Psalms for the Spirit

14/02/2024

The first day of Lent seems to be a good time to share our TEDx talk and Celtic Psalms performance, as the Psalms so often accompany people on the journey towards Easter. For those of you who have followed the Psalms for the Spirit podcast, this will give you a sense of the background to that project and some of the learnings that have come out of it. If you’re in the Belfast or Derry area, we would be honored if you would join us for one of our Candlelight concerts during Holy Week https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/celtic-psalms-2990559

NOTE FROM TED: TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storag...

31/01/2024

Listen to Celtic Psalms performance and experience the power of poetry, spirituality, and music to soothe, heal, and restore us when we need it most. The mu...

23/01/2024

We shared our story at TEDx Stormont on Saturday, including learnings from the Psalms for the Spirit podcast. Stay tuned for the video in the coming weeks.

14/01/2024

🕯️Celtic Psalms Candlelight Concerts 🕯️Coming up during Holy Week, Monday 25th March in Derry, Tuesday 26th March in Belfast. Guest musician: Eilidh Patterson. Join us for a beautiful and reflective evening.

Celtic Psalms music allows a space for the ancient words of the Psalms, combined with soulful Celtic melodies, to bring people together in shared humanity, across community divides.

03/01/2024

There are limited spots available on this retreat/pilgrimage in April, featuring three podcast guests: Sara Cook (Ep. 2), Paul Hutchinson (Ep. 11), and Pádraig O'Tuama (Ep. 23). It will be an incredible experience... if you're looking for chance for some restoration and inspiration, come join us!

20/12/2023

Announcing a new series for 2024 with accompanying journal! Read the post to find out more. And in these last few days of Advent, we're revisiting this beautiful episode with Ruth Patterson from 2021.

Christmas and New Year Blessings to you all, and I'll be in touch again in 2024!

Kiran

Announcing a New Series for 2024 with Journal

22/11/2023

Revisiting the wise words of Paul Hutchinson. Though this was recorded during lockdown 2021, his words speak fresh into today's climate - especially of our need to host ourselves, and others, in our "unfixed state." Paul will be one of our facilitators on the Resilient Spirit pilgrimage/retreat in April 2024.

Listen now (52 mins) | A Conversation about New Song, Finding Belonging, and the Psalms

04/10/2023

Today’s guest is Pádraig Ó Tuama, poet, theologian, host of On Being’s Poetry Unbound, and member and former leader of the Corrymeela Community. Pádraig doesn’t need much of an introduction, as his gifts for writing, and reading, and reading into poems have become widely known and admired. With his keen sense for the meaning behind a poem, his interest in language, violence, power, and religion, and his background in conflict mediation and peacebuilding, Pádraig has a way of seeing deeply into the soul of a poem, and into the people who created them, and into how those poems can help us find grounding in difficult times.

I know Pádraig from when we overlapped at Corrymeela, and when I wanted to talk with someone about the poetry of the Psalms, who better to ask? And I’m delighted that next year, Pádraig will be a virtual guest facilitator on the Resilient Spirit Pilgrimage to Ireland in April 2024, helping us explore the connections between poetry and resilience in our lives.

In this conversation we talk about the language of the Psalms - Psalms in translation, Psalms in Irish; about how the beauty of words put together in a certain way can move us and heal us; and about how even when we might feel all alone, a poem - and a prayer, and a Psalm - is a way for us to imagine what it might be like to be listened to, for our deepest selves to be heard.

Listen now (51 mins) | A Conversation about Poetry, Language, What Keeps Us Grounded, and the Psalms

19/09/2023

Sara Cook will be a guest facilitator on the Resilient Spirit Retreat & Pilgrimage in April 2024, along with Paul Hutchinson and Pádraig Ó Tuama. EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT lasts until the end of September, so if you're interested... book now! https://progressivepilgrimage.com/corrymeela24/

HOLDING THE ADVERSITY AND THE JOY, with Sara Cook [Revisited] This episode first aired in February 2021, but the themes of resilience, finding hope in difficult times, and the connection to the Psalms are timeless.

