The Cosmic We with Barbara Holmes and Donny Bryant

In this very special episode of The Cosmic We, we're honoring the life of our beloved co-host Dr. Barbara Holmes. Co-host Donny Bryant and producer Corey Wayne recall what it was like working on this show with Dr. B over the last 4 years. Coincidentally, the last unaired episode was with Dr.B's cousin Linda Holmes. We had been working on it across the last year of Dr. Holmes' life. As we look to living her teachings forward through this show, we wanted to share this powerful conversation. This conversation covers a lot of ground: the history of Black midwifery, systemic racism in healthcare, and the spiritual traditions surrounding birth, the importance of honoring African traditions, and the need to reclaim and transform the medical system to name a few. Linda shares her birthing journey and how it led her to champion birth justice and to connect with midwives in both the US and Africa. A fun fact, Linda and Dr. B grew up in the same home. They take us into their shared childhood, their family's history, and the powerful connections between midwifery and Black history. Linda's book Safe in a Midwife's Hands was a finalist for the Stone Book Award for the Museum of African American History. About Linda: Linda Janet Holmes, writer, biographer, oral historian, curator, and long-time women's health activist, is the author of the groundbreaking book, Safe in a Midwife's Hands: Birthing Traditions from Africa to the American South. Holmes' most recent book focuses on stories emanating from decades of interviewing African descendant midwives in the American South, intertwined with the stories of traditional midwives in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Safe in a Midwife's Hands is rooted in the research and writing for her previous book, Listen To Me Good: The Life Story of An Alabama Midwife, (Ohio State University Press). Co-authored with Margaret Charles Smith, a traditional African descendant midwife, Listen to me Good continues to be a widely read best seller, 27 years after its publication. Resources: To learn more about Linda, visit her website here Her book, Safe in a Midwife's Hands can be found here The transcript to this episode can be found here.

"When I think of the tapestry of the cosmos, I see all sentient beings as threads woven together—one energy running through us all." - Felicia Murrell In today's episode, author Felicia Murrell joins the Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant in conversation to offer a new vision of living gracefully and with connection. In this conversation, we're diving deep into what it means to be woven together and yet be gloriously unique in this stimulating conversation and about belonging, identity, privilege and our national and cosmic identity. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. To learn more about Felicia, visit her website here. Felicia's new book And: The Restorative Power of Love in an Either/Or World can be found here.

How do you remind yourself that we are one—even with those we struggle to like? On this episode, Dr. Donny Bryant and Dr. Barbara Holmes are joined in conversation by Dr. Liza J. Rankow. Together they explore the concept of mysticism and its relevance to social justice and the uncertainties of our world. Dr. Rankow emphasizes the importance of direct experience with the divine and how that experience can inform and sustain our work for a more just world; highlighting that the current state of the world demands a shift from oppositional dualism to a paradigm of reverence, kinship, and belonging to the wholeness of life. Dr. Liza J. Rankow is an interfaith minister, educator, activist, and writer. Her lifework centers the deep healing that is essential to personal and social transformation. Liza is the founder and former executive director of OneLife Institute, supporting the well-being of frontline activists and caregivers. She has provided counseling and offered classes in healing and spiritual development for over three decades. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. To learn more about Dr. Liza J. Rankow, visit her website here: https://www.lizarankow.org/ Follow Dr. Rankow's writing on Substack: https://lizarankow.substack.com/ Find Dr. Rankow on InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/lizarankow For all over offerings by Liza, visit: https://linktr.ee/lizarankow

When was the last time you deeply listened to someone’s story? On this episode, Dr. Donny Bryant and Dr. Barbara Holmes are joined in conversation by Alison McCrary exploring the very real impact of how we listen, speak, and show up in the world. A former nun and tireless advocate, guest Alison McCrary reminds us, “We’re all called to be holy beings—to be the eyes, ears, heart, and being of God in the world.” How will you embody the eyes, ears, and heart of God in the world today? Alison McCrary, a Georgia-born, New Orleans-based social justice lawyer and spiritual worker, bridges justice and spirituality in her work. With roots in the U.S. South, she serves as a transformative justice practitioner, strategist, and mediator. Passionate about healing trauma and repairing harm, Alison is a Spiritual Advisor on Louisiana’s Death Row. Formerly a Catholic nun, she remains active in her parish and indigenous community, advocating for criminal justice reform, environmental justice, human rights, and cultural preservation. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. To learn more about Alison's work, visit her website here.

