Project Zion Podcast

Episode 200: Words of Counsel with President Steve Veazey

June 20, 2019 Project Zion Podcast
Project Zion Podcast
Episode 200: Words of Counsel with President Steve Veazey
Show Notes Transcript

President Steve Veazey shares illuminating reflections about 2019 words of counsel with host Linda Booth on Project Zion Podcast episode 200. Listen in the comfort of your own home or on the go! Read the words of counsel here or watch the video here

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Intro and Outro music used with permission:

“For Everyone Born,” Community of Christ Sings #285. Music © 2006 Brian Mann, admin. General Board of Global Ministries t/a GBGMusik, 458 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30308. copyright@umcmission.org

“The Trees of the Field,” Community of Christ Sings # 645, Music © 1975 Stuart Dauerman, Lillenas Publishing Company (admin. Music Services).

All music for this episode was performed by Dr. Jan Kraybill, and produced by Chad Godfrey.

NOTE: The series that make up the Project Zion Podcast explore the unique spiritual and theological gifts Community of Christ offers for today's world. Although Project Zion Podcast is a Ministry of Community of Christ. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those speaking and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Community of Christ.

Speaker 1:

[ Music playing]

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Project Zion podcast. This podcast explores the unique spiritual and theological gifts Community of Christ offers for today's world.

Speaker 1:

[ Music playing]

Linda Booth:

Welcome Project Zion listeners. My name is Linda Booth and with me in a conference room in the Council of 12 apostles suite is Steve Veazey prophet, president of the Community of Christ. I thank you Steve for taking time before you leave to do camps and reunions. And I hear you're going to your home camp ground, the place where you were raised.

Steve Veazey:

Yes. Uh, first of all, thank you for inviting me to be part of the podcast. Yes and I'll be leaving soon to go to reunion in the Mid South mission center and the reunion grounds is in Tennessee and it just hit me. It was 40 years ago, uh, when I said goodbye to the folks there at Reunion and headed out on the rest of my life as a full time minister for the church. So it's, it'll be very interesting to be going back at this point in my life.

Linda Booth:

Yes. Having served in that region and that mission center for 13 years. I know they consider you theirs, there so. So they've shared you with the church.

Steve Veazey:

Yeah, it'll be, it'll be good to be with them. It's good folks.

Linda Booth:

Well, we've gathered here to talk about some words that you've shared with the church, words of counsel that you presented on April 13th at the end of your conference sermon, the 2019 world conference sermon. And these, these words of counsel are beginning to go out into the church and people are beginning to read them and hopefully focus upon them. If you haven't Project Zion listeners had a chance to read the words of counsel, you can find them in the May, June Herald or you can find them on the church's website, cofchrist.org so check those out if you haven't seen them. We're going to jump right in. And a as is often the case with words of counsel. Uh, it starts with an introductory paragraph and I'm going to read that paragraph,"Several times during world conference, I offered spoken messages through which perspective and guidance for the Church has been presented throughout the week. I have experienced the promptings of the Holy Spirit indicating it would be good to emphasize certain concepts as we embark on the next phase of our faith adventure with God. I do not have any expectation regarding the ultimate status of what I will present to you now. If these words have enduring value for the church, they will find their place in the character responses and living canon of our lives." So in this introductory paragraph, Steve, you, you refer to the promptings of the Holy Spirit that engaged you during the 2019 World Conference. Please tell us about those personal experiences and how they led you to specific concepts for the words of counsel.

Steve Veazey:

Yeah, as I've shared, uh, with the church before in terms of my own ongoing encounter with God spirit. For me, it's not so much any event that's very concentrated that may happen from time to time, but it's more like an unfolding process, uh, where I am in relationship to God, always trying to be alert and aware and listening to all of the ways in which God may be guiding or influencing or prompting. And then over time I noticed that there are certain themes or concepts or ways of understanding that emerge in my mind. And in this case many, many months before world conference, I began preparation and I knew I had certain responsibilities to share with the church and that those would be important times to emphasize what's important in terms of how has God guiding and leading the church. So as I prepared those messages, like for the 25th anniversary of the temple dedication at the opening of conference and the Sunday afternoon priesthood sessions of the opening weekend and Sunday night sermon and my closing message, which in my all begin to be connected to each other I incorporated in those messages. The themes that I had sensed were very important. The concepts, the ideas and some explanation, um, and narrative around those themes. And I thought that that was sufficient, uh, in terms of what needed to be shared with the church, with the hope, that people would be alert to those and that the good spirit would bring the message home. Um, it was during world conference, especially the latter part of world conference that I began to have this sense of the appropriateness, uh, and even the importance of emphasizing certain ideas and concepts. It may be that part of that was freed by the wonderful conference experience we had together and the desire of God to affirm God's presence and guidance with the church. It's not that people wouldn't understand what I had said in various sermons and, and talks, but I think a lot of it has to do with God's wanting to emphasize and confirm that God was very much aware of the church of the challenges and opportunities before the church and so a way to do that was to highlight specifically certain themes, um, and direction and so it came down to the last few days and I began to shape those words and decided to think about them overnight. But by the next day, which was Saturday morning, I really felt a need to proceed and my two colleagues in the presidency had had an opportunity to view the words, which was actually fairly quick in terms of our usual processes and brought confirmation that I should proceed. So I did.

Linda Booth:

Yes, the church is thankful that you did Steve. Thank you very much. You conclude the introductory with the following line. If these words have enduring value for the church, they will find their place in the character response and living canon of our lives. As the words in particular living canon of our lives took shape in your mind what images came with them?

Steve Veazey:

Well, I've been thinking a lot lately about incarnation, um, embodiment and how the Gospel is so much more than a list of beliefs or a description of a way of life. In fact, it's, it's very important that whatever words we have in scripture, in other places that point to the Gospel and God's revelation in Christ and how that continues to inform our lives that it's all really nothing unless it finds place in our minds, in our hearts, in our relationships, in our families, in our congregations, and in the world wide church. Um, I don't mean to belittle the written word at all that serves to describe what we've come to understand about God. Uh, but many times we, we have the experience like at world conference and then that becomes a memory rather than something that we live. And so I wanted to emphasize, uh, that the most important, uh, response in our lives is to actually embrace the concepts, embody the concepts, and then words become the living word in us and in our communities of faith.

Linda Booth:

I really like that image of being a living canon of our lives. I mean that, that really hit me because our lives are called to be holy. And that incarnation and script, it's almost like a living modern day scripture that adds into God's grand narrative of where God's leading us as a people. So I really appreciate those words.

Steve Veazey:

You've heard the saying perhaps that you may be the only that many people read. And I think it's trying to get to the same point you a more succinct way, but it seemed it was very important.

Linda Booth:

Yes. I'm really thankful for that image that has been placed now in my life a nd in my ministry and in my discipleship. U m, I'm g onna read the first paragraph of the words of c ounsel and it begins,"To the church beloved in Christ for many years, you long for a temple to fulfill the hope of generations. Now there is a Temple seeking fulfillment through a worldwide community that embodies divine light, generosity and peace. Being a people of the temple is a constant calling that finds creative expression through each generation." This paragraph seems to move the church from being a people who have a Temple i n Independence to being a people of the Temple. So how will this transition of having a Temple to being a Temple change? How we each live our discipleship and how will it impact congregations and their mission?

Steve Veazey:

I think it's a process that's, that's ongoing. As I tried to share it at World Conference there are significant steps that we have taken toward becoming a people of the Temple, but that journey will continue and it'll involve multiple generations. The reason that's important is I think for many years in the church, the Temple was a goal to build the physical Temple and experience what we expected to be activities and ministries associated with the Temple and then that was some, some final achievement, a c ulminating ac hieved, an e nd point. Um, s o to speak, after which certain things would, wo uld, would just happen because we had achieved that point. And, and that's not the case. Uh, t h e, the Temple is a part of our jo urney. It's a important resource and important resource on our journey, but its purpose is to continue our transformation as a community of faith and, and witness and it's p urposes are the purposes that we are to focus on in terms of our discipleship and our congregational ministries like healing, reconciliation, the pursuit of peace, wholeness, th e, the purposes of the temple are, are really the purposes of the church. And so we'll pay attention to those as priority ministries again, in our lives, in our families, in our congregations, and in the worldwide church. Then we will become a people who, and here's the word again, incarnate or embody the essential ministries of Jesus Christ that are highlighted by the Temple. So it's that expression of, uh, we haven't reached an end point. Uh, we can't sit back and say, well, we finally achieved that. Uh, the phrase in that passage, constant calling was the one that just continued to reverberate in my mind.