For the first time, there's a TRANSCRIPT along with one of these podcasts! What a great feature! Read along, or scroll through to review something, or spot the AI errors... It's not perfect, but I'm impressed, and it's a great resource for people who are visual learners.

We have a few exciting episodes coming up in the near future - subscribe to Psalms for the Spirit so as not to miss any of them!

- Kiran

https://psalmsforthespirit.substack.com/p/holding-the-adversity-and-the-joy

06/09/2023

Consider coming to Ireland in April 2024! The Resilient Spirit Pilgrimage/Retreat will be restorative and rejuvenating... Podcast guests Sara Cook, Paul Hutchinson and Pádraig Ó Tuama (new episode forthcoming!) will facilitate, and Celtic Psalms music will be woven throughout. Early bird discount lasts until the end of September!

And, a heads up that some episodes are in the works, so make sure to check your feed!

ABOUT

19/05/2023

We're never alone when we read the Psalms... "there are others in other rooms, reading the Psalms with me. " For Mental Health Week, we're revisiting the podcast with Sarah Griffith Lund on breaking the silence about mental illness. Though this first aired a year ago, Sarah's invitation to listen to the stories of mental illness in our communities, and to see the Psalms as tool for mental health and wellbeing, is still equally poignant.

https://psalmsforthespirit.substack.com/p/breaking-the-silence-about-mental

Also, Sarah has a new book out since this last aired. Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness with Children and Teens:

https://chalicepress.com/products/copy-of-blessed-youth-bundle?_pos=2&_sid=9e218adcf&_ss=r

11/05/2023

NEW EPISODE: Ep. 22 Giving Language for our Pain and our Hallelujahs, with Edward Buri - Kenyan pastor, columnist, television host and founder of the Institute of Ethics and Youth Affairs. In this conversation, we talk about the call to be restored to a divine joy and laughter; about God wanting to come into the mud of our lives; and about how the Psalms give us language for our pain, and also our hope and our hallelujahs.

Listen now (41 min) | NEW EPISODE

06/04/2023

PERSISTENCE AS A SIGN OF DEEP FAITH [REVISITED] with Munther Isaac, Palestinian theologian and Lutheran pastor in Bethlehem. A year later, his words continue to bring a wise perspective on Good Friday - that prayers of persistence aren't an indication of lack of faith, but a sign of deep faith.

https://psalmsforthespirit.substack.com/p/persistence-as-a-sign-of-deep-faith

30/03/2023

SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER ACROSS OUR DEPTHS [REVISITED] Avivah Zornberg speaks on Jewish spiritual practice, Pesach/Passover and the Psalms. With Passover approaching, it's a perfect time to revisit this conversation from March 2021.

https://psalmsforthespirit.substack.com/p/speaking-to-each-other-across-our?sd=pf

23/03/2023

Transformed by Grief into Agents of Change [REVISITED]. This episode with Sundar John Boopalan is just as moving a few years after it was recorded.

https://psalmsforthespirit.substack.com/p/transformed-by-grief-into-agents?sd=pf

16/03/2023

LAMENT AS A SACRED ACT [REVISITED]. A powerful episode with Peace Lee, well worth hearing again during this season of Lent. https://psalmsforthespirit.substack.com/p/lament-as-a-sacred-act-with-peace

09/03/2023

Psalms for the Spirit is back for Season Three!

Today’s guest is Martin Tel, Director of Music at Princeton Theological Seminary. I wanted to talk with Martin as a real expert, steeped in every aspect of the Psalms – from personal to congregational to academic. In this conversation, we talk about how important it is for each generation to engage with the Psalms in a way that’s meaningful to them, about the Psalms as a form of resistance and protest, about how the Psalms teach us to pray not only our own prayers but others’ prayers as well, and about the uncomfortable truth that if we are among those who benefit from unjust systems, the Psalms might actually be prayed against us. This conversation made me think about the Psalms in a whole new way, and it also reminded me of what I know to be true – that regardless of who we are, where we live, or what our life experiences might be, the Psalms help us fight back against the storms of life.

