In this episode, we talk with Paul Schroeder, author of Practice Makes Purpose: Six Spiritual Practices that Will Change Your Life and Transform Your Community . Paul is a social entrepreneur, author, and spiritual teacher who has spent over 20 years working at the intersection of spirituality and social change. He served for more than a decade as a Greek Orthodox priest. After a divorce and a period of personal and spiritual crisis, Paul left the priesthood and founded New City Initiative, a no...
Sep 20, 2017•39 min•Ep. 50
Just a couple of weeks ago, not far from us here in Rochester, there was a bombing at a mosque in Bloomington, MN. And less than a week ago, white supremacists and Nazis gathered in Charlottesville, VA held a violent demonstration. In the last couple of days a death threat was posted on the video of our Sandbox live event featuring our friend Regina Mustafa. Where do we go from here? How do we deal with our perception that this is bigger than we can fix? And how might conversation be a launching...
Aug 16, 2017•13 min•Ep. 49
In today’s episode, we talk about language. In its simplest form, language is made up of words that we use to express something. But from cultural context, personal experience, external pressures, the message is rarely if ever cleanly sent and perfectly understood. Sometimes we think we are communicating in prose, but more often than not, it’s poetry filled with metaphor, innuendo, and inflection. It’s a wonder we can say anything at all.
Aug 02, 2017•43 min•Ep. 48
Lyle Beckman is a night minister with the San Francisco Night Ministry, a ministry that provides care, counseling, referrals, and crisis intervention to anyone in any kind of distress, every night of the year between 10pm and 4 am. Every night for 52 years, a night minister has been out there, walking the streets with the job of caring for the people who are out when most people have gone in. Lyle has served as a night minister since 2004.
Jul 12, 2017•35 min•Ep. 47
While we were in San Fransisco last summer, we had the opportunity to talk with Chuck Lewis and Joanne Chadwick. Chuck is a retired pastor and night minister. Jo is also retired after a career working in the church, at the YWCA and in suicide prevention. They’ve both worked in support of peace and justice for many years to make their communities and our world a better place to live. Now, both in their 80’s, they reflect a bit on where they’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed.
Jun 28, 2017•28 min•Ep. 46
Roger Wolsey is the director of the Wesley Foundation United Methodist Campus Ministry at University of Colorado at Boulder. He’s also a writer, and the author of Kissing Fish, an introduction to progressive Christianity. We talked with Roger a bit about his book and other ways of interpreting the Christian tradition. If you’d like to learn more about Kissing Fish , visit ProgressiveChristianityBook.com or find it on Facebook ....
Jun 14, 2017•27 min•Ep. 45
On May 7, 2017 Sandbox Cooperative welcomed Drew G. I. Hart to the Sandbox stage. This podcast contains the Q&A portion of the evening event. Drew is a professor at Messiah College with ten years of pastoral experience. He studied Biblical Studies at Messiah College, he attained his MDiv with an urban concentration from Biblical Seminary, and he recently received his PhD in theology and ethics from Lutheran Theological Seminary-Philadelphia. His work has included pastoring in Harrisburg and ...
May 31, 2017•38 min
On May 7, 2017 Sandbox Cooperative welcomed Drew G. I. Hart to the Sandbox stage. Drew is a professor at Messiah College with ten years of pastoral experience. He studied Biblical Studies at Messiah College, he attained his MDiv with an urban concentration from Biblical Seminary, and he recently received his PhD in theology and ethics from Lutheran Theological Seminary-Philadelphia. His work has included pastoring in Harrisburg and Philadelphia, working for an inner-city afterschool program, lea...
May 31, 2017•35 min
All of this week we’re sharing responses to the question we asked each of our guests on our road trip: “If you could tell everyone in the world one thing (not that they would necessarily agree, but they would listen), what would it be?” In the last part of this mini-series, we talk with Samir Selmanovic. Samir is an executive life coach in New York City who helps others master the alchemy of creativity, compassion, and courage in the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds, adding meaning to their ...
May 26, 2017•4 min•Ep. 44
All of this week we’re sharing responses to the question we asked each of our guests on our road trip: “If you could tell everyone in the world one thing (not that they would necessarily agree, but they would listen), what would it be?” Today we talk with Jason Storbakken. Jason is the Chapel Director of The Bowery Mission, which is the oldest mission to serve the homeless population in New York City. His congregation is made up of people who, for the most part, have no place to live. He is prob...
