Hey gang, Sorry so long since the last cast but it will be regular again. For sure bi-weekly then back to weekly. I had to realize once again who and what are important and all of you are important to me. Enjoy the episode and change the world together. peace & love, m@ Click here to help with my new blog!

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Have you ever watched an Alltel commercial and thought: "Wow, that Chad guy reminds me of God & Jesus..."? Well, I have...and that's what this episode will talk about - COME AND GET YOUR LOVE! Peace & Love, m@

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How easy is Sunday morning...really? It's been quite some time since the last episode posted on the gathering but none the less...we're still connected aren't we. This weeks episode called "Easy Like Sunday Morning" will open up a can about how easy it really is...or isn't...to find a place where we 'fit' on Sunday mornings. I hope to connect with all of you this Sunday Morning! Peace & love, m@ For those of you that asked for CDs, please be patient, my PC that houses everything crashed along with the external HD so I'm weeks away from recovering it all. (Sorry B...I promise I haven't forgotten about getting them to you).

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What's your "attitude" like? What do you think about when you look at the person next to you at work? What do you say about your boss when they're not around? And what about the bum you walk past on the sidewalk? Sometimes I say the person next to me is a loser. Sometimes my boss drives me nuts, and sometimes I walk past acting distracted so I don't have to deal with the bum. But sometimes I love people I work with. Sometimes my boss is the coolest cat ever, and sometimes, just sometimes, the bum has a name and for a moment when I hand him a few bucks I pretend he won't get drunk and I pretend that tomorrow he won't have to dig in the trash. What if we all tried to look at everyone as someone worth loving? Yes, even 'that guy' and even 'that girl'. Tune in to this week's episode and please, share your comments. Peace & love, m@

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This cast is a bit different because you won't hear my voice. This is just a song. Why am I doing this? I met a friend that is an amazing person with a beautiful spirit...and she feels completely ugly because of a disease that she's stuck with. She didn't contract it or do anything that lead to it. Truth be told, God just allowed her to be hit with this disease that tears her up inside. I have prayed, and dwelled on this and all I keep coming back to is this verse in the Bible it says that the rain falls on everyone, righteous and wicked alike...and if I were being honest I would say that in this moment, that brings no comfort to me. Today, I think that this verse pretty much stinks. Sure, I can offer an "umbrella" of comfort in a listening ear, but that will only bring temporary comfort. The crummy thing about umbrellas is that they don't work very well, and they aren't reliable, and they really don't stop the rain, they just deflect it for a moment...and eventually they let the rain back in. This song just made me think of this friend, and how much I wish I could do more than offer a crummy umbrella while standing in the rain for a moment, and how much I want to know why God won't make the rain stop for some people like her, and other friends who have other struggles that just don't go away. If he won't make the rain stop...at least we can find comfort in his promise to stand there and get wet with us.

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There are so many religious affiliations out there and so many people telling other people what God wants them to do....and so many people who hurt other people in the name of God... And then there are those who don't claim to know God, but they sometimes look the way I want God to look: loving, caring, considerate, patient. After you listen to this episode...go and hug someone! peace & love, m@

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I recently had the honor of being interviewed by Doctor Mo of the wildly popular Dangerzone Show. The Dangerzone Show has over 16,000 weekly subscribers who love listening to Doctor Mo deal with the controversial issues in our world! Check out part 1 by clicking the play button ABOVE: Peace & Love, m@ The Gathering

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Remember the story of Noah? You know, the one with the Ark in it and him taking the animals two by two, la la la... Other than him loading the animals two by two and having some serious faith to build a boat when there wasn't water what else do you remember about Noah? Do you remember him getting drunk and passing out naked? Yeah, God picks people who get drunk, and pass out naked, to do thinks like save humanity...so could he even want you and me? That's this weeks episode of The Gathering - check it out!

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Baaaa...what is a Christmas sheep you ask? I guess to understand what it is, we need to ask two questions: What is a sheep? What is Christmas? In this episode of The Gathering...I try to shed a bit of light on who or what I'm referring to with the Christmas sheep. Thanks for listening. Peace and love, m@ Don't forget to call my audio comment line and join the dialogue!

