Forecast

Composer Scott Stevens speaks with Jarel about working in the UK and now returning to the US and what he has learned about his work and faith. This includes his sources of strength and nourishment, such as being in nature, listening to the preaching and teaching of theologians and being involved in a Bible study. 

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Matt Chesney speaks with Will about his journey seeking wholeness after asking tough questions about how his church community treated his family growing up and about his experiences in the military. Building on those experiences, Matt has learned to move beyond cynicism to find a sense of purpose in the Christian understanding of servant leadership, using his strength to serve the people in his life.

Editor's note: The views expressed on this Forecast, and all Forecasts, represent those of our guests and not necessarily those of the editors and co-hosts of Foreshadow. While we may not agree with everything our guests share, we believe it valuable to listen to and engage with their experiences.

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Three graduates of Fuller Theological Seminary (California) reflect on how their experience studying theology was a pilgrimage. Mitchell, who has served in music ministry and will soon study law, explains how seminary transformed him and how he has changed from wanting to lead the church to wanting to serve people. Eric, a full-time artist and photographer, differentiates between complacency and contentment and reflects on the pilgrimage of the magi visiting baby Jesus.

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Josh reads some of the writings recently published on Foreshadow in conversation with Psalms 120 to 125: Orchard labyrinth, overgrown (poetry by Erin Clark), For Finding Your Way (poetry by J.E. Misz), Red Sea (poetry by Julia McMullen), A Liturgy of the Wilderness (poetry by Jessica Walters), Pearls of Ignatius (poetry by Bryant Burroughs), Invitation (poetry by Sheila Dougal), Rosary (poetry by Alina Sayre), Heart to Heart (poetry by Bonita Jewel), Advice for the Long Walk Home (poetry by Sheila Dougal) and That Person Whom You Know (fiction by Sandro F. Piedrahita). 

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Josh and Will explore the most recent Forecasts: 'The Perpetual Pilgrim: Paul Cornelius and Pilgrimage' (Ep 51), 'The Way of a Pilgrim: Prayer and Pilgrimage' (Ep 52), 'What Do We Do When We Arrive?' (Ep 53) and 'On the Camino: Pete Kelly and Pilgrimage' (Ep 54). Among other topics, they discuss leadership in a Christian context, how we can benefit from the Jesus Prayer and the purpose and meaning of devotional practices when arriving at a holy place.

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Last September, attorney Pete Kelly walked 500 miles with a friend on the Camino de Santiago, a historic Christian pilgrimage that ends in northwest Spain. Pete highlights the solitude and reflection that the Camino gave him even in the midst of sharing a journey with countless other pilgrims both living and dead. Hearing the diverse stories of other pilgrims sustained him through challenges along the way.

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What do pilgrims do when they arrive at their destination? Inspired by Psalm 134, Josh explores this question with a reflection on a recent visit to Holy Island, Northumbria, and in dialogue with three works recently published on Foreshadow: 'Asylum', a poem by Linda McCullough Moore, 'Found poem: Upon arrival at the Abbey', a poem by Erin Clark, and 'God Alone Suffices', a short story by Sandro F. Piedrahita.

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This episode shares highlights from the spiritual classic The Way of a Pilgrim. The founding editor of Foreshadow connects these passages with works published on Foreshadow and with this year's theme of pilgrimage and worship. In the book, an unnamed peasant discovers oneness within himself and with others through continually calling on the Lord's name. On his journey to Jerusalem, the pilgrim describes the effects this prayer has on the people he meets and on his own experience.

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Theological educator Paul Cornelius speaks from his experience of a transient life, which comes with challenges and opportunities for growth. Also important are our travelling companions, who push us to think differently. Paul then describes the need to develop skills to motivate people to join us when we have a vision and are in a leadership role. Finally, Paul mentions the people and texts that nourish him, including Christ as his primary frame of reference. 

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In this 50th Forecast, the co-hosts discuss the last four episodes. In response to the conversation with Matt Bickett, they discuss how the journey to God is not only an ascent into fulfillment but also a descent into ourselves and into mystery. In response to the conversation with Linda McCullough Moore, they discuss her poem 'Asylum' and the motivations behind going on a pilgrimage. In response to the conversation with James Bishop, they discuss how pilgrimages can mark turning points and how art (specifically music) can mark such journeys. In response to the conversation with Alan Altany, they discuss inner journeys, or 'pilgrimage[s] of going nowhere'. Also in this episode, they introduce Foreshadow's theme for next year. 

