The Listening Porch

In this episode of The Listening Porch, Ray and Eric sit down to talk about something so many creatives quietly carry: the feeling of not fitting in. Drawing from the life of King David, they explore why so many musicians, poets, worship leaders, storytellers, and dreamers walk through seasons of misalignment, and how God uses those very seasons to shape purpose, discipline, and fire. David didn’t just surround himself with poets and prophets. He gathered the distressed, the discontent, the misunderstood, the ones in debt, and the ones who didn’t fit anywhere else. And somehow, in that strange mix of people, God formed a culture that carried His presence into a new day. Ray and Eric talk about mis-assignment, the purpose of uncomfortable seasons, the tension between creativity and discipline, and what it means to bring your unique fire into a community without losing your soul. If you’ve ever felt like a misfit, this conversation is an invitation to see that you’re not misplaced, you might just be in the middle of being prepared. -- Join Selah Creatives: Get access to all of Ray’s online courses, teachings, monthly live Zoom gatherings, and a community of over 100 like-spirited creatives → selahonline.teachable.com/p/selah-creatives Support Ray on Patreon: Receive his personal poetry, prose, and creative writings not shared anywhere else → patreon.com/rayhughes Visit Ray's Website: RayHughes.org

There are plenty of good ideas floating around. But God ideas… those are the ones that ask us to slow down. To listen. To partner. Thoughts are like diamonds in the dark. They do not shine until someone turns on the light. Sometimes that light is attention. Sometimes it is patience. Sometimes it is the Holy Spirit saying, “Stay with this.” In this Selah Creatives moment, we explore how ideas grow, how dreams speak, and how creativity becomes a conversation instead of a performance. If you want to walk with a company of people learning to create that way, you can find us at rayhughes.org. Pull up a chair. There may be a God idea waiting for you. -- Join Selah Creatives: Get access to all of Ray’s online courses, teachings, monthly live Zoom gatherings, and a community of over 100 like-spirited creatives → selahonline.teachable.com/p/selah-creatives Support Ray on Patreon: Receive his personal poetry, prose, and creative writings not shared anywhere else → patreon.com/rayhughes Visit Ray's Website: RayHughes.org

In this episode of The Listening Porch, we explore a beautiful metaphor: Writing feels like walking through a forest, looking for the sea. Ray and Eric talk about: - How writing, creativity, and spiritual life mirror a long forest journey - Why wonder is essential, especially in the “ordinary” seasons - Why there’s no such thing as writer’s block - The difference between getting lost and being lost - The art of digging for treasure right where you are - How the forest eventually opens to revelation, like stepping into a clearing and finally seeing the sea Ray shares stories from his childhood, lessons from his well-digger father, and how a life of amazement can make a life amazing. Eric reflects on growing up in Bakersfield, learning to find gold in unlikely places, and staying faithful on the path—step after step. This episode is for: • Writers • Musicians • Creatives • Seekers • Anyone who feels “lost,” stuck, or in a gray season • Anyone longing to rediscover wonder

In this episode of The Listening Porch, we’re literally on a porch outside, surrounded by dogs barking, cars passing, and creation doing what it does. And in that setting, Ray shares one of the themes that has shaped his entire life: wonder. We talk about the “mystery of Christ,” not as something we’re meant to comprehend, but something we’re invited to apprehend — to step into, experience, and walk with. Ray uses the image of walking through a forest to teach us how wonder reveals God in ways intellect never could. We discuss: Why the mysteries of God aren’t puzzles to solve How wonder is the passageway into knowing Him How pride and cynicism choke out our ability to see Why grey areas are not failures, but invitations How writing, walking, and watching creation awaken our spirits And how to stay tender, curious, and childlike in a world that pushes us toward answers If you’ve felt your wonder shrinking or if cynicism has taken root, this episode might be for you.

In this conversation, we explore how worship, music, and even church architecture influence the way we encounter God. From the awe of ancient cathedrals to the simplicity of a living room or open field, we talk about how real worship isn’t confined to walls or production — it’s born in moments where love meets love. We discuss the beauty of sacred spaces, the loss of wonder in modern worship, and what it looks like to encounter God with undivided attention.

In this episode of The Listening Porch, Ray Hughes shares the heart behind the name itself — why porches once mattered so much, how storytelling shaped families and cultures, and what we lose when we trade real connection for technology. From Irish legends to front porch memories, this conversation reminds us that stories are sacred spaces — and that listening itself is an art form.

