Postconsumer Reports Podcast

Mitch McVicker is a singer-songwriter and musician who's released 7 full length albums over the span of his career. He won the Dove award for "Song of the Year" for co-writing "My Deliver" with Rich Mullins. In our chat we talked about his latest album The Grey: When black and white fade, about being a do-it-yourself touring musician, and what it was like playing himself in the Ragamuffin film. Find out more at McVicker's website: http://mitchmcvicker.com/

Vicky Matthews is the Executive Director of Choices Women's Clinic in Orlando Florida and the president of Life Steward Ministries (http://www.choiceswomensclinic.com/ & http://www.lifestewardministries.org/). Vicky travels around the country speaking about and raising funds for women's pregnancy centers, while also serving as the director of her own center. In our conversation we discuss the pro-life movement, changes that are being made in pregnancy centers, and the challenge set before the Church to help pregnant women in need and the unborn children in our communities. It's some thought provoking material worthy of consideration. 

Dr. Melody Green, Dean of Urbana Theological Seminary, is the organizer of the 5th annual Tolkien Conference. She herself is a literature scholar, having published and researched on the works of Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, and George MacDonald. The 2016 Conference is November 5 at Grace Community Church in Champaign, Illinois. Please visit www.tolkienconference.com for registration info and topics to be presented. This episode's conversation focuses on the conference, the place of Tolkien's work in today's world, and a side chat about Lewis' enigmatic novel Till We Have Faces. 

In the latest "Dialogue With Brandon," Brandon and I discuss what it takes to make a great novel. We are both attempting to write a novel and so we hammer out what makes for great plot and great characters. Is it OK to use cliches? Should our characters be composites of real people we know? Should we use brand names of different products and stores? On and on we go in pursuit of the Great American Novel. 

Dr. Michael Danner is the Executive Minister of the Illinois Mennonite Conference. I invited him on the podcast to discuss a "liberal Christian" political perspective, but soon realized he was instead offering me an Anabaptist Christian perspective. While discussing pacifism, "socialism", abortion, and free market capitalism, Michael lays out how the Church can declare the coming Kingdom in the political realm by following in the way of Jesus.

Zac Hicks is the author of the newly released book The Worship Pastor. He is Canon for Worship and Liturgy at Cathedral Church of the Advent (Birmingham, AL) and writes regularly at zachicks.com. You can find out more about the book (along with a free excerpt) at: http://www.theworshippastorbook.com/

This episode features rare interviews from Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy taken from the Presidential Profiles record series. In preparation for the 2016 election it is time to start considering politics at a deeper level. These speech excerpts and brief bios offer insights into the actions and lives of our presidents and in so doing act as a somewhat sober counter to our currently manic political culture. Also, there is still time to support the Kickstarter campaign for the book "Why Every President Sucked" (You can listen to my interview with the book's author in the previous episode). Follow these links to find out more:  http://www.whyeverypresidentsucked.com/ or https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1929635985/why-every-president-sucked-hardcover-book

Eric Olsen is the author of Why Every President Sucked, and is putting on a Kickstarter campaign until the end of August in order to get the book published. In our conversation we talk about looking at America's presidents with fresh eyes, even the ones we love the most. The book isn't as negative as it sounds, but is an attempt open us up to the simple idea that our presidents were people too and they all made mistakes. To find out more and to support the Kickstarter campaign please visit:  http://www.whyeverypresidentsucked.com/ or https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1929635985/why-every-president-sucked-hardcover-book

Joe Johnson writes reviews on Bible and theology books at https://tabletalktheology.com/ and http://www.theologues.net/. Our conversation focuses on the importance for "normal churchgoers" to read theological texts and scholarly books on the Bible, as well as which books are good entry level texts to start off with.

Blair Jeffers is a Peoria area artist who is having a showing ("Comic Panels and Literals") at The Art Garage for the month of August. You can view some of her work at her blog: https://blairjeffers.wordpress.com/. Blair also juried the "Unseen Voices" exhibit which will be on display at the Foster Gallery of art during August as well. If you live close to Peoria come out to First Friday or find a time this month to visit some of the many galleries in the city (for locations visit: http://ciaopeoria.com/about-us or http://artspartners.net/).