May 25, 2017•4 min•Ep. 44
All of this week we’re sharing responses to the question we asked each of our guests on our road trip: “If you could tell everyone in the world one thing (not that they would necessarily agree, but they would listen), what would it be?” Today we talk with Linda Kay Klein. Linda is a storyteller, social innovator, and spiritual seeker who blends research and stories to expose unseen social problems and devise potential solutions. She utilizes her unique approach as a writer, speaker, workshop and...
May 24, 2017•3 min•Ep. 44
All of this week we’re sharing responses to the question we asked each of our guests on our road trip: “If you could tell everyone in the world one thing (not that they would necessarily agree, but they would listen), what would it be?” Today we talk with Vince Anderson. Every Monday Night for decades Reverend Vince Anderson and the Love Choir has had a standing gig, currently at the Union Pool in Brooklyn. He shares a brand of music he calls “Dirty Gospel” – a raw, earthy style of gospel music....
May 23, 2017•6 min•Ep. 44
Tim Otto is pastor at The Church of the Sojourners in the Mission District of San Francisco and author of Oriented to Faith: Transforming the Conflict Over Gay Relationships . Tim shared with us a bit about the way this conversation has shaped his own life, but also called us to unity in the midst of our conflict so that we can have real conversations and learn together. Tim challenges and invites us to find common ground for growth in the middle of our divisions.
May 10, 2017•34 min•Ep. 43
In today’s episode we talk with Shane Claiborne – an activist, founder of The Simple Way , and author of Executing Grace: How The Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It’s Killing Us . We spoke with Shane about the death penalty, the work currently being done to abolish the practice (including current cases in Arkansas), and how we might imagine and create a better future through restorative justice. To learn more: Read Shane’s Book, Executing Grace Learn about the work of Death Penalty Action and...
Apr 26, 2017•41 min•Ep. 42
It’s the season of Easter Egg Hunts, and kids will be seeking out every last egg and piece of candy in the coming week. We start out in life enjoying the search, the hunt, and the discovery. But over time we can be tempted to lose the excitement in discovering and exploring new things and ideas. New experiences invite us a bit further toward the beauty of the world around us – explore a place where you haven’t been or a topic you aren’t an expert on, and you might just be open to growth and new ...
Apr 12, 2017•21 min•Ep. 41
This episode features our conversation with Nicole Deane, who we had the chance to meet on our road trip last summer. When we spoke with her, Nicole was working with Planting Justice, a non-profit food justice organization based in Oakland, California. Nicole shared with us about how these issues of access to food and meaningful work relate to the challenges of racism and the prison industrial complex. She talked about how together we might discover our common humanity, and begin to address some...
Mar 29, 2017•32 min•Ep. 40
In part two of our Nine Beats conversation we talk with Matt Valler and Mark Scandrette from the Nine Beats collective about some of the ways they are helping to interpret the Beatitudes in a new way. “Somewhere between a story and a dream, there is a whisper of another world, a different rhythm rising… An international collective of amazing troubadours, poets, rebels, provocateurs, sages & activists on the trail of the ancient sayings known as ‘the beatitudes’ A haunting. A cry. A new beat....
Mar 15, 2017•34 min•Ep. 39
Somewhere between a story and a dream, there is a whisper of another world, a different rhythm rising… An international collective of amazing troubadours, poets, rebels, provocateurs, sages & activists on the trail of the ancient sayings known as ‘the beatitudes’ A haunting. A cry. A new beat. In this episode we talk with Heatherlyn and Steve Bassett from the Nine Beats collective about the music and album that sits at the center of the project to explore the Beatitudes in a new way.
Mar 01, 2017•41 min•Ep. 38
Is this story real? Did it actually happen? Does it matter? Why do we have an expectation that if stories matter, they must be “factual”? What if stories of all kinds are teaching tools about what it means to be human? In this episode, we talk about stories and their power to shape and influence us. Why are stories more interesting than facts, and what can we learn from stories if we’re paying attention?
Feb 15, 2017•20 min•Ep. 37
In this episode, we spoke with doctors Chris Hawley and Sam Romeo about a series of house concerts they host as a part of their medical practice at Romeo Medical Clinic. Romeo Medical Clinic started in 2002 with the idea that a medical practice should care for the whole person and not just the body. They believe that the human health journey should involve health at every level including our World, Body, Mind, Spirit and Soul. Physicians and traditional medical practices are well designed to car...
