Up! Periscope

Chief Shoefoot's Testimony

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 17:30:13 -0500

Chief Shoefoot was a shaman for a tribe called the Yanomamo in the Amazon River basin. He talks about being in league with many evil spirits, and the Great Spirit who delivered him from them all. There is a Q&A section at the end, as this message was given in the USA via his interpreter, who is the son of the man who first came to the tribe as a missionary. Potent stuff! Get ready!

BTW, if anybody wants to support the work being done, they’re raising money to buy an airplane and install an airfield so they can spread the gospel further around this region (the nearest airport is 311 miles away!). Find out about the work, buy a book, and donate here at their website.

Last Days 2- Discussion

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:24:32 -0400

After all the SManny yakking, others talked: questions, comments, and other colors to the subject. It was helpful. Come, hear the voice of The People! And learn a thing or two.

Last Days 1- Lecture

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:30:36 -0400

It’s a meeting that happened at my house. We talked about three Bible passages that teach us about the last days. (When I say “we”, of course, I mean “me”.) This is the FIRST part of the meeting (it was a goodly-lengthed meeting), just the lecture part.

DISCLAIMER: I have never seen Gus Van Sant’s “Last Days” (though I did see him in person once), so this is not EVEN a recommendation. It’s probably terrible.

Shepherding Meeting

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:27:20 -0500

I know: the “got wool?” title was lazy and obvious.

Anyhow, this is a talk from a meeting of 150 folks who’re thinking that maybe looking at the back of someone’s head in an auditorium isn’t QUITE the rich relational soil described in the New Testament. So we’re looking at what the Bible says about shepherding relationships- the kind where somebody’s serving somebody else by watching their life and helping them become everything they were designed to be. As you’ll hear, these kinds of relationships changed my life, and I’m a pret-ty big believer...

Body, Soul, and Spirit

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 23:32:26 -0500

50 radical Jesus-following dudes met together and let me share with them what the Bible says about body, soul, and spirit. We’re starting a series where we’re edging our way into the world of the spiritual, and we’re just setting down some basics first. This is a loooooong file (1 hr and 10 minutes), so get ready to set a spell.

Violence and Purity, with Hamster

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 19:06:13 -0500

Kevin and Steven talk about Kevin's love for violent horror films, Steven's growing concern for purity in the Body, and their shared desire for more pure rest, untainted by the internet or video or the smooth traps of modern life. Steven reads a Bible verse.

Economics 101 with Peb

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:54:38 -0400

The market's tanking, and many of us wonder what to do about it, or what it all means, or if our favorite deli will continue to stock olives from Spain. Or somesuch. Peb, via the PodTalk Hotline, chats with Steve about what the Bible and the Spirit have to say about such things. Basically, he says you should repent and hang around poor people. So.

Politics 101 with Pepe Guzman

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:46:27 -0400

Ever wonder how 30-somethings feel about politics these days? I do.
Mark Douglass, in his incredible political cynicism (or discernment? You tell me), encourages you, the citizen, to abstain from voting. He also gets into the blurriness between American patriotism and allegiance to Christ, and whether the political machine can provide any real hope for us these days.

Reports from the Yurt

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 21:10:08 -0400

Jeff builds a fire! Steve takes a shower! They stay in a yurt! Jeff drinks a local beer! They praise the Honda Odyssey!

Movie Review: Ghost Town

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:23:49 -0400

Steven and Jeff (a.k.a. Movie Nerd) talk through an adult comedy that seems to do it all. Ghost Town, starring Ricky Gervais, is funny, sentimental, thoughtful, and sweet. It also plays very old-fashioned. Ricky Gervais' comedy is wholly original, and we love it. Find out why.

An encounter with Jamey “Jay” Lyons

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:35:29 -0400

Ever run into an old pal from high school or college, and find to your delight that they’re just the same as when you knew them long ago? Yeah, me neither. But all that changed for me when Jamey “Jay” Lyons appeared on Jeff’s doorstep and we picked up where we left off. Here, we find out about Jamey “Jay”’s fascinating career producing reality shows for MTV and swap old stories of college hijinx. Also, who knew v-neck shirts could go that low?

Smoking Jones

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:20:23 -0400

In view of my highly manly road trip across the Yukon and into the Alaskan wildness, I get a primer into the old-convention world of loose-pack lung weed. My pal Josh teaches me to smoke.

French Pop Music!

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:26:59 -0400

Been wondering what's happening in the French electro-pop music scene? Probably so. So Stevie talks you through about 6 French pop tunes he's recently been listening to. You get him and his his buddy Jeff talking with complete ignorance about this music, plus you're exposed to about a minute of each song. Expanding your musical horizons AND listening to two knuckleheads! How great is that?!

