The Bleeding Purple Podcast:

Leif Hansen has invited you to join Biznik

2008-01-08T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hi there,

How's it going? Have you heard about Biznik yet? It's an very cool and hepful online community of independent business people with social and educational events hosted by members. It's a great way to promote your business, and to build your most important business asset: relationships.

What I like best is that their focus in on the face-to-face stuff, the technology (which is a great system in itself) serves that end...
Check em out and sign up soon, its hot.

--Leif

Check it out: http://biznik.com/join/3694881f40

How to find Leif Hansen

2007-05-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that this page is at the very top of a Google search of "Leif Hansen", even though Bleeding Purple transmogrified into Wonderosity in 2006. So, I thought it might be a good idea to point you in the right direction(s)!

Wonderosity --is the name and site of my new podcast and upcoming social experiment. (You might also want to go to wonderosityshow.com
Spark Northwest -is the name and site of my new teambuilding/coaching business.
GeekingOutLoud -is the name and site of my Geek blog
SparkGuy -is where you'll find out information about me and my online doings.

There. That should do it --that last one will (as of today) redirect you to an ajax based start page which has all my blog and podcast feeds, stuff about me, flickr photos, etc.

Warning! This feed will self destruct in two weeks, please switch to the new wonderosity feed

2006-12-30T16:28:00.000-08:00

Hi Bleeding Purple People,
I notice that around 75 of you have still not switched over to the new wonderosity feed.
While I will be keeping this site up, I will be deleting the feeds associated with it (ie feeds.feedburner.com/bleedingpurple, and the enteuxis.org one).
So please just click RIGHT HERE and itunes will add the new wonderosity feed, or just copy and paste this feed -http://feeds.feedburner.com/wonderosity -into your favorite podcatcher/player.

And don't forget to get your butt over to the new wonderosity show site and the new wonderosity social site! Of course, if all of this is too complicated for you, you can keep it simple and go on over to the wonderosity.com site and all my feeds and other projects are there as well!

Thanks and I hope you've had an awesome new year!
In truth,
Leif

1st Wonderosity Show! Interview with Jim Palmer, Author Of Divine Nobodies, Part 1

2006-11-17T17:06:00.000-08:00

(This is actually the first show for Wonderosity, but I've been asked by a number of you to be notified when the first Wonderosity show comes out --so make sure you go over to http://www.wonderosityshow.com and subscribe to the new feed!)

For our first show, after a brief introduction to Wonderosity, I interview Jim Palmer, author of "Divine Nobodies: Shedding Religion to Find God, and the unlikely people who help you." Jim is a man with a huge heart and some powerful, simple ideas for those who are wanting to deepen spiritually. In this first of a three part interview, we explore questions like:

What 'Divine Nobodies' is basically about, and how Jim came to write it.

Why are bare-ass honest books like this, books admitting personal faith-struggles as well as churchianity's shortcomings, just now starting to come out and be devoured by the public?

Where the heck is God? Is God "out there" or "in here" or what?

Why do I (and I'm sure others) seem to be in a place where I seem to be resistant to growing spiritually, slowing down, etc?

I hope you enjoy this first episode and I'd love any feedback you have to give. Please email wonderosity@gmail.com with any comments or questions!

-Leif

Transitions -personal and podcastical

2006-10-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

In this last Bleeding Purple show, I share some changes happening in my personal life as well as with Bleeding Purple (soon to be transmogrified into "Wonderosity".)

I'll let this episode explain why I am transforming BP into a new show, but since this is the last 'official' Bleeding Purple show, I want to offer a BIG THANK YOU to each of you who have given your ear to my personal musings, interviews and audio experimentations. I've been honored by all of the emails of encouragement and praise, the stories of your connecting with content in the show, and the new friendships I've made with a quite a diverse group of purple people.

I've found that connecting with 'my audience' has been one of the biggest blessings and biggest curses of podcasting. The blessings are obvious, the curses for me have been: feeling anxious and guilty when shows are delayed; becoming too obsessed with 'stats' and numbers; flirting with 'monetizing' the show; worrying too much if people will like the show, like me, etc. So my hope is that I can keep my new show in the spirit I started BP --the fun, the passion, the following my curiosity, and the sheer geekiness of it all. So if you ever sense I'm not having fun with it --please feel free to verbally kick my arse.

For those of you subscribed to the Bleeding Purple Podcast, after I research the pros/cons of it, I will either redirect this feed automatically to the new show, or just do a quick announcement on the BP feed --so stay subscribed for at least another few weeks and/or check back here again soon. The most current info about me should always be found at www.wonderosity.com

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
-Leif

Christ's self-sacrifical love isn't enough. Thoughts on what the cross is about and how churchianity largely doesn't get it

2006-09-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm sick of complaining about my lack of time or worrying about what to write or podcast. So, if I stick to my "sick of it" --expect to start seeing some stuff here finally.

Here is a copy of an email I just sent to a pastor friend who is speaking on Colossians 1:24-2:5 and who is asking a group of friends for thoughts on various passages.

I wrote it in 15 minutes and got into preacher mode, but I think it has some good fruit-juice in it (from the life-giving kind of tree) that some of you might enjoy tasting.
--------------------

Hi Scott,

I wanted to focus on the first verse, as it plays into something I have put a lot of thought about...so bear with me as I try and ramble it out with v. little free time on my hands.

Col 1:25

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church"

Many evangelicals would be shocked to hear that this verse actually comes from the bible..."What, something was lacking in Christ's salvific suffering!?!"

Well, it depends on what you think happened on the cross.

There have been a number of models used within Christian History to desribe what happened on the cross...too complex a topic to go into here (though I'll try and find a journal entry from a couple of years ago that I think might be helpful to you on this matter...found it...and I am pasting it at the end of this email)

Here's the point: If one thinks that a divine legal transaction (penal substitution) is primarily what happened...that that is how we are 'saved'...the idea that something is lacking in Christ's 'perfect sacrifice' can be a serious challenge to one's soteriology.

However, if you see Christ's "salvific" power to save as the power of self-sacrificial love (perhaps most powerfully and clearly demonstrated (rom 5:8) in Christ's life, death and resurrection) then it makes sense that that same power from God, through his creation and throughout history (pre and post the passion) continues to be what saves us.

When people put themselves first for us each day (laying down their lives) or saints literally lay down their lives, this is the same 'saving power'. When people act in his name (in that culture a name meant their 'way'), when people 'love' ("Whoever loves is a child of God"), then they are BEING the church. Church is not something we go to, it is something we 'be' --and we are 'being' it when we make ourselves vulnerable to each other (even our enemies, or friends who hurt us --thus the suffering).

(That kind of loving intimacy is unfortunately the very thing that churches mega-program right out the door. Too big & too bureaucratic for the Spirit of love...sad.)

This has massively wide reaching implications: For example, if we can grasp this idea --that Christ and his self-sacrificial saving power continues in all who act in his name, in his love --we can see that God is at work in all places, all times, all cultures, and yes, all "religions", saving humananity through the same power that was in Christ. God creates humans in his image, humans create cultures in their image, cultures create religions in their image, and that light and the human cracks it shines through reflect on down. It is not our religions that save, not even "Christianity" as a religion, it the power of love seen so perfectly in Christ. When we really get and live this, then "God will be all in all." (1 cor 15:28)

When we see how DEEP (evangelicals believe this) and how WIDE (they are slow or afraid to admit this) God's saving love is, we can be freed from the law, from our self-righteousness, from our Christian clubs of ins and outs, from our judgmentalism, from eating from the tree of the "knowledge of good and evil" and from the fear of rejection/hell behind it all, and instead, in humilty, eat from the merciful tree of life -the fruit of the cross of Christ and the cross that we all bear when dying to our egos.

I typed this up in 15 minutes, so I hope it makes sense

Here are a few links that might be helpful, as well as the attachment I mentioned before:

Good summaries of the historical theorios of 'the atonement' (wikipedia)

Theo of Religions exam I wrote --ramblingly explores the above idea of Christian inclusivism (between pluralism and exclusivism, etc)

The Final Forum: a four person perspective/dialogue paper I wrote about judgment/the cross/hell/etc

Post from old journal on the meaning(s) of the cross:

I write this entry with my laptop partly eclipsed...the full glow of screens seems to stun my eyes and stunt my ability to reflect, remember write creatively.

