On Culture

Mike Sherman - a podcast of The Embassy substack newsletter - theembassy.substack.com
On Culture

An Island of Faith, Humanity and Grace For Understanding Our Strange World. We will talk about culture - and the intersection of culture and faith. theembassy.substack.com

  1. 28/12/2024

    This Thing Isn't Working and Render Unto Caesar

    You’ll have to listen to this one: * A brief recap of the last two dispatches from The Embassy * And solo podcast explaining the lack of other podcasts Enjoy! The Embassy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

    19 phút

  2. 16/11/2024

    On Culture - Show Me Something Real

    Here is an excerpt from the dispatch from The Embassy - Show Me Something Real … Phillip Hancock was on death row at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He was convicted of two murders committed in 2001, resulting in a penalty of death. Devin Moss was his chaplain, or spiritual advisor as Moss described it. Moss had spent much of the prior year conversing with Hancock leading up to the night of the scheduled execution, November 30, 2023. This scenario is not uncommon, at least as it relates to inmates on death row. It isn’t terribly unusual that Hancock professed to be an atheist, although inmates on death row who already have some religious belief or those not already religious finding some belief is more common. What was more unusual here is that Moss is also an atheist. Devin Moss, like Hancock, grew up a Christian but later rejected belief in God. Moss became an atheist and a chaplain, and counseled Hancock as he faced execution. There is an adage that says there are no atheists in foxholes — even skeptics will pray when facing death. But Hancock, in the time leading up to his execution, only became more insistent about his nonbelief. He and his chaplain were both confident that there was no God who might grant last-minute salvation, if only they produced a desperate prayer. They had only one another. An Atheist Chaplain and a Death Row Inmate’s Final Hours - Emma Goldberg - NYT Both men shared a familiar path to unbelief. Both grew up in homes where Christianity was at least nominally practiced. After entering prison, Hancock was at least considering a Christian faith. But all of the hardships of his life finally turned him away from a belief in God. Over his early years in prison, Hancock had come to feel abandoned by God. Then, in 2007, a court denied the appeal of his death sentence. Hancock had a revelation: “I decided, it makes more sense to me to hate a God that does not exist than to be slave to one,” he said. What did Moss have to offer Hancock in a relationship where neither believed in anything beyond themselves? The answer to that question may have something to say to those of us who profess Christianity and who find the root of answers to ultimate questions in that faith. … I’d love for you to read the whole piece on The Embassy The Embassy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

    35 phút

  3. 02/11/2024

    On Culture - Ruining Words

    This week Susan James and I talk about how and why we ruin words. As always, we are discussing the latest dispatch from The Embassy - Ruining Words - here is an excerpt … … We don’t tend to use these words with their actual meanings engaged. I think many of us don’t even know their meaning as we use them. We begin to lose the ability to talk about reality … The flattening of these words mirrors and serves the polarization of our culture. We use words as we wish in order to please our cultural patrons and defeat our cultural foes. This negative trend in our culture I have noted many times. But I want to point out that flattening all words connected to our widening cultural divide into either “good” and “bad”, or “us” and “them” has effects beyond the cultural moment. We will miss these words, their history, their impact, their meaning. In an earlier post, I said that we will miss the truth when it is gone. This is, I suppose, a way of saying the same thing. The truth of these words, something that might unify, might appeal, might challenge … we need that truth, those meanings. We will miss them when they are gone. We begin to lose the ability to talk about reality in many important areas of life, only able to describe our experience and views in terms of the cultural divide, only able to say “us” or “them”. But life is more than “us” and “them”. We need to avoid being complicit in losing the ability to say so. I hope you read the entire piece … Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

    30 phút

  4. 19/10/2024

    On Culture - Endings and Beginnings

    Chad and I talk about how we face endings and beginnings throughout our life and how that connects with a life of faith. Here is an excerpt … Trying to find meaning in an alienated world. I’m not a Doomer Optimist, but that is actually pretty good. In fact, the Christian narrative offers meaning in an alienated world. More specifically, the Christian narrative of the end of all things, the Christian apocalyptic message is what we have forgotten in our alienated world. We have the apocalyptic message, certainly. In fact, much of our apocalyptic understanding had roots in this Christian understanding - but it has escaped, in what Jonathan Askonas called “kind of a theological lab leak”, its proper context. Of course, the word “apocalypse” comes from the Christian narrative, even as it is used in our secular analysis of history. One of the central biblical meanings of the word is an in-breaking of God’s presence in this age that ends it and ushers in another. It is part of the Christian narrative. For the secularist, apocalypse is bad in any sense of the word. Not only that, all the agency lies with us and, therefore, all the responsibility to avoid apocalypse and usher in utopia. This has resulted, many have argued, in our increasing anxiety - one false move and all is lost. For the Christian, we believe an apocalypse is certain and necessary for the full redemption and restoration of all things - utopia is not in our grasp and apocalypse is not in our ability to avoid. We are called to faithfulness in presence and service and transformation by God’s power as preparation for any future, including an apocalyptic one. For Christians, the drawing near of the apocalypse should serve (as it has throughout history) not to paralyze us or make us anxious but to spur us to bold and hopeful action. The end is coming. There will be a catastrophe. But providence still ordains that all will be well. In the Greek myth, when all the evils have fled Pandora’s box, what remains inside is hope. Jonathan Askonas - Building a Future in the Face of the Apocalypse - Comment - Fall 2024 The New Testament biblical response to the prospect of apocalypse, this coming of Jesus to us is one of hopeful anticipation - even if it means the overturning of the world as we know it. In part because of this overturning. This is the way that justice is done, all is restored, and the brokenness of humankind is healed. Of course, it is true that throughout history and throughout the world, the church has and does most often occur in contexts of poverty, sacrifice, or persecution. Apocalypse means the end of all of that - and therefore perhaps more naturally viewed with hope. Read the whole thing - Endings and Beginnings. Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

