The Blue Room podcast is back--sort of--with something new this week! I’ve been wanting to play around with audio here on Substack, the platform that hosts the Blue Room. I thought I’d give it a try using the audio from last Sunday’s sermon.

Nothing fancy in this prototype, not even an intro or outro, just the sermon audio. Let me know how it works for you!

The scripture text: Mark 4:26-34

Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

It’s the season two finale! Today, we wrap up our series of conversations about Hope: A User’s Manual.

Section six of the book is Hope Beyond Hope. If you’ve read the book, we hope this conversation will enhance that section. If you haven’t read it, the conversation stands on its own.

This section is a bit of a catch-all, wrap-up section. It’s about how we persevere amid everything or despite everything, when we’re feeling hopeful and even when we’re not.

Our guest is Tim Beal, Distinguished University Professor, Florence Harkness Professor of Religion, and Director of h.lab at Case Western Reserve University. His latest book is When Time Is Short: Finding Our Way in the Anthropocene. The book starts with the question, “what if it’s actually too late to save ourselves from the climate crisis? What then?” It’s an alarming question on its face, but Tim’s exploration of that question is robust and provocative, and ironically hopeful. Which is exactly where the final section of my book strives to land.

~

Tim’s website

Tim’s Finding Our Way in the Anthropocene Spotify playlist (brilliant idea!)

Contact MaryAnn McKibben Dana at maryannmckibbendana.net. 

Order Hope: A User’s Manual

Editor and Producer: Mel Dana

Today, we continue our series of conversations about Hope: A User’s Manual.

Section five of the book is The Practice of Hope. If you’ve read the book, we hope this conversation will enhance that section. If you haven’t read it, the conversation stands on its own.

Section five is the get-your-hands-dirty section, so what could be more fitting than a conversation about gardening with Derrick Weston! As you’ll hear, we talk about a lot more than just gardening: food, faith, race, justice… it’s a wide-ranging conversation that stands well alongside the most practical section of the book.

The Rev. Derrick Weston is Theological Education and Training Coordinator for Creation Justice Ministries (formerly the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program). Derrick is a writer, filmmaker, podcaster, speaker, and educator. He is co-host of the Food and Faith podcast and producer of Spoon, Spade, and Soul, a podcast highlighting food and land-based ministries in the Episcopal church; he produced the short film series “A Wilderness Like Eden” highlighting the work of churches engaged in food justice work. You’ll hear us talk about the black church food security network, which is featured in that film project.

Derrick is co-author of the forthcoming book The Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection, and Celebration, now available for pre-order!

Derrick’s website

And here’s my conversation with Derrick about Black Panther from season one of the pod! Parts one and two.

Contact MaryAnn McKibben Dana at maryannmckibbendana.net. 

Order Hope: A User’s Manual

Editor and Producer: Mel Dana