Posts from Mike Morrell

White Knuckle Love | April Stace

by Mike Morrell

January 14, 2021

The following is an excerpt from White Knuckle Love by April Stace. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. “God is an ASSHOLE,” she spits out at me, her e...

Feast of the Epiphany: What Will You Manifest?

by Mike Morrell

January 09, 2021

With the gifts of the magi and the looting of the capitol, we experienced two contrasting Epiphanies this week — one in sacred time, the other quite ‘profane.’ Yet they might lead us each to a similar place of sacred pause: to dr...

The Secret Origins of Santa Claus — Revealed!

by Mike Morrell

December 20, 2020

December sees not only Advent and the beginning of Christmas, but (appropriately enough) the Feast of Saint Nikolaos of Myra — aka Saint Nicholas! Born some 280 years after Jesus in Patara in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Nikol...

Divine Self-Investment | Tripp Fuller

by Mike Morrell

December 17, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Divine Self-Investment by Tripp Fuller. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. You are the Christ, Son of the Living God ...

The Galilee Episode | Ronald Goetz

by Mike Morrell

December 10, 2020

The following is an excerpt from The Galilee Episode by Ronald Goetz. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. What is new and noteworthy in The Galilee Epi...

Mentoring with Morgan | Karen Schlack

by Mike Morrell

December 08, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Mentoring with Morgan by Karen Schlack. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Our journey began the first day I preached...

The Hidden Gospel of Thomas | William G. Duffy

by Mike Morrell

December 03, 2020

The following is an excerpt from The Hidden Gospel of Thomas by William G. Duffy. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Saying 32 (32) Jesus said, “A cit...

The Tea Shop | Karl Forehand

by Mike Morrell

December 01, 2020

The following is an excerpt from The Tea Shop by Karl Forehand. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Invincible Preciousness When I go walking, occasion...

Idiot, Sojourning Soul | Justin Rosolino

by Mike Morrell

November 25, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Idiot, Sojourning Soul by Justin Rosolino. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. To a hammer, everything looks like a na...

Coronaspection | Alon Goshen-Gottstein

by Mike Morrell

November 12, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Coronaspection by Alon Goshen-Gottstein. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. What is Coronoa? Theological Formulations...

Ephesians and All that Jazz | Tom Anderson

by Mike Morrell

November 10, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Ephesians and All that Jazz by Tom Anderson. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Jazz is the best way I can describe w...

I Was Gone Long Before I Left | Peter Wilcox

by Mike Morrell

November 05, 2020

The following is an excerpt from I Was Gone Long Before I Left by Peter Wilcox. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Learning to Live with My Questions ...

The Courage to Go | Emily Dobberstein

by Mike Morrell

November 03, 2020

The following is an excerpt from The Courage to Go by Emily Dobberstein. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. In the Gray “We exited the park on the opp...

Partakers of the Life Divine | S. T. Kimbrough

by Mike Morrell

October 29, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Partakers of the Life Divine by S. T. Kimbrough. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. The Church and Participation in t...

A Name for Herself | K. A. Van Til

by Mike Morrell

October 27, 2020

The following is an excerpt from A Name for Herself by K. A. Van Til. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Visiting Grandma “You must have the ‘Q.’ Ther...

Nowhere to Go But Up | Kevin Ruffcorn

by Mike Morrell

October 06, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Nowhere to Go But Up by Kevin Ruffcorn. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Throughout Jesus’s ministry, he sought to ...

In the House of Friends | Ken Garrett

by Mike Morrell

October 01, 2020

The following is an excerpt from In the House of Friends by Ken Garrett. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Excerpt, In the House of Friends: understa...

Awakened by Grace | Darlene West

by Mike Morrell

September 29, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Awakened by Grace by Darlene West. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. FRANKLIN HURRIED TO THE FRONT DOOR. “Who is tha...

Carry the Fire: Talking God, permaculture, transhumanism and aliens with Dustin Kensrue!

by Mike Morrell

September 29, 2020

I love podcasts. So much so, that I’m always this close to starting my own. But I’ll be honest: what’s really fun is being on other people’s podcasts. Getting to talk with brilliant people about what most animates my spirit and i...

Anxiety healing: How I beat 20 years worth of panic attacks — in 10 days.

by Mike Morrell

September 24, 2020

You may have read last year (or even a decade ago, if we go waaay back) that I’d been suffering from debilitating panic attacks. I’ve experienced generalized anxiety on and off for my entire adult life, but for awhile last summer...