The music featured includes:

Yelle- “A Cause Des Garçons”
Yelle- “Je veux te voir”
Stereo Total- “L'Amour À 3”
Benjamin Biolay- “La ballade du mois de juin”
Troublemakers- “Get Misunderstood”
Digitalism- “Idealistic”
AIR- “Mer Du Japon”

Kicking It Homeschool, Part 2

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:48:56 -0400

The reaction to our Homeschooling podcast has been so completely overwhelming that we decided to post a second part- Sarah tells us what it's like to play high school sports as a home schooler (imagine a league with 2 teams on it!), go to prom (in a church basement) and, if you're like that, be in the homeschool chess club. And how does a homeschooled kid fit into a public university with 45,000 students?

Insights into the fascinating world of home schooling.

The Search for Significance

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:46:19 -0400

I review a book in retrospect; I first read Robert McGee's Search for Significance over 15 years ago-but it's had some of the greatest lasting impace in my life. This book is about identity, and it affected me deeply in my high school years, and since.

Kicking It Homeschool

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:41:43 -0400

More Interviews From A Car: While in England, I had a chance to talk with one of just a few people to come from a homeschooling background and live to tell about it. I kid: homeschooling is a growing trend in America (someone just told me it was the educational equivalent to the house church movement), and I wanted to talk to someone who'd been there. I was hitching a ride to northern Wales to catch a ferry, and my driver (Sara) turned out to be a fascinating person. Ever heard of somebody who went to church to rebel against their parents?

living overseas as a career

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:03:34 -0400

I sit in a car (not something as flashy-awesome as the Reliant Robin, but almost) with a couple of old friends and talk about living in a foreign country for the sake of what you believe. We argue about terms quite a bit, and I raise my voice at one point, but that means we're friends, right? These guys have been at it for about 15 years now, and they tell us some of the victories and struggles that come with the territory.

Eventually, the windows fog up.

It’s not rocket science!

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:40:34 -0400

A long-time maker of disciples talks to two younger guys about the fact that helping people know Jesus doesn’t require notebooks and convoluted programs. This is an old mentor of mine and still a respected friend (though I haven’t seen him in 11 years), and you’ll soon see why I’m so drawn to this authentic, un-slick dude.

Ann Brown on Community

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:58:36 -0400

Ann and her husband Jim work in Europe helping people know about Jesus. They’ve been at it for 20+ years, and I was delighted to get some time with Ann, who talked about her journey regarding community. She’s been a churchgoer her whole life, but is learning more and more what true community (the Jesus/Bible kind) is all about. We also talked about hippies.

Changing England

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:33:34 -0400

Mick and Freda Stead are nearly octogenarians, and they speak from experience about the changing face of England. They, along with Ian and June Richardson, talk about being green, regional pride, and fly tipping. I make jokes that nobody gets.

Gay in Britain

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:35:33 -0400

Oliver Richardson is an old friend of mine, and since I last saw him, he came out as being gay. I thought I'd talk to Oli and his partner, John, about what life's like for them, and how the religious have reacted to them (Oli was previously VERY involved in all things church/'Christian'). Shouldn't we all be dialogueing?

There are no pat answers here, only open discussion .

Level 3 Friendship, with Mark Douglass

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:00:02 -0400

Mark Douglass was a Michael Card impersonator when this photograph was taken. And he's an old college buddy of mine. We talk about friendship: how to do it, why it's important, and why moving into Level 3 is a good thing. We join the conversation already in progress (all the early stuff was nonsense).

WARNING: This conversation is 2 1/2 years old. And it's a phone conversation, with non-professional equipment. In short, this is an awesome audio experience.

Interview: Sam Lee

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 23:28:23 -0400

Sam Lee is a new friend-of-a-friend who's life was radically changed by Jesus less than two years ago. She's a college student in South Carolina, and a little kookoo for Christ these days. I thought she was inspiring, and thought you might want some exposure to one of Jesus' trophies.

WARNING: Sam warns us against rules, religion, a loveless spirituality, and is PRO shouting, the Holy Spirit, and speaking in tongues. Watch out for this girl!

Video Game Review: Indiana Jones Lego

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:30:45 -0400

Steve Manuel and Denver-based pal Jef Davenport talk giddily about Indiana Jones Lego for Wii. It's not... intellectual.

Film Review: Hellboy

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:30:19 -0400

Steven and his pal/movie-nerd Jef tell about their opening night excursion to the overhyped Hellboy. You’ve read the graphic novel, eaten the cereal, and been tempted to buy the Lego tie-in merchandise. But have you seen the film? They hope not.

Spoilers galore!

Welcome to Up! Periscope

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 12:26:44 -0400

Steve Manuel and Jef Davenport introduce you to Stevie’s new podcast. They yuck it up and act like girls. Jef wears a funny hat.