Two minutes of silence can’t carry the whole story. We lean into the hard questions Remembrance Day raises: how to honor courage without glamorizing war, how to include civilians alongside veterans, and how to keep memory honest when distance invites denial. With Canadian Armed Forces chaplain Capt. Justin McNeil and philosopher Dr. Trudy Govier joining our regulars, we navigate symbols like the red and white poppy, the surge in defense spending, and the chronic underfunding of diplomacy. The aim isn’t to score points; it’s to hold tension: preparedness and restraint, justice and forgiveness, grief and hope.

Justin takes us inside the strange vocation of training for what you hope never happens, and the pastoral work of rehumanization—names, faces, families, artifacts from those with no graves. Trudy probes where reconciliation meets justice, from South Africa’s TRC to today’s conflicts, and how amnesty, accountability, and public repair can clash. We ask what rebuilding must look like after the shooting stops, and why “win and leave” only seeds the next war. Together we explore nonviolent resistance, alliances, and the leverage that shapes negotiations in a world where drones, disinformation, and nationalism have changed the rules.

We also confront the language that primes violence and the counter-story of shalom: peace as shared safety, dignity, and livelihood. From Rwanda’s neighbor-against-neighbor horror to Canada’s peacekeeping identity and the realities of moral injury, we keep circling one insistence: remember well so we can choose better. If you’re wrestling with poppies, budgets, diplomacy, and what to carry after the bugle fades, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and a path forward.

If this moved you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review telling us your key takeaway from Remembrance. Your voice helps more listeners find thoughtful, hopeful conversations like this one.

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What if sin isn’t a tally of private failings, but a way to see how our choices shape each other’s lives? We open the door to a deeper, more human conversation with two guides who’ve lived it from different sides: Pam Rocker, a queer playwright and activist working at the intersection of faith, belonging, and justice; and David Sweet, a retired homicide detective whose mantra—leave people better than you found them—was forged in the hardest rooms in policing.

We trace the old script from Augustine’s original sin to Dante’s seven deadlies, then turn it inside out. The panel shares raw first encounters with shame and fear—from shoplifted candy to purity culture’s damage—and asks whether people are born bad or shaped by moments and systems. David explains why empathy, not pity, opens truth in an interview room and in everyday life. Pam names the toll of Christian nationalism and the chilling idea that empathy is a “sin,” while Joanne Anquist reframes sloth as apathy toward what matters and calls for a new social contract rooted in dignity and mercy. Together we test greed, pride, wrath, and sloth against modern realities: workers who can’t afford the food they stock, billionaires celebrated while communities crumble, and survival choices punished without context.

This is a conversation about accountability without humiliation, forgiveness that leads to responsibility, and practical steps that make repair real. We offer simple practices—curate diverse stories, build the empathy muscle, confess clearly, and choose the daily discipline of leaving people better than you found them. We’re not defined by failures, and we’re not fixed by fear. We are human, capable of harm and capable of repair.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your voice helps more people find thoughtful, nuanced conversations that trade shame for truth and turn empathy into action.

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What if rest isn't a luxury, but our birthright? In this powerful Season 2 premiere, we wade into the deep waters of burnout culture and discover surprising currents of hope beneath the surface.

The statistics are sobering: nearly half of Canadian professionals report burnout, with a third saying it's worse than last year. In Calgary, one in five police officers are on leave due to mental and physical strain. We've all heard the advice to practice self-care, but as our expert guests reveal, that's like applying a bandage to a broken system.

Joining us at the table are Carolyn Krahn, Executive Director of Calgary's Workers' Resource Center, and Gian Carlo Carra, Calgary's Ward 9 City Councillor. Together we explore how everything from urban design to housing policies to workplace expectations shapes our capacity for rest. Carolyn explains that true burnout isn't just tiredness—it's a profound state of emotional exhaustion where people feel used up, unworthy, and unable to bring their best to work or personal life.

