Hear God's Call to Begin Again

Hear God's Call to Begin Again

Good morning church, it’s Alex! I’m taking you my little wilderness spot right now. This is where I go when the world needs to fade away for bit. It’s a kind of sacred space for me. A kind of magical place of healing, restoration, and stillness. A place where I can finally tune out the world and hear God. 

           But honestly, lately, when I come here, this wilderness has kinda been nagging at me. Because it forces me to slow down and contend with reality. The wilderness can be dangerous at times, full of uncertainty, anxiety, and a mirror to what's really going on in the world.

            I don’t know about you, but I kinda feel like we’re in a bit of a wilderness season. There is so much changing around us. I mean, we’re in a pandemic!? I didn’t even know what that word meant 8 months ago, and now it’s becoming a part of everyday reality. We witness racial injustice, economic inequality, ecological devastation, and yet, here I am about to preach some “good news?!”    

            I wonder if that’s how John the Baptist felt in the wilderness? I wonder what the author we call Mark was thinking before he sat down to write?! I imagine they felt some fear, anticipation, hope, longing for the coming of Christ. I wonder if you’re feeling that now. Cause every year, during Advent, we replay the story of Christ coming into the world over and over again, but somehow this year, it rings differently.

            I’ve had enough of this pandemic! John the Baptist had enough of the way things were. The gospel writer we call Mark had enough too. And yet, they still had hope. But their hope wasn't grounded in some unrealistic hope or apocalyptic doom; it was found in a first-century Palestinian Rabbi named Jesus, the Christ. Something new was about to begin…

            I love how the person we call Mark starts his gospel; it's kind of like the Star Wars opening (make the sound!):

“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

            We heard this passage read earlier by the Palmer family, and I love this grand opening that the author we call Mark with the "the good news." But to be honest, all hell was breaking loose as Mark was writing this. It's around 70 ACE, and during this time, Roman persecutions at an all-time high as the Jewish war is breaking out with Rome.[1]You know those big early fathers of the faith: the apostle Paul, Peter, those guys… well, they’ve just been executed. Christians are being tortured and crucified, fed to lions, and set on fire to serve as torches at night.[2]”  It’s a freakin’ crazy time to follow Christ! This doesn’t sound like good news! 

            But still, Mark is proclaiming “the beginning of the good news!” He has a calling, to tell the story of Jesus - the good news - or the Greek word euangelion, "gospel." But this was pretty bold! Cause in this period, the Empire often used the word euangelion to refer to peace, prosperity, and the good life that came from a grand military victory.[3]So it was a military-like term. And "Son of God" had many meanings too, but in Hellenistic understandings, "Son of God" was often used to describe the emperor himself![4]So for Mark to say, Jesus is the Son of God AND the good news is to challenge the entire Roman Empire. Now, that's a pretty bold move considering they were being executed left and right.

            Mark has every reason to hide, despair, give up hope, but instead, he starts with this grand opening of a new beginning. He doesn't start with Jesus' genealogy or some kind of miraculous virgin birth, or even angels trumpeting in the Christ; instead, he begins with a condemnation of the Roman Empire! Jesus is the Son of God, not some wack a doodle Emperor who uses power to oppress.

            Marks declaring a new “beginning,” a new creation free from Empire —the beginning of the "good news." And his calling for a new beginning doesn't come out of nowhere; it has roots, deep roots:

            So,Let’s continue, verse 2: 

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way;

the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight,’” 

            Last week we heard Pastor Jason talk about the prophet Isaiah, a powerful prophet who'd been ripped from his landafter the Assyrian invasions and Babylonian exile in the eighth century BCE. Jason told us about Isaiah’s anger and confusion ringing through, the lament of his people lifted up to God. The nation of Israel was torn apart. Yet as Hebrew Bible scholar Marvin Sweeny notes, “… the book of Isaiah never actually portrays a ruined or destroyed Jerusalem.[5]From the book’s standpoint, Jerusalem is always going to be the holy city bound to God.[6]

            You see, Isaiah knew this wasn't the end of the story, and God prophesied through him that a new beginning would emerge. So Isaiah was calling people back to Judea to prepare for someone who would make the path clear for the coming Messiah. Now Isaiah has no idea that it would take some 700 years for his prophecy to come true. But he knew deep down that regardless of what was happening, God is always responding and creating new potentials, new beginnings. He knew it wasn't the end; it was just another beginning.

            So another 200 years pass, and the Hebrew Bible is complete, or what we call the Old Testament, which by the way, can be offensive to the Jewish tradition. So, imagine the people of God, they've got this book that's complete, and now they're just waiting for the Messiah to come. Hoping for something to break them out of their misery. 700 years since Isaiah and 500 years since the completion of the Hebrew Bible and everyone is left wondering, "Is that it?! Surely, this can't be it, right, God?!" Well, suddenly, out of the wilderness the silence is broken and out comes our next character in God's evolving story. (STAR WARS SOUND):

“John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.”

            Wait, wait, wait, so we've been waiting 500 years for something new to emerge, and this is who we get, John the Baptist? I mean, this guy sounds crazy! He's dressed in camel's hair, wears a weird leather belt around his waist, he eats locusts (the things God used to plague Pharaoh with)?! He's just in the wilderness by himself, yelling out to people to repent! What is going on here?!

            I mean, honestly, imagine if I had left my house today, dressed like that, marched up this hill, and yelled at people to come up and repent, do you think they would?! Would you?! This is a BOLD move of God.

            Surely, God's messenger would be better dressed! He'd be powerful, a religious elite, strong, probably rich, right?! Nope! John’s world was full of persecution from Rome - the world he experienced was a little like ours in some ways. First-century Rome was made up of either wealthy (about three percent of the population) or poor people (about ninety percent).[7]It’s kind of like the 1% percent today, those with more than $1 million, who own 44 percent of the world's wealth. 44% of the entire world's wealth![8]

            In John and Jesus' time, about 28% of the people did not know if they would survive daily.[9]Sounds like the 30 million or more Americans who are now depending on unemployment benefits, some of which are already expiring, because of the pandemic.[10]Meanwhile, according to Vox, Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon's net worth increased by$13 billion in one day![11]One day!