The world is on fire…

by Mike Morrell

September 20, 2020

“The world was on fire and no one could save me but you It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do…” Chris Issak‘s prophetic opening lyrics to 1989’s Wicked Game (which for me was a haunting, lovelorn anthem of the 90s,...

In Stillness Jesus Whispers | Linda Orber

by Mike Morrell

September 17, 2020

The following is an excerpt from In Stillness Jesus Whispers by Linda Orber. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Jesus, teach me to stay centered in th...

Walking Each Other Home | Peter Wilcox

by Mike Morrell

September 03, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Walking Each Other Home by Peter Wilcox. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Dear Colleen, The well-known English writ...

African Traditional Religion versus Christianity | Dmitry Usenco

by Mike Morrell

August 20, 2020

The following is an excerpt from African Traditional Religion versus Christianity by Dmitry Usenco. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. The main target...

Sitting with Spirits | Bob Doto

by Mike Morrell

August 12, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Sitting with Spirits by Bob Doto. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Community or Commodity? In America nothing reach...

The Miracle | The Diagnosis | Nathan Monk

by Mike Morrell

August 05, 2020

The following is an excerpt from The Miracle by Nathan Monk. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. I don’t remember leaving the doctor’s office or going ...

May She Have a Word with You? | S T Kimbrough, Jr.

by Mike Morrell

July 28, 2020

The following is an excerpt from May She Have a Word with You? by S T Kimbrough, Jr.. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Chapter 2 Tabitha/Dorcas (Act...

The Road to Joy | Kevin P. McClone

by Mike Morrell

July 21, 2020

The following is an excerpt from The Road to Joy by Kevin P. McClone. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Pathway #8 JOY Coming Home to Fullness of Lif...

Rumors of Grace: A Conversation with Bob Hutchins

by Mike Morrell

July 12, 2020

I had a great time chatting with Bob Hutchins on his Rumors of Grace podcast. In this episode, we talk about: The blessings and burdens of looking into the future (strategic foresight) Does contemplative practice and spirituality...

The Virus | A Tribe Called Red ft. Saul Williams, Chippewa Travellers

by Mike Morrell

July 12, 2020

This song — from A Tribe Called Red featuring Saul Williams and the Chippewa Travellers — feels prophetic from its release a few years back. Take this in: The Virus The people The virus took on many shapes The bear, the elk, the ...

Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints | Daneen Akers

by Mike Morrell

July 09, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints by Daneen Akers. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Rachel Held Evans pr...

The Light Way | Jessica Mutunga

by Mike Morrell

July 07, 2020

The following is an excerpt from The Light Way by Jessica Mutunga. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Herbs are a special category of food that deserv...

A Quiet Alchemy: Conversations on Encountering Silence

by Mike Morrell

June 24, 2020

A conversation on mysticism, crisis, and the future(s) of Christianity with Carl McColman, Cassidy Dale, and Kevin Johnson.

The Good Book of Mental Hygiene | Gary Bell

by Mike Morrell

June 02, 2020

The following is an excerpt from The Good Book of Mental Hygiene by Gary Bell. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. A Letter to the Narcissinians (The L...

God Our Mother: Where can She be Found?

by Mike Morrell

May 28, 2020

I was honored to be asked by my dear friend Sara Wilcox to bring a message on the Divine Feminine to Land of the Sky United Church of Christ, two weeks ago on Mother’s Day. This invitation led me into far waters of biblical schol...

Timeless Quaker Wisdom for this Perilous Present Moment: An interview with Paulette Meier

by Mike Morrell

May 08, 2020

I was recently able to talk to Quaker activist and singer Paulette Meier, about the spiritual and practical riches of the Society of Friends, and ways that all of us can find peace and grounding in this beautiful tradition. You’l...

Authentic Christianity | Peter Watts

by Mike Morrell

May 05, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Authentic Christianity by Peter Watts. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Clearing Our Lenses // Peter Watts I have m...

Quest of the Sapphire | A.E. Smith

by Mike Morrell

April 30, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Quest of the Sapphire by A. E. Smith. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Road to Jerusalem, a Farewell Letter, and Ar...

From Fundamentalism to Magical Purpose: Rebekah Berndt on Healing the Christian Lineage

by Mike Morrell

April 28, 2020

I recently sat down (virtually speaking) with my dear friend Rebekah Berndt. I’ve known Rebekah since our ’emerging church’ days, and I’m always inspired by what she’s up to. In this dialogue, we do a deep-dive on where her spiri...

