Faith Outside the Box/The Spirituality of Canoeing

This week on Tapestry, meet Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer, founder and chief rabbi of Religion-Outside-The-Box. Rabbi Brian's congregation gathers online. Some are atheist, some are believers from other religions, and some are undecided about what they believe.

In the mid 1990s, Rabbi Brian began his career in a synagogue in Los Angeles, but left in 2000 to pursue what he calls "the issues of those not comfortable with 'one-size-fits-all' religion".

If you are lucky enough to spend a part of each summer paddling around a glassy-smooth northern lake with just a few loons and a beaver for companionship, you may already be a believer in Paul Stevens' thesis. In an essay called The Song of the Paddle, Stevens outlines four reasons why he believes that canoeing is a spiritual experience. The essay is included in Northern Lights: An Anthology of Contemporary Christian Writing in Canada, published by John Wiley and Sons. Stevens is an emeritus professor of Marketplace Theology and Leadership at Regent College in Vancouver.

Music featured on the program:

The Boat Goes Down the River, from the CD Music From The Spiral Garden and the Cosmic Bird Feeder.