Let the Bird Fly!

Wade talks about the satisfaction of seeing the results after getting some yard work done, and makes some connections to ministry and vocation. (As Wade mentions, he's not had the best luck with technology without Ben these last few tries, so excuse the sound quality not being where he'd like it to be.) Attributions for Music Used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

On episode NINE of Let the Bird Fly! we welcome Rev. Tyler Peil via Skype for a two-part series to discuss the Ascension of our Lord and Pentecost. In this episode we discuss the Ascension and what it means to the Church. Before arriving at our main topic, however, we find out that Wade’s son, Nick, tried to convince a babysitter that he was allowed to drink beer, Tyler dreams of sticking his toes in the warm sands of the Dominican Republic, while Ben is evidently allergic to traveling, and Peter finds a way to quote some Homer. Arriving at our main topic we discuss the Ascension and, avoiding discussion of jet-packs and levitation, attempt to dig a bit deeper into what the account of Jesus Ascension has to teach us. Peter and Wade disagree about crossing oneself, and Wade can’t help himself from talking about left-handed murders, but Pastor Peil stays on topic and discusses the blessings and promises that the Ascension reminds us of and points us toward. We are extremely thankful to Pastor Peil for joining us on this episode. If you’d like to learn more about Pastor Peil or the congregation he has been called to serve in Nebraska, you can do so at StJohnsStanton.org. Website Link: St. John’s Lutheran Church, in Stanton, NE: StJohnsStanton.org If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music Used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

In this episode, Wade and four of his children (Maggie makes some exceptional contributions*) take a break on a Friday evening to discuss field day, the end of the school year, the summer, Sophie tells us how to throw a good tantrum, and a variety of other normal (or not so normal) family stuff. *Maggie, the only Johnston high-schooler, demonstrates her excitement for her dad's new podcast adventure. Attributions for Music Used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

In this Wingin’ It session (an inter-episode episodette), Wade tries his hand at recording without the guys’ help. As you can tell, his success was limited. We hope to add some Wingin’ It sessions between episodes going forward, as they happen to spring up. Enjoy, and let us know what you think. (Sorry in advance for the sound, which isn’t our best, cause, well, Wade.) Attributions for Music Used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

On episode EIGHT of Let the Bird Fly! we welcome Rev. Kyle Madson to discuss his mission work deep in the heart of Texas (or just outside Fort Worth, anyway). Despite Pastor Madson being at a remote location, the studio is quite full for the episode and Nick finds himself fending off attacks from all quarters in a (vain?) attempt at defending his good name. Wade informs Peter that he has been excommunicated for future sins that he is quite certain to commit. Peter seems mostly unfazed by the change (which may be one of those sins Wade was concerned with). The whole group discusses rivalry do’s and don’ts in the free-for-all, but not until after Pastor Madson makes good on the bribe Wade clearly paid him by claiming the Designated Hitter is somehow preferable to the pitcher hitting. The animosity for the Green Bay Packers becomes more than a bit disturbing during the free-for-all (and apparently the Minnesota Loons is a soccer team...thanks for that, Ben), but finally the guys are able to move on to discuss the mission work Pastor Madson has been called to in Texas. Pastor Madson explains how he came up with the name Divine Mercy for the mission congregation, along with some of the ways he has gone about doing evangelism down in the Bible Belt. (Spoiler: He’s taken a different approach than you might expect.) Throughout the discussion Pastor Madson demonstrates his thoughtful and pastoral manner (even if he does sport “salmon” colored shorts). If you are interested in more information on Divine Mercy, please visit the links below We are extremely grateful to Rev. Madson for joining us on this episode. Pastor Madson was willing to be our first “Skype-guest” , so we extend an extra big Texas-sized “thank you” for his willingness to be our guinea pig  (and a pretty good, it turns out). If you’d like to thank Ben for returning and bringing the audio quality back to something much more listenable, you may email your gratitude to ThanksBen@LetTheBirdFly.com. Links promised in the episode: Divine Mercy: Website: divinemercytx.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/DivineMercyLutheranChurch Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/kyle-madson-304368472 Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS): Website: els.org Books mentioned: Meditations on Divine Mercy by Johann Gerhard To Live with Christ: Devotions by Bo Giertz Then Fell the Lord's Fire by Bo Giertz If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on

On episode SEVEN of Let the Bird Fly! we welcome Dr. Kristi Meyer to discuss math...or maths...well, numbers, or actually Dr. Meyer says, math without numbers. (I’m confused already!) But we definitely talk about cryptology (Dr. Meyer’s speciality), which means we talk Nazis...again. (Wade is less supportive this time around, and Peter avoids talking Heidegger, so I think we’re growing.) Nick again joins us in the studio, but may regret it after he possibly jeopardizes his future employment. Dr. Meyer is unfazed by Wade’s questions, even turning the tables on him. We also discover that the quadratic formula has a song...seriously, you can find it here. Who knew maths could be such fun! Despite our best efforts to avoid it, however, we eventually find ourselves talking math(s), and we discovered that Dr. Meyer knows how to make the topic quite interesting (even for Wade!). Wade mentions during the episode that Peter is playing with their new toy (a mixing board), which explains the strange (and unintended) audio effects during the episode. Feel free to voice your disgust for the production value by emailing BringBackBen@letthebirdfly.com, and perhaps we can avoid these issues going forward. We are extremely grateful to Dr. Meyer for joining us on this episode. Dr. Meyer’s article that is mentioned in the episode will not be out until late Summer or Fall of 2017; but when comes out, you can find it at  Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for music used in this episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