            John was not the 1%; John is a man living on the fringes of society, far from the halls of power, who first points to God's coming grace. This is the kind of message that not only belongs to the oppressed, but also comes from the oppressed themselves. John was the one God called to announce the coming of Christ. And while the religious elite, and the powers to be, ridiculed John, John knew he had a calling, and people responded.

            But why did people respond!? I mean, what benefit did they receive? You see, when I approach that question from a place of privilege, it's hard for me to wrap my head around it. But when I imagine the story from John's location, the hope of God starts to emerge. Most of these people had nothing to hold onto but the hope of God itself, the hope of a new beginning, a new community birthed from the depths of their oppression.

            They, also, felt the divine call, a voice calling from the wilderness, a Godly melody pulling them into a new reality. In some ways, this was their only hope! Something beyond their oppression. A vaccine from an oppressive plague that robbed them of their dignity, worth, and value. This was the hope of something new! 

            And John’s following starts to GROWWW. His following grew and grew, and pretty soon, he had a whole set of his own disciples. Maybe this would be the one?! The Messiah, the new liberator of history!? But John was simply setting the stage for the real revelation of God, Jesus…  

            Let’s pick it back up at Verse 7:

“(John) proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

            Oh, so wait, there's more beyond this baptism thing we're all doing?! And what do you mean you're not worthy? I mean, if you're not worthy, then I'm probably not worthy either, right?

            You see, a lot of time when Christians approach this text, it's all about individual sin, what you're doing wrong in your life, how you have to say this particular prayer or do that certain thing to be accepted by God. You know how it goes! Sometimes we get so caught up in the minute specifics of theology and doctrine, mostly decided by White males in places of power, instead of the locus of oppression itself, that we miss the whole freakin' message!!

            Pretty soon, that exciting new adventure you were on turns into a painful introspection of all the ways you're falling short. You might feel dirty, unworthy like you can't get anything right!!! You feel controlled instead of liberated. Well, that's not what John or Jesus was about! That's not what God is about! 

            Now, don't get me wrong, sin is very real, and so is the power of baptism. In fact, Pastor Jason has done some amazing sermons on baptism.But for our time here, to put it really simply, sin is just doing something wrong that has consequences. And sin is not JUST personal. It's corporate and systemic too. So the concept of baptism is a very powerful thing; it's a turning away from sin, a public confession, and commitment to a new way of being within a new community.

            But baptism itself wasn't the new thing that John was making way for. Cause there were already Jewish religious sects, who practiced baptism, like the Essenes, who were the ascetic desert sect best known for creating the Dead Sea scrolls. They baptized for ritual purity and also had a baptism of repentance.[12]In fact, John was very familiar with their way of life and may have been part of their community.  

            John took it way further, creating a new beginning by claiming that the one who would come after him would not baptize with water... but with the Holy Spirit.[13]This was a new beginning! John had a MUCH bigger message beyond “your sin.”

            So when John talks about Jesus and says, "I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals," there's something more significant going on here.

            The word "worthy" in Greek is íkavóç, which means "not sufficient" or "not enough." Again, baptism wasn't new, but this concept of a Holy Spirit baptism was. So I don't think John is saying, "I'm not worthy…" in a self-deprecating way that we have to take on. No, I think John is saying, "Hey, yes! Be free of your sin, repent, get baptized, but that's just the start! It's not enough! What I'm doing is not sufficient. You have to do something with that freedom! The Holy Spirit is going to lead you now. The one who is coming is going to take this story much farther than I ever could!" The power of liberation is coming, and this is just the beginning.

            You see, this baptism of repentance, the forgiveness of sin, always has a future thrust to it. There is always an aim from God beyond the sin itself. And that future aim born from forgiveness is not just for your sake, but also for the wider community and world at large. It’s a call towards a new beginning. 

            And this is what I really want you to hear: Just as John was called to prepare the way for something new, God's calling us to do the same. Advent is a reminder of the God call. God called humanity into a new way of living through Christ - foretold by prophets like Isaiah, cleared by John, revealed through Christ, and continued through us in God!  We don't celebrate something that's already been done; we celebrate the continuation, the evolution of the God call through us. We're not simply celebrating the birth of Christ, but the rebirth of Christ every time we step into a God calling.

            God is still working with the world as it is to guide it towards what it might be. And if we’re honest, it's not hard to see that this is NOT the world God envisions for us. Again, we're facing an apocalypse of sorts, and that's not an end time exaggeration; it's real. Our planets about to give out. Our country is more divided than ever. Racial inequality continues to gnaw at the fabric of our humanity. And a pandemic rages throughout our world.

            To put it bluntly, we're in some deep crap! But weirdly, this is nothing new! Isaiah, John, and Jesus were all facing their own forms of oppression too. And when Jesus came on the scene, it was an incredibly unique time in history. Well, this moment now is also an incredibly unique time in our history!

            Remember how I said it was 500 years from the Hebrew Bible to the start of John the Baptist clearing the way for Jesus? Well, there's a pattern here; every 500 years, the church goes through a revolution! In fact, Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence, famously made this connection. She saw this pattern so clearly! For instance, about five hundred years ago, we had the Protestant or Great Reformation. “Five hundred before that, you had the Great Schism, when the church divided between east and west.[14]Five hundred years earlier, you have Pope Gregory the Great, who helped bring the church out of the dark ages.”[15]Well, we are now in a new 500-year period, right now! We are being called into new beginnings. And this baptism of the Holy Spirit is calling us toward liberation. 

            And I think you sense that! I mean, Pastor Jason just led us through an incredible 2023 Mission Listening Process, where after hearing from many of you about the future of the church, it became so apparent that as a congregation, we're deeply concerned with the issues that the world is facing right now. You've indicated that we're ready to start addressing racism with new anti-racism programs, we're prepared to welcome diverse communities in fresh ways, and we're continuing to provide for our neighbors without homes.

            When the pandemic hit, we got to work, completely changing our service and growing through online offerings like this. We adjusted with Sarah's Hope Pantry to make sure people could still get food. We listened to you and kept each other safe by not having in-person services.

            When George Floyd breathed his last breath, we re-energized our Justice Works Team and joined with faith communities around the city to literally stop Oceanside from hiring the new police chief in unjust ways. Through our influence, they paused the hiring process completely, created a community survey that over a thousand people responded to when there would have been none, and decided to open up the search to candidates nationwide instead of picking from their own inner circle. We helped make that happen!

