When Faith Endures

Angelyn Foster

What would happen if, across denominations we could establish a mode of discourse in which we give each other permission to talk openly about what matters to us?  We could set aside doctrinal differences and emphasize those beliefs that we share.  My guess is we could have some stimulating conversation about our experiences with the Divine and what we sense to be the greater purpose of our lives.  "When Faith Endures" is a podcast that gives ordinary people of faith the opportunity to discuss why their faith is important to them.  These lives exist.  These commitments exist.  Let's listen to them honestly and learn from each other. 

Episodes

  1. Apr 10

    Kate Battagline - Methodist Discussion

    Hello, welcome back to When Faith Endures. I’m your host Angelyn Foster.  This season I’ve begun by opening discussions with my most immediate circle of Interfaith friends.  I wanted to start this way for two reasons: First, to discover and build on commonalities that I've suspected were there, and second, to gain experience with this kind of dialogue in a safe space, making it seem to listeners like it’s doable to have these kinds of conversations.  These objectives were definitely easy to achieve with our next guest, my neighbor Kate Battagline.  Kate’s children have gone to school with my own kids for 12 years.  Kate is a Methodist, and though we’ve raised our kids together, we’ve never really talked about religious belief until this project.  In our conversation we talked about one of my favorite subjects: the singing of hymns.  We also talked about how closely interwoven familial ties are with religious practice, and how grounding a religious upbringing has the potential to be for kids in their adolescent years.    IN THE GARDEN LYRICS 1 I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses; And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses. Refrain: And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known. 2 He speaks, and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing; And the melody that He gave to me Within my heart is ringing. [Refrain] 3 I’d stay in the garden with Him Tho’ the night around me be falling; But He bids me go; thro’ the voice of woe, His voice to me is calling. [Refrain]

    35 min
  2. Feb 3

    Laura Berman - Jewish/New Thought Discussion

    My next guest, Laura Berman, is a musician I’ve collaborated with for Jewish Kol Nidre services for many years. Raised culturally Jewish, she now practices a widely integrated form of spirituality.  She has a successful career as a singer/songwriter of inspirational music, and now works as the Music Director at Mile Hi Church, which is a New Thought Congregation.  New Thought, is a spiritual movement which began in the 1830s, teaching that God, or Infinite Intelligence, is everywhere, and that divinity dwells within each person.  They look to Jesus Christ as the way-shower who demonstrated perfect divine consciousness.  New thought draws on the accumulated wisdom and philosophies of diverse global cultures such as Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam, teaching that there are universal spiritual laws which can be found across all world religions and within science and psychology.  Check out more of Laura's work here at the following links: laurabermanmusic.com https://youtu.be/-KRT7MC7cBQ?list=PLg74hY6veWGLFp65hhlrSCdaLQvL_CD9J https://youtu.be/dGPM7ZnKzRo Psalm 23 Lyrics:  Nafshi (Psalm 23)   (Arnold/Berman) Adonai Ro’i lo lo lo echsar Be-friend me, guide me You beside me there is nothing more I need …  Nothing more I need Nafshi yeshoveiv Cosi revayah Nafshi yeshoveiv          Cosi revayah Ach tov v’chesed Ach tov v’chesed yirdefuni Your good Love runs through me Moves me in grace, and in giving with all souls living Nafshi yeshoveiv Cosi revayah Nafshi yeshoveiv Cosi revayah …  my soul is restoring, my cup overflowing…

    35 min
  3. Jan 29

    Carrie Christensen - Latter-day Saint Discussion

    Today’s guest is a friend I’ve played Chamber music with for almost seven years.  We are in a clarinet trio, which means that this ensemble includes Clarinet, cello and piano.  My guest Carrie Christensen is the pianist.  Carrie is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormons.  As the Latter-day Saints have a lay ministry, Carrie serves as the teacher of a youth scriptures class that the teens attend four days a week before school.  She also has a full  studio of piano students and does free-lance accompanying and solo work.  In this episode we talk among other things about growth through service and missionary work (Carrie served a mission in the Netherlands), what it may feel like when faith is challenged, being in a covenant relationship with God, and finding meaning in life through religious teachings and  beliefs.   Song Credits:  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing  Text: Robert Robinson Arrangement: Craig Courtney Cello adaptations: Angie Foster Performed by April Larsen, soprano; Angie Foster, cello; Carrie Christensen, piano 1. Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing; Tune my heart to sing Thy grace. Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount; I’m fixed upon it: Mount of Thy redeeming love. 2. Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I’m come. And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wand’ring from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood. 3. Oh, to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, O take and seal it; Seal it for Thy courts above.

    37 min
  4. Jan 9

    Kathleen Romanyshyn - Catholic Discussion

    Today I’m pleased to be sharing a conversation with my dear friend and stand-partner in orchestra, Kathleen.  Kathleen is Catholic and I chose her as the inaugural guest because she actually goes to not one but two services each Sunday.   Kathleen grew up in the Roman Catholic Church. However, when she married the son of displaced native Ukrainians, she began attending the local Ukrainian Catholic services with her husband.  As her mother became elderly, she saw the need to take her mom to the traditional Roman Catholic services, which is when she started attending both masses weekly.  Today, Kathleen’s mother and husband have both passed away.  But Kathleen remains an involved part of both church communities.   I’d love to share with you what’s motivated her to stay faithful through the years, as well as such topics as the sustaining power of faith through personal tragedy, the Resurrection, the value of confessing sins, and other topics.   Lyrics for How Can I Keep from Singing: My Life flows on in Endless Song, above Earth’s Lamentation I catch the sweet tho far-off hymn that hails a new creation.   Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear the music ringing It finds an echo in my soul—how can I keep from singing? What though my joys and comforts die? The Lord my Saviour liveth; What tho the darkness gather round? Songs in the night he giveth. No storm can shake my in most calm While to that refuge clinging; Since Christ is Lord of Heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing? When tyrants tremble, sick with fear, and hear their death-knell ringing,  When friends rejoice both far and near, How can I keep from singing?  In prison cell and dungeon vile, Our thoughts to them go winging; When friends by shame are undefined, How can I keep from singing?  I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin; I see the blue above it; And day by day this pathway smooths, Since first I learned to love it, The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart, A fountain ever springing;  All things are mine since I am his— How can I keep from singing?

    45 min

About

What would happen if, across denominations we could establish a mode of discourse in which we give each other permission to talk openly about what matters to us?  We could set aside doctrinal differences and emphasize those beliefs that we share.  My guess is we could have some stimulating conversation about our experiences with the Divine and what we sense to be the greater purpose of our lives.  "When Faith Endures" is a podcast that gives ordinary people of faith the opportunity to discuss why their faith is important to them.  These lives exist.  These commitments exist.  Let's listen to them honestly and learn from each other.