The Living Church Podcast

Clergy at the Movies with Abby Olcese

What are the best depictions of clergy in film? Today we swap Top 5 Clergy in Film lists with a celebrated film critic. A recipe for edification and entertainment! We all know of sloppy versions of the movie cleric—priests, monks, nuns, and pastors, either fanatical, evil, or milquetoast, lacking care or nuance on the part of those creating the role. But perhaps you’ve also seen thoughtful, even powerful, depictions of clergy that not only allow you to see a glimpse of yourself reflected sensitively onscreen, but even give you a glimpse of the kingdom. Today we explore depictions of clergy in film with writer, film critic, and erstwhile Episcopalian Abby Olcese. She and host Amber Noel share their Top 5 depictions of clergy in film, spill some behind-the-scenes tea on The Mission and Wake Up Dead Man, and generally have a really good time. They also share what they think Christian leaders might glean from spending time with onscreen clerics. SPOILER ALERT: Today’s conversation alludes to plot twists and endings, so if you’re averse to that, you have been warned! Abby Olcese is a writer and film critic based in Kansas City. She is the author of Films for all Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies [https://www.ivpress.com/films-for-all-seasons?srsltid=AfmBOorFU7PvWDv83y1hzrh8wM_F3E5QHJhyUeLDRuemmSgHX7GY65d1], the film editor for The Pitch Magazine in Kansas City, and contributes to publications including Sojourners Magazine and Rogerebert.com [http://rogerebert.com/]. In today’s bonus segment, we bring together some of the same themes of our film conversation—clergy, calling, suffering, and grace—by talking to one Pentecostal pastor about his own dark night of the soul and the dramatic and kooky interceptions of grace. The Rev. Chuck Noel is teaching pastor at RiverLife Church of God in Bradenton, Florida, and has served in pastoral and diocesan ministry in the Church of God for almost 50 years. His current research is in Pentecostal sacramental theology. (And yes, he is Amber’s dad.) From the episode Abby’s book, Films for All Seasons [https://www.ivpress.com/films-for-all-seasons?srsltid=AfmBOorFU7PvWDv83y1hzrh8wM_F3E5QHJhyUeLDRuemmSgHX7GY65d1] Amber’s review of First Reformed on Covenant [https://livingchurch.org/covenant/if-you-have-the-stomach-see-first-reformed-twice/] Abby’s Top 5: 5. Calvary [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234003/] 4. The Bishop’s Wife [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/] 3. First Reformed [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6053438/] 2. Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14364480/] 1. The Mission [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091530/] Amber’s Top 5: 5. Into Temptation [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1232824/?ref_=ttfc_ov_bk] 4. The Apostle [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118632/] 3. The Sound of Music [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/?ref_=ls_t_9] 2. First Reformed [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6053438/] 1. Calvary [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234003/] From the ads Register for Radiant Pages [https://livingchurch.org/events/radiant-pages/] - Apply TLCPOD10 for 10% off! George Sumner’s book, In Season and Out  [https://www.amazon.com/Season-Out-Reflections-Bishop-Churning/dp/B0H2Q6LHPK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1FXPIUNMGI6OT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZD8NnhQyzsQfNcsA_X335UIXDPgjiNqJ5I9QBUZwQvcM2xJk-z-WYfYYRAk7QjtGDGeb84Wk1AYzfu_lkrpcupYA69UWrBIMX9N9TEpESIk.WLA7Nw6uWfkOCqVtsiNxGD18hVHQ3D-b1xxqd_NR0is&dib_tag=se&keywords=george+sumner+in+season+and+out&qid=1780585245&s=movies-tv&sprefix=george+sumner+in+season+and+ou%2Cmovies-tv%2C275&sr=1-1] Join the mission at Saint Francis Ministries [https://saintfrancisministries.org/join-our-mission/] Give to support this podcast [https://livingchurch.org/give] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]