Linda Booth:

Yes. And that constant calling as the symbolic nature of the Temple itself is that inward journey and then the outward journey into the world. So it really does point us to that spiritual formation deepening of our relationship with God and others, and then being sent in Christ mission into the world, which is that living, continuing living that,

Steve Veazey:

Yeah. The inward and outward journey, is in the very symbolism of the temple. Yeah. It's the journey of the disciple.

Linda Booth:

Yes, it is. And so I'm, I'm thankful for that paragraph too. I'm going to now read paragraph number two and it says,"Your continuing response to the call to be a people of the temple is commendable and of eternal importance when human esteem themselves, each other, all interactions and the entire creation as temple peace prevails. This restoring vision and witness is entrusted to you." One of the words that really stood out for me in that paragraph was the word esteem. It's not really a word that I hear that often in common conversation. And as I thought about the word esteem, it reminded me of having a really high regard for someone, uh, to honor and respect and to value and even in some cases to have a reference for someone or something. Is this what you intended when you wrote that piece? We'll prevail if we esteem ourselves each other, all interactions and the entire creation as Temple. And what do these words and concepts mean to you?

Steve Veazey:

That a very interesting question and it causes me even to reflect more on what it means. And that's often my experience with words of counsel. I continue to journey with them and as I discover meaning or people ask questions, then I gain even more insight myself that I'm able to affirm or confirm the word is esteem. It is not one that I think I use a lot either. I remember reflecting on it and the concept was one of very high regard. Um, and use the term reverence. And I would certainly be comfortable with that because the sense was when we view ourselves and our interactions with others and our interaction with creation and all the living systems of creation and the natural resources with a sense of this is all sacred, which sacredness is, is the awareness that Temple draws us to. We're in the presence of the divine, well when we look at all things as being in the presence of divine creation, then we begin to see ourselves, others and the whole creation with additional, understanding of the spiritual nature of it all. And if I highly esteem another then that's going to impact how I relate to them and hopefully bring a different spiritual quality to my relationships with those closest to me, but also people that I may encounter on a daily basis or, or people who are in great difficulty instead of judging them, I first see them as a person of great worth. So that's a different perspective and it's going to lead me to ministries of blessing and up leave rather than judgment and separation. Same thing's true with creation. With all the concerns we have for the earth and its environment, a lot of that is driven by the human attitude, that it's all here for us to consume, uh, to meet our, not just our needs to meet our wants and then beyond that to enrich us. And that attitude is proving to be very destructive. If we have viewed, viewed the creation around us with a sense of reverence, then it's going to change how we interact with the environment. And if we view creation as also temple, it will really impact how we relate to the environment. Uh, so all of that is contained in, in those few words, but esteem would be high regard, highly value. Yes. Even a sense of reverence in, in the sacredness of all.

Linda Booth:

I also, in that ending part of the paragraph, I sense a great commissioning, commissioning by God and in that line, this restoring vision and witness is entrusted to you, to you. It's not just us individually, but us collectively. And so would you like to comment on, on that sense of commission or our call.

Steve Veazey:

Yeah, in that portion of the words of counsel there was a strong sense of, of affirmation of community of Christ at this point in his journey coming out of our sacred story where temple has been a theme, but in Community of Christ, our concept of temple has evolved so that it's not something that secretive, but it's something that transformative in terms of our discipleship and the church's mission in the world. Part of my preparation for world conference was to read quite an extensive work on the concept of temple in scripture and its relationship to the life of the church. And that helped me understand that at the heart of the concept of temple is always a people who are responding to God's call in the world. And that the concept of temple is constantly expanding. So any type of temple that we have now, such as the Temple here in Independence is pointing to something much larger and much bigger and outward focused. It's that message that I think is entrusted to Community of Christ because of our journey with the concept of temple and now to help the world understand what that really means in terms of how we relate to God and each other.

