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
[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…
- Wayfarer
Of Layers and Flow (CaD Ps 5)
Life has a rhythm. It has a beat and a flow. One of the things I've observed along the way is that God creates things with layers. My life is layered. My…
- Wayfarer
David's "Seven Steps" (CaD Ps 4)
In the quiet this morning I find myself accepting the fact that, despite 54 years on the journey and almost 40 years of following Jesus, I still have very…
- Wayfarer
Been There, Done That (CaD Ps 3)
In the quiet this morning, David's example has me giving a backward glance at the road I've already traveled in life. I've been in, and through, my own…
- Wayfarer
Refuge in Royally Troubled Times (CaD Ps 2)
This world may sink into all sorts of crazy just as it has time and time again throughout the Great Story. But, I know whom I serve. And, His kingdom is…
- Wayfarer
In the Flow of Life (CaD Ps 1)
The intention of today's psalm is simple. What do I want my life to be? Established, fruitful, rooted, alive, continually nourished in the flow of living…
- Wayfarer
The Continued Exodus (CaD Ex 40)
In the quiet this morning, I'm reminded that it never ends. For those who ask, seek, and knock. For any who truly follows and obeys. This dance, this…
- Wayfarer
Building People (CaD Ex 39)
I believe that this spiritual journey has a destination, and as I make progress on Life's road I'm also supposed to also be progressing in my spiritual…
- Wayfarer
A Lesson in the Margins (CaD Ex 38)
This life journey is filled with human mistakes. Buy me a pint and I will give you an entire list of mistakes I've made along the way (it might cost you two…
- Wayfarer
"Worth Repeating" (CaD Ex 37)
In my perpetual journey through the Great Story I've come to learn that sometimes spiritual lessons are not within the text, but outside of it. It's not what…
- Wayfarer
[WW] A Beginner's Guide to the Great Story (Part 6)
In this episode, we're going to talk about metaphor and the books of poetry (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs). From "Why do bad things…
- Wayfarer
More Than Enough (CaD Ex 36)
In this time of COVID craziness with many people out of work, in the wake of small family businesses burned to the ground by riots, there are a lot of people…
- Wayfarer
The Question that Makes All the Difference (CaD Ex 35)
Along this life journey, I've observed that it's quite common for humans to live on auto-pilot. Life is a series of rote words and actions motivated by nothing…
- Wayfarer
Positively "Horny" with Light (CaD Ex 34)
In today's chapter, Moses returns to the top of the mountain and spends another 40 days with God. When he returns, the text says that his face was so radiant…
- Wayfarer
Breaking a Stiff-Neck (CaD Ex 33)
One of the most fascinating things about the story of the early Jesus movement is the transformation in the strong-willed, stiff-necked followers such as…
- Wayfarer
Before "Old Things Pass Away," They Often Lure Me Back (CaD Ex 32)
I confess this morning that every time I watched the movie and every time I've read this story before, I have been led to the prescribed audience reaction. I…
- Wayfarer
Sabbath (CaD Ex 31)
I'm reminded this morning of observing how the legalism and fundamentalism I experienced early in my spiritual journey created really sad, angry, and bitter…
- Wayfarer
I Smell (CaD Ex 30)
Today I find, once again, that the physical bricks-and-mortar (or in this case oil-and-incense) of the Hebrew system matures through Jesus and shifts into a…
- Wayfarer
Another Choice (CaD Ex 29)
The Kingdom of God is not like the kingdoms of this world, and it requires the eyes and ears of my heart to see and hear beyond the simplistic choices fed to…
- Wayfarer
God Friended Me (CaD Ex 28)
In my experience, clergy across the various denominations, and even religions, are all lumped together in the minds of most people. Either they aren't sure…
- Wayfarer
The Church's Blueprint (CaD Ex 27)
If there was a blueprint Jesus provided for the design of the church, it would look exactly like me. (A chapter-a-day podcast on Exodus 27)
- Wayfarer
From Bricks-and-Mortar to Flesh-and-Blood (CaD Ex 26)
Today's chapter-a-day post comes from Exodus 26. I believe that we are moving into a time when followers of Jesus are tearing the curtain once more and…
WayfarerTent to Temple to Table (CaD Ex 25)
