Rector's Cupboard

27/12/2023

Still in the Christmas spirit? We might be a couple of days past the big day but you can keep the Christmassy conversations going with a listen to our Christmas special. This year we talked about some of the stranger and at times scary Christmas characters and traditions observed over the generations.
Our Cupboard Master, Ken, shared a delightfully warm and wintery cocktail with us. Check out the recipe on our site!
From all of the hosts at Rector's Cupboard, we hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

There are some truly terrifying Christmas/winter characters out there. Many may have heard of Krampus, a German partner of St. Nick who punishes poorly behaved children, but what about Peruchty, a winter witch who likes to disembowel naughty children? Santa, also, may fall into these terrifying cat

14/10/2023

A fantastic start to the weekend!
Looking forward to tomorrow as we hear from our
presenters and story tellers. Many thanks to Susan Alexander andJulian Davis Reidd for an evening filled with beautiful poetry and music atSt. Andrew's-Wesley United Churchh.

07/10/2023

Replay!
As we get ready to welcome Julian Reid next week at our Vocation & Rest conference, Rector's Cupboard is re-releasing our conversation with Julian from last year.

In so many ways, we often feel ground down, in the words of this episode’s guest, “disintegrated.” Julian Davis Reid speaks to us about rest. This is more and better than simply disengagement or a break from the grind; rest is an essential part of what it means to be human, in the image of God.

Julian starts from a recognition of the profound restlessness that marks much of our lives and moves us towards the promise of the final and complete resting in God. Along the way, we talk about what theology and aesthetics, music and culture have to do with rest. We hold on to the promise that we might know rest, rest for our soul.

Julian’s website has links to all his music, both his solo work and work with the JuJu Exchange, his retreat work, as well as his newsletter where you can get more of his thoughts on rest.

Check out Rector's Cupboard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you find your podcasts!

Around this time last year, we had the distinct pleasure of speaking to musician, author, theologian, and all around wonderful person, Julian Davis Reid. Next week, October 13 and 14 in Vancouver, BC, we are having an in-person conference around the theme of vocation and rest and Julian is our keyno

05/10/2023

Presenter spotlight: Susan Alexander.
We're so pleased to be joined by friend of Rector's Cupboard, Susan Alexander. Susan is an award winning poet from Bowen Island. Her published collections include The Dance Floor Tilts and Nothing You Can Carry. Her suite, Vigil, received the 2019 Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize for Faith and Poetry. Susan’s poems have earned other literary awards such as the Vancouver Writer’s Festival and Short Grain Prize, and have been longlisted for the CBC poetry prize. Her work has appeared in anthologies and literary magazines in Canada and the U.K. as well as on Vancouver busses and in the woods around Whistler. Her poems have been described “fearless in their plain-spoken utterance of truth in all its piercing beauty, passion and search for redemption.”

Register now!
https://bit.ly/vocation_rest

03/10/2023

Speaker spotlight: John Radford
We're pleased to be joined by John Radford on Saturday, October 14th.
John Radford is an accomplished international business and leadership coach, winner of one of Canada’s top CEO Trusted Advisor awards in 2019, in addition to being a Registered Roster Mediator on the Family Roster of Mediate BC. John tops this off as an investigator, a published author and a university professor.

Todd will be in conversation with John about vocation and meaning. What vocational challenges does conflict bring? What is systemic wisdom? How do we see ourselves in the midst of societal change and shifts in work? What are the nuances and similarities of threat and opportunity. We will delve into helpful ideas of expectations of self and the nature of fulfillment.

John is the co-owner of Transpectives Consulting Inc., which seeks to harness conflict for change. A major focus of his work has been identification of critical leverage points in a conflict system—which when identified accurately and activated successfully—generates powerful impetuses for the kind of structural change that builds sustainable communities. Known for calling things as they are, John respectfully encourages participants to engage the necessary conversations that solve insurmountable problems.

Register at https://bit.ly/vocation_rest

02/10/2023

Speaker spotlight!
"There is so much that vies for our attention and we can succumb to the violence of this age by trying to overextend. So when our attention is divided, we can practice the note of stillness by receiving God’s invitation to settle down and focus on less. Peace, be still.'
-Julian Davis Reid

Meet our keynote speaker Julian Davis Reid. Julian's writings can be found on Substack, The Notes of Rest Fellowship. You can hear his album Rest Assured on Apple Music and Spotify, and you can learn more about his work at juliandavisreid.com.

Julian is an artist-theologian who has much to say about the concepts of rest, sabbath and how it intersects with our vocation and call.

We hope you'll join us on October 13 and 14 at St. Andrew's Wesley for this excellent conference.
Register here: https://bit.ly/vocation_rest

02/10/2023

The Chapel, .andrewswesley, and are stoked to welcome into our space on October 13th! Have you heard his band's tune Walk Cycle? Check it out here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuA9WMkk6uE. We're excited to see him playing with Vancouver locals Wynston Minckler on double bass and Tyler Murray on drums .