How can we cultivate resilience and hope, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges and ongoing chaos? In this episode Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant talk with Rev. Otis Moss III about Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times, and how we can build resilience by consecrating chaos through prophetic grief and liberation listening. Otis Moss III built his ministry on community empowerment 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 theology that unapologetically calls attention to the problem of mass incarceration, environmental justice, and economic apartheid. Hailed as one of the "twelve most of effective preachers in the English-speaking world" by Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary, he has been cited by Chicago Magazine as one of the city's thirty most influential people. He is an NAACP Image Award recipient, award-winning filmmaker, poet, and professor of homiletics at Mercer University McAfee School of Theology. He is married to Monica Brown, and they are the proud parents of two children. Resources: A transcript for this episode can be found here. Rev. Otis Moss III's latest book, Dancing in the Darkness, can be found here.

Envision a future brimming with peace, joy, and creativity. What does that look like for you? In the final episode of “The Cosmic We” season 4, Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant discuss the importance of envisioning a future that bridges the ordinary and the eternal. As Dr. Holmes explains: “We are unique and ordinary mystics in the making, flowing from one state of existence to the other, inhabiting the ordinary and touching the eternal. We are embedded in the continuum of life, related to the divine, the earth, and our neighbors.” Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. If you wish to get a copy of Crisis Contemplation, you can find it in the CAC Bookstore. Connect with us: Have a question you'd like Dr. B or Donny to answer on a possible listener questions episode? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

How do we heal while traumatic events continue to happen? “As we sit with what is and what never should have been, our feet remember the call of drums and we allow the spirit within us to soar.” – Dr. Barbara Holmes In this episode, learn more about the essential expression of joy as Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant explore the themes of the 5th chapter, Healing, in Crisis Contemplation. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. If you wish to get a copy of Crisis Contemplation, you can find it in the CAC Bookstore. Connect with us: Have a question you'd like Dr. B or Donny to answer on a possible listener questions episode? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

What does life look like in our modern-day village? Based on the next chapter in Crisis Contemplation, The Village Response, in this episode, Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant explore the role our communities play in shaping our humanity, our self-expression, and our healing. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. If you wish to get a copy of Crisis Contemplation, you can find it in the CAC Bookstore. Connect with us: Have a question you'd like Dr. B or Donny to answer on a possible listener questions episode? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Who do you consider part of your village? In this episode, both Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant helps us make sense of our community wounds and explore the next chapter of Crisis Contemplation, Wounds. Dr. Barbara Holmes explains why unwelcome events are often essential to true transformation: “Wounds are portals. They are entryways to somewhere else within you. Sometimes things happen in your life that make you realize you have allowed a scar to form over something that was festering. It needed to be broken open.” Have you gone through an unwelcome event that ushered in profound healing? Share your experience with us. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. If you wish to get a copy of Crisis Contemplation, you can find it in the CAC Bookstore. Connect with us: Have a question you'd like Dr. B or Donny to answer on a possible listener questions episode? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Do you have a time-tested contemplative practice for moments of crisis? In this episode, Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donald Bryant offer us this thought: “When crisis has you in its grip, contemplation offers the ability to stop striving. It allows you the space to grieve your losses and then let go. It lets you know that it is okay to withdraw from ordinary pursuits for a while and let the Spirit lead.” This episode is based on second chapter of Crisis Contemplation: Contemplation. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. If you wish to get a copy of Crisis Contemplation, you can find it in the CAC Bookstore. Connect with us: Have a question you'd like Dr. B or Donny to answer on a possible listener questions episode? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Are you experiencing a crisis? How would you recognize it? On the 4th season of The Cosmic We, we are taking a pause from our normal format to explore the themes of Dr. Barbara Holmes' book Crisis Contemplation. Together, Dr. B and Dr. Donny explore ways we can apply it to the realities we face in our daily lives. This first episode is based on the themes of Chapter 1: Crisis. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. If you wish to get a copy of Crisis Contemplation, you can find it in the CAC Bookstore. Connect with us: Have a question you'd like Dr. B or Donny to answer on a possible listener questions episode? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