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Religion professor Alan Altany describes how, as a young man, he wrestled with doubt, panic and anxiety - but how that ultimately led to a deep faith. He reads his poem 'From Here to Eternity', discussing the relationship between the sacred and the secular in his life and writing. Finally, he notes how writers such as Flannery O'Connor, Thomas Merton and Fyodor Dostoyevsky have strengthened and nourished him.

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Musician James Bishop describes his journey five years ago of walking over half of the Pacific Crest Trail in California. Most of this time was spent in solitude, during which he emptied his thoughts and concluded that meaning in life only comes from the quality of one's relationships with others, the world, oneself and God; the greatest of all that remains is love. This five-month hike inspired a collection of songs that he is releasing, and on this episode, he performs one song, 'Wrecking My Body', about the danger of being stuck in his mind and how that has impacted his participation in society and church. 

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Author and mentor Linda McCullough Moore reads and discusses her poem 'Asylum', reflecting on the choices and circumstances that have brought us to the present moment. She describes her experience on pilgrimage to Northumbria, UK, and the importance of connecting with the landscape and fellow pilgrims. For Linda, the spiritual journey is not only about mentally assenting to doctrines but primarily about engaging one's heart with God, other people, the world and oneself. Linda's faith, she says, depends on being connected with her local church through small groups and with God through prayer.

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Church musician Matt Bickett explores the roots of his family and wider Appalachian culture through visiting the gravesites of his ancestors in eastern Kentucky. He connects this journey with his theological study of St Gregory of Nyssa, who taught that perfection is possible only through God's grace and requires an ascent into God and at the same time a descent into mystery. Matt describes the contributions Appalachian culture can make for oppressed communities in other locations.

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Will, Jarel and Josh review the first three conversations of the season. In response to the conversation with Ryan Keating, they discuss intentionality and attentiveness in worship and our daily lives. In response to the conversation with Jessica Walters, they discuss being fully human and alive in Christ as the goal of our faith as well as the church's engagement with the arts. In response to the conversation with Roger Belbin, they discuss the strengths and weaknesses of communal participation and how joining communal activities can draw us out of ourselves towards those around us.

Note: the quote commonly attributed to St John Chrysostom in this episode may be an interpretation of his Homily 50.4 on the Gospel of Matthew. 

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Roger Belbin describes a pilgrimage he and his late wife used to go on in honour of St Alban, the first martyr of Britain, joining their local church and culminating in a worship service. He also describes walking portions of the Camino de Santiago in France and Spain. Roger reads a poem recently published on Foreshadow about virtual worship during the pandemic and describes the influence that a devotional book and music have on his faith.

Link to Roger's poem: https://www.foreshadowmagazine.com/magazine/worship-in-covid-times

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Poet and writing professor Jessica Walters describes her journey from a tradition that overemphasised external achievements, such as rote Bible memorisation, to a contemplative reintegration of scripture and personal involvement, faith and creativity, word and silence. One of her formative experiences was working in solitude as a medic in the forests of British Columbia. Illustrating her journey, she reads two of her poems, 'The Sunday Blues' and 'A Liturgy of the Wilderness'.

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Pastor, poet and winemaker Ryan Keating reads and describes two original poems about wine and communion soon to be published on Foreshadow. Then he describes how he has, in retrospect, understood his exilic journey to Cyprus as a pilgrimage, one in which he has discovered deep wells of healing. Finally, he shares how ancient Christian prayers and cooking with his family have provided nourishment.

Links to Ryan's poems:

And Lift Them (for victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey; Agape Review): https://agapereview.com/2023/02/17/andliftthem/

​Overshadow Me (Agape Review): https://agapereview.com/2023/02/17/overshadowme/

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To introduce the new season, co-hosts Jarel, Will and Josh each answer the two questions that they plan to ask their guests this year: 1) Can you describe a physical or spiritual journey (or both) that you have been on? and 2) What are the text(s) that strengthen and nourish your faith and life? These questions follow the theme for this year, 'Songs of Ascents: Pilgrimage and Worship', exploring the journeys we take in search of wholeness in God and the resources that fuel us. 

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This final episode of Season 2 begins with Will responding to the previous episode on congregational singing, and then Will and Josh review the conversations from the second half of the season, offering their takeaways on vocation. They discuss how calling is both dynamic and grounded, and they review the three dimensions of calling that they developed in previous episodes, including their relation to the parable of the talents. In summary, we are called to be faithful to God in the midst of the joys, challenges and choices of daily life, as illustrated by the Virgin Mary's acceptance of her call to become the mother of Jesus. 