A small group of friends met tonight to learn from each other what the world and the church has almost entirely eclipsed -the meaning of Christ's dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Interestingly, we met during a full eclipse of the moon -and it was just coming out from the earth's shadow when we finished our meeting. Kinda neat.

After reiterating the various historical theories of the meaning of the cross (the historically earliest ransom theory -in which God trick's Satan, so to speak, by the ransom payment of Christ for the sins of men, only for evil to find out that Christ's love was stronger than death; Anselem's theory of substitutionary atonement -in which the infinite debt humanity owe's God because of its sin (against an infinite God) is paid by the infinite/perfect offer of Christ/God on the cross; and the exemplary theory -in which God demonstrates his love for humanity in how Christ lives and dies for his message of love), we tried to articulate what the cross means to us.

We realized that Christ's suffering, death and resurrection can mean many different things to us, at many times. And that each of these meanings is a precious glimpse at a deeper mystery. Sometimes the passion reminds us that there is horrendous, seemingly meaningless or unjust suffering in this life -that life can be really hard and scary. Sometimes it reminds us that while things may seem meaningless, unfair, dark, and despairing -life can and will come out of it, and have the final word: Defeat and death are defeated by the resurrection. Sometimes it reminds us to not get revenge, fight back, take vengeance -but to love our enemies and to show it by enduring/bearing their evil -even when one is totally innocent. Sometimes it shows us that this is how our God of love responds to our own meanness, evil and sin -not by angry vengeance (an eye for an eye) but with compassion and mercy(forgive them for they know not what they do). Sometimes it shows us that this self-sacrificial love is the fruit from the tree of life, it is the Eucharistic food that most deeply sustains us. Lastly, it reminds us that God (and those who image God's love) write their message in blood, marking all of humanity as "my chosen ones".

We also noted with concern that this picture of dramatic love is not meant to show all angles of love. For example, sometimes evil behavior is not meant to be silently endured. Verbal and nonviolent physical confrontation (like Christ's overturning of the tables) is also how we love ourselves, others and God. Otherwise, for example, slaves and women would continue to be quietly abused.

And we also noted with sadness and anger that the primary angle on the cross that the majority of evangelical Christians (arguable the loudest branch of the faith) speak of (usually with many cliches and little understanding) is an angle, an image, a model that we have a hunch is mostly dysfunctional and dangerous. It disrupts and breaks our trust and salvation from a God whose love is infinite and unconditional. This 'substitutionary atonement' theory, often touted as the theory that most adequately demonstrates God's justice, actually points to an injust and cruel God:

A God who demands sacrifice and appeasement at threat of horrific punishment (eternal suffering in hell)

A God whose love is conditional, available only to those whose denominational requirements (right doctrine, enough faith, enough works, right spiritual experiences, etc) are met.

A Father who had to kill his son. (Ignoring or determining the human parties and systems of injustice that killed him)

A God who is limited to only accepting perfection.

A God who is bound by laws higher than himself, who is 'stuck' in a system.

A God who punishes infinitely for our mortal finite sins.

This, apparently bloodthirsty God, never quite sat right in our hearts and minds -and we are coming to understand why. While there may be some angle of truth we have yet to see, and while we may come to understand its origins in a human misunderstanding about God's nature possibly advocated in the bible, we in large reject it.

Bob Ekblad and The People's Seminary

2006-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have not heard of Bob Ekblad, his ecumenical ministry Tierra Nueva, his book "Reading the Bible with the Damned" (free chapter), or his revolutionary People's seminary --I highly suggest you check out one of those links.

He was a teacher of mine at Regent College, and is one of the most purple people I know. Unlike me, he is actually living it out -I'm still a chicken shit. I've sent him an email seeing if we can do an interview sometime soon...so pray it can happen.

Here is a link to a real-audio formatted interview played on KUOW

Here is a purple taste from his People's Seminary website:

"At Tierra Nueva, two once-divided worlds are coming together -the Holy Spirit's empowering for ministry and advocacy to the most marginalized. God is doing something very creative and new in our ministry, bringing the evangelical, social prophetic, academic, contemplative and the charismatic together in a dynamic mix.
I believe that God has positioned Tierra Nueva as a bridge between the lower margins and upper margins, the social prophetic, liberal mainline church people and the new wave charismatic missionaries and evangelists. I am convinced that the whole body of Christ is needed in order for us to see the Kingdom of God advance in the dark places of our world. We are entering a time a fruitfulness that will lead to successes we could never have imagined.
--Bob Ekblad, Executive Director "

Listener Feedback, Joan of Arcadia, Personal Musings

2006-07-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Back from Hawaii!
Hello, and no I have not podfaded! So sorry for the delay --a long vacation, life craziness, and podcast paralysis are the main problems.

On today's show I read and play back a few listener emails, talk a little about a recent obsession (Joan of Arcadia DVD series),and ramble about a few personal thoughts. Mainly, I want to say "Hello, I'm still alive and kicking, and thank you for all the kind, encouraging emails!" Stay tuned for some excellent upcoming interviews and more!

Intro/Outro Music: Susan Welch, Sparrow

Exploring the heart of worship: Music and interview with Jon and steve

2006-06-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

This was a somewhat spontaneous interview with two worship leaders from a recent youth retreat from my place of work (YMCA Camp Seymour). I think you'll enjoy their music as well as our dialogue about what authentic, 'purple' worship (vs. cheesy, uni-emotional, or canned worship) might look like. Remember to leave comments now at the new Bleeding Purple Forum.

New Bleeding Purple Forum Started (& MySpace Page)

2006-05-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

Note: PHPBB is currently experiencing network errors --check back soon please.

I've decided to start a forum for the Bleeding Purple Podcast. Why?

A number of you have requeseted it
I'd really love to publicize some of the excellent emails sent to me
Blog comments just don't cut it for getting deeper into spiritual topics
I don't have time to respond to all the emails as well as I'd like to -now you can help!
To help get more of us purple-people connected, supported and motivated!

So, please go on over and be one of the first few to post there...it will be lonely there till you do! (: Last one there is a rotten egg! (Though I know most listeners won't know until I announce it on a podcast, as not as many visit this site).
Bleeding Purple Community Forum

And despite my feelings about myspace (as primarily a teen digital meat-market), I realize that many many people use it and it would be good to have a purple presence there. So, if you too have a myspace page --please add bleedingpurple to your friends. Perhaps some others can then get in on the fun (:

Woohoo!
-Leif

Pagan & Christian Intercast Dialogue with Jeff Harris Part II

2006-05-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

This is Part II of the intercast dialogue between myself and Jeff Harris from the ATC Pagan Information Network. We dwell primarily on the issue of God/divinity and the nature of ultimate reality. Afterwards I share my thoughts on the dialogue --specifically dwelling on that final question of the nature of God.

For those who like to read, and since it gets kind of deep, here are my notes (I pretty much read word for word) from my closing comments:

Let me know what you think!
-Leif

---------Post intercast thoughts -------------

I think what is standing out most of all to me about our conversation is the topic we came to towards the end –questions about the ontology of God, divinity and ultimate reality. Let me try and explain what I mean and then I'll pop back to its relevance to this conversation.
In my early Christian years it seems I developed a habit of interrogating people with a series of binary questions that were designed to lead them to the truth –that is, the beliefs I held at that time. Everything was an 'either/or". At the top of the question-tree was the question “Does this person believe in a spiritual/transcendent realm, or are they an atheist?” “If they did believe in a transcendent realm, then did they believe in a personal God or an impersonal force” "Did they believe in one God or many, and what was that God's nature" and then I’d keep moving down the tree to find out if they believed that God was actually a person, Jesus Christ, and then down to various denominational differences like being baptized in the spirit, etc.

About 5 years ago, as I was exploring some of the foundations of my beliefs through graduate theological work, some of those binary/black and white distinctions started to become grey. For example, was God separate from us or inside us, is God personal or impersonal?