On Satan, Demons and Psychiatry | Ragy Girgis

by Mike Morrell

April 22, 2020

The following is an excerpt from On Satan, Demons and Psychiatry by Ragy Girgis. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Jesus and the (Dis)possesed: The M...

We Love You, But You’re Going to Hell | Kim O’Reilly

by Mike Morrell

April 17, 2020

The following is an excerpt from We Love You, But You’re Going to Hell by Kim O’Reilly. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Coming Out to Myself My pro...

God is Alive, Magic is Afoot! | Leonard Cohen

by Mike Morrell

April 11, 2020

Life is challenging right now for so many of us. But when the principalities and powers speak their death-dealing “No!”, I’m so thankful that the One who sings us into life, even now, is responding with a resounding YES!  These a...

Reclaiming Our Political Roots | Yohan Hwang

by Mike Morrell

March 25, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Reclaiming Our Political Roots by Yohan Hwang. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. …Is it bad that people have more in...

Spiritual Truth in the Age of Fake News | Elizabeth Geitz

by Mike Morrell

March 12, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Spiritual Truth in the Age of Fake News by Elizabeth Geitz. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Preface Every morning ...

Transfiguration on the Other Side of Hell.

by Mike Morrell

February 27, 2020

Have you ever had one of those weeks? I just did. It started last Friday. In the course of seven days… Toxic mold was discovered in our rental home, and our landlords gave us 30 days to move so that they could clean it. My wife s...

Power of the Creed | Mark Nauroth

by Mike Morrell

February 11, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Power of the Creed by Mark Nauroth. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Foreword: Are We One Body, or Aren’t We? “What...

The Green Good News | T. Wilson Dickinson

by Mike Morrell

February 06, 2020

The following is an excerpt from The Green Good News by T. Wilson Dickinson. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Jesus Christ, Radical Environmentalist...

Running for Our Lives | Robb Ryerse

by Mike Morrell

January 30, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Running for Our Lives by Robb Ryerse. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. The experiment of Congress Camp called into ...

Honest to Goodness | Martin Prozesky

by Mike Morrell

January 16, 2020

The following is an excerpt from Honest to Goodness by Martin Prozesky. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Overview of a Goodness-based Faith The most...

There’s a God in My Closet | Ben DeLong

by Mike Morrell

January 07, 2020

The following is an excerpt from There’s a God in My Closet by Ben DeLong. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. I don’t do well with tense situations, p...

Freedom through Movement.

by Mike Morrell

December 10, 2019

When I recently shared about my life-long struggle with anxiety, it hit a nerve with so many of you. And when I shared that a subtle, little-known movement modality called Feldenkrais has been one powerful tool I use to ‘drop in’...

A Messy and Beautiful Thanksgiving.

by Mike Morrell

November 28, 2019

I’m having complicated feelings this Thanksgiving. While there may have indeed been pockets of genuine hospitality and mutual material and cultural exchange between early ‘pilgrims’ and indigenous inhabitants of this land, our su...

Daring to Think Again | David Brisbin

by Mike Morrell

November 26, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Daring to Think Again by David Brisbin. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Freefall Trust Before you jump, you can kn...

Beware of Hypocrisy | Robert Waligurski

by Mike Morrell

November 19, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Beware of Hypocrisy by Robert Waligurski. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Churches and Money What Jesus Says about...

Unbusy | Andy Dragt

by Mike Morrell

November 14, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Unbusy by Andy Dragt. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. To me, it seems obvious to think of time as a flow system. T...

Grief 2 Growth | Brian D. Smith

by Mike Morrell

November 12, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Grief 2 Growth by Brian D. Smith. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Grief is a universal human emotion. If you live ...

The ‘Secret’ Origins of the Enneagram—Revealed!

by Mike Morrell

November 07, 2019

The Enneagram of Personality has been captivating communities of seekers for decades now, and seems to have only become more popular in recent years. But a fair amount of confusion persists, about just what it is, where it comes ...

Blessed is the Man | an interview with Dale Fredrickson

by Mike Morrell

November 07, 2019

During the height of the much-needed #MeToo reckoning, I wrote a reflection that’s turned out to be my post popular online writing to-date, with over 20,000 shares: An Open Letter to my Brothers in light of #MeToo. In it, I name ...

