PODCAST · religion
Bard & Bible
by Mike Perna
A conversational devotional as a tabletop gaming missionary reflects on scripture, life, and ministry from a tabletop missionary trying to figure out what those words mean when you put them together.
Episodes
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Tale #68 – Something Greater
We have now entered into the space of the Sermon on the Mount that I refer to as the “you have heard it saids.” This is, well, due to the fact that each item listed therein starts with “you have heard it said” or some derivation thereof. I do so love it when the authors give us verbal queues for...
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Tale #67 – Kingdom Logic
When He sat on the mount in Matthew 5, there were probably some folks who thought it was time to oust Rome and bring in a new kingdom free from their oppressors — but that’s not what the kingdom was about. Today, while we have those who would tell you that Christianity is under attack and that we...
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Tale #66 — Inhospitable
Y’all had the chance to go somewhere else. I took to social media and asked if folks wanted me to move on from this journey through Genesis story by story. I thought maybe we’d have lost the plot while I was away. But the call rang out that we are still here … so let’s talk about Sodom and...
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Tale #65 – Shadows and Pain
Once again we find ourselves in an episode traveling between the worlds — but the Keeper stayed home this time. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Montgomery Chanticleer — “Uncle Monty” to his constituents. Purveyor of the Shadow Market. They can offer you miraculous things, but they do not...
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Triptych Re-Release
Four years ago the world was going through a pandemic that would have long lasting effects that went far beyond the physical tragedies. During that time, we explored the reactions of three characters that played major roles in the Easter story beyond Jesus and outside of the glorious story of...
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Tale #64 – You Still Breathe
For those of you who have been around the Bard & Bible long enough, you’ve seen me process some of the hardest times of my life by thinning the lines between the real world and my fictional world to have a conversation between myself and my fictional, well, self from the world of Ecclesia. Well,...
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Tale #63 — Presence and Care
This tale is the last of the current batch of Wandering Bards Guild posts. My voice has healed completely from strep and I’m ready to provide ludicrous voices for intros and talk through scriptures at long stretches again. We’re going to take a break from our study of Genesis for this one, as…
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Tale #62 – God’s Not Done
We continue this run of Wandering Bards with a gentleman I first asked to join the guild quite a while ago. He had a lot going on back then, and much like times I’ve shared where recording delays have only helped bring greater understanding of the text as I brought it to you folks — Joe Monzo has...
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Tale #61 – Laughing at God
I want to thank Derek for putting together this devotion on Genesis 18 for me while I am recovering from strep throat. He stepped in at zero hour to help me keep our recording schedule on time and delivered something that both sounds entirely different than my voice on the subject (literally and...
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Tale #60 – By Any Other Name
Name changes are a big deal. Name changes for the parents of God’s chosen people are an even bigger deal. In this episode we take a look at what the name changes mean, why they’re important, and how they will impact the undercurrent of all stories involving these two in the future. We also look…
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Tale #59 – I’ll Do It Myself
Genesis 15 is a big chapter in the overall narrative of Genesis and the Bible as a whole. It is the home of the Abrahamic Covenant – where God formalizes his promises to the patriarch and lets him know He can be trusted to follow through on them. But it’s also a chapter wherein we see that no...
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Tale #58 – Another After God’s Own Heart
We’re back! Back to the Bard & Bible, back to the Nine Realms, and back to the book of Genesis. In chapter 14 we get to see Melchizedek, but we’re not gonna go into anything about Mel, who he is, how he is this mysterious priest king, or whether or not he is a type or preincarnate appearance of...
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Tale #57 — Skilled Hands, Heavy Hearts
The Keeper has finally made it to Eldrinar to confront some old ghosts. In the previous tales in the trilogy, we’ve seen our boy go through themes present throughout the texts of the Bible and the lives we live as followers of Christ. Forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption, new life. Now…
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Tale #56 – Old Friends and Old Stories
Continuing on my brief hiatus from the stories of Genesis, our friend the Keeper is off to the Palladium to visit his friend Lysander and talk about old times over tea. It was Lysander’s doing that lead to the keeper leaving the choir of warsingers to join the ranks of the keepers under a new…
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Tale #55 – Restitution
The Keeper finds himself traveling in the Sea of Grass – a portion of the realm of Austwaine marked by rolling hills and high grasslands. Sitting beside his campfire one night, he is joined by someone who started out an enemy but would leave as something else. Forgiveness is something that only...
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Tale #54 – A Minor Parable Series Begins
After having to deal with COVID coming to visit our family (everyone is fine now, but it was pretty much ever present for some time), I’m getting back on the podcasting horse with a bit of a journey. My keeper is going to do some of his own wandering for a while. Rather than calling on the...
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B&B Special Edition — Shaneen Thompson
When she’s not composing ballads behind the bar with Benny, Shaneen is the driving force behind The Hoot & Howl – a blog for all things nerdy across a variety of subjects. She can also be found chatting and streaming with the folks at 1 Geek 4:11. In this third and final special edition of Bard &...
