The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network

It was a gradual process that led the young Yvette Flunder to question the tenets of the United Church of Christ in which she was born and raised. She couldn't reconcile her emerging beliefs with her church's patriarchal orientation and its emphasis on preparing adherents for the next world rather than addressing the injustices and inadequacies of this one. She also realized she never again could call herself a member of a church that completely rejected same-gender-loving people such as herself.

Bishop Flunder here traces the path that led her to become a visionary religious leader with a mission of tending to the spiritual needs of marginalized people around the world, particularly those of African-American descent. She speaks of her vision of radical inclusion,which she believes requires an equally radical social ministry reaching to the furthest margins of society to serve all in need without prejudice or discrimination.

"The greatest mistake at the Christian church has ever made was to put a back cover on the book, to somehow suggest that we could make a manual out of the living word of God," she said.

Reverend Flunder is the founder and senior pastor of the City of Refugee United Church of Christ in Oakland, California. In 2003, she was appointed Presiding Bishop of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, a multi-denominational coalition of over 56 churches and faith-based organizations from all over the world. She’s also the author of Where the Edge Gathers: A Theology of Homiletic Radical Inclusion.

Links:

• City of Refuge United Church of Christ
• Fellowship of Affirming Ministries
• Diversity and Spirituality Network's site
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When he was young, Jess Lederman was an atheist and thought people who believed in God were fools. But one day, his wife heard a radio interview with Francis Collins, the eminent geneticist and devout Christian who like the Ledermans spent the earlier part of his life as a nonbeliever.

Lederman in some respects followed the same path that Collins walked by reading C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. He delved deeper by reading and the works of George MacDonald, the 19th century Scottish author, who was one of Lewis' mentors. MacDonald's writings had the same effect on Lederman as they had on Lewis. They formed the groundwork for his conversion to Christianity.

In this podcast, Lederman traces his religious journey and the factors that led him to write his new book, Hearts Set Free. The characters in the book wrestle with many of the issues that he's wrestled with: the reconciliation of science and religion, the journey from doubt to faith, and the practical implications of living life as Christians.

Links:

• Jess Lederman's site
• The works of George MacDonald
• Diversity and Spirituality Network's site
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Esteemed poet Diana Goetsch talks about anti-gay and anti-trans attitudes within the American Buddhist community, how people fiercely protect the gender divide, and how her Vajrayāna practice sustained her during her transition.

In between discussing these and other topics, she reads poetry from her eight collections, including the poem, Black People Can't Swim, which merited her the 2012 Pushcart Prize. Because of this and others work, Diana's been cited as one of the few white poets willing to write on the subject of race. She also reads from The Diana Updates, a series of letters to friends about her transition that was republished in The American Scholar.

In reaction to her American Scholar letters, she received supportive letters from people in all walks of life. "We are all, I was learning, in transition, people between people, longing to be fully ourselves. The only essential difference with my deal is that it’s glaringly obvious and can’t be hidden from anyone."

A former varsity athlete and concert jazz dancer, poet with award-winning collections, a dedicated meditation practitioner and instructor, Goetsche is a multifaced advocate for America's newest visible minority.

Links:

• Diana Goetsche's site
• Her Life in Transition letters
• Diversity and Spirituality Network
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• Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon

Fourth generation entrepreneur Mark Silver is a pioneer in the integration of spirituality and business. He believes that commerce doesn’t need to involve hype or manipulation but instead can be based on transparency, integrity and heart. In this podcast, he describes how life circumstances led him to embrace the Sufi path, his belief that right business practice is inherently spiritual, and how when done correctly marketing can be a form of healing.

The founder of the Ithaca, New York-based Heart of Business company, Silver also discusses how political activism informs his sense of spirituality, common misconceptions of Islam, and his belief that capitalism is a both distortion of business practice and a root of many of the world's social problems.

He also describes the essence of his daily spiritual practice, the Sufi heart-centered process of Remembrance.

Links:

• Heart of Business
• Sufi Remembrance
• Diversity and Spirituality Network Events

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Clients of business trainer and consultant Mark Silver seek to achieve business success by integrating spiritual principles in their pursuit of profit. They want to change the paradigm of business so that it doesn't incorporate the negative aspects of extreme capitalism, such as the disregarding of social consequences, income inequality, and exploitation of labor.

As he explains in this podcast, the mission of Silver's Heart of Business (HOB) company is to support spiritually grounded marketing and business people who want to run a small business in a way that isn’t slimy or insincere.

Although he’s a fourth generation entrepreneur, it wasn’t until he began his studies in Islamic Sufism two decades ago that he truly understood that business isn’t something that needs to be separate from spirituality. Prior to that, he’d been attempting to apply New Age principles to his business, but that approach really wasn’t working for him.

About that time, he encountered Dr. Ibrahim Jaffee, the renown physician, Sufi, and pioneer of Medical Spiritual Healing “Yes, we can use this (work) for physical healing,” Jaffee explained, “but we can also use it for relationships, for groups and ...for business.” What he learned from Jaffee, other Sufi teachers, and his lived experience formed the basis of Silver’s Heart of Business.

In this podcast, Silver explains what he’s learned in the eighteen years since he founded his company, HOB's evolution from a primarily fixed-fee enterprise to a “pay from the heart” practice, and Silver thoughts on the destiny of Islam.

Links:

• Heart of Business
• Dr. Ibrham Jaffee's site
• Diversity and Spirituality Network's site
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• Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!