Shows / Wayfarer
Wayfarer
Tom Vander Well is author of "This Call May Be Monitored (What Eavesdropping on Corporate America Taught Me About Business and Life)" A "wayfaring stranger" life's road. Husband, father, writer, CEO, actor, playwright, preacher, back porch musician, and follower of Jesus, he shares his thoughts and observations on the journey. Each weekday he offers 5-10 minute Chapter-a-Day (CaD) reflections on one chapter of the Bible, perfect for a daily commute. Longer reflections are on the Wayfarer…
Episodes
- Wayfarer
Fear Response (CaD Ps 56)
Along life's journey, I've found fear to be a debilitating emotion and acting out of fear to be spiritually counter-productive. I've observed that I can't…
- Wayfarer
(WW) Beginner's Guide to the Great Story Part 10
Wrapping up the "Beginner's Guide to the Great Story" discussing the book of Revelation, the apocalypse, the end times. Tom Vander Well provides an…
- Wayfarer
Lament (and Parenting) [CaD Ps 55]
Parenting is one of the grand adventures of this life journey. It has produced the greatest of joys and the deepest of sorrows. It has humbled me to my core…
- Wayfarer
Prayer of Desperation (CaD Ps 54)
Along this life journey, I also encounter moments when I feel pinned down by circumstances stacked against me. There are times when I feel like I'm stumbling…
- Wayfarer
Same Song, Only Different (CaD Ps 53)
David wrote Psalm 14 to mean one thing during his life and his generation, but a subsequent generation took the same song, the same lyrics, and made it about…
- Wayfarer
The Impotence to Respond (CaD Ps 52)
This morning I find in David an example to follow. Pouring out and expressing my rage, frustration, accusation and consciously handing over that which I am…
- Wayfarer
A Psalm 51 Moment (CaD Ps 51)
David did everything right. David was devout. David was faithful. David was sincere. David was God's man through-and-through...until he wasn't. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
The Religion Game (CaD Ps 50)
Mindlessly going through religious motions is of no real value, and I believe that this is one of the reasons why denominations are imploding and churches are…
- Wayfarer
Wisdom and Winnowing (CaD Ps 49)
Consider the fact that rich-and-poor, wise-and-foolish, good-and-bad all end up in the same place and leave everything behind. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Thin Places (CaD Ps 48)
In my spiritual journey, I've come to believe it vital to identify and regularly visit a thin place. A chapter-a-day podcast from Psalm 48. Text versions of…
- Wayfarer
King of the Mountain (CaD Ps 47)
Enthronement is a big deal in the Great Story, but the metaphor has very personal implications. A chapter-a-day podcast from Psalm 47. Text versions of all…
- Wayfarer
Refuge Within (CaD Ps 46)
God's temple is me. How radically that changes the metaphor of refuge. A chapter-a-day podcast from Psalm 46. Text version of every chapter-a-day podcast can…
- Wayfarer
(WW) Beginner's Guide to the Great Story Part 9
In episode 9 of "The Beginner's Guide to the Great Story" we unpack the section known as "the epistles" or "letters."
- Wayfarer
Love Song (CaD Ps 45)
How on earth could you put together an anthology of the lyrics of 150 songs and not have at least one love song in it? A chapter-a-day podcast from Psalm 45…
- Wayfarer
The "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" Blues (CaD Ps 44)
I am reminded this morning that in my spiritual journey I've had to work through all sorts of misguided notions of my own including those not unlike that of…
- Wayfarer
Chain Reaction of Praise (CaD Ps 43)
Until the last few years, I never realized how self-centered my reaction to circumstances tended to be. When things don't go our way, when tragedy struck, or…
- Wayfarer
The Thirst and the Why (CaD Ps 42)
"Am I holding the tension of choosing to praise, trust, seek even as I wrestle with my own versions of despair and my own questions of 'Why'?" A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
You Never Know (CaD 2 Pet 3)
Jesus wanted His followers to behave as though today is the day that He will return and settle accounts on a grand, eternal scale; Not being so foolish as to…
- Wayfarer
The First Step ... One More Time (CaD 2 Pet 2)
Along my own spiritual journey, I've observed that Jesus is often quoted saying, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." Never do I hear…
- Wayfarer
Of Corruption and Cravings (CaD 2 Pet 1)
Appetites are natural, but an unchecked lustful craving of that appetite which leads to indulgence will always end in corruption of some form. Text version of…
- Wayfarer
Betrayal (CaD Ps 41)
Personal betrayal is as old as Adam blaming Eve for talking him into eating the forbidden fruit, and Cane killing his brother Abel. Betrayal is a part of the…
- Wayfarer
Eye-Opening (CaD Ps 40)
Having eyes that see Spirit reality amidst physical circumstances. A chapter-a-day podcast on Psalm 40.