Carol McPherson is the Director of Discipleship and Fine Arts Ministries at First United Methodist Church in Peoria, Illinois. She is also the director of the Foster Gallery for Christianity and the Fine Arts, which runs out of First United. In our interview we talk about how the Church can be a patron for the arts, about what it means to bring true justice and acceptance to people, and about her former life as a country and western singer. Carol also has a PhD. in liturgical studies from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. Through the month of August 2016 the exhibit "Unseen Voices" is on display at the Foster Gallery, located at 116 Perry Ave., Peoria.

This podcast episode is different from the norm for PostConsumer Reports. It features a talk Chris Marchand (host and writer for PCR) gave on Classical Education. Chris is the headmaster at Aletheia Christian School in Peoria, Illinois (www.peoriaclassical.org). Chris goes into the philosophy behind Classical Education, how we give our kids the "lost tools of learning", and how we hope to create lifelong lovers of learning. Welcome to the Great Conversation!

Joe Cook is the station manager for three stations in the Western Indian Radio Network (http://www.westernindian.net/) in New Mexico and Arizona. He and his family moved out west a few years ago to do ministry among the Navajo nation and its people. Joe is also the operator of the Ragamuffin Archive, which features numerous Rich Mullins, interviews, live shows, and song rarities (https://www.youtube.com/user/theentrtnr). In our interview we chat about his ministry and the strange story of receiving a box (or boxes) full of all but unheard Rich Mullins material. You can find Joe's family's blog at: https://cookfamilywim.wordpress.com/

Fr. Nathan Carr is our guest today. He is the headmaster at The Academy of Classical Christian studies and vicar of St. James' Episcopal Church, both in Oklahoma City. We discuss the tensions of leadership, building wonder into a preschool program, and how to get 3 year olds to walk in line. We did our interview after a workshop he had just given at the Association of Classical & Christian Schools annual conference.

Douglas Wilson is a pastor, theologian, and proponent of Classical Education. He has authored numerous books on various subjects pertaining to matters of the Christian faith, education, and history. Visit Canon Press for a listing of many of his books or visit his blog, which he updates frequently. I spoke with Wilson last week from the Association of Classical and Christian Schools annual conference.

In our second Dialogue With Brandon we discuss the question "How Big Is Your Soul?" Are you a small-souled person? Most people wouldn't want to think so, but it's a question worth pursuing the answer to. Brandon and I discuss the thoughts of Douglas Hofstadter and his book I Am Strange Loop and I end up getting more confused and frustrated by the end then when I started. Maybe that means I'm small-souled after all.

Our fifteenth episode features Mike Foster who is known mostly for his knowledge of J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle Earth (because of a famed Illinois Central College literature class and numerous essays and interviews on the subject), but who has also been a hardworking writer and journalist for over 50 years. While the questions eventually always wind their way back to hobbits and strange elvish (or is it elven?) names, Mike also has lots to share about teaching, music, and writing a good obituary. Shaped by a lifetime of reading and intensive study Mike speaks with a gentle eloquence always tinged with the wonder of faerie. This is our longest episode yet, but stick around to hear some great stories about the people he has met and dialogued with in the Tolkien Universe.

Radiohead released their new album A Moon Shaped Pool this week. Pastor and author Ryan Hansen joins the podcast to discuss what exactly Radiohead fans expect from Thom Yorke and company every time the iconic and enigmatic band release a new set of songs. We talk about the self-seriousness of Radiohead fans (us included), as well as how their lyrics and music have changed over the years. Do they make protest music or music full of existential despair? We don't exactly get to the answers but it was a fun talk.

Episode 13 of the PostConsumer Reports Podcast features a conversation with Jessica Ball, Peoria area artist and owner of The Art Garage. Jessica shares her journey as an artist and through it I get to ask about her views on abstract art, the monetary value of works of art, and where the art community is headed in Peoria. Check below for examples of her work (which we also discuss in the interview). Make sure to check The Art Garage page for class times and upcoming exhibits: http://art-garage-studio.com/

Every month (or so) I'll be putting up a new dialogue with my friend Brandon Lulay. Instead of an interview it's mutual conversation. Today we talk about my difficulties with the animated show Archer as well as our thoughts on the season 6 finale of The Walking Dead (yeah, THAT one).