Ironically I think it was the bible itself that started the liberalizing process on these issues: Man and woman was made in God’s image, so that meant God must be beyond our gender-biased language (most Christians almost exclusively use He as you probably know) .And weren’t their many times where the Spirit of God was referred to using impersonal language –“it hovered over the earth” “it blows where it wills” etc. One day I was thinking how I was made in the image of God and how sometimes I referred to myself as "I" and sometimes I referred to my body as an 'it', as in "My hand – it is healing.” I noticed that there are dimensions to myself, perhaps a majority of myself, that are totally outside of my control --operating and being influenced by various laws of nature. Do I will my heart to beat? Do I command the trillions of cells within my body to regenerate and carry out their functions? Hardly. “IT or they operated by themselves".
Anyway, you get the point --this made me realize that old distinctions of male/female and personal/impersonal were simply human constructs --they were both true to a degree, and they were neither true if said alone. God’s nature is an unfolding. I even came up with a theory, one that I am still exploring to this day: perhaps you could say that the 'western/theist" religions learned about and emphasize the personal/transcendent (separate/outside) side of God/ultimate reality while the eastern religions learned about and emphasized the impersonal/immanent/force (connected/inside)-like side of God/ultimate reality. I'm curious if others have made this kind of analogy. (As a relevant side note --even the idea of eastern/western religions breaks down when you realize that all religions had their origins in their east. Viewed this way, we both have much to reveal to each other and correct in each other. I think there are even correlations to how those cultures with their religions end up viewing human relationships and society --one emphasizing independence and the other dependence. But that’s a much bigger topic.)

Around the same time, other questions relating to the nature of God kept cropping up. (These weren't all abstract and theoretical by the way, they would come up again and again in conversations with others and as I wrestled to relate and communicate with a God who I was told was personal and loving and communicative).

For too many reasons to go into here and now, I also wrestled with the concept of the trinity. It just seemed too human and systematic of a concept. Besides, I used to say, its not even in the bible. Sure there are scriptures that talk about God as a father, Jesus as God's son, and that talk about the holy Spirit --but if it was meant to be systemized in that way, why wasn't there a 'holy binity' in the OT before Jesus came (I teased my Christian friends?) Elohim, a Hebrew word for God, is plural and we have language like "Let US make humans in OUR image" –there are various theories about this.Besides, what if God incarnated on other planets, and on and on....

Eventually I came to the opinion that I hold now: The trinity is an excellent metaphor for the truth that God is both a unity (the 'oneness') and a plurality --together they demonstrate comm-unity. But taken literally, it is too tidy and closed and the systemitizers become too self-righteous in their 'figuring God out'. If you only emphasize the oneness, reality turns into a grey goo without differentiating, and there is no room for love --because love takes more than one lover. If you emphasize only the plurality --there is no unifying center that originated all things, that holds all things together and that can restore all the conflict that has arisen out of our plurality/diversity.

But then comes the question of humanity's relationship to God and ultimate reality. In the past it was easy --God was the biggest piece of the picture, the external king, the life-giving father, the creator of all things and the one who held it all together. But then the bible had to go and mess that all up to --consider the following scriptures and ideas:
God's omnipresence -what does it mean that God is literally everywhere. (Wouldn't this seem to support the pantheist who believe that God is also everyTHING?)
"In him we live and move and have our being"
"May they be one as we are one"
"We are his body" "I am the vine, you are the branches"
"when you feed the poor, you are feeding me"
"God's breath originating us"
"the kingdom of God is within you"

-all these images, at the least, point to a kind of dependence or interdependence of all creation on God that should at least make us comfortable with saying something like "I am part of God." Yet the majority of Christians, if they heard this, would shudder like the Pharisees shuddered when Jesus described his relationship to God as son, or according to John, when he made illusions to the divine name of Yahweh saying "Behold, before Abraham was "I AM"

I am now getting beyond myself, as this is bringing up the very questions that I am wrestling with these days. Questions like, who was Jesus, how was he different than us, how am I separate and connected to God and what is the nature of this God I speak of as separate than myself?

Bringing it back to the interview with Jeff Harris from ATC...hopefully you, like me, see that there is perhaps much more common ground between open-minded Christians and open-minded pagans --they tend to emphasize the impersonal and plural aspects of 'divinity' revealed through nature, allowing IT to wear a personal mask only as it helps them in various ways, while Christians emphasize the personal dimension of God, revealed divinely through various modes of communication and experience.

I'm thinking now of various things that are hinting to me how some of these questions and issues might be resolved:
-star-trek type images of talking cosmic clouds, or
-quantum level physics where paradoxes breathe, or
-an internet friend who talked with me about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person relationship with God
-Another internet friend and listener who is emphasizing God's presence within us, and the need to move beyond our heart and down to a feeling/sensing/following the spirit level. His total trust and confidence in God and in me that all shall be well and that big changes are coming soon.

The truth that I am totally convinced of is that these truths will become much more clear, more known, more experienced and understood as I starting LIVING out simple truths about love - like caring for those in need, standing up for justice, and more.
The recurring lesson in my life about the importance of accepting reality as it is, about being present in the moment, about letting go of my fears and agenda and impatience...
These things and more give me hope, though I am often full of doubt and impatient despair, that I will soon be experiencing more of God's loving magic, and that it/she/he is here now just as much as God will be there then.

My Spiritual Situation Part II (plus a link to old papers)

2006-05-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

A number of you have written asking where to find papers I have written (usually my paper examing four different views of the afterlife or my paper exploring the relationship between magic and technology using Tolkien's trilogy) --they can both be found on an old webpage here. Thanks for your interest, and let me know what you think!

------------------also------------------

Some recent thoughts on my current spiritual (from my journal):
I had a fairly sobering realization this morning that has left me puzzling what exactly to do about it: While I believe that love is the way, it is clearly not my priority way –what I want more than love is adventure, excitement, stimulation, knowledge, fame, consumption, and so many other things.

Now, I realize that I’m not the only one who has this struggle, that this internal battle is one that everybody has and is one of the most talked about things in my Christ-following tradition –however, I think I’m confessing something different. I’m not saying “I really want to follow the way of love, but these other things keep tempting me and I walk off the path oh so often.” No, I’m saying “I spend the majority of my time thinking about and pursuing these other things and only by luck, grace, and perhaps a little bit of character/virtue (primarily because of commitments I’ve made to love my family) do I choose the way of love over various forms of self-gratification.” And for some reason I don’t really feel that bad about –you know, guilty or ashamed or like I want to change this fact. I can see/feel/sense two motives in me that want to want love more: 1)Because I have a hunch that I will actually be happier, more fulfilled and experience more ‘adventure’ or ‘real life’ if I truly start walking in love. 2)Because somewhere in me I just think it is good and right, and I would like to make God, Anna, Zinnia and others happier. Even as I right those two motives, they become a little more alive in me and I think to myself, “Yes, I do want to walk in love” –but then as soon as I start imagining actual actions, those desires start to whither (Perhaps its like the parable of the seed on shallow soil?)

So then I ask myself, what do I do about this somewhat unsettling realization? When I thought about it while lying on my couch this morning, I did pray something like “God, some part of me really does want these priorities to shift –what do I do? Please help me out here.” But then I wondered, is it just something that I have to decide I really want and then will to change? Is it something that grows and changes with a spiritual community, of which I am currently lacking? Is it due to the fact that I’ve got some sort of exaggerated/twisted picture of what love looks like –overly self-sacrificial and self-abnegating and therefore some part of me that also wants to be loved and experience life is rightly rejecting that exaggerated picture? Do I need to have some major tragedy happen in my life, something that breaks my ego or that reminds me of the priority of love and the transitory nature of much of what I desire? Do I need some kind of divine revelation or experience that shakes me to my roots or creates a longing in me for the real? I don’t know what needs to happen next. I guess I just need to trust that Love will find a way to reform my priorities, my heart, my will, or something.

I’m noticing that my spiritual dilemmas lately are more about how to actually live rather than the more abstract spiritual questions. Those questions and struggles are still there –but they don’t have as much weight…I think I’m starting to let go of the belief that I will ever have the kind of certain knowledge about some of those more abstract questions. Perhaps they are just becoming a little less important to me as well. I think it also has to do with realizing that these ultimate questions (i.e. what is the ontological nature of ultimate reality) will always be more complex, wonderful, rich, and mind-boggling that the answers I can come up with. I don’t know.

