In 'Holy Shenanigans' hosted by Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman, listeners are encouraged to explore the sacred in daily life and open up to different facets of love. Tara shares personal stories, including a bubble-blowing practice with her children for relaxation and reflection, and a heartwarming story of a father surprising his daughter in a Santa suit. She also draws lessons from a biblical account of Nicodemus seeking Jesus’ wisdom at night. The podcast emphasizes that love is both comforting a...
May 28, 2024•14 min•Season 5Ep. 15
An episode exploring the power of little ascensions and the connection between music, love, and encouragement. Send Tara a Text Message Support the show Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020. Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Pri...
May 14, 2024•13 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Author Debie Thomas discusses her new book " A Faith of Many Rooms " with Pastor Tara. They delves into topics such as the messy journey of faith, the significance of doubt, and the concept of spiritual "nada" or homeland. Send Tara a Text Message Support the show Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020. Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Semi...
Apr 30, 2024•30 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Why go to the Wild Goose Festival? Everyone's answer to this question is different. Some go for the music, others for the camping, some take in theological lectures, poetry slams, social justice forums, late night campfires, silent disco, art exhibits, book store and so much more! One thing follow Goose attenders can agree as their why in attending are the connections that are made - that carry on well after the festival ends. Listen in this week to learn more about the Wild Goose Festival from ...
Apr 16, 2024•16 min•Season 5Ep. 12
This week Tara discusses spirituality and nature with special guest Tony Jones. They reminisce about the the emergent church movement, the intersection of faith and nature, and even the role of dogs in spiritual journeys. Tony shares insights from his new book 'God of the Wild Places' and reflects on finding God in the wilderness. The conversation touches on the limitations of organized religion and the transformative power of reconnecting with the natural world. The episode concludes with a ble...
Apr 02, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Writing is spiritual practice. Where do you begin, if you want to try it out? Pen. Pencil. Journal. Laptop. Yes, all of these tools can help with your writing practice, but first you need yourself and a community to support your practice. Rev. Dr. Eileen Campbell-Reed , is an academic entreprenuer and host of the Writing Table, who, in this week's episode, shares her own journey with writing as a spiritual practice. Who is Rev. Dr. Eileen Campbell- Reed? + Visiting Associate Professor at Union T...
Mar 19, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Is Everything Good about God True? Join Rev. Tara Eastman and special guest Rev. Bruce Reyes Chow to discuss his new book to help the reader learn about a progressive, expansive, and generous Christianity Rev. Bruce believes that - " A better story of faith exists, and it has the capacity to heal the world--if we only embrace, articulate, and live it more courageously." What do you believe? Rev. Bruce is an active speaker and writer on topics of faith, culture, race, and technology. He hosts the...
Mar 05, 2024•21 min•Season 5Ep. 9
How can this Lent be "Icon-ic"? Join Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman on a Lenten journey with Kristen Wheeler as they explore iconography as a spiritual practice. Questions To Ponder: How could engaging with Icons enrich your Lent? Your spiritual life? What is your "favorite" saint - and why? How do you engage in creativity as a spiritual practice? Kristen is a modern iconographer, fine art painter, creative photographer, inspired writer, vivid storyteller, and world explorer. From Kristen: "My soul is...
Feb 20, 2024•33 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Are you ready for a road trip - with St. Brigid? February 1st marks St. Brigid's Feast Day that marks the turning of the winter season to spring. St. Brigid is the feminine patron Saint of Ireland whose life and work centered on caring for the poor and suffering. Some say that she was born on the literal threshold, setting the path of her work in the move and in the in-betweens. For several years, St. Brigid has been the source of many a holy shenanigan, for our host: Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman - ...
Feb 06, 2024•9 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Tara continues her thoughts about spiritual disciplines. This week she talks about pausing aka "filling your cup." Send Tara a Text Message Support the show Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020. Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at...
Jan 23, 2024•13 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Welcome to a brand new year of sacred (non-stuffy) Holy Shenanigans! This season is exciting, with opportunities for fresh starts, but can be a time of overwhelming pressure to persue perfection. Well meaning resolutions can go sideways - fueled by sales efforts of the “wellness industry” in service to capitalism. There is another way to engage in new beginnings in ways that feed out hearts, minds and souls. 2024 can be a time to attend to and offer yourself spiritual practices that are supporti...
