Episode 20 - Mortality, Rest, and a Spiritual Lens on Climate Change: a conversation with Ben Yosua-Davis

Ben Yosua-Davis, Director of Applied Research, The BTS Center, sat down with hostess Sara Jolena Wolcott to talk about some of the learnings from their learning community, which is asking questions from a spiritual lens towards a climate changed world. We start with death, which is a critical element of any kind of ecological and spiritual framework, and move into some of the different aspects of learning that the BTS learning community, representing seven different organizations in the northeast, is exploring and finding.
00:45 - Ben's introduction, What is the BTS Center; the BTS center as a parable
4:21 - The question of endings as the beginning of theological education
7:03 - What does it mean for an organization to die well?
10:54 - The role of applied research in the BTS center
14:00 - The danger of the (ongoing) "savior" mentality
18:38 - The word "Apocalypse" and the various unveilings of our times
20:52 - The critical importance of creating space in organizations
21:38 - What have you been learning in the co-learning community?
31:33 - The importance of rest for organizations, as well as individuals
42:00 - Organizations are not machines but are living ecologies needing tending
55:24 - What are you ReMembering?
BTS Center offers a variety of (mostly free) programming and various offerings to spiritual leaders engaging with a climate-changed world. Check out their Climate Changed Podcast, which Ben hosts.
Ben Yosua-Davis serves on The BTS Center staff team as Director of Applied Research. For five seasons, Ben produced and hosted a podcast called “Reports from the Spiritual Frontier" which chronicled the day-to-day lives of leaders innovating new forms of spiritual community. Previously, he lived in Haverhill, MA, where he co-planted a new church called The Vine, one of the earliest mainline missional church expressions, which gathered in homes and coffee shops. Ben is a Maine native and now lives on Chebeague Island, Maine, with his family. When not spending time with his family, he directs the community chorus and delivers tins of cookies to unsuspecting neighbors.
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Listen to Climate Changed podcast hosted by Nicole Diroff and Ben Yosua-Davis.
Learn more about The BTS center by checking out their website.
Check out Ben's Facebook author page.
Follow The BTS Center on Instagram and Facebook.

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