There will be some fabulous guests in the coming months, and you can sign up to be on the email list or to support the podcast at: www.psalmsforthespirit.substack.com

Listen now (51 min) | A conversation with the Director of Music at Princeton Theological Seminary

02/11/2022

Join me this winter for a series of online retreats, from the comfort of your own home. The first, "Befriending the Darkness," is this Saturday, 5th November. View the link below for details on timings, dates and content.

This winter I am offering a series of Winter Retreats @ Home (online via Zoom) - retreats where we will join across time zones from the comfort of our own homes to reflect, share, and find stillness together as we mark the changing of seasons. The theme of the three retreats will be “Leaning into ...

22/09/2022

Psalm 91 has been highlighted by a few podcast guests - namely Denise Bradley, Munther Isaac, Amy Schacht and Eric Sarwar. If you haven't heard them, go back to those episodes and have a listen to what they have to see about how this Psalm helps them or their community find calm in difficult circumstances.

This is also an opportunity for me to update you - we have an exciting new season of Psalms for the Spirit coming up in the next few months. Stay tuned!

Provided to YouTube by TuneCoreAll Who Dwell (Psalm 91) · Kiran Young Wimberly & The McGrathsCeltic Psalms: Rest in the Shelter℗ 2018 IndependentReleased on:...

07/09/2022

If you're looking for a space to breathe...

A retreat space to build a resilient spirit, with Kiran Young Wimberly - minister, musician and spiritual director based in Ireland

17/06/2022

Come and join me for one of the retreats I'll be leading at Corrymeela in the coming year. Early bird discount for early booking!
14-16 October
24-26 February
21-23 April

As series of open events at Corrymeela Ballycastle led by the Rev. Kiran Young Wimberly

02/06/2022

Our final guest for Season Two is Rebecca Dudley – ordained minister and legal advisor with the New Zealand Red Cross on protecting people in humanitarian emergencies, speaking in a personal capacity for this podcast. Here, we discuss her "Hope Project,” in which she explores the question: how do we pay attention and not lose hope? As wave after wave of bad news rolls in, it’s clear that this theme is as timely as ever, and essential for our wellbeing as we take in and respond to horrific news on a daily basis.

In our conversation, we talk about the power of the Psalms to reach across time and culture, about hope as bridge and spark and lifeline, about how psychological first aid might support us in times of distress, and about how the old spiritual traditions of vocation and intercession can help us find the small thing that is ours to do in this hurting world.
https://psalms-for-the-spirit.captivate.fm/episode/ep-20-paying-attention-and-not-losing-hope-with-rebecca-dudley

15/04/2022

"But the idea 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me' takes on a totally new meaning on Good Friday, because then it's Jesus crying out... it's as if Jesus identifies with us in our feelings of loneliness and despair. As if Jesus comes so close... just one of us." - Munther Isaac, Psalms for the Spirit podcast

https://psalms-for-the-spirit.captivate.fm/episode/ep-19-persistence-as-a-sign-of-deep-faith-with-munther-isaac

Munther Isaac, Good Friday, Palestinian theology, Psalm 22, Psalm 23, Psalm 91, Psalm 73, peacebuilding, Israel/Palestine conflict, reconciliation

