The Clergy Corner

A weekly podcast that encourages reflection as we examine both the profound and mundane parts of life Artwork provided by @oshaneobrien

Episode 295: Grounded in Gratitude 11/13/2024

Episode 295: Grounded in Gratitude After a rough couple of weeks, on this episode Pastor Arik looks at the importance of gratitude, especially during difficult times. Join him as he invites us to ground ourselves in a spirit of gratitude, as we prepare ourselves for the work ahead. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/33897337

Episode 294: It Takes a Village 10/23/2024

Episode 294: It Takes a Village In the aftermath of a very busy week, on this week's episode Pastor Arik looks at the importance of the "village" and how it is still alive and well in our community, today. Listen in! /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/33582732

Episode 293: Exploring the Limits of A.I. 10/09/2024

Episode 293: Exploring the Limits of A.I. After a chance encounter with AI this past week that left him stunned, in this episode Pastor Arik looks at the advancement of artificial intelligence technology and the good (and bad) that might come from it. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/33391167

Episode 292: Troubling Texts of the Bible - Psalm 88 09/25/2024

Episode 292: Troubling Texts of the Bible - Psalm 88 This week, in a continuation of our mini-series examining problematic texts of the Bible, we look closer at Psalm 88 - the only psalm where the psalmist does not make a turn from sorrow to praise. Join Pastor Arik as he looks at the silence of God as an example of sacred care, and how sometimes the best way to support another in their grief is to be a listening ear. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/33187207

Episode 291: Troubling Texts of the Bible - Genesis 22 09/18/2024

Episode 291: Troubling Texts of the Bible - Genesis 22 This week Pastor Arik takes a closer look at the problematic story of Genesis 22 and the story of Abraham and Isaac. Join him as he explores Abraham's faithfulness/faithlessness and how the story might resonate with us today. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/33091902

Episode 290: 9/11 First Responders 09/11/2024

Episode 290: 9/11 First Responders Join Pastor Arik this week has he lifts up the stories of some of the first responders on September 11, 2001. As we look back on that fateful day, 23 years ago, let us lift up those first responders who gave so much to help those in danger. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/32992457

Episode 289: School Begins 09/04/2024

Episode 289: School Begins As the school year kicks off, this week Pastor Arik takes a look at the importance of Christian Education and having a place where our kids feel loved and supported, no matter what comes their way. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/32875778

Episode 288: When Sickness Strikes 08/21/2024

Episode 288: When Sickness Strikes As Pastor Arik recovers from a nasty virus, this week he re-releases an episode from back in the day when his family was fighting off a bug, right before Sage's baptism. Listen in and stay healthy, friends! /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/32657517

Episode 287: The Power of Names 08/07/2024

Episode 287: The Power of Names This week Pastor Arik looks at the power that language has in shaping our reality, especially when it comes to the power of names. Join him as he looks at several biblical examples of names and how there is deeper meaning found within. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/32459527

Episode 286: To Everything There is a Season 07/31/2024

Episode 286: To Everything There is a Season This week Pastor Arik looks at those "in-between" times in our lives when we find ourselves in a place of transition. Join him and his exploration of eschatology as we discover meaning in the midst of the various seasons of our lives /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/32350052

Episode 285: Where the Soul Resides 07/24/2024

Episode 285: Where the Soul Resides In this week's episode, Pastor Arik looks at the history and origins of lobotomies, and how it became known as the "surgery of the soul." Diving into the theory of the collective unconscious, join Pastor Arik as he explores a theory of where the soul resides. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/32258917

Episode 284: Radical Nonviolence 07/17/2024

Episode 284: Radical Nonviolence In the aftermath of this past weekend's events, Pastor Arik takes a few minutes to reflect upon the radically nonviolent nature of our faith. Take care of yourselves, everyone. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/32162022

Episode 283: Civil Religion 07/03/2024

Episode 283: Civil Religion With the 4th of July being celebrated this week, Pastor Arik uses the opportunity to examine the dangers of civil religion and why we need to be intentional about what becomes an object of our worship. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/31997302

Episode 282: A Spirit of Gratitude 06/26/2024

Episode 282: A Spirit of Gratitude As Pastor Arik reflects upon a busy weekend, he lifts up those that made the many church events a resounding success. Join him as he embraces a spirit of gratitude for all those who gave of their time and energy this week. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/31882142

Episode 281: Juneteenth 06/19/2024

Episode 281: Juneteenth As we celebrate Juneteenth today, this week Pastor Arik takes a look at the history of the holiday and why we need to hold the celebration of the day in tension with the sorrow of slavery. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/31789797