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In the first "by request" episode of The Gathering I'm addressing a request from my man Dr. Mo. If you've seen the news at all in the past month you probably have seen what's happened with Ted Haggard at New Life Church. So what happens now for the thousands of people who have been listening to his teaching? Is what he said any less real because of his choices? Is God any less real? Who's to judge? Tough questions...and you may not care for my take, but here is my two cents, now you add to the dialogue. For more information please visit www.newlifechurch.org peace and love, m@

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What comes to mind when you think of intimacy? What about when you think of 'intimacy with God?' There is a verse in a song by Panic! at the Disco that says..."what a wonderful, caricature of intimacy..." and I thought, 'how funny'. What is a caricature? It's a silly picture of something that is real. The picture, is something that resembles the real thing, but it's just not quite right, so it becomes humorous. That's kind of how many of us portray our relationship with God. It's like a silly cartoon, but it isn't quite right. In this episode of The Gathering, we dive deep into what it means to have an intimate relationship with a God who is called "King" and "Daddy", and we'll talk about a few ways that we can cultivate that intimate relationship with this amazing creator. peace & love, m@

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Happiness. That is the first part of a series of writings known as Psalms. This weekend's podcast will ask the questions: How are people like hay? How are people like trees? How does the old band Skid Row factor into this?...They don't, unless you're reading Psalm 1 in The Message//REMIX but this great picture fo my friend larry will make everyone happy! Check out this weekend's podcast and join the dialogue. peace & love, m@

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A guy named Ryan Star on Rockstar:Supernova did this cut by R.E.M. and it speaks volumes to me. "...losing my religion...trying to keep up with you, and I don't know if I can do it...oh no I've said to much...I haven't said enough..." Totally hits my heart. Join me in losing your RELIGION and seeking a relationship with God and others - download this and share your comments. peace & love, m@

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NOTE: This PodCast is Explicit and contains profanity - Parental Discretion is advised! If you're asking why there is profanity in a podcast from someone who's a follower of Christ let me clarify that I want you to understand fully the conversation that took place in regard to Christians, and their ethics - and these are the words used to describe them, I don't feel it's my place to edit them - just to let you know that you don't havce to listen in. This weekend I have been once again given the amazing opportunity to see what Jesus looks like and it wasn't by a church service or a Pastor or any "Christians" for that matter. Have a listen, share your feedback. peace & love, m@

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Wow, it has been a long time since I posted any audio hasn't it? As a matter of fact, it has been nearly a month since my last podcast....but wait no more gang! THE SILENCE IS BROKEN...AND SO IS THE BONDAGE. After a much needed time of silence and reflection, here's what has been stored up inside! As always, please don't just take what I say at face value...seek the truth for yourself and do something with it. Peace & love, m@

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What's a bumper you ask? I asked the same thing but my main man Brian over at Ruffmix.com sent me a podmail with this bumper to start off any upcoming episodes of The Gathering. Basically, a bumper is an endorsement from someone else about your podcast! Big thanks to Brian at Roug Mix for sending this to me! You can check him out at www.ruffmix.com or on PodOmatic at http://kempruffner.podOmatic.com/profile Peace & Love, m@

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I heard a short writing called Father Forgets by W. Livingston Larned. It has touched my heart like few things have so I wanted to share this reading and my thoughts. I am a dad, and I have come to realize that I'm not a particularly good one when I think about it. After hearing this and wrestling with some of the implications I hope...I know, that I will be a better one tomorrow, and I hope this helps you become a better parent as well - for those who are not parents yet; I hope this will inspire you to love your children and show them the love you have without condition. peace & love, m@

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"War....huh....good God y'all what is it good for? Absolutely nothin'...." Great song isn't it? My favorite version is when Jackie Chan sang it in Rush Hour with Chris Tucker...but that isn't the point of this podcast. What do you think about when you think about the war? Death, dying, innocent people being killed? Oil? Michael Moore & George W? Where's God in all this? How does Jesus fit? What if I said that many of these soldiers are "just like Jesus"? What would you say to that? Check out this week's episode and please let me know your thoughts by posting a comment - or sending an email to jointhegathering@gmail.com

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Some thoughts on what being a Christian isn't, on what leading isn't, and what "it" is all about.

