Sandbox Cooperative Podcast

A few months ago we had the chance to talk with New York Times best-selling author Rob Bell. We talked about failure, rejection, and what it means to be human. Rob is the author of books like Love Wins and the host of his own podcast — The RobCast. He toured with Oprah Winfrey on her “Life You Want Tour,” and he was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. But he’s never been on the Sandbox Cooperative Podcast. Until now.

Our traditions help us make meaning, but they can also become stagnant. How do we keep ourselves from cutting a perfectly good chunk off the end of a perfectly good Christmas ham? In other words, can we shed some of the unhelpful, rigid nature of our traditions and instead allow them to bring meaning to our experiences? And how might we pass those traditions on from one generation to the next?

Fake News has been making headlines as of late as stories and news sources that are based on false information have been gaining our trust. In the Age of Fake News, it’s hard to know what to believe sometimes. But if there’s one thing we know it’s that we can’t let these stories drive us to such opposition that we can’t actually talk with and learn from each other. How Fake News Goes Viral, The New York Times How to self-check the news and get the facts, Minnesota Public Radio 6 in 10 of you will share this link without reading it, The Washington Post

On October 30, 2016 Sandbox Cooperative welcomed Regina Mustafa to the Sandbox stage. This podcast contains the Q&A portion of the evening event. Regina lives in Rochester, Minnesota and is the founder of Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam, a local organization focused on sharing reliable and accessible information on Islam, as well as promoting healthy interfaith dialogue. She shared some common misunderstandings about our Muslim neighbors, the struggles and joys of living in the United States as a Muslim given our current political and social climate, and helped us ask a very important question together – why is interfaith dialogue so important? And maybe even more at the heart of it – why is it important for each of us to be in relationship with those who aren’t like us? More about Regina at Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam (CIDI), @cidi_cidimn, Regina Mustafa on Facebook

On October 30, 2016 Sandbox Cooperative welcomed Regina Mustafa to the Sandbox stage. Regina lives in Rochester, Minnesota and is the founder of Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam, a local organization focused on sharing reliable and accessible information on Islam, as well as promoting healthy interfaith dialogue. She shared some common misunderstandings about our Muslim neighbors, the struggles and joys of living in the United States as a Muslim given our current political and social climate, and helped us ask a very important question together – why is interfaith dialogue so important? And maybe even more at the heart of it – why is it important for each of us to be in relationship with those who aren’t like us? More about Regina at Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam (CIDI), @cidi_cidimn, Regina Mustafa on Facebook

We intentionally recorded this episode of the podcast before any election results came in as a time capsule to ourselves. What do we really hope for? How do we respond when our hopes are dashed and we are disappointed? What about the day after? Well, it is now November 9, 2016 — the day after — and many are disappointed. So let’s pull out the time capsule and reflect on these ideas – Hope, Disappointment, and the Day After.

Daniel Kirk is a New Testament scholar and host of LectioCast, a Homebrewed Christianity podcast created as a commentary on weekly lectionary texts. Daniel spoke with us about politics, echo chambers, and how the humanity of Jesus influences the way we might see our faith. Find more about Daniel Kirk at JRDKirk.com, at Patheos via Storied Theology, or @jrdkirk.

In this episode we interview Mark Scandrette about his newest book, “Belonging and Becoming: Creating a Thriving Family Culture.” Belonging and Becoming centers on the core relationship of family, whatever shape and size that might take, and how we can live together well with meaning. The new book was co-written by Mark and his wife Lisa, and also features pieces written by their daughter Hailey Scandrette (who we interviewed in Episode 27.) Find more about Mark at MarkScandrette.com @markscandrette.

We are already whole people, though we sometimes struggle to see ourselves as whole. But if we know who we are and what we are capable of… look out! We can live amazing lives. In this episode, Sam Romeo and Chris Hawley of Seity Health in Turlock, CA share with us about the history of their unique health care practice, including a new project which maps the genome of the human spirit – a new way of considering how spiritual well-being affects the other aspects of our health. We hear this as a challenge to be more holistic and integrated in our approach to caring for each other. Interested in taking Seity’s health assessment? Send an email to info@seityhealth.com and mention Sandbox Cooperative. To learn more about Seity Health visit SeityHealth.com or view some of their videos on Vimeo.