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B&B Special Edition — James Felix
Continuing our partnership with our friends at Mythos & Ink to celebrate the release of their new volume of Thy Geekdom Come, I sat down to talk to James Felix from the Geek At Arms podcast about his contribution to volume 2 — engaging with the radical, life changing forgiveness of God as seen in...
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Tale #53 – No Quarrel
Between a planned trip out to New Jersey to see my family over the holiday weekend and an assortment of work and health (both mental and physical) issues, I had another instance of spending more time in a text than my original scheduling offered me. As usual, God has used that time to help me...
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B&B Special Edition — Ashley Mowers
We’re still celebrating the release of Thy Geekdom Come 2 from our friends at Mythos and Ink. What better way to celebrate our friend’s new release than with a discussion with our OTHER friends about their contributions to the book? First up is Ashley Mowers who talks about the two devotions she...
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Tale #52 – Like My Father Before Me
Over the years I’ve been doing Bard & Bible I’ve noticed some hermeneutical “lenses” I use to help me refresh my mind and challenge me to not simply drop back into the ruts of study and application that I know and have in my toolbelt like some sort of dollar store Bible Man. The one that has…
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Man of Constant Sorrow: A Reflection From the Garden
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what it must have been like for Jesus as he prayed for the metaphorical cup to pass from him? Have you wondered why the same God who knew the road would always lead to cross would ask three more times there in the garden if there was absolutely no other way…
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Tale #51 – The Depth of Pride
The Tower of Babel is a story of pride. Mankind’s pride and dismissal of all that God had given them, in their own ability, and their own authority. We’ve heard about God judging these people in a way that lead them to get over themselves and listen to God – but that is just one level of their...
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The Curate & the Bog Skimmer
When first the nations were born that would become the Nine Realms – eight leaders came to parley and define their boundaries. There was one who had stayed at home among the trees and dared any would-be-ruler to try and claim them. Thus were the Free Peoples of the Greatwood established as the...
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Tale #50 – Here at the Bard & Bible
To celebrate our 50th tale and three years of the Bard & Bible – we get to have another moment where the Mike Perna of the real world gets to talk to our resident dwarf bard. This time we talk about how the B&B started, the trip it’s been, and how drenching myself in the stories of Scripture has...
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Tale #49 – This List is Full of Stories
It is easy to get lost in the weeds of Leviticus. It’s easy to get caught up in, let’s call it detailed, recountings of issues and practices that are no longer a part of daily life. But even the wandering bards know that we at the Bard & Bible are all about looking at the portions of scripture…
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Tale #48 – The Fireball Moment
There are moments where decisive action is necessary. The challenge is that these decisions can be made in a moment but have long lasting ramifications, and how do you navigate that? If you’ve ever been a part of a Dungeons and Dragons adventuring party, you know the terrifying feeling when the...
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Tale #47 – Honesty is a Fluffy Halfling
It is so easy to hide who we are when we want to. Some times that hiding looks like the image of quiet isolation often conjured up by the concept, but others it is loud, raucous, and smiling. We hide for safety, for security, and the fear of the loss of each. When we lean into that fear with...
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B.A.R.D. Project 3: The Little Match Stick Girl
It’s the holiday season, so I knew I wanted to do a B.A.R.D. Project – which stands for Biblical Articulation Read Deliberately – about the holidays. There are a large number of well trod holiday texts I could have pulled from, but the Bard & Bible is often a place where we hope to see what we...
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Tale #46 – Sea Change
The story of Noah has been a part of my life since before I can remember. It is my father’s favorite story in the Bible, and therefore is also the reason my son bears the same name as its primary character. I was excited to put this well-known and widely covered story through the process of my...
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Tale #45 – Kin Killer
We continue on a journey through the stories in the book of Genesis with a reflection on the story of Cain and Abel. What happens when the child of promise brings about the rise of evil in the world? Why does God, who is all-knowing, ask what happened to his brother? What happens when we continue...
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Tale #44 – Blood, Skins, & Redemptive Love
The United States – and even the World – is processing so much hurt, frustration, sadness, pain, and more. It is in this world of broken systems, painful conversations, deflections, distractions, and hostilities that we wrestle with the idea of who God is and how He loves us. So let’s talk about...
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Tale #43 – Let Us Begin
As we start down this road together through the stories of the book of Genesis – it only makes sense that we need to start at Creation. The beginning. The titular genesis. Even folks I know who have tangentially experienced church through their lifetime know the story of God birthing the world…
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Triptych – Pt 3: The Disciple
Triptych is a three-part series depicting scenes from the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as seen from the perspective of a person involved in it. Naturally, some creative liberties have been taken, but everything is based out of a study of the text. Part 3 takes place at…
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Triptych – Pt 2: The Brother
Triptych is a three-part series depicting scenes from the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as seen from the perspective of a person involved in it. Naturally, some creative liberties have been taken, but everything is based out of a study of the text. Part two takes place on...