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This is a great conversation with Author Jim Palmer! Download this podcast and check out a cool dialogue about faith, church and what it is to be a divine nobody. Check out Jim Palmer on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/divinenobodies

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Isn't it amazing that sometimes in life we miss the light...until something dark happens. It's like, sometimes it has to get so dark that we will actually begin to notice the light again...to appreciate the light. This week, the light came from many places, especially a hillbilly with a box of beer.

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Recently I had the opportunity to chat with up and coming recording artist Beckah Shae on The Gathering. Check out what she has to say about love, faith, and being a real down to earth chick. This is the first INTERVIEW DIALOGUE on The Gathering and I'd love to hear your feedback so don't forget to leave comments, and shoutouts after you tune in! You can learn more about Beckah Shae, and download her new CD at the iTunes Music Store or at www.beckahshae.com

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When it comes to church, who makes the rules? What is the "right" way to 'do' church? What if church wasn't about doing...what if church was more like....basketball?

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Fact: Everyone explaining the Christian faith sounds like a nut job. God made the world in a week, then a talking snake tricked the 1st humans into screwing it up for all of eternity because of a tasty treat hanging from a tree...so...God launched a rescue mission and sent an angel to tell a teenage girl that she was pregnant but she has nothing to be afraid of because afterall, God is the baby's daddy...PS - He's going to be the savior of the world. The kid grows up, turns water to wine, walks on water, used a little kids lunch to feed a few thousand folks, spit in a dude's eyes to give him sight, raised a few lucky people from the dead and last but not least...he dies on a cross and comes back to life saving all humanity...so just pray this 40 second prayer and now you can be saved too! Are we for real? The only thing that would sound crazier would be if we ended it with ..."you can have this for only $19.99, and wait, it comes with a magic bullet blender too!" Let's talk - after listening, check out my blog at www.afterlife.tv/blogs/jointhegathering and share your thoughts!

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Just a PodMail from my friend Kevatron in CA! I told people that I'd post their comments, good or bad, typed or audio - so here's an audio one. peace & love to all, m@

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Why is it that when you goto a resturaunt and order coffee, or soda or tea or most drinks other than clean water...they serve you in a cup that you can't see into? Have you ever thought about that? Today I did...as I drank diet pepsi (with all the dark staining residue that my dentist says it leaves on my teeth), and I thought about how our lives are like this cups that look nice...but, what's really inside? What would someone see if they took off the lid?

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What do Drug dealing murder attempts, A hooker at a birthday party for a 13 year old, drive by mothering and teenage pregnancy have to do with faith and spirituality and where does church fit this whole thing anyway... Since there are a few folks listening each week now, I thought it would be good to introduce myselfe and give you the option to run away quickly. So...here is 30 years in 30 minutes! Yes, I said 30 minutes, as you know I don't normally podcast that long, but I couldn't sum up 30 years any quicker (plus it was 2am when I recorded this) - what can I say, my life is a mess... and it is an open book for all of you since I don't think I'm the only one. Thanks again to Anne Goodrich at www.goodrichdesign.net for turning me into a cartoon. (I need to start running again, look at those chins!)

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Have you ever had a tragedy in your life? Ever lost a love one? You know those times when nothing feels good about what has happened and you just wish someone was there to comfort you... Then that friend that goes to church says "...God is still here..." SHAZAM! Now everything is better right?......maybe not. What does make the hurt better? Let's talk about it...

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Have you ever had a time in your life where things felt so out of control you wanted to vanish? Maybe you wished you had wings to just fly away... In this week's episode of the gathering I am reminded that I am not the first to feel this desire to fly away from the struggles and pain...and maybe these moments, these "fly away" moments, aren't a lapse of faith, but an opportunity for choice. Thank you for gathering, if you like what you hear, share it with a friend, and help change the world.

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Love is so powerful isn't it? It brings a man and woman together as husband and wife. It brings children into the world. Did you know that love also brings people back to life? If you don't believe me, see what I'm talking about in this episode of The Gathering. Don't just talk about this life - live it.