Speaker 3:

Yes. That's a wonderful, wonderful way for us to embody what it means and be commissioned by God to do and be for the world's sake. It speaks to our identity. It does. It does. And even reflects our name. Yes. Community of Christ. Um, I'm going to read paragraphs three and four. They seem to go together. Um, and these two paragraphs remind us of what we've been hearing from the first presidency and the presiding bishopric for the last few years. So these are paragraphs three and four."Financial constraints are hindering the church for moving into the future as a pivotal, an opportune time in history. These obstacles can be overcome through generosity, cooperation, and discernment about how the assets of the church can be directed to serve budget, necessities and mission priorities. Members, congregations, and church jurisdictions are called to live the stewardship principles and practices already given to you." How is this reminder critical for Christ mission in a time when Christianity is facing viability challenges in the Western world?

Steve Veazey:

Throughout my life, I've heard people say it's a historic time. It's a pivotal time and I don't want that to become just kind of a trite saying, uh, but everything I'm reading and observing would say that the time we're in is very significant in terms of the turning of human history and especially the history of Christianity to new realities and to the future. U h, we have a tendency in such times to become anxious and perhaps pull back and take a wait and see attitude and that's not the response that we're being called to right now. The church is actively engaged in discerning the future and experimenting with models of Ministry that are responding to the opportunities for outreach and witness and engagement of people in the life of the church today and our primary, u h, hindrance is having the resources to move assertively with flexibility, u h, i nto the future with those kinds of new expressions of the church.

Speaker 4:

Uh, The community of Christ has struggled often and throughout its history with financial constraints. As I look back in the Doctrine and Covenants, it's a constant theme in terms of our stewardship response. Evidentaly from the divine perspective the church has represented and its individual members, but also in its corporate assets many of which are physical assets, property. Uh, from the divine perspective. There's, there's ample, if we take the initiative to discern how to use that to support the ministries of the church that are meant to move the church into the future. It seemed to me, uh, that the spirit was saying, and again, I don't mean to be trivial or try. Look, you've been given a lot of guidance about whole life stewardship and balancing your generosity, uh, between local needs and the worldwide mission of the church. It's both.

Steve Veazey:

Uh, and also it's not just your individual giving, but, uh, groups like congregations and mission centers have, uh, not only assets, but sometimes a surplus in terms of funds invested and so forth. And that the group response to support the mission of the church is also important. Uh, but the spirit in my experience was saying all of that has been shared. Just implement those principles and at this pivot time, pivotal time in church history, the ministries that we're engaged in will be empowered and magnified and expanded. And that actually will find great joy in that as we, as we respond.

Linda Booth:

Absolutely. The next paragraph really has something to do with moving the church into the future, but it's not just the future. It's the future now. Yeah, it's now. So let me read paragraph five."Technology presents opportunities for involvement and sacraments by priesthood members and participants in separate locations. The first presidency will act in its calling as chief interpreters of scripture, revelation and church policies to provide procedures for offering sacraments in new situations while upholding essential meanings and symbols of the sacraments. As the church explorers, new opportunities for sharing sacraments direction will come as needed through inspiration and wisdom." So we know technology is all around us. And in this paragraph, the need for the church to explore and offer the sacraments through technology as addressed. Tell us why this paragraph is essential now in the life of the Church and how it supports Christ mission now and into the future.

Steve Veazey:

Well, I think one is a practical response and it has to do with our relationship to technology. So the younger generations live in the virtual world of technology. It's real time, it's real relationships, it's real community. Uh, some other cohorts or generations of church members are migrating into that world, but that's not or hasn't been our primary experience and we may not be seeing all of the opportunities and potential applications and may even feel a little hesitant based on our past experience. So this is the spirit saying, here's a resource that can be used to share some of the most essential ministries of the church, speaking of the sacraments. Uh, and so we need to see it not as a threat in any way, but as resources to enhance our, our ministry. I think it's important that we recognize that and proceed while at the same time thinking about what, what really is the meaning of the sacrament, what are the essential symbols that bring that meaning to lie and how can we share the sacraments, without diminishing the sacraments and yet sharing the sacraments as widely as possible to people in all the diverse circumstances of their lives. So what I come back to his previous council given to the church that we should generously share the, the sacrament and generously sharing the sacraments includes looking at the opportunities to share the sacraments faithfully and meaningfully by the use of technology. So we're right in the middle of identifying what that means

Linda Booth:

Because the requests have come to the First Presidency in the Council of 12 of people who live far from the church and in other countries who have a yearning to share in sacramental experiences.

Steve Veazey:

Yes.

