Revdarth.com

So, two podcasts to lift up with the highest recommendations.  One for a slightly more specific audience (although I think there’s great stuff in it for all) and one for anyone interested in the current political debates going on around us.

Take me to the Bridge w/ David Wilcox

My wonderful wife got me hooked on David Wilcox’s music several years ago.  He is a “folk” singer / songwriter and has a thread through his music of spiritual themes and some commentary on social topics as well.  He also has some plain fun songs too about kayaking and getting angry while driving.  Anyway, his website talked about an interview he did on this Take Me to the Bridge podcast (which apparently is largely about songwriting, etc - its not on my regular podcast rotation).  Wilcox has a wonderful segment about 25 minutes in that spoke deeply to me about my process of sermon writing.  He talked about how, to write a good song, he needs to enter into a place of emotion and intimacy and not just “process” in putting together the lyrics and the music.  He also talked of how, when he sings a song, he has to  remember that the song is not for him, but for the listener and they will each take what they experience and not necessarily his own intention.  Anyway, it spoke to me about the process of engaging a sermon - that its more than putting together a 15 minute message based on exegesis, etc but instead entering into the Scripture deeply and allowing the Word to sink into the emotional and deep places within and finding a message from those places.  So, I highly recommend it.  The page is linked in the header above and you can find the podcast on itunes as well.

The Unger Report - What to do about Evil?

I Tivo’ed and skimmed through the Obama/McCain thing at Saddleback Church over the weekend.  I watched pieces of it largely out of curiosity of what would be asked and whether anything “new” would come out from either candidate.  Sadly, my personal feeling on that was that it was largely a waste of time and each candidate did their own talking points in their own way and that each candidate, when challenged by a question, largely chose to be evasive in their answer so that nothing could be used against them in the campaign ahead.  My $0.02 review.  Anyway, one of the most inane questions (imho) that Warren asked somethign to the effect of “Does Evil exist?  And if so, how do we confront it?  Ignore, negociate, contain, destroy?”

(Editorial note - I think Obama gave a reasonable response to the question while McCain just gave the Republican talking point about “evil = radical Islam” and the ridiculous “gates of hell” comment about Osama Bin Laden - while Obama gave a much more thoughful, compassionate, and realistic answer - see this youtube link for their specific answers)

Anyway, one of my favorite podcasts is NPR’s The Unger Report and the most recent one is Brian Unger’s perspective on this.  Linked here and above. Also on itunes if you don’t want to stream it.

Enjoy.