The Living Church Podcast
By The Living Church
The Living Church Foundation publishes The Living Church magazine (in continuous publication since 1878), the Covenant blog, and other Christian teaching resources. Our historic mission in the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion is to seek and serve the Catholic and evangelical faith of the one Church, to the end of visible Christian unity throughout the world.
Where to listen
"Part-Time Is Plenty": Healthy Churches and Part-Time Clergy
The Rev. Jeff MacDonald, journalist and UCC pastor, shares what he's learned in his in-depth research of mainline parishes with part-time clergy and shares why vitality doesn't depend on a full-time payroll.
32:12
June 4, 2020
Prison Ministry and COVID-19
Prison chaplain Hannah Bowman shares about her work, digs into theological and practical frameworks behind prison conditions in the U.S., and presents Christian presence in prisons as a way to meet Jesus.
32:45
May 28, 2020
"Noli Me Tangere": A Reflection on Touch and a Time of Crisis
Pamela Lewis, an Episcopal lay leader in NYC, reflects on the new poignancy of Jesus' words in the garden in light of social distancing, and then on her own experience of the pandemic and what finding a "new normal" might mean.
21:47
May 21, 2020
Rowan Williams on St. Benedict's Rule
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams joins us to talk about his new book, The Way of St. Benedict, and what the implications of the saint's Rule might be for our current questions and crises.
33:39
May 14, 2020
Classic Texts in Times of Crisis: Robert Capon
How does a priest slice an onion? No, it’s not the start of a joke. It's the beginning of a surprising contemplation. Fr. Zac Koons gives a superb and leisurely reading from Robert Farrar Capon’s Supper of the Lamb.
23:12
May 11, 2020
When to Re-Open for Business?: Ethics and Economy
Dr. Elisabeth Kincaid and Fr. Stewart Clem discuss the moral questions that have been brought into sharp focus by the COVID-19 crisis — including the hidden ethical groundwork guiding current debates and decisions.
33:04
May 7, 2020
Faith, Hope, and Charity in the 'Burbs
How have Christians conducted themselves in times of crisis? How does that work today in a parish context? Fr. Jonathan Bailes talks history and discipleship with TLC.
35:58
May 4, 2020
Son of David, Have Mercy on Us
"Son of David" — those needing desperate help in the gospels tend to give this name to Jesus. Fr. Mark Michael reflects on a timely prayer in the BCP that uses this name in a cry for mercy that can often lead to a revival of faith.
14:52
April 30, 2020
Discussion With a Bishop: When to Re-Open for Business?
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde joins us to discuss how she's looking toward a post-COVID future. We talk about how she's negotiating the safety of all in her diocese in conversation with health experts and local officials.
24:17
April 27, 2020
Spiritual Health in Loneliness
"You can't always get what you want. But sometimes…" Fr. Ron Rolheiser (author of The Loneliness Factor, among many others) knows about digging deep when you can't change your circumstances. He talks with Abigail Woolley Cutter about maintaining and growing in spiritual health in the middle of loneliness.
30:30
April 23, 2020
Artists, COVID, and the Church
Chris Domig, founder and director of Sea Dog Theater in New York City, talks about the state of the arts in the time of COVID-19 — specifically, how theatre folks are suffering, coping, and finding their way — and how the Church can be supporting the arts and artists right now.
25:30
April 20, 2020
Caring for Marriage in a Pressure Cooker
Only recently in human history have we expected so much from marriage. The pressure (or temptation?) to rely totally on one's spouse for companionship, emotional support, etc., etc. is not so easily resisted when you're at home 24/7. Dr. Gordon Bals shares practical words of wisdom.
31:48
April 16, 2020
Morning Prayer with Liturgical Folk
Think the von Trapps meet 21st century Anglicanism. This is how one family (the Flanigans) pray Morning Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (1979). This prayer guide/mini-concert features songs from their music project Liturgical Folk, including Psalm 100, Song of the Three Young Men (Canticle 13), the Apostles' Creed, and The Lord's Prayer.
27:12
April 13, 2020
Anxiety: A Practical Playbook
These are anxious times. Dr. Monique Reynolds breaks down for us the phenomenon of anxiety — how it feels, what causes it — and practical approaches to dealing with it while continuing to care well for others and yourself.
35:21
April 9, 2020
Classic Texts in Times of Crisis: Thomas Merton
What are some of the benefits and dangers of being alone? How can solitude build up love? Fr. Mac Stewart presents and reflects on an excerpt from a chapter in Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation: “Solitude Is Not Separation."
22:54
April 6, 2020
In Retrospect, Will We Have Been Wise?
Screens, emergency solutions, and stillness. Fr. Jeff Hansen and Neil Dhingra talk with Ephraim Radner and Bishop Daniel Martins about theological and pastoral responses to the pandemic while posing some challenging questions.
40:58
April 2, 2020
Working from Home: A Rule of Life
Abigail Wolley Cutter interviews podcast host and TLC writer Amber Noel about some nitty-gritty "rules of life" she's developed for working from home. Much of it is about attitude: embracing the opportunities of the cloister.
33:29
March 31, 2020
Just Add Quarantine: Help for Instant Homeschoolers
Only a few days ago, working parents became instant homeschool teachers. Um — help!? Abigail Woolley Cutter interviews Susan Wise Bauer, educator and historian, on how caretakers can pull together methods for keeping their kids' education on track.
31:02
March 26, 2020
Worship and the Eucharist: Not the Same Thing
In this flagship episode of the Living Church podcast, we hear a dispatch from the Rt. Rev. Dan Martins, Episcopal Bishop of Springfield, about worship and the Eucharist. What do we miss when we can't gather for Communion? Bp. Dan breaks it down.
23:02
March 23, 2020