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Triptych – Pt 1: The Mother
Triptych is a three-part series depicting scenes from the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as seen from the perspective of a person involved in it. Naturally, some creative liberties have been taken, but everything is based out of a study of the text. Part one takes place on...
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Tale #42 – A Nap and a Snack
There are times that an episode gets delayed due entirely to logistical reasons. Then there are times when God Himself seems to hold it back – whether for my own benefit or the benefit of the audience. As the world reels in the midst of a global pandemic, I think we may have been part of the…
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B.A.R.D. Project 2: The Big Kahuna
The scene is dark and tired. Everyone involved has reached the proverbial end of their ropes. A haggard Phil Cooper, played by Danny DeVito, is left alone with the young researcher Bob Walker, played by Peter Facinelli, after Bob spent the evening talking to the man they were sent to talk to…
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Interlude: The Power of Support & Encouragement
This is something different in the Bard-&-Bible-verse. In it, we meet Benny Longfellow – the Innkeeper’s gnomish steward. I’ll give you a tease for the next full episode – as this is just a quick reflection on a timely event – that will be my “thank you” for keeping Bard & Bible on your podcast...
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The Good Orc
I learned the art of creative paraphrase in college – taking the end of Habakkuk and turning it into a comedic monologue. The story was mostly the same, but different in ways that made it unique and special. That’s the goal of the Parables of the Nine Realms. If you’re new around here, the Nine...
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Tale #41 – Thomas was an Amateur
Doubt is a word you don’t often hear a devotional podcast use in a positive light. Then again – when have we ever been your usual devotional podcast? Looking at the way we tell stories of people in the midst of doubt in the Bible, I’m here to say that doubt might not only be far from negative –…
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Tale #40- Poor Unfortunate Souls
I want folks to spend more time listening to the stories that birth this tale rather than keying off certain phrases without hearing. As such, I’m going to leave this description vague by telling you that the title will speak for itself. That said – yes. Fans of villain songs from the Disney...
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B.A.R.D. Project 1: The Great Dictator
The B.A.R.D. Project was born from a past episode of Bard & Bible where I simply read the text of the book of Lamentations. B.A.R.D. stands for biblical articulation read deliberately. It may be a biblical text, it may be a work of literature, or it may just be something I think is valuable for…
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Tale #39 – Schism
In February of 2019, the United Methodist Church called for a special general conference. Among the things they talked about was the place of LGBTQ individuals within clergy and the life of the church. A lot of people had a lot of opinions, and after days of discussion, the vote was cast. I think...
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Tale #38 – Dismantling Storytelling
Call it a comeback. Call it a new season after a hiatus. Call it whatever you want to call it, but the doors are opening again at the Bard & Bible. Technically this could be considered a “bonus” episode – as it strays markedly from the usual B&B format to the point that there may never be another...
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Tale #37 – What the Locusts Destroyed
It’s been a while. When the world crashes down – you just have to find a way to move forward. Sometimes that means getting creative. It’s time to look at Joel – but not like we’ve looked at anything before here at the B&B.
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Tale #36 – The One Who Hears
At PAX Unplugged I dressed as a dwarf bard and listened to stories. I wandered the exhibitor hall and the free play area with a sign and reveled in hundreds of stories from the mundane to the profound. As we continue in the Unread Tales series, I’m gonna be doing a bit of cheating. It’s hard to...
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Tale #35 – A Little Help From My Friends
We continue the Unread Tales series with an episode I wrote, recorded, recruited folks for, rewrote, and rerecorded. I think it was a God thing and not just a frazzled brain thing – or at least not just – but only time will tell. We’re looking at 3 John today and talking about the power of...
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Tale #34 – By the Numbers
Have you ever been reading through your Bible, come up against a genealogy or other such list of stuff you either don’t care enough about or don’t have the mental capacity to parse through it at the moment so you just skip it? I think we all have. We find ourselves continuing in our Unread Tales...
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Tale #33 – The Five Dirges
Our Unread Tales series continues on — with the book of Lamentations. No — SERIOUSLY. It’s the book of Lamentations. Gear up, kids. It’s time to enter into the hurt of an entire nation.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A conversational devotional as a tabletop gaming missionary reflects on scripture, life, and ministry from a tabletop missionary trying to figure out what those words mean when you put them together.
HOSTED BY
Mike Perna
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Bard & Bible have?
Bard & Bible currently has 82 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Bard & Bible about?
A conversational devotional as a tabletop gaming missionary reflects on scripture, life, and ministry from a tabletop missionary trying to figure out what those words mean when you put them together.
How often does Bard & Bible release new episodes?
Bard & Bible has 82 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Bard & Bible?
You can listen to Bard & Bible on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Bard & Bible?
Bard & Bible is created and hosted by Mike Perna.
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