Jan 09, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Week 4 Advent into Christmas features special guest, Carolyn Whitehead , member of First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown NY, tells why her "aim is love" - in all things A Poem for Advent: Week Four: Love stuck The greatest of these four weeks of waiting is: love. With all the hope waking, peace-making and joy breaking, I need the glue of love to make this stick. Please stick. I don't want these gifts to disappear like grandma's frosted sugar cookies. But in that case, at least they would be eat...
Dec 26, 2023•16 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Special Guests, Lydia and Eve Kushmal, members of First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown NY, share what joy means to them in week three of HSP's 2023 Advent Series. Poem for Advent: Week Three JOY: Just, Outrageous, You ! Joy is no wallflower. She, yes she, is bold , sassy and somewhat fearsome. Joy bursts into the room and won't stop grooving', till everyone is on the dance floor. Her name is short, but her actions are memorable; causing laughter to tears in only the best way. Joy is unstoppabl...
Dec 19, 2023•12 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Welcome to Advent Week 2: Peace with special guest Dr. Chris Dahlie , of First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown, NY. Dr. Dahlie, wrestles with the call to live peacefully, advocates for better communication and recognizes the challenge this presents to humankind. How can authentic peace be pursued? To follow along with Holy Shenanigans Podcast - and daily posts of #expectantadvent inspiration - visit us at Instagram , TikTok and Facebook . BIO: Dr. Chris Dahlia currently is a visiting assistant ...
Dec 12, 2023•20 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Welcome to Advent Week 1: Hope with special guest Janita Byars , member of First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown, NY. Janita, advocate of hope, shares why this asset is essential for Advent and every season! To follow along with Holy Shenanigans Podcast - and daily posts of #expectantadvent inspiration - visit us at Instagram , TikTok and Facebook . A poem for Advent Week One: Hope... Hope seems as light as a feather, but sparks all good, deep things that are yet to come. Hope is a glimmer of l...
Dec 05, 2023•17 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Part 3 of HSP's #gratitudematters series features and interview with Mary T. MacDonald (founder of A Children's Place) and current director, Molly Hanft , of A Children's Place Daycare. Mary shares the amazing origin story of the longest running daycare, housed in First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown, as Molly tells of how the program has continued to grow for over 50 years. A Children's Place Daycare is currently holding a fundraiser, "A Place For The Child": to purchase new napping cots. The...
Nov 28, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 41
Why does gratitude even matter? In this special Thanksgiving edition of Holy Shenanigans Podcast, Tara talks with her long-time blogging (yes blogging) friend Mary Bogan about the power of observing gratitude practices that began over 15 years ago. Our shared online gratitude practices (Click the green preceding text to read our Blog posts.) were sparked by the book, Sleeping With Bread , by Dennis, Shelia and Matthew Linn. We had no idea that our little Monday shared Blog would change the way w...
Nov 21, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 40
As we turn the calendar into November we enter a season many connect with Thanksgiving and Gratitude. For years now, I have engaged in a gratitude practice throughout all of November. How do I engage in gratitude practices? I take photos of things I am grateful for. I share poems that bring me joy and hope. I share scripture that inspires me. This week I share my origin story of gratitude practice and how it connects to my appreciation of and writing of poetry. Would you like to join me in this ...
Nov 07, 2023•14 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Even when your "Jaded", you can't help yourself from loving love. This week's guest Marla Taviano is a poet and author of the book: 'Jaded: a poetic reckoning with white evangelical christian indoctrination' Marla Taviano (she/her) is into books, love, justice, globes, anti-racism, blue, gray, rainbows, and poems. She reads and writes for a living, wears her heart on her t-shirts, and is on a mission/quest/journey to live wholefarted (not a typo). She's the author of unbelieve and jaded , and wr...
Oct 24, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 38
How do you create a more peaceful, happy world and peaceful happy kids? Through the power of parables and story and the help of children’s books that focus on development of positive social emotional skills: self awareness, relationship awareness, social awareness, emotional self management and responsible decision making. In episode 153, Tara talks with children's author Lisa Combs , from Best Friend Books , discusses the purpose of parables in the gospel of Matthew, and offers the following qu...
Oct 10, 2023•29 min•Season 4Ep. 37
Holy Shenanigans Practioner Rev. Tara L. Eastman caught up with her colleague Rev. Dr. Deborah Roof at this summer’s Wild Goose Festival, to hear all about Words, Wonder and the Divine in You - a new book release. Deborah Roof, a queer Christian pastor, is an enthusiastic life-long learner and a passionate teacher. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ with a Master of Divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from th...