I’m Not Always Okay (And that’s OK.)

by Mike Morrell

October 30, 2019

40 years. As of today, that’s how long I’ve roamed this earth. If you happen to be older than me you might chuckle at what I’m about to say, but if you’re younger, consider this: It feels a bit surreal to span decades—like a tiny...

Journey of the Pearl | A. E. Smith

by Mike Morrell

October 29, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Journey of the Pearl by A. E. Smith. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. The men had stopped their games and grown qui...

The Faithful Spy | John Hendrix

by Mike Morrell

October 24, 2019

The following is a preview from The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Download a Preview PDF → Praise for The Faithful ...

The Map Is Not the Journey | Richard Dahlstrom

by Mike Morrell

October 10, 2019

The following is an excerpt from The Map Is Not the Journey by Richard Dahlstrom. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. If success is a mountain, I’m an ...

Empathy or Entropy? The Promise of Christian Transhumanism.

by Mike Morrell

October 06, 2019

In The Empathic Civilization, Jeremy Rifkin summarized the millennia-long human drive of innovation as a race between entropy and empathy. Which is winning? And can the wonders promised by the Transhumanist movement help, or hurt?

Last Stop on the Z Train | Jason Storbakken

by Mike Morrell

October 03, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Last Stop on the Z Train by Jason Storbakken. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Marcos Meets the Millers The Miller ...

A Field Guide to Relationships | Christopher T. Rogers

by Mike Morrell

September 26, 2019

The following is an excerpt from A Field Guide to Relationships by Christopher T. Rogers. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. TOOL #9: 1-2-3-4-HELP We ...

The Old Testament Case for Nonviolence | Matthew Curtis Fleischer

by Mike Morrell

September 24, 2019

The following is an excerpt from The Old Testament Case for Nonviolence by Matthew Curtis Fleischer. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Nonviolence Wa...

The Mystery of Suffering and the Meaning of God | Anson Hugh Laytner

by Mike Morrell

September 19, 2019

The following is an excerpt from The Mystery of Suffering and the Meaning of God by Anson Hugh Laytner. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Each of us ...

The Call of the Mourning Dove | Stephanie Rutt

by Mike Morrell

September 17, 2019

The following is an excerpt from The Call of the Mourning Dove by Stephanie Rutt. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Excerpt from the Preface I always...

A Skeptic’s Guide to Belief | Ken Crispin

by Mike Morrell

September 10, 2019

The following is an excerpt from A Skeptic’s Guide to Belief by Ken Crispin. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. “Not all who cling to unquestioned bel...

Reborn Again | Christopher VanHall

by Mike Morrell

September 05, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Reborn Again by Christopher VanHall. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Idols Traditional liturgical components do no...

Perfect and Forgiven | Zach Maldonado

by Mike Morrell

August 26, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Perfect and Forgiven by Zach Maldonado. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. I’ve been hurt deeply. I’ve experienced th...

What I do when I’m feeling overwhelmed. (Hint: It’s less.)

by Mike Morrell

August 20, 2019

“Try doing less, Mike.” I’m on the floor yet again. These four words are a frequent refrain I hear in Lavinia’s Awareness Through Movement® Feldenkrais class. Usually followed by something like “What would it be like to be easier...

Coming In | Urs Mattmann

by Mike Morrell

August 01, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Coming In by Urs Mattmann. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Introduction In its original edition, Coming In was the...

Relational Reality | L.E. Bailey Boydston

by Mike Morrell

July 31, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Relational Reality by L.E. Bailey Boydston. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. We are the very reflection of the Crea...

Talking with Mona Haydar about God, the Universe, and Everything: The Wild Goose Festival

by Mike Morrell

July 17, 2019

Whew! I’m just returning from four days of fun in the sun (and rain) at the spirituality, justice, and arts oriented Wild Goose Festival in beautiful (but humid, this year) Hot Springs, North Carolina. This was my tenth time part...

A Riff of Love | Greg Jarrell

by Mike Morrell

July 10, 2019

The following is an excerpt from A Riff of Love by Greg Jarrell. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Prologue: Track 01 Right now I am doing exactly wh...

Call and Response | Fran Pratt

by Mike Morrell

July 04, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Call and Response by Fran Pratt. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Litany for the Midwives From the Author:This lita...

Worship as Community Drama | Pierre Hegy

by Mike Morrell

July 03, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Worship as Community Drama by Pierre Hegy. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. A Sunday Mass at Notre Dame of Paris Ar...

Not My Jesus | Bob Fabey

by Mike Morrell

June 25, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Not My Jesus by Bob Fabey. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. A narrow perspective on who Christ is could lead us to ...

