#1 | In the Presence of the Shortness of Days, with Ned Abenroth

We are pleased to introduce our first guest on The Elder Well — Ned Abenroth. Ned has spent his adult life tending to transformational spaces. He was ordained in his early 20’s in a Christian community of artists, theologians, poets, musicians, and other glorious misfits, and served as a pastor in unorthodox settings ever since. In this episode, Ned takes us on a journey of heart and soul, exploring how eldering is a profound invitation to change our relationship with the second half of life. He shares how he sees eldering not as a fixed identity but more as a process of becoming - an on-going deepening, ripening and flowering. “I often think of ‘elder’ more as verb than noun and that the verb to elder, if I was to give a definition, would be to give away one’s final season for the good of the world”He offers insights from his elder rites of passage work including the necessity of grief work, the liberation of waking up from the dominant culture’s fear and denial of death, and the immense gifts and Grace that can flow when we face our own mortality.Ned is a beautiful soul. Take your time to find out more about Ned using the links below:* Ned’s website: nedabenroth.com* About the Elders Rites of Passage (EROP): eldersritesofpassage.com* Illuman, the interfaith community of men: illuman.org* Ned’s beautiful Poem ‘Yes’: nedabenroth.com/yesPlease enjoy…“Only the ego has a problem with death but we have to remember that death is not the opposite of life. You know, it’s the opposite of birth. They’re both doorways into and out of this world. But death itself is not antithetical to life, if anything, it feeds life. Spend any time in an old growth forest and on the forest floor and you’re standing on generations of death and decay. There would be no forest without all of the death that has happened before it, you know, so, there is this impossibility of there being anything close to what we think of as life, if death were not part of this beautiful, beautiful cycle of it.” —Ned Abenroth* We are so happy to share that The Elder Well podcast opens and closes with the song River Run Free composed and performed by MaMuse with Walter Strauss on guitar. This song is shared here with the generous permission of the artists. To find out more about MaMuse, their music and their mission please visit: mamuse.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theelderwell.substack.com