            The power of Christ lives in us, and if we are to authentically carry out this call, itis clear that our faith must address the very real problems of our time. The church, the people of God, anyone who senses the spirit within them can create new beginnings!

            And how do we get there? By trusting God and looking towards the needs of the world. By stepping into the wilderness without knowing the exact way. By getting real about our sins as individuals, communities, and nations at large. By tearing down the systems of oppression that keep our brothers and sisters bound. By following the flow of the spirit: paying attention to that tug, that hunch, that intuition, that light bulb moment - calling you forward to liberate and create more flourishing. By doing all of that, we continue to make the path clear for God’s reign on Earth. 

            This is what Jesus did; it's what John cleared the way for.  And while we may be in a wilderness of sorts, it's also in this wilderness that we can hear God's call to begin again. Advent is a time of God's calling. And I don't know what God is calling you into this season, but something new can emerge through this community, if we step out together. 

            God is calling. 

            And it’s time to answer.

Bibliography:

“Global Inequality.” Inequality.org. Date accessed October 7, 2020.            https://inequality.org/facts/global-inequality/

Kohler, Kaufmann, Krauss, Samuel. “Baptism.” Jewish Encyclopedia. Date accessed        December 1, 2020. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2456-baptism

Marcus, Joel. Mark 1-8: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. The        Anchor Bible. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2010. 27.

Newsom, Carol A., Ringe, Sharon H., and Lapsley, Jacqueline E., Women’s Bible   Commentary, Third Edition : Revised and Updated. Vol. 3rd ed., twentieth         anniversary ed. Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012.          http://search.ebscohost.com.dtl.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&         AN=558296&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Powell, Mark Allan. Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and    Theological Survey., Second Edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic,       2018. Kindle

Reinsdorf, Dieter H.. "The Rich, the Poor, and the Law." HTS Teologiese Studies /           Theological StudiesVol 60, No 1/2. October 2004.             https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v60i1/2.512.

Schleifer, Theodore.“Silicon Valley’s richest are getting richer just as the pandemic is        getting worse.” Vox. Last modified July 21, 2020,             https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/7/21/21332166/tech-billionaires-wealth-elon-    musk-Steve-Ballmer-Jeff-Bezos-pandemic-covid

Sweeney, Marvin A.. Tanak, A Theological And Critical Introduction To The Jewish         Bible. Minneapolis, Fortress Press. 7378-7382, Kindle.

Todd, Douglas. “Christianity undergoes revolution every 500 years. Including now!”        Vancouver Sun. Date modified Dec. 7, 2020.             https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/christianity-undergoes-revolution-        every-500-years-including-now

            [1]Mark Allan Powell, "Mark," in Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey., Second Edi (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2018), chapter 7, Kindle.

            [2]Powell, Introducing the New Testament,chapter 7, Kindle.

            [3]Carol A. Newsom, Sharon H. Ringe, and Jacqueline E. Lapsley, Women’s Bible Commentary, Third Edition : Revised and Updated. Vol. 3rd ed., twentieth anniversary ed., (Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012), http://search.ebscohost.com.dtl.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=558296&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

            [4]Newsom, Ringe, and Lapsley, Women’s Bible Commentary.

            [5]Marvin A. Sweeney, Tanak, A Theological And Critical Introduction To The Jewish Bible, (Minneapolis, Fortress Press.) 7378-7382, Kindle.

            [6]Marvin A. Sweeney, Tanak, A Theological And Critical Introduction To The Jewish Bible, (Minneapolis, Fortress Press.) 7378-7382, Kindle.

            [7]Dieter H. Reinsdorf, "The Rich, the Poor, and the Law." HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological StudiesVol 60, No 1/2 (October 2004): 330, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v60i1/2.512.

            [8]“Global Inequality,” Inequality.org, date accessed October 7, 2020, https://inequality.org/facts/global-inequality/

[9]Dieter H. Reinsdorf, "The Rich, the Poor, and the Law." HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological StudiesVol 60, No 1/2 (October 2004): 330, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v60i1/2.512.

            [10]“Global Inequality,” Inequality.org, date accessed October 7, 2020, https://inequality.org/facts/global-inequality

      [11]Theodore Schleifer,“Silicon Valley’s richest are getting richer just as the pandemic is getting worse,” Vox, last modified July 21, 2020, https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/7/21/21332166/tech-billionaires-wealth-elon-musk-steve-ballmer-jeff-bezos-pandemic-covid.

            [12]Kaufmann Kohler, Samuel Krauss, “Baptism,” Jewish Encyclopedia, date accessed December 1, 2020, http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2456-baptism

            [13]Joel Marcus, Mark 1-8: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, The Anchor Bible, (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2010), 27.

            [14]Douglas Todd, "Christianity undergoes revolution every 500 years. Including now!" Vancouver Sun, date modified Dec. 7, 2020, https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/christianity-undergoes-revolution-every-500-years-including-now

            [15]Todd, “Christianity undergoes revolution.”

God in Process

God in Process

A few nights ago, I spoke with Jim for the first time, a young adult who felt comfortable sharing his struggles about God with me. "I just don't know how to make sense of all this," he kept saying. For Jim, life in an Evangelical upbringing meant he wasn't allowed to ask questions about God, stray from the norm, or think for himself. Yet, as he grew older, he started having doubts, especially after needing three brain surgeries. During his first surgery, he could imagine God was with him. At his second surgery, questions of "how could God do this to me?" began creeping into his mind. By the third surgery, he came utterly unhinged and unable to relate to God. “I feel so lost! I mean God is supposed to be all-powerful, couldn’t he just fix me? Does God really love me?” 

As a Pastor, I encounter people like Jim all the time.  He is one of many experiencing deep and painful confusion about God. Typically predicated by some life-altering event, people sense the classical ways of thinking about God no longer work. At that moment, they are often left with a choice: do I walk away or continue believing what I know? My usual response is, "Could there be a third option? You don't know what you don't know. Perhaps you’re about to start an amazing journey of rediscovering God.” 

            For many, Process Theology provides a roadmap to rediscovering God without throwing away the Christian tradition. At it’s best, Process Theology offers an internally consistent and logical understanding of God and the Universe. At it’s worst, Process Theology is incredibly confusing, academic, and inaccessible. In this post, I hope to explore the four basic foundational elements of Process Theology in a way that can be easily communicated and understood. 