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People are singing less in church, and that's a problem, writes Episcopalian priest Benjamin Crosby in his recent article in Plough. Jarel and Josh discuss Crosby's article in light of their experience making music and singing for worship among churches, whether with worship bands or choirs. They explore the tension between being relevant to the dominant culture and providing a life-giving alternative that challenges or discomforts. Then they describe what the hymns 'Be Thou My Vision' and 'What Wond'rous Love Is This?' and the song 'Instrument for Noble Purpose' suggest about vocation. 

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In honour of the 25th anniversary of the death of singer–songwriter Rich Mullins, Josh speaks with Will Berry, an Episcopalian priest, about Mullins' life and music. They discuss five of Mullins' songs, each of which sheds light on vocation, with topics such as the priesthood of poetry, music at the heart of creation, joining the divine celebration that is already taking place, chanting the psalms, the pursuit of God and holiness, the net of God's grace and the spiritual life as a pilgrimage. 

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This episode begins a new series of Forecasts exploring the book Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L'Engle. Josh speaks with composer Scott Stevens about 'Chapter 1: Cosmos from Chaos', which asks 'What is Christian art?' Among other things, they discuss how true art grapples with mystery and questions of life and death, the importance of making space to listen, the artist as the servant of the work, art as an incarnational activity, how art helps us remember our true glorious identity and the terrible things we will be asked to endure and where modern art fits in with all this.

See supplements to this episode (memorable passages from the chapter and art) here.

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AJ Sealy speaks with Will about how he became a composer and the joys and challenges that have come with his career, from maintaining a work–life balance with his family to industry barriers as a person of colour to pursuing humility in an environment of acclaim and status-seeking. For AJ, vocation is about both composing music and how he composes himself as a person, cultivating goodness in his relationships with co-workers, loved ones and other people in his life.​​

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Valencio Jackson has been a student of engineering, an aquatics director and a music teacher -- but what unites these different jobs has been his approach to putting God and other people above himself. Will speaks with Valencio about the throughlines in his work, as well as his influences in serving God and other people. They also discuss challenges and joys Valencio has experienced in living in this way of journeying with people and keeping himself open to God's voice. 

Valencio Jackson is a music theory professor at the Mercer School of Music. You can learn more about his work here.

Will Shine is a co-host of Forecast.

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Josh shares highlights of 'Chapter 5: Advice to Writers' from Echoing Silence: Thomas Merton on the Vocation of Writing edited by Robert Inchausti. Here, Merton describes the necessity of personal integration for contemplation (and, it is suggested, writing); the presence of play and delight in writing; how writers can reach and help others; the importance of contentment; and some tips on publishing. This episode also includes a poem read and written by Foreshadow contributor Matthew J. Andrews.

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'There is no space for iceberg lettuce in the kingdom of God', says church planter Ryan Fasani. In addition to explaining why that is the case, he speaks with Will about how his experiences in ministry and his own soul searching have changed his understanding of his calling. One element of his self-understanding involves reconciling the demands of his work with paying attention to the people in his daily life, including developing his relationship with and witnessing the wonder of his children growing up. Although his work on the front lines of ministry is often misunderstood, he finds nourishment in finding like-minded people in his tradition who support him. 

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Pastor and writer Tim Harvey speaks with Josh about his calling of being a pastor. After describing how he first became a pastor and what it means to be one in his tradition, he describes supporting the vocations of members of his congregation, including helping people to find their vocations later in life. Then Tim explains how writing is also a calling for him, illustrated by the essay he recently published on Foreshadow, 'And by What We Have Left Undone', which he reads at the end of the episode. Finally, Tim describes the challenges of ministry and where he finds spiritual nourishment.

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Will and Josh continue to map an understanding of calling by reviewing the podcast season thus far. After answering a listener's question about finding one's calling later in life (including a response from Jeff Compton-Nelson), they develop their model of vocation, examine the relationship between vocation and career, discuss what it means to 'put God first', unpack the parable of the talents and explore the priesthood of all believers and the relationship between ordained and non-ordained Christians. 

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Vocational guide Jeff Compton-Nelson speaks with Josh about his role in supporting seminary students to discern who they are and how they will live into the life God is giving them. He also shares his personal vocational journey, which has brought surprises and gifts. Developing a concept map of calling, they explore the universal callings of all people, the relationship between vocation and career, ordained ministry and chaplaincy, the vocation of art and writing and the importance of community and renewing the mind in discerning God's will.