Where Are the Young Adults? with Allen Wakabayashi

The Episcopal Church is aging. Where are the young people? A campus minister gives his perspective. The average age of an Episcopal parishioner is now mid-60s. Older parishioners are vital. But where are the young people? How do we reach them? And what, exactly, are they looking for when it comes to church? Times are changing in terms of the race for cultural relevance, at least when it comes to ministry to young adults. Waning are the days when churches feel pressure to change style or personality in order to appeal to younger generations. Because what has worked for centuries to form God’s people keeps on working—sacraments; sacred spaces, vestments and vessels; time-tested prayers; bread and wine, water, oil, and incense; loving community—and there is no sign at the portals saying, “you must be 21 or up to enter” There’s also an element of blessed enchantment, or holy mystery, in these ancient Christian rites and practices, that’s maybe specially poignant for a disenchanted age. Today we speak with someone today who doesn’t try to solve the puzzle of why more young people aren’t flocking to Episcopal Churches, but who wants to point out some important pieces from his own 30-year experience as a campus minister. Today we talk about: * His journey in ministry to young adults. * Blind spots and opportunities for the Episcopal Church specifically. * What he sees in the spiritual hunger of students. * What he has learned from evangelicals along the way. * How rootedness and tradition might give a real advantage when it is time for innovative mission. Our guest today is the Rev. Allen Wakabayashi. Allen serves as the Chaplain for The Episcopal Church at Princeton and as the Province II Coordinator for Young Adult Campus Ministries. He has also been a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and has pastored in a diversity of Episcopal, non-denominational, and evangelical church settings. Today’s bonus segment takes us into our Books & Culture corner, where the Rev. David Beresford reviews the new film, A Great Awakening, about an unlikely friendship between Benjamin Franklin and itinerant preacher, George Whitefield. David is a retired priest who lives in Wilmington, Delaware. From this episode Books Allen mentions: Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/leading-faithful-innovation-following-god-into-a-hopeful-future/37271548/item/54036503/?gad_campaignid=14637440387&gad_source=5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7sK4q7q0lAMVsTMIBR1kFjB3EAQYASABEgK7SPD_BwE&utm_adgroup=&utm_campaign=shopping_new_condition_books_high_14637440387&utm_content=545821544816&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=#idiq=54036503&edition=65273931] Leadership in a Shrinking Church [https://churchpublishing.org/products/9781640657168-leadership-in-a-shrinking-church?srsltid=AfmBOoo81m_T3Gq2n8txcx43U6jkzPhVcLEJMzUe7EycuPaou1XDRt6c] David’s whole review of A Great Awakening [https://livingchurch.org/books-and-culture/methodism-in-american-history/] davidberesford.net [https://davidberesford.net/] From the ads Give to support the Living Church [https://sub.livingchurch.org/sub/?f=donate&p=LCM] Register for Radiant Pages [https://livingchurch.org/events/radiant-pages/] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]

Geography of Discipleship with Eleanor Sanderson

Mission and discipleship are connected at the root. Today we’re going to explore some of those connections, not only through our guest’s own life, but also through her experience with particular discipleship programs, as well as what she’s learned through a first career as a geographer and her husband’s career as a mechanic. Our guest today is the Rt. Rev. Dr. Eleanor Sanderson. Eleanor is Bishop of Hull in the Diocese of York and was previously the Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Wellington, New Zealand. She serves on the Anglican Communion Commission for Discipleship and Evangelism and has a passion for the renewal of God’s church through multiplying missional disciples and intentional communities. Today we talk about personal journeys: backpacking, bus rides, and the multifaceted adventure of coming to Christ. We also talk about helping guide others along the way, and how evangelism and community map onto the geography of discipleship and formation. We’ll also look at a practical apprenticeship model of discipleship she calls “discipleship coaching.” She suggests some excellent resources and describes their powerful but simple format, including Mustard Seed ministries and Discovery Bible Studies. And at the end of this episode, stay tuned for a new bonus segment! For today’s bonus segment, we chat with the Rev. Shahzad Gill, Senior Chaplain to the Moderator Bishop of the Church of Pakistan, and Presbyter in Charge of the National Church of Pakistan. With all the anxiety over Christian influence and power in politics and society in the U.S., what it’s like to be an Anglican in a place where Christians are hardly the majority? Shahzad tells a story about family and resilience. From this episode: Mustard Seed discipleship [https://www.mseed.org/]  Discovery Bible Studies [https://library.intervarsity.org/library/discovery-bible-study]  From the ads: Give to support the Living Church [https://sub.livingchurch.org/sub/?f=donate&p=LCM] Register for Radiant Pages [https://livingchurch.org/events/radiant-pages/] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]