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Those were the words of Dana's son Liam that inspired this podcast. In the 2nd week of July I will be traveling to Mississippi with another youth leader named Dana and 8-12 High School Students to help those who have been beat up by Katrina. I didn't really get how big that was until I heard what Liam said about this picture Dana took...of a doll that was destroyed down there. This new episode of The Gathering is one that I needed to not only share...I needed to hear it too, because this little boy saw something so true that needs to be done for these people, and that was powerful to me. I hope this podcast is meaninful to you as well. Click send to a friend below and tell everyone you know about this great story!

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Ever feel like having friends sucks? What if they bail on you? What if you really care about them and then one day they stop caring about you? That's the discussion in this weeks episode of The Gathering. The ugly truth about friends...can you handle it? Like what you hear? Get connected to The Gathering every week by clicking one of the links to the right for iTunes or PodAmigo. It will set you up for automatic downoads when new episodes are posted. Want to connect with Mat Koenig? Shoot me an email at jointhegathering@gmail.com or call me at 206-339-9386 and leave a message. Thanks for being part of The Gathering, now change your life & change the world around you for the better. The Gathering Join the Revolution

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If you've ever wondered what the heck this whole Easter holiday is for - join the club. I think it is something bigger than Peter Cottontail don't you? At least, don't you want it to be bigger? I believe that behind the candy, the eggs, and the family dinner there is something bigger - and this is my take on it. Leave your comments and let others know what you think. On the right side of this podcast page there is a clickable link that says: "Record a comment" - click it and record your thoughts! Want to leave a comment by phone? Call my audio comment line: 206-339-9386 Or, do it the old fashion way by clicking the (comments) link below. Email me for more information on The Gathering at: essencemat@podomatic.com Question everything and deepen your understanding - join the revolution The Gathering

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This is a "man on the street" movie of interviews with real people in Kalamazoo that was done by my friend Garrett Tucker. I get the privelage of DANCING, yes DANCING in the beginning while I turn into a cartoon in perfect iPod commercial fashion. Check it out and see what folks in West Michigan say when we ask them: "What is the meaning of life?"

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What type of person am I? What do other people see when they look at me? Does my life line up with my mouth? Does yours? Check out the inspiration that I got from America's Next Top Model. It reminded me of this: If people are going to call themselves Christians...they may just get called out on it. Call the Gathering line and share your thoughts or shoot a podmail: Gathering Line: 206-339-9386 Gathering Mail: essencemat@podomatic.com

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What do you choose to believe about who you are? what do you choose to believe about who Jesus is? People tend to use the term "doubting Thomas" as sort of a put down but I believe we're all a bit like Thomas was. I think Thomas wasn't saying he didn't want to believe, I think he wanted to believe so bad that asked for Jesus to show himself...do you know what happened? Listen to this podcast and see. Then call the Gathering Line or shoot me an email, live life as part of the discussion and add to the commentary! Gathering Line: 206-339-9386 Gathering Mail: essencemat@podomatic.com

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What is truth? Where did we come from? What do we hope in? These are real questions we all face... Here are some of my thoughts, call the phone number on the right or email me at essencemat@podomatic.com to share your part of the commentary.

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People in church are always telling someone "they need Jesus" but what does that really mean? When I think about what I want - I don't normally consider a 2000+ year old Jewish guy. But, when I really dig deep into the things I want, I realize that it isn't what I thought I wanted either...not riches or popularity. I think that I want something even more basic than that - love, a sense of worth, happiness, a purpose for living, even on the days that suck. Check out Jesus Wanted, then call the phone number - or leave me a comment, and tell me how your wants line up with this. Adding to the commentary, Mat K essencemat@podomatic.com

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Sometimes I get sick of hearing people say "you need to believe in God so you can get into heaven..." Was that really the message of the Bible? Was that the bulk of that "good news"? I don't know that I buy this as being what Jesus was all about. Click the play button to hear my commentary, then call the number and add your own.

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Have you ever taken a taxi in a large city like Chicago? It's a rough ride isn't it? But, there's that crazy feeling of trust that you have for the driver isn't there? A feeling that he 'knows where he's going' so you'll get there all safe and sound. I think this concept can also be a metaphor for our spiritual journey.Check it out ad the drop a comment by calling this number and leaving your two cents. Call my audio comment line: 206-339-9386

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