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  • The Last Thing I See Every Night Is Her Smile
    2026/04/28
    The last thing Charlie sees every night before turning out the light is St. Sarah's face smiling from a painting on the altar across the room. And somewhere deep inside, that courage smiles back. Then morning comes. And somehow, you get up and go back into the daily struggle. This week on Creation's Paths, Charlie and Brian walk with Netzach: the energy on the Tree of Life that keeps things moving forward, the green drive that refuses to stop. They follow the Four Paths through dandelions breaking concrete, ships with no rudder finding shore, and three little birds singing so loud on the windowsill you'd think an alarm was going off. What's wanting to be born in us right now is not a strategy for surviving empire. It's something older, smaller, and far more stubborn than that.Matthew Fox calls it 1+1=3: one tradition meeting one life makes a third thing no one expected. Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer is that third thing and an invitation to find yours.Creation’s Paths is a Christopagan Creation Spirituality community rooted in the conviction that creation is original blessing, not original sin. If this episode found you at the right moment, you are welcome here.New to Creation’s Paths? Start here: https://www.creationspaths.com/p/start-hereThe book: Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972869019Educational resources: https://wisdomscry.comThis work is listener and reader supported. If it has been nourishing to you, the most direct way to sustain it is a paid Substack subscription: it keeps the teaching flowing and the community growing. All are welcome here regardless of financial capacity. Spiritual nourishment should flow freely to all who seek it.Become a paid subscriber: Other ways to support: Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett Patreon: https://patreon.com/cedorsett Cash App: https://cash.app/$CreationsPathsFind us: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com Threads: https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/#Netzach #BlackMadonna #TreeOfLife #ViaNegativa #ViaPositiva #Christian #Mysticism #Spirituality #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPathsChapters:0:00 She Came to Shore With No Rudder2:50 What It Takes to Keep Moving4:09 The Narrow Place7:50 Sitting With the Dark Until It Greens13:44 Dandelions Break Concrete19:04 Three Little Birds on the Windowsill22:28 Self-Love Is Not Small27:48 This Week’s Practice Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe
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    31 分
  • Beauty: The Center That Holds
    2026/04/21
    We are living in a time that wants to drain the color out of everything: from politics to consumption culture to the slow accumulation of fear. Charlie and Brian walk the Four Paths through a single question: what actually holds the center when things fall apart?The answer is not optimism. It is beauty understood as the cosmological balance point of the Tree of Life, the dwelling place of the Cosmic Christ, and the practice that elevates the divine sparks still burning inside the broken shells of the world.This episode is pastoral, practical, and quietly insurgent. It moves from Via Positiva awe through the klippot and nitzotzot of Via Negativa, into the gemilut chesed and brachot of Via Creativa, and arrives at Via Transformativa in time to talk about dancing at protests and why a movement that cannot dance has already lost its way.This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Get your copy here —> Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality PrimerCreation’s Paths is a Christopagan Creation Spirituality community rooted in the conviction that creation is original blessing, not original sin. If this episode found you at the right moment, you are welcome here.New to Creation’s Paths? Start here: https://www.creationspaths.com/p/start-hereThe book: Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972869019Educational resources: https://wisdomscry.comThis work is listener and reader supported. If it has been nourishing to you, the most direct way to sustain it is a paid Substack subscription: it keeps the teaching flowing and the community growing. All are welcome here regardless of financial capacity. Spiritual nourishment should flow freely to all who seek it.Become a paid subscriber: Other ways to support: Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett Patreon: https://patreon.com/cedorsett Cash App: https://cash.app/$CreationsPathsFind us: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com Threads: https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/#ViaPositiva #TikkunOlam #CosmicChrist #Tiphareth #FourPaths #SpiritualResistance #DefiantJoy #FaithAndBeauty #Geburah #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPathsChapters:00:00 The Story That Started Everything01:31 Yeats and the World Right Now03:29 Introduction / What Beauty Actually Is05:28 The Gray Haze — What’s Being Done to Us08:22 Beauty, Artemis, and the Blue Marble10:42 Via Positiva — Beauty as the First Path11:14 Tiphareth: Beauty at the Heart of the Tree of Life13:57 The Cosmic Christ Lives in Beauty16:00 Via Negativa — The kelipot and the Divine Sparks18:05 Tikkun Olam: Elevating the Sparks21:58 Releasing the Shell, Lifting the Light22:59 Via Creativa — Making Beauty in the World23:35 Gemilut Chesed: Bestowing Loving Kindness26:22 Brachot: The Practice of a Hundred Blessings28:24 Via Transformativa — Defiant Joy as Resistance31:53 This Week’s Practice: Blessed Is Life34:00 Closing Blessing Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe
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    35 分
  • The Strong Heart: What Fear Takes and Courage Restores
    2026/04/14

