Prepare yourself for a thorough musical delight today as we head to Cleveland, Ohio for a visit with Charlie Mosbrook. Besides his exquisite guitar, piano, lyrics, & voice, Charlie has a rich backstory and forestory. A heavy-duty triathlon athlete, Charlie had a spinal cord injury that left him a high-functioning quadriplegic, and he used the life detour to delve deeper into his music, pouring his passion and compassion into organizations like Music to Life and Stop the Hate. In the past 15 years he's released 9 albums and more, touching hearts and raising up the world.
Past/present religious/spiritual influences: UCC, Presbyterian, Thich Nhat Hanh, Native American, Jewish
We're seeking world healing in a different way today, for Spirit In Action. Our guest is Peter Anderson - author, mystic, misfit, & mountain dweller. His recent books have included First Church of the Higher Elevations: Mountains, Prayer, and Presence, and most recently, Riding the Wheel: Prose-Poems. From his youth on Long Island, NY, Peter wandered to the western US mountains, finding his self in the high elevations. Peter's quest for roots and meaning are a deep example of one valuable way to find a deep & enduring sense of home, even more so in our world today. Peter Anderson joins us from Crestone, CO.
Today we're catching a glimpse of the organization Indivisible and, specifically, Chippewa Valley Indivisible, the local chapter here in the place I happen to live. There are hundreds, even thousands, of chapters nationwide. Indivisible's vision is “A real democracy - of, by, and for the people.” and they state that, “We have to build a democracy that reflects a broad, multiracial 'we the people', one that works for all of us and is sustained by all of us. Only then will we be able to achieve a progressive vision for our future.” Cyndi Greening is the group leader of the Chippewa Valley Indivisible group.
More than 10 years ago I interviewed Betsy Leondar-Wright about her superb book, Missing Class, and today we'll visit with her about the book she researched and wrote with Jessi Streib called Is It Racist? Is It Sexist?: Why Red and Blue White People Disagree and How to Decide in the Gray Areas. As in all her work, Betsy drills deep, past prejudices and proclivities, beyond entrenched sides and blindered perspectives, to find a better way forward for all of us. Betsy Leondar-Wright joins us from Arlingon, Massachusetts.
Today's guest-hosts are Nicole Diroff, Ben Yosua-Davis, and Peterson Toscano, of the Climate Changed Podcast from The BTS Center. In this episode they bring us a conversation that dives deep into the heart of what it means to find hope and community in a chaotic world. You’ll hear from two remarkable thinkers - Margaret Wheatley, a renowned author and leadership expert, and Deborah Reinstra, a professor and theologian whose work explores the idea of refugia from her book, Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonder, and the Healing of the Earth. These are small pockets of resilience in times of upheaval.
Todd Adams (or on BlueSky) has spent most of his life sharing music with the world, including running and owning record stores, but it is only in the past 5 years that he's really dug into writing & recording his own songs. Along the way, Todd was part of the team that brought WHYS-LP Radio into existence in 2005, and he spun records there for years on his All Over the Map show. The Todd Adams Experience album was released in 2021, and this show also includes songs from Todd's upcoming, but not yet released, album, Sprinkle Your Crumbs On My Grave.
Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Lutheran
Sometimes a really talented person can get lost in the background behind other very talented performers, and Gary Walters has certainly dealt with some of that. Gary frequently accompanies the amazing Carrie Newcomer (and others), and although Carrie gladly shares the limelight with him, it took an explicit announcement by Carrie at one of their concerts to alert me of Gary's other work, including his newest album, The COVID Sessions. In addition to his powerful accompaniment with folk musician Carrie, Gary's chops & flavors include jazz, classical, & much more. Gary Walters calls Indianapolis, Indiana, his home.
Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Presbyterian, Catholic, Non-affiliated
Jan Spencer is guest-host today for the fifth time, sharing an episode of Creating A Preferred Future which takes a look at an unexpected topic. In Jan upcoming new book, A Primer For Paradigm Shift, he has found a new friend in the City of Eugene, Oregon's Strategic Planning Goals. Today's show is a contraction of a longer written essay which explains how paradigm shift and the strategic city planning goals are made for each other. Just add an historic leap in social, economic and ecological consciousness.
Guest-host Peterson Toscano of Citizen's Climate Radio is sitting in today for Spirit In Action, sharing climate info through a True Crime lens, in the 8th and final installation of a series called Hot Mess. The episode includes a round-table discussion with conservatives actively shaping climate policy, including Bob Inglis, a former Republican Congressman, Chelsea Henderson of EcoRight Speaks, and Katie Zakrzewski & and Zach Torpie, hosts of Green Tea Party Radio.
James Schattauer has a long history of music in the Twin Cities, MN, area, and though his songs are wide and deep in variety, topic, and nature, much of his music career was as a children's musician, under the name Mister Jim (here's some of his kid-centric music). He shared some of those songs in his 2007 interview, but today he's bringing us deeply spiritual songs, including from kirtan and other Eastern influences, all from his album, One. A deep ground of heart-open, arms-wide, spirit shines through his music and life, living side-to-side with his healing arts practices of massage, Reiki, and Soul Song readings.