Everything Belongs: Living the Teachings of Richard Rohr Forward – Details, episodes & analysis

In this season finale of Everything Belongs, we're diving into the final chapter of Richard Rohr's book Falling Upward and responding to as many listener questions as we could across three parts. Joining Corey, Mike, and Paul for these special episodes is our dear friend Cassidy Hall, the author of Queering Contemplation. Together, we're exploring how her work relates to the themes of Falling Upward and the paradoxical journey of spiritual growth that comes along with it. This episode was recorded during a particularly memorable moment, as a brood of ducklings hatched in Richard's front yard, creating a scene of pure joy and wonder that mirrors the themes of new beginnings and unexpected grace that ran throughout this season. We hope you enjoy it 🦆🐥 About the guest: Cassidy Hall (she/her/hers) (MA, MDiv, MTS) is an author, award-winning filmmaker, podcaster, ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and leading voice in contemplative spirituality. She is the cohost of the Encountering Silence podcast and the creator of the Contemplating Now and Queering Contemplation podcasts. Her films include In Pursuit of Silence and Day of a Stranger. Her forthcoming book, Queering Contemplation, Finding Queerness in the Roots and Future of Contemplative Spirituality is set for release in May of 2024. Cassidy is widely published and currently resides in Indianapolis, where she is studying for her DMin degree. Resources: A PDF of the transcript for this episode is available here. Grab a copy of the newly revised version of Falling Upward, with a new foreword by Brené Brown here. To learn more about Cassidy Hall, visit her website here. Grab a copy of Cassidy's book, Queering Contemplation, here.

How has the interplay between gain and loss shaped your life's journey, and what new possibilities does this open up for you now? In this episode, we're joined by two members of the CAC faculty Dr. Barbara Holmes and Brian McLaren as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 12: "New Problems and New Directions." In this conversation, we explore the continuous journey of transformation and renewal throughout all stages of life, reflecting on personal experiences, the rhythms of loss and gain, and the deep wisdom that guides us through both the first and second halves of life. Before we dive in to the interview with Barbara and Brian, CAC staff members Mike Petrow and Paul Swanson catch up with Richard at his hermitage to hear his reflections on the twelfth chapter a decade after he originally wrote it. About the guests: Dr. Barbara Holmes is a scholar of African American spirituality and mysticism. Dr. Barbara Holmes reveals how the cosmos can expand our limited constructs of religion, race, and power. As faculty at the Center for Action and Contemplation, she teaches how God’s communal presence can inspire imagination and wisdom, especially in times of crisis. She is the author of Race and the Cosmos, Joy Unspeakable, and Crisis Contemplation. She hosts CAC's podcast The Cosmic We. Brian McLaren is the Dean of CAC Faculty. As a former evangelical pastor, Brian is a champion for a more loving, inclusive and contemplative Christianity. A faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation, he teaches ways to reconnect with the message Jesus lived and died for—unconditional love. He is the author of Faith After Doubt, The Great Spiritual Migration, and most recently, Life After Doom. He hosts CAC’s podcast Learning How to See. Resources: A PDF of the transcript for this episode is available here. Grab a copy of the newly revised version of Falling Upward, with a new foreword by Brené Brown here. To learn more about Dr. Barbara Holmes, visit her website here. To learn more about Brian McLaren, visit his website here. Grab a copy of Brian's latest book, Life After Doom, here. Connect with us: Have a question or thought about this season that you'd like to share with us? Email us: podcasts@cac.org Send us a voicemail here: http://www.cac.org/voicemail

What if loss invited us on a voyage?  In this episode, we're joined by Kirsten Oates and Patrick Boland as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration with Chapter 2: "The Hero and Heroine's Journey." Patrick Boland and Kirsten Oates, cohost of our sister podcast, Turning to the Mystics, join CAC staff, for a heartfelt conversation. Together, they explore the transformative power of the hero's journey. They talk about the role it plays in our personal growth, emphasizing how embracing challenges and loss can be doorways to our truest selves. Before we dive in to the interview, we catch up with Richard at his hermitage to hear his reflections on the second chapter a decade after he originally wrote it. Patrick Boland is an Executive Coach, Leadership Consultant and Psychotherapist. He is the author of The Contemplative Leader and the co-author of Every Thing is Sacred with Richard Rohr. He lives with his family near Dublin, Ireland. Kirsten Oates is the cohost of our sister podcast Turning to the Mystics with James Finley. She's a Spiritual Director and an Executive Coach who brings wisdom and insight into the intersection of spirituality and leadership. Together with Richard, Kirsten and Patrick are the architects of our newest online course, Falling Upward: Life as a Spiritual Journey. You can learn more about that at our website. Resources: A PDF of the transcript for this episode is available here. Grab a copy of the newly revised version of Falling Upward, with a new foreword by Brené Brown here. To learn more about Patrick's work, visit his website here.  Access a free chapter from Patrick's book, The Contemplative Leader, on the hero's journey here. To connect with Kirsten, visit her here, and check out her CAC podcast, Turning to the Mystics here. Connect with us: Have a question or thought about this season that you'd like to share with us? Email us: podcasts@cac.org Send us a voicemail here: http://www.cac.org/voicemail