    We're living in an Isaiah 5:20 moment: good called evil, evil called good, and a whole lot of broken people performing strength so the rest of us will feel powerless. This episode walks the Four Paths through the theology of Geburah: what communal, weight-sharing strength actually looks like; how Pachad, the projecting fear, corrupts it from within; what courage, the strong heart, wants to be born in us right now; and how we build the real thing together.

    Creation’s Paths is a Christopagan Creation Spirituality community rooted in the conviction that creation is original blessing, not original sin. If this episode found you at the right moment, you are welcome here.

    New to Creation’s Paths? Start here: https://www.creationspaths.com/p/start-here

    The book: Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972869019

    Educational resources: https://wisdomscry.com

    This work is listener and reader supported. If it has been nourishing to you, the most direct way to sustain it is a paid Substack subscription: it keeps the teaching flowing and the community growing. All are welcome here regardless of financial capacity. Spiritual nourishment should flow freely to all who seek it.

    Become a paid subscriber:

    Other ways to support: Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett Patreon: https://patreon.com/cedorsett Cash App: https://cash.app/$CreationsPaths

    Find us: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com Threads: https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/

    #Geburah #StrongHeart #KabbalahAndChristianity #SpiritualFormation #CourageAndFaith #PropheticTheology #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

    Chapters:

    0:00 — You’re Not Crazy: Strength in a World Turned Upside Down Cut point: “I feel like we have to start today by saying you’re not crazy.”

    ~2:00 — Welcome + Book Announcement Cut point: “Hello everybody. My name is Charlie.”

    ~4:00 — Strength That Demands Loyalty Over Truth Is Already Crumbling Cut point: “All right. Let’s just get into it now, shall we?”

    ~11:00 — Via Positiva: The Arch and the Weight We Share Cut point: “So let’s walk this idea of strength through the four paths”

    ~15:00 — Via Negativa: Geburah, Pachad, and the Fear That Robs Us Cut point: “As we turn over to the Via Negativa, to the second path, and start asking ourselves — what do we have to let go of? The answer is fear.”

    ~23:00 — Via Creativa: Courage Is the Strong Heart Being Born Cut point: “So as we turn to the Via Creativa and ask ourselves, well, what wants to be born within us at this moment”

    ~31:00 — Via Transformativa: Building Real Communities of Strength Cut point: “As we move on to the Via Transformativa, the fourth path, we ask ourselves — so what change do we actually bring to the world?”

    ~35:00 — Practice: A Meditation on the Strong Heart Cut point: “So hopefully that gives you a good firm rooting in what strength actually is. But if you wanna feel that, if you wanna experience it, not just think about it, I wanna offer a little practice for you.”