Get your tickets to come see this powerhouse trio now! Link in bio!

Julian will also be participating in a conference on the interplay of rest and vocation, drawing from his experience as a Black artist-theologian on October 14th. Check out for conference tickets (which include tickets to the Friday night). On Sunday October 15th, he will be preaching at the 10:30am service of worship at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church.

02/10/2023

Join us on October 13 & 14 to hear our keynote speaker, Julian Davis Reid. He'll share his music and help us understand the importance of our call, vocation, and rest. He'll be sharing from his work, Notes of Rest which is spiritual formation ministry grounded in Scripture and Black music that helps the Body of Christ receive God’s gift of rest.

To learn a little bit about Julian, and hear some of his music, watch the video.

Register for the conference Vocation & Rest here: https://bit.ly/vocation_rest

Notes of Rest is a spiritual formation ministry of meditations from the Bible on a bed of music, cultivating rest, contemplation, and creativity for all who ...

30/09/2023

Reconciliation is a word that should be central in hopeful Christian theology. Today, September 30, marks the third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada; a day to listen, learn and acknowledge the tragic history of the residential school system and the role of the institutional church in perpetuating such harm. Rector’s Cupboard seeks to hear the call to honour and recognize the dignity and strength of survivors and intergenerational survivors of the residential school system, while remembering and grieving those children that didn’t come home. May we have eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts that are open this day and moving forward.
To learn more, visit www.nctr.ca.

21/09/2023

We're pleased to welcome artist and theologian Julian Davis Reid to our annual conference.
Meaning and purpose, life satisfaction and peace; the gift of making a positive difference in the world – so much of our emotional, mental and spiritual health has to do with our vocation. This may relate to our work in direct ways, or our work may provide opportunity for vocation. Rest is as important as work in regards to meaning and purpose.
In partnership with St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church, we will look at hopeful understandings of work and rest. We will hear from fantastic speakers and presenters and participants will (as much or as little as preferred) be able to hear from one another. We aim to come away from the conference grateful for our vocation, knowing that in work and rest we engage with our own humanity and with the humanity of others in ways that are life-giving and meaningful.
Register now!
https://bit.ly/vocation_rest

06/09/2023

Evangelically Departed is back after a summer break!

"Hopeful Christian theology holds onto the reminder that every one of us is something before we make ourselves anything at all. Our humanity, our ability to connect with and help others, is granted, not attained."

Follow the link to read more...

A terrible question

08/07/2023

There are times when you don’t know who to cheer for, not because you like both teams, but because you don’t. As a spectator of various sports, there are many times when it seems more energetic to cheer against someone rather than to cheer for someone else. The same can be true in reality tv or even in dramatic television shows or movies.

Are you Team Musk or Team Zuckerberg?
See? What if you don’t like either team?

Heroic or Laughable?

02/06/2023

Motion and the Spiritual Life

10/05/2023

Accepting or being open to the idea that we might not be right and we might not be nicer than most people, actually turns out to open us to growth rather than closing us off from growth.

But so are you, right?

06/05/2023

Church is not a “what,” a thing that meets each Sunday morning. Church is a “when.” It is when humanity connects with humanity, compelled by the hopeful idea that every single person ever reflects the image of God.

Present Problems, Future Hope

28/04/2023

Something, I suspect.

21/04/2023

New Episode! Arthur Boers, our guest on this episode of Rector’s Cupboard, delves into the truth of family of origin.. Boers’ faith matters a great deal to him. In fact, it has come to define much of his career as he has been a pastor, a professor, and a writer.

In Shattered: A Son Picks up the Pieces of His Father’s Rage, Boers tells his story of growing up in the Christian Reformed Church in Ontario, Canada. He speaks of the violence present in the culture at the time, even within families like his own. He speaks of what it can look like to grow in faith, in an awareness of the transcendent and of the grace of God, even as the places where he first encountered such faith can also convey fear and violence.

We are pleased to speak with Arthur because his book is really good. More than that, we are pleased to speak with Arthur because his story can help us in consideration of our stories. You have likely struggled with some painful things from your own family of origin. We hope that, though some parts may be difficult to hear, Arthur’s story may be part of you growing in strength and hope.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcast streamer.

Ram Dass once famously said, “If you think you are enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” We came across this quote when David Hayward, known as NakedPastor, quoted it after seeing his own family.

19/04/2023

"Thy rod and thy staff, they terrorize me."

14/04/2023

Are you successful? By what measure? If there is a default assumption for what defines success in our culture, it would likely be money. There are exceptions, but “a successful career” usually means by measure of money. If you hear someone bearing referred to as a success, the same metric can be assumed to apply.

Are you successful?

31/03/2023

Integrity, dictionary definition wise, has to do with consistency, purity, trustworthiness. As a character trait it pertains to being morally principled.
In the evangelical church, particularly in the 1990’s, you probably heard the word a lot.

Click on the link to read the full Evangelically Departed article.

