Fabric Podcast

Does it feel like there’s too much going on to pause what you’re doing? What if stopping was one of the most effective ways to join the resistance? Together, let's get into the concept of "sabbath," reclaim it a bit, and let it pick away at "the way things are" as we move forward towards how things could be.

As we closed out our Unearthed conversation, we welcomed Joe Davis back to help facilitate a time of artistic reflection and processing; to notice what came up, metabolize it, and bless it.

What comes up for us as we look up at the current events in Gaza? In this episode, we welcome Jenny Sung, a pastor working through the ELCA’s Sumud ministry toward justice in Palestine and Israel to hear about how she shows up in her role with steadfastness in light of such despair and heartbreak.

Climate change trivia?! Yes please(?!) We've taken a live gathering and turned it into a fun podcast for you, even if it's perhaps not the most fun subject. Let us know what you think as we keep experimenting with what in-person gatherings look like and how to turn them into meaningful podcasts! 

MN climate justice organizer Joshua Lewis (Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light) joins Ian McConnell to continue help us lift our heads up, this time toward the wondering if the climate crisis just too big, or if there are approachable ways for us to engage with courage and conviction.

We received a challenge from Jeff Thiemann: make one commitment toward being equipped and brave for challenging conversations. In this episode we're celebrating some "braggarts."  To grow together, we've got to share these stories of what we're trying, so here it is.  We're trying stuff!

Jeff Thiemann from Braver Angels’ “Reduce the Rancor” campaign spoke with Ian McConnell (with input from others at Fabric's live weekly gathering) about polarization during election seasons, and how we might be able to build capacity for both holding conviction and having difficult conversations.

Maybe you wouldn't expect Easter to be a time to talk about zombies, but then again, it sort of makes sense, right? Some stories surrounding Easter give us a beautiful (if not kind of scary) look into both death and life and reminds us that there’s more to living than not being dead! 

We’re delving even deeper into our rootedness! How might identify the divine within, surrounding, and working through all things? That's the conversation Ian is kicking off in this episode!

It turns out there’s more to roots than just individual plant life! Aspen groves are an inspiring reminder of our interconnectedness to one another and to all of creation. 

Root systems are endlessly fascinating! We’ll kick off this new series with a look at the relationship between connection and suffering, and use a couple tools at our disposal to take a closer look at our individual roots.

We had a week sharing stories playing Story Stitch as a community, so it seemed like a great moment to catch an inaugural "scraps" with the New Guy! Enjoy! Some links from this episode: Green Card Voices: greencardvoices.org Fabric Staff Contacts: fabricmpls.com/staff Fabric Groups: fabricmpls.com/groups  

Curiosity about newbies is only natural! With Ian McConnell (the New Guy) talking about curiosity as a default posture toward new people and experiences, we took the opportunity to pose questions to Ian in an open Q&R (question and response) session.  Listen in and start getting to know Ian as he's getting to know Fabric!

“First days” are a rare thing indeed! We welcomed Ian McConnell and family to the Fabric community for their first Sunday with us and heard from Ian about who he is, what excites him and a little about what to expect from his "default posture." 

Like our breath, help becomes scarce when we stop letting it flow freely in and out. Wouldn’t it be great if the healthy giving and receiving of help became as instinctive as breathing? 

The kind of help that’s really helpful? It’s not fair! In this episode, Chris Lillehei helps us take a good look at how our tendencies to compare and keep score get in the way of giving and receiving the help that is so needed. 

What if asking for help is the most honest and important thing you do every day? Right next to offering it? Jesus said “Ask and it will be given...” If it was no big deal, he wouldn’t have gone on about it and we wouldn’t have to talk about it.  In this episode, Melissa Lock kicks off a conversation that helps us dig into what keeps the kind of help we really need from flowing more freely in our lives and world.

A stone with those ironic words carved into it has sat at the front of our gatherings for 17 years because being church isn’t about having the right beliefs or behaviors. It’s about the message that helps us be authentic to ourselves, each other, this world, and the 3rd Strand.  

Do you think God is the sort of thing that makes up rules for us to follow? Bored or insecure enough to play games?  This view of God that has crept into "church" is one of the big reasons Greg started Fabric to escape; helping us see the intrinsic unity we're part of.

One big piece of Greg’s pitching mound is his suspicion of answers. Responses however, well, Greg nearly always has something to say about anything. So this is a moment of him basically just fielding (or swinging at) your questions!