- Wayfarer
“SIT ON IT” (CaD Ps 39)
Sometimes I can so intoxicate my mind with endless distractions that I am not sober minded about significant matters of Life and Spirit. A chapter a day…
- Wayfarer
The “Woe-is-Me” Blues (CaD Ps 38)
David is so sick that he’s left wondering what he did to bring on his ill-fortune. A chapter-a-day podcast on Psalm 38.
- Wayfarer
The Simple, Complex Mystery (CaD Ps 37)
Sometimes things are simply right or wrong, other times it’s infinitely more complex. A chapter-a-day podcast on Psalm 37.
- Wayfarer
Captive Brain (CaD Ps 36)
Some days, I just have to take my mind captive and allow it to be captivated by goodness of God.
- Wayfarer
Guernica (CaD Ps 35)
What do artists do in response to powerful forces beyond their control? They create. They channel and express their emotions, even their most raw, painful, and…
- Wayfarer
The Story Behind the Song (CaD Ps 34)
Knowing the story adds a layer of context to the song lyrics, which creates added meaning for me as I read or listen. A chapter-a-day podcast on Psalm 34. Text…
- Wayfarer
Sui Generis (CaD Ps 33)
There is something unique about a corporate worship experience when those gathered are not just going through ritualistic motions but are truly pouring out…
- Wayfarer
Spiritual Pivot-Point (CaD Ps 32)
In the quiet this morning I am reminded that the Great Story is quite clear about the individual spiritual journey having a pivot point. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
My Times (CaD Ps 31)
I've observed that humans like to think that everything in life should be hunky-dory and if it's not then there's a problem. Jesus never taught that train of…
- Wayfarer
Hope, and the Pit (CaD Ps 30)
In the quiet this morning, I couldn't help but feel the joy of David's escape of death, but the unbridled praise is rooted in his absolute fear and hope-less…
- Wayfarer
(WW) Beginner's Guide to the Great Story (Part 8)
This Wayfarer Weekend podcast presents the Beginner's Guide to the Great Story which is intended to give anyone with little or no background or understanding…
- Wayfarer
Of Storms and Shelter (CaD Ps 29)
Growing up in Iowa, I learned very early in life that it's important to make sure you always have shelter from the storm. That lesson is layered with meaning…
- Wayfarer
Patterns (CaD Ps 28)
Almost every pain-point I experience on life's journey can be traced back to unhealthy patterns. Growth, progress, and maturity necessitate the breaking of…
- Wayfarer
The Feed (CaD Ps 27)
I have come to understand that my mental diet is as important to my health and well-being as my physical diet. A chapter-a-day podcast on Psalm 27. The text…
- Wayfarer
"If I Really Believe What I Say I Believe..." (CaD Ps 26)
In the quiet this morning, I get why followers of Jesus went back to the old edifice complex. For 1700 years we rebuilt temples made with human hands and…
- Wayfarer
The Disorder Blues (CaD Ps 25)
Along my spiritual journey, I've experienced that understanding the theme of order, disorder, reorder doesn't lessen the sting of life's disorder when it…
- Wayfarer
(WW) Beginner's Guide to the Great Story Part 7
Part 7 of our Beginner's Guide to the Great Story explores the books of the prophets (Isaiah through Malachi) and provides some basic insights to help…
- Wayfarer
Of Rules and Appetites (CaD Ps 24)
What really led to transformation for me was when I realized that all my human appetites were good and created within in me by God. Paul realized it too when…
- Wayfarer
The Predicate (CaD Ps 23)
Is it possible that I could be allowing myself to be "shepherded" by another human being, a religious institution, a teacher, a university, a parent, a…
- Wayfarer
Prophecy & Professor Trelawney
