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The EvoFaith Podcast

The EvoFaith Podcast

By John van de Laar

If you've broken up with Church or your relationship with the Church can best be described as 'it's complicated', then the EvoFaith podcast is for you.

Every week we talk about how you can create a customised, evolving and evolutionary spirituality so that you can show up more fully, authentically, and courageously in your life and relationships.

Welcome!
Currently playing episode

Slow Living

The EvoFaith PodcastFeb 22, 2023

00:00
16:08
Slow Living
Feb 22, 202316:08
Can You Hear Yourself?
Feb 15, 202309:36
Stopping the Dominoes
Feb 08, 202306:30
Ready, Set, Pause...
Feb 01, 202308:29
Why You Need Spirituality in 2023
Jan 25, 202306:38
Spirituality Is...?
Jan 18, 202307:25
Spirituality Is Not...?
Jan 11, 202307:43
Episode 44: Mastering the Future

Episode 44: Mastering the Future

In a few days, we enter a new year. While most of us will want 2023 to be different from the last few years, the unfortunate reality is that, for many of us, the year ahead will be “the same procedure as every year, James” (quoting from Dinner for One).

But it doesn’t have to be this way. In this episode of the EvoFaith Podcast, we explore the one significant shift that can empower us to master the future that lies ahead of us in 2023, no matter what that future may be. And that shift is to move beyond living as just a Functioning Self and to embrace our Higher Selves so that we can master our inner world. Because when your inner world changes, everything changes in your outer world even if nothing changes.

I also want to let you know that we’ll be taking a break next week, so there won’t be a new podcast or meditation. But it’s only for one week and then we’ll be back.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for some inspiration for the New Year, I encourage you to check out some of our past posts. Even though they were written for previous New Years, they’re still just as relevant now.

Where Are You Headed in 2022?

The Book of Your Year

Five Keys to Thriving in 2021

Five Ways to Feel More Alive Right Now


To sign up for the free weekly EvoFaith emails go to EvoFaith.com.

You can find the transcript of this episode on the EvoFaith blog.

You can access this podcast in video format on our YouTube channel.

And you can find more content and resources to help you to show up fully, authentically, and courageously on the EvoFaith website.

Music: https://purple-planet.com

Dec 28, 202214:35
Episode 43: Mastering Incarnation
Dec 21, 202213:39
Episode 42: Mastering Love
Dec 14, 202213:35
Episode 41: Mastering Joy
Dec 07, 202214:25
Episode 40: Mastering Peace
Nov 30, 202212:58
Episode 39: Mastering Hope
Nov 23, 202213:30
Episode 38: When the Gospel Isn't Good News
Nov 16, 202216:24
Episode 37: When Community Isn't Community
Nov 09, 202216:45
Episode 36: When Worship Isn't Worship

Episode 36: When Worship Isn't Worship

For centuries, Christianity, Church and Christ have been almost synonymous. For many people even today, the idea that it could be possible to follow Jesus without being a member of the Christian religion and going to Church regularly is unthinkable. And yet, more and more people are doing exactly that.

At the heart of the Church’s life is worship. For many Christians attending worship services is the defining act of their faith. And, since we are often told that worship is a lifestyle, many believers make praying, singing or listening to worship songs, and listening to sermons a significant part of their daily lives. But I wonder whether this is what Jesus had in mind when he called his first followers and formed the small community that would eventually grow into the Church as we know it today. Personally, I doubt it very much.

In this podcast, I explore what happens when what we call Church doesn’t actually fulfil what the Scriptures say it should be, especially with regard to the act of worship. And I suggest that there may be gatherings and practices that are not usually recognised as Church or worship that may be much closer to what Jesus taught.

To sign up for the free weekly EvoFaith emails go to EvoFaith.com.

You can find the transcript of this episode on the EvoFaith blog.

You can access this podcast in video format on our YouTube channel.

And you can find more content and resources to help you to show up fully, authentically, and courageously on the EvoFaith website.

Music: https://purple-planet.com

Nov 02, 202216:52
Episode 35: The Bible as a Diving Board

Episode 35: The Bible as a Diving Board

How open do you feel the Bible is? Do you believe that everything God needs to say to human beings is contained in the pages of the Bible and no other divine revelation or communication is needed? Do you feel that nothing can or should be added to or taken away from the Bible? Is the Bible essentially closed and fixed and complete as it is? And is it the only thing you need to inform and equip your spirituality and life?