How has your experience of faith changed since your childhood? What shifts in the foundation of your faith have you intentionally and unintentionally made? In this final episode of season 3, Barbara and Donny have a conversation with Brian McLaren about the ways we construct God and how, in many ways, the Christian faith hasn’t fully grasped Jesus’s teachings. Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a core faculty member of The Living School and hosts the podcast Learning How to See, which are part of the Center for Action and Contemplation. He is also an Auburn Senior Fellowand is a co-host of Southern Lights. His newest books are Faith After Doubt (January 2021), and Do I Stay Christian? (May 2022). Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

On this week’s episode, Barbara and Donny has a conversation with the Center for Action and Contemplation's Living School manager and spiritual director Gigi Ross about ways to embody contemplation when our paths of discovery and growth make unexpected shifts. Gigi Ross serves as the CAC’s Living School Manager, supporting students in the Living School. She came to the CAC after spending her last six years in Washington, DC homeless, unemployed, and living in poverty. She resides in Albuquerque where she practices spiritual direction and is a member of the Threshold Choir, a group whose members sing for people who are dying. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

How can preaching be a way of relating to life and one another? On this episode, Dr. Frank A. Thomas joins Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant for a conversation about his ability to preach in a way that is applicable to the life around us. Frank A. Thomas, PhD, currently serves as the Nettie Sweeney and Hugh Th. Miller Professor of Homiletics and Director of the Academy of Preaching and Celebration at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana. Indicative of his great love of preaching, an updated and revised version of They Like to Never Quit Praisin’ God: The Role of Celebration In Preaching, considered by many to be a homiletic classic, was released in August 2013. For many years, Thomas has also taught preaching to Doctoral and Masters level students at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, and at Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the CEO of Hope For Life International, Inc., which formerly published The African American Pulpit. With a long history of excellence in preaching and preaching method, Thomas was inducted into the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College in April 2003. Thomas also serves as a member of the International Board of Societas Homiletica, an international society of teachers of preaching. Thomas holds a PhD in Communications (Rhetoric) from the University of Memphis, a Doctor of Divinity from Christian Theological Seminary, Doctor of Ministry degrees from Chicago Theological Seminary and United Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in African-Caribbean Studies from Northeastern Illinois University. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Have you ever experienced another culture’s interpretation of universal wisdom? Dr. Rachel Harding drops by to talk about ancestry and mysticism with “The Cosmic We” hosts Barbara Holmes and Donny Bryant. What do you think Dr. Harding means by travel being a mnemonic device? How have you witnessed that play out in your life? Rachel Elizabeth Harding, is Associate Professor of Indigenous Spiritual Traditions in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Denver. A native of Georgia, a writer, historian and poet, Rachel is a specialist in religions of the Afro-Atlantic diaspora and studies the relationship between religion, creativity and s­ocial justice activism in cross-cultural perspective. She is a Cave Canem Fellow and holds an MFA in creative writing from Brown University and a PhD in history from the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Harding is author of A Refuge in Thunder: Candomblé and Alternative Spaces of Blackness as well as numerous poems and essays. Rachel’s second book, Remnants: A Memoir of Spirit, Activism and Mothering, combines her own writings with the autobiographical reflections of her mother, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, on their family history and the role of compassion and spirituality in African American social justice organizing. Rachel is an ebomi (elder initiate) in the Terreiro do Cobre Candomble community in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, where she has been a participant for over 20 years. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