Can you tell me what you think? (First annual readers’ survey!)

by Mike Morrell

June 23, 2019

Hi friend, Thanks so much for reading this humble blog. With everything you else you doubtless receive and could be reading, I don’t take it for granted that you let me visit your screen. I’ve come to realize that the weeks in wh...

Discovering Our Inner Nobility | Matthew Fox

by Mike Morrell

June 05, 2019

Today we have a beautiful guest-reflection from Matthew Fox: The Hebrew Scriptures speak of royal personhood being a sign of the messianic times.  For example, Psalm 2 sings: “You are my son, today I have begotten you.” Psalm 110...

Grace Revealed | Fred Sievert

by Mike Morrell

May 25, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Grace Revealed by Fred Sievert. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. My prayer is that every child would grow up in a l...

Through the Kaleidoscope | Elizabeth Jeffries

by Mike Morrell

May 22, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Through the Kaleidoscope by Elizabeth Jeffries. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Through the Kaleidoscope: How Expl...

Where the Colors Blend | Stephen Copeland

by Mike Morrell

May 22, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Where the Colors Blend by Stephen Copeland. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. From Chapter 16, “Fog” in Where the Co...

The Feedback Loop of the Mystic | John and Christine Brighton

by Mike Morrell

May 21, 2019

The following is an excerpt from The Feedback Loop of the Mystic by John and Christine Brighton. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. We are given a pre...

A Good Look at Evil | Abigail Rosenthal

by Mike Morrell

May 15, 2019

The following is an excerpt from A Good Look at Evil by Abigail Rosenthal. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. A GOOD LOOK AT EVIL takes a view of good...

If you’re sad about Rachel Held Evans (and other un-answered prayers).

by Mike Morrell

May 05, 2019

If you haven’t heard, or if you need confirming that it wasn’t all a terrible dream, Rachel Held Evans—beloved author, truth-teller, and icon for a generous Christianity—passed away yesterday morning, after a brief and unexpected...

Catching Your Breath | Steve Austin

by Mike Morrell

April 29, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Catching Your Breath by Steve Austin. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. My 5th-grade teacher, Terri Nobles, had a 2×...

Stand Up For Justice, Freedom, and Love | Chasing My Father | Agatha Nolen

by Mike Morrell

April 24, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Chasing My Father by Agatha Nolen. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. You are the indispensable agent of change. You ...

I Know What Heaven Looks Like | Lawrence T. Richardson

by Mike Morrell

April 23, 2019

The following is an excerpt from I Know What Heaven Looks Like by Lawrence T. Richardson. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. From chapter 1 of I Know ...

Something Strange Is Happening (Holy Saturday)

by Mike Morrell

April 20, 2019

I slept, but my heart was awake. Listen! my beloved is knocking. “Open to me…” (Song of Songs 5:2a) It’s the saturday after Jesus’ crucifixion. His body lies in the grave; his apprentices are devastated or in shock. But what else...

The Interfaith Family Journal | Susan Katz Miller

by Mike Morrell

April 03, 2019

The following is an excerpt from The Interfaith Family Journal by Susan Katz Miller. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Introduction I come from a gre...

Psychedelic Christianity | The Unforgivable Sin? | Jack Call

by Mike Morrell

April 01, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Psychedelic Christianity by Jack Call. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. We are all sinners because there are always...

Why Does Christian Music Suck? | Impolite Questions for a Generous God | Jeremy Armstrong

by Mike Morrell

March 28, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Impolite Questions for a Generous God by Jeremy Armstrong. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. As a one-time Christian...

Finding God in the Margins | Carolyn Custis James

by Mike Morrell

March 25, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Finding God in the Margins by Carolyn Custis James. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Unlocking the Power of the Boo...

A Resurrection Shaped Life | Growing Beyond Our Past | Jake Owensby

by Mike Morrell

March 19, 2019

The following is an excerpt from A Resurrection Shaped Life by Jake Owensby. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Despite the heat and humidity of late-...

Putting on the Breastplate of St. Patrick: A 21-Day Challenge

by Mike Morrell

March 17, 2019

Today is the Feast of Saint Patrick—or Lá Fhéile Pádraig, “the Day of the Festival of Patrick.” It’s a time many around the world celebrate by wearing green, eating and drinking terribly-dyed green things. But on a deeper level, ...