When Jesus came He blew up the childish notion of the God of Creation residing in one place. Jesus matured our understanding of God's very nature and the…
WayfarerCalled to the Quiet (CaD Ex 24)
Over the nearly 40 years I have been a follower of Jesus, I've experienced that my time of quiet with God each morning has an effect on the peace with which I…
Wayfarer“Jesus People Very Nice” (CaD Ex 23)
When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, and when He commanded His followers to take His message to…
WayfarerLosing the Truth of Loss (CaD Ex 22)
The way of Jesus has always been about letting go, giving up, and leaving behind. The diminishment of self for the gain of others is not an optional path for…
WayfarerAn Accomplice to Change (CaD Ex 21)
How do I, as a 21st century follower of Jesus, relate to an ancient Hebrew text that is basically a code of law dealing with specific instances of slavery…
WayfarerSpiritual Batting Average (CaD Ex 20)
Monday mornings are always a mental and spiritual "reset" button for me. As I prepare to enter another work-week I'm thankful for Jesus' reminder that all of…
WayfarerParental Covenant (CaD Ex 19)
What is a parent's relationship like with a toddler? The parent dictates the rules and asks the child to obey. Rules and obligations. Parents graciously extend…
WayfarerThe One-Person Org Chart (CaD Ex 18)
Within any human system, there is a structure of power and responsibility. In some cases, that structure is well-defined and ordered like a community…
WayfarerWhining Then and Now (CaD Ex 17)
One of my observations along life's journey is that humans have a penchant for whining at every stage of life, it just looks different in adults than it does…
WayfarerRoughing It…Not (CaD Ex 16)
In the quiet this morning I find myself confessing that I never think about my needs because there has never been a day of my life journey that I couldn't take…
WayfarerMusic and the Blues (CaD Ex 15)
I believe that God infused music with powerful properties. One of them is the way music ties us emotionally and spiritually to moments of our life journeys.
WayfarerInto the Water (CaD Ex 14)
In today's chapter, I found it so clearly hiding in plain sight. Moses and the escaping Hebrews find themselves stuck at the shore of the Red Sea as the…
Wayfarer[WW] Beginner’s Guide to the Great Story (Part 5)
In episode five of the series we pick up the Great Story at the end of Moses' story and overview the continuation of the story through the "Historical Books"…
Wayfarer[WW] Beginner’s Guide to the Great Story (Part 4)
In our fourth episode of the series we're going to start wading through the major sections of the Great Story. We begin with the ancient and mysterious texts…
Wayfarer[WW] Beginner’s Guide to the Great Story (Part 3)
In our third episode of the series we're going to talk about some of the "meta-themes" in the Great Story and, since all good stories are a reflection of the…
Wayfarer[WW] Beginner’s Guide to the Great Story (Part 2)
Second episode of the series in which decode some of the basic confusion people often have about the Great Story (aka The Bible) and provide some suggestions…
Wayfarer[WW] Beginner’s Guide to the Great Story (Part 1)
First episode exploring the basics of the Great Story (aka The Bible) for both those who have little or no prior knowledge, and for those who do and simply…
Wayfarer[WW] Time (Part 3: Appointed Time)
The unexpected third part of what was planned as a two-part series contemplating time. How we approach appointed time, the prophetic, and staying in the flow…
Wayfarer[WW] Time (Part 2: The End Times)
The second part of a two-part series contemplating time as it relates to eternity, history, the future, end times, and my own earthly journey.
Wayfarer[WW] Time (Part 1)
The first part of a two-part series contemplating time as it relates to eternity, history, and my own earthly journey.
Wayfarer[WW] My Return from Exile
Wayfarer returns from self-imposed exile, with thoughts and reflections on the theme of exile in God's Message and our current times.
Wayfarer[WW] Lent & the Four Levels
Thoughts on "unplugging" from blogging and social media for Lent, and introduction of the concept of The Four Levels.
Wayfarer[WW] Salem, Systems, Settle, Spriggs, Spec
How foolish we are as adolescents, how systems influence us and society, how we progress in our respective journeys, and the gift given to me by my Junior High…