Podcast Announcement

A Voice from the Sacristy is becoming Low in the Water

A Voice from the Sacristy podcast began in March of this year. The mission was to provide a word for those who share a word. A benediction for those who give benedictions. I was grateful to be joined by some pastoral voices who delivered the gospel-goods to me and to others who listened:

Dave Wollan

,

Mandy Smith

,

Steve Turnbull

, and

Andrea Taphorn

. We used our phones, zoom, garage band, and free public-use background music to record and edit and *produce our weekly offering.

Along the way, my friend and mentor, Winn Collier wondered about a podcast with a similar mission, but produced and distributed from the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination from Western Theological Seminary. This proposal came at a significant time for me personally. I had recently finished a program through the Peterson Center at Western, and honesty, I was grieving the loss of a connection that had come to mean a great deal to me. I was happy to be done with my degree, but sad to say goodbye to my teachers, cohort, to lovely Holland, MI, and the Peterson Center. Winn’s idea was balm and an answer to my prayer.

So, starting sometime this early autumn, we will be releasing a new podcast, with a similar mission: Low in the Water. The name is taken from the poem Quiet by Pastor Eugene Peterson published in his little book of poetry: Holy Luck. Some background and discussion about our aims will be forthcoming. Keep watching here and make sure to mark the Peterson Center for all the good things they put into the world. Low in the Water will be a short weekly offering (7-10 minutes) produced with original music from our dear friend Jonathan Gabhart who can be heard on Cardiphonia Music and Michigan IO. The same great pastoral voices, who are able, will continue on and be joined by a few new voices whom we will announce soon. Semi-regularly we will also have a longer-form discussion episode with Winn Collier, Mandy Smith, and me. What a dream (for me :).

Pray for us. Pray that we could produce something that sounds like fresh fruit. Fruit that comes from the generative vine of God’s heart and voice—in Christ Jesus. Pray that Low in the Water reaches the ears of those ministers who could use some ministry. We want this podcast to be a good, beautiful, and true word in a cacophonous culture.

I would be negligent if I didn’t mention two wonderful events coming up at the Peterson Center.
Doxology is planned for Sept 30-Oct 2 in Holland MI, and is A GATHERING WHERE WE HUMBLY FIX OUR ATTENTION AND OUR HOPE ON GOD.

Doxology is a posture of wonder, gratitude, and awe. Doxology is how we fix our heart and hope on God. In a cacophonous age overrun by ego and animosity, we hope to nurture humility, joy, contemplation–and even a bit of holy belligerence–amid all the dehumanizing forces suffocating the delight of being God’s beloved people in God’s astounding world. Since our time together will be about God, this means our days will of course also be about beauty, faithfulness, and friendship.

Doxology is a gathering for pastors and artists, for carpenters and teachers, business owners and stay-at-home parents (for all of us), who long for the simple, sacred life that flows from the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. 

The Order of the Kingfisher follows the annual Doxology conference. This space will be a focused space for pastors, renewing our shared vision (Common Rule) and welcoming new members of the Order. We hope these days will foster a sense of connection to a larger community of like-minded pastors. Space will be limited to 40. More information is found on the link above.