            These four elements include: “(1) All things flow, (2) all things are interconnected, (3) value is intrinsic to reality, (4) experience goes all the way down and up.”[1] For each of these elements, I will illustrate the classic counter-argument, new way of thinking, Biblical references to support these ideas, and practical ways to communicate these concepts. By doing so, I hope to develop more strategic and nuanced ways to describe the experience of God. 

All Things Flow:

            The first fundamental concept of Process Theology is “all things flow,” or “God is affected by and participates in that flow.”[2]  For many, God is unchangeable (immutable) and not affected by us. Furthermore, God is all-powerful (omnipotent) and, therefore, perfect. It would stand to reason then, if God is all-powerful and perfect, how can God change?  For many, this is a direct challenge to the Christian tradition. However, Process Theology is not challenging the Christian tradition; instead, it challenges the Greek influences upon it. 

            The early Jewish people, Christians, and Jesus himself did not necessarily view God as unchanging. These concepts came primarily from Greek influences, especially Plato, who argued that change is "merely a shadowy copy of a realm of eternally unchanging forms."[3] Essentially Plato suggested that “change” is merely an illusion. Plato put a great emphasis on being (unchanging) over becoming (changing), that still exists in our culture today. Yet, experientially, we all know the only thing constant is change. Obviously, me at 32 looks, feels, thinks, and experiences the world very differently than me of age 14. There is no illusion to the fact that I am now 6’3” instead of 5’9.”

            Still, though, "following the Platonist (not the Bible), Western Christian theology asserted that God was the ultimate unchanging reality.”[4] The idea that God could change is a severe stumbling block for most Christians who value inerrancy, certainty, and the illusion of control. Yet, logic aside, even from a Biblical perspective, it is not far fetched that God could change. For instance, in Exodus 12, God is determined to destroy the Jewish people after they worship false idols. Moses pleads with God, begging him to change his mind. “And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster he planned to bring on his people (Exodus 32:14).” There are other countless examples of God changing his mind (1 Samuel 15:29, Amos 7:3, Jonah 3:10, 2 Samuel 24:16, and more).

Additionally, if we believe we are made in the image of God (explored later), and everything changes (including us), then one could certainly assume that includes God. Ironically, the people who have the most trouble accepting this concept are those who believe the Bible is inerrant, yet examples like these clearly illustrate God’s changing nature. 

            Perhaps then, if we change, and we are made in God’s image, God is the most affected and changed of all. Now, does that mean there is nothing unchanging about God? Not at all, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.  “To say that God grows (flows and changes) is not to say that God becomes wiser or more loving (as if God previously lacked wisdom and love) but only that, as new creatures arise and new experiences occur, the objects of the divine love have increased and therefore the divine experience has been enriched."[5]

            For example, as mentioned I am different at 32 than I was at 14, but still possess similar attributes and genetic markers. There is a sense of continuity over time about who I am that moves through my memory. I am always in the present influenced by my past (prehending), both here and now, but different in each moment. However, this is more than an inherited identity, as I always have a choice to become something new moment by moment as I lean into the lure of God. I am in a process of becoming in all moments, not a static, unchanging being. Our faith and understanding of God is no different.

            Jesus illustrates this evolving nature when he says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17).” He then continues for several verses with the classic, “You’ve heard it said (x). But I say to you (y).” For example, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you... (Matthew 5:43-44).” Jesus didn't simply throw out the past; he was evolving people's understanding of God and faith at that time.

            In the same way, Jesus helps us see our ability to adapt and respond to the lure of God given to us in each moment while prehending our past. From this, we become something new and grow. If we are genuinely interconnected (explored next), a part of God, who is a part of us, then our growth is also God’s growth. 

All Things Are Interconnected:

            The second fundamental concept of Process Theology is “all things are interconnected,” or “God is intertwined with the world.”[6] For many, God is distant from the world, outside of time, and again all-powerful. This image of God often implies a top-down linear and coercive kind of power that is not relational. In a culture that values top-down power, receiving from anyone suggests weakness. For example, if you're a store manager (considered powerful), you get to affect others; if you're a lowly store clerk (considered weak), then you're the one always being affected.  

            Again, the inherited Greek lens affects our view of power and God because “Plato and most other thinkers, from philosophers to theologians to kings, have believed that it is only the ability to affect that really counts, while the ability to be affected is largely a defect or weakness.”[7] When this is the dominant way of understanding power, God would seem weak if interconnected and affected by us. This lens inhibits our ability to understand the interconnectedness of all entities and maintains an unhealthy vision of God. 

            Does that mean God isn’t powerful? Not at all, but power needs redefining. In Process Theology, God is not only the most powerful, but God’s power is relational through interconnection to all things. The Gospel, one could argue, is an attempt to redefine the narrative of power. God does not seek the kind of power that culture deems powerful. Instead, “...Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness (Philippians 2:5-7).” The phrase “emptied himself” comes from the Greek word “kenosis,” which means pouring out completely for the sake of others. Kenosis implies that Christ did not attain power through coercion and top-down linear power, but rather, emptied himself for others as an interconnected act of mutuality. 

            Additionally, this verse illustrates how God is not distant and apart from us, but instead enters into our story with a human likeness. Therefore, it does not make sense to view God as all-powerful and detached from us. Ultimately, a detached yet all-powerful God is self-erasing because power is always relational and interconnected.[8] Meaning you can’t have power unless there is someone to have power over.[9] When power is both giving and receiving (often in the same moment), there is always an interconnected exchange. God embodies this strength, both pouring out and taking in the world, without losing divine identity (clearly illustrated in Jesus Christ).  

            Scientifically, we can also find grounds for God’s interconnection. At a fundamental level, all entities (humans, animals, plants, rocks, etc.) consist of the same components, atoms. For example, 90% of our body’s mass is stardust.[10] We are a part of the stars, and everything else that exists. Everything that exists is a part of the same energetic vortex. Therefore, to deny our interconnectedness is to deny reality. Further, to deny God's interconnected nature would also be a denial of truth.

