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
An Awkward Moment at the Pub (CaD 1 Cor 5)
With a little extra time on my hands one day, I decided to pop into the local pub for a pint before heading home. The pub had its front door propped open and I…
- Wayfarer
Paul & the Prisoners of Rome (CaD 1 Cor 4)
It’s a struggle to sometimes even connect ancient realities with my 21st century reality. I live in the most affluent country in the world in arguably the…
- Wayfarer
Celebrity (CaD 1 Cor 3)
There is something very human about the way we love celebrity. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Corinthians 3. The text version may be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
Outcomes (CaD 1 Cor 2)
As I meditated on a number of challenges I’ve been navigating recently, I found myself thinking about the outcomes Jesus says He wants from me as a disciple. A…
- Wayfarer
Wise and Learned (CaD 1 Cor 1)
Paul reminds me that I shouldn’t be surprised when the world misunderstands, belittles, and/or maligns my faith in Jesus. Quite the opposite, I should expect…
- Wayfarer
Needed Words (CaD Mrk 16)
One of the things I’ve learned about myself across the years is that I have a penchant for occasionally spiraling into a pessimistic funk. People are always…
- Wayfarer
Of Appointees & Crowds (CaD Mrk 15)
As human beings, the crowd continues to have a tremendous impact on lives, culture, and personal decisions. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 15. The text…
- Wayfarer
When the Rooster Crows (CaD Mrk 14)
I confess, my life journey is dotted with mistakes, poor choices, and moral failures. I’ve made some doozies. Buy me a pint sometime, and I’ll tell you some…
- Wayfarer
The Tension (CaD Mrk 13)
So, which is it? Are things worse than ever, or better than ever? A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 13. The text version may be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
Anonymous Cogs (CaD Mrk 12)
One of the things I’ve observed along my life journey is that human empires will always attempt to crush or eliminate any anonymous cog who threatens their…
- Wayfarer
The Fig Tree Mystery (CaD Mrk 11)
Today’s chapter contains one of the strange, head-scratching episodes in the entire Jesus Story. Why on earth would Jesus curse and kill a fig tree? It seems…
- Wayfarer
The Lead (CaD Mrk 10)
I got a call the other day from a team member. I don’t know what the issue was, it went unstated, but my employee sheepishly asked me if I would help complete…
- Wayfarer
Mountains (CaD Mrk 9)
But the “mountains” in the Great Story are not meant to be accurate examples of scientific, geological definition. Building on yesterday’s post/podcast, the…
- Wayfarer
God’s Base Language (CaD Mrk 8)
How often did Jesus use creation and every day pieces of life as a teaching device? Mustard seeds, weather, pearls, sheep, sons, gates, shepherds, wine, debt…
- Wayfarer
“Big Dogs” and “Bad Dogs” (CaD Mrk 7)
My real job, my boss told me, was the ability to take objective data and effectively communicate the same results to these two very different audiences. These…
- Wayfarer
Of Motives and Outcomes (CaD Mrk 6)
Along life’s road I’ve observed that crowds are fickle, fame is fleeting, what’s popular isn’t typically true, and people are generally attracted to all three…
- Wayfarer
“Just Believe” (CaD Mrk 5)
By regularly recounting those waypoints and expressing gratitude for God’s faithfulness I am strengthening my faith for the unknown troubles, tragedies, and…
- Wayfarer
Of Prophets and Plants (CaD Mrk 4)
One of the things that is often lost on casual readers of Jesus’ teaching is His relationship to the ancient Hebrew prophets. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark…
- Wayfarer
When Rest Becomes Work (CaD Mrk 3)
What was meant to be, and used to be, full of retreat, refreshment, and relationships had slowly become a burden on multiple levels. A chapter-a-day podcast…
- Wayfarer
Opposition! (CaD Mrk 2)
One of the things that I have learned along my life journey and in my career is that when you step up into the spotlight in front of a group of people, and you…
- Wayfarer
Flyover Country (CaD Mrk 1)
Along life’s road I discovered that the closer and more enticed I become with the Kingdoms of this world, the harder it becomes find the eternal treasures that…
- Wayfarer
A Plethora of Prayer (CaD Eph 6)
There’s a veritable plethora of ways one can pray. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ephesians 6. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
- Wayfarer
Profound Simplicity (CaD Eph 5)
If I was “mic’d up” like players and coaches in the NFL and then all of my words for a day were run through AI to summarize and describe all of things I’d…
- Wayfarer
Word Budget (CaD Eph 4)
The further I get in the journey, the more I find myself mindful of how I invest my words. I have a daily budget of words that I’m going to spend. How am I…
- Wayfarer
Dwell (CaD Eph 3)
It’s funny how life changes. I was always on the go as a kid. I find myself these days feeling entirely the opposite. I love to dwell at home. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
“The Why” (CaD Eph 2)
As an actor, understanding why my character makes certain choices, says the words he says, and does the things he does requires a cocktail of psychology…
- Wayfarer
Better Knowing (CaD Eph 1)
Sometimes, we need a friend who knows us well enough to give us the encouragement and affirmation we need, and who we know cares for us enough to give it. A…
- Wayfarer
Farms and Feuds (CaD Ezk 48)
Iowa farmland is among the richest, most productive in the entire world which means that it is of great financial worth. Because of this, living in Iowa gives…
- Wayfarer
Shalom! (CaD Ezk 47)
What many people don’t know is that “shalom" which is literally translated into English as “peace” has a meaning that cannot be simply contained by one…
- Wayfarer
Tearing Down Walls (CaD Ezk 46)
Jesus came to build on this seed that Ezekiel’s vision is planting and do something new. Jesus came to tear down distinctions of race, class, and gender A…
- Wayfarer
If Only… (CaD Ezk 45)