In this episode of The Listening Porch, Ray Hughes and Eric Yun dive into the beauty of creative freedom — how every artist, poet, and musician carries the potential for a new revolution when they stop trying to fit in. They discuss how styles evolve, how comparison can kill creativity, and how to rediscover the purity of making art just because it’s in you. From the birth of musical genres to the heart behind prophetic art, this conversation will remind you that what finds its way into your heart will always find its way into your art. Topics include: The power of cross-cultural creativity The danger of imitation without authenticity How revolutions in music start from genuine expression The art of listening for your own sound

In this episode of The Listening Porch, Ray Hughes explores what happens when music moves from being lived to being consumed. Drawing from his book 107 Things I Forgot to Say About Worship, Creativity, and Music, Ray unpacks how the invention of technology—from the microphone to the radio—shifted music from porches and fields to studios and stages. What began as a divine sound born from place and purpose became a business built on access and control. But somewhere in that evolution lies an invitation: to recover the song that’s still inside us. Topics include: - Why “listening to music” and “being a song” are two different things - How the music industry evolved from access to control - Biblical roots of music as sound, place, and presence - The prophetic role of musicians, troubadours, and poets through history - Why technology redefined what worship sounds like - How to find your own “porch” again in a digital world Referenced Scripture & Themes: Psalm 33:3 — “Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” 1 Samuel 10:5 — “You will meet a procession of prophets... playing lyres, tambourines, flutes, and harps before them.” 2 Chronicles 5:13–14 — The unity of musicians bringing down glory. Ephesians 5:19 — “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” -- Join Selah Creatives: Get access to all of Ray’s online courses, teachings, monthly live Zoom gatherings, and a community of over 100 like-spirited creatives → selahonline.teachable.com/p/selah-creatives Support Ray on Patreon: Receive his personal poetry, prose, and creative writings not shared anywhere else → patreon.com/rayhughes

In this episode of The Listening Porch, Ray and Eric talk about the kind of creativity that no one else will ever see — songs, poems, prayers, and moments meant only for God. They start with one of the short reflections from 107 Things I Forgot to Say — “Write a song today that you don’t want anyone to hear but God.” From there, the conversation unfolds into the tension between honesty and performance, filters and freedom, and how humility often shows up in the cracks of our lives. Highlights: Why the most honest songs might be the ones no one else hears How to remove creative filters by writing “only for God” The cracks of humility where God truly meets us David, Psalm 51, and the difference between Saul’s hardened heart and David’s broken one How hidden worship restores authenticity and intimacy with God

Starting from a passage in Ray’s book 107 Things I Forgot to Say, Ray and Eric explore how music becomes the language of those who laugh, live, long, and love. The conversation moves from laughter as warfare and healing, to music as the breath of life, to songs that hold the ache of longing, to melodies born of love itself. This episode touches everything from Psalm 2’s laughter of God, to the cry in Appalachian bluegrass, to Korean worship melodies that carry generational pain and hope. It’s a rich, wandering conversation about sound, spirit, and the way music reveals God in the hidden corners of the human heart. -- Join Selah Creatives: Get access to all of Ray’s online courses, teachings, monthly live Zoom gatherings, and a community of over 100 like-spirited creatives → selahonline.teachable.com/p/selah-creatives Support Ray on Patreon: Receive his personal poetry, prose, and creative writings not shared anywhere else → patreon.com/rayhughes Visit Ray's Website: RayHughes.org

In this first episode of The Listening Porch with Ray Hughes, we explore a question that has echoed through history: If the church changes the way it understands music and worship, can it change the world? From Luther’s hymns to the songs of the Wesley brothers, every reformation has carried a sound. Ray unpacks how music, creativity, and worship not only shape the church but ripple outward into culture itself. Join us on the porch as we rediscover the power of song to awaken hearts, reform communities, and carry the purposes of God into the world. In this episode, you’ll hear about: • Why every revival and reformation has a sound • How music has historically shaped faith and culture • Worship as more than music — a language of heaven • The role of creativity and wonder in carrying God’s purposes • Why the church’s song matters for the world’s future -- Join Selah Creatives: Get access to all of Ray’s online courses, teachings, monthly live Zoom gatherings, and a community of over 100 like-spirited creatives → selahonline.teachable.com/p/selah-creatives Support Ray on Patreon: Receive his personal poetry, prose, and creative writings not shared anywhere else → patreon.com/rayhughes Visit Ray's Website: RayHughes.org

Storytellers are the guardians of memories, Ray tells us. In this episode, Ray shares some of the memories of his early years and how the stories of our lives give shape to the people we become. These formative memories of family history encourage us that our memories, even the darker, painful ones can become a wellspring of hope and redemption for generations to come. Visit The Listening Porch online for more inspiring episodes. You can help support the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rayhughes or sign up for one of my online courses at www.rayhughes.org Also, check out my beautiful, handmade ink pens at redriverturning.com. Check out Stephen's Makers & Mystics podcast here. Note: This conversation was recorded in 2022. *This Podcast Series is produced by Brightbell Creative.