Newsdesk & Eastertide Treats

Today’s Newsdesk episode covers developments in Gafcon’s Global Anglican Communion, a Rwandan bishop jailed for grazing cattle on church property, and a new, and possibly unique, church growth survey looking for “bright spots” in Episcopal ministry. We also enjoy a bonus segment at the end that includes some Eastertide treats, including book recommendations and recipes. See below for related articles, essays, and resources, including corresponding goodies from our bonus segment. Podcast host and Director of Programs Amber Noel is joined by the Rev. Mark Michael, Editor in Chief of The Living Church magazine, and the Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver, Executive Director and Publisher of the Living Church. For more, consider subscribing to The Living Church magazine [https://sub.livingchurch.org/sub/?f=paid&p=LCM], the only independent news voice covering the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. From this episode: Gafcon, Global Anglican Communion, and Abuja Affirmation: (Award-winning podcast episode)  https://livingchurch.org/podcasts/questions-for-gafcon/ [https://livingchurch.org/podcasts/questions-for-gafcon/] (Articles and essays) https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/heres-who-leads-the-global-anglican-communion/ [https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/heres-who-leads-the-global-anglican-communion/] https://livingchurch.org/covenant/abuja-series-1/ [https://livingchurch.org/covenant/abuja-series-1/] https://livingchurch.org/covenant/a-confessional-solution-but-what-about-the-nairobi-cairo-proposal/ [https://livingchurch.org/covenant/a-confessional-solution-but-what-about-the-nairobi-cairo-proposal/] https://livingchurch.org/covenant/the-abuja-affirmation-an-anglican-communion/ [https://livingchurch.org/covenant/the-abuja-affirmation-an-anglican-communion/] https://livingchurch.org/covenant/abuja-series-goddard-responds-to-avis/ [https://livingchurch.org/covenant/abuja-series-goddard-responds-to-avis/] https://livingchurch.org/covenant/a-fretful-future-gafcons-reordering-of-the-communion-part-1/ [https://livingchurch.org/covenant/a-fretful-future-gafcons-reordering-of-the-communion-part-1/] Rwandan bishop and cattle grazing: https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/jailed-rwandan-bishop-pleads-for-justice/ [https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/jailed-rwandan-bishop-pleads-for-justice/] https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/jailed-rwandan-bishop-released/ [https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/jailed-rwandan-bishop-released/] New church growth survey: https://livingchurch.org/news/news-episcopal-church/churchwide-surveys-seeks-bright-spots-for-growt… [https://livingchurch.org/news/news-episcopal-church/churchwide-surveys-seeks-bright-spots-for-growt%E2%80%A6] Eastertide treats: Travel books by Patrick Leigh Fermor [https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/148413.Patrick_Leigh_Fermor] Lamb chop “lollipop” recipe [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l1evlm_ivI] Elderflower gin + tonic [https://www.stgermainliqueur.com/us/en/cocktails/st-germain-gin-and-tonic/] (Don’t forget to add lemon!) From the ads: Give to support this podcast [https://livingchurch.org/give] Subscribe to The Living Church [https://sub.livingchurch.org/sub/?f=paid&p=LCM] Register for Radiant Pages [https://livingchurch.org/events/radiant-pages/] Join the mission at Saint Francis Ministries [https://saintfrancisministries.org/join-our-mission/] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]

Personal Prayer and Leadership Lessons with John Sundara

What’s your school of prayer? Where did you learn to pray? How do you continue to deepen your prayer life? Whose prayer life do you want to have when you grow up? How do you want the example of your prayer life, or the fruits of it, to be a gift to others? Today’s conversation is about how prayer affects our leadership, and how our pastors’ prayer lives affect us. Whether you are the leader of a congregation, staff, or a person in the pew, our show today is a fascinating, and at times moving, analysis of how healthy leadership, staff culture, and church health are deeply intertwined with the prayer lives of the leaders. Our conversation isn’t based on formal research, but from the lived perspective of one priest and what he’s observed in the different churches and rectors he’s served. Our guest today is the Rev. John D. Sundara. John is vice rector at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. Previous appointments include St. Martin's, Houston, and Church of the Incarnation, Dallas. We’ll talk about things like: * The importance of sharing your prayer life with the people you serve. * Appropriate vulnerability and rejecting ego. * How a culture of prayer creates room for discussion, disagreement, and decision-making. * Ways that prayer nurtures a trusting and confident staff culture. * The gifts and limitations of the prayer book for carrying us in a life of prayer. John also shares about his journey, and times when prayer has been agonizingly difficult. How does God show up when praying is the last thing you want to do? Now whether you are a newbie or long time student in the school of prayer; sailing along or bottomed out; charismatic, Catholic, evangelical, or somewhere else on the map; if you’re interested in what it can mean to lead from a place of prayer, this episode is for you. We hope you enjoy the conversation. From this episode: This episode is made possible in part by a special bequest from the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer [https://livingchurch.org/news/news-episcopal-church/anglican-fellowship-of-prayer-passes-the-baton-to-tlc/]. “Prayer Drives Congregational Growth” [https://livingchurch.org/covenant/prayer-drives-congregational-growth/] by John Sundara With Christ in the School of Prayer [https://www.thriftbooks.com/browse/?b.search=with+christ+in+the+school+of+prayer#b.s=mostPopular-desc&b.p=1&b.pp=50&b.oos&b.tile] by Andrew Murray From the ads: Give to support this podcast [https://livingchurch.org/give] Join the mission at Saint Francis Ministries [https://saintfrancisministries.org/mission] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]