Welcome to the first episode of Everything Belongs, a new season covering the work of Richard Rohr’s newly revised version of Falling Upward. In this episode, we're joined by Brenè Brown to kick off our chapter-by-chapter exploration, starting with Chapter 1: "The Two Halves of Life." Together, with Richard Rohr and CAC Staff, they explore the concept of the two halves of life and how Brené has navigated these teachings from the context of her own lived experience, both personally and professionally. We also talk about the brand-new foreword, which Brené wrote for the new edition of Falling Upward. But first, we begin the episode at Richard's hermitage to hear his reflections on the first chapter a decade after he originally wrote it. Brené is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She also holds the position of Visiting Professor and management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. Brené has spent the past few decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She’s the author of six number one New York Times bestsellers, and is the host of two award-winning podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead. She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband, Steve. They have two children, Ellen and Charlie, and a weird Bichon named Lucy. Resources: A PDF of the transcript for this episode is available here. Grab a copy of the newly revised version of Falling Upward, with a new foreword by Brené Brown here. To learn more about Brené’s work, visit her website here.  Connect with us: Have a question or thought about this season that you'd like to share with us? Email us: podcasts@cac.org Send us a voicemail here: http://www.cac.org/voicemail

"Maybe we should just call this book Tips for the Road, a sort of roadside assistance program." - Richard Rohr, Falling Upward, pg. xv Introduction In the final episode of this mini-series, we are giving you a test drive for how an episode will look and feel, with the commentary and banter of the architects behind it from a production and pedagogical standpoint. We thought, what better way to do this than with the introduction to the book of our first season, Falling Upward. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. Learn more about the behind the scenes of Everything Belongs from the producer, Corey Wayne, here. Connect with us: How'd the series land for you? We'd love to know. Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

In this episode, we distill Richard Rohr's teaching philosophy into three animating questions: What do we want to know? How do we want to grow? How do we want to show up in our lives and in the world? These questions serve as foundational guides for embodying incarnational mysticism in our own unique contexts. Join us in Richard's living room as Mike explores these questions with him, while Corey impresses with his Scripture references. Richard's legacy as a spiritual teacher inspires fuller participation in life's cosmic dance, and we gather on the CAC campus to delve into communal wisdom, creating our own contemplative laboratory. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. Learn more about the behind the scenes of Everything Belongs from the producer, Corey Wayne, here. Connect with us: How'd the series land for you? We'd love to know. Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

What is the role of teachers and students on the spiritual path?  In this episode, we explore Richard Rohr's evolving role as a spiritual teacher at the CAC, as he gracefully steps back to join the Core Faculty. With Opie by his side and church bells ringing, Richard's infectious smile sets the tone for a conversation that connects us all in the spirit of generosity. We also delve into Brian McLaren's extraordinary vision as the new Dean of Faculty, and hear from Gigi Ross, who brings wisdom to shaping student experiences at the Living School. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. Learn more about the behind the scenes of Everything Belongs from the producer, Corey Wayne, here. Connect with us: How'd the series land for you? We'd love to know. Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Our introductory mini-series continues! Episode two finds us back in Richard’s living room, picking up where we left off and widening the conversation to Richard’s transition from the teacher in the spotlight at the CAC to joining the circle of teachers and a staff being empowered to carry these teachings forward alongside all of you listening. We also talk about how the CAC’s evolution as an organization — with all its gifts, foibles, and growing edges — can serve the world in supporting transformation and inspiring loving action. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. Learn more about the behind the scenes of Everything Belongs from the producer, Corey Wayne, here. Connect with us: How'd the series land for you? We'd love to know. Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Everything Belongs is a show about living the teachings of Richard Rohr forward, co-creating a world where everyone and everything belongs. On future seasons, we'll be making our way through Richard's major teachings. But in this inaugural mini-series, we're focusing on laying the foundations for those seasons by catching up with Richard and various staff members at the Center for Action and Contemplation to gain an understanding for how the CAC is evolving as we water the roots of Richard’s teachings while nourishing new growth at the edges.  Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. Learn more about the behind the scenes of Everything Belongs from the producer, Corey Wayne, here. Connect with us: How'd the series land for you? We'd love to know. Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

What is the shadow? How do we understand it? In this episode, we're joined by Connie Zweig as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 11: "The Shadowlands." In this conversation with Connie Zweig, we explore the complex relationship between spiritual communities, the unconscious aspects of ourselves, and the potential for growth within ourselves and these groups. Before we dive in to the interview with Connie, CAC staff catch up with Richard at his hermitage to hear his reflections on the eleventh chapter a decade after he originally wrote it. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, writer, Climate Reality Leader, and Citizens Climate Lobbyist. Known as the Shadow Expert, she is coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of Sufi Poet Rumi. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. It won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction. Her newest book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening is available now. It explores shadow-work into the religious and spiritual arena. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years. She is a wife, stepmother, and grandmother. After all these roles, she’s practicing the shift from role to soul. Resources: A PDF of the transcript for this episode is available here. Grab a copy of the newly revised version of Falling Upward, with a new foreword by Brené Brown here. To learn more about Connie's work, check out her website here. We mentioned Connie's book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path, several times in this episode. You can find that here. Connect with us: Have a question or thought about this season that you'd like to share with us? Email us: podcasts@cac.org Send us a voicemail here: http://www.cac.org/voicemail