Enjoying God Help Us? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  - First, we honor the lives of Ahmad Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, George Floyd, and countless others who have died in the past months as a direct result of police brutality.  For resources on anti-racism from past episodes, visit anniemesaros.com/resources. Here are my top recs right here: So You Want to Talk about Race White Fragility The New Jim Crow Austin Channing Brown Brittany Packnett Cunningham Rachel Cargle No White Saviors Today’s episode with Carla Godwin is about listening for and listening to your inner howl of passion and following it to the work you are uniquely meant to offer this world. Carla is a writer, speaker, and leader who lives with her two kids in Minneapolis.  RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: W/ Collective She is Called Podcast Women Who Run with the Wolves Dance of the Dissonant Daughter Christina Cleveland Tina Schermer Sellers Paula Williams Women After All FIND CARLA: Instagram Holy Writ podcast 

God Help Us

38 - Inner Calling with Carla Godwin

Crystal Cheatham and I share a desire to end the extreme pendulum swings in our political culture and to find a way forward that is inclusive of traditionally marginalized groups and doesn’t ostracize and isolate conservatives in a way that makes them more isolated and more extreme. To that end, Crystal and I talk about running her member-funded app during the COVID pandemic, the need for responsible capitalism, resisting cancel culture, and practicing nonviolent communication.  Crystal has an MFA from Antioch University and is an LGBTQ rights activist with a focus on religious liberty. She is the founder of Our Bible App and The IDentity Kit, both of which provide resources for marginalized communities of faith. And she is the host of Lord Have Mercy, a podcast about God, sex and the Bible. Recommended Resources: Our Bible App Find Crystal: Crystalcheatham.com Crystal@ourbibleapp.com Instagram Facebook Twitter Enjoying God Help Us? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  Contact me at anniemesaros.com or on Instagram @GodHelpPod.

37 - Resisting Absolutism with Crystal Cheatham

In this episode, Annie talks with Michele Ward, associate pastor of Brown Memorial Park Avenue Church in Baltimore, Maryland.  Since the global outbreak of COVID-19 over the past many weeks, our lives have been thrown into chaos, which looks a little different for everyone, even in our shared experience of pandemic. It’s all very disorienting and isolating.  Annie and Michele discuss what it’s been like for Michele’s congregation to shift to virtual meeting spaces. And they offer some ideas for creating spaces that feel sacred and grounding - whether you are observing the Easter holiday, or just wanting some breathing room to mark the many joys and griefs of everyday life that feel extra heightened right now. If you are in need of soul care during this time, please contact Annie at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com. She’s happy to listen if you need someone to talk to over the phone. In this episode, Michele recommends the Sacred Seasons Calendar by Lacy Clark Ellman, the Celtic Daily Prayer Series from the Northumbria Community, Soul Feast by Marjorie Thompson, and Women in Praise of the Sacred by Jane Hirshfield. Find Michele’s sermons at browndowntown.org, follow her on Instagram @tender.prophet and on Facebook as Michele Lynne. Enjoying God Help Us? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

36 - Creating Sacred Spaces under Quarantine with Michele Ward

During COVID-19 and a great deal of social isolation, I want to let you know that I'm thinking about you and am available to offer soul care over the phone. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here to listen. Shoot me an email at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com and we'll set up a time to chat. Take care, everyone.

