The Pocket Contemplative

dgschmelzer@gmail.com (Dave Schmelzer)

A vibrant, story-filled look at contemporary spirituality that's fun, contemplative, practical and cultural.

  1. On Spirituality and Your Health

    FEB 20

    On Spirituality and Your Health

    Contemplative practice has a remarkable connection to our physical health, among its many benefits. Dave Schmelzer will review how it connects with lengthening our telomeres, the caps on our chromosomes which determine whether we age with vigor or disease. He'll touch on advice for stress management and exercise and diet and sleep, all in a context of a mindful world.  Mentioned on this podcast The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer, by Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel You can sign up to receive Dave's "Thursday notes" here You can learn more about the free, online Faith Part 2 course here. You can register your interest here.

    29 min
  2. Why Some Christians Distrust Mysticism (History Corner)

    FEB 4

    Why Some Christians Distrust Mysticism (History Corner)

    "I dunno, that seems kind of out there to me" is a sentiment that has shadowed Christian conversations from the start. Dave Schmelzer takes us on a journey to the second century when early attempts to define orthodoxy made consequential choices about how much our experience might inform our understanding of who God is. He introduces us to key figures like Irenaeus and to a consequential debate that perhaps we haven't heard about: whether the fourth gospel would be John's or Thomas's. Mentioned on this episode: Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation Through the Centuries, edited by Kim Nataraja You can sign up for Dave's "Thursday Notes" here Some resources about The Gospel of Thomas you might enjoy: The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated & Explained, by Stevan Davies Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas, by Elaine Pagels

    34 min
  3. Aging as a Spiritual Practice

    JAN 8

    Aging as a Spiritual Practice

    After relaying some brief advice from Dick Van Dyke about turning 100, Dave Schmelzer chats about some wisdom from the Buddhist therapist Lewis Richmond about what he's learned by working with aging clients. Dave touches on fascinating ideas from Richmond about horizontal versus vertical time and the isolation of a sudden setback and experiencing aging as a fresh start along with much more. Mentioned on this podcast: Lewis Richmond's book Aging as a Spiritual Practice: A Contemplative Guide to Growing Older and Wiser Here's how to learn more about and register interest in the Faith Part 2 course If you are not receiving Dave's emailed "Thursday Notes" and would like to (or if you have friends who would like to receive them), you can sign up for them here.

    37 min
  4. Finding a Third Way in a Divided World

    11/22/2025

    Finding a Third Way in a Divided World

    Mark Charbonneau and his friends at The Vine church in Austin, Texas are charting a unique way forward in our cultural and religious divisions. Dave Schmelzer talks with him about what their “third way” looks like and how it might help all of us in the middle of such unprecedented divisions. Does it only apply to a small number of people of good will? Does it offer broader hope? They close with a few words about the life of a pastor at all, much less one in the middle of these sorts of cultural divides.  Mentioned on this podcast: The Vine church in Austin, Texas Join the list to receive weekly "Thursday notes" about how the themes we discuss on The Pocket Contemplative might apply to your larger world.

    32 min
  5. On Playfulness

    10/25/2025

    On Playfulness

    Some great thinkers like GK Chesterton and Meister Eckhart pitch that right at the heart of God's reality is play and that the more we can tap into this bone-deep playfulness, even in the middle of realities that look quite unpromising and overwhelming, the better we'll thrive. Mentioned on this podcast The God Who Plays: A Playful Approach to Theology and Spirituality, by Brian Edgar  Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, by Stuart Brown M.D. Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times, by Matthew Fox The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron

    22 min
  6. Let's talk about wanting things

    10/11/2025

    Let's talk about wanting things

    One of the charms of Christian faith is that so many scriptures encourage us to ask God for things we want. But as we age we realize it must be more complicated than that--and the great contemplatives add complexities as they focus on things like union with God as the main thing or with cautions about things like "disordered attachments". But we still do in fact want things! Dave Schmelzer offers us some things to ponder in these conundrums.

    24 min
  7. Let's "Hallow" Our Day-to-Day Work

    08/07/2025

    Let's "Hallow" Our Day-to-Day Work

    One unexpected outcome of the Christian contemplative life is that, per the Benedictines, we'll discover that the stuff we need to do everyday has the possibility of moving from "that stuff we have to get done" to "co-creating a better world with God." And not just that, but it also then might make our days feel rich and purposeful when they'd been feeling less than that. Christa Connelly helped facilitate a fascinating conversation on the ins and outs of this and she and Dave Schmelzer talk about what it's meant for her and might mean for you.  Mentioned on this podcast: Joan Chittister's book The Monastic Heart: 50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life

    49 min
  8. Holy Spirit Power! (For Contemplatives)

    07/19/2025

    Holy Spirit Power! (For Contemplatives)

    Dave Schmelzer used to lead a church in which looking to experience power that we're told comes from the Holy Spirit was a big deal. Does that view of the spiritual life translate to a contemplative world? It turns out the answer is not just "yes," but even "oh, you have no idea." Mentioned on this podcast: Check out the next session of Faith Part 2 in October. It's a free 8-week online look at some crucial but lesser-taught riches of Christian faith that might help us when our initial faith experience falters a bit.

    25 min
See All (118)

4.8
out of 5
65 Ratings

About

A vibrant, story-filled look at contemporary spirituality that's fun, contemplative, practical and cultural.

Information

  • Creator
    dgschmelzer@gmail.com (Dave Schmelzer)
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    118
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Pocket Contemplative
  • Show Website
    The Pocket Contemplative

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