The conversation takes surprising turns through biblical concepts of Sabbath and Jubilee, housing affordability, union rights, and the collapse of nonprofit support systems. We discover that our cultural worship of productivity isn't just making us miserable—it's fundamentally at odds with human flourishing.

Yet hope emerges in our shared stories of community resilience during crises like the 2013 Calgary floods, when people showed up for each other regardless of background or status. We glimpse possibilities for rest built on collective action rather than individual striving.

As we navigate this burnout culture together, remember: you do not owe your life to your productivity. Your worth isn't measured by your output. Join us as we imagine a world where rest is sacred, community is valued, and we all carry each other through the hardest times.

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The night before General Council 45 marks a historic threshold for the United Church of Canada as it enters its second century. In this special live recording, we dive into the uncomfortable but essential question: What happens when resurrection doesn't come the way we expect it to?

Sarah Charters, United Church of Canada Foundation President and Executive Officer of the United Church of Canada Philanthropy Unit, joins us to explore the razor's edge between aspirational dreams and sustainable reality. We confront the hard truth that waiting for someone else to devise solutions is no longer an option, and that truly dreaming big remains our greatest challenge. The conversation weaves between institutional challenges and personal struggles as we examine what faithful living looks like when outcomes remain uncertain.

We tackle the false comfort of easy theological answers that try to explain away suffering and failure. Instead, we embrace a more authentic vision of God's presence—not as the orchestrator of our pain, but as the first to cry with us in our moments of grief. This perspective opens space for the concept of "noble failure"—the recognition that faithfulness itself might be a better measure of success than traditional metrics.

What emerges is a powerful reimagining of hope as something that doesn't require certainty or guaranteed outcomes. As the United Church stands at this pivotal moment, its commitment to ensuring "everyone has a place at the table" offers a countercultural witness in an increasingly divided world. This isn't just church talk—it's about how we navigate life's deepest disappointments while maintaining our courage to keep showing up.

Listen, subscribe, and join a community of people willing to wade into difficult conversations about faith, failure, and the kind of courage it takes to stay in the water when the waves rise higher than planned.

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What happens when our three panelists put down their notes and just respond to whatever questions come their way? Magic, vulnerability, and surprisingly deep theology.

In our season finale, we're opening the floor to you—our listeners—taking on the questions you've been curious about all season long. From deeply personal reflections on bucket lists and finding joy to theological explorations of a non-binary God and whether church should ever make us uncomfortable, this raw, unscripted conversation covers terrain we hadn't planned to explore.

The episode begins with personal revelations about how we see our life goals, where we find happiness outside work, and the challenge of extending to ourselves the same grace we offer others. Bill opens up about his journey to therapy, Ricardo reflects on recognizing burnout, and Joanne shares how her adult children help her see herself more clearly. These vulnerable moments remind us that those who lead spiritual communities are navigating the same human struggles as everyone else.

Our theological discussion takes fascinating turns as we explore God beyond gender binaries, what it means for divine love to be "promiscuous," and how churches can balance creating safe spaces while still challenging comfortable assumptions. We also reflect candidly on our podcast journey—what surprised us, what we'd do differently, and the topics that still keep us up at night.

Though planned as our final episode of Season 1, we reveal an exciting surprise—a bonus episode coming in August featuring Sarah Charters from the United Church of Canada Foundation, recorded during General Council 45 in Calgary. And yes, Season 2 is already taking shape with deeper dives into Christian nationalism, embodied theology, and interfaith dialogue.

Whether you're a long-time listener or joining us for the first time, this episode showcases what makes theology worth exploring together—not the certainty of answers, but the courage to keep asking questions that matter.

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What happens when we free God from the boxes we've built—and in turn, free ourselves? In this deeply moving Pride Month conversation, we journey through the ancient Exodus story reimagined as a framework for gender liberation. The panel explores how "Egypt" represents systems of control that flatten human diversity, while offering a vision of divinity that celebrates authenticity rather than enforcing conformity.