Speaking of abstract questions –I recently talked with a friend of mine about “what does it really mean to follow Jesus, how do you follow a guy you can’t see it” The conclusion for me was that I’ve not been relating to that kind of language lately –something doesn’t feel true about it. Partly, it doesn’t ring true because, as I’ve just confessed about, I don’t think I am following that same path of love that Jesus followed. The other part is that –because I can’t see him or talk to him, language like “Following the spirit, following God, maybe even following the spirit of Christ” rings more true to me. I could say I am wrestling with and trying to following his teachings and learn from his life and stories –but following ‘him’, just doesn’t ring true to me. I imagine if I had some more dramatic encounter with Jesus –and I mean specifically Jesus –like I had a vision of him, or he appeared to me bodily (I’ve talked with a fairly well known author who has had this happen), or like I heard a voice that I really associated with Jesus –I would probably feel more close to him, more commited to him, like he was a bigger part of my relationship with God (or that he even was God) and that I was thus ‘following him’ –but I don’t think I have. And yet I’m sorry Jesus if that is not true, and that I am forgetting (typical of me) some wonderful gift that you’ve given in the past. I’m not saying that I haven’t had spiritual experiences, some fairly dramatic ones, but I don’t remember any that were particularly tired to Jesus the person. Does this make sense? So, until something changes in this realm –I’m thinking I might start changing my language in more honest ways.

Pagan & Christian Intercast Dialogue with ATC Pagan Info Network Part I

2006-05-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

This is Part I of an 'intercast' (dialogue/interview of two podcasters) between Jeff Harris (a 3rd order pagan priest) from the Aquarian Tabernacle Church Information Network Podcast and myself (a confused and still somewhat bleeding purple follower of Jesus' way.)

I apologize for the abrupt ending, but I decided last minute to cut the show in half so it wasn't such a huge file...the next part will be up later tonight or in the next 1-2 days.

A sketch of some of the order of topics:

Intro and why we're doing it
Beware: Witch-burning Christians & Human-Sacrificing Pagans ahead
Pagan's meaning in modern context (nature based religion)
Wicca as primary pagan, described and demystified
Diversity within paganism and wiccanism
Wiccan history
Clarifying wiccanism from amongst neowiccan, etc
'Christian' clarified by me
Pagan 'first impressions' by me
Jeff's recent pagan gathering
Christian/Pagan Bashing
Sharing your faith in public, specifically in the NW
Jeff's Christian friends
Why evangelicals consider pagans dangerous, a threat (the hell/salvation issue)
Leif goes off about the toxicity of hell and the reality of God's unconditional love
The ontology of God/The Divine/Energies

Hope you enjoy it, and let me know what you think!

Updates and Taste of new Podcast -The QuestCast Beta1

2006-04-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

This show has some basic updates and, for those of you who asked to be notified when The QuestCast went live, slips in the first episode of my new podcast -The QUestCast.

Stay tuned for some exciting upcoming interviews --a pagan/christian dialogue, a facinating new author, and more!

For all who have wondered what podcasting truly is...ask the ninja

2006-04-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Exciting Announcements: Wonderosity.org and The QuestCast(beta) have launched

2006-04-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I've hinted that some exciting news was coming soon --and now 2/5 are ready to announce (; I've finally had a big chunk of free time the past few days, which means I got to dive into some of the projects I've been wanting to do. First of all, I'd like to introduce you to wonderosity.org -the launchpad for all my other projects, podcasts and other ventures.

If you normally go to bleedingpurplepodcast.com, you've probably already been redirected (whether you liked it or not!) to wonderosity.org, but fear not, if you want to come directly to this page you can always bookmark bleedingpurplepodcast.blogspot.com

The newest portal of wonderosity, as well as the most exciting and relevant to you podcast listeners, is the beta-launch of a new podcast: The Questcast. I won't say much more here, as you can find out more at the site, except to say that I think you will really like the idea and that it is totally unique and listener-interactive. (Note the re-Quest for beta-questers!)

Note: Wonderosity.org (and two of the portals from there) are built in protopage, which I personally think is cool, but I apologize to you Opera Browser users as you won't be able to view protopages til version 9.0

Let me know what you think of the new webpages and especially of the concept behind The QuestCast.

Thanks!
-Leif

Liberal Charismatics

2006-04-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Interesting how its hard to find Liberal charismatics or charismatic liberals. Liberal-minded folks tend to give so much credence to modernity that they poo-poo the supernatural realm. Charismatics tend to give so much credence to their experiences (as justified from certain 'proof texts' in the bible) that they poo-poo critical thinking and social justice, kingdom on earth, issues. I've gotta believe that these two dimensions can come together. (I know these are just words, and labels, but I think a good % of you know what I'm talking about.)I need, want, and fight to believe they can coexist. The best of blue and red, yeah? Can I hear an Amen?

"The secret message of Jesus" -a raw and rambling reflection on Brian Mclaren's latest book

2006-04-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

"Is it possible that the message of Jesus was less like an advertising slogan --obvious and loud --and more like a poem whose meaning only comes subtly and quietly to to those who read slowly, think long and deeply, and refuse to give up? I wondered. And I still wonder." -from Chapter 4

Not what I originally planned, but an appropriate review for a podcast, this show is my raw reflection from Seattle's Pyramid Alehouse on Brian Mclaren's latest book: The Secret Message of Jesus. Overall this is an excellent book, and if readers (of all colors) focus on living out Jesus' secret message more than dissecting and debating it --we're in for some exciting and transformative changes in this world. I will be posting more of my favorite quotes from this book in my next post...so stay tuned...

"A shared reappraisal of Jesus's message could provide a unique space or common ground for urgently needed religious dialogue --and it doesn't seem an exaggeration to say that the future of our planet may depend on such dialogue" -from Chapter 1

Shownotes:
-Intro
-Congratulations to John & Kea Louviere!!!
-Book Review: The Secret Message of Jesus.
-Listener Emails (Sable Chicken, Brian Sage, Jon Hudson & David Williamson)
-Various Announcements, inlcuding:
New personal (friends & family related) podcast/blog: zinniazoo
New personal (audio experiments, musical, freedom to whatever the #@! I want) blog/podcast : leifomatic
-Shoutout to lifeonfire podcast: Thanks for playing my promo, stay open and keep seeking!

"If you are part of this kingdom, you won't slit Roman throats like the Zealots. Instead, if a Roman soldier backhands you with a blow to the right cheek, you'll turn the other in a kind of nonviolent resistance and transcendence. if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, you'll carry it a second mile as an expression of your own transcendent free will; you choose a higher option, one above either passive submission or active retaliation. If you are part of this kingdom, you won't curse and damn the notorious sinners and scoundrels to hell; instead, you'll interact with them gently and kindly, refusing to judge, even inviting them to your parties and treating them as neighbors --being less afraid of their polluting influence on you than you are hopeful about your possible healing and ennobling influence on them...." -from Chapter 2

I'm finished with this whole thing

2006-04-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

With my new promo that is (April Fools!). Couldn't resist.
I hope you enjoy this one minute promo, I think it gets at the heart of the show. And I'd really love if you would add the link to your blog or website, or play it on your podcast.

Hey, feeling really supportive today --its only 1 meg, send it as an email!

Don't forget your monthly vote at podcast alley (or in itunes, google, yahoo or whatever else you use!), if you do it NOW, new listeners will be more likely to find the show. Thanks!

Check out the new purple poll question in the sidebar (or take the whole poll.)

Thanks so much to Henry for referring me to Eric Folkerth's song "PurpleLand" (You can hear the whole song or buy his album at the above link)

"The Red and Blue map lies subtly,
When it's drawn in primary color.
Cause the truth's always shaded differently,
And it's never just one or the other.

And we all live in a Purple Land,
Every woman, child and man,
So don't get too proud. Don't misunderstand,
'Cause this great nation is just one big Purple Land."
(from Eric's lyrics)

Thanks to each of you for your friendship and support!
-Leif

Some hopeful words

2006-03-31T17:26:00.000-08:00

Something about these words from David Williamson's comments on an interesting post at mootblog really stood out to me. Its good to remember that good news is happening in the midst of all the muck.

"When I say these are exciting times I mean it. Ecumenical phenomena such as Taize and St Egidio are bringing the church together to proclaim peace.

Initiatives such as Jubilee 2000, and groups including Speak and Sojourners are communicating a message of justice which beats to the pulse of the gospel.

At the same time, writers as eclectic as Rowan Williams, Phillip Yancey and Bono have drawn our attention to the phenomenon of grace. Its beauty and complexity shines out in such a way that it's baffling as to why the church responded by splitting into such crude divisions as Calvinism and Arminianism.

