Those of us who are of the Catholic persuasion know a good game of "two steps forward, one step back" when we see one...and we also know a good game of "3,000 steps backwards and not a single bit of forward momentum to be seen anywhere this side of Calvary" when we see one. The question for today's church is, which game are we playing? Delve in this this, and other of life's great mysteries with Dizzy & Ges as we tackle a round of Good Pope Bad Pope on Episode 92 - A Tale of Two Clergies!

Church Drunk

Episode 92 – A Tale of Two Clergies

Awards season is officially here. And Lent...well, it feels like Lent really never left us over the course of this last year or so. And since nothing says "Church Drunk" like taking two good things and ruining them both, we've decided to combine the pomp and circumstance of red carpets and gold envelopes with the sackcloth austerity of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Grab a glass of something bubbly and join Dizzy & Ges to determine which of our favorite things are the most Lentiest. Ladies and gentlemen...The Lentys!

Episode 91 – The Lentys

So, usually it takes a few weeks to really get into the slog of Lent. By about Week 5, you can almost guarantee that Dizzy will be moaning about how long Lent is, and Ges will be (either intentionally or unintentionally) breaking all the rules. It's kind of an annual tradition. But with Lent 2021, tradition has been thrown to the wolves. We're not even two weeks in, and it feels like all bets are off. Did Lent even start? Does anyone care if we eat fish on Fridays? Is this the desert, or did we just install a sandbox in our own backyard just to keep our toddler from tearing apart the house? For answers to these and other of life's big questions, pull up a chair (and a cock-up!) and join us for Episode 90 - Land of P-Lenty!

Episode 90 – Land of P-Lenty

And so it begins. 40 more days of Lent. The road ahead is fraught with fasting, strewn with solitude, and tumultuous with terrors that go bump in the night. And in the midst of a global pandemic, we here at Church Drunk are left to contemplate...what's left to give up? If you're stuck in the burlap pit of Ash Wednesday, and don't quite know how to get your Lenten engine started this year, take heart. Dizzy & Ges are here to help you get in the mood with Episode 88 - Such An Ash Hole!

Episode 88 – Such An Ash Hole!

Well, Epiphany sure got weird in a hurry. We sure don't recall the magi bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and CHAOS, but then again nobody could reasonably expect 2020 to let go of its icy grip on our lives without a fight. We'll get through it together with patience, perseverance, and copious amounts of libations. With that thought in mind, grab a drink, mount your camel, and join Dizzy & Ges for Episode 87 - In the Bleak Midwinter.

Episode 87 – In the Bleak Midwinter

Advent week 4 is for lovers...or at least for love. Then again, isn't that the point of this whole spiritual journey/Christian outlook/long walk on Planet Earth is all about? Plus, aren't we all supposed to be staying the hell away from each other right now? Isn't that, like, the opposite of love...or is it? It's all so very confusing. Have no fear, Dizzy & Ges are here to coach you through it. Grab a lovin' spoonful (or a shot glass, or a tumbler, or a whole dang jug) of something to warm the cockles of your heart and join us for Episode 86 - Love in the Time of COVID.

Episode 86 – Love in the Time of COVID

2020: Year of Joy! Right? Well, maybe not quite. However, that gives us all the more reason to reflect on the year that was through the lens of this third week of Advent, where joy is the name of the game. So grab a cup of happy juice and come get gaudete with Dizzy & Ges as we light the pink candle (IT'S ROSE!) and find some space in our hearts for a modicum of mirth in Episode 85 - Re: Joice!

Episode 85 – Re: Joice!

It's peace week in Advent Land, and there couldn't be a better time for it! While "peace" might not be the first word that comes to mind when we think of the utter chaos of 2020, this may well serve as an important reminder that this is our annual opportunity to open up a bit of space for the Prince of Peace in our hearts. So grab a cup of something that helps you to relax, breathe deeply, and perhaps even chortle a "ho ho ho" so that you can join Dizzy & Ges for the celebration of St. Nicholas Day and Episode 84 - Whirled Peas!