Along my life journey, I've observed that this is the way the prophetic works. It's mysterious, and strange, and comes from the most unexpected of people in…
- Wayfarer
Oracle (CaD Ps 21)
One of the things I've learned to look for when reading through the texts of the Great Story is recurring patterns or themes. The theme I've noticed in the…
- Wayfarer
Fight! Fight! Fight! (CaD Ps 20)
Psalm 20 stands as a testament to the fact that David wanted to use his authority to ensure any fight song sung by his people for him would be a prayer for…
- Wayfarer
[WW] Companions on the Journey Part 2
On this Wayfarer Weekend podcast, I finish my conversation with Kevin Roose. Kevin is the one with whom I began my chapter-a-day journey twenty years ago. We…
- Wayfarer
A Good First Step (CaD Ps 19)
Today's chapter reminds me that endeavoring to apply the principles of Joshua 1:8 (continuous meditation, consistent application) has played a huge part in…
- Wayfarer
Praise-to-Plea Ratio (CaD Ps 18)
The blessing in my life far outweighs the struggles in my life, and I'm asking myself in the quiet this morning: Does my praise and gratitude to God outweigh…
- Wayfarer
Just Appeal (CaD Ps 17)
I found myself with the opportunity to act with vengeance against the person who had injured me. I had a smoking gun that would pay back my enemy's injuries…
- Wayfarer
"I've Got Your Back" (CaD Ps 16)
I find myself thinking about current events in which I feel like so much of our world is out of control. I wonder what in the world is going to happen next. It…
- Wayfarer
Cutting the Mustard (CaD Ps 15)
Jesus taught that "God's kindness is what leads to repentance." I've observed along the way is that we humans always want to go back to the "my moral purity…
- Wayfarer
[WW] Companions on the Journey Part 1
The Wayfarer Weekend Podcast features special guest Kevin Roose discussing how the "Chapter-a-Day" journey began, and what it means to cultivate true…
- Wayfarer
People-Eaters (CaD Ps 14)
It's so easy for me to get sucked into being dismissive, diminishing, and disrespectful to the "other" writing those words that appear magically in my…
- Wayfarer
The "How Long?" Blues (CaD Ps 13)
Along the way, I've learned that the road is going to have its ups and its downs. There are going to be good times and bad. It may not be about me, but it's…
- Wayfarer
Much Needed Affirmation (CaD Ps 12)
In the quiet this morning, I'm thankful for David's little ditty. It reminds me that we are not the first generation of humanity to think everything was going…
- Wayfarer
Faith or Flight (CaD Ps 11)
In the quiet this morning, I am reminded of the many times I have written in these posts that I believe life is part of the Great Story that is being told from…
- Wayfarer
The Perplexing Mystery (CaD Ps 10)
It's interesting that towards the end of today's psalm David appeals to God as "King forever and ever." At the end of his personal, earthly power that has…
- Wayfarer
Running to the Same Stronghold (CaD Ps 9)
Here's the thing I'm observing: In this moment of time, everyone feels oppressed by those who don't look the same, feel the same, think the same, or see things…
- Wayfarer
The Honor of Creation (CaD Ps 8)
This morning I'm thinking about creation, and my responsibility to exercise my dominion in caring for it, tending it, and serving it. Not because I worship it…
- Wayfarer
The "Why Me?" Blues (CaD Ps 7)
Along my life journey, I matured from the childish notion that every negative thing that happens to me is some kind of divine retribution for my wrong-doing…
- Wayfarer
"Get it Out, Little Dude" (CaD Ps 6)
Along my life journey, I've both experienced in myself and observed in others the tragic consequences of suppressing and holding in the toxic emotional waste…