Blogging has also created a brilliant worldwide conversation and contemplation which is blessing hundreds of thousands (millions?) of Christians and helping us to share in each others joys and sorrows.

The testimony of Martin Luther King is still sending waves through the church which are strengthening with time. The experiment with party political alliances has left a bad taste in the mouth of millions, and there is a hunger for a return to the wilderness if needs be to give a prophetic voice.

The church's centre of gravity has shifted to the Global South, where a faith that is dependent on God is blazing across continents." (more)

Transcipt of Brian Mclaren Interview

2006-03-30T18:03:00.000-08:00

Facinating. Some group called "understanding the times", in their "Emerging Church Alert" Bulletin, transcribed my interview with Brian Mclaren. A brief scan shows a few cuts, a number of typos, etc...but the meat is there. If you thought I tripped over my tongue in the interview, just wait till you see the text! (;
Thought it might be interesting to some of you to have a text version, and to see to what extent the heresy-hunters will go to 'nail things down'.
-Leif

Purple-o-meter -my theological worldview according to someone at quizfarm

2006-03-28T09:59:00.000-08:00

To the guy who asked if my theology was primarily moving towards liberalism...

"You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this."

Emergent/Postmodern

86%

Classical Liberal

64%

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

57%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

54%

Roman Catholic

50%

Neo orthodox

46%

Modern Liberal

46%

Reformed Evangelical

21%

Fundamentalist

18%

What's your theological worldview?

I would say this is fairly accurate. Though some of the questions bugged me, it was a fairly interesting and challenging quiz to take. Rarely did I choose the full on agree or disagree option...but I guess thats part of the emergent attitude --trying to stay open minded enough to hear other perspectives.

Thanks to Rob Spain for the link (an infrequent, but great blog if you haven't checked it out. I also found out about protopage through his site)

My Aurora Story (An encounter with God through the northern lights)

2006-03-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

Today's show is an unedited story of my strange night and supernatural encounter with the Northern Lights. I also read a few listener emails and share some announcements.

Starting next week it looks like I'll have some more free time and thus finally be able to put more time into better quality production.

Hope you enjoy the show, and don't forget to pass on some of your extraordinary experiences as well.

In purple peace,
Leif

Why the silence?

2006-03-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

Hello friends of Bleeding Purple,

I just wanted to apologize for the virtual silence of the past two weeks. The primary two reasons are that there are some personal issues (some very good, some very hard) that have been taking up all extra free time and that my #$%&!## windows-based laptop has been sucking BSD (blue screen of death) and it looks like I'm going to have to send it in. Thus, I am presently writing from work early on Friday morning. Honestly, in addition, I have been going through some struggles about podcasting --feeling pulled between motives (fun, fame, finance?) and philosophies (quality vs. quanity), etc. I've posted elsewhere ( in the Forums of Podcast Pickle) about these struggles if you're really interested.

Three podcasts are about 50% finished and coming soon...stay tuned and thanks for understanding and for your support and emails.

In peace,
-Leif

Three Futures: Tragedy, Technocracy, or Transformation

2006-03-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

In this episode, I talk about what I see as the three most likely scenarious for human society in the near future. You could call it a choose your own adventure kind of podcast. You choose:

Tragedy (environmental, war, science gone bad)
Technocracy (control at the cost of human freedom)
Transformation (listen to find out!)

Though I like how this show ended up sounding overall, I didn't have time time to really prepare what I wanted to say on these topics as clearly as I would have liked. Well, I think you'll still enjoy the show and get the general idea of why I think one of these three future scenarios is so likely.

My Paper on technology and culture.

Thanks to my old friend Chris Behre for his song and vision of transformation. If you ever find this link Chris, let me know how you're doing! Thanks also to Mortal for the intro and transitions (from Lusis).

Note the new Audio Searcher Podzinger, at the bottom of the sidebar. Try it by typing a word in the text box, then playing that audio clip on the next page.

Bleeding Purple Podcast Domain Change

2006-02-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

You may have seen a blip yesterday in which my title changed to "The Bleeding Purple Show" . Well, I went to part of a podcasting conference in Seattle called The Podcast Hotel. It was good to meet some like-minded folks, and I learned a thing or two. Chris Pirillo (The Chris Pirillo Show) reminded me that "podcasting" is not a genre -it is the medium of content delivery - and that therefore the term 'podcast' will probably have a relatively short shelf-life. Thus, having "Podcast" in one's title was not the best idea. So I impulsively bought the domain name thebleedingpurpleshow.com (as well as three others -hey, there was a sale at Yahoo for 3.95 domain names!) and changed the title. Well, I changed my mind by the end of the day (see below for why) and yet now you can at least skip out on typing "blogspot" in the URL -so change your bookmark to http://www.bleedingpurplepodcast.com -it should stay that for a good while.

Thankfully wives exist to tell us that certain ideas are dumb. Reasons why to keep it as is:

"The bleeding purple show" doesn't sound as good as "The bleeding purple podcast" (actually, the BP show sounds kinda twisted for some reason)
There is still a lot of hype and excitement around the word 'podcast' -I should stick with that.
People are used to the name now...I can always change it later.
That wouldn't be very kind to these nice sorority ladies below (click play to stream, "how low can you promo?")

Well, hope you guys have a great weekend and that you enjoyed the last show. Sorry about the audio quality of Rosemary's response -that was the best I could clean it up.

Peace,
Leif

How Bleeding Purple Listeners Get Spiritually Connected

2006-02-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

This week's show features some wonderful insights from six Bleeding Purple Listener's in answering the question:

"What spiritual habits help you to center, to connect to God, to feel truly alive and present during your day? And how do these habits of mind, of being, of living, etc. actually effect your day?"

A few announcements and surprises follow the show. Thanks to each of you for taking the time to answer the question, and my apologies to those of you who tried to, but encountered technical difficulties. Hope you like it, and let me know what you think!

(Featured BP Listeners)

Rosemary Horton

Rick Reed

Ron Cesak

Nathan Vonnahme

Rob Walker

Mike Leaptrott

(Yours truly offers some thoughts on the matter as well)

Intro music by my old favorite Seattle band, SpringChamber.
So sad that it didn't quite work out for them. );

Help improve the show --offer your feedback!

Response to a recent listener about Jesus and exclusivism

2006-02-20T21:44:00.000-08:00

I recently received an email from a BP listener (sort of) of a more red persuation. She's been a little concered about my beliefs and salvation, especially after hearing the Brian Mclaren interview, and we've exchanged a few emails discussing various topics. Anyway, I was thinking that her last email, and my reply to it, might be of interest to some of you.

K:

"You know I got to thinking about some things regarding our past dialogue, and I have a question for you. Your spiritual autobiography chronicled your experiences with various denominations, but really didn't explain your concluding that the Gospel of Jesus wasn't the only way to the Living God. Actually, I really never heard you pin point why you are in opposition to authentic salvation (or the exclusivist's position as you say.) And, I already know that you think it's really anti-intellectual to be so narrow and all, but what I'm interested in is you identifying what the root issue is, kwim? I've just sensed we haven't honestly touched on it. Please receive me in kindness. I often find it difficult to "talk softly" through email. Have a great day. -K"

My response:

"Hi K

First of all, no, I am totally for 'authentic salvation' -is there any other salvation/ healing/ liberation than real/ authentic salvation? My concern, in fact, is that much of what I've seen in modern western churchianity is inauthentic --fear based, self-centered, arrogant, self-righteous, you name it. Yet, the good, real and authentic is there too, no doubt.

Secondly, no, I don't think that excluvism is always anti-intellectual. There are some pluralists who are very un-intellectual and even 'exclusivistic' about their beliefs. And there are some people who have v. exclusivistic beliefs about faith in Christ who are quite intellectual.

If your core question to me is:
"Have you concluded that verbally confessing and believing in your heart (before one dies) that Jesus Christ is Lord God, third person of the trinity, whose substitutionary sacrifice to God on the cross is not the only way to attain acceptance from God and everlasting life after death(salvation)?"

Then yes, I don't currently believe that is true.