And a Palm Sunday Blessing

25/03/2023

Seeing yourself as part of the remnant and everyone else as lost or damned is a form of adolescent self-centredness that Christian theology should aim to grow past. Seeing yourself as good and those who hold views opposing yours as agents of evil should not be considered to be thoughtful or responsible Christian leadership.

When Cult-Like Thinking is Present in Mainstream Faith

24/03/2023

Listen now!
In a previous episode of Rector’s Cupboard we were pleased to interview Linda Kay Klein, author of the book Pure on purity culture within the evangelical church. Through Linda, our guests for this episode found Rector’s Cupboard and connected with us. Julia and Jeremiah are s*x therapists who work often with people who were raised in high control religious environments. They are also the hosts of the podcast Sexvangelicals.

We are grateful to welcome occasional co-host Ken Best for this episode and the next as the conversation went so well that we split it into two episodes.

We talk about common assumptions around s*xuality in church culture. We consider what the term “value-based” means. We unpack some of the potential damage from various fundamentalist (both religious and otherwise) frameworks of s*xual health.

It was an enjoyable, honest and open conversation. Given that the topic is s*x you will likely hear things that upset or offend you, no matter where you are on the spectrum of religious/non-religious. After all, s*x therapy is unafraid to delve into some topics and questions that are often left unaddressed.

In a previous episode of Rector’s Cupboard we were pleased to interview Linda Kay Klein , author of the book Pure on purity culture within the evangelical church. Through Linda, our guests for this episode found Rector’s Cupboard and connected with us. Julia and Jeremiah are s*x therapists who w...

14/03/2023

It's okay to hold social views and beliefs that differ from what you may have heard in certain circles. Those thoughts and beliefs can be held because of your faith - not in spite of it.

10/03/2023

Wednesday was International Women’s Day. Looking around the world it is easy to see why such an observance can resonate with concerns of freedom and human rights. It is curious to note how when religious systems, cultures, and theocracies become more rigid or fundamentalist, one of the first areas of control is over women’s bodies and freedom. These men who like to be in charge demonstrate an astounding lack of originality.

Historically, this has been true in the context of many religions, including Christianity.

and Bold Glamour

08/03/2023

Coffee time, gathered meals, lunches after some services; food and the kitchen are big parts of most evangelical churches. If you grew up in an evangelical church you are likely familiar with the catering and meal preparation/clean-up protocol...

Catering Team

04/03/2023

A quick question - is damnation of others required as part of your salvation? If so, you may be suffering from zero-sum thinking. This is the idea that your blessing can only exist alongside others being cursed or rejected.

What it takes to be "saved"?

04/03/2023

New podcast episode!

Have you ever thought that our episodes should be longer? If you have, you're in luck - today's is a hefty one!
There are a few theologians that Cupboard host Todd quotes frequently but the theologian he returns to over and over is Karl Barth. Barth’s writing is extensive, with his major work, “Church Dogmatics” consisting of over 9,000 pages over multiple volumes. This episode delves into the theology of Barth by way of the work of Dr. Marty Folsom.
Many Christians have pushed away from rigid and divisive understandings of faith. Some of those who have “deconstructed” their faith hang onto a desire for a meaningful more hopeful Christian faith. Barth’s theology, while outlined decades ago, provides such a frame. Barth was known as “the cheerful theologian” and his theology gives what we think is a much healthier view of the Bible, salvation, belief and non-belief than we have often encountered in evangelicalism.
As Barth’s writing is extensive, it helps to have informed guides. Marty Folsom is such a guide. We talk about his book, “Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics for Everyone: volume 1”. Dr. Folsom does not imply any advanced knowledge of Barth and guides us through even the basic structure of the dogmatics and some of the most important terms.
Everyone has a theology, a way of understanding the bigger things of life and the world. Barth offers a hopeful Christian theology that can contribute much to the necessary theological renewal of the church.

Rector’s Cupboard is part of a larger non-profit that exists to articulate Hopeful Theology. A theologian whose work informs our perspective is Karl Barth.  This episode delves into the theology of Barth by way of the work of Dr. Marty Folsom. Barth’s writing is extensive, with his major w

01/03/2023

Are you moved by compassion, acceptance and love?
Do you find yourself tearing up when someone who has denied their identity for fear of judgment finally embraces who they are?
Is it hopeful and compelling for you to see people who disagree on an issue actually recognize the humanity of one another?

It might be that your views are because of your faith, not in spite of it.

Escaping the voices that brutalize faith

25/02/2023

Jimmy Carter has entered into hospice care. He is 98 years old. He has offered an example of positive, hopeful faith motivated more by love than by fear. He has separated from the denomination of his upbringing and formative years because of his Christian faith, not in spite of it.

Preparing to Remember a Faithful Life

23/02/2023

Have advice to give? Don't.

Check out article written by Cambridge philosopher Farbod Akhlaghi: Transformative Experience and the Right to Revelatory Autonomy to learn more about why it's a bad idea.