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So much of our lives are spent asking questions...but often, we're asking the wrong questions. In the past two weeks I've been hit with the same question over and over again thanks to TIME Magazine: Who's right anyway? When it comes to God, who's right? Who knows why God does stuff? Who knows why we have hurt? Who knows why some people seem to fail while some seem to prosper? And...am I even asking the right questions?

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@

NOTE: This PodCast is Explicit and contains profanity - Parental Discretion is advised! 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@

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@

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

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

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.

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

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?

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!

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?

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!)

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...

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.

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.

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!

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

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