Podcast Archives - Matthew Clark
Singer / Songwriter / Storyteller
30 episodes
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weekly cadence
English language
https://www.matthewclark.net/category/podcast/feed/
Episodes
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Singer / Songwriter / Storyteller
Reading the feed…
Meet poet, priest, scholar and essayist for "Where the River Goes," Malcolm Guite. Malcolm chose song number eleven from the album called "The Dream of God" and wrote an epic closing essay for The Well Trilogy about the great joy set before us: the Beatific Vision of Christ's shining face when he returns and God's dream for this world comes true, as all things are made new. The post S6:E35 – Where the River Goes: Malcolm Guite, “Full-eyed Love” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
This week, meet Ned Bustard and his late wife, Leslie. Together they created Square Halo books, hosted conferences, and produced enormous amounts of visual art, poetry, and beauty. Ned took up the task of finishing an essay Leslie started for "Where the River Goes. Before she passed, she had chosen song number ten from the album, called "Rise." Ned and Leslie's joint essay points toward Jesus, the King of Beauty, who will come again and make all things new. The post S6:E34 – Where the River Goes: Ned and Leslie Bustard, “Toward a Harvest of Beauty” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Meet author, songwriter, speaker and essayist for "Where the River Goes," Douglas Kaine McKelvey. Doug chose song number nine from the album called "Almost Time" and wrote a deeply honest and beautiful essay reflecting on the costly nature of staying engaged in real hope. The post S6:E33 – Where the River Goes: Douglas Kaine McKelvey, “What is Not Costly is Not Hope” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Meet educator, author, mom, and essayist for "Where the River Goes," Nicole Marie Howe. Nicole chose song number nine from the album called "Strong Man" and wrote beautiful personal essay reflecting on childhood experiences of disappointment in God, and how the Great King Jesus bends down low as a humble servant to attend the grief of those old painful prayers. The post S6:E32 – Where the River Goes: Nicole Howe, “Prayers in Neon Chalk” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Meet George MacDonald Scholar, Christian ecologist, retreat host and essayist for "Where the River Goes," Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson. Kirstin chose song number seven from the album called "Sing like you did" and wrote an astonishing poetic essay on the God of Creation and our response to his call on us to enter into the work of New Creation already underway. The post S6:E31 – Where the River Goes: Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson, “Also” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Meet educator, literary scholar, and essaysist for "Where the River Goes," Esther Moon. Esther chose song number six from the album, the title track, called "Where the River Goes" and wrote a wonderful essay incorporating insightful water imagery in Shakespeare, hilarious personal worst-vacation stories, and hope right where we feel like we're drowning. The post S6:E30 – Where the River Goes: Esther Moon, “Sea-Changed” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Meet writer, father, programmer and essayist for "Where the River Goes," Micah Hawkinson. Micah chose song number five from the album called "Even at the Grave" and wrote a beautiful essay on foster care, hard goodbyes, and the hope we have in Jesus Christ even as we stand at the graveside. The post S6:E29 – Where the River Goes: Micah Hawkinson, “One Short Sleep” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Meet editor, teacher, mentor, and essayist for "Where the River Goes," Elisabeth Adams. Elisabeth chose song number four from the album called "The Last Enemy" and wrote a courageous essay about navigating many different seasons of loss and grief, faithful lament, and the ways Jesus accompanies us in and through death. The post S6:E28 – Where the River Goes: Elisabeth Adams, “There in a Minute” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Meet jazz composer and performer, educator, and essayist for "Where the River Goes," Ruth Naomi Floyd. Ruth chose song number three from the album called "Where the Morning Dawns" and wrote a powerful essay about human dignity, accompaniment in grief, hearing the blues song Jesus sings at the cross, and the astonishing joy that travels with us in the night all the way to the dawn. The post S6:E27 – Where the River Goes: Ruth Naomi Floyd, “From Darkness to Dawn” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Meet illustrator, singer/songwriter, mother, teacher and essaysist for "Where the River Goes," Rachel Mosley. Rachel chose song number two from the album called "Today" and wrote a wonderful essay about family life, feelings of being on the outside of things, and the surprising invitation of God to find ourselves delighted-in. Find more of Rachel's work at rachelmosley.com The post S6:E26 – Where the River Goes: Rachel Mosley, “The Father’s Joy” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Meet professor, scholar, and essayist for "Where the River Goes," Dr. Steven Beebe. Steven chose the first song on the album, "How Long?" and wrote a very honest personal essay exploring, in a world aching for rescue from all kinds of death, the Christian hope for all things to be made new. The post S6:E25 – Where the River Goes: Steven Beebe, “Longing for Home” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
This week, please welcome my friend Stefanie Peters. Stefanie is an Editor at Library of America in New York City, where she has worked to preserve the writings of Wendell Berry, Jonathan Edwards, Margaret Fuller, Ernest Gaines, Madeleine L’Engle, and Ursula K. Le Guin, among others. She earned an MA in English from University College London (UK) and a BA in English from The Ohio State University. Her writing can be found at stefaniepeters.com and stefaniepeters.substack.com and on Instagram @scpeters. The post S6:E24 – Stefanie Peters, “Walking into a Psalm” appeared first on Matthew Clark.
The last week or two I’ve been on the road for some work and some visits, which means I’ve been spending more time in my camper van, which is a converted Sprinter called “Vandalf the White.” This week, I’m musing on the child’s impulse to build forts, how our imaginations are populated by the stories and people we grew up with, and the healing offered by creative processes. The post S6:E23 – On the Building of Forts appeared first on Matthew Clark.