The discussion unfolds against the backdrop of increasing political hostility toward gender diversity, with panelists sharing raw insights about the life-and-death consequences when religious language is weaponized. Ricardo reflects on witnessing systemic erasure of queer identity, Tracy, our guest diaconal minister, shares stories of creating theological sanctuaries for those rejected by their churches, and our other guests, Karen (author) and Lor (Campus Ministry) offer perspectives on finding sacred belonging beyond binary thinking.

The conversation moves from critique to hope as participants share powerful moments of transformation—when people discover that their gender identity isn't something divine love condemns but might actually reflect divine creativity. These testimonies reveal what becomes possible when we embrace a God who refuses categorization, who answers simply "I am" when asked for a name.

Through personal stories, theological reflection, and practical wisdom, this episode creates space for anyone wrestling with religious trauma around gender identity while offering pathways toward healing. As one panelist powerfully reminds us: "If you're questioning the images of God you were handed, that doesn't mean you're losing your faith. It might mean you're finally setting it free."

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What does it mean to be a “dam good neighbour” in a world that seems determined to divide us? We're running as long as we can with this play on words. This conversation isn't about politeness or etiquette – it's about neighbourliness that disrupts, crosses lines, and binds us together when systems pull us apart.

Drawing from Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, our panel explores who we're willing to stop for, who counts as "our own," and how we build communities where no one gets left behind. We hear from Laura Istead of Two Wheel View about how youth find capability and connection through bike mechanics; Brian Thiessen on how housing-first approaches transform both individual lives and community economics; Jun from Action Dignity on the layered barriers faced by ethnocultural communities; and Ricardo De Menezes on how workers and marginalized groups create chosen family when traditional structures fail them.

Our conversation navigates the messy terrain of community resilience in Calgary – a city that has weathered floods, pandemics, and housing crises – revealing how crisis exposes inequity but also offers opportunities for transformation. “We are all in the same storm," one panelist observes, "but some of us are in boats that can hardly float."

The most powerful moments come when we examine where unlikely relationships become the starting point for healing. From former addicts working alongside police officers, to immigrants bringing untapped talents to their new communities, these connections demonstrate how breaking through isolation creates resilience that no government program or policy alone can achieve.

Ready to disrupt your definition of neighbourliness? Take a listen, then ask yourself: how might expanding your circle change not just your community, but you?

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Why do so many people struggle in a world of unprecedented abundance? This question lies at the heart of our raw, unfiltered conversation about poverty, privilege, and the myths we tell ourselves about success.

We're not just examining poverty as an economic issue but as a spiritual one that reveals what we truly value as a society. When we frame poverty as a personal failure rather than a systemic reality, we not only misunderstand its causes but inadvertently justify growing inequality as somehow "fair" or "deserved." Our panel dismantles this dangerous myth, revealing how our current economic systems don't just allow poverty to persist—they require it.

The conversation takes a profound turn as we explore how modern capitalism creates an ironic paradox: a system built on artificial scarcity in a world of historic abundance. We've been conditioned to see ourselves as competitive, independent beings when evidence suggests our greatest evolutionary advantage has always been cooperation. This fundamental misunderstanding shapes everything from public policy to business practices to how we treat our neighbors.

Our guests offer deeply personal reflections on what gives them hope despite the monumental challenges ahead. Whether through community organizing, policy reform, union advocacy, or spiritual practice, each contributor illuminates pathways toward a more just future. Drawing from both ancient wisdom and contemporary research, they remind us that addressing poverty isn't simply about better charity—it's about restoring our sense of mutual belonging and responsibility to one another.

This conversation will challenge you, comfort you, and ultimately invite you to reimagine what's possible when we move beyond competition toward genuine community. For those struggling economically, may this be a reminder that your worth isn't measured by your wealth. And for those experiencing abundance, may it spark reflection on how we might build systems that allow everyone to flourish.

Check us out at www.preparedtodrown.com

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