What if mainstream Christianity prioritized contemplation? Fr. Richard Rohr joins Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant to discuss reimagining our notions of love, power, charity, and accessing the “universal mind.” Fr. Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province. He is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the academic dean of the CAC’s Living School. An internationally recognized author and spiritual leader, Fr. Richard teaches primarily on incarnational mysticism, non-dual consciousness, and contemplation, with a particular emphasis on how these affect the social justice issues of our time. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Welcome to Season 3 of The Cosmic We! As we start a brand new season, Dr. Barbara Holmes wanted to interview, and re-introduce you to the co-host of the show, Dr. Donald Bryant. Dr. Donald (Donny) Bryant is a champion for christ-centered preaching and is the lead Pastor of ONE Community Church, a multicultural and intergenerational church located in Farmington, MI. He is also the founder and CEO of Alden Oils, a major specialty oil supplier in the United States. The company has grown to be a primary supplier domestically and internationally of Organic and Non-GMO cooking oils and is the owner of the category leading brand, LifeOiL. He holds a bachelors of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University, an MBA from the Broad School of Management (MSU), and a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Donald is the proud father of Kennedi, Isaiah, and Payton. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Dr. Brian Swimme joins Dr. Barbara Holmes and Donny Bryant for this episode of the Cosmic We. Brian Swimme is the Director of the Center for the Story of the Universe and a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon in 1978 for work in gravitational dynamics. He brings the context of story to our understanding of the 13.7 billion year trajectory of the universe. Such a story, he feels, will assist in the emergence of a flourishing Earth community. Resources: Dr. Brian Swimme's forthcoming book can be found here. The transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: To send a question to Dr. Barbara and Donny, or to share your thoughts, comments, or feedback with us about this show: Send us an email. Dr. Brian Swimme's organization Center for the Story of the Universe: Website

Rev. Dorsey O'dell Blake joins this episode of The Cosmic We with Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant. Rev. Dr. Dorsey Odell Blake, Faculty Associate, Leadership and Social Transformation, was officially installed as Presiding Minister of The Church for The Fellowship of All Peoples in October, 1994. During Dr. Blake’s installation service, Mrs. Sue Bailey Thurman presented Dr. Howard Thurman’s robe — which had not been worn since his death – to Dr. Blake as a symbol of her trust in his leading the congregation “so that there will be no past greater than our future.” He has extensive field ministry experience with interfaith groups addressing justice and peace issues, including the California People of Faith Against the Death Penalty, The Interfaith Alliance for Prison Reform, Genesis and The San Francisco Interfaith Council. He served as a member of the steering committee of Religious Witness with Homeless People and has been in the forefront of peace and justice activities. Connect with us: To send a question to Dr. Barbara and Donny, or to share your thoughts, comments, or feedback with us about this show: Send us an email. Rev. Dorsey Odell Blake: Website The transcript for this episode can be found here

Barbara and Donny welcome Cole Arthur Riley to this episode of The Cosmic We to explore the power of our stories. Cole Arthur Riley is writer who was formed by thinkers such as Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, James Baldwin, Thomas Merton, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Julian of Norwich, to name a few. Cole studied writing at the University of Pittsburgh, but traces her love of words back to her father, who would bribe her and her siblings to write poems and stories to get out of chores, or for cold hard cash; and her gramma who was part writer, part sage. Cole currently serves as the spiritual teacher in residence with Cornell University’s Office of Spirituality and Meaning Making. She is the creator of Black Liturgies, a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator. Connect with us: To send a question to Dr. Barbara and Donny, or to share your thoughts, comments, or feedback with us about this show: Send us an email. Cole Arthur Riley: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram The transcript for this episode can be found here. This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at cac.org/podcastsupport Thank you!