Or do you see the Bible as more open? Do you believe that God has continued to speak through the centuries after the Bible was written, compiled, and put into the canon? Do you place the Bible in conversations with other sources of wisdom and truth?

How you view and read the Bible will define the impact it has on your life. For some, the Bible is a closed book and so it protects, restricts, and directs us in how we should think, act, and believe. For me, however, the Bible is an open book that acts like a diving board to launch us into the depths of life, wonder, and joy.

This week the podcast explores what it could mean to read the Bible as an open book and as a diving board from which to dive into the mystery and beauty of life, God and the Cosmos. So what are you waiting for? Why not take a deep dive into freedom and joy as we bring our brief reflection on the Bible to a close?

Find Enter The Bible here.

To sign up for the free weekly EvoFaith emails go to EvoFaith.com.

You can find the transcript of this episode on the EvoFaith blog.

You can access this podcast in video format on our YouTube channel.

And you can find more content and resources to help you to show up fully, authentically, and courageously on the EvoFaith website.

Music: https://purple-planet.com

Oct 26, 202219:57
Episode 34: The Bible as an Hourglass
Oct 19, 202218:01
Episode 33: The Bible as a Library

Episode 33: The Bible as a Library

Oct 12, 202223:10
Episode 32: The Bible as a Map
Oct 05, 202217:32
Episode 31: Pray to Serve
Sep 28, 202214:29
Episode 30: Pray to Become Thoughtful
Sep 21, 202213:46
Episode 29: Pray to Change
Sep 14, 202213:34
Episode 28: Pray to Become Aware
Sep 07, 202215:51
Episode 27: What Scientists Can Teach Us About God
Aug 31, 202213:18
Episode 26: What Mystics Can Teach Us About God
Aug 24, 202213:23
Episode 25: What Atheists Can Teach Us About God

Episode 25: What Atheists Can Teach Us About God

Aug 17, 202212:06
Episode 24: What Fundamentalists Can Teach Us About God
Aug 10, 202212:18
Episode 23: What You Can Teach Me About God
Aug 03, 202209:51
Episode 22: Sharing the Earth's Sacredness
Jul 27, 202212:06
Episode 21: Being Careful of What We Consume
Jul 20, 202211:37
Episode 20: Diving Deep Into Nature
Jul 13, 202211:05
Episode 19: Awe
Jul 06, 202210:51
Episode 18: Intentional Communication
Jun 29, 202214:16
Episode 17: Love Listening
Jun 22, 202218:19
Episode 16: Choosing Connection
Jun 15, 202221:50
Episode 15: Staying Open
Jun 09, 202215:29
Episode 14: What's Love Got to Do With It?
Jun 01, 202213:16
Episod 13: The Magic of Your Mind

Episod 13: The Magic of Your Mind

How well do you know your own mind? Do you have a good awareness of how your mind works and what helps it to function at its best? And how much do you love your mind as it is, with its thoughts, ideas, dreams, and imaginations? Or do you find yourself wishing that your mind was more like someone else's?

We’re often at war with our own minds. We speak of ‘not being in our right minds.’ We ask ourselves, ‘What were you thinking?’ We get ‘out of our minds’, our minds can ‘spin out’ and we can ‘overthink’ things. We all have times when we wish our minds would work ‘better’ but we seldom define for ourselves what ‘better’ means. 

But unless we love our minds we cannot function at our best and we cannot love ourselves.

In this episode, we’re exploring our minds—how to understand them and love them. And we’ll talk about how learning to embrace your mind’s unique way of processing, synthesising and interpreting data is an important and life-giving spiritual practice. 

The study in Science mentioned in this podcast is this one by Wilson, T. D. et al. Science 345, 75-77 (2014).

The Sam Harris quotes are from his book 'Waking Up: Searching for Spirituality without Religion'

You can find the transcript of this episode on the EvoFaith blog.

And you can access this podcast in video format on our YouTube channel.

And you can find more content and resources to help you to show up fully, authentically, and courageously on the EvoFaith website.