On episode SIX of Let the Bird Fly! we welcome Dr. Kerry Kuehn to discuss science, and in particular physics. The free-for-all turns into a party in the studio as we discussed the role of signs in society, whether the designated hitter attempts a slap-shots through the goalpost, and the age-old question: should we eat babies? Wade also puts Dr. Kuehn on the hot-seat grilling him with “science” questions that leave Dr. Kuehn red, Wade sounding like a dullard, and most everyone guffawing. We do, however, finally manage to get to the topic at hand, and Dr. Kuehn’s expertise: namely, physics. Dr. Kuehn explains both how he approaches science and how he approaches teaching science. Dr. Kuehn proves to be a fascinating thinker and, despite being a scientist (we try not to hold that against him), he's extremely easy to understand...he should be a teacher! (If you are into physics, and especially if you teach physics, do yourself a favor and pick up his books: A Student's Guide through the Great Physics Texts!) We are extremely grateful to Dr. Kuehn for joining us on this episode (and for putting up with our childish questions). If you are interested in more for Dr. Kuehn, please check out his website and books, linked below. Website: www.kerrykkuehn.com Books: Links Dr.  Kuehn’s books, along with brief descriptions, can be found on his website as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening!   Attributions for music used in this episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

On episode Five of Let the Bird Fly! we welcome Dr. Mark Braun to discuss the intertestamental period. Before getting to our main topic, however, we share our thoughts on retirement and receive some insight from Dr. Braun, who is about to be living it. This leads to an intriguing conversation about the aging process (which may get a bit too personal). After pointing out that after retirement death is the only thing left to do, Dr. Braun also assures us that when we get there (to retirement, that is) we’ll know what to do. We also discover (quite by accident) that Ben, in a gaudy display of his wealth, carries large bags of money around with him (is that necessary, Ben?). Eventually we do arrive at our main topic for the episode: The Time Between the Testaments. Dr. Braun then leads us through a captivating discussion of this often overlooked (but terribly fascinating) time in history; a topic that he has been lecturing on for the past 30 years. We are extremely grateful to Dr. Braun for joining us on this episode, and we wish him the best in his (semi-)retirement. If you are interested in hearing more for Dr. Braun, please check out his books, linked below. Dr. Mark Braun’s books: Time Between the Testaments: Connecting Malachi to Matthew The People’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy A Tale of Two Synods: Events That Led to the Split between Wisconsin and Missouri Forthcoming: Concordia Commentary on Judges If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us, please visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening!   Attributions for Music Used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

On episode four of Let the Bird Fly! we discuss crossing disciplines and engaging those outside our circles (whatever those circles might be) along with the benefits and the dangers that presents. Peter gets a little too excited about Heidegger, and Wade maybe tries to drag Kierkegaard into stuff again, but Ben saves us all, by bringing us back down to earth. In the free-for-all, we discussed Mac or PC, Apple or Android. Wade sets Ben and Peter straight on technology (or shows it's amazing he can even log into Facebook), while Peter forces Ben to take a side, only to change the rules when it’s his turn to pick sides. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. If you’d like to contact us, you can do so at our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening!   Attributions for Music Used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

On episode three of Let the Bird Fly! we welcome our first (adult) guest, Rev. John Bortulin, to discuss Holy Week from the pulpit and the pew, touching on topics such as Passion Sunday and the Triduum. Wade highlights the AND PETER of Mark 16 and we discuss the ever divisive question of whether pitchers should play both sides of the game, or if baseball is better with the Designated Hitter. A huge thanks to Rev. Bortulin for joining us. If you’d like more information on the church he is currently serving, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mukwonago, WI, you can find it at www.stjohnslutheran-muk.org. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. If you’d like to contact us, please visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music Used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena. “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner. “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under a Attribution License.

On episode TWO of Let the Bird Fly! we discuss time-zones, naps, recess, the story of the Fall in Genesis 3, the Human Condition, and probably far too much Kierkegaard. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. Image: "Saint Paul Writing His Epistles" by Valentin de Boulogne. This work is in the public domain.

Welcome to Let the Bird Fly! a podcast about living freely in a world given back to us. On episode one we spend most of our time fumbling our way through our introductions and attempting to give you an idea of what we plan to do and how we plan to do it. But we do manage to get in our Scripture narrative on Mark 5, and talk a bit about the upcoming (2017) baseball season. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. If you’d like to contact us, please visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening!

Let the Bird Fly! A podcast about Living Freely in a World Given Back to Us Subscribe at letthebirdfly.com Like us on FB: @JustLetTheBirdFly Follow us on Twitter @JustLetTheBird