Sep 26, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 36
Celebrate Holy Shenanigans Podcast's 3rd Birthday and 150th Episode in a conversation at The Wild Goose Festival 2023 with Doug Pagitt from Vote Common Good and Rev. Tara L. Eastman . In this episode, it's Doug's turn to ask Tara all about the sacred in everyday life and how over the last 20 years, she's been faithfully observing and practicing Holy Shenanigans. About Doug: Doug Pagitt is a possibility enthusiast. Through creative, entrepreneurial and generative efforts, he works to enlist peopl...
Sep 12, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 35
In honor and remembrance of International Overdose Awareness Day , on August 31, 2023 this week's episode focuses on, "Faith In Harm Reduction " with special guest Rev. Erica M. Poellot , MSW, MDiv. Rev. Erica M. Poellot, serves as the Minister of Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Ministries for the National United Church of Christ and Executive Director of Faith in Harm Reduction . As a faith leader engaged in a long term healing process from substance use disorder, Erica founded `Faith in...
Aug 29, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 34
This week we celebrate the release of the book, "Youth Are Either Leading or Leaving", by Lyle Griner. To get your copy, go to: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/youth-are-either-leading-or-leaving Lyle Griner , is Executive Peer Ministry Leadership Director: A connoisseur of “Aha” moments as soulfully curious youth and families wrestle with the nuances of faith and life! A writer, teacher, youth minister, spiritual director, working across the country, with multiple denominations to help congrega...
Aug 15, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 33
Welcome to episode #2 from the 2023 Wild Goose Festival - this week I visit with a new friend, Jon Carl Lewis , on the topic of Spiritual Direction/Companionship. Jon Carl Lewis is a spiritual companion dedicated to helping followers of Christ connect more deeply with Christ—and each other—so that they might live with abundant joy, loving God and their neighbor with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. He lives in Trenton, NJ, with his husband of 27 years and Alfred the cat. He feels a spe...
Aug 01, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 32
Welcome to the Wildgoose Festival 2023, "Ignite"! One of my favorite parts of Wildgoose is the opportunity to connect with new and old friends, to be reminded of the importance of supportive relationships and to carry these connections home - long after the festival has wrapped up. Our first interview is with a new friend - Kate is the author of three books. Her newest book “Reclaiming Rest: The Promise of Sabbath, Solitude, and Stillness in a Restless World" is available now from all bookseller...
Jul 18, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 31
Is Collaboration a "holy shenanigans"? Join Tara and Spencer Burke as they celebrate innovation and collaboration to foster wholeness for people and organizations. In the summer of 2022, spiritual innovator Spencer Burke, organized an Online Conference with 30 Spiritual Leaders called, "The Next Sunday Summit". Holy Shenanigans Podcast muse, Rev. Tara L. Eastman joined Spencer for a conversation about change, church, collaboration and innovation. Questions for further discussion: 1. What does th...
Jul 04, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 30
What does Juneteenth mean to you? For Ms. Della Moore, Juneteenth is a holiday for remembrance, reflection and living into BIPOC joy. Juneteenth, a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans since 2021. Juneteenth is also know as "Freedom Day", deriving its name from combining June and nineteenth. It is celebrated on the anniversary of the order by Major General Gordon Granger proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865...
Jun 20, 2023•17 min•Season 4Ep. 29
Episode #143 of #HSP celebrates Pride month with the Rev. Holly Clark-Porter. Rev. Holly tells her personal story of what Pride means to her: Beginning with the history of Pride's origin at Stonewall, her coming out as a seminary student, meeting her spouse and their journey together as a publicly queer clergy couple. No matter if you are new to Queer Theology or already celebrate Pride, Rev. Holly invites all to let go and open our hearts to idea that... "love is the whole thing, we are the pie...
Jun 06, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 28
This Pentecost, as I think about the mighty, rushing wind that invoked the followers of Christ to speak and live lives of love - real love; I am on the lookout for signs of this love today - hearts ablaze for the sake of love. I think what is needed to not simply revive the Church to love - but reorient our focus, to Christ"s starting place to love. This Pentecost season, how can the "Church" live in ways that embody the parting words of Christ… "I give you a new commandment, that you love one a...
May 23, 2023•16 min•Season 4Ep. 27