COVID-19 Announcement: Soul Care Available

In this episode, Annie talks with Pastor Lyvonne Proverbs, a body- and sex-positive writer, preacher, poet, pastor, transformational speaker, seminar leader, consultant, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of beautiful scars and the @WereSurthrivors campaign, a digital platform for black Christian women who are also survivors of childhood sexual abuse.  In this conversation, we get into how trauma crops up and impacts our everyday lives and relationships and how that plays into politics, specifically public response to candidates.  Lyvonne is a black woman who is dedicated to tending to the mental, physical, sexual, and spiritual health of black women, for their own sake, and as an act of community justice in the US and in the world and invites white listeners to examine their own role in white supremecist, misogynistic power structures.  Lyvonne references Kimberle Crenshaw’s work on intersectionality as summarized in this TED Talk, Jackson Katz’s TED Talk on male sexual violence, Shawn Ginwright’s work on healing-centered engagement, and Alice Walker’s definition of “womanist.” Additionally, Lyvonne recommends the book Sexuality and the Black Church: a Womanist Perspective, by Kelly Brown Douglas and recommends following hip hop womanist scholar Ebony Janice Moore @ebonyjanice.  Find more from Lyvonne at lyvonnep.com, on Instagram and Twitter @lyvonnep, and join her learning community at patreon.com/lyvonnep. Enjoying God Help Us? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

35 - Healing-Centered Politics with Lyvonne Proverbs

In this episode, Annie talks with the Reverend Ashley Easter about spiritual and sexual abuse. Ashley is a Christian feminist, writer, speaker, television producer, news pundit, ordained reverend, and abuse-victim advocate who educates churches and secular communities on abuse. She is the founder of The Courage Conference for survivors of abuse and those who love them. In this episode, Ashley recommends watching the movie Spotlight, following the work of Pastor Lyvonne Proverbs, and learning about the nonprofit GRACE: Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment. To attend the Courage conference or find more content from Ashley, visit ashleyeaster.com or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @ashleyeaster. To sign up for the Emerge Retreat in Monterey California February 21-23, 2020, visit theemergeretreat.com. Enjoying God Help Us? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

34 - Spiritual Abuse with Ashley Easter

In this episode, Annie talks with Dr. Jun Young, a communications expert, speaker, teacher, consultant, and founder of ZUM Communications. He is also the founder and director of a new ministry called Beloved Arise that supports LGTBQ+ youth of faith and this is the impetus for their conversation today. Jun shares his story of coming out as an adult, he and Annie unpack some of the harmful ways the Bible is used against queer people, and Jun introduces Beloved Arise, a new online platform that encourages LGBTQ+ youth in their faith - particularly important because so many churches still do not embrace fully inclusive theologies  and biblical teachings. As a reference, there are six places in the bible where same-sex activity is mentioned: Genesis 19:5, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, I Cor 6:9, and I Timothy 1:10. In this episode, Jun and Annie recommend and mention a number of resources, articles, and organizations such as a video of Matthew Vines’s case for biblical inclusion, this Seattle Times article featuring Jun’s story with Crista Ministries, Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality by Jack Rogers, The Reformation Project, and Church Clarity.  Find resources for LGBTQ+ Christian youth at belovedarise.org and follow Beloved Arise on Facebook and Instagram.  Enjoying God Help Us? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

33 - LGBTQ+Christian with Jun Young

In anticipation of the upcoming winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, Annie is here with ecotheologian and spiritual guide Mary DeJong. Mary is the founder of Waymarkers, which offers guidance and support for those who are ready to respond to the call to wander into the sacred wild, seeking wisdom from our interrelated web of life through retreats, pilgrimages, one-on-one and group rewilding guidance, writing, and speaking. Mary has a master’s in theology and culture from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology as well as post-graduate certificates in Religion and Ecology, EcoPsychology, and applied mythology. She and her family live in Seattle’s Rainier Valley in Columbia City. Articles and books mentioned in this episode are: An article by Mary on practicing biomimicry, the Hostile Waters series by The Seattle Times, and Praying with the Earth by John Philip Newell. Connect with Mary and her offerings at waymarkers.net or on Facebook and Instagram.  An announcement: starting this month, God Help Us is moving to a once-a-month schedule. Look out for new episodes the second Thursday of every month for the next few months. Annie will keep you posted on future updates as she transitions into a new season of life and work. Thanks for being along for the ride! Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