To what degree Jesus is literally "Lord over all," or is ontologically God, or is central to the whole process of salvation --I don't know. I am agnostic as of now and not concerned about that too much, Jesus seemed to want us to focus on God (i.e when he tells his discples they can now go to God directly, etc)

I can tell you that he is the one whose life, teaching, and example I have chosen to follow as most central to my life. I know that he is the one who has most fully and clearly demonstrated God's core nature --"God is love" --the self-sacrificial love that forgives 7*70, that loves enemies, that turns the other cheek, and that is compassionately selfless. ANd perhaps he is the who patiently, lovingly, humbly bears with all my struggles and weaknesses and questions --perhaps he is the most 'human' face of God, and that one day I'll see that face and see it as the same as God's.

Otherwise, I believe that whenever anyone is following God's Spirit, hearing the truth, loving others --they are walking in Christ's way, acting in his name. Sometimes, perhaps most times (do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing) they don't even realize they are doing it to/for God (think of the parable of sheep/goats). Jesus seemed to be primarily concerned about right action and loving (Whoever is not against me is for me. Whatever you do to the least of these you do to me. Whoever loves is a child of God., etc). Rarely, if ever, did he get upset about right belief, calling people heretics. His anger, when it came out, was against those who were self-righteous and hypocritical and who used their religious power in the wrong ways. Thats why I'm concerned about the modern church.

Does that answer your question at all?

Thanks K--and ask away at anytime.

In Christ's love,
-Leif

Bleeding Purple People Public ProtoPage!

2006-02-19T16:52:00.000-08:00

Bleeding Purple People Public ProtoPage
(Now that's a tongue twister!)

Tell me if this is not one of the coolest Web 2.0 things you've seen in a while. Basically, you could know take the elements of the page and move them around wherever you want --try maximizing the BP feed, or shrinking a toolbar, etc.

I'm probably behind the game and many of you already know of protopage, but if not --check this out --and play around moving my leetle boxes wherever you wish. (; My only question/concern is if it works so well -might folks like you rather go to my protopage instead of this page? Would that really be a problem?

All I did was copy some of the html and code into seperate sticky notes, RSS Feeds / etc. and --walla! Bookmark it and see how/if it grows. If any of you knows more about protopage, let me know (like, can I make it so others can edit a page?)

Tags: Musings, Protopage, Bleeding Purple

Last Chance to give your Feedback and be on the next podcast

2006-02-17T14:10:00.000-08:00

As of now I've received about two voice messages and three emails answering the question:
"What spiritual habits help you to center, to connect to God, to feel truly alive and present during your day? And how do these habits of mind, of being, of living, etc. actually effect your day?" I'll be posting the show sometime between mon-wed, so if you want to have your thoughts on this subject heard, please email, send an audio attachment, call BleedingPurple with Gizmo or Skype, or use the toll-free number at the top of the page. I know that I and many others would love to hear what your experiences have been in this area, so please don't hide. (;

In addition, while I've already found your feedback on the daily polls (right sidebar) quite helpful, I'd love it if more of you shared your thoughts on how I can better improve this show. (Hint: Each time you come back or reload the page, the poll changes.) I plan to make some changes to Bleeding Purple soon based on your feedback, one of them being to have a more consistent/structured show. Actually, I'm excited about that change and will be thinking this weekend about what regular sections I plan on doing (i.e. intro, main show, weekly purple question, listener feedback, and announcements --something like that...hmm, that sounds pretty good already actually.)

Hope you all have an excellent weekend, and that you take at least one baby step in the direction of learning to live and love more deeply.
-Leif

Absolutely amazing song "The Fall" by Red Hunter

2006-02-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

All I can say is that you must listen to this song.
Let me know if it does to you what it did to me.

(I'm not putting a direct link because it will mess up some podcast feeds)

http://www.redhunter.tv/mp3s/red%20hunter%20-%20the%20fall.mp3

Something in my belly tells me this song might be prophetic --though really its a haunting mix of the past, present and future all deconstructed, merged, and sewn back up. What do you think?

Thanks to Steve from the EscapePod Podcast (one of my top three).

Cashing in on the Valentine's day love

2006-02-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Purple-hearted Valentines Day!

Well, I've really done it now...I've added the ultimate self-esteem slammer. I've added a PayPal Donation button in the "Listner Info" section of my sidebar.

A few of you suggested it
A few of you might be turned off by it
I don't plan on being influenced by it, either way

The fact is that I'm currently not meeting my family's budget and anything extra would help. I put most of my free time (which is not much!) into this blog and podcast, so I thought I'd open myself up to some financially expressed appreciation. So, if you've got a few extra bucks, or a few hundred extra bucks, click away (; (It will take you to a PayPal page where you can then choose a donation amount)

If it bugs you or your as poor as me, just ignore it and enjoy the show!

Thanks!
-Leif

Life Update: Desert stream, A spiritual breakthrough? + Listener-based show reminder

2006-02-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

In this short unedited show:

A reminder for the upcoming listener-based podcast (see below in showercast notes)
I share about what feels like a possible spiritual breakthrough, and some of the factors that may have played a part in this. Thanks to all of you 'factors' out there (;
Blog Updates

Excellent cultural warfare video, and fun new Bleeding Purple Site Updates

2006-02-09T02:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't heard from anybody that posting regular posts without an mp3 messes up their feed subscription, so I might start joining the regular blogging world. Don't worry, no more embarassing pictures of me --at least for a while.

If you haven't seen it already, you've GOT to check out this video.

This is some creative cultural guerilla warfare. When done, you'll know who to send it to. Thanks Rachelle for the tip. BTW, Does anyone know what would happen if I put the link to this video as my podcast enclosure? Would it mess up all non-video ipod players? Is it worth a try?

I've been up WAY too late working on some really fun and (I hope) helpful new updates to my sidebar -check them out! (It all started just trying to figure out what I thought would be simple -creating categories in blogger):

Really cool new 'cocomment' script that shows you where I've been blogging recently, a snippet of the blog, and links to the site
Easier to read, more organized purple dividers on the sidebar
Categories (via Technorati tag cloud profile)
Recent Comments section
"Purple Friends" blog roll
Technorati Search box, which blogs link to me, and cloud profile
wikipedia lookup box -I love WIKIPEDIA!

And if you're new to the site, don't forget to check out/use the other fun stuff:

Auto-add this show to iTunes with the "Add to iTunes" button
Vote on the polls
Call in and/or listen to the toll-free GCast listener feedback line (5 mins!)
Sign the Frappr guestmap and see where other listeners are from in Google Maps!
Call or leave a message with the Skype or Gizmo buttons
Stream/Listen to the show live with the PuPu Player (Button says "Listen Now!")

Speaking of which, besides putting a BleedingPurple link on your site --you can now put a free streaming player on your blog using the following code:
It will then look like this --try it out!

Well, I hope that my showercast didn't scare off too many of you --but if it did, well, nya nya nya nya nya!

In peace,
-Leif

Browser usage on this site: Woohoo, go firefox!
Firefox 57%
IE 32%

World's First ShowerCast?

2006-02-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

World's first showercast? Perhaps you were hoping it was Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt, but its not that kind of showercast. No, this isn't podporn (though I hear that that new wave of slavery is marching in quick), but come on in...

In this show:

Wade in the water baby!
You create the next show! Answer the question "What spiritual habits help you to center, to connect to God, to feel truly alive and present during your day? And how do these habits of mind, of being, of living, etc. actually effect your day?"
Answer the question by calling the toll free super-duper easy number on the top of the page; by leaving a message with BleedingPurple using Skype or Gizmo Project; or good old emailing me (and I'll read your answer) --answers will be on the next show. Please keep answers under 5 minutes.
The red crowds cry 'heresy' on a few sites. (Um, doesn't the bible say something about humility, not judging people while calling yourself righteous, and about perfect love casting out fear? )
New rotating poll to your right --give a quick vote to improve the show and site!
Help promote the Bleeding Purple Podcast by educating your friends about Podcasting, by telling/emailing three friends about the BleedingPurple Podcast, by putting a link to BP on your blog or website, and by --I'm going back on my word, sorry --voting on Podcast alley or your other favorite directory. Just a few minutes of your wuv can make a big difference. Thanks sistas and brothas!
Ohwha tagoo F'iam. It just gets stranger and stranger, you never know what you'll get on this show.
Created using the M-Audio Microtrack

Post Mclaren Thoughts & Feedback

2006-01-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

In this minicast I comment on the thoughts & images lingering in my mind after the interview; I play and read some comments and emails from listeners; and I share a few other random announcements.
Stay tuned for some exciting new interviews, musings, and audio experimentation (ever heard of a showercast?)

