Advertise on podcast: Sacramental Living

What can the science of light teach us about the spiritual life? In this episode, Michael explores the fascinating science of the light emitted by living things and the strange relationship light has with space and time, not as proof of faith, but as a physical image that can deepen our sense of wonder at spiritual reality. From Tolkien’s image of becoming “a glass filled with a clear light” to the Christian call to become the light of Christ in the world, the discussion ultimately turns to two simple practices that can transform how that light shines through us.

There are moments in life when we find ourselves descending through suffering, loss, failure, grief, or circumstances beyond our control. In this episode, Michael explores the Christian idea of katabasis, the descent into the depths, and its surprising connection to what we call “rock bottom.” What if reaching the bottom is not necessarily the end of the story? Through reflections on faith, suffering, and the people God sends into our lives at difficult moments, Michael considers how a descent can become the place where surrender, transformation, and eventually a new ascent in our lives begin.

What if attention is far more than a mental skill? What if it is one of the deepest expressions of love and one of the primary ways God transforms us? In this episode, Michael explores the spiritual significance of attention, From interruptions and distractions to self-obsession, prayer, multitasking, and the modern attention economy, he examines why our inability to be fully present has profound consequences for our relationships with God and others. By recovering the discipline of attentiveness, we begin to see interruptions as opportunities for grace, discover God’s timing within our own plans, and learn how even the ordinary moments of daily life can become encounters with Christ.

Join Michael in an in-depth discussion about artificial intelligence, its history, what secular and Orthodox Christian thought leaders are saying about it and, most importantly, what is the potential danger of AI to our formational growth as human beings.

Join Michael as he discusses the consumer culture and how consuming has become a spiritual sickness with many comorbidities. Drawing on Scripture, Orthodox theology, and observations of modern life, he explores how choosing consumerism can give rise to materialism, hedonism, narcissism, individualism, and even nihilism, shaping the way we view ourselves, others, and God, versus seeking Christ who offers the way from endless consumption to authentic communion, spiritual growth, and true human flourishing.

Join Michael in a discussion about the debilitating type of anxiety based on lies that can lead to hopelessness, and what we need to do to overcome it.

Join Michael as he tells the story of a loved one’s final forty-eight hours and explores death as both sorrowful and strangely beautiful, revealing God’s grace, the power of love, and the hope of resurrection, even in life’s most painful moments.

Join Michael as he shares a personal experience and discusses the challenge of facing uncomfortable truths about ourselves that are necessary for our spiritual growth.

Join Michael in a discussion about how the culture we live in deeply effects our spirituality, and how the pragmatism of American culture, in general, can kill our spirit and what we need to do to maintain our connection with God.

Join Michael for an in-depth discussion of brokenness in our lives, how it can be either transformative or debilitating, and how to make sense of what the Gospels and Epistles say about having peace and joy within our suffering.

Join Michael as he compares the corporate world of business to what goes on in the Church, but also how a lack of corporate appreciation and understanding as an underpinning of reality at home, the arts, and in other aspects of life, is pervasive in its negative effects.

Join Michael in a discussion about what the abundant life is that Christ wants to give us; what is the experience of this life now amidst all of the daily worries, stresses and anxieties; and how learning to see and experience all of life as liturgical and Eucharistic is key to living how God wants us to live

Join Michael in a discussion about how we easily succumb to delusional thinking due to our egos, how this is a great detriment to ourselves and others, and what we can do to overcome it and move toward salvation and not destruction.

Join Michael in a discussion of how the quest for high self-esteem, and even having low self-esteem, often take us in the opposite direction of God, and what we need to do to break free of this self-made prison and become who we are meant to be in Christ.

Join Michael as he discusses what combat with the true enemy looks like, the weapons and strategies we should employ, and the trap we can fall into if we don’t learn how to see deeper spiritually.