    ~39:00 — Closing Prayer to Archangel Michael Cut point: “I’d like to just say a little prayer to the Archangel Michael”



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    41 分
  • When the Kin-dom Appears Among Us Discussion
    2026/04/07
    Jesus preached the gospel of the Kin-dom. Not a kingdom of domination and accumulated power, but a realm of kinship, mutual care, right relationship, and life lived in abundance together. In this closing conversation of the Kin-dom Rising series, Charlie and Brian ask what that actually looks like when it shows up in ordinary life. They trace the long argument between those who said the Kin-dom is here now and those who found it more convenient to push it off into the far future. They talk about anxiety, Babylon, meaning, the beatitudes, casseroles from neighbors, and what it means to savor life rather than consume it. This is theology from the inside, two people who have been practicing this faith for decades, thinking out loud together about what it asks of us and what it offers in return.Creation’s Paths is a Christopagan Creation Spirituality community rooted in the conviction that creation is original blessing, not original sin. If this episode found you at the right moment, you are welcome here.New to Creation’s Paths? Start here: https://www.creationspaths.com/p/start-hereThe book: Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972869019Educational resources: https://wisdomscry.comThis work is listener and reader supported. If it has been nourishing to you, the most direct way to sustain it is a paid Substack subscription: it keeps the teaching flowing and the community growing. All are welcome here regardless of financial capacity. Spiritual nourishment should flow freely to all who seek it.Become a paid subscriber: Other ways to support: Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett Patreon: https://patreon.com/cedorsett Cash App: https://cash.app/$CreationsPathsFind us: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com Threads: https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/#KinDomOfGod #BabylonAndTheKinDom #SavorNotConsume #JesusTeachings #PresentKingdom #ChristianMysticism #ProgressiveChristianity #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPathsChapters:00:00 Opening Reflection: The Kingdom vs. Imperial Power01:16 Announcements: Church of the Oak & Upcoming Series02:05 Book Announcement: Creation’s Paths05:09 Announcement: The Risen Gospel of Jesus (Easter Series)06:21 What Is the Kin-dom? Defining the Kingdom of Jesus07:05 Is the Kingdom Now or Later? The Pelagius vs. Augustine Debate10:33 The Kingdom as a State of Mind: Heaven, Hell, and How You Live24:45 Babylon Is Always in the Room: Anxiety and the Kingdom25:39 Savoring vs. Consuming: Reclaiming Life from Babylon’s Mindset31:02 Closing Reflections & Series Wrap-Up32:56 Closing Prayer Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe
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    34 分
  • Unmasking Babylon Discussion
    2026/03/24

    Babylon is often imagined as something distant, a system somewhere else, run by someone else. But what happens when we begin to see how its patterns show up close to home, in the ways we treat others and ourselves? This episode invites a deeper awareness of dehumanization, not to accuse, but to help us recognize and respond with clarity and care.

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    Read the full article here:

    Read the Labor Force Article here: https://www.ms.now/business-culture/300000-black-women-left-labor-force-3-months-s-not-coincidence-rcna219355

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    Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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    #BabylonSystem #Dehumanization #SpiritualDiscernment #ChristianTheology #EmpireCritique #FaithAndCulture #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction: The Fall of Babylon03:04 Babylon’s Commodification: People and Souls04:23 Historical Context: The Book of Revelation07:19 Labor as Commodity: The Modern Workforce09:35 Unjust Laws: Ancient Problem, Modern Reality12:17 How We Form Moral and Ethical Judgments15:15 Ethics, Morality, and Law: Understanding the Differences21:07 Can You Legislate Morality?25:37 Honor, Integrity, and Compassion: Living in Right Relationship29:40 The Silversmiths of Ephesus: Faith and Livelihood30:38 Fear as Babylon’s Foundation33:19 Recognizing Division and Manufactured Fear33:55 Closing: All Shall Be Well



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    36 分
  • When God Allows the Sword: Empire, Love, and the Misuse of Romans 13 Discussion
    2026/03/17

    Romans 13 has long been used to sanctify authority, but what happens when we read it in the light of love, context, and the wider witness of scripture? This episode explores how sacred texts are turned into tools of control and how they can be reclaimed as invitations into discernment. Beneath the debate is a deeper question about power, obedience, and the kind of world we are actually called to build.