From this point on, I plan to only include music on the show from people I know or have met at some point.

Music: Mandy Troxel

For some reason audacity was stealing chunks of audio and no matter how many times I recorded, the thief snuck back in.
So, I offer this as is. Sorry.

Check out the v. interesting purple discussion this has sparked over at "The Ooze" Forum.

Interview with Brian Mclaren Part II

2006-01-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

Part II
Note (Edit, 3/18/2006):
I just noticed from a spike in my web stats today that a mass mailing went out to what looks like a group called "light house trails". I feel sad and somewhat frustrated that the 'marketing' of that post seems to dramatize and (intentionally?) misrepresent the issue, but I know I have fallen to the same temptation myself, so I can't get too upset. However, to those of you visiting this site and listening to the interview with 'heresy hunting' pre-motives, I ask that you please:

Start with an open and thoughtful mind, as well as a humble and loving spirit. As mentioned in the interview, their are ~35,000 christian denominations --its really time to start humbly listening and learning from each other.
Try to let God's "perfect love" cast out all fear, for fear is the root that gets us all divided and judging each other. A deep trust in God's perfect and unconditional love is the only way out.
Check out a conversation like this one, in which both christians with more conservative and liberal views have been talking about the same "false advertising" quote and having a mostly respectful dialogue.
Despite what I said in the blog of the first interview, I'd encourage you to start from the beginning.

In Christ's peace,
Leif

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's the second half of the interview with Brian. This half we continue the hell-busting, as well as consider question like:

Is Christian exclusivism unavoidable with a high view of Jesus?
Why is evil evil?
Does an after-life focused theology contribute to earthly injustice?
How can someone like myself start to trust/believe things about God again when so many beliefs seems to continue changing?
Do our human concepts of God innately become idols?
How many people really feel God's presence daily? What to do if its a "dark night of the soul"

Be 'the first' listener to leave audio feedback
Call toll free, 1-888-654-2278 (65-gcast). Then enter the number 321-321-4321 (pause for code)-4321. Leave your message and then in about 5 minutes it will be live --check the Gcast widget to your right for other comments from me and other listeners.

Shownotes:

See Previous Podcast Shownotes
Pete Rollins, on How (not) to think of God (Mclaren's 4ward)
The Last Week, Borg & Crossan
Image above taken from the "Suddenly Seminary" conversation with Brian Mclaren

Technorati Tags:
Brian Mclaren, Interview, Spirituality, Emergent, Hell, Christian Exclusivism, Jesus, God, Universalism, Theology, Eschatology, Soteriology, Hermeneutics, Marcus Borg, Churchianity, Doubt, Hope,

Brian Mclaren Interview Part I

2006-01-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

Overall, a great interview! Thank you Brian. I hope the rest of you enjoy the show and leave some feedback here or call in using the toll free Gcast number below.

Edit: I suggest that those of you who are limited on time, or who want to jump into the best of the interview --skip this first one and listen to #2.

In this show we talk about:

Criticism Brian has received since writing A Generous Orthodoxy and The Last Word... and how to respond 'in purple' fashion.
What to make of the violent imagery Jesus occasionally makes use of in the NT (ie Mt 24:51)
The importance of having an hermeneutic of love
Fear and the toxic doctrine of hell
If hell is true, is the meaning of the cross false advertising?

On your right is the new listener feedback player, and the RSS feed as well.

Some of you may also be interested in the paper I wrote and shared with Brian. Its written as a dialogue between four different positions on topics ranging from divine justice, the nature of scripture, and the meaning of hell. As many of you know, this project was foundational to my coming to the conclusion of truly good news, of the hope of the universal reconciliation of all to God.

Authors & Books mentioned:

The Coming of the Son of Man, Andrew Perriman
The Secret message of Jesus, Brian Mclaren
A Generous Orthodoxy, Brian Mclaren
The Last Word & the Word after That, Brian Mclaren
The Last Week, Borg & Crossan

Other Notes:

Technical notes:

Gizmo Project (How Brian & I did the interview)
M-Audio MicroTrack (My new portable recording studio, see below)
Podcast 411
Gcast

Happy 06!

2006-01-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, enemies and mysterious beings.
I hope you've had some quality holiday time and are as excited as I am for the new year. (I'm a sucker for the freshness of a new year.)

This is just a quick post to let you know that I'm back and ready to cast with some fun new portable podcasting gear (check out the M-Audio Microtrack -I got a great price on it and bought it with combined CHristmas money/returns --thanks Gma, Pama, and PaPete)

Currently working on:
1)A new year's experiment: Each day I'm choosing a different focus (Will/Work, Getting Support, Positive Thinking, Spirituality, Bodily Health) and seeing how it effects my day and doing a short audio blurn on it.

2)This Friday is my interview with Brian Mclaren! Check the comments for the question clusters I've emailed him. I hope to cover some of those questions/topics.

3)I have plenty of other fun and interesting podcasts ideas in mind and am excited about each of them. If only I can find the time to do them. Patience might be a virtue, but I tired of waiting for it. (;

Let me know if you have any ideas of people to interview (including yourself), or other projects. Here's to a wonder-filled new year!
-Leif

Break for the holidays

2005-12-16T02:39:00.000-08:00

Some announcements and thanks to specific listeners.

Well, it's time I take a break to give my attention to where it should be --family, an upcoming new year, and the meaning of this holiday (which I'm still really trying to figure out). I also need a break to get back to the fun of podcasting. I've gotten off track and become way to obsessed with 'stats' and promoting the site --and I think this has diminished the quality of the show. Sorry bout that, if you agree. I want to get back on track. Fuck it if there are 2 or 2000 of you listening. I mean, nothing personal...you know what I mean. (For the record, it looks like about 100 downloads a week for new shows, 25 same show each week on average after that).

Next podcast probably won't be till mid-January, and will probably be the interview with Brian Mclaren (he gave me the 21st of this month, but Anna knew I'd be too distracted if I tried to do that show during Christmas break, so I've postponed).

Thanks to Bruce Cockburn for being the kind of person I think I can assume would be okay with playing snippets from his music on my podcast--hopefully ya'll go out buy his albums. He's one of the most amazing artists and 'prophets' alive.

Have an wonder-full holiday and a very purple Christmas, and I look forward to being back with you in 2006!

Lectio Divina Purple Style

2005-12-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

Possibly the first ever podcasted Lectio Divina --a devotional style meditative reading of Psalm 76. Thanks to my wife, Anna Hansen, for doing the reading so heartfully. In this podcast, Anna reads once through, then I respond to each phrase with a spontaneious prayer, and then she reads a final time. Hope you like it, let me know what you think!

Reading comes from the contemporary, and highly suggested, Psalms for Praying, by Nan C. Merill. This text is not meant to be a literal translation, rather a contemplative and personalized translation. Occasionally it gets a little too psychologized for me, but I do really like it.

PFAQ (Potentially Frequently Asked Questions)

2005-12-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

PFAQ
(Potentially Frequently Asked Questions)
for the Bleeding Purple Podcast.

1. Do you really get asked these questions frequently?

No. I am primarily doing this to answer the questions for myself --why AM I doing this? But yes, I do get asked occasionally.

2. What is this podcast about?

I've described it elsewhere as "The musings, interviews, and audio experimentations of a guy attempting to stretch between the best of blue and red. Subject matter mostly revolves around honestly exploring spirituality, creativity, and various other wild topics. This is not a political podcast –though it does occasionally try and get at issues behind the politics."

It's about:

Experiencing the ‘healing-pain’ of trying to reach out to find the truth, beauty and goodness from both the blue and the red.

Getting beyond blue and red, left and right, conservative and liberal, orthodox and unorthodox, us and them (aren't all terms , in the end, self-righteous oversimplifications anyway?)

Being Honest about how little I really know, and yet also honest about what I really hope to be true.

3. Can you give me some purple examples?

Check out people like:

Jim Wallis (and his new book “God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong, and the Left Doesn’t Get it”)
Brian Mclaren (and his new book “The Last Word, and the Word after That.”)
Madeleine L’engle.
Many more, who I hope to add and honor later.

