Potter's Inn Soul Care Conversations

The only foundation for lasting change is love. — 30 Days with the Potter Devotional by Stephen W. Smith   The podcast this week is with a man who lost 125 pounds and reclaimed his health. It’s an incredible story of change with Paul Matthies - you’ll want to listen because it’s just so encouraging! Change is what the Gospel of Jesus is all about. We change or we die. We can live like never before or we will be the living dead! ABOUT PAUL MATTHIES Paul is all about living LIFE -- love, integrity, faith, and empowerment. He likes acronyms too. A graduate of Hardin-Simmons University, Paul has served as an elder at Hilltop Christian Fellowship, served as a pastor at The Village Church in Dallas, TX, and as a missionary to Asia. He now works in the business world, primarily in Administration Management. Paul has completed 3 Life Time 60 day programs and earned 5 martial arts belts, and was named a Grand Prize Winner of the Fall 2019 National Life Time Fitness 60 Day Challenge. (Selected out of 20,000 participan

The theme of sabbatical is so much more than finding the time to take a break. A weekend away is not enough to help us return to our former selves, we need a reorientation to time… to reacquaint ourselves with our heart and soul. We continue the discussion with Jason and Mary Vandel Young about Sabbaticals, and it gets practical and emotional. As you listen to the podcast, think broader beyond just your work. Your fatigue might not be due to your work at all, it might look altogether different. ABOUT MARY VANDEL YOUNG & JASON YOUNG Mary Vandel Young’s passion for transformational ministry and soul care has guided her participation, study, leadership and ministry in the area of Christian spiritual formation for more than 20 years. God blessed Mary’s life with JourneyMates in 2006 and has served as Executive Director since 2012.Mary graduated from Baylor University in 1990. She served on Young Life staff nationally and internationally until 2000 and completed a M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary in 20

This week’s podcast is about the value and need for sabbaticals. There’s just no doubt that the past few years have drained us! Who isn’t exhausted? Who isn’t depleted? If we think that a weekend away Is enough to help us return to our former selves, then we are in for a crash and burn! Steve talks with Mary Vandel Young and her husband Jason, about their journey of needing, planning, and taking a sabbatical. This is not a “ how to” podcast. It’s much deeper than that! ABOUT MARY VANDEL YOUNG & JASON YOUNG Mary Vandel Young’s passion for transformational ministry and soul care has guided her participation, study, leadership and ministry in the area of Christian spiritual formation for more than 20 years. God blessed Mary’s life with JourneyMates in 2006 and has served as Executive Director since 2012.Mary graduated from Baylor University in 1990. She served on Young Life staff nationally and internationally until 2000 and completed a M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2003. Dr. Jason Young has be

Today, we continue this conversation with Father David. It’s an incredible story— so relevant to today’s world crisis in Ukraine. What motivates Father David to become Eastern Orthodox, and now a priest? What are the gifts we, in the west , can receive by our brothers and sisters in the East? A stunning, moving, and hopeful conversation where our soul meets the world!   ABOUT FATHER DAVID MORRISON Fr. David Morrison is parish priest at St Anthony Orthodox Church in Bozeman, MT. He received his Master of Divinity degree at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and a B.A. in History from Trinity University in San Antonio. He spent his first year of marriage teaching high school in Guatemala, is a professional musician, and likes good Tex-Mex food. He and his wife have 3 children, and are grateful to live and hike in beautiful Montana. St Anthony Orthodox Church on the web St Anthony on Facebook & YouTube   MENTIONED IN PODCAST Book: The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality Readin

SHOW NOTES The podcast this week is so timely and so needed! Steve talks with Father David, a Russian Orthodox priest living and working as a priest in Bozeman, Montana. This is a 2-part podcast that will educate, inspire, and help us to embrace another perspective on the faith. This is a timely conversation as we watch the people of Ukraine face the perils of today. But it is also for those of us eager to learn more, know more, and do more. ABOUT FATHER DAVID MORRISON Fr. David Morrison is parish priest at St Anthony Orthodox Church in Bozeman, MT. He received his Master of Divinity degree at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and a B.A. in History from Trinity University in San Antonio. He spent his first year of marriage teaching high school in Guatemala, is a professional musician, and likes good Tex-Mex food. He and his wife have 3 children, and are grateful to live and hike in beautiful Montana. MENTIONED IN PODCAST St Anthony Orthodox Church The Lazarus Life by Stephen W. Smith Reading: I No