Love, God | Deborah J. Simmons-Roslak and Linda J. Orber

by Mike Morrell

March 14, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Love, God by Deborah J. Simmons-Roslak and Linda J. Orber. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. “Happiness is our natur...

When Straight Christians Reject our LGBTQ Siblings: An Open Letter to the United Methodist Church

by Mike Morrell

March 04, 2019

Dear United Methodist Friend, I’ve never been one of your number, though I’ve always been a fan. I grew up Pentecostal (among other things), where we found your personal and social holiness traditions to be fertile soil to grow o...

Good Blood | K. C. Pastore

by Mike Morrell

February 05, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Good Blood by K. C. Pastore. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Five men dressed in black suits lounged at the far en...

When God Was A Bird | Mark I. Wallace

by Mike Morrell

January 22, 2019

The following is an excerpt from When God Was A Bird by Mark I. Wallace. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. The Singing Monk of the Crum Woods Today t...

Future Facing Faith: From Overwhelm to Insight

by Mike Morrell

January 22, 2019

Life is hard. If I want to relate to life’s spiritual dimension in a way that embraces—rather than evades—life, generative spirituality unfolds for me along three axes: Generative spirituality is rooted in the past. Those who hav...

Jewish And Christian Views On Bodily Pleasure | Robert Cherry

by Mike Morrell

January 17, 2019

The following is an excerpt from Jewish And Christian Views On Bodily Pleasure by Robert Cherry. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. The Religious Sett...

The Disfiguration Of Nature | James G. Krueger

by Mike Morrell

January 08, 2019

The following is an excerpt from The Disfiguration Of Nature by James G. Krueger. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Preface An addicted man has littl...

The Grace of the Present Moment: Talking to Alexander John Shaia

by Mike Morrell

December 25, 2018

I hope you’ve been having a restful and reflective season. And, I realize that, for many of us, this has been a difficult season – whether simply feeling the weight of national and global tensions and tragedies, or the pain often...

Personal God, Loving Evolution: My Conversation with Ilia Delio

by Mike Morrell

December 20, 2018

As part of our prelude to the Cosmic Campfire Gathering this February 1-2 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (co-hosted with Tripp Fuller of Homebrewed Christianity and ‘Science’ Mike McHargue of The Liturgists), I got to sit down wi...

The INTRAfaith Conversation | Susan Strouse

by Mike Morrell

December 18, 2018

The following is an excerpt from The INTRAfaith Conversation by Susan Strouse. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. What is an intrafaith conversation a...

The Seventh Story | Gareth Higgins and Brian McLaren

by Mike Morrell

December 10, 2018

The following is an excerpt from The Seventh Story, a brand-new release from Gareth Higgins and Brian McLaren about the six stories that divide us and the Seventh Story that unites. It’s paired with a unique, beautifully-illustra...

Atonement and the New Perspective | Stephen Burnhope

by Mike Morrell

December 06, 2018

The following is an excerpt from Atonement and the New Perspective by Stephen Burnhope. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Salvation through the atoni...

All Creation Radiant: My Conversation with Matthew Fox

by Mike Morrell

December 02, 2018

As part of our ongoing Cosmic Campfire Book Club with Tripp Fuller of Homebrewed Christianity and ‘Science’ Mike McHargue of The Liturgists, I got to sit down with one of my all-time heroes, Matthew Fox: In our conversation, Matt...

God: Ever-New And Ancient (Naming the Unnamable) | Matthew Fox

by Mike Morrell

November 15, 2018

How many names for Divinity are there? Do the names for God change? Ought they change as humans evolve and as circumstances of life evolve around us? Matthew Fox reveals the urgent need for ancient-future names of God.

Re-Thinking Hellfire for a Christianity Without Insanity | Boyd Purcell

by Mike Morrell

November 10, 2018

In religious literature, suffering and punishment in fire are symbolic of the spiritually corrective nature of metaphorical fire. A literal interpretation of the symbolism of fire is a major cause of fear, spiritual insanity, and...

God in My Head? | Josh Grisetti

by Mike Morrell

November 09, 2018

The following is an excerpt from God in My Head, Josh Grisetti’s divine dialogue memoir with blunt comic undertones. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers...

Our Resistance, My Resistance: Enough for the Whole World | Making America Great Again | David N Moore

by Mike Morrell

November 06, 2018

  The following is an excerpt of Making America Great Again, a winsome and prophetic text by David N Moore. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review copies available for qualified reviewers. Our Res...