Politically (& spiritually) speaking, check out articles like:

4. Why are you doing a podcast? Isn't podcasting kind of ego-centric?

Well, um, it can be. Sometimes, either from the black-hole of ego or everyday loneliness, I am motivated to do this stuff for attention, but I don't think its the only motivator.

My other main motivators for doing a podcast/blog are:

*I like meeting and talking with interesting people about interesting topics --and being a podcaster gives me an extra easy excuse to do it, "Um, hi, I have a podcast called Bleeding Pur...what...a podcast? Oh, its like an internet radio show...yeah, well, anyway...would you be open to do an interview with me? Really, cool!" I think most people are pretty psyched that somebody would want to interview them. I get to then share the fruits of this with others. Fun!
In addition, interviewing folks for my podcast increases my interviewing skills and, honestly, I like it so much I might just want to do it professionally some day.

*I also think that I have a number of things to say, what I call "musings", that might be of interest and import to others. They're usually about spirituality, the future, our culture, etc. So, I occasionally muse out loud about those as well, hoping to spark some hopeful conversations.

*Lastly, the "audio experimentations": I love music, I love to sing, I'm trying again to learn guitar, and I love geeking around with tech stuff --so this is my catch all phrase. It gives me a chance to show off some singing, experiment with mixing, etc. Who knows what else will come from this.

5. Can I be on your show?

Most likely...I'd love to have you on. But lets meet first and find out what you'd like to talk about. You can email me at bleedingpurple@gmail.com, leave a voice mail at 206-600-4556, Skype or Gizmo me at Bleedingpurple, or just leave a comment on one of my posts. I look forward to meeting you, and perhaps to having you on my show.

6. How can I keep updated about your shows, and help promote them as well?

Well, if you have a podcast receiver (itunes, ipodder, juice, etc) you can subscribe to the feeds.feedburner.com/bleedingpurple feed --there are links on my main page as well. The best way to help promote the podcast is to tell people you know --face2face, email, on discussion boards, etc. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

7. Can I donate thousands of dollars to Bleeding Purple --I think what you are doing is wonderful and has the potential to quickly usher in world peace.

I get asked this a lot, and really, I'm flattered. While my family does need some increased flow, and I would love to get paid for this, I don't currently have an easy way for you to make donations. If you are interested though, pleae email me and I might then start to make this an option.

Announcements & Podcast Shout Outs

2005-12-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

Exciting announcements as well as shouts for Podcast 411 and 5 Questions Podcast
Thanks to Mortal for the background sound.

Seven Fun New Exciting Nifty Changes to the Blogspot:

1) It is now readable! Purple goo is gone, standard hipster blogpage is moving in.

2) You can now listen and stream the audio live right there on the site, thanks to the PuPu player

3) You can leave comments on the podcasts

4) You can easily instantly subscribe (free of course) to my podcast using the "FEED" button

5) Cool google-maps style Frappr GUESTMAP -please sign it, its sooo easy. You'll see the link on the left. You can then see, even with an actual satellite image, where you and other listeners/friends/family are. You can also scroll through a list of pictures that people are starting to leave.

6) You can see my list of my favorite podcasts. AND you can search the audio of my podcast and others with the amazing Podscope, right there on the page.

7) You can leave voicemail or call me (and leave net voicemail) with the very cool skype or Gizmo project applications. Links on the page.

Zinnia does the Humpty Dumpty

2005-11-30T23:05:00.000-08:00

Need I say more?

My daughter Zinnia's first song.

Angels, Aliens, and Artificial Intelligence: Part III

2005-11-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

The dialogue with Ron from Awaretek continues. We start woth some political pokes but spend most of this section sharing our personal experiences and thoughts about the question: If God is infinitely transcedent, yet loving, can we expect, or at least seek, to experience God’s presence in tangible ways?

God and the truth humanity experiences and expresses about ultimate reality seem to be getting so complex, how can we sort it all out? Maybe an alien or an angel can help us? Or maybe a soon coming AI will sift through it all and tell us the answers to life's ultimate questions. See 'Hitcher's Guide to the Galaxy' for a preview to this scenario.

Bare-ass dialogue about Jesus via yellowtail, Part II

2005-11-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

The dialogue continues...I hope you enjoy it!

(This image is from an excellent dialogue book between conservative and liberal scholars and friends, Marcus Borg and NT Wright, titled "The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions")

Bare-ass honest dialogue about Jesus via Yellow Tail

2005-11-13T06:55:00.000-08:00

My friend Neil Sittler and I have a totally honest, no bullshit dialogue about where we are at with Jesus at this point in our spiritual journey.

Aliens, Angels, & Artificial Intelligence: Part II

2005-11-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

Second part of my interview with Ron (see below). We question the validity of supernatural experiences, and explore all over the place.

Bleeding Purple Promocast!

2005-11-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

Just finished my first Promo for the Bleeding Purple Podcast. I think it turned out pretty durn good. Let me know how it sounds on your end and if you have any suggestions...

Aliens, Angels, & Artificial Intelligence

2005-10-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

A fun, fascinating and thought-provoking conversation with Ron Stephens, host of the AwareTek Podcast. We explore the connections between the supernatural, scientific and extraterrestrial phenomena.

Pink Coup D'Etat

2005-09-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

My two year old daughter Zinnia and wife Anna almost upset the balance of the universe.
Pink!?

My Spiritual Situation

2005-09-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

So, there it is. I laid it on the line. I actually hope I don't get any 'advice', but would rather hear from people who are similarly struggling or who have come through and are finding ways of being a purple christian, or a liberal universalist charismatic....nah, none of the labels really work.

And, in summary, the struggles were:

How do I find (where does it come from?) motivation/energy/love to mature spiritually now that I reject fear whenever it comes up as my main motivation to grow?
If God is really personal, then why am I not more directly pursued --why does it seem I have to 'make the first move'?
How do I move into a new kind of purple spirituality and actually live out my new theology (like changed beliefs about the cross, the nature of salvation, mission, God, etc)
Lack of Spiriritual community. Do I 1)Find the smallest, closest church --no matter what they are like --and enter into their community life? 2)Find the spiritual community that best fits my present core beliefs and commit there? 3)Start a small group at home (or somewhere) and start being church as I understand it best to be?

Yeah, something like that.

Oh yeah, and the long, occasionaly boring recording of my spiritual autobiogaphy is here.

Update & Upcoming Shows

2005-08-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

A very brief update with announcements of upcoming shows. Thanks to The Innocence Mission for “Where does the time go” as BGM.

Hell's Kitchen w/ Mendozza: A dad's night out on T-town.

2005-08-07T06:43:00.000-07:00

And now for something completely different. Check out this interview with Mendozza, a “heavy stoner-rock” band from Vancouver, BC. I like to stretch myself with new experiences –keep your mind open for some fun surprises!
Here are some pix of the evening.

Screen Addiction: Are we becoming too dependent on tech?

2005-08-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

This turned out well! A somewhat brief summary of my personal struggles with technology, and my thoughts on how it is effecting our culture.

Read my paper "Exploring the nature of technology through the magic within Tolkien’s myth" through the if you're interested in more.

Stupid Church People Podcast Feedback

2005-08-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

Theres a funny, dorky, honest, church-challenging (for the red) podcast called 'Stupid Church People'. I offer some feedback on how perhaps to get out of the us/them self-righteous labeling cycle.

Art to the left is by Josh, one of the two stupid church people podcasters.

Goodbye Jim Shrout

2005-07-17T23:11:00.000-07:00

Some reflection on the recent passing of my childhood stepfather –Eagles and Steve Miller Band in the background.

Close your eyes

2005-07-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

A fun, experimental, layered song; written in 5 min, produced in 2 hrs

Voyage of the Dawn Treader Reading

2005-06-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

A reading from Voyage of the Dawn Treader by CS Lewis, and some great songs. Thanks to Dawntreader, Joni Mitchell, and Iona for the tunes. This Podcast is dedicated to the kids of Camp Erin.

Thanks to Dawn Treader for the ending song, Innocence.

Let it Rain

2005-05-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

I explain why this is called the Bleeding Purple podcast, and then mix my voice up for some fun sung audio experimentations.

Interview with musician John Louviere

2005-05-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

Interview and songs with an excellent musician and a best friend.

Here is a great song called "Honestly" from John's recording session in NY.

Bahai Interview w/Pasha

2005-04-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

Excellent interview with a Camp Seymour Bahai guest.
More about Bahai