            “Let’s think of God not as way up there but as already here, everywhere. Think of a blade of grass... God is in that life... We need to think of a whole field of living cells in which what happens to any of them affects all of them. We need to think of ourselves as part of that field... in every one of those cells, God is at work.”[11] For instance, if I were to burn down a forest to clear space for my new home, I would directly affect the species and environment that make up that forest. We are one, and this oneness implies our actions directly affect others and ourselves.

            God incorporates the whole history of the world in an experiential unity of oneness.  Each moment of our lives becomes part of the larger whole and lives on forever in the eternal life of God. The divine experiences us and grows with us: taking more in, enriching, evolving, and expanding. In many ways, God could be considered the unification of the Universe, not separate or apart, but deeply connected to it all, the soul of the Universe itself.

Value is Intrinsic to Reality

            The third fundamental component of Process reality is “value is intrinsic to reality,” or “God lures us towards good.”  Many believe that God created the world out of nothing in an attempt to maintain human uniqueness and the will of God. Furthermore, many insist that God has a predetermined plan for one’s life, and "everything happens for a reason." For many, our job is to surrender to the will of God, because HE knows best.  

            To start, the Biblical understanding of creation does not imply creation out of nothing. Looking closely at Genesis reveals another possibility: “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2).” God’s interaction with the face of the deep and water is not creating from “nothing.” 

            From this passage, one could contend that God creatively ordered creation in cooperation with pre-existing self-determining entities like the face of the deep (primordial chaos) and water (substance). Simply put, from a Biblical perspective, God did not create from nothing; instead, God created out of chaos. Scientifically, this view of creation also aligns with our current understandings of how the Universe began and life itself developed (the Big Bang Theory and evolution). God is creating with a world, always in relationship to something that already existed. 

            Still, for many, the idea that complex order can arise from chaos (evolution) means we can't be made in the image of God (imago dei). That is a scary thought for some who want to attain human uniqueness. Yet human beings do not have to be the fundamental point of God's creation to maintain our uniqueness or imago dei. "Process theology offers an alternative that sees values as fundamental to reality and the development toward greater complexity as consonant with evolution and creation as co-creation."[12]  To exist is to experience, and to experience is to feel, and what we feel are values (categories of emotions measured by intensity). The potential values that we sense and step into (consciously or not) are what God lures us into to create a better future for all beings.

            While it is true that we are all connected, slowly evolved from chaos into complex beings, it is also true that human beings are the most complex of all entities. For instance, if someone dies who is close to me, I may mourn as an animal would, but I also have the potential to do much more. Unlike an animal, I can create new possibilities and meaning from the event. For example, I could start a non-profit in that person's memory that helps others. As a human, I can sense the lure of God and decide whether or not to follow in ways that other entities cannot. 

            Still, regardless of our uniqueness, value is intrinsic to all existing things; it is part of the fabric of reality. God, it could be said, is continuously luring all things into a future that provides the most value (goodness, beauty, love) for all entities. “If ‘creation is a relational act of God, then creation is really ‘co-creation,’ with God.”[13]

            Perhaps then, humans have the highest potential to positively (or negatively) impact the Universe, as we sense God’s co-creative lure. We have free will, a God-given reality, and our choices have consequences. As beings with free will, we are lead by God to co-create a universe with an open future that requires our cooperation. We are not robots carrying out some pre-planned reality, surrendering all of ourselves to some powerful top-down God. Instead, we are co-creating a future with God, the hands and feet of Christ, impacting and changing the Universe around us. Indeed, we are more powerful than we might suspect.

Experience Goes All the Way Down and Up:

            The last fundamental aspect of Process Theology is that “experience goes all the way down and up,” or “God feels our feelings.”[14] For many, God is the exemplar of perfection. Surely, God couldn’t feel “imperfect” emotions like grief, depression, or sadness like us. Due to this notion, in times of suffering, many people, like Jim (mentioned earlier), feel God is absent. Additionally, good things are supposed to happen to good people who believe the right things about God. However, it seems time and time again that God does not protect us from suffering.

            Process Theology offers another way to think about suffering – not surprisingly, bound in the relational interconnectedness of our experience. First and foremost, to view life with an expectation of “not suffering” is a delusion that needs overcoming. If Christianity teaches us anything, it is that God not only suffers with us, but that suffering is part of our collective story towards resurrection. 

            The cross itself, the logo of Christianity, should have been the most obvious marker of God suffering with us. “To say that Jesus was God, then, ought to mean that God himself is one with us in our suffering, that divine love is not essentially benevolence – external well-wishing – but sympathy, taking into itself our every grief.”[15] Other passages reveal Christ’s deep well of “imperfect” emotions. For instance, when “Jesus wept” over Lazarus’ death (John 11:35), or when he sweat blood out of extreme anxiety (a medical condition known as hematohidrosis) before going to the cross (Luke 22:44).  God is not only with us in our suffering but has experienced it in its totality. The pain we feel becomes part of the life of God as God continually takes in our experiences of the world (interconnectedness). 

            However, God does not only take in our human experiences but all experiences of every entity. When I take my Dog for a walk, his face lights up; he exhibits joy and his experience shifts. If I were to abuse my Dog, he would experience pain and retreat. “Imagine that experience/feeling/emotion goes all the way down to subatomic particles.”[16] As previously mentioned, we are all interconnected: humans, plants, rocks, as even “electrons, protons, neutrons, and other subatomic ‘particles’ are drops of spatial-temporal experience. They experience their physical relationships with the world around them as vectored emotions – feelings that drive them this way and that.”[17] Mainly, one could "think of energy as the transmission of physical feelings."[18] So while rocks may not have consciousness, there are still atoms (energy) swirling around (experiencing) its makeup. 

             Therefore, if we are all interconnected and experiencing values (to varying degrees of complexity), then God is also experiencing all entities in every given moment. Perhaps then, we don’t have experiences (feelings, emotions), but are experience itself. We continually experience the God who experiences us in a cosmic web of interconnectedness that continues throughout eternity in an ever-evolving process of love.  

Conclusion:

             Many people are leaving their faith because the classical understandings of God no longer make sense. Process Theology offers an internally consistent and logical understanding of God and the Universe through four foundational means: “(1) All things flow, (2) all things are interconnected, (3) value is intrinsic to reality, (4) experience goes all the way down and up.”[19]By exploring these concepts, one realizes that God is affected by and participates in the flow of life, interconnected with all that is, luring us towards good, and experiencing our feelings. This co-creative, relational, ever-evolving God lures us on to create value for all entities everywhere. For me, an eternal journey of interconnected becoming doesn't sound half bad.  