Jeff Compton-Nelson is the Assistant Director of Field Education and Vocational Formation at Duke Divinity School, North Carolina. An ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, Jeff is married, and they have two children. Jeff welcomes feedback; his email address is jnelson@div.duke.edu.

Below are the books mentioned in this episode:

A Ray of Darkness by Rowan Williams

Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer

Live for a Change by Francis DeWar

Josh Seligman is the founding editor ofForeshadow.

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Farm manager Sarah DePhillips speaks with Will about sharing the good news of Jesus through sustainable farming. Through Sarah's work supporting young people in Virginia and farmers in Zimbabwe, she embodies her message that God has given us everything we need to flourish, and our task is to steward our resources well, whether they are material, such as soil and water, or immaterial, such as our relationships with people, our gifts and our good passions.


Sarah DePhillips is a farm manager with Hope for Suffolk, a ministry that serves and empowers young people in Suffolk, Virginia, through agricultural work (learn morehere). She also works with Foundations for Farming, a stewardship programme for farmers in Zimbabwe (learn morehere).

Consider thanking our contributors by leaving a comment, sharing this episode orbuying them a book. 

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Piano technician Jarel Paguio speaks with Will and Josh about tuning pianos and being a new dad. For Jarel, piano tuning is about more than just the piano, as central as that is; it's about the quality of his relationships and interactions with his clients. In the words of his mentor, 'It's all relational.' Just as Jarel and his wife seek to create a harmonious home for their newborn, to a smaller degree Jarel seeks to establish an atmosphere of trust and harmony with his clients. 

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In Chapter 4 of Echoing Silence: Thomas Merton on the Vocation of Writing edited by Robert Inchausti, Thomas Merton reflects on the work of contemporary writers. For him, a mark of good writing is having something worth saying, which comes from writing for God. One aspect of this approach is being inwardly transformed so that we write out of our experience of the life God gives us. At the heart, the Christian who writes must first know that they are loved by God. This episode includes a poem written and read by Foreshadowcontributor Matthew J. Andrews. 

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Jon Seligman speaks with Josh about how teaching primary/elementary music, at its best, brings 'cosmos out of chaos', to quote author Madeleine L'Engle. Jon finds purpose and hope in helping students to find their voices and become self-confident through music. Jon's Christian faith and work are inseparable. He also explains how other areas of his life, such as volunteer worship leading and taking photographs as a hobby, can similarly bring cosmos out of chaos.

Jon Seligman is a primary music teacher in Chula Vista, California. You can listen to his podcast on music education advocacyhere.

Josh Seligman is a co-host ofForecast.

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Ryan Weiss speaks with Will about how he prioritises his responsibilities and callings, whether as a professor, a parent, a husband, a musician, a worship leader or a researcher. Each of his roles gives him the opportunity to connect with and nurture others. Looking back on his life, he observes how openings have forced him to ask who he really is and what he really wants to do, forming a path that has become his identity. He also describes how his faith in God and his work in science complement each other. This episode features music by Ryan's former band Tularosa.

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Dr. Ryan Weiss is a professor in the biochemistry and molecular biology department​ of the University of Georgia. He is also a musician, a dad and a husband. You can learn more about his labhere.

Will Shine is a co-host ofForecast.

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Author and speaker Alina Sayre speaks with Josh about the intersection between her Christian faith and her writing. Although at one point, she wondered if creative writing distracted her from pursuing God, she now believes that God has given it to her as a gift to use and develop in various forms. Alina also describes her experience as a theopoetics student and then reads and discusses her new poem 'Sleepwalker', which is forthcoming on Foreshadow. 

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Alina Sayre is the award-winning author of five books and a graduate student of theopoetics at Bethany Theological Seminary. You can learn more about her workhere. You can also read her poem 'Keeping Vigil', recently published onForeshadow,here.

Josh Seligman is the founding editor ofForeshadow and a co-host ofForecast.

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Musician and vocational mentor Julius Obregon, Jr., speaks with Will about parallels between musicianship and the spiritual journey. For Julius, vocation involves all of our lives and is driven by love. Just because one is called doesn't mean automatic arrival at one's destination; excellence requires discipline and learning from others. Our longings shape us, Julius says, and we are called to conform our longings to their divine source. This episode includes a clip of Julius' music.

Julius Obregon, Jr., is the assistant director for the Shema Center for Christian Formation. Find out more about the center here and listen to their podcast All Things here. You can listen to Julius' music here.