The Places we love have a profound ability to awaken wonder in our hearts and fill us with a sense of purpose and destiny. In this episode, Ray shares about his love of Wales, Scotland and Ireland a how a prophetic encounter set him on a lifelong course of discovering how deeply these lands were woven into his heart. Visit The Listening Porch online for more inspiring episodes. You can help support the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rayhughes or sign up for one of my online courses at www.rayhughes.org Also, check out my beautiful, handmade ink pens at redriverturning.com. Note: This conversation was recorded in 2022. *This Podcast Series is produced by Brightbell Creative.

In this episode, Ray Hughes shares from his lifelong study of King David and shows how this misfit shepherd boy’s unwavering pursuit of God's presence shaped his legacy as a poet, worship leader, and king. Ray emphasizes the timeless relevance of David's story, highlighting how his longing for God expressed through music continues to inspire generations and shape the language of worship today. If you'd like to dive deeper into Ray's teachings on worship, creativity and the life of King David, you can sign up for his online courses here. Visit The Listening Porch online for more inspiring episodes. You can help support the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rayhughes or sign up for one of my online courses at www.rayhughes.org Also, check out my beautiful, handmade ink pens at redriverturning.com. You can learn more about Stephen Roach's creative work and his upcoming creative arts event at The Breath and The Clay You can listen to Stephen's art and faith podcast here. Note: This conversation was recorded in 2022. *This Podcast Series is produced by Brightbell Creative.

In today's conversation, Ray shares about the generational power of storytelling. This episode spans everything from the importance of paying attention to learning the difference between a distraction and a daydream. Visit The Listening Porch online for more inspiring episodes. You can help support the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rayhughes or sign up for one of my online courses at www.rayhughes.org Also, check out my beautiful, handmade ink pens at redriverturning.com. You can connect with Stephen's work at The Breath and The Clay creative arts gathering and his art and faith podcast here. Note: This conversation was recorded in 2022. *This Podcast Series is produced by Brightbell Creative.

In this conversation,Stephen and Ray are continuing the discussion on fascination imagination and wonder, adding to it a bit about storytelling, songwriting, and how dialect impacts destiny. Visit The Listening Porch online for more inspiring episodes. You can help support the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rayhughes or sign up for one of my online courses at www.rayhughes.org Also, check out my beautiful, handmade ink pens at redriverturning.com. You can connect with Stephen's work at The Breath and The Clay creative arts gathering and his art and faith podcast here. Note: This conversation was recorded in 2022. *This Podcast Series is produced by Brightbell Creative.

In this opening conversation, Ray Hughes shares his timeless wisdom on the topics of fascination, imagination and wonder. As creatives and followers of Jesus, nurturing these expressions of faith are vital to living a full and vibrant life. Tune in to hear Ray share insights on how we can move beyond dull obligation to a religious life and maintain a sense of wonder for the long haul. Visit The Listening Porch online for more inspiring episodes. You can help support the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rayhughes or sign up for one of my online courses at www.rayhughes.org Also, check out my beautiful, handmade ink pens at redriverturning.com. You can connect with Stephen's work at The Breath and The Clay creative arts gathering and his art and faith podcast here. Note: This conversation was recorded in 2022. *This Podcast Series is produced by Brightbell Creative.

Hello Everybody. I am thrilled to announce a new series of conversations here on The Listening Porch. Each week, starting Friday, February 2nd, (that's Groundhog Day in case you were wondering,) my good friend Stephen Roach will be joining me for a series of talks about life, faith and the creative journey I've traveled. We’re calling these talks Deep Roots and Tangled Limbs. I believe these candid conversations will inspire and encourage you in your own creative pursuits. - Ray Visit The Listening Porch online for more inspiring episodes. You can help support the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rayhughes or sign up for one of my online courses at www.rayhughes.org Also, check out my beautiful, handmade ink pens at redriverturning.com. You can connect with Stephen's work at The Breath and The Clay creative arts gathering and his art and faith podcast here.

I'd like to wish you a Happy New Year! Visit The Listening Porch online! You can view a video version of this episode and help support the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rayhughes. You can also sign up for one of my online courses at www.rayhughes.org or check out my beautiful, handmade ink pens at redriverturning.com.

Somebody asked me, "What is Beauty"? Here's what I told them. Visit The Listening Porch online! You can view a video version of this episode and help support the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/rayhughes. You can also sign up for one of my online courses at www.rayhughes.org or check out my beautiful, handmade ink pens at redriverturning.com.