Forefront 360

Arts Review: poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley, Robert Frost, Cody Adams

Cody and Rich sit around the proverbial campfire and share some excellent poems.

• Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley
• Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost
• Something Gold Has Come by Cody Adams

Interview: Ryan Rickrode

Cody interviews writer Ryan Rickrode about poetry, stories, faith, and education. 

The end of the episode includes a scored excerpt from the beginning of Rickrode's newest book, The Mountains May Depart, a novel about grief, prayer, and forgiveness set in Missoula, Montana. Rickrode calls this a "scored" story because he's paired the passage with original music he wrote to accompany the text. At the start of The Mountains May Depart a year has passed since Dan and Sarah lost their young son in a car accident caused by Sarah. Sarah is thinking about leaving Dan, Dan is struggling to figure how he and Sarah can begin to reconnect. In this excerpt Sarah pretends to be asleep while Dan gets dressed to go jogging, then she gets out of bed and opens her prayer book. God feels distant but she prays anyway.

Art Review: Wake Up Dead Man

Cody, Nate and Megan discuss Wake Up Dead Man, the new Knives Out mystery film by Rian Johnson, now streaming on Netflix.

Art Review: Thank You, Ma'am by Langston Hughes

Cody and Rich read & review Thank You, Ma'am, a short story by Langston Hughes. They explore the literary features and Christian themes in this moving story.

Interview: Matthew J. Andrews

Today on Forefront 360, Cody interviews Matthew J. Andrews.

Matthew J. Andrews is primarily a poet, although he dabbles in prose. In his work, Matthew examines the intersection of the spiritual and the secular, the wrestling match between belief and doubt, and the challenges of practicing an ancient faith in a modern world. His writing also explores the many faces of the natural world and the sacredness of small moments, among other things. He is a native Californian now living in Central Iowa. 

When he is not writing, Matthew is a professional private investigator, a voracious reader, an amateur chef, a wannabe outdoorsman, a sometimes runner, a doting husband, and a competent father of two. 

Arts Review: All Shall Be Well, Fantastic Four, Haunted Cosmos, The Lord of Spirits

Rich and Nate discuss some of the art they've been experiencing lately:

• All Shall Be Well by Good Shepherd Collective
• Fantastic Four: First Steps
• Haunted Cosmos
• The Lord of Spirits

Special: Forefront Sounds Pilot - What is Christian Music?

Dan, Rich, and Nate discuss the question "What is Christian music?" This kicks off the new series Forefront Sounds, a new show on the Forefront Podcast Network, in which music enthusiast Dan Becker talks to people about music that has impacted them—including and especially music outside of the "Christian music" genre. Through examining the work of popular bands and songwriters, he explores the idea from C.S. Lewis that "God gave the pagans good dreams"—that there may be truth (and musical beauty) in places we do not expect.

We have the pilot episode of Forefront Sounds in the Forefront 360 feed today. To hear future episodes of Forefront Sounds, subscribe to the new show on your favorite podcast app.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forefront-sounds/id1841123765

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/44qQUdAuJOi9U2wZ1GFT2X

 

Discussion: The Chosen Season 5

Earlier this year, Nate & Rich reviewed the first 2 episodes of The Chosen Season 5. In this episode, they finish reviewing the whole season. They discuss the unique pacing of the season, the character development of John and Judas, and the dramatic ending. The first 11 minutes of this episode are spoiler-free, so you can listen even if you haven’t watched Season 5.

Interview: Mark Buchanan

In this episode, Cody interviews Mark Buchanan. Mark is an author, speaker, pastor, and professor. He is the Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Ambrose University.

Interview: Dr. Benjamin Myers on Ambiguity & Belonging

Cody and Rich interview Dr. Benjamin Myers about his new book of essays, Ambiguity & Belonging. The conversation covers, among other things, the formation that comes from sticking in a community; the balance of particularity and ambiguity in the arts; whether reading classics is important; the benefits of sports; and whether non-Scripture poetry ought to be part of church services.