Bibliography:

Cobb, John B. Praying for Jennifer: An Exploration of Intercessory Prayer in Story Form. Nashville, Tenn.: Upper Room, 1985.

Cobb, John B, and David Ray Griffin. Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition.  Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976.

Hartshorne, Charles. Reality As Social Process: Studies in Metaphysics and Religion.  The Phoenix Series, 2 [I.e. 3]. Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press, 1953.

“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology, date accessed June 18, 2020,             https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1r6G6zJeKhlTDhoEwGIICfBb71q3xWxj0

Mesle, C. Robert. Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead. Templeton Foundation Press, 2008.

Footnote References:

            [1]“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology, date accessed June 18, 2020, https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1r6G6zJeKhlTDhoEwGIICfBb71q3xWxj0

            [2]“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology.

            [3]Robert C. Mesle, Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead(Templeton Foundation Press, 2008), 8.

            [4]Mesle, Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North, 8.

            [5]John B, Cobb and David Ray Griffin, Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition(Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976), 4.

            [6]“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology.

            [7]Mesle, Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead, 67.

             [8]“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology.

            [9]“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology.

            [10]  “Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology.

            [11]John B. Cobb, Praying for Jennifer: An Exploration of Intercessory Prayer in Story Form, (Nashville, Tenn.: Upper Room, 1985).

            [12]“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology.

            [13]“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology.

            [14]“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology.

            [15]Charles Hartshorne, Reality As Social Process: Studies in Metaphysics and Religion(The Phoenix Series, 2 [I.e. 3]. Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press, 1953), 147.

            [16]Mesle, Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead, 35-36.

            [17]Mesle, Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead, 35-36.

            [18]Mesle, Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead, 35-36.

            [19]“Intro to Process,” Claremont School of Theology.

The Foundation of Faith

What is faith and how can you access it no matter what you’re going through?

In this episode, Alex breaks down the illusions about faith. Nothing can provide more strength in your life than a strong foundation of faith.

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• How to define faith in a world of little hope

• The 3 phases of life that everyone experiences

• Why childbirth is like God’s protection over you

• What it means to rest in the faith of your future manifestation

With faith, you’ll be able to count everything in your life joy!

Live light, 

Mastin Kipp: Claim Your Power

Mastin Kipp: Claim Your Power

Are you ready to claim your power?

Mastin Kipp is going to help you get there!

Our Guest:

Mastin Kipp is a number one best-selling author, speaker and life interventionist for people who are seeking rapid transformation in their lives. He has been featured on the Emmy Award show, Super Soul Sunday, and recognized as a “thought leader for the next generation” by Oprah Winfrey. Mastin has built a highly successful international personal development company that helps people create rapid change, connect to who they really are and how to live their lives with passion and purpose.

Through his writing, online courses, in-person seminars and international retreats, Mastin has worked with over two million people in over 100 countries around the world.

Oprah recently also named Mastin “one of 100 awakened leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity,” alongside other teachers such as Tony Robbins, Caroline Myss, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Brené Brown, Marianne Williamson and Eckhart Tolle to name just a few.

To get Mastin’s new book visit: http://claimyourpowerbook.com

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• How to identify the behaviors & emotions holding you back

• Why letting go of coping mechanisms creates change

• The missing link to achieving your goals with purpose

• How to claim your vision and define your purpose

Join us as we dig into your purpose!

Wait, what?! There's more!  Yep, check out Alex's other interviews with Mastin below... 

Mastin Kipp: Growing Into Grace (pt. 1)

"The pain is in the pain." -- Rumi

"Every feeling fully felt is bliss." -- Joseph Campbell.

I'd like to introduce Mastin Kipp, the "up-and-coming thought leader of the next generation of spiritual thinkers," according to Oprah! I've been following his blog thedailylove.com for the past two years, or was it three, maybe four? Who knows, many years... it all seems like a blur because he's become such a part of my life. 

This dude writes a blog every single day, every single day! He shows up for his readers day after day and has built a blog that is read by millions. What's even more fascinating is that he did it from a place of complete and utter darkness. 

Well, I finally had the chance to meet him yesterday at the Middle Collegiate Church for the release of his new book, "Growing Into Grace."

I, like many others, resonate with Mastin (no, not because our last names are the same) because he gives honestly, fears fully, and puts his heart into everything. He doesn't put himself on a spiritual pedestal, he flaunts his faults... a former drug addict, bulimic, college dropout, and failure in many respects... but he's living proof that you can push through failure if you push through your fears. At the end of Mastin's event, he read an excerpt from his book:

A day will come when you will be stirred by unexpected events. A part of you will die and you will begin to search for the elixir to bring this part of you back to life.... All will seem lost... It will be the darkest of nights, and the promise of certain death will lead you to the abyss of despair. But, staring into this abyss, you will begin to see the dim light of your own illumined soul. ... And for the first time you will realize that all the while... it was your own Light that you were searching for.

I can't even begin to express how these words touched me, mainly because I, like Mastin, like all of you reading, know darkness. I've known some of the darkest days imaginable. I once was on top of the world about to graduate from the best musical theater program in the country when my life came crashing down before me... I was "stirred by unexpected events." My senior year, I was diagnosed with cancer, later told I had a 15-30 percent chance of survival, and lost my singing voice completely.

A part of you will die... It will be the darkest of nights, and the promise of certain death will lead you to the abyss of despair.

My abyss was darker than anything I've ever known. I questioned God, I questioned everything about my life. Why is this happening to me? Why would God take away my gift? 

But, staring into this abyss, you will begin to see the dim light of your own illumined soul.

Finally, one day I realized that I was asking the wrong questions. The real question is not "Why am I suffering?" but "What is the grace in all this suffering?" 

... And for the first time you will realize that all the while... it was your own Light that you were searching for.

See, my story is not unique because we're all searching for our light. This is what Mastin speaks and writes about. Grace is a choice just as suffering is. 

Now, I've found grace in helping others by sharing my story, hopefully showing that you can bring meaning and purpose to tragedy. The grace of helping others is far greater than the suffering I once endured. 

So let me ask you, and this is what Mastin led us through... 