32 - Rewilding Our Politics with Mary DeJong

For this Thanksgiving episode, Annie is joined by Dr. Brian Bantum, Neal F. and Ila A. Fisher Professor of Theology at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago (though he lives in Seattle with his wife Gail Song, a Korean-American pastor, and their three sons.) Brian has his PhD from Duke University and in his work, considers how Christians encounter and speak about God as they make sense of their world. Brian is here to help identify and unpack origin stories - from Adam and Eve to Thanksgiving, these are the narratives we all construct to help us understand the world around us as we experience it.  In this episode, Brian recommends reading Keri Day, Wil Gafney, Angela Parker, and Anne Joh. Locally in Seattle, he also recommends learning more about Seattle Peoples Party and Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery.  Brian’s books are Redeeming Mulatto and The Death of Race. Follow him on Instagram @profbkb. Enjoying God Help Us? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

31 - Origin Stories with Brian Bantum

In the first part of this very special episode, Annie joins Coastland Commons for their monthly gathering to talk about the significance of personal story and the importance of trusting our instincts. In the first segment, Dani Forbess and Annie have a conversation in front of a live audience. In part two, Annie sits down for a follow-up conversation with Dani and her fellow Coastland Commons leaders Zac Calvo and Kyle Turver. They recommend engaging in shared meals as a spiritual practice, the book The Half Has Never Been Told, and the 1619 podcast.  They also hope you’ll use this recording as a jumping off point to reflect on your own story and to find a safe group of folks with whom to discuss, share, and care for one another’s stories. Suggested discussion questions are: 1) Who is your favorite literary character and what do you admire about them? 2) Did anything in this podcast episode resonate with you? 3) Do you have a story that you can safely share with the group? 4) After hearing from someone, spend a moment in silence and then offer a word of gratitude or blessing to the person who shared. Find more from Coastland Commons on Facebook and at coastlandcommons.org.  Enjoying God Help Us? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

30 - You Know You at Coastland Commons

In this episode, Annie talks with Kerry Connelly, a writer, Certified Life Coach, author of the blog Jerseygirl, JESUS, and host of the podcast White on White, which reimagines white identity apart from pseudo-supremacy. Kerry is currently pursuing an MDiv at Christian Theological Seminary. She lives in New Jersey with her family.  In this episode, Kerry and Annie talk about the pervasive lie of white supremacy - or what Kerry more accurately refers to as pseudo-supremacy - how our whiteness shows up in our daily interactions and just a couple of the many ways that Christianity has perpetuated racist hierarchies, both historically and presently. Kerry’s book, Good* White Racist will be out on March 17, 2020, and is currently available for pre-sale on Amazon. Kerry recommends following the work of Rachel Cargle, Layla Saad, and Austin Channing Brown, author of I’m Still Here. As a homework assignment, Kerry encourages white folks to ask ourselves, “how has my whiteness been invisible to me until now?” Find Kerry’s work and links to her social media at kerryconnelly.com. In this episode, Annie mentions So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and The Death of Race by Brian Bantum. Enjoying God Help Us? Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

29 - Good* White Christian with Kerry Connelly

In this episode of God Help Us, Annie talks with Myles Markham about defining masculinity and finding belonging.  Myles is a community organizer, theology nerd, and is working on his MA in practical theology at Columbia Theological Seminary. He identifies as a trans-masculine mixed-race Asian American and Pacific Islander who is passionate about racial justice, LGBTQ inclusion, and building cross-identity coalitions that lead all of creation to experience health and wholeness. Listen in as Myles shares his story and how he found inspiration and formation in reading women from around the world who write from and contribute to a postcolonial worldview.  In this episode, Annie references this New York Times article and Nolan Cabrera’s book, White Guys on Campus. Myles recommends reading Kwok Pui Lan, Mayra Rivera, and Musa Dube. You can find Myles on Instagram and Facebook @mylesmarkham, on his website, mylesmarkham.com. Email him at myleskalei@gmail.com. Announcement! Annie is partnering with Coastland Commons this coming Monday for dinner and conversation at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Seattle at 6pm on October 21 for a discussion on embracing and tending to our own stories. RSVP here. Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