Throughout the Great Story, beginning in Exodus, God has been trying to provide humanity with a vision for how things can and should be. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
Time to Drive (CaD Ezk 44)
Jesus came to usher in a new age of humanity in which the Temple is no longer a bricks-and-mortar building but a flesh-and-blood organism. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
Message in the Mystery (CaD Ezk 43)
Why would God give Zeke this vision and instructions for a Temple that has never been built? A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 43. The text version may be…
- Wayfarer
Details, Details (CaD Ezk 42)
Do you want to know what makes an evening of great theatre? The scene changes! A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 42. The text version may be found and…
- Wayfarer
Distinctions (CaD Ezk 41)
God is a God of detail and distinctions who transforms chaos into order, death into life, and the common into that which is holy. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Chaos and Order (CaD Ezk 40)
Our family long ago realized that our place at the lake was sacred space. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 40. The text version may be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
The Dance (CaD Ezk 39)
Along my life journey, I have learned that there is a spiritual dance that happens between the micro and macro, the common and the cosmic, between the everyday…
- Wayfarer
The End Times & .38 Special (CaD Ezk 38)
Along my spiritual journey, I’ve learned that one has to approach the prophetic with humility. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 38. The text version may be…
- Wayfarer
This is the Way (CaD Ezk 37)
I am reminded this morning that no matter what happens next Tuesday there is a theme that God has been revealing to humanity over and over and over again for…
- Wayfarer
The Holy and the Profane (CaD Ezk 36)
Growing up, my mother had a set of fine china and a "silver service." You knew that when mom broke out the fine china a very special meal was about to take…
- Wayfarer
There's No Plan B (CaD Ezk 35)
Peace begins with Jesus in me, and His grace through me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 35. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
- Wayfarer
Lost Sheep, Living Hope (CaD Ezk 34)
Right at the moment when Zeke and his compatriots are feeling hopeless, God reminds them where their true hope lies. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 34…
- Wayfarer
A New Phase of Life (CaD Ezk 33)
I sometimes see our adult children making choices that I think they’ll regret. Can I ground them? Give them a time-out? Send them to their room? A…
- Wayfarer
“Go to Hell!” (CaD Ezk 32)
I have always been fascinated by words and phrases and their histories along with culture’s mores and taboos regarding what is acceptable and unacceptable to…
- Wayfarer
An Empire’s Epitaph (CaD Ezk 31)
Jesus looks nothing like a human emperor, pharaoh, or caesar grabbing power, conquering by force, and clinging to it through intimidation, fear, and violence…
- Wayfarer
Choosing to Know (CaD Ezk 30)
One of the overarching themes of the entire Great Story from Genesis to Revelation is God’s expressed desire to be known and to have a relationship with the…
- Wayfarer
Evil’s Refusal (CaD Ezk 29)
When I see evil in the events and the headlines of my daily news, I am reminded that this is the Story. This spiritual conflict will continue with all of the…
- Wayfarer
“Luxury Beliefs” (CaD Ezk 28)
One of the things I’ve observed on this earthly journey is that I will always be able to point to people I know and people I know of who have tremendously more…
- Wayfarer
Dirge for the “Indispensable” (CaD Ezk 27)
Ancient Tyre bragged of its beauty, its power, and its wealth. They believed themselves and their trade indispensable to the nations and therefore believed…
- Wayfarer
Kingdoms Fall (CaD Ezk 26)
The entire Great Story from Genesis to Revelation is really about the conflict between God’s Kingdom and human empire. Human history is a study in the rise and…
- Wayfarer
“…the More They Stay the Same” (CaD Ezk 25)
Sometimes on this chapter-a-day journey there are moments of synchronicity. Today is one of those days. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel 25. The text…
- Wayfarer
Refined in the Fire (CaD Ezk 24)
There is no way around the fact that human spiritual progress requires pain. Conversely, a life of ease and affluence is a surefire recipe for spiritual…
- Wayfarer
Interpersonal and International (CaD Ezk 23)
In today’s chapter, God through Ezekiel offers a raw and rather shocking metaphor regarding the unfaithfulness of the divided kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and…
- Wayfarer
The Perpetual Contrast (CaD Ezk 22)
I have found as a modern reader that it is easy to get focused on the idolatry in the prophets’ messages and then mentally zone out because, let’s face it, the…
- Wayfarer
The Scepter and the Sword (CaD Ezk 21)
In today’s chapter, Ezekiel is given a prophetic vision contrasting the scepter of the royal house of David to the sword of God’s judgment in the hands of the…
- Wayfarer
Slandered (CaD Ezk 20)
Throughout my life journey, I have experienced seasons in which I found out that I was the object of slander which is defined by the American Heritage…
- Wayfarer
The Music Tool (CaD Ezk 19)
Today’s chapter is handicapped for the modern reader because it lacks the musical context that gave it metaphorical power back in Ezekiel’s day. A…
- Wayfarer
Stupid Decisions (CaD Ezk 18)
Stupid teenager decisions are a great example of what we call sin. We know it’s wrong, but we do it anyway. We do it for any number of reasons. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
Trust the Story (CaD Ezk 17)
As a disciple of Jesus, I once again find in Ezekiel’s prophetic message some comfort in our own crazy political climate. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ezekiel…
- Wayfarer
Explicit Sins, Explicit Message (CaD Ezk 16)
The prophets like Ezekiel get very graphic in their messages because the extreme nature of the sins that they were addressing, including ritualized sexual…