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    * https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett

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    * https://cash.app/$CreationsPaths

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    New to The Seraphic Grove learn more

    For Educational Resource: https://wisdomscry.com

    Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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    #Romans13 #BibleInterpretation #ChristianNonviolence #Theology #Jesus #Christianity #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction: The Self-Sealing Circle00:22 Romans 13 & Acts 5:29 - The Contradiction03:34 The Problem of Biblical Inerrancy05:38 Creation Spirituality’s Chorus of Voices07:48 Understanding Romans 13 in Context08:33 Paul’s Imminent Expectation08:57 Chapter & Verse: A Medieval Invention10:07 Historical Misuse of Romans 1311:10 Rome’s Failure & Paul’s Sarcasm18:07 Historical Context: Revolt Era Rome20:50 Paul’s Maturity & Wise Action21:40 Future Bible Study Possibilities23:01 The Yo-Yo Between Two Passages26:40 Modern World vs. Paul’s World31:03 God Is Not Partisan32:16 Conclusion & Closing Prayer



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    35 分
  • Blinded by the Light Discussion
    2026/03/10

    Grace sounds beautiful in theory. It becomes complicated the moment someone who caused harm asks to come back.

    This conversation explores the tension between redemption and responsibility through the story of Saul’s transformation and the life of early Christian communities. What does it mean to believe no one is beyond grace while still protecting the safety of the community?

    Rather than offering easy answers, this episode sits honestly inside the tension between mercy, accountability, and discernment.

    For more on this topic read the full article at Creation’s Paths:

    Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.

    Thank you for Tips / Donations:

    * https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett

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    * https://cash.app/$CreationsPaths

    * Substack: https://www.creationspaths.com/

    New to The Seraphic Grove learn more

    For Educational Resource: https://wisdomscry.com

    Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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    #GraceAndAccountability #SpiritualCommunity #Redemption #ChristianTheology #FaithAndJustice #SpiritualDiscernment #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction: Can Anyone Be Redeemed?

    01:40 Welcome & Channel Updates

    03:26 The Story of Paul’s Conversion

    08:16 Paul’s First Mistake: Preaching Too Soon

    15:56 Barnabas: The Importance of Vouching

    18:31 Forgiveness vs. Trust

    20:51 Earning Your Place: Humility & Testing

    24:21 The Value of Paul to the Church

    28:29 Community Discernment, Not Individual Authority



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    32 分
  • Living Faithfully in Babylon Discussion
    2026/02/24

    Most of us do not live in cultures that fully reflect our deepest faith and values. Scripture calls that condition exile.

    In this conversation, we explore what it means to live faithfully in “Babylon” without becoming colonizers, without retreating into bitterness, and without surrendering the Spirit of Truth.

    How do we build, plant, raise families, and seek the peace of a city that does not mirror our longing?

    This episode offers orientation for anyone trying to remain rooted in a world of confusion.

    Read the full article:

    Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.

    Thank you for Tips / Donations:

    * https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett

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    * https://cash.app/$CreationsPaths

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    New to The Seraphic Grove learn more

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    Creation’s Paths: A Creation Spirituality Primer

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    #LivingInBabylon #FaithInExile #Jeremiah29 #ChristianSpirituality #TheologyDiscussion #Christopagan #CreationSpirituality #CreationsPaths

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction: The Reality of Living in Babylon

    04:19 Scripture Reading: Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

    07:27 Building Houses and Gardens in Babylon

    10:45 Babel: The Land of Confusion

    14:11 Defiant Refusal: Lessons from Daniel and the Fiery Furnace

    16:26 Nonviolent Resistance and Civil Disobedience

    18:23 Building Community Sanctuaries for Resistance

    20:03 Praying for Shalom: The Wholeness of the City

    21:51 Embracing Impermanence: No Happy Endings

    24:51 Social Constructs Can Change

    27:04 The Three Dharma Keys: Change, Interconnection, and Liberation

    29:58 Closing Reflections and Upcoming Topics

    31:25 Benediction: Peace in All Cities



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    33 分