Relevant Faith Journey
Searching for new perspective on an ancient faith. I’m originally from the west coast (all the states, California, Washington, Hawaii) and have made my home in Kansas City since 2003. For most of my adult life, I have earned a living M-F while leading a congregation on nights and weekends. I managed subcontractors and church volunteers, facilitated Bible studies and business meetings. I play guitar and piano and sing with a big passionate voice. My last pastoral assignment ended in 2018. Since then, I have discovered that I love to write, create and think deep thoughts. My emerging theme is encouragement. How can I empower others to be the best version of themselves? This question pushes me to rethink, relearn and continue to grow.
Episodes
38 episodes
Beyond Proof Texting: Reconciling the Bible, Homosexuality and Changing Sexual Ethics
I hear this question from time to time: how can you believe the Bible and also believe that homosexuality is not sin? There are variations like, how can you believe the Bible and not condemn sex before marriage as sin? In this epis...
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18:51
Splitting Faith: Biblical Authority and the Methodist LGBTQ+ Separation
In this episode I'll explore the topic of Biblical authority and how it relates to the separation of the United Methodist Church. As with many spiritual things, the issue is more complex than a disagreement on what the Bible says and means.
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10:04
Advent: God Together – Setting An Intention For The Christian New Year
I am reflecting on advent seasons past in this episode. As a pastor, I often wrote advent readings and created content for my congregation. One series I am particularly proud of was called the Kindness Challenge. Remembering has helped me think...
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9:32
Welcome or Affirming?: LGBTQ+ Conversations in the Nazarene, Methodist and International Church
I used to say that sexuality shouldn’t define identity. As Christians our identity is first as children of God and followers of Jesus before anything else. I realize now that as a heterosexual woman, being defined by something other than my sex...
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14:19
You Are Kenough: How Barbie Reflects the Struggle of Evolving Gender Roles
In this episode I use reflect on Barbie, the movie, to talk about the challenge our culture is having to re-define masculinity. Conservative Evangelicals have been posting on social media that Barbie is inappropriate for children....
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13:13
Dangerous Curiosity: Reflections on Gothard, the Duggars and “Shiny Happy People”
How does a man become a leading authority on relationships and parenting, yet has never married or fathered a child? In this week's episode I reflect on the Amazon Prime Documentary Series "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets." Ji...
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Episode 33
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11:48
Sexual Feeling: Temptation, Lust, Romance and Grace
This week I'm diving into the topic of sexual desire. Purity culture taught us that men can't help but be tempted to sexual sin and women are just not that into it. We have been tasked with being the gatekeepers. The truth is that our relations...
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Episode 32
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16:35
Can’t Say No: Understanding Sexual Violence and Lessons Learned About Consent
This week I am talking about consent and digging into our understanding of sexual violence. Often we imagine a struggle that leaves the victim bruised and beaten. But more often sexual trauma is caused by a partner that assumes "Yes" until he o...
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Episode 31
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15:19
The Problem with Talking: Made Up Numbers That Kept Women Silent and What We Can Do About It
Have you ever stopped to think about the messaging to women about their words. I'll relate a few examples from sermons, books and experiences that give a picture of the repeated admonition that women should watch what they say. I'll talk about ...
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Episode 30
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14:20
Saddleback Church Kicked Out of the SBC Over Women’s Ordination: Why To Care & What To Do
In this week's episode I talk about Saddleback Church's exit from the Southern Baptist Convention over the ordination of women. This even gets at a deeper issue. I discus the doctrine of complementarianism, the divide between men and women that...
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Episode 29
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16:47
Is Wilmore the New Evangelical Mecca?—Thoughts on Asbury, Revival, Evangelism and Repentance
This isn’t so much about what’s happening at Asbury University, although it does provide a backdrop for the topic. I’m talking about the shortsighted emphasis on a personal religious experience that white Christians (including myself) lean into...
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Episode 28
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12:52
Let's Talk About Sex: The Rise of TV Preachers, Purity Culture and A Call For Healing
Last week I talked about gender roles through the 60s and 70. This week I'm picking up in the 1980s with the development of the Christian media marketplace. TV preachers, Christian bookstores, musicians and merchandise all began to shape a some...
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Episode 27
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15:34
Brighter Together: Look Back at the Church's Reaction to Feminism and the Reassertion of Patriarchy
In this episode I'll talk about some of the roots of purity culture that came about in the 1960s and 70s. In the midst of the feminist movement, the sexual revolution, the Cold War and the Vietnam Conflict, evangelicals identified a crisis of t...
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Episode 26
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13:00
Brighter Together: The Intersection of Scripture and Gender Roles
Continuing this series on gender roles, in this episode I look at two passages from the Bible where the Apostle Paul gives relationship advice. The first is 1 Corinthians 7 and is mentioned on occasion. The second is Ephesians 5.21-33 that I ta...
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Episode 25
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17:32
Brighter Together: Does Equal Mean Equal?
Continuing this series on gender roles, I am diving into this concept of Complementarianism. It was a new term for me until we started attending a church that didn't ordain women pastors. Is it truly equality if certain roles are unavailable? S...
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Episode 24
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11:04
Brighter Together: The Feminist Legacy of My Grandma Beck
In this episode I talk about the benefit of men and women working together. What big corporations have figured out is that a diverse workforce is the most profitable. But there is still work to be done, especial in faith communities. Building o...
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Episode 23
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11:05
Brighter As She Goes
Occasionally, I wonder if I peaked in college when I was selected to preach for chapel in front of 1500 of my peers. I aspired to be a Senior Pastor one day, so what happened? In this episode, I talk about living in Hawaii, how a little church ...
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Episode 22
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11:16
A Year In Review
There's nothing magical about the turning of the New Year, but it does provide a great opportunity to reflect and look forward. In this episode I'll retell my 2022 highlights and talk about setting goals or, as I prefer to call it, making plans...
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Episode 21
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13:52
Safety Guide For The Holidays
What I meant to write about was how to have good conversations with family over the holiday. What I ended up with is a reflection on what it means to feel safe, and how we can aim to set an intention to be a haven of rest and support for the pe...
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Episode 20
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12:46
It's Been Weird: Thoughts on Evangelical Deconstruction
The last few years have been weird and it's not just the pandemic. They way people view and practice their faith has been shifting. Many are going through a process of reflecting on how they were raised and reevaluating their belief systems. Th...
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Episode 19
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14:27
TBT: When I Think About the Lord
#ThrowBackThursday This week I decided to clean up and release an article I wrote in 2007. I tell a story about driving in the snow, crossing the mounting and finding strength on the other side. The title is a reference to a song b...
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Episode 18
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10:25
Healing for a Late Bloomer: Thoughts on Sex, The Bible and Purity Culture
This is the 4th episode in the Late Bloomer series. I wrap up my personal coming of age story, dive into some of what the Bible says about sex and make observations on the affects of purity culture. Writing this series has been helpful to me in...
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Episode 17
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15:33
No Tengo Novio: Grace for a Late Bloomer
This is the third episode of this series where I talk about my experience growing up and coming of age in purity culture. Make sure to listen to Late Bloomer and Confessions of a Late Bloomer.Picking up the story, I'll talk about ...
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Episode 16
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14:50