Our world needs kindness right now. Social media is flooded with anger, frustration, fear, despair, and negativity. Technology allows us to interact instantly, but people feel ignored, unheard, misunderstood, discouraged, alone. What if we choose to change that? What if we use digital media to connect, build relationships, and better understand our fellow human beings?  — Lauren Hug I think many of us can agree that digital media can be an overwhelming space. So many different opinions, yet very little respect, or kindness, is shown to one another. The question really is, how do we practice kindness on digital media? Pam is our host this week and will be talking with Lauren Hug, a lawyer & mediator who now works as a community engagement strategist. Her background as a lawyer gives her a unique perspective on how we can develop community in our online worlds by practicing kindness, grace, and advocacy. ABOUT LAUREN HUG An accomplished speaker, author, and strategist, Lauren Hug has helped peo

SHOW NOTES “So deconstruction is not demolition, demolition is easy. You just rent a bulldozer, knock it all down. That’s easy. That’s not all that courageous - you can knock things down. But deconstruction, to say there is some good here and there is some toxicity here. How do I do the work to humbly enter in to take this piece, pull this layer back to explore? It’s more about curiosity. But it’s also so difficult. People underestimate the pain. The pain that initiates deconstruction, and then the pain of doing the deconstruction. — Aaron Niequist Aaron Niequist is our guest today, and his discussion with Steve is vulnerable, honest, and courageous. Steve asks, what will the church of the future look like? (and Aaron gives an answer that might surprise you!) And what can we envision now to help us lay the foundation for a church we both need and want? We were deeply moved and encouraged by what Aaron had to say, and believe you will be also. Welcome to our conversation with Aaron Niequist.   ABOUT AARO

The Bible is sort of like a means of grace. It’s almost like it’s not a sacrament, but it’s almost like a sacrament. It’s something you engage and by the act of engaging it and even struggling with it, you’re actually communing with God in some way.               — Pete Enns This is an honest and invigorating conversation with Dr. Peter Enns, scholar and author.  Steve explores What is the Bible? How do we interpret the Bible in today’s world?  Controversial evangelical Bible scholar, popular blogger, podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, and author of The Bible Tells Me So and The Sin of Certainty, Dr. Peter Enns explains that the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth by refusing to provide us with easy answers but instead forces us to acquire wisdom. Is the Bible authoritative in our daily life and world events?   What did God have in mind in offering us 66 books? This is a conversation that will disturb some of us and challeng

SHOW NOTES “Once you've learned the power of perspective, you can just eventually put your telescope down and look at things as they really are and know that you have the power and the ability to deal with whatever crosses your path.” We’ve got Part 2 of our conversation with Tom Morris today - so much wisdom in 34 minutes! Take some time to slow down and listen in to this great discussion on embracing uncertainty. SPECIAL GUEST TOM V. MORRIS Tom Morris has become one of the most active public philosophers in the world due to his unusual ability to bring the greatest wisdom of the past into the challenges of the present. A native of Durham, North Carolina and a Distinguished Alumnus of Durham Academy, Tom was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, which has honored him, along with Michael Jordan, as a recipient of their "Distinguished Young Alumnus Award." He holds two masters degrees as well as a joint Ph.D. in both Philosophy and Religious Studies fro

Download our NEW APP and get quick, easy access to all of our Podcast Episodes! You can download the App from Apple, Google, or Amazon - just search for Potter's Inn. You can also download any of the versions from one page here - https://subsplash.com/pottersinn/app-download SHOW NOTES Welcome to the 7th Season of the podcast! We are excited to begin the season with our special guest Tom Morris a prolific author and philosopher who will discuss how uncertainty is the canvas on which all our lives are painted. Special Guest Tom V. Morris Tom Morris has become one of the most active public philosophers in the world due to his unusual ability to bring the greatest wisdom of the past into the challenges of the present. A native of Durham, North Carolina and a Distinguished Alumnus of Durham Academy, Tom was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, which has honored him, along with Michael Jordan, as a recipient of their "Distinguished Young Alumnus Award." He holds two ma