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Josh and Will introduce the theme of ForecastSeason 2, 'Called Forth: Vocation and Faith'. They describe how their experiences have shaped their understanding of vocation, outlining three dimensions of vocation: the universal, the personal and the overlap between the two. Then they discuss the key terms, particularly 'discernment', and give a brief outline of the year to come.

In this episode, Will refers to the book God Hides in Plain Sight by Dean Nelson, a Foreshadow contributor. You can find his book here.

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Continuing in our series on Thomas Merton, in the third chapter of Thomas Merton on the Vocation of Writing​, 'On Poetry', Merton describes the need for Christian poets to have both writing skills and a contemplative orientation. Such contemplation is illustrated by what pastor Eugene Peterson calls the 'middle voice', synthesising personal initiative and receptivity to the divine. Merton also describes the nature of poetry and its dependence on and renewal of meaningful symbols.

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Continuing from last time, Josh discusses the second chapter of Thomas Merton on the Vocation of Writing. For Merton, the Christian writer must maintain integrity in prophetically witnessing to the truth and to the life of the age to come. In so doing, the writer also restores language, freeing people from false depictions of reality. At its heart, Merton writes, communication is a path to communion. 

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Thomas Merton was a writer and a Trappist monk. In today's Forecast, Josh goes through the first chapter of Thomas Merton on the Vocation of Writing​, ​edited by Robert Inchausti, identifying and commenting on Merton's writing about vocation and the ministry of writing. Ultimately, Merton says we are all called to become new creations in Christ and participate in Christ's work of making all things new, and writing is one of the ways we can do that. Merton also points out limits of language and tensions between seeking union with God and writing about that experience. 

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This Forecastexplores the vocation of writing and the Christian vocation more generally through a short personal essay and clips from guests discussing their vocations in various capacities. Whether writers or not, whether single or married, whether ordained or lay, through whatever situation we find ourselves in, God calls all of us to be transformed in the likeness of Christ. Will we follow? Host: Josh Seligman
​
Outline of today'sForecast, including links:
​
00:00 -- ​Introducing Forethought
01:41 -- Personal essay 'Seeking Vocation and the Ministry of Writing' by Josh Seligman
13:00 --Carl Winderl (from 'A Writer Is Always at Work', ForecastEp 7)
15:24-- Scott Stevens (from 'Listening Inwardly', ForecastEp 4)
19:32 -- Ken Deeks (from 'I Take Christ with Me', ForecastEp 6)​
21:17-- Conclusion and 'Sonnet 19: On His Blindness' by John Milton

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This Forecastis a mixtape of music by the podcast's co-hosts, some of which has been featured in clips in previous episodes, and some of which is new. 
​
Outline of today'sForecast
00:00 -- ​Introduction
01:06 --'Now Your Love Satisfies Me' by Josh Seligman
05:49-- 'Hilltop' by Will Shine
09:27 -- 'Here, There, and Everywhere In-between' by Will Shine
14:10 -- 'More Than This' by Will Shine
18:48 -- 'Love Is' by Will Shine
23:11 -- 'The Singer Saith of His Song' poem by Francis Thompson
24:24 -- Bonus Track: 'Hoʻonani Ka Makua Mau – Doxology' by Will Shine

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Co-hosts Josh and Will look back over this past (and first) season of Forecast. After briefly reviewing each of the episodes thus far, they share their highlights and challenges as well as emerging themes for future episodes, especially concerning Christian worship.

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Through conversations, non-fiction, poetry and music, this Forecastexplores various dimensions of Christian worship. The main part of the episode is an interview with Will Shine about his studying worship, theology and the arts at Fuller Theological Seminary, California. Host: Josh Seligman

Outline of today's Forecast, including links

00:00 – Introduction and creative non-fiction piece 'Two Things Have I Heard'
09:00 – Clips from an interview between Will Shine and Josh Seligman
37:05 – Clip from an interview between September Penn and Will Shine (from 'Peacemaking through Song', Forecast Ep 3)
43:55 – Clip from an interview between Seth Little and Will Shine (from 'Singing the Same Songs Together', Forecast Ep 8)
47:30 – 'The Bee in Church' poem by Alfred Noyes read by Miriam Seligman​
50:37 – Brief housekeeping and words by St John Chrysostom
52:10 – 'The Whole Earth Is Filled with God's Glory' (song)

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Josh explores eschatology in the films Tenetand Interstellarand how the films point to the Christian hope of God's future breaking into the present. This is followed by an opinion article about climate change, an instrumental piece by Scott Stevens and two poems by Rosemary Power and Gerard Manley Hopkins that cherish the natural world.