    36 phút

  5. 05/10/2024

    On Culture - Belief, Doubt, Faith, Mystery

    Trey Herweck, pastor of Refuge Church here in St. Charles, and I talk about faith and doubt and certainty and mystery. As always, we riff on the latest edition of The Embassy - Certainty, Doubt, Faith, Mystery. Here is an excerpt: About that path to God - much of the New Testament interacts with this question - what is the way (or way back) to God? Almost the entirety of the book of Hebrews stresses the unique and irreplaceable role of Jesus as the only One who can bring us back to God. One of Jesus’ disciples, Thomas, responds to Jesus’ message at the end of His life that He is returning to His Father - Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:5-7 As we read in Acts 17, Paul, in the early years of the church, arrived in the heart of the philosophical world - Athens - and saw idols all over the place. He did not respond with distress, though he was distressed, he responded with a loving, engaged, culture honoring and culturally informed call to a God they did not know about, referencing an idol to an unknown god that adorned the square among all the other idols. He walked through a door they opened in language they understood to tell them about one who died and rose to invite them back to God and called them to turn from their beliefs to a commitment to this path to the true God. Some believed, some scoffed, and some wanted to hear more. All of these are very particular invitations to a very particular, a scandalously particular, path. And there are dozens more I could reference. This is a central message of the New Testament that has been believed by the church for many centuries. Again, others have a different understanding of scripture and the way to God - and I respect their views. But the church has taught this central message for almost two millennia. Can God apply His grace, in Jesus, through His Spirit to those who don’t have all their beliefs in order? Yes, of course. At least I hope so. We all should hope so, because none of us has all beliefs in order, whatever that means. That is part of the central meaning of grace. God’s grace is God’s - He applies it as He sees fit. But he tells us something - something scandalously particular - about how He ordinarily applies that grace. Faith is required, and faith isn’t certainty - but it is a knowledge and foundation for life and action, grounded in our understanding of what God has said to us. It is a gift of the Spirit, so we can be transformed and transformative. Is there a mystery here? Yes. We are not promised a life without mystery. And, God being the one who loves us best and knows what we need the most, we shouldn’t seek a life without mystery if that is the life He has for us. But acting in the world requires us to assume some belief about us, about God, about others, about the world - even if are not aware of these beliefs, even if we claim uncertainty about them, when we act, we live out some belief. We can say we want to dwell in the mystery, but acting requires us to express some belief - held in faith, with humility … but held. We are not quantum elements existing in a state of indeterminacy - when observed, we particularize. And we are always observed … called to act under His loving observation. One of the tragedies of our moment is that some cling to a certainty that binds them in angry, fearful, pharisaical concrete. Another tragedy of our moment is that others drift - lacking agency and purpose because all is mystery and nothing holds any particular meaning Read the whole piece … Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

