Bart Campolo joins me to talk about building community as a former Christian Pastor turned Humanist Minister. There are no hard feelings toward faith or the church here, just a moving towards something greater and seeking a more meaningful existence.   Check out Bart's Podcast "Humanize Me"  

We all engage with myths and experiences in our own different ways and 2020 has been no exception. This week we look at the cultural myth of Santa Clause and explore the wide range of ways people can interact with and experience this myth.  A rebroadcast of last years Christmas episode: "Seeing Beyond the Myths."  

Joe Burnham joins me to talk about his experience as a funeral officiant and some of the insight he's gleaned from his experiences that can also teach us how to build and maintain strong communities and connections.   Find out more about Joe and his work at joeburnham.com

Fran Pratt aka "The Litanist" joins me on episode 38 for a conversation about liturgy, litany, and our need for community that engages on a deeper level. Through her work as "The Litanist" she has been modernizing the the traditional practice of ----more----call and response prayer which she does with a great finesse and an open heart and mind. It's hard to describe her work well without experiencing it, but though she makes use of religious language, as a reader I never felt strong armed into any certain way of thinking. Her writing allows a lot of meditative room to breath and seems much more concerned with personal development and rich communal engagement rather than correct doctrinal belief or dogma.    Check out her book "Call and Response" on Amazon  Find out more about Fran and her work here: franpratt.com

Ryan Miller is on a mission. Simply put he's founded a brand of community focused on gathering in a spirit of curiosity rather than dividing over judgement. Ideological diversity is the key ingredient. Denver Brew Theology and its various chapters across the nation gather in pubs each week to discuss challenging topics and open themselves to unfamiliar points of view. As of late all their operations have shifted over to zoom, but in the pre-corona world that existed when we recorded this conversation back in December 2019, the evenings at the pub were very much alive. ----more---- To find out more about Brew theology check out the links below: Web: http://www.brewtheology.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brewtheology/  

We’re always shouting at the external problems... what needs to change in the world and whose to blame for the short comings. But the richest and most meaningful work tends to come from those who have shifted their attention inward and focused on doing their inner work before critiquing the external. Those are the voices we desperately need. Those are the voices we need speaking into our lives and our culture. And on episode 35 I have a few such voices to share with you. Enjoy. ----more---- website: thegroundedpresence.com email: [email protected] Voicemail Line: 720-744-2587 instagram:@thegroundedpresence facebook:@thegroundedpresence

There is often a disconnect between Police officers and the communities they serve. Fear, anxiety, and false assumptions all play a role. For the past 4 years Michael Acuña (aka ill se7en, aka Acuña Black) has made it his work to build bridges between officers and their communities and mend the gap divided by a thin blue line.   Learn More about Michael Acuña (ill se7en):  Tedx Talk: "How we build bridges between police officers & youth" Westword Profile: "Michael Acuña is Transforming Denver Culture" Facebook: Ill Se7en  Instagram: @illse7en --------------------   CONNECT: website: thegroundedpresence.com email: [email protected] Voicemail Line: 720-744-2587 instagram:@thegroundedpresence facebook:@thegroundedpresence

Do you want more from social interactions? Do you long to feel tighter with the world around you? That is exactly what Blake Ross and I are exploring! We’re diving into a series of social experiments aimed at fostering better relationships and engendering a greater sense of community with the people that surround us. And though the experiments might be simple in nature... the results so far have been profound. Join us on episode 33. -------------------- ----more---- CONNECT: website: thegroundedpresence.com email: [email protected] Voicemail Line: 720-744-2587 instagram:@thegroundedpresence facebook:@thegroundedpresence

Rituals are the back bone of all community. Whether it's a group friends, a religious community, or simply the intimate community of ones home, rituals play a key role. Rusty Gates brings his experience and expertise to the table on episode 32 and shows us that ritual isn't just a convention of religion... it can really be anything we do that brings us closer together. Ritual is that which can make a gathering of people into something so much more than just a mere collection of individuals.    -------------------- CONNECT: website: thegroundedpresence.com email: [email protected] Voicemail Line: 720-744-2587 instagram:@thegroundedpresence facebook:@thegroundedpresence      

Rusty Gates and I had some of the most meaningful experiences of our lives years ago in a small community in Denver, Colorado. In episode 31 we reflect on that season of our lives, what it taught us about community, and what we’ve learned since.------------------ -------------------- CONNECT: website: thegroundedpresence.com email: [email protected] Voicemail Line: 720-744-2587 instagram:@thegroundedpresence facebook:@thegroundedpresence