What Is Christian Mysticism? | Matthew Fox | The Lotus and the Rose

by Mike Morrell

November 01, 2018

What happens when a Tibetan Buddhist lama and a Christian minister sit down to talk? And not just any lama and minister, but a renegade Catholic priest silenced by the Church for his progressive and inclusive beliefs and an Ameri...

An Immanent God Meets Us in Our Pain: Science Mike & ‘Mystic’ Mike Mix it Up!

by Mike Morrell

October 29, 2018

A few days ago, before the sold-out Evolving Faith Conference kicked off at Montreat, ‘Science’ Mike McHargue and I were able to grab an hour together to talk about some of our most vulnerable experiences with God, and how these ...

When You Quote the Bible At Me | Leatherbound Terrorism | Chris Kratzer

by Mike Morrell

October 26, 2018

The following is an excerpt of Leatherbound Terrorism, Chris Kratzer‘s incisive and confessional memoir-manifesto about life in Christ after evangelicalism. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited review ...

Are you Kidding Me? | A Gracious Heresy | Connie Tuttle

by Mike Morrell

October 24, 2018

Becoming a prophet is not a career option. Children will tell you they want to be a teacher, doctor, lawyer, or firefighter when they grow up but never, as far as I know, a prophet. When you get right down to it, there is nowhere...

Brother John: A Monk, a Pilgrim and the Purpose of Life | August Turak

by Mike Morrell

October 18, 2018

The following is an excerpt of Brother John: A Monk, a Pilgrim and the Purpose of Life, an award-winning true story about the surprising power of generosity – now beautifully illustrated in an all-ages rendering. It’s a featured ...

Making All Things Whole through Love | Ryan Kuja (From the Inside Out)

by Mike Morrell

September 28, 2018

The following is an excerpt of From The Inside Out: Reimagining Mission, Recreating the World, Ryan Kuja’s potent critique of missionary colonialism envisions a hope-filled future. It’s a Speakeasy selection, and there are still ...

The ‘Lost’ Colony of Roanoke: A 400-Year Coverup? | Andrew Lawler

by Mike Morrell

September 01, 2018

In 1587, 115 men, women, and children arrived at Roanoke Island on the coast of North Carolina. Chartered by Queen Elizabeth I, their colony was to establish England’s first foothold in the New World. But when the colony’s leader...

The Urgent Need of Our Time: An Order of the Sacred Earth | Matthew Fox, Skylar Wilson & Jennifer Berit Listug

by Mike Morrell

August 28, 2018

The following is an excerpt of Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action, a compelling anthology of Creation Spirituality, applied. It’s a featured Speakeasy selection, and there are still limited ...

Mustard Seeds and Storied Soil | Andrea Lingle (Credulous)

by Mike Morrell

August 02, 2018

There were a million reasons to leave. But she didn’t. Faith deconstruction—asking questions and finding that religion doesn’t do a good job of answering them—has become a well-documented phenomenon within Christianity. Studies s...

Crying Out for Love: Life in the Overflow | Chuck Ammons

by Mike Morrell

July 01, 2018

Mike’s note: The following guest-post by Chuck Ammons is excerpted by his heart-felt exploration of abundant living, Life in the Overflow – a Speakeasy selection. If you review books for your blog, podcast, or are an Amazon/Goodr...

Blessed are the Bucket-Poopers: Life at the End of Us vs Them | Marcus Rempel

by Mike Morrell

June 27, 2018

Mike’s note: The following guest-post by Marcus Rempel is excerpted by his eclectic collection of delightfully subversive essays, Life at the End of Us Vs. Them: Cross Culture Stories – a Speakeasy selection. If you review books ...

Occult Christianity? The Western Mystery Tradition and Esoteric Protestantism | Jason Louv

by Mike Morrell

June 22, 2018

Mike’s note: The following guest-post by Jason Louv is inspired by his ground-breaking historical tome, John Dee and the Empire of Angels: Enochian Magick and the Occult Roots of the Modern World. Here Jason looks at how Christia...

Consciousness or Collapse? | A New Republic of the Heart | Terry Patten

by Mike Morrell

June 18, 2018

Mike’s note: The following is inspired by Terry Patten’s gripping, visionary volume, A New Republic of the Heart: An Ethos for Revolutionaries – A Guide to Inner Work for Holistic Change – still available in limited quantities to...

A Spirituality of Wildness | The Great Re-Imagining | Theodore Richards

by Mike Morrell

June 11, 2018

Mike’s note: The following is inspired by Theodore Richards‘ haunting, insightful tome, The Great Re-imagining Spirituality in an Age of Apocalypse – still available in limited quantities to qualified reviewers via Speakeasy! Amo...