    46 phút

  6. 14/09/2024

    On Culture - All Who Thirst

    This episode of On Culture interacts with this latest dispatch from The Embassy. Here is an excerpt - Some commercials stay with you. Perhaps they resonated during a particular time or place, or became a cultural talking point like Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl spot introducing the Macintosh or Wendy’s iconic question - also, interestingly, from 1984. Or perhaps they resonated with you because you just enjoy them. Or maybe you like the product and a good commercial for it validates … you somehow. Because commercials are about desire. And your desire, met by this product in some way, is validated by this commercial, this 30 second expression of why anyone would or should desire this thing. You probably have a favorite or two. Infiniti made a splash in 1989 with its introductory commercials. It was a new luxury brand - we had seen, and desired as symbols of luxury, Mercedes and BMWs for years, and this was to be a new offering in this status driven category. How did they introduce us to their new luxury car? They did it without really showing us the car. It was about a feeling, a sense, a “true idea of luxury”. These spots were both widely criticized and widely successful. We bought the idea, the feeling, the vibe. A more recent series of ads has an update on this vibes strategy. Matthew McConaughey stars in a number of Lincoln spots where the car is present, but secondary. We are encouraged to identify with the driver. Not the particular idiosyncrasies of this particular movie star, but the person of means who goes his own way - who has his (or hers, I suppose, but men appear to be the target here) own idiosyncrasies. It may seem strange to appeal to a vision of unique idiosyncrasies in a mass market ad, but we don’t analyze the appeal, we experience it. I can drive anything, and I know other things might appear to have more status, but, because I am me, I am bestowing my own status on this Lincoln (along with Matthew McConaughey - who may not actually drive one). … God’s people - and all people with them - have been faced with this question from since there were God’s people. You may be familiar with the tragic history of God’s people in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel. Most of that history can be explained as a cycle of failed attempts to get what they wanted instead of what was offered them by God. Instead of blessing, they, over and over, sought what seemed like security from pagan gods or alliances with neighboring kingdoms. Over and over, God called them back to a simple dependence on Him, which is what would truly satisfy them. Here is just one of those appeals, through the prophet Isaiah - “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. Isaiah 55:1-3 Read the whole piece! Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

    35 phút

  7. 24/08/2024

    On Culture - A Redemptive Arc

    This episode of On Culture is an extension of the latest article there - A Redemptive Arc. Here is an excerpt: When I showed up for that coffee with my friend, I wasn’t thinking about redemption. Because, as far as I knew, it hadn’t arrived. As far as I knew, the redemption that has seemed to arrive, wasn’t going to. It is a thing that takes many forms and often arrives in an unexpected packages. Sometimes you don’t know it has arrived until sometime later - in the moment, you may not think of it as redemption at all. That is the thing about it - we reach what we think is the end of our rope, and redemption may show up - or we may discover that someone has given us more rope, or tied us in more securely, instead of pulling us up from the darkness. Sometimes, that is the only redemption we will receive in this part of our story. I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 I’m not sure we think of Job’s story as a redemption story. But that is our misapprehension of redemption. It is most obviously the classic case of someone dealing with suffering. But redemption comes through suffering. We are redeemed not only to something, but from something and through something. But redemption comes through suffering. We are redeemed not only to something, but from something and through something. Thanks to Susan James for the conversation. Until next time - grace and peace. Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

    32 phút

  8. 03/08/2024

    On Culture - The Noble Lie

    This episode of On Culture interacts with the most recent dispatch from The Embassy - The Noble Lie. You may want to check it out before or as you listen to this. Here is an excerpt … You may have heard of what we call the noble lie. It can be a bit subjective to define, but, simply, it is a lie for a good purpose. You may have noticed that we have a difficult time agreeing on what ‘good’ means. The classic example of a noble lie is exemplified by the inhabitants of the French village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon in World War II. The history of Le Chambon and its environs influenced the conduct of its residents during the Vichy regime and under German occupation. As Huguenot (Calvinist) Protestants, they had been persecuted in France by the Catholic authorities from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries and later provided shelter to fellow Protestants escaping discrimination and persecution. Many in Le Chambon regarded the Jews as a “chosen people” and, when they escorted those who were endangered 300 kilometers to the Swiss border, the guides were aware that they were following the same route that their persecuted Huguenot brethren had traveled centuries earlier. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon - The Holocaust Encyclopedia A village of 5000 sheltered close to 5000 people, most of them Jews, who were hiding from the Nazis - at great risk to themselves. They were motivated by their Christian beliefs and led by Pastor Andre Trocme of the Reformed Church of France and his wife, Magda, and his assistant, Pastor Edouard Theis. On June 29, 1943, the German police raided a local secondary school and arrested 18 students. The Germans identified five of them as Jews, and sent them to Auschwitz, where they died. The German police also arrested their teacher, Daniel Trocmé, Pastor Trocmé's cousin, and deported him to the Lublin/Majdanek concentration camp, where the SS killed him. Roger Le Forestier, Le Chambon's physician, who was especially active in helping Jews obtain false documents, was arrested and subsequently shot on August 20, 1944, in Montluc prison on orders of the Gestapo. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon - The Holocaust Encyclopedia Read the whole thing … and thanks for listening. The Embassy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

    36 phút
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An Island of Faith, Humanity and Grace For Understanding Our Strange World. We will talk about culture - and the intersection of culture and faith. theembassy.substack.com

Thông Tin

  • Nhà sáng tạo
    Mike Sherman - a podcast of The Embassy substack newsletter - theembassy.substack.com
  • Năm hoạt động
    2022 - 2024
  • Tập
    74
  • Xếp hạng
    Sạch
  • Bản quyền
    © Mike Sherman
  • Trang web chương trình
    On Culture

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