Spirituality — Episodes — The Growing Edge

Episode 55: A Conversation With Quaker Author Phillip Gulley

In this episode, Parker J. Palmer and Carrie Newcomer have a conversation with author/pastor/theologian Philip Gulley. Gulley is a pastor, an author, a source of wisdom and hope, and a clear and prophetic voice in progressive theology & spiritual activism in these challenging times. He has written 22 books, including the Harmony series recounting life in the eccentric Quaker community of Harmony, Indiana, several collections of essays including the best selling "Porch Talk", and a memoir called "I Love You, Miss Huddleston" which was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. In addition, he has co-authored with James Mulholland several works of theology and progressive faith including "If Grace Is True" and "If God Is Love", followed by "If the Church Were Christian".

I hope you’ll join us for a powerful conversation about living authentically into our deepest values and naming the more extreme voices of the Christian Nationalism and Maga Christianity as political movements with little to do with a philosophy of justice, inclusion and radical love.

Phillip has recently joined the Substack platform with “Plain Speech: With Phillip Gulley.” We hope you’ll check out his many works and subscribe to his Substack offerings.

Episode 51: All Real Living Is Meeting: Is Community Possible

In this podcast, Carrie and Parker talk about our individual and collective longing for safe and generative community. We’ve always been tugged between our western culture’s drive toward individuality and our desire for a meaningful life together. In this Post-covid time, people are a little rusty at being in community. We are also reassessing what meaningful community looks like and how we choose to participate. Carrie and Parker explore how meeting happens in the space between us, and how critical it is to be mindful about how we hold that space. Gathering in circles is an ancient practice that is being revived in our time. But not all circles are designed to welcome the soul, and so how we intentionally create those safe and generative spaces?

Episode 50: A Conversation with Scott Russell Sanders, author of “Small Marvels

In this podcast, Carrie and Parker talk with author Scott Russell Sanders about his new book Small Marvels. Scott’s work often explores the spirit of place, our relationship with the natural world, and creating communities of care and generosity rather a culture of fear and division. In this episode we talk about what inspired the stories in this lovely work, and share thoughts about the power of story and creativity. I hope you’ll join us for this heart-opening conversation.

Episode 47: Reunion—A Conversation with Jerry Colonna

In this conversation with Jerry Colonna—co-founder and CEO of Reboot, an international executive coaching and leadership development firm—we range from childhood wounds and the way they can distort our adult roles, to race in America and role leaders can play in helping to build the Beloved Community. Jerry’s new book “Reunion: Leadership and the Journey to Belonging,” explores how being a better human means the ability to brave the truth and then actively engage in debunking myths of sameness, dismantling “othering" systems, and working directly for the wellbeing of the dispossessed and disinherited. Please join us for this timely, fascinating, and urgent conversation

Carrie NewcomerSeptember 30, 2022Parker J. Palmer, Carrie Newcomer, jerry Colonna, Reboot, belovedcommunity, socialjustice, Spirituality

Episode 29: The Handing Over Time

In this episode, Carrie and Parker reflect upon the happenings of 2020. They discuss challenges we've faced in the past year as well as focus and evidence for hope in the new year. They explore the idea of living in the "Tragic Gap" and living into creative citizenry. They read Mary Oliver's lovely poem "Starlings in Winter" and discuss grief and getting past it, and what is is putting lift into their boots. Carrie sings, the song “The Handing Over Time” by Carrie Newcomer and Gary Walters

Episode 17: New Year's Revolutions

Join Parker and Carrie as they ponder The Growing Edge Question of the Month and explore the idea of New Year’s Revolutions.

At the turn of the year many of us engage in the cultural practice of New Year's resolutions. Often these intentions have to do with visiting the gym more frequently, diet or creating a more desirable habit to replace an old one. But what would it be like to begin the year with with a series of New Year's revolutions? What is a New Year's revolution and how could this new way of looking at intention and change be of benefit in the coming year?

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Hope is holding a creative tension between what is and what could and should be, each day doing something to narrow the distance between the two. —Parker J. Palmer