Academy Podcast

This month’s podcast features teaching from Roger Owens at Two-Year Academy #36 in San Antonio, TX where he taught on “Traditions of Christian Spirituality.” Walking us through the Ignatian spiritual practice of “Examen,” Roger illumines an age-old exercise that is applicable and perhaps even essential in our modern lives. Featured on this podcast before, Roger continues to offer us guidance and wisdom in the way of spiritual formation, reminding us that when we pay attention we can be open to true transformation.

This month, we’re throwin’ it back for summer, encouraging you to listen and re-listen to our top 9 episodes from days gone by. Healing and Wholeness with Sister Kathleen Flood; The Pilgrim's Path with Loyd Allen; The Word of God in Me with Grace Imathiu; Bearing Witness with Ray Buckley; Hospitality as a Spiritual Practice by Amy Oden; Spiritual Friendship and Shared Vocation, Honoring Our Ancestors, and Love in Action with Parker Palmer; and One Breath at a Time with Dana Trent. Each of these episodes will be featured on our website podcast page at academy.upperroom.org/podcast.

This month’s podcast features teaching from Elaine Heath at a 2014 Five-Day Academy in North Carolina, where she offered a series of lectures entitled, “The Way of Wisdom.” Serving as faculty for many Academies throughout the years, Elaine, through her writing, teaching, and presence, offers us hope in the midst of despair, wisdom in the midst of foolishness, and mercy in the midst of judgment.

This month’s podcast features teaching from Don Saliers on the liturgy of the Psalms, offered at a Five-Day Academy in 2015 in Alabama. Calling us to the depths of the human heart, Don illumines the Psalms as a “school of prayer” that invites humanity to operate at full stretch and to use language to talk about God that is language of the heart. The Psalms are where we find such language to guide us.

Walking Gently on the Ground of Experience by The Academy for Spiritual Formation

Nurturing and Enhancing Life by The Academy for Spiritual Formation

This month’s podcast features teaching from Grace Imathiu at a 2015 Five-Day Academy in Nebraska on the topic of “The Word of God in Me.” Grace uses the story of the rich young ruler in Mark, chapter 10 to reveal how when we find ourselves in scripture, we find ourselves connected to our faith in new and transformative ways. Grace considers the world as her parish. As an African who is married to a European and is raising an American son, Grace is committed to advocating for the inclusion of all people. Her sermons and teachings are always exegeted as tools of justice on the intersections of religion, race, sexuality, and gender. As you listen to her teaching, may you find yourself in the sacred text and may that discovery lead you closer to God.

In this month’s podcast, our host, Claire McKeever-Burgett had the honor of interviewing Dana Trent, Academy faculty, Upper Room Books author, and professor of world religions and critical thinking at Wake Tech Community College. Dana is also an ordained Baptist minister and former hospital chaplain, and her work has appeared on Time.com, and in Religion News Service, Sojourners, Religion Dispatches, and The Christian Century. Her third book, "One Breath At a Time: A Skeptic's Guide to Christian Meditation", was released January 1 of this year from Upper Room Books and serves as the focus of their conversation.

This month’s podcast is the third in a series of conversations with Parker Palmer, released in both audio and visual formats. In June 2018, Academy Director Johnny Sears, visited with Parker in the Palmer home in Madison, WI, and we were lucky enough to get to film it. Parker and Johnny talked about everything from vulnerability to what makes a good leader, to how to sustain the work of The Academy for the next 35 years. What follows is an offering from their conversation in which Parker summons us to celebrate our accomplishments and to honor our ancestors. We share the following excerpt in hopes that Parker’s wisdom might enrich your own lives and the conversations that comprise them in the same ways his wisdom influences and shapes us.

Love In Action by The Academy for Spiritual Formation

In June 2018, Academy Director Johnny Sears, visited with his friend and mentor, Parker Palmer, at the Palmer home in Madison, WI, and we were lucky enough to get to record it! Parker and Johnny talked about everything from vulnerability to what makes a good leader, to how to sustain the work of The Academy for the next 35 years. What follows is an offering from their conversation on spiritual friendship and shared vocation in hopes that their mutual dialogue about life, love, work, passion, leadership, and spirituality might enrich your own lives and the conversations that comprise them. The episode picks up with Johnny asking Parker about his friendship and connection with John Mogabgab (founding member of The Academy and editor of Weavings: A Journal for the Christian Spiritual Life) and Henri Nouwen. The friendship between Parker, Henri, and John served as a catalyst, an inspiration, and a motivation for the beginnings of The Academy 35 years ago.

Hospitality as a Spiritual Practice by The Academy for Spiritual Formation

In this month’s episode, we hear from Ray Buckley on the topic of Bearing Witness. Ray offered the following teaching at Two-Year Academy #33 in Donaldson, Indiana in November of 2013. Ray’s teaching invites listeners to consider what it means to be clay in the hands of a God who holds us when we break, and he invites us to bear witness to the hope and possibility that come when we simply let God do the work.

The Pilgrim’s Path by The Academy for Spiritual Formation

In this month’s episode, we hear from Kathryn Damiano on how we live life as a divine office and on how we understand all things as sacramental and therefore as sacred. Kathryn offered the following teaching at Two-Year Academy #33 in Donaldson, IN in November 2013. Kathryn’s teaching invites listeners into a holy place of listening and awe, of honesty and vulnerability, of hope and promise. How do we live life as a liturgy? How is everything sacramental? What does radical ordinariness look like? Listen on, beloveds, and enjoy.

In this month’s episode, we hear from Roger Owens on the topic of prayer and spirituality in a postmodern world, taken from his lectures he offered in August 2011 at a Five-Day Academy in Alabama. Listen on as Roger illumines God’s presence of mercy and love in all things...and may you have ears to hear and eyes to see and hearts to open to the sacredness of all. Enjoy.

In this month’s episode, we hear from Roberta Bondi about God’s unconditional love for all of us. Roberta’s lifetime of studying the desert mothers and fathers of the Early Church lends itself to the wisdom shared – that the whole of the Christian spiritual life is about growing in the knowledge of God’s love, and that we can’t love others if we don’t first know God loves us. Enjoy.

This month's episode draws from Sister Kathleen's teaching on "Spirituality and Ways of Healing" at a Two-Year Academy in Alabama in February 2006. Inspired by the Gospel of Luke's passion narrative, Sister Kathleen offers wisdom and insight on healing and wholeness, teaching that in order to be healers in the world we must give up our need for power and, instead, follow the Way of Love.

In this month's episode, we hear from Bishop Hee-Soo Jung on the topic of Christianity in a Global Context. Illuminating the topics of liberation and compassion and pointing to the other-centered focus of Jesus, Bishop Hee-Soo invites us to consider what being called "the Beloved of God" means for our lives.

The following episode draws from Safiyah Fosua's teaching on afro-centric theology and black worship at a Two-Year Academy in Alabama in February 2006. Offering us a rich history of afro-centric theology and worship, Safiyah invites us to consider the themes of belonging, contemplation, and the vital impact of black theology on the Christian church as we know it.