish it was sink or swim, so I swam for my life. But one of the rules of the sea is "women and children first," something I hadn't heard yet. As my work life exploded, my home life all but rolled up into a ball and shrivelled away. I was burning out, with no one to blame but myself. My family history provided an answer to that, though: If you can't change yourself, change your location...
2021-03-0728 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 8, Part 1: Life in the Fast LaneClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Even the church offers a version of life in the fast lane. It's what happens when a fresh young priest is anxious to prove himself and the church is all too happy to put him to work. It was hard work in my burgeoning parish of St. Philip's, Unionville, but rewarding as well, especially as I learned to see my parish as a family, not as an institution. As my professional life flourished, it would be my personal life that...
2021-03-0527 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 7, Part 2: Priest in the HouseClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).I was a new priest. But I wasn't a new man. And no amount of holy posturing could hide that fact. I was still too young a man and too new a priest to realize that it was my humanity that God, and God's people for that matter, actually wanted of me, not my exalted ego. But, not realizing that yet, I stuck out my chin and assumed my new role with all the cockiness of youth. Credits:
2021-02-2816 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 7, Part 1: Only HumanClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Finally, I was ordained in the Anglican Church of Canada, both as a deacon and a year later as a priest. But it appears we can never lift ourselves too far out of the muck from which we crawled, eons ago. Odd things happen when we do, some of them laughable, some of them humiliating, to bring us back down to earth again. We are, after all, only human.Credits:1st Interlude: Church Organ Ending Tune.mp3...
2021-02-2626 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 6, Part 2: Becoming WholeClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).I was placed as an interim minister in Dave Ward's old parish of Cookstown. My heart still needed healing. But so did theirs. So we ministered to one another, as “wounded healers.” It was a rich and grounding time, reminding me of my familial roots in North Vancouver. I might have been content to stay there. But my ambition drove me to push for an ordination date, which would require soul work of a different sort. It was time to alig...
2021-02-2125 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 6, Part 1: Student-in-ChargeClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Following my graduation from Trinity, I was set adrift by my archbishop when he learned that my marriage had broken up. I wouldn't be ordained along with my classmates. But he was willing to give me something, so he sent me as the chaplain to a church camp. It proved to be just what my wounded soul needed. Then, at the end of the summer, he placed me as student-in-charge of a familiar rural congregation, Cookstown, that had been recently...
2021-02-1924 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 5, Part 3: Access DeniedClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).There's a children's song for a long car ride that begins, "Are we there yet? Not yet!" That might have been my song as I entered my third and final year at Trinity. Both graduation and ordination were being held out to me as real and tantalizing possibilities. My focus had returned. I felt ready. But was I there yet? Not yet! Credits: 1st Interlude: Dramatic Organ, B.wav by InspectorJ / License: Attribution2nd Interlude: Hand...
2021-02-1427 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 5, Part 2: Sirens' CallClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).In every hero's quest, the sirens of waylaid distraction eventually appear, calling out, "No, over here! This way!" It's not to say we shouldn't obey them. Maybe we should go over to where the sirens are beckoning to us. Maybe, even, we need to go there, in order to rediscover where our true path lies. Anyway, that's what I had to do on my way to graduation and to ordination. The sirens made such sweet music.Credits:I...
2021-02-1320 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 5, Part 1: Hogwarts and AllClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Trinity College, at the University of Toronto, where I began my divinity training, was a magical place. But as enchanting as it was, and thrilling, not all magic is good magic. I would find that our humanity follows us everywhere we go, even to places of higher, which is not to say heavenly, education.Credits:Interlude: Story Logo by DDmyzik / License: Attribution NoncommercialMusic Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from...
2021-02-1221 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 4, Part 2: The Assurance of Things Hoped ForClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).My fundamentalist beliefs delivered me into the bonds of marriage. I was certain that's what young Christian couples were supposed to do. But my new liberal beliefs were pulling me in directions I could not have foreseen, where faith meant stepping out in the absence of certainty. Life was, in fact, becoming less certain for me, a lesson in faith if ever there was one. And soon I would begin my training for ordained ministry, where certainty was thrown out...
2021-02-0725 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 4, Part 1: A Path Less NarrowClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).As Spirit-filled Jesus People, we had the light, but we didn't yet have the depth. For that, we'd need to live in our new faith for a while, testing it against what life itself wanted to teach us. And life wanted to teach me that I wasn't the only one who had God living inside me. Secular professors, a rabbi, and even a prospective new girlfriend--they all had God living inside them too. And sometimes God in them was wiser...
2021-02-0525 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 3, Part 2: All for JesusClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).I trade in my weekend parties for weekend worship, and for a mission to evangelize the world. Heady times, full of drama, as is just about everything in the teen years. The narrow beliefs wouldn't last. But the faith would. And the importance of a "relationship" with the divine. God was becoming more real to me, but not according to any formula I'd known before.Credits:1st Interlude: Prayer.mp3 by genesis Attenborough / License: Attribution Noncommercial...
2021-01-3124 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 3, Part 1: Into the CrucibleClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Our family's move from Montreal to Toronto introduced me to a whole new group of friends. It also introduced me to Jesus. Personally. So I was brought to a classic crossroads. What did I really want to do with my weekends? Party, or pray? I was a teenager, but the answer wasn't obvious. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2021Photo Credit: Chad...
2021-01-2925 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 2, Part 2: With a Little Help from my FriendsClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).The tensions only increased as I approached my sixteenth birthday. My good and bad angels fought with each other. My brother made home life intolerable. My parents both suffered challenging health issues. I sought solace with my friends. Until we rolled it all up into another move ... and started again. But what was there to fear? In our new church I was to meet Jesus. Personally. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by...
2021-01-2427 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 2, Part 1: Living in a (Suburban) War ZoneClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).Our family's move to Montreal was as eye-opening as it was alarming. We found ourselves in the middle of a religious battle zone, where it mattered which school you attended and which church you belonged to. But I had other things to think about than my religious identity. I was entering my teens and the world was waiting for this budding performer to arrive on a new stage. Church could wait. Credits: 1st Interlude: GL Hallway 2.wav...
2021-01-2225 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 1, Part 2: Growing PainsClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).My childhood, looking back, seems idyllic. Stable home, healthy church, friends and family all mixed together in one big happy tribe. But, as happens, the seeds were already being sown for the person I was to become, specifically, for the minister who was even then taking shape. Life lessons were preparing me for the road ahead, and not all of them would be easy. Credits:Music Credit: "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James...
2021-01-1025 min
The Mystic CaveLOST RITES, Chapter 1, Part 1: High Calling, Humble StartClick here to send me a text message (include your contact info if you want a reply).I begin my story with my memorable ordination as a deacon. It was a strange experience, being "raised up" to become a lowly servant. Even then, the contradictions abounded. Not like my early experience of church, where it was all about safety and security and, above all, belonging. My childhood in North Vancouver was idyllic, and my family provided a place to learn to manage the tension of being both a willful Leo and a lamblike middle child. The stage...
2021-01-0725 min