Episode 280: PRIDE 06/05/2024

Episode 280: PRIDE As PRIDE month begins, this week Pastor Arik looks at why this is such an important month to celebrate as a faith community. Join him as he looks at how far we have come and how much further we have left to go. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/31597762

Episode 279: Planting Seeds 05/29/2024

Episode 279: Planting Seeds This week, as Pastor Arik prepares for our first outdoor worship service of the year, he does a bit of reflecting on why he loves gardening and the process of watching things grow. Join him as he explores the parallels between growing a garden and tending to the garden of our soul. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/31493912

Episode 278: The Book of Job 05/22/2024

Episode 278: The Book of Job In preparation for the first meeting of our church book club later this week, on this episode Pastor Arik takes a look at the book of Job and the reason what it still remains relevant to us in our world, today. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/31400712

Episode 277: Mother's Day 05/08/2024

Episode 277: Mother's Day With Mother's Day approaching this weekend, this week Pastor Arik looks at why he uses the holiday as an opportunity to celebrate the women in our lives as a whole, and offers up two poems from incredible poets that speak to the power of women in the world. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/31174437

Episode 276: Sonder 05/01/2024

Episode 276: Sonder As Pastor Arik worked from a coffee shop to try to get past his writer's block, he experienced an interesting phenomenon. Join him as he explores what "sonder" is and how it is something that can help us be more mindful in our lives. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/31068288

Episode 275: Installation Service 04/24/2024

Episode 275: Installation Service This upcoming Sunday afternoon, Ankeny UCC will be hosting the Central Association's Spring Meeting, followed by the installation service for Pastor Arik. Join him this week as he looks at what an installation service is all about, and why he finds it so special. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/30951718

Episode 274: The Importance of Doubt 04/03/2024

Episode 274: The Importance of Doubt With Easter now behind us, this upcoming Sunday we will hear the story of doubting Thomas. Join Pastor Arik this week as he explores a different approach to the story, and why doubt is so important to us as people of faith. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/30645798

Episode 273: A Poem for Holy Week 03/27/2024

Episode 273: A Poem for Holy Week With Holy Week upon us, this week Pastor Arik shares one of his favorite poems by the poet Sh'maya, titled, "The Shattered Grave" /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/30546663

Episode 272: The Journey Series Revisited: Ronald Gibson 03/20/2024

Episode 272: The Journey Series Revisited: Ronald Gibson With the upcoming Holy Week events taking much of Pastor Arik's time and focus, this week he releases an old interview from years ago when he sat down with a dear friend and coworker. Join us this week as Pastor Arik sits down with Ronald Gibson, an incredibly intelligent man and a talented organist, as they discuss Ron's life journey and his passion for music /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/30438993

Episode 271: St. Patrick's Day 03/13/2024

Episode 271: St. Patrick's Day With St. Patrick's Day approaching on Sunday, this week Pastor Arik looks at the origins of the holiday and how it has transformed into the celebration we have here, today. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/30341663

Episode 270: Metamorphasis 03/06/2024

Episode 270: Metamorphasis As new life returns to our world, this week Pastor Arik examines the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Join him as he explores how painful moments of deconstruction can create fertile ground for the new life that is coming next. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/30238173

Episode 269: The Journey Series Revisited: Dr. Michael Sinklier 02/28/2024

Episode 269: The Journey Series Revisited: Dr. Michael Sinklier This week Pastor Arik revisits an old interview he did with his best friend, Dr. Michael Sinklier, from eight years ago. Listen in to this old episode where they discussed Michael's faith journey, his passions, and some of his more memorable medical stories. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/30035428

Episode 268: Ruts of Routine 02/21/2024

Episode 268: Ruts of Routine This week Pastor Arik examines how our routines can sometimes leave us feeling in a rut. As he explores an example in his own life, he encourages us to find ways to live intentionally in the present moment, and to live every day to the fullest. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/30035188

Episode 267: Ashes and Valentines 02/14/2024

Episode 267: Ashes and Valentines Today is Ash Wednesday AND Valentine's Day! This week Pastor Arik looks at how these seemingly opposite holidays actually work well when brought together. Join him as he explores how embracing our mortality makes those relationships in our lives, even better. /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/29933778

Episode 266: A Guided Meditation 02/07/2024

Episode 266: A Guided Meditation As Lent approaches next week, this week Pastor Arik centers himself (and hopefully the listeners!) by leading a guided meditation. Find some time and a place to get comfortable before listening in to this week's episode! /episode/index/show/theclergycorner/id/29826593

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