Linda Booth:

And one of which is the Lord's supper. So that the, the desire is there and the people are separated by nations and miles and it does provide a connection and a new way to build community. And a very deep sustaining. Yeah,

Steve Veazey:

Absolutely. And just last week the presidency finished it's review of guidelines for serving the sacrament or the Lord's Supper that includes guidelines related to online participation. And that was a continuation of the conversation we had at World Conference. Uh, as we looked at all the feedback and the questions, uh, I think what this section of our passage is talking in the words of counsel is, is happening. There, there have been moments of inspiration and wisdom that'll be reflected in those guidelines.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yes. The spirit is working in using technology in a very dramatic way.

Steve Veazey:

Yes.

Linda Booth:

The website has been the instrument through the power of the Holy Spirit to start the church in new countries.

Steve Veazey:

Absolutely.

Linda Booth:

And so to share the sacraments in ways that are meaningful to people that are separate, it would be a great blessing.

Steve Veazey:

Yes.

Linda Booth:

Great blessing. Our, our next, uh, I'm going to read the next two paragraphs together which have to do with the Lord's supper. And so I'm going to repair graphs. Six and seven."Additional meaning is waiting to be discovered in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. Renewing Covenant with Jesus Christ includes the call to live s peaceful human beings who personify Christ's peace. Spiritual blessing will be experienced when this calling is emphasized as a vital aspect of the sacrament. Cherish opportunities to be spiritually formed by Christ's sacred meal of remembrance, reconciliation, renewal, and peace." So the sacrament of the L ord S upper has always been important to this faith movement as well as the greater Christian community. Over recent years, it seems as if God is asking us to go deeper in our understanding of how the L ord Supper can form us as disciples and send us in Christ's m ission. So what is your experience with the Lord's supper and why do you believe God keeps reminding us of the power of this sacrament t o spiritually form seekers and faith communities?

Steve Veazey:

I guess in one way, the sacraments of the church are also a means of continuing revelation in the life of the church. Both in terms of our individual lives, the experiences that we have with the sacraments, but also in our community life as a worldwide church as well as in our, our congregations. My experiences with the sacrament of the Lord's supper certainly confirm what most people affirm and that is, it's one of the most meaningful, regular worship experiences that we have in the life of the church. My sense is that it can be even more meaningful, that it goes beyond just our individual sense of remembrance of the importance of Christ in our lives. Forgiveness, my sense of being forgiven. Moving then to reconciliation, which has been part of our understanding of the sacrament, primarily focused in our families and, and congregations. This is a time to reconcile and forgive each other if there's need for that. But as I've thought about the renewal of the baptism or commitment using the language of the church, if we are baptized into the peace of Christ and confirmed into the Community of Christ's peace, that how does that link to this regular reminder of what our covenant is all about? And out of that then merged, this is about calling. We are called to be the peaceful ones in creation, just like Christ was the messenger of peace. Uh, and as Ephesians says, he was our peace. And if we are baptized into that truth, then that guy to our understanding of what it means to be a human being. And so we take on an identity of being the peaceful ones individually and collectively, not just uttering the words or going through the motions, but now we are incarnating peace, the peace of Christ in our lives and so we go forth into the world as the peaceful ones. And I, I'm wondering if there's some aspect to the sacramental experience itself to send us out in that way or with words of blessing, words of reminder and blessing that now we're called to go live sacramentally as the peace of Jesus Christ in the world, would it would not enhance our experience together? So we'll see what happens.

Linda Booth:

Well, for sure it would, when I prepare for a, to take the Lord's supper, I read section 164 the fourth paragraph and the promise, it's found there near the end that the, there's power in the Lord's supper to form this community into the true and living expression of Jesus Christ. And I think that's related very much to what you're saying to be formed, not as just as individuals, but as a community moving out in Christ mission. I mean, I just, I get goosebumps just even thinking about what might happen.

Steve Veazey:

Yes. It, it's that and section 164, points to the formative aspect. These words of counsel talk about what are the qualities and characteristics being formed and once again, the identity of disciples and the church in the Community of Christ understanding and experience of the Gospel.

Linda Booth:

Yes. And, and calling us back to that understanding of the peaceful human beings that we're called to be links us again, back to the purpose of the temple of peace.

Steve Veazey:

It all connects, doesn't it all lines up in that regard?

