Richard Rohr on Action and Contemplation: Homebrewed Christianity 41
By Chad Crawford • Jan 22nd, 2009 • Category: podcast
This week on Homebrewed Christianity, Fr. Richard Rohr discusses the Emerging Church, and the upcoming conference with Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle, and Shane Claiborne at his Center for Contemplation and Action.
We talk about the relationship between contemplation and action. Fr. Rohr says that the most important word in The Center for Action and Contemplation isn’t “action” or “contemplation”. It’s the word “and”. We talk about his book Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality and the balance between internal and external authority when interpreting scripture.
Ryan Parker at PopTheology.com shares another couple of film reviews: Slumdog Millionaire and Happy Go Lucky.
For information on the Emerging Church Conference, “the first large gathering of Roman Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, and other Christians seeking to explore this emergence and convergence together,” visit CACRadicalGrace.org.
“Utterly Humbled by Mystery“, Fr. Rohr’s “This I Believe” Essay on NPR.
Next week on Homebrewed Christianity is singer/songwriter Bill Mallonee and in the month of February, we’ll be looking at different perspectives on evolution.
Be sure and check out Become a Deacon and put the deacon badge on your blog or website.
Tripp and Jesus like birds.
Richard Rohr on Action and Contemplation: Homebrewed Christianity 41 [44:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Chad Crawford is a graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Wake Forest University Divinity School. He is originally from Austin, Texas and now lives in San Francisco, where he is the online communications manager for Interfaith Power & Light, a nonprofit organization mobilizing a religious response to global warming. He's a former youth minister and long distance hiker sharing thoughts on ecology, politics, culture, and faith.
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Wow !!! Just listened and prayed through the conversations between Chad and Richard Rohr and my very first words would have to be AMEN AND AMEN. Richard Rohr is one of my favorite people and authors. What he says about action and contemplation is for me right on. When you have experienced that inner “Knowing” that the two of you discuss, it has to end with the “and” as Richard talks about being the most important thing. You need them both to be part of this dance with God. Contemplation leads you to action and sustains you through your action. The false self that Chad discusses with Richard is so true. We must forego our ego to live in that inner life of knowing and dance with God. That is a difficult but necessary thing for us to continue to work through with God’s help. None of us ever completely “arrive” but we do live within the mystery and faith in God. We do not have to know or do everything ourselves as God is working as creator and we are simply joining God in God’s work. I agree with Richard when he speaks of the Emergent Movement. I do think this is of God for all the reasons that he gave. Zach Roberts asked me about this subject and I answered him the same way that Richard did Chad. Because no one person or group is leading this “movement” and it is appealing to so many diverse people all over the world, I do agree that it is the work of God’s Holy Spirit. We should never try to control it, just embrace it and live with and through the effort. Wish I could attend the gathering in March. This is another historical event, as the inauguration was, that I wouled love to be a part of. Thank you Chad and Tripp for this wonderful time you provided me with each of you and Richard Rohr. By the way, I led several small groups at Knollwood Baptist Church in Winston-Salem using Richard’s book on Spiritual Disciplines. These were great groups. Again thank you for this wonderful conversation.
Chad you edited out the comparison between two types of people, squirrels and birds. I can’t believe you didn’t find that as enlightening as I did.
Glad you enjoyed it Jo Ann.
Ryan speaks the word on the image. Solid reviews chief.
And props on another solid ‘cast.
@Tripp – Sorry. You and Jesus like birds and I like squirrels. No – on the contrary I found it very enlightening. But the Northern California Homebrewed Christianity Studio does not have the technology to render higher pitched animal voices decipherable. Our techs are working on the problem. So I think you should retell the full parable in written form.
[...] Dobson the other week and I loved Fermi Project’s latest with Jon Tyson. Also really enjoyed Homebrewed Christianity’s podcast with Richard Rohr. Cleaned the Fireside Room (the youth room) while listening to Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks [...]