Feb 01, 2017•42 min•Ep. 36
A few months ago we had the chance to talk with New York Times best-selling author Rob Bell. We talked about failure, rejection, and what it means to be human. Rob is the author of books like Love Wins and the host of his own podcast — The RobCast. He toured with Oprah Winfrey on her “Life You Want Tour,” and he was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. But he’s never been on the Sandbox Cooperative Podcast. Until now.
Jan 18, 2017•41 min•Ep. 35
Our traditions help us make meaning, but they can also become stagnant. How do we keep ourselves from cutting a perfectly good chunk off the end of a perfectly good Christmas ham? In other words, can we shed some of the unhelpful, rigid nature of our traditions and instead allow them to bring meaning to our experiences? And how might we pass those traditions on from one generation to the next?
Dec 21, 2016•32 min•Ep. 34
Fake News has been making headlines as of late as stories and news sources that are based on false information have been gaining our trust. In the Age of Fake News, it’s hard to know what to believe sometimes. But if there’s one thing we know it’s that we can’t let these stories drive us to such opposition that we can’t actually talk with and learn from each other. How Fake News Goes Viral , The New York Times How to self-check the news and get the facts , Minnesota Public Radio 6 in 10 of you w...
Dec 14, 2016•21 min•Ep. 33
On October 30, 2016 Sandbox Cooperative welcomed Regina Mustafa to the Sandbox stage. This podcast contains the Q&A portion of the evening event. Regina lives in Rochester, Minnesota and is the founder of Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam, a local organization focused on sharing reliable and accessible information on Islam, as well as promoting healthy interfaith dialogue. She shared some common misunderstandings about our Muslim neighbors, the struggles and joys of living in the United...
Nov 23, 2016•35 min
On October 30, 2016 Sandbox Cooperative welcomed Regina Mustafa to the Sandbox stage. Regina lives in Rochester, Minnesota and is the founder of Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam, a local organization focused on sharing reliable and accessible information on Islam, as well as promoting healthy interfaith dialogue. She shared some common misunderstandings about our Muslim neighbors, the struggles and joys of living in the United States as a Muslim given our current political and social clima...
Nov 23, 2016•41 min
We intentionally recorded this episode of the podcast before any election results came in as a time capsule to ourselves. What do we really hope for? How do we respond when our hopes are dashed and we are disappointed? What about the day after? Well, it is now November 9, 2016 — the day after — and many are disappointed. So let’s pull out the time capsule and reflect on these ideas – Hope, Disappointment, and the Day After.
Nov 07, 2016•28 min•Ep. 32
Daniel Kirk is a New Testament scholar and host of LectioCast , a Homebrewed Christianity podcast created as a commentary on weekly lectionary texts. Daniel spoke with us about politics, echo chambers, and how the humanity of Jesus influences the way we might see our faith. Find more about Daniel Kirk at JRDKirk.com , at Patheos via Storied Theology , or @jrdkirk ....
Oct 26, 2016•41 min•Ep. 31
In this episode we interview Mark Scandrette about his newest book, “ Belonging and Becoming: Creating a Thriving Family Culture .” Belonging and Becoming centers on the core relationship of family, whatever shape and size that might take, and how we can live together well with meaning. The new book was co-written by Mark and his wife Lisa, and also features pieces written by their daughter Hailey Scandrette (who we interviewed in Episode 27 .) Find more about Mark at MarkScandrette.com @marksca...
Oct 13, 2016•38 min•Ep. 30
We are already whole people, though we sometimes struggle to see ourselves as whole. But if we know who we are and what we are capable of… look out! We can live amazing lives. In this episode, Sam Romeo and Chris Hawley of Seity Health in Turlock, CA share with us about the history of their unique health care practice, including a new project which maps the genome of the human spirit – a new way of considering how spiritual well-being affects the other aspects of our health. We hear this as a ch...
Sep 28, 2016•37 min•Ep. 29
In this episode we talked with Harry Williams, whose work has centered on marginalized members of the inner city community in Oakland, CA. Early on, Harry learned the power of the pen for social change – including writing music. (Fun fact, Harry was a fixture in the underground hip-hop movement of the early 1980s in New York City, then known as “The Incredible Mr. Freeze.”) Harry challenges us to take our faith and move it further toward real impact in our lives and communities. To learn more ab...
Sep 14, 2016•40 min•Ep. 28