1. What are you suffering with? And why are you suffering? 

Go deeply within and ask yourself because the only way to know is to truly feel it. Then, I want you to ask yourself... 

2. If this were grace, what would my lesson be? 

If you can find meaning and grace in your suffering, then it no longer has power over you. Your grace will turn into light...

... And you will realize that all the while... it was your own Light that you were searching for.

If this resonated with you at all, you can find out more about "Growing Into Grace" here or sign up for Mastin's blog thedailylove.com. 

And no, he's not paying me to write this, I just know that he can impact your life the way he has impacted mine. As always, I'm on his journey just as much as you are.

Leave your statement of GRACE in the comments below.

Mastin Kipp: Growing Into Grace (pt. 2)

This interview has been a long time coming!  After meeting Mastin like you read about above, we’ve stayed on each other’s radar and I’m so excited to bring you this interview with him on SoulFeed.

Are you ready to step into your purpose and make your mark?

Mastin Kipp, who Oprah named the “up and coming thought leader of the next generation of spiritual thinkers” has got you covered!  

Our Guest:

Mastin Kipp is the founder of TheDailyLove.com – a website, daily email and twitter account that serves soulful inspiration to a new generation.  Started as a feed of quotes sent to Mastin’s friends, The Daily Love shot to fame after a tweet from Kim Kardashian. And a love monster was born.

He’s been featured on the weekly show Super Soul Sunday with Oprah, and his book, Daily Love: Growing Into Grace, is helping people reconnect to their purpose and power.  You can find out more about Mastin at mastinkipp.com.  

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• How to deal with fear wherever you are (even if you’re a big name like Mastin).

• What he did to move from addiction to inspiring the world.

• The essential three elements to building a business you love.

• Why you are divinely guided and how to tune into it.

Enter our contest for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of “Daily Love: Growing Into Grace” by going to www.thesoulfeed.com/contest or by texting the word “SOULFEED” to 33444. Hurry, this contest won’t last long!

Listen in as Mastin shares where he's at in his entrepreneurial journey because he empowers all of us to step into our power and live our purpose!

Live Light,

Thanks for listening!

Any feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comments below!

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And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates…till next time Soul Warrior!

Rediscovering Jesus

Why is it when some people hear the name Jesus, they get offended?

For a while, Alex did too! In this episode, Shannon interviews Alex about why he thinks religion has done a bad job representing the true Jesus. Through a wild direct encounter that Alex had with Jesus, you will learn the real truth about who he is.

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• Why Jesus is not who most people think he is

• The difference between darkness and light

• How Alex encountered spiritual warfare

• Reasons why people experience the supernatural

Tune in as Shannon interviews Alex about his rediscovery of Jesus’ love for all.

Live Light, 

P.S. If you dug this episode, please share it with your tribe (click buttons above).

AND - please leave an honest review for SoulFeed on iTunes!  Ratings and reviews are super helpful.

As always, live in love and spread your light!

Alex Woodard: Your Purpose Finds You

Do we always have to find our purpose or can it find you?

Alex Woodard has a compelling book-album (super unique) that has reached thousands of listeners and reader alike.

Our Guest:

Alex Woodard has toured nationally behind three critically-acclaimed albums, earning prestigious industry nods and sharing the stage with some of today's most popular acts, before becoming a published author.

His book and album series, For The Sender, features a story of release and redemption woven through songs written about real-life letters. Wayne Dyer calls Alex, "... one of the greatest writers I've ever discovered.”

When he's not surfing in his beach town north of San Diego, Alex lives with a big dog and two bigger horses in the mountains of Idaho.

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• How to stop chasing your purpose and let it find you
• What to do when the unexpected comes calling
• Why you’re creative talents are waiting to be expressed
• The importance of innovation in spreading love to others
• Let your purpose find you in this special episode.

To get a 15-Day Trial of “True Mindfulness Now” text the word “truemind” to 33444 or visit truemindfulness.com

Live light,

P.S. If you dug this episode, please share it with your tribe (click buttons above).

AND - please leave an honest review for SoulFeed on iTunes!  Ratings and reviews are super helpful.

As always, live in love and spread your light!

Danielle LaPorte: Wisdom Is Paradoxical

What happens when we acknowledge the white hot truth?

Our Guest:

Danielle LaPorte is an invited member of Oprah’s inaugural Super Soul 100, a group who, in Oprah Winfrey’s words, “is uniquely connecting the world together with a spiritual energy that matters.”

She is author of The Fire Starters Sessions, and The Desire Map: A Guide To Creating Goals With Soul—the book that has been translated into 8 languages, evolved into a yearly day planner and journal system, a top 10 iTunes app, and an international workshop program with licensed facilitators in 15 countries.

Named one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women” by Forbes, over 5 million visitors go to DanielleLaPorte.com every month for her daily #Truthbombs and what’s been called “the best place online for kickass spirituality.” Her multi- million dollar company is made up of nine women and one very lucky guy, working virtually from seven different cities.

A speaker, poet, painter, and former business strategist and Washington-DC think tank exec, Entrepreneur Magazine calls Danielle, “equal parts poet and entrepreneurial badass...edgy, contrarian...loving and inspired.” Her charities of choice are VDay: a global movement to end violence against women and girls, and charity: water, setting out to bring safe drinking water to everyone in the world.

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• The power of being a truth teller.
• Why wisdom is paradoxical.
• Danielle’s story of when she shares vulnerably on social media.
• What does feminine leadership look like and why do we need it?

Join us as our “Mama of the Truthbombs” lays it down and keeps it real!

Join the White Hot Truth Book Club at http://www.daniellelaporte.com/whitehottruth-bookclub/.

Download a free audiobook: 1 Free Month of Audible + A Free Book!

Be Led by God

Is it really possible to be led by God?  Do you have to do something special to earn it?

In this episode, Alex breaks down the common misconceptions about what it means to be led by God and how to tap into the source of creation. 

Quick Preview of the Podcast: 

• Why it’s so easy to not hear God’s voice

• The strange grocery store story that opened Alex’s mind

• How to come in contact with your higher power

• Ways to help others feel loved without expectation

It’s time to be led to your unique purpose!  

To go deeper into these concepts, start your free 15-day Trial of “True Mindfulness Now”! Start your mindfulness journey today!