Linda Booth:

Yes. God does help us put the dots, the dots and put them in the row and help us try to help us.

Steve Veazey:

We have powerful symbols. We have powerful sacraments. We have scriptural guidance. We we have each other as we're becoming that people. It's a wonderful experience when you see it from that perspective.

Linda Booth:

It is absolutely. Well, we're going to end now with the last two paragraphs of the words of council, paragraphs eight and nine."Then go with conviction into locations of your discipleship and be the peace of Christ. As you do, you will discover a variety of ways in which spiritual community forms and flows as expressions of the gospel of peace. Trust what is being born, have faith in divine purposes, persist in hope. Amen." Oh really! I really like these two paragraphs. They speak to me of God's continuing promises to the church in particular. Those last three short sentences."Trust what is being born. Have faith in divine purposes, persist in hope." And this gives us assurance and an encouragement in this time when disciples in congregations in the western world in particular are facing such great challenges. How do you see God's presence with us reflected in these last two paragraphs?

Steve Veazey:

Yeah, it seems that God is always engaged in our future before we realize it. And it's often only in retrospect that we see it. So what we may be viewing as challenging times, especially with the financial constraints, a lot of the difficult questions that we continue to wrestle with in terms of the meaning of the Gospel, uh, we may perceive that as burden. I think from a divine perspective, experiences like that, 10 to refine and strengthen as we move through them. So in the midst of our current challenge, uh, challenges there is something being born, um, birthed not just that we're bearing it under it, bearing up under it, but it's being birthed, uh, that positions the church into the future in terms of its ministries and relevance in the world. The phrases at the very end are our like here it is just very succinctly trust. Um, hope those have always been themes of the, of the Gospel over the generations. God's people have been guided by the words trust and hope and faith. Uh, and then persisting in hope gives it a quality that's, it's not just wishful thinking, it's not just pie in the sky. Hopefulness is the kind of persistent hope that comes from a people who are, uh, people of the resurrection. Even in the midst of great difficulty. As we look at church history and Christian history, there's always been reason for great hope because it's in the very nature of who we are. It's, it's at the very heart of Christianity and discipleship. Um, but the term persistence or persist, I have a funny story if I could tell it briefly. We have time. I was driving into the office one day. A lot of the issues of the church are just weighing so heavily and I was almost dreading going in to the office and I'm driving down the street and I'm praying as I often do coming into the office. And I guess I got a little frustrated and I kind of, uh, in, uh, exasperations said, you know, where are you God in all of this. And about then a car pulled in front of me and it had a big sticker in the back window that said, persist. Persist. And I, uh, kind of chuckled but all day long, uh, and after that word, as the stance of people of faith and hope we persist no matter of what really came to the fore of my thinking, uh, that may have had an impact, uh, on those words. Yes. Persist in hope, persistent. That's, that's the calling. That's the attitude of disciples and the church in all times, all places in this time and into the future.

Linda Booth:

And that we are divinely called and that God is right in the middle of the mess with us. Yes,

Steve Veazey:

We have a holy mess and adventure.

Linda Booth:

And God will surprise us and blesses if we just persist. Yeah, I liked that a lot. Is there any other comments or reflections that you might have before we end this Project Zion podcast?

Speaker 4:

Well, uh, one, a note of appreciation for the opportunity to share in this way. And if there are any of the listeners who have, uh, questions, I'm more than happy to receive emails and try to respond to those as I can. Um, bottom line, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of this interesting and challenging faith movement. I hope that others find joy in the journey and growth in the adventure. And so I extend my best wishes to all of the listeners and invite you to continue the journey with us.

Linda Booth:

Yes, please do. And so now we conclude this project, Zion and thank you, each one for joining us on this journey and we pray God's blessing to you as you persist in the wonderful discovery of resurrection. Amen.

Speaker 4:

Amen.

Speaker 1:

[inaudible]

Speaker 2:

Thanks for listening to Projecy Zion podcast. Subscribe to our podcast on apple podcast, stitcher, or whatever podcast streaming service you use. And while you are there, give us a five star rating. Project Zion podcast is sponsored by Latter-day Seeker ministries of Community of Christ. The views and opinions expressed in this episode a re of those speaking and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Latter-day Seeker ministries or Community of Christ. The music has been graciously provided by D ave H ines.

Speaker 5:

[inaudible][inaudible]. Okay.