Episode 84 – Whirled Peas

It's Advent 2020, and Christmas cheer has exploded onto the scene. Everywhere you look Bing Crosby seems to be puking red and green glitter onto everyone's front lawn earlier and louder than ever before. Obviously we need a bit of joy in our lives, and an inflatable snowman riding a reindeer into a candy cane castle is certainly preferable to the cardboard cut-outs of Depression and Isolation that might offer more accurate season's greetings this year. But wait! No, seriously...wait. Dizzy & Ges are here to remind you that in the midst of all this pre-joy, the real theme of the first week of Advent is HOPE. And that's a good one for 2020! So pour yourself a cup of something cheerful (but save the good stuff for later), and join us for Episode 83 - Hope vs. Nope

Episode 83 – Hope vs. Nope

Last time Dizzy & Ges settled in to have a bit of a pod, the COVID pandemic was still fresh and new and going by the handle of "coronavirus." Then, we nestled down for a long summer's nap, and before we knew it the long slog of Ordinary Time was drawing to a close! So now it's time (well, very much past time, in fact) to dust off the old microphone and get back to work. As Advent approaches, join us in raising a glass to give thanks and look back at the long and winding road that brought us to the dark and strange and hopefully hopeful mystery that will be Advent 2020. It's Episode 82 - What Just Happened?

Episode 82 – What Just Happened?

As Lent draws to a close, we still find ourselves mired in a desert of a different stripe. It's times like these when "eyes on the cross" really isn't that bad of a motto, so it would seem that Good Friday arrived just in time! And while the cross provides a powerful visual reminder of the whole "death and resurrection" bit of Christianity (you know, that old chestnut), here are Church Drunk we are aggressively self-professed word nerds. So sometimes we don't just keep our eyes on the cross, we keep our ears there, too! So grab a cup of bitterness and join Dizzy & Ges for a Triduum reflection on the words of Jesus on Holy Thursday and Good Friday that echo through the ages!

Episode 81 – In His Own Words

Did you already listen to this year's Stations of the Cross Playlist? If not, go check it out! If you already did, and you just can't get enough of those 14 little nuggets of suffery goodness, then Dizzy & Ges are here to help. Join us for a deep dive on each station chock full of prayers and booze and quotes from our favorite poets and saints. These ain't your grandma's Stations of the Cross (unless your grandma is awesome...we all know some of those!), so belly up to the bar at the Golgotha Public House, and jump into Episode 80 - Wandering the Way of the Cross!

Episode 80 – Wandering the Way of the Cross

As Lent is made even longer through the magic of social distancing, we're all looking for ways to keep the ol' spiritual wheels turning. Actually, we're looking for ways to keep the most basic, fundamental social, personal, and emotional wheels turning. So the spiritual wheels might be gathering dust at this point. Still, Dizzy & Ges are here to help. For some practical tips, Pope hope, and general drunken banter, join us for Episode 79 - Prayer by Proxy!

Episode 79 – Prayer by Proxy

When you hang with Dizzy & Ges, Lent kind of lasts all year and St. Patrick's Day lasts, like, at least a month. And somewhere in that hazy morass of saintly goodness, we inevitably arrive at a Church Drunk original (sort of): Drunk Lives of the Saints! So pour yourself a pint of something lovely and join us for our not-so-soberish telling of the tales of St. Columba and St. Ailbhe on Episode 78 - Drunk Lives of the Picts!

Episode 78 – Drunk Lives of the Picts

Lent is a long journey down a lonesome road in a windswept desert where we encounter nobody but the devil himself...and literally billions of other spiritual sojourners who have set out on the same lonesome road. It's almost like the most powerful thing uniting us is our isolation. Hmmm, might we be able to take these lessons learned in Lent and apply them to a much more pressing type of social distancing that is sweeping the globe? Grab a drink (remember: alcohol is a natural sterilizing agent) and join Dizzy & Ges to find out on Episode 77 - Let's Be Alone Together!

Episode 77 – Let’s Be Alone Together

Combine two parts Catholic, one part social commentary, and one part book nerd with ice in an ancient chalice. Shake until chilled, and you get Church Drunk. Pour your own, pull up a chair, and join Dizzy and Ges for a spirited conversation about faith, reason, and libations.