In this episode we talked with Harry Williams, whose work has centered on marginalized members of the inner city community in Oakland, CA. Early on, Harry learned the power of the pen for social change – including writing music. (Fun fact, Harry was a fixture in the underground hip-hop movement of the early 1980s in New York City, then known as “The Incredible Mr. Freeze.”) Harry challenges us to take our faith and move it further toward real impact in our lives and communities. To learn more about Harry Williams visit RevHarryWilliams.us or find Harry on Facebook. Listen to “Gone,” a song by Harry (aka OG Rev) about the violence his community faces in Oakland, CA. Find out more about Harry’s upcoming book here: Street Cred: A Hood Minister’s Guide To Urban Ministry, or donate to the book’s GoFundMe page

In this episode we talked with Hailey Scandrette, co-founder and editor in chief of an online magazine for young adults, Ignited. She also runs Ignited’s online community group, Ignited Collective, where she facilitates discussion and collective action. If you or someone you know might be interested in the work of Hailey and others at Ignited, visit IgnitedMag.com.

Good days and bad days are all part of the whole picture. Sometimes we take five steps forward and two steps back. The steps forward are real, and so are the steps back. But the movement is forward. This episode was recorded live at Good Earth Village in Spring Valley, MN and features a story from our friend Al Spohn, ‘Naked in North Omaha.’

In this episode we interview Dale Fredrickson, a pastor and spoken word poet, author of Keeping Pulse: Poems for the Heart. Dale shared some of his poetry with us and we talked about creativity, lament, and paying attention to the whole of our selves. The poems in Keeping Pulse will help you to pay attention to the beating life force around you, to learn the rhythms that your life was intended for. Dale also has an audio version of his spoken word poetry that you can find on his bandcamp page.

Last month we took a crazy road trip out west to gather as many interviews as we could for this podcast. We wanted to hear stories, learn new things, and connect various voices together in a community that is trying to figure out what it means to be a person of faith in today’s world. This episode includes some of our own reflections, as well as pieces from a few of our interviews. For more on the guests included in this episode: – Daniel Kirk is a new testament professor who writes at Storied Theology. – Harry Williams is a pastor and social activist in East Oakland – Hailey Scandrette is the founder and editor in chief of Ignited Magazine – Chris Hawley and Sam Romeo practice wholistic health care at Romeo Medical Clinic and Seity Health – Mark Scandrette is the director of Reimagine A Center for Integral Christian Practice – Rob Bell is the author of How To Be Here and Love Wins

You play not because you have to, or because it benefits you in any way, or serves a bigger purpose. You play… just because that’s why! So when was the last time you played? Seriously played? It’s time to get serious about play.

This is Part 2 of ‘Life in Real Time.’ We recently spent time at Seasons Hospice, a community based freestanding nonprofit hospice here in Rochester, Minnesota. Care is provided regardless of the religion or spirituality of the patient or family. We were captivated by these conversations, and we ended up with something that we didn’t anticipate: We set out to talk about death, but learned much more about life. Many thanks to the staff members at Seasons Hospice who shared their time and stories with us.

Ever since we started this podcast, we have wanted to talk about the end of life. We finally made that a reality as we recently spent time at Seasons Hospice, a community based freestanding nonprofit hospice here in Rochester, Minnesota. Care is provided regardless of the religion or spirituality of the patient or family. We were captivated by these conversations, and we ended up with something that we didn’t anticipate: We set out to talk about death, but learned much more about life. Many thanks to the staff members at Seasons Hospice who shared their time and stories with us.

On May 1, 2016 Sandbox Cooperative welcomed Shane Claiborne to the Sandbox stage. This podcast contains the Q&A portion of the evening event. Shane is a founder and board member of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped birth and connect radical faith communities around the world. He has served on peace delegations in some of the most troubled regions in the world. Shane led us in a conversation about social justice, peacemaking, and Jesus. More about Shane at RedLetterChristians.org, @shaneclaiborne, Shane Claiborne on Facebook

On May 1, 2016 Sandbox Cooperative welcomed Shane Claiborne to the Sandbox stage. Shane is a founder and board member of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped birth and connect radical faith communities around the world. He has served on peace delegations in some of the most troubled regions in the world. Shane led us in a conversation about social justice, peacemaking, and Jesus. More about Shane at RedLetterChristians.org, @shaneclaiborne, Shane Claiborne on Facebook

In this episode, we share a conversation with our friend Heatherlyn about music, the importance of sharing your own story, and what it means for a community to sing their soul song. Find out what Heatherlyn is up to at HeatherlynMusic.com.