Live light,

P.S. If you dug this episode, please share it with your tribe (click buttons above).

AND - please leave an honest review for SoulFeed on iTunes!  Ratings and reviews are super helpful.

As always, live in love and spread your light!

Akshay Nanavati: Discovering Fearvana

Is fear really the enemy?

Akshay Nanavati is changing the way we think about fear!

Our Guest:

Akshay Nanavati is a Marine Corps veteran, adventurer, entrepreneur and creator of Fearvana. Upon overcoming drug addiction, a diagnosis of PTSD from fighting the war in Iraq, and a battle with alcohol that pushed his to the brink of suicide, he then dedicated his life to mastering the forces that drive human behavior.

From exploring the most hostile environments on the planet, having a personal mission to run across every country in the world in the next 20-25 years, and healing his brain through years of studying neuroscience and psychology, he discovered Fearvana - the bliss that results from engaging your fear to pursue your own worthy struggle.

His work has been featured in Forbes, Psychology Today, entrepreneur.com, CNN, Huffington Post, Military Times, FOX 5 NY, entrepreneur on fire, and other media outlets across the globe. Find his new book at fearvana.com

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• What Fearvana is and how to apply it in your life.
• A simple method for moving past blocks.
• Discover the reason why fear can actually inspire you.
• How to live in a state of happiness through fear!

*For a limited time*

Before you go! Activate your FREE 15-Day “True Mindfulness Now” Trial! Start your mindfulness journey today!

Live light,

P.S. If you dug this episode, please share it with your tribe (click buttons above).

AND - please leave an honest review for SoulFeed on iTunes!  Ratings and reviews are super helpful.

As always, live in love and spread your light!

Linden Schaffer: Wellness Traveling Pioneer Leads The Way

How can you travel and improve your wellness at the same time?

Linden Schaffer, the wellness traveling consultant and pioneer shares how to live well on the road.

Our Guest:

Linden Schaffer, the founder of Pravassa, was the first wellness travel company in 2009.  Since the founding she has been the winner of the prestigious British Airways Face of Opportunity contest.  Today, as a wellness travel expert and consultant, she lead travelers around the world on wellness tours with Pravassa where she creates group and individualized itineraries for the people and companies that are looking to restore productivity and creativity.

She also writes for the The Huffington Post and MindBodyGreen about wellness travel and lifestyle.  As a speaker, she gives regular conferences around the country including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times travel shows and have participated in international conferences in Colombia, India, and Spain in order to bring wellness travel opportunities to these countries.

Her first book, Living Well on the Road, with the foreword written by famed actor and travel writer Andrew McCarthy, is available at http://www.pravassa.com/book/

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• What a wellness traveler learned about life --- vacations are just the start.
• Practical real-world approach to understanding and managing your wellness on the road
• Why you need a strategy to ease back into life after an epic life changing adventure.
• How to give yourself a break when an enlightening trip is calling!

Learn how to take your next trip with ease!

*For a limited time*

Before you go! FREE 15 Day Trial of the True Mindfulness Membership + Free Coaching for anyone who signs up before April 21st. Start your mindfulness journey today!

Live light,

P.S. If you dug this episode, please share it with your tribe (click buttons above).

AND - please leave an honest review for SoulFeed on iTunes!  Ratings and reviews are super helpful. 

As always, live in love and spread your light!

Celebrate Your Failures

Does failure really mean you’ve failed?  

It’s easy to let your failures weigh you down.  But what if there was another lesson to be learned? I share my most surprising and intimate failures to give you hope (it’s about to get real)!

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• How I lost $30K in 3 months in my first business venture.
• Why knowing the truth about failure will change your life.
• Shocking secrets of a personal development leader revealed.
• What happens when you finally stop being “perfect.”

Learn from your mistakes in this powerful episode.

*For a limited time*

Before you go! FREE 15 Day Trial of the True Mindfulness Membership + Free Coaching for anyone who signs up before April 21st. Start your mindfulness journey today!

Live light,

P.S. If you dug this episode, please share it with your tribe (click buttons above).

AND - please leave an honest review for SoulFeed on iTunes!  Ratings and reviews are super helpful. 

As always, live in love and spread your light!

Jill Willard: Step Into Your Intuition

Jill Willard: Step Into Your Intuition

How does intuition actually work? Can anyone tap into it?

Intuitive expert Jill Willard has a lot to say about this one…

Our Guest:

JILL WILLARD was born with a unique ability for predicting the future and intuiting the experiences of others. In addition to giving readings for clients, she has trained corporate executives, pro athletes, and other thought leaders in honing their intuitive skills from A-list celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Patricia Arquette to executives at Time and Google.

Her work has appeared on Goop.com, mindbodygreen.com, and Elle, among other publications. She is also the co-founder of IM Meditation. Her new book “Intuitive Being” helps all Connect with Spirit, Find Your Center, and Choose an Intentional Life. To go deeper with Jill visit: http://jillwillard.com.

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• Learn why intuition is your greatest gift.
• How to protect your energy when you're an open channel of inspiration.
• Simple strategies to start tapping into your innate abilities.
• The truth about spiritual battles and being a lightworker!

Tune in to step into your intuition.

Before you go, grab a FREE “True Mindfulness Coaching Call” with me!

Live light,

P.S. If you dug this episode, please share it to your tribe (click buttons above).

AND - please leave an honest review for SoulFeed on iTunes!  Ratings and reviews are super helpful. 

As always, live in love and spread your light!

Discover Abilities That Lie Hidden in Your Potential

Discover Abilities That Lie Hidden in Your Potential  

Ever been confused when new possibilities start to emerge that were unexpected?

I share all in this new podcast about how frustrating it can be and what to do when you know you’re meant to do something else but your intellect keeps holding you back.

Quick Preview of the Podcast:

• How to discover hidden abilities within yourself.
• Why knowing what you don’t know cause actually lead to truth.
• The real reason why “control syndrome” numbs your creative self.
• What happens when you start to experience change instead of intellectual fear.  

Tune in to uncover new aspects of yourself.  

Before you go, grab your free “True Mindfulness Coaching” with me! 

Live light,

P.S. If you dug this episode, please share it with your tribe (click buttons above).

AND - please leave an honest review forSoulFeed on iTunes!  Ratings and reviews are super helpful. 

As always, live in love and spread your light!