logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2020
38m 55s

Finding unity, through our difference, b...

Waitwhat
About this episode

As Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Otis Moss carries the torch for generations of church and civil rights leaders, including his own father, a regional director in the SCLC, and a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King. But it is his late sister Daphne whose influence most impacts his ministry and social advocacy. A brilliant young woman who struggled with schizophrenia, Daphne introduced a young Otis to what he calls “the continuum” – a spirituality born of poetry, literature and jazz that has woven its way through our history. Drawing as much from the beats of J Dilla as from the speeches of Dr. King; from the politics of Public Enemy as from the poetry of Langston Hughes; from John Coltrane and Miles Davis as from Reinhold Niebuhr and Abraham Joshua Heschel, Pastor Moss shares a timely, deeply personal story about the American jazz narrative -- how a disparate and diverse people who are not supposed to make music together do – and do so beautifully.

Music by Ryan Holladay and Jonathan Mouton. Follow Jonathan on Instagram: @entertainer4lyfe

If this episode resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your reflections by rating and reviewing Meditative Story in your podcast player. It helps other listeners find their way to the show, and we’d be so grateful.

Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story: meditativestory.com

Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: https://meditativestory.com/subscribe

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 19
Building trust in ourselves, by Rohan Gunatillake
Today’s meditation features a special guest, Rohan’s 7 year-old son, Arne. Letting go can come in stages, or so Rohan experiences on a recent holiday with his family. As his 7 year-old son Arne builds his swimming skills, Rohan realizes he’s gone from an active, hands-on support ... Show More
17m 39s
Aug 12
Loving our living world, by Carl Safina
We all need to love and be loved, we all want to feel not alone in this world. And this is true for all of the living world, says ecologist and author Carl Safina. Carl has spent his whole life interacting with the wild, from raising pigeons on a Brooklyn rooftop to trekking thro ... Show More
30m 38s
Aug 5
Discovering the path to honor, by Ghuan Featherstone
Ghuan Featherstone is determined to go his own way – to live with courage, kindness, and faith in justice. To be a cowboy. But growing up in a neighborhood rife with gang violence, the forces marshaled against him feel beyond his control. After visiting a little-known horse stabl ... Show More
31m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
Pass The Mic: Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III (ARCHIVES)
We are taking a little time to gear up for the next round of episodes from Pass The Mic but did not want to leave you hanging. We've got back to back hits from the archives for you to enjoy in the meantime.New episodes return Feb 5th. With civil rights advocacy in his DNA, Rev. D ... Show More
1h 5m
May 2023
Pass The Mic: Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III
With civil rights advocacy in his DNA, Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III built his ministry on community advancement and social justice activism. As Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Moss spent the last two decades practicing and preaching a Black th ... Show More
1h 5m
Nov 2021
Dr. Dark: Social Justice, Elton John, and the Bible
Send us a textIn this episode, Katie chats with David Dark, a critically acclaimed author and Assistant Professor of Religion and the Arts in the College of Theology at Belmont University. His books include “Life’s Too Short To Pretend You’re Not Religious” “The Sacredness of Que ... Show More
1h 8m
Jan 2023
478: How To Heal From Adrenal Fatigue: The Signs, Stages + Spiritual Causes with Nate Ortiz
It was so great having Nate back on the podcast, who was wildly popular in his last episode. In this episode, we dive into a topic a lot of us unknowingly have - Adrenal Fatigue.    We discuss what adrenal fatigue is and the stages that we go through as symptoms increase. We disc ... Show More
2h 7m
Aug 2023
Meditation Party: Magic, Mystery, Intuition, Tattoos, and Non-Efforting | Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Welcome to the third installment of Meditation Party, an experiment we’re running with a chattier format – more of a morning zoo vibe, but way deeper, of cou ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2023
EP 6: Revelations of Faith Pt 2 .(Ft. Santoria Bell)
Have you ever felt the weight of wearing many hats - a parent, a believer, an entrepreneur, and found yourself struggling to balance them all? Join Megan Ashley and our special guest Santoria, Back for Pt 2 as we share how we've learned to incorporate our faith into every aspect ... Show More
1h 22m
Feb 2024
EP 16: Love and Marriage (Ft. MJ and Amanda Pittman)
Join Megan Ashley as she welcomes the married couple MJ and Amanda Pittman to the show, sharing the essence of godly relationships and the journey to cultivating a marriage rooted in faith. Our conversation unfolds the layers of spiritual connection, both within the sanctity of h ... Show More
1h 15m
May 2022
What’s So Special About the Tabernacle? – Exodus E8
You may have heard that God’s holiness keeps him from getting close to sinful humanity, but in the Bible we see God regularly doing the opposite, drawing near to dwell with human beings. We encounter this reality again and again, including in a surprising place—the tabernacle blu ... Show More
1h 16m
Mar 2024
Tapping Into Healthy Mental and Spiritual Habits for Our Families: Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Charles Fay & Melina Luna Smith
The Bible reminds us over and over what a gift from God children are. As parents, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the different worries when it comes to raising a child: Are they healthy? Are they happy? Are they kind to other people? One essential element of parenting that ... Show More
23m 37s
Nov 2023
#29 Josh Bauder: How to Recover a Reformed Theology of Beauty, Music in the Church as Symptomatic of Christian Culture, Church Architecture as a Conduit to Worship
Dr. Josh Bauder is a Minneapolis-based composer, arranger, typesetter, and professor. His choral music has been performed by church, university, and community choirs across the United States and abroad. Josh holds a B.A. in music and philosophy from the University of St. Thomas, ... Show More
1h 38m