Outline of today's Forecast, including links

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Josh Seligman and Jon Seligman discuss singer/songwriter Jon Foreman's newest album, Departures. Going through the songs one by one, they focus on the album's theme of seeking Heaven on earth and the tension between despair and hope.

Links:
- Jon Foreman's website
- Video of Switchfoot visiting Jon Seligman's music class

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Anaesthetist and intensive care doctor Matt Jackson shares insights from his medical work and his Christian faith. Whereas he once thought a doctor's role was to heal people, his experience and reflections have taught him that instead, his role is to care for people in difficult situations. He describes moments of fulfilment supporting his patients and their families in COVID-19 times. Host: Josh Seligman

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Greg Jordan describes the diverse experiences that playing the guitar has given him, from gigging in clubs in Oxford and London, England, to touring internationally with a US military band, to playing in a worship band in Florida, where he now lives -- and even to connecting with people to whom he gives COVID-19 jabs. Host: Will Shine

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Jesus said, 'Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.' But in a culture that prizes strength and often overlooks meekness (or gentleness), what is the value of gentleness? This Forecastis an arrangement of writing, music and conversation, some of which have been published on Foreshadowand some elsewhere, connected by their witness to the strength of gentleness. Contributors include Sam Seligman and Scott Stevens. Host: Josh Seligman

Episode outline, including links:
00:00 -- ​Introduction
01:37 --Behold the Mandalorian: Meekness and Masculinity in Star Wars by Josh Seligman, cultural commentary published in Plough
12:50 -- Scott Stevens on composing music for Sometimes I Shake(from Forecast Ep 4: Listening Inwardly)
17:14 -- Perspective, music by Scott Stevens
19:54 -- The Holy City, non-fiction written, narrated and sung by Sam Seligman (updated August 2021)
33:20 -- A reading from Psalm 37

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Ken Deeks, an active therapist and the leader of a folk group, describes the importance of treating people not foremost as clients or numbers but as humans, people whose names and lives are remembered and cherished. For him, being a Christian involves having this attitude and taking Christ with him wherever he goes. Ken also performs the Scottish folk song 'Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair'. Host: Josh Seligman.

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Poet and writing teacher Carl Winderl shares one of his newest poems and the relationship between poetry and his faith. Then Josh gives a brief update on the emerging identity of Foreshadow​. This is the second part of two episodes. Host: Josh Seligman

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Seth Little, director of worship arts at All Angels' Episcopal Church in New York City, describes how worship music can unite people of diverse backgrounds. He witnesses to the presence of mystery in worship and both the challenges and joys of his ministry amid the US racial reckoning and a global pandemic. Host: Will Shine

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Poet and writing teacher Carl Winderl discusses his writing disciplines and the inspiration behind his work. After reading and exploring two poems from his recent book The Gospel According . . . to Mary, he describes his ministry work in Kiev, Ukraine. This is part one of two episodes, the second of which is scheduled to go live next month. Host: Josh Seligman

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Pastor and DJ Isaac Ikeda speaks about how both of his occupations can either point to the Kingdom of God or do the opposite, depending on his approach. For him, integrating the 'sacred' and 'secular' involves continually dedicating whatever work he is doing to God. Host: Will Shine.

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Composer Scott Stevens describes his practice of listening inwardly while composing music -- listening to his own hunches, to the wisdom of other people and for the still, small voice of God. He explains how this practice shaped the music he recently composed for the film Sometimes I Shake, about the life and death of jazz musician and teacher Dan Nelson. The conversation includes some of Scott's music. Host: Josh Seligman.

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September Penn describes the founding of the Power of Song Inc., an organisation that educates young people about civil rights and justice through song, theatre and art. She also explains how music can be an instrument for healing and how she has encountered the peace and presence of God among communities despite the challenges of the pandemic. Host: Will Shine. Originally published in April 2021.

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Not long ago, music teacher Jon Seligman used music to help his school grieve the loss of a beloved teacher. Josh spoke with Jon about this experience and asked if he found Jesus' words to be true: 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.' The conversation includes a recording of the school choir singing the song 'Saturn' by Sleeping at Last. Host: Josh Seligman. Originally published March 2021.

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This first episode introduces Will Shine, a co-host of Forecast. The conversation discusses Will's music and worship leading, and then goes deeper to explore what it means to belong to a place and to other people. It also includes clips of some of Will's music. Host: Josh Seligman. Originally published March 2021.

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