Ep. 15 - The Gospel According to Sam: A Damnation Story w/ Pastor Mike Ruel

Growing Up Christian

Hey! Yeah, you. Do you know where you're going to spend eternity? If you should die before you wake, did you pray the lord your soul to take, or did you fall asleep watching The Office for the 7th time through because you can't commit to watching a new show even though people won't stop asking if you've seen "The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel," and now you're just avoiding it out of spite? I feel ya, pal...

This week, we're joined by Mike Ruel, who is the pastor of a Highlands Bible Church in New Jersey, and a frequent listener to the show. Mike reached out to us after hearing several episodes, and expressed a mutual distaste with mainstream evangelical culture. Mike wasn't always a pastor. In his 20's, he strayed from the faith, and focused his attention on more "worldly pursuits." He eventually made his way back to Christianity after living through 9/11 in New York City. We spent some time discussing the pursuit of meaning, the nature of faith, and the what is wrong with the church in America.

Look, I'd be lying if I told you that we found much common ground. In fact, we arrived at a philosophical or spiritual impasse on more than one issue. It was a good conversation, though, and we appreciated Pastor Mike's willingness to discuss sensitive topics, and the patience he showed us throughout the episode. I think all of us would describe each other as good guys that are wrong about almost everything hahaha! If you would like to continue this discussion with Mike, you can reach him by email ([email protected]) or through his website: www.MikeRuel.com.