Music: https://purple-planet.com

May 25, 202213:54
Episode 12: Love Your Heart

Episode 12: Love Your Heart

How comfortable are you with emotions? Particularly your own emotions and especially those that we consider 'negative'? How much do you truly love your heart, your emotional self?

Most of us aren't really that great at loving our hearts. We resist, deny, hide, and repress the emotional responses that arise in our hearts. But how can we love ourselves if we can’t love our own hearts? And how can we fully and passionately love others if we’re constantly acting as a gatekeeper with our own hearts?

No emotion is more spiritual than any other, nor is any more healthy than any other. They can all be unhealthy when we can’t regulate or identify them and they can all be healthy when we give them the attention and care they need. The goal is to integrate our unique emotional range and repertoire into a life that embraces the whole of our human experience in positive, creative, and loving ways. And that means that learning to love our hearts is a spiritual task that requires intentional spiritual practice. 

In this episode, we’re exploring our hearts—our emotions and how to embrace them, express them in creative and healthy ways, and love them. And we’ll talk about how learning to regulate, label, and talk about our emotions is an important and life-giving spiritual practice.

The books I refer to in this podcast are:

1. Manopause by Lisa Friedman Bloch & Kathy Kirtland Silverman (affiliate link)

2. Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

You can find the transcript of this episode on the EvoFaith blog.

And you can access this podcast in video format on our YouTube channel.

And you can find more content and resources to help you to show up fully, authentically, and courageously on the EvoFaith website.

Music: https://purple-planet.com

May 18, 202212:32
Episode 11: Learn To Love Your Body
May 11, 202210:45
Episode 10: The Stranger Inside
May 04, 202211:28
Episode 09: Finding Your Best Life
Apr 27, 202211:16
Episode 08: Living the Good Life
Apr 20, 202211:59
Episode 07: Everyone Is Spiritual
Apr 13, 202210:45
Episode 06: What Is Spirituality About Anyway?

Episode 06: What Is Spirituality About Anyway?

In this episode I want to talk about ‘spirituality’: What is it? How does it relate to religion? Is it still relevant or valuable? And why would you need spirituality or spiritual practice anyway?

And I’m hoping that the conversation today will inspire you to ask some questions about your own thoughts and experiences around spirituality. And that maybe those thoughts may help you be a little more intentional in your life. 

So what do I mean when I talk about spirituality? In this episode, I want to share a few thoughts as a kind of overview of how I define and experience spirituality. In the next few weeks, I’ll expand those ideas to give a more detailed big-picture view of spirituality. And then for the next few months,  I’ll be exploring the different elements in my view of spirituality in greater depth.

So firstly, for me spirituality is about—to use Sam Harris’ book title—waking up. I prefer to speak of showing up—fully, authentically, and courageously in our lives and relationships. And by this I mean, being fully and authentically present, and engaged with our own lives and the people in our lives. Spirituality is about being mindful, being aware, of what makes life more meaningful, rich, fulfilling, and deep. It’s also about transcending our obsession with ourselves, our perspectives, our needs, our preferences, and our lives. It’s about living fully and vibrantly. Or, to use a phrase that Jesus used in the Gospel of John, spirituality is about growing into an increasingly abundant life.

You can find the transcript of this episode on the EvoFaith blog.

And you can access this podcast in video format on our YouTube channel.

And you can find more content and resources to help you to show up fully, authentically, and courageously on the EvoFaith website.

Music: https://purple-planet.com

Apr 06, 202211:58
Episode 05: Living as a Heretic
Mar 30, 202213:28
Episode 04: Welcoming the Questions

Episode 04: Welcoming the Questions

Mar 23, 202213:27
Episode 03: Claiming Your Freedom
Mar 16, 202213:36
Episode 02: The Voices Around You

Episode 02: The Voices Around You

What are the voices around you that influence you for better or worse? Whose voices have the strongest influence on your thoughts, feelings, values, and actions? Which voices were forbidden to you - by your family, your church, your culture?

How do you discern which voices are worth listening to and which should be silenced? And how do we make engaging with voices outside of us a life-giving and empowering spiritual practice? 

That's what this week's episode of the EvoFaith podcast is all about!

Mar 09, 202211:28