This week, since I was down in Florida for the Mere Christians C.S. Lewis Conference and thinking about stories, I couldn’t help but remember this same time last year when Vandalf the White had a massive breakdown on the way to this same event! Stressful as it was, it turned out to be an occasion for Jesus to kind of overwhelm me with kindness. In the moment, we may not feel like we’re in an interesting story, but sometimes we get little hints that we are being woven into a great tapestry of meaning. The post S6:E22 – The invisible threads of our stories appeared first on Matthew Clark.
This week, in City Walls, Part 2, I’m exploring the ways we try to manage our fear of vulnerability by mitigating risk through simulated life, whether it’s by hiding behind the wall of a screen, or shaping our lives around the idol of self-protection. How might God be inviting us outside our walls to join him in a riskier, but real, loving relationality? The post S6:E21 – City Walls, pt 2 appeared first on Matthew Clark.
...But wait, there's more! It's still Easter, or Easter-tide, all the way till Pentecost on May 24th! So, today I'm sharing two interrelated readings on the theme of Easter Joy. One from Alexander Schmemann that I'll read, and one from Lewis's "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" read beautifully and joyfully by Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson. We may weep, yes, but since Christ has come we have a "secret strength" and participate in a "deeper magic". This changes everything. The post S6:E20 – Easter: Secret Strength and Deeper Magic appeared first on Matthew Clark.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Well, friends, thank so much for walking through this week with me. I've really needed it, personally. In this last Holy Week episode, Amy Baik Lee will read her piece "In the space of a single word", Son of Laughter (Chris Slaten) will sing "The Gardener", Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson will read John Updike's poem "Seven Stanzas at Easter", and Brian Brian will close us with a prayer. "One Thousand Words" will be back as usual every Monday. The post S6:E20: Holy Week: Easter Sunday appeared first on Matthew Clark.
What do we do with this strange, suspended Saturday? This in-between time, this "Nondum" or "not-yet" time, after Jesus's death but before his Resurrection? For his first followers there was no certainty of what was to come. Surely, this silent Saturday is a part of Jesus's gift to us, too, right along with Friday and Sunday? I'll talk a little about that, read a poem, Taylor Leonhardt will share an original poem and her song "Lights gone out", and Brian Brown will close us in prayer. Join us again tomorrow on "One Thousand Words". The post S6:E19 – Holy Week: Saturday, The Gift of the Quiet I
This is Crucifixion Day, Good Friday. This is a hard day, because Jesus’s brutalized face, faces us with the truth about ourselves - asking us to face him with our true faces, and discover that an unexpected new life is possible in Him. Amy Lee will share "The Blood-bought gift of loneliness", I'll sing a song, and Brian Brown will read T.S. Eliot's "East Coker IV" and close us in prayer. Join us every day this week on "One Thousand Words". The post S6:E18 – Holy Week: Good Friday appeared first on Matthew Clark.
It's Maundy Thursday. "Maundy" means mandate or command, and this is the day Jesus washes his disciples' feet and mandates that they love as he has loved them. The Last Supper takes place today, after which Jesus prays at Gethsemane in anguish as his disciples fall asleep. Then he is betrayed with a kiss and arrested. Today, Chris Slaten (Son of Laughter) will sing for us, we'll hear from Amy Baik Lee who will also read a G.M. Hopkins poem, I'll sing a song, and Brian Brown will close us in prayer. Join us every day this week. The post S6:E17 – Holy Week: Maundy Thursday appeared first on Matt
On this Wednesday of Holy Week, I wonder how lonely Jesus felt? No one really gets what he's doing. But then Mary breaks the jar of costly perfume. She gets it somehow, and is promptly attacked by the others for her "foolishness". Today, we'll look at Mary's beautiful act, Taylor Leonhardt will sing a Mission House song, my friend Grace Craddock will read George Herbert, and Brian Brown will close us in prayer. Join us every day this week on "One Thousand Words". The post S6:E16 – Holy Week: Wednesday, Mary Does a Beautiful Thing appeared first on Matthew Clark.
On this Tuesday of Holy Week, I'm trying something different. I'm sharing a fictional imagining of Jesus as he camps outside Jerusalem, remembering the promises made to Abraham so long ago and how they are about to be fulfilled, finally in himself. I'll also share a song, Malcolm Guite will read a sonnet, and Brian Brown will close us in prayer. Join us every day this week as we walk our story together with Jesus. The post S6:E15 – Holy Week: Tuesday, Remembering Abraham appeared first on Matthew Clark.
This Monday of Holy Week, we continue walking with Jesus to the cross. So far he's wept over Jerusalem, entered to short-lived praise, and now he makes his way to the City's broken heart, the Temple. I'll share a reflection and a song, Malcolm Guite will recite a sonnet, and Brian Brown of the Anselm Society will close us in prayer. Join us every day this week. The post S6:E14 – Holy Week: Monday, Cleansing the Temple appeared first on Matthew Clark.
This is Palm Sunday. Our Story begins today with Jesus, having resolutely turned his face toward Jerusalem, entering that City to shouts of praise that he knows will quickly change to shouts of condemnation. But He knows exactly what he is doing; he has come to die. I'll read a passage from Frederick Buechner and sing a song, Malcolm Guite will read one of his sonnets, and Brian Brown will pray from the Book of Common Prayer to close. Join me and my friends every day this week for this special Holy Week series. The post S6:E13 – Holy Week: Palm Sunday appeared first on Matthew Clark.
This week, I’m looking at a contrast the folks at Bible Project brought up between God providing Adam with an Ezer (strong delivering ally) in Eve against Cain who, in fear of vulnerability, built a wall (city) around himself. Will I trust God’s way of relationality (which requires vulnerability)? Or wall myself off like Cain? The post S6:E12 – City Walls, pt 1 appeared first on Matthew Clark.