Download our NEW APP and get quick, easy access to all of our Podcast Episodes... plus a weekly devotional & access to lots of great soul care resources ! You can download the App from Apple, Google, or Amazon - just search for Potter's Inn. You can also download any of the versions from one page here - https://subsplash.com/pottersinn/app-download   SHOW NOTES Today we are bringing a bit of Christmas peace and soul care to each of you - much needed as we all get busy with the season.  This podcast has so many beautiful songs of the season, plus encouragement and moments of reflection from Steve. When you listen, try to find a quiet place where you can forget your stresses and anxieties of the day. We have included a Christmas with Potter's Inn Guide for the episode, which includes all the songs lyrics and readings, and links to mentioned resources. Sing along/read along if you feel like it!   MENTIONED IN PODCAST DOWNLOAD our new APP!   READINGS & SCRIPTURE IN PODCAST A Liturgy to Mark t

SHOW NOTES Today's conversation is about Steve's new book 30 Days with the Potter. The book is an invite for you to explore the story of your clay—the awakening of your own spiritual formation and the formation of others around you. Learn why Steve wrote 30 Days with the Potter and hear Steve read from his favorite sections. It’s the accumulation of 67 years of learning and growing with the Potter! MENTIONED IN PODCAST 30 Days with the Potter: A Daily Meditation - Individual copies in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle. 30 Days with the Potter: A Daily Meditation - BULK Orders   MUSIC USED IN PODCAST First Music Break at 17:42 - Ya Eres Mia (Now you are mine) from the Chamber Choir of Europe - Music by Morten Lauridsen | Words by Pablo Nerudo. Second Music Break at 40:43 – Deep Peace written by Bill Douglas, from the album Eternity's Sunrise. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Donate Here for an individual contribution or on Patreon to set up monthly support. CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN

SHOW NOTES “ I can either pretend and say things I don't really believe so that I'll fit in or I will be honest, even knowing that that's going to create some difficulties for me.” - Brian McLaren We're in the midst of a conversation with Steve and Brian McLaren, talking about the four beautiful heart stages and phases that all of us go through in life. This episode is our 100th! And to celebrate we will have a giveaway of Steve’s NEW book 30 Days with the Potter. Head on over to our Potter’s Inn Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pottersinn and look for a post celebrating our 100th episode - it will be up later today! You are the reason we do this podcast, and we are so grateful you have been here, with us, for this soul care journey. Special Guest Brian McLaren Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for th

And so a big part of my life has been helping people find a way to stay Christian when the forms of Christianity they grew up with feel like a really badly fitting suit of clothes. -Brian McLaren SHOW NOTES Steve had an incredible conversation with author, pastor, theologian, and activist Brian McLaren and today is Part 1! Brian’s story resonates with so many of us who feel lost, confused, and in tension about all that is happening in the world and in our hearts. This podcast will help you feel not so alone - we found Brian incredibly humble, honest, and wise. There's so much truth here - dive in and please, talk to us below in the comments. We would love to hear what you thought about today’s conversation. Special Guest Brian McLaren Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a faculty memb

SHOW NOTES Today is a don't miss of Part 2 of Steve’s conversation with Winn Collier. They discuss The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast, The Message, how Peterson navigated criticism, and more. You will want to pass this one along to your friends and family! SPECIAL GUEST WINN COLLIER In addition to A Burning in My Bones, Winn Collier has authored four books (Restless Faith, Let God: The Transforming Wisdom of François Fénelon, Holy Curiosity, and Love Big, Be Well) and contributed to numerous other volumes. He has written for multiple periodicals including Christianity Today, Christian Century, Relevant, and the Washington Post. A pastor for twenty-five years, Winn was the founding pastor of All Souls Charlottesville in Virginia. He now directs the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary in Michigan. He holds a PhD from the University of Virginia, where he focused on the intersection of religion and literary fiction. Winn and his wife, Miska, a spiritual director,

