Ronnie McBrayer
Podcast of author, speaker, pastor, and spiritual teacher Ronnie McBrayer. This is his collection of talks, interviews, insights from the Enneagram, and conversations with friends on the ever-changing, ever-evolving nature of faith. It is especially for those who are “burned out on religion” - to quote Eugene Peterson’s marvelous paraphrase; for spiritual exiles; and those whose faith is in transition.
Episodes
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
”Sick and Tired,” Part 2
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
In the second part of his talk, "Sick and Tired" - which could be subtitled, "A Deal With the Devil," Ronnie talks about consequence, shares thoughts on divine punishment, and how we all come to a crossroads with the choice to wipe the slate clean. Legendary bluesman Robert Johnson is featured as well.
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
”Sick and Tired,” Part 1
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Visiting the man at the pool of Bethesda and connecting that story from the Gospels with Fannie Lou Hamer and how we all desire change, Ronnie talks about how we must become "sick and tired of being sick and tired" before real transformation is possible.
Thursday Oct 21, 2021
Try Something Different: Surrender, Part 8
Thursday Oct 21, 2021
Thursday Oct 21, 2021
In this conclusion to his series of talks on "letting go," Ronnie talks about surrendering the future: "Make your plans - sure. Set some goals. That’s good. Use some common sense and apply some hard-earned wisdom. You’re going to need that. And then, when all your plans are made, your goals have been adapted to melodic slogans and website catch-phrases, and you have wisely and sincerely anticipated every possible outcome - make sure it’s all written in pencil. Nothing will happen as you think it will - and to say otherwise is foolishness. You can conceive, concoct, and contrive - but you cannot control. That’s your ego talking."
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
Try Something Different: Surrender, Part 7
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
"One of the hardest things to let go of is the past, because surrendering the past usually involves forgiveness...Forgiveness doesn’t mean that what happened to you is now and suddenly, okay. It means that you are giving up your power to make it, okay. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that justice should not be sought. It means that achieving justice is ultimately out of your hands. Forgiveness doesn’t mean the past will never hurt you again. It means you have decided to stop hurting others - or yourself - for what has happened to you or what you have done to yourself. This is achieved - not by time - but by grace - because you can’t do this on your own." - RM
Monday Oct 04, 2021
Try Something Different: Surrender, Part 6
Monday Oct 04, 2021
Monday Oct 04, 2021
"God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!”
God might have said it - but now God is unsaying it. Or maybe God didn’t say it at all? Maybe we were just told that God said it. Maybe there is more fluidity to belief than foundation. Maybe there is more mystery and movement to our convictions than surety and certainty. Maybe keeping the faith is more about staying on the path - Jesus is the way, you know, a moving, traveling, always unfolding journey - than it is about stopping and settling.
PS: Yes, this is the infamous "three sheets in the wind" talk! - RM
Saturday Oct 02, 2021
Try Something Different: Surrender, Part5
Saturday Oct 02, 2021
Saturday Oct 02, 2021
Ego.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Religious Extremism.
Wild Horses.
Find out what all these have in common in the fifth installment of Ronnie's current series, "Try Something Different: Surrender."
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Try Something Different: Surrender, Part 4
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
“Look at me…I am the captain now.”
That was the iconic and improvised line delivered by Barkhad Abdi to Tom Hanks in the film, "Captain Phillips." It is a line, an attitude, used by us all - not of personal autonomy or personal liberty. It is a question of control. We all want to be in the captain’s chair. Ronnie explores this theme in his fourth installment of the current series.
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Try Something Different: Surrender, Part 3
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
This is Part 3 of Ronnie's latest series: Try Something Different, Surrender. In this episode Ronnie confronts our "rights-driven" culture, in light of the self-limiting, self-surrendering Jesus. He concludes that to take the attitude of Christ, we must "give up on all we think you deserve...we stop worrying about reputation...about trying to prove something. We stop clinging to our place at the front of the line."
Tuesday Sep 07, 2021
Try Something Different: Surrender, Part2
Tuesday Sep 07, 2021
Tuesday Sep 07, 2021
This is Part 2 of Ronnie's latest series: Try Something Different, Surrender. He answers these crucial questions: What is Jesus after from us? What does God want? What is it that we need to let go and surrender? The answer to all of these questions is ego and pride. Self-centeredness is the biggest barrier to our spiritual development; the biggest roadblock preventing us from following Jesus and being truly free.
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Try Something Different: Surrender, Part 1
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Drawing inspiration from Jesus' words to his disciples, the mediations of Meister Eckhart, and an ancient poem by Rumi, Ronnie launches an ambition series of talks entitled: "Try Something Different: Surrender." In this introductory talk, Ronnie speaks to the "how" of surrender and letting go, and the role that suffering plays in our transformation.