Hamilton the Musical: What Hath God Wrought? | Kevin Cloud

by Mike Morrell

June 09, 2018

Mike’s note: The following is based on the introduction of Kevin Cloud’s insightful, multi-layered book, God and Hamilton – still available for a limited number of reviewers via Speakeasy! Our collective cultural ignorance about ...

The Words Of The Candle | Naim Frashëri

by Mike Morrell

May 07, 2018

Here among you have I risen, And aflame am I now blazing, Just a bit of light to give you, That I change your night to daytime I’ll combust and I will wither, Be consumed and be extinguished, Just to give you brightness, vision, ...

Heart and Mind Key 5: The Four-Gospel Journey & Sunday Reading Cycle | Alexander John Shaia

by Mike Morrell

February 22, 2018

Mike’s note: This is part of a guest series by Alexander John Shaia, sharing his insights gleaned from a lifetime of studying (and living) personal transformation, closely based on his explosive book Heart and Mind. Want to meet ...

What I’m giving up for Lent this year.

by Mike Morrell

February 14, 2018

  Lent falls on Valentine’s Day this year in the Western calendar, and Easter falls on April Fool’s. This feels about right for our current cultural moment, no? I don’t always observe the liturgical calendar of “church seasons”: ...

Heart and Mind Key 4: The Way—A Fourfold Journey of Transformation | Alexander John Shaia

by Mike Morrell

February 13, 2018

Mike’s note: This is part of a guest series by Alexander John Shaia, sharing his insights gleaned from a lifetime of studying (and living) personal transformation, closely based on his explosive book Heart and Mind. Want to meet ...

Heart and Mind Key 3: Four Historical Dilemmas + The Gospel of Here and Now | Alexander John Shaia

by Mike Morrell

February 11, 2018

Mike’s note: This is part of a guest series by Alexander John Shaia, sharing his insights gleaned from a lifetime of studying (and living) personal transformation, closely based on his explosive book Heart and Mind. Want to meet ...

Heart and Mind Key 2: Paul’s Eternal Witness | Alexander John Shaia

by Mike Morrell

February 05, 2018

Mike’s note: This is part of a guest series by Alexander John Shaia, sharing his insights gleaned from a lifetime of studying (and living) personal transformation, closely based on his explosive book Heart and Mind. Want to meet ...

Heart and Mind Key 1: The Great Name—Jesus The Christ | Alexander John Shaia

by Mike Morrell

February 02, 2018

Mike’s note: This is part of a guest series by Alexander John Shaia, sharing his insights gleaned from a lifetime of studying (and living) personal transformation, closely based on his explosive book Heart and Mind. Want to meet ...

A Whole New Devil | Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew (Living Revision)

by Mike Morrell

February 02, 2018

Mike’s note: This month, Speakeasy is highlighting the release of spiritual memoirist Elizabeth Jarrett Andrews‘ beautiful, illuminating guide to writing: Living Revision. Enjoy this excerpt as you reflect on the ways to revise y...

Holy Heretics, Batman! (Two Opportunities to Get Together Soon)

by Mike Morrell

February 01, 2018

Two spiky-haired dudes (one of whom being the incomparable Jon Scott) get together and talk about the collapse of empathy in America, the remedy of authentic connection, practicing the presence of each other, and doing what makes...

Heart and Mind: Five Keys to Unlocking Gospel Transformation | Alexander John Shaia

by Mike Morrell

January 30, 2018

Mike’s note: This is part of a guest series by Alexander John Shaia, sharing his insights gleaned from a lifetime of studying (and living) personal transformation, closely based on his explosive book Heart and Mind. Want to meet ...

Rethinking the Bible – Faith, Doubt, and Seven Nonviolent Stories | Anthony Bartlett

by Mike Morrell

January 25, 2018

Mike’s note: This is a Speakeasy-inspired guest-post from Seven Stories: How to Study and Teach the Nonviolent Bible, by my dear friend Anthony Bartlett.  Many Christians have to go through a time and experience of atheism, becau...

A Chance to Redefine

by Mike Morrell

January 01, 2018

It’s a new year, friend. And what a previous year it’s been. I, for one, resolve to remember the lessons of this past year while letting go of their trauma, Savoring the relationships while releasing the heartbreak; Celebrating t...

Posts from Mike Morrell