March 17, 2014 Podcast

Show open from Pathway Studios

A host opens the live show from the Pathway studios in Johnston proper, joking about the studio's enigmatic dark-cellar vibe before the episode proper begins.

The John Boova face-mask bit

A comedy bit imagines finding someone to craft a lifelike John Boova face mask, with a mustache, to be called 'Don Buba'; face-makers are invited to write in with rock-bottom prices.

Guest John Wagner joins the show

John Wagner, a returning guest, joins in-studio to offer thoughts for the day and general commentary; the hosts joke he was kept off one week because he tried to rename it the John Wagner show, and note he is a mean origamist.

Tonight's lineup preview

The lineup is laid out: five things you didn't know about Jesus (a CNN belief blog listicle), a survey on how modern folks read the Bible, St. Patrick's Day bits, an xpastors.com article on why pastors leave the pulpit, Dear LFTP letters, and pope-style advice.

Facebook quizzes and who defines you

A long riff on viral Facebook quizzes that assign you a character, state, or parent type turns serious: your Maker defines you, not faceless quiz code; curated social media personas make us phonies and steal time from the people who actually love us.

Five things you didn't know about Jesus

• Did Jesus learn things, or did he know everything?
• If Jesus knew what was coming, why pray 'take this cup from me'?

Walking through the CNN Belief Blog listicle: Nazareth had only 200-400 people ('can anything good come from Nazareth?'), whether Jesus knew everything (Luke's 'progressed in wisdom'; the Syrophoenician woman in Mark), carpenter/tekton as general craftsman, Jesus withdrawing to pray ('me time' recast as connecting with the Father), and Jesus not wanting to die in Gethsemane; they push back on calling Jesus' marriage or India trip 'outlandish' next to the truly outlandish gospel.

Scooby-Doo detour

The Jesus discussion dissolves into a bit about a modern Scooby-Doo episode where Shaggy dreams Scooby is human ('dude, could I borrow your shades?') and the hosts' approval of the rebooted cartoons.

Why pastors leave: overwork and wrong expectations

• Why do so many pastors leave the ministry?

Reading xpastors.com on why pastors quit: 90% work 55-75 hours a week and half feel unable to meet the demands. The hosts argue ministry is a lifestyle not a job you clock, and that counting hours is the wrong posture; you can love Jesus and work at the 7-Eleven.

Pastors and pay

Seventy percent of pastors feel grossly underpaid; the hosts agree many churches expect pastors to scrape by 'by the skin of their teeth,' arguing a man who worries about money constantly can't lead well - while noting he needn't be swimming in it Scrooge McDuck style either.

Feeling unprepared: counseling and change

Ninety percent of pastors feel inadequately trained and say ministry was nothing like they expected. A host addressed on-air as Mike admits teaching the Bible is easy but counseling is where he falls apart; John Wagner counters that every vocation hits unprepared moments, and pastors must absorb contextual and relational change fast.

Depression, discouragement, and Hosea

Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression and half would leave ministry if they could; a host 'calls the pansy card' on bailing, then a comic exchange identifies the prophet forced to marry Gomer (Hosea), with a counterpoint that real chemical predispositions to depression must be taken seriously.

Pastor families, loneliness, and protective fences

Eighty percent believe ministry hurt their families; spouses feel overworked and underappreciated, and 70% of pastors have no close friend. John Wagner tells how his wife agreed to enter ministry with him as a partner; the verdict: protect the family first - don't sacrifice yourself on the altar of the church.

Attrition and a called-for-a-season

Fifty percent of new ministers are gone within five years and only one in ten retires in ministry; 4,000 churches start yearly while 7,000 close. John Wagner raises the idea that God may call a pastor for a season - staying only for a paycheck when you aren't helping is its own failure.

Sponsor break: Eisenlauer team and Westfield Vet

Ad reads for the Eisenlauer Team (realtor Bob Eisenlauer, friend of the show) and Westfield Veterinary Hospital in Johnston; a host's aging dog has a golf-ball-sized growth that needs a vet visit.

Pope-style advice: recovering awe when faith feels mundane

• How do you recover awe of God when your faith feels mundane?

A host addressed on-air as Mike gives this week's pope-style advice: for kids raised in the church especially, Jesus can shrink from king of a kingdom to 'a guy that exists in my neighborhood'; the fix is to re-view the gift as when you first received it - and to stop measuring your standing by how badly you sin.

John on measuring faith; communion; radio sign-off

The guest John Wagner responds that reducing faith to sin-avoidance misses the point - 'worship God. Who is he? Your savior'; they riff on doing your whole relationship with God in 45 seconds before the communion juice; then the show signs off the 99.3 FM broadcast for the podcast-only remainder.

Restoration, truth, and apologies

Talk turns to restoration: own mistakes fast ('truth always wins' - the host's $5 vs $50 workplace honesty story), apologize to your kids without excuses, and quit judging your relationship with God by sin-counting; repentance is turning around and moving the other direction, pictured as walking onto the roller coaster.

The obedient second son

A host wants to be the prodigal son's elder brother minus the bitter ending - the quiet, obedient second son: 'I want me to decrease and God to increase'; obedience opens God's doors, which are bigger than any doors he could pick himself, 'Let's Make a Deal' style.

Dear LFTP: the widow, Louise, and Bill

• How should a widow handle a controlling friend who disapproves of her new relationship?

A widow writes that her controlling friend Louise disapproves of Bill, the man who moved in with her. The hosts joke Louise's departure is a 'win win'; the secular answer says stop appeasing her and move on; the hosts add Bill and the widow ought to get married.

Dear LFTP: split the referral bonus?

• Should a single mom split her job-referral bonus with the friend she referred?

A single mom writes that the friend she referred wants half her referral bonus. The hosts say the answer is a frank, unemotional no - unless a split was agreed beforehand; secular says ignore him and tell him he's lucky she didn't charge a referral fee.

Dear LFTP: eleven-year-old Gwen

• How should a parent handle an 11-year-old's dating demands, bad crowd, and fear of being placed for adoption again?

A parent of adopted 11-year-old Gwen asks about dating demands, a bad crowd, and the girl's fear she'll be 'placed for adoption' again. The hosts: middle-school attitude is normal, no dating regardless of threats, don't make threats you won't keep, and the adoption fear must be taken seriously or spotted as button-pushing; secular agrees - keep her busy and assure her she's the forever mother.

Sign-off and St. Patrick's Day

Closing plugs: lifefromthepath.org, signing up for the podcast, asking Facebook to notify of posts, and a St. Patrick's Day sign-off into the outro.