In this episode we explore this season as a conversational pilgrimage shared between the hosts, listeners, and conversation partners. We go on to consider that our human-to-human relationships offer insight into our human-to-divine relationship, and therewith honesty in terms of where our relationship really is at.
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In this episode we explore the transition in Christianity from presence to mystery. In the primal expression we find high concentrations of engagement with God in small communities of Christ followers. Such experience is non-negotiable. After the creation of the institution of the Church we then find ridiculously low concentrations of relational engagement with God amidst a vast population now defined as Christian by citizenship and birth. Ever since relational engagement with God has a not been considered essential nor has it been required. The result is that we believe, behave, and belong as those raised Christian in a mostly Christian world.
In this episode, we explore the shift from presence to mystery and the challenge of trying to engage God relationally in the context of a life and faith defined by mystery and silence.
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In this episode we continue the conversation around relational experience in relation to other people and in relation to God.
Here we distinguish between God’s non-relational relationships and God’s relational relationships. This might sound complex but it really comes together as we talk about our human to human relationships and the relationship we can have to ‘the idea of God within us’ as opposed to having ideas about God and relating to God as the Person who draws near and withdraws.
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In this episode we begin establishing what Relational Spirituality is. As people we have diverse relationships – with ideas, values, objects, institutions, and persons – and it’s important to shift from relating to God as an idea to relating to God as a Person who draws near and withdraws.
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Our latest episode kicks off the new season of the podcast of the urban mystic.
In this episode, Tim Victor and Steve Carter talk about the season and what’s ahead. This is our most ambitious season yet and we’ll be establishing Relational Spirituality in concept and in practice. As a model of spirituality it differs to devotional and introspective spiritualities which grapple with the mystery of God in activities. In contrast, Relational Spirituality focuses on God drawing near and withdrawing. It is focused on the presence of God rather than the mystery of God as behind the scenes.
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We’re hard at work planning, recording, and editing some bonus episodes and Season 5 of The podcast of the Urban Mystic. Through the previous seasons we’ve really found our voice, gained clarity on our value for intimacy with God and problems associated therewith, and will focus directly on the experience of God this for Season 5.
We’re really tuned into exploring the tangible experience of God and developing a relational spirituality. By the ‘tangible experience of God’ we mean the experience of God showing up in Person to speak and act. And by ‘relational spirituality’ we mean something different to spirituality as character formation arising from the doing church paradigm, the devotional paradigm, and the Christian Wisdom Tradition. We’re thinking of relational spirituality as about entering deeply into living and loving in all our relationships yet as rooted in a value for intimacy with God and therewith relational engagement with God.
In Episode 6 of our miniseries on Open and Relational Theology Tim and Steve reflect on this series and orient themselves on Season 5.
It is also our first ever book giveaway episode! Thomas Jay Oord, of the Center for Open and Relational Theology, was kind enough to send us some copies of his new book to giveaway to some fortunate listeners. Like and subscribe to our podcast, write a post on FaceBook about your favourite episode, take Tim and Steve in. We’ll draw winners from among those who do and message you via FB to arrange your copy.
This has been quite a year following on from last year with a continuing pandemic exacerbating the frayed edges of our society. The picture above is kinda how I’m feeling 😂. Half-way through 2019 I made the decision to stop supporting existing churches and serving as a missional coach encouraging institutional expression of the church tied to ‘the doing church paradigm’. This enabled me to complete my Masters in Theology (Spirituality) and raised the question of what on earth to do instead. This decision resulted in a tremendous amount of anxiety as I needed to consider what the expression of my calling is to be when leaving all the institutional opportunities.
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This is a bonus episode we’re squeezing in between conversations with our miniseries guests. It arises from a Facebook post Tim wrote (link) about healing and how we follow the Kingdom of Jesus behaviour to go in an ambassadorial way into the world to do as Jesus did/does.
It is a stand alone conversation, though in many ways it connects deeply with so much of our thinking and conversing over the past year.
At the root is a desire to take seriously the God who speaks and acts in this world, and draw near to that God, to self and to others in a way that acknowledges the living presence and desire of this alive God.
We’d love to hear from you in response. Drop us a message or email so we can connect.
You can also support our work through our Patreon Page.
TC Moore joins us this episode of the podcast for a conversation about Open and Relational Theology. Of course, we start by digging into his life story and first experiences of God – and it’s a fascinating story.
We also spend some time looking into TC’s ROSE acronym which he offers in contradistinction to John Calvin’s 5 points of Calvinism – most often referred to by the TULIP acronym. You can access the Youtube link here to a longer and deeper dive into TC’s work on Open and Relational Theology.
We’re so grateful to TC and our other two guests, Delvyn and Rory, for joining us on this miniseries. Next week will be the last episode in this series as Tim and Steve wrap up and reflect on the guests and the three conversations.
You can also support our work through our Patreon Page.
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