If you want to cut to the core of who I am, I’d say this: I’m husband to the beautiful and graceful Miska Tolleson Collier. Miska is a spiritual director and yoga teacher, a poet-mystic and the person I most respect in this world. I’m dad to Wyatt and Seth, the two who’ve pulled strands of love out of me that I didn’t know existed. I’m friend to a few misty-eyed men and a few courageous women. I prefer what’s slow over what’s efficient. I’m suspicious of anyone who’s cock-sure. I’m weary of all the bullhorns. I’m partial to things that are worn and a bit ragged. I think truth is best told slant. I believe in hope. — Winn Collier   SHOW NOTES Winn Collier is a pastor & author whose most recent book is “A Burning in my Bones,” an authorized biography of Eugene Peterson. While Winn does delve into Eugene’s life and the book, this podcast is really about Winn Collier: who he is, where he came from, how he got to this point in his life, and the difficult times we are living in. Listen in and hea

SHOW NOTES We are FINALLY continuing the conversation with Steve and Belden Lane today! Belden and Steve discuss why lament is absolutely necessary for each of us, and how lament is the way out of our national meltdown, our constant state of living on the edge in a frazzled world. It is stunning, sobering, and powerfully hope filled - don’t miss this conversation!   SPECIAL GUEST BELDEN C. LANE Belden C. Lane is a Presbyterian theologian who teaches on a Jesuit faculty at Saint Louis University. His interests include the relationship between geography and faith, wilderness backpacking in the Ozarks, the magic of storytelling, desert spirituality, exposing students to urban poverty through the Catholic Worker community, and the poetry of Rumi. He also works with men, helping to lead initiation rites through Richard Rohr's program for Men as Learners and Elders in Albuquerque. He lives with his wife Patricia, a spiritual director and retired school teacher, in Saint Louis. Drawn to sacre

This season is all about Complex Conversations and how these conversations can help us buffet the fierce winds that are blowing in our lives.   SHOW NOTES Warning: this podcast is not for the faint of heart! It is not for those who attend church and equate that with the pilgrimage of the 4th century, when those who did not want to be swallowed by culture fled to the desert to not survive, but thrive! It might undo you as it has undone me. I talk with Belden Lane about the difference in being a spiritual pilgrim and a spiritual tourist. A tourist is one who sees enough to take a photo proving that they had been there. A pilgrim is one who pays the price of entering the wilderness, only to find themselves and God. We speak of the dangers of social media where soul care is watered down by selling things, being merely consumers of the spiritual life rather than embracing wilderness. Emptying our self to live empty, broken, and void of ego. We spoke of “the greening of our faith.” Honoring

This season is all about Complex Conversations and how these conversations can help us buffet the fierce winds that are blowing in our lives. SHOW NOTES We have Part 2 of The Evangelical Diaspora: Getting Out of our Boxes for you today. And honestly, it’s even better than Part 1! NOTE: We highly recommend you listen to Part 1 first and then come back to hear the rest of the story in Part 2. Part 2 continues with Greg and Steve, where Greg shares his story of change and breaking out of boxes that don't fit and beliefs that simply did not work for him any more. Can you identify?  There are few show notes. But listen well and listen often as this conversation just might become a road map for you to take some steps to deconstruct some boxes--which may be different from Greg's boxes or Steve's boxes but will help you to find the language and love to join in the process of deconstructing boxes you may be finding. The pandemic, politics, racial stress, and economic challenge have all required new ways of thinking f

This season is all about Complex Conversations and how these conversations can help us buffet the fierce winds that are blowing in our lives.   SHOW NOTES The Evangelical Diaspora: Getting Out of our Boxes is a raw, honest, and lively discussion between Steve and Greg Ferrand. It is a conversation where Greg shares his story of change and breaking out of boxes that don't fit and beliefs that simply did not work for him any more. Can you identify?  There are few show notes. But listen well and listen often as this conversation just might become a road map for you to take some steps to deconstruct some boxes--which may be different from Greg's boxes or Steve's boxes but will help you to find the language and love to join in the process of deconstructing boxes you may be finding. The Pandemic, politics, racial stress, and economic challenge have all required new ways of thinking for all of us. No one gets a pass on not feeling like "something is not right...something is not working any more."