Our culture is defined by competition. Many people derive their identity by it. We’ve all seen how competition can be a great thing but have you ever considered what is really behind a “poor sport?” We train our kids to see the world as a binary system of winners and losers. In business, sports, education, religion, and dating we have developed a chronic form of heart disease, known as otherness. In this post, I share that the solution is not the abandonment of competition, but applying the single greatest principal of life.

In this second half of our look at the Church and State, we focus on the growing population of people who are in a form of exile. Independence from a formative container is scary and requires us to endure an arid, arduous experience without the support of the system. See why so many are opting for this authentic life rather than settle for the existence provided for the masses. Unity and diversity can coexist. The song enclosed represents a fast growing global community that can tell the difference between captivity and freedom and who have bravely walked through the exile to reach the family on the other side. Will join us?

We are all born under the influence of the Church and State. While these two powerhouses are supposed to be separated, they actually function as two sides of the same coin. Our country is divided based on which of these authority systems we prefer to govern us. If we step back we can see that the problem is not either of these governments, but the binary, dualistic nature that fuels each one. Both church and state infect us with “otherness” which gives us an identity in exchange for our true self. The solution is easy and within our grasp, but we must be willing to face an exile.

The biggest scandal in religion is this idea that God loves bad people. While the bible tells us that Jesus died for our sins, it doesn’t really explain precisely how that happens. This is why we have at least four theories of the atonement. Modern Christianity is largely locked on the penal/substitution theory. On the surface it makes sense, but the subplot is where many people disconnect. This podcast tries to open a discussion about the atonement and offers a wider, and more inclusive theory based on restoration rather than retribution.

My town has 60,000 people and 150 different denominations or faith traditions. Yours probably has more. In our world of competitive religions, it is increasingly common to disparage or diminish another denomination or religion. In this podcast and post I examine what is behind the exclusivity and why we often confuse the God experience with the means to that experience. A theology is not God but humanity’s attempt to make sense out of an experience that has just as many names as God.

In nearly every arena of life we witness those who are about to engage in action take a moment of pause right before they begin. Athletes and performers alike all find a moment just prior to going on the world’s stage. In this podcast I explore what is contained within this brief moment and precisely what happens when we choke. What is really happening, what is at stake, and what do we miss if we glance over this pause and keep on going? Far more is happening than what is on the surface.

In this final episode I examine that little voice of “push back” that emerges when we start talking about spiritual things. I show you that it’s not uncommon, and despite what the religious world might say, it doesn’t mean you don’t believe. Push back is an inner experience of faith, and I show you how that is so. I also help you to see why the deep life is so vital, so lasting, and the ultimate focus of everything you think you want.

What is spirituality? Is it just a bunch of weird fables and feel good stories that lack any real tangible benefit? Is it a life of rituals and strange tribal language or a small group that asks invasive questions?  In this episode, I describe the spiritual life as the deep life. I also show you exactly how the deep life is absolutely real and much larger than any empirically measurable container. I share what gets us there and what doesn’t along with what we can expect upon arrival at this deep, beautiful, powerful world.

Many people think our world is very shallow. While that may be the case, it may surprise you to learn that people don’t really want to be shallow. In this podcast I begin to show you how to go deeper by exploring the smallest things. In the end, these tiny things are the event horizon for the biggest thing in the universe.