Psalms for the Spirit Kiran Young Wimberly

Today’s guest is Denise Bradley, an expert in trauma theory who has spent decades helping victims of violence find healing. I know Denise from her current work with Corrymeela in which she works with marginalized groups, particularly refugee and asylum seekers in Northern Ireland, and I wanted to learn more from Denise about how the theory of trauma relates to the Psalms. In this conversation we talk about using the Psalms for support in times of fear or traumatic stress, finding inner safety that helps us move forward even when under threat, how the Psalms express all three stages of trauma healing, and about how hope is stronger than fear.
https://kiranyoungwimberly.com/2021/07/09/psalms-for-the-spirit-ep-15-hope-is-stronger-than-fear-with-denise-bradley/ (More about this episode)

Today’s guest is Brother Thierry, a French Benedictine monk who is based at the Holy Cross Monastery in Northern Ireland. I was delighted when Bro. Thierry agreed to talk with me about the Benedictine rhythm of prayer, which includes a swift cycle of daily Psalm singing. In this conversation, we talk about finding happiness in a life of prayer, about being called to pray when others can’t, about how prayer is the only place we can be who we truly are, and about how silence is a listening relationship. I was grateful to get an inside perspective on monastic life, and as always, I was moved by how the psalms can bring us together across religious divides.
https://kiranyoungwimberly.com/2021/07/03/psalms-for-the-spirit-ep-14-listening-in-the-silence-for-what-is-true-with-brother-thierry/ (Find out more in episode notes)

Today's guest is Sunder John Boopalan, a professor specializing in political theology and ethics, with a personal focus on Dalit theology and social justice. Along the same lines as the prominent book "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson, John has written a powerful book called "Memory, Grief and Agency," in which he highlights the marginalization of the Dalit community in India - those who are considered to be outside the caste system, sometimes derogatorily referred to as untouchables or outcastes. In this podcast, we hear about John's personal background with the Psalms, about caste-based violence and humiliations that Dalits endure on a daily basis, and about how Psalms might offer a way to express grief over society's wrongs and transform us into agents of change.
https://kiranyoungwimberly.com/2021/06/24/psalms-for-the-spirit-ep-13-transformed-by-grief-into-agents-of-change-with-sundar-john-boopalan/ (More about this episode)

Today's guest is Sarah Griffith Lund, a minister and author who has focused her life's work on breaking the silence about mental illness. With her generous and gracious spirit, Sarah talks me through the stark realities of mental illness today, made even more extreme because of the pandemic, and how the themes of the Psalms speak to that life experience shared by so many. In our conversation, we talk about walking through the valley of the shadow of mental illness, sitting at table with mental illness, and finding ways to speak into the silence about mental illness. I felt grateful for Sarah's gentle but firm reminder that we simply cannot stay silent when lives are at stake.
*There is some heavy content in this episode, so please do ensure that you have proper supports in place if needed.
https://kiranyoungwimberly.com/2021/06/07/psalms-for-the-spirit-ep-12-breaking-the-silence-about-mental-illness-with-sarah-griffith-lund/ (More details on this episode)

Today’s guest is Paul Hutchinson, mediator, therapist, author and brilliant storyteller. A former Director of the Corrymeela Peace and Reconciliation Centre, Paul has distilled his memories and learnings from that time in his delightful book “Between the Bells.” In this episode, Paul shares about his spiritual journey from seaching teenager to reflective Quaker, and how his background as a therapist and mediator informs his reading of the Psalms. In our conversation, we talk about being drawn to sing a new song, the importance of hosting all our feelings, how we can know when reconciliation is close at hand, and how we are loved in our unfixed state.
https://kiranyoungwimberly.com/2021/05/28/psalms-for-the-spirit-ep-11-loved-in-our-unfixed-state-with-paul-hutchinson/ (More about this episode )

Today’s guest is Barbara Brown Taylor – author, speaker, Episcopal priest, retired professor, and all-around-delightful person. Barbara Brown Taylor has long been a highly regarded preacher, and she has written a number of compelling books on the spiritual life, including Altar in the World, Holy Envy, and Learning to Walk in the Dark. In this conversation, we talk about the bird psalms, the bed psalms, and the difficult psalms, and we muse together on what they tell us about our humanity and how God sees us in that. We reflect on making friends with the dust, living gratefully on the earth, celebrating our place in the line of people who come before and after us, and leaning into the cycles of darkness and light, death and new life.

http://www.celticpsalms.com/ (Celtic Psalms (Kiran Young Wimberly and the McGraths)) music can be found on https://itunes.apple.com/tt/artist/kiran-young-wimberly/654441561 (iTunes), https://open.spotify.com/artist/2GkI27HmBtB3cNIku7xRdf (Spotify), https://www.amazon.co.uk/Celtic-Psalms-Kiran-Young-Wimberly/dp/B00D0STVQI (Amazon), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT6naf-l9ewLmFWs2ExcrPA (YouTube)
Celtic Psalms songs featured in this episode:
https://www.celticpsalms.com/portfolio/psalm-144-come-spirit-come/ (Come Spirit Come (Psalm 144/The King's Shilling))
https://www.celticpsalms.com/portfolio/psalm-84-how-lovely/ (How Lovely (Psalm 84/Carrickfergus))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeD24QnwoBI (By the Waters (Psalm 137/Emigrant’s Farewell))
https://www.celticpsalms.com/portfolio/psalm-30-you-have-turned-my-sorrow/ (You Have Turned My Sorrow (Psalm 30/Green Grows the Laurel))
CDs and published notations can be found through https://www.giamusic.com/store/search?elSearchTerm=celtic+psalms (GIA music)

More about Barbara Brown Taylor:
https://barbarabrowntaylor.com