14/04/2022

A special Holy Week episode. Today's guest is Munther Isaac - Palestinian theologian, Lutheran minister, author and academic. This holy week many of us will be thinking of the holy land as we journey towards Easter, and in this conversation we listen to a voice we don't often hear – the voice of a Palestinian Christian, reflecting here on the Psalms in his own life and the affinity his community has for the Psalms – especially as they express lament on Good Friday, and as they point to a vision of a shared, peaceful future in his land. In this conversation, we talk about the power of reciting Psalms as a community in times of trouble; about how Good Friday reminds us that even when we feel forsaken, we’re not alone; about how persistence in prayers of complaint and lament is in fact a sign of deep faith; and about the vision of an ideal Jerusalem in which barriers are broken and enemies become friends.
https://kiranyoungwimberly.com/2022/04/14/psalms-for-the-spirit-ep-19-persistence-as-a-sign-of-deep-faith-with-munther-isaac/

23/12/2021

Awakening to our belovedness. Today’s guest is Ruth Patterson – Presbyterian minister, writer, retreat leader - recognized internationally for her deep spiritual insight and her gently powerful work in peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. The first woman ordained in Ireland, she founded and led for 30 years the organisation, “Restoration Ministries,” which brings people together across community divides in Ireland around their shared spirituality, and draws on the image of restoration depicted in the Psalms. In this conversation, which we had in the heart of Advent, we talk about the link between the Psalms and the history of Ireland, about the importance of hospitality – towards ourselves, God, others – in moving into a future of restoration, about the journey towards becoming our full selves, and about how awakening to our belovedness is the starting point for healing and wholeness in this world.

Listen here: https://psalms-for-the-spirit.captivate.fm/episode/ep-18-awakening-to-our-belovedness-with-ruth-patterson

16/12/2021

For some, Advent is a time of grief and loss. Today’s guest is John Bell – hymnwriter, author, and broadcaster and a guiding light from the Iona Community as he has for decades created resources for the global church in music, worship and spirituality, including his recent book Living with the Psalms. In this conversation we talk about how the Psalms – much like the incarnation we celebrate in this season – speak of God’s solidarity with us in our vulnerability, how the Psalms give us permission to express doubt and anger when we come face to face with suffering and injustice, how sacred songs have the power to heal and tend to the brokenhearted, and how the Psalms offer us the precious image of God as midwife – delivering us through the pains of life and death. There is some sensitive content in this episode, particularly regarding the tragic loss of infants and young children, so please be aware of that as you listen, and make sure you have the support you need in case any of the subjects are difficult to hear about.

https://psalms-for-the-spirit.captivate.fm/episode/ep-17-delivering-us-through-the-pains-of-life-and-death-with-john-bell

08/12/2021

Today’s guest is Peace Lee – spiritual director, preacher, and educator on decolonial and feminist perspectives. In this conversation, we reconnect over our mutual love for the Psalms: how they can be imprinted on our hearts and come to us when we need them most, how we can read them afresh as we consider new language for them, the importance of lament in finding healing and wholeness, and how the Psalms can nourish us in building a more just and equitable world.

It’s by chance that these new episodes are coming out during the season of Advent, but I think it’s fitting. At this time of the liturgical year we recognize our longing for a better world, and we name our hopes for justice and peace to become more fully present here on earth. Those themes are most definitely present in the Psalms, which constantly remind us that God is with us in our broken, vulnerable, beautiful humanity.

https://psalms-for-the-spirit.captivate.fm/episode/ep-16-lament-as-a-sacred-act-with-peace-lee

02/12/2021

Keep your eyes and ears open for more Psalms for the Spirit episodes, coming soon...

Also, another offering of "Sing a New Song" - this time to favour Pacific Rim timing... Morning in Northern Ireland, evening in Australia/N.Z., afternoon in East Asia... and everywhere in between! Join us to welcome the New Year by listening for the new song in your heart.

Sing a New Song: an online Mini Retreat with Paul Hutchinson and Kiran Young Wimberly

09/10/2021

This is going to be a delight. Join us a week from today!

2-5pm (UK/Ireland)
3-6pm (Central Europe)
9am-12pm (Eastern N. America)
8am-11pm (Central N. America)
6am-9am (Pacific N. America)
10pm-1am (East Asia)

Sing a New Song: an online Mini Retreat with Paul Hutchinson and Kiran Young Wimberly