28 - Masculinity & Belonging with Markham Myles

This is a preview of a very special bonus episode marking one year of the podcast with Carissa Leone, guest from God Help Us episode 0. Carissa is back to hear what Annie’s learned from her conversations on the podcast and to discuss what to do with our rage.  To listen to full 70 minutes, visit patreon.com/anniemesaros and become a contributor at any level from $2 to $50 per month. You’ll get access to this bonus episode, as well as content from the past six months and new bonus content every month moving forward. Carissa Leone is a writer, comedian, feminist, life-long agnostic, and liberal Democrat. Find more content from her at carissaleone.com. In this episode, she recommends Life’s Work: A Moral Argument for Choice by Dr. Willie Parker and Annie recommends Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik. Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

Preview - We Haven't Given Up with Carissa Leone

In this episode, Annie is joined by Amy-Jill Levine, a Jewish New Testament scholar. In addition to her role as a professor of Jewish Studies and New Testament studies at Vanderbilt, she’s a prolific author. They begin by discussing anti-Jewish readings of Jesus, which leads them to other binaries and us-versus-them mentalities in public life.  AJ recommends the following books that she has contributed to along with many of her colleagues: The Jewish Annotated New Testament; her commentary on The Gospel of Luke co-authored with Ben Witherington, III; her series of Bible studies published by Abingdon Press; and her children’s books co-authored with Sandy Eisenberg Sasso.  And an announcement: you’re invited to join Annie in-person for dinner and discussion put on by Coastland Commons on Monday, October 21 in Seattle. Get the details and RSVP at coastlandcommons.org. We’ll be talking about reclaiming stories from our past and present and learning to trust our own instincts despite the voices that have tried to convince us that our instincts are untrustworthy and our feelings unreliable. See you there! Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros.

27 - Anti-Judaism with Amy-Jill Levine

In this episode, the Rev. Dr. J. P. Kang joins Annie to discuss the Old Testament. J. P. has been an Associate Pastor at Japanese Presbyterian Church of Seattle since 2009 and an Affiliate member of the Theology Faculty at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology since 2014 where he teaches biblical languages and literature. The son of Presbyterian missionaries, he grew up in Africa and Asia before returning to the U.S. for higher education, which was when he began to discern a call to ministry. J. P. is here to help Annie unpack both what the Old Testament is and isn’t - and then to discuss some of how the Old Testament is used culturally and politically today in the US.  In this episode, J. P. recommends Aviya Kushner’s The Grammar of God; Robert Alter’s The Hebrew Bible; David Carr’s Holy Resilience; Mark Smith’s The Genesis of Good and Evil; Emily M. D. Scott’s article “The Bible’s #MeToo Problem”; Jacqueline Vayntrub’s “Sexy Sunday School: Naughty Bible Translation”; and Bruce Metzger’s New York Times obituary. Find more content from J. P. on his church’s website, jpresby.org. Find Annie’s work at anniemesaros.com, email the show at godhelp.podcast@gmail.com, and follow God Help Us on Instagram and Facebook @GodHelpPod. You can make a financial contribution to the podcast at patreon.com/anniemesaros. Finally, a special announcement! Annie is collaborating with Coastland Commons, a New Worshipping Community of the Presbyterian Church (USA), that gathers every month for dinner, conversation, and to engage in spiritual practices. Annie will be partnering with them for their October event and would love to see you there! It’s Monday, October 21, 6-8pm at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Ballard. Keep an eye on our social media for more details in the coming weeks!

26 - The Old Testament with J. P. Kang

Like it or not, the United States has a long and intimate relationship with Christianity. Listen in every other week with progressive theologian Annie Mesaros and her guests as they delve into what Christianity is and isn’t, what it has been and what it could be. We hope that by better understanding where religious conservatives are coming from, we can be better conversation partners across difference and contribute to sustainable, collaborative social change.

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God Help Us

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