The Deep Well of Art, Music, and Community

This amazing conversation with Juno-award winning musician, Steve Bell, was the 9th episode of the Spirituality for Ordinary People Podcast. I felt like it was worth re-sharing, and have also included the original “show notes” below. You can also get a transcript by reading this post in the substack app or on the substack website.

Me and Steve Bell at his studio back in good ol’ 2017

This interview was such an amazing experience, recorded in Steve’s own studio in Winnipeg. Steve was incredibly gracious and generous with his time and his honest sharing. Steve shared a ton in this episode, and you can find all kinds of links below that reference just some of what Steve spoke about.

This podcast episode also features several of Steve’s songs, used with his permission.

CONNECT WITH STEVE BELL

• Steve’s Website – stevebell.com

• Pilgrim Year

• Steve’s Albums

SOME OF WHAT WE COVERED IN THE INTERVIEW:

• Following Jesus as a Pathway

• Interactions with First Nations People and the effect on Spirituality

• The unhelpfulness of some of Western Christianity’s theological assumptions for our spirituality.

• Spirituality as relationality and grounded in the Trinity

• Reading as Spiritual practice and way in to inner quiet

• Scripture as art

• The role of music and art in spiritual formation

• Kindly guides for understanding art (and spirituality)

• Being deliberate with your Spiritual “diet” to be spiritually healthy.

QUOTES

• “The Bible starts with the goodness of creation.”

• “[You should] read 80% from people who are dead and 20% from people who are alive”

• “If there is this deep relationality that goes beyond words and mere ideas, we need art to get there.”

LINKS, RESOURCES, AND PEOPLE

• Terry Leblanc, Ray Aldred, Cheryl Bear and North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies – http://www.naiits.com/

• Richard Twiss – His books

• Theresa of Avila – http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=208

• John of the Cross – http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=65

• Edith Stein – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Stein

• G.K. Chesterton – http://www.chesterton.org/who-is-this-guy/

• C. S. Lewis – http://www.cslewis.com/

• Charles Williams – http://www.charleswilliamssociety.org.uk/

• Gerard Manly Hopkins – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Manley_Hopkins

• Godric, a novel by Frederick Buechner