Dr. Beth Felker Jones returns to the Alabaster Jar to discuss the legacy of Saint Julian of Norwich and her impact on developing our theology for today. We discuss practices for engaging scripture in our individual contexts in anticipation of the second edition release of her book Practicing Christian Doctrine. Find Beth online at her newsletter, church blogmatics https://bethfelkerjones.substack.com/
Old Testament scholar and professor, Dr. Libby Backfish, joins Lynn and Sareen for a conversation about the Psalms and engaging the ancient languages. We explore how the Psalms invite us to worship God and experience the beauty of God's creation. Join us for a robust discussion on textual criticism, the significance of the Septuagint, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies through Jesus and women of the Old Testament. Learn more about Libby: https://jessup.edu/about/faculty/elizabeth-h-p-ba...
Dr. Miriam O'Regan returns to the podcast to discuss her research into the influence of St Brigid in the history of the church in Ireland. She describes examples of St. Brigid's compassion, hospitality and commitment to sharing her faith that serve to inspire our own faith today. We discuss St. Brigid as pioneering monastery founder and an example of the generations of strong women of faith and action in Ireland. Dr. Miriam O'Regan, worshipper and lover of God, holds a doctorate in the field of ...
The Bible is full of the stories of the often messy and complex people who encounter God and experience grace. Dr. Carol Kaminski joins Dr. Lynn Cohick for a discussion on reading the Old Testament scriptures as part of the larger narrative of God and his people. A seminary professor and author of numerous Bible studies, Carol shares her passion to help people understand the redemptive story of the Bible and to equip church leaders to teach the Bible. Explore the Old Testament resources availabl...
Even though ministry is riddled with challenges and filled with difficulty, Mark and Tara Beth share their stories of finding hope in ministry. The Pastor's Table helps you embrace your ministry as a gift!In the 1st episode, Mark and Tara Beth talk about their journeys in ministry and why pastors need to gather and discuss the importance of theological integrity! Check out Dr. Mark Quanstrom’s new course on Seminary Now: Pastoral Ministry: Calling and Resilience. SeminaryNow.com is a streaming v...
The Old Testament teachings come alive in our conversation with Sandy Richter through her understanding of the ancient social and theological worlds. Decades of teaching experience bring her knowledge and scholarship to bear in the life of the church. Sandy invites us to connect the themes of the Old and New Testaments and rediscover the story of God dwelling amongst his people. She shares how scripture helps us develop a Biblical understanding of what it means to love God and be stewards of cre...
Biologist Dr. Kristen Page joins Lynn for a conversation on the wonders of creation. She invites us to explore the fictional worlds created by Tolkien and Lewis and discover how they invite us to become stewards of the world we live in. Lynn and Kristen discuss how we can recapture our sense of wonder through experiencing the beauty of what God has made. Purchase The Wonders of Creation: Learning Stewardship from Narnia and Middle Earth here.
Dr. Myrto Theocharous returns to the Alabaster Jar. She talks with Lynn about her journey into studying the Old Testament and how she was inspired to begin working with refugees and those impacted by human trafficking. She discusses how this experience prompted her to think more deeply about the relationship between being made in the image of God and how we speak about those who are marginalized in our calls to social action. Myrto walks us through Old Testament passages that reflect God's respo...
Dr. Myrto Theocharous joins Lynn for the conclusion of our 2022 Advent Series. Myrto takes us on a journey through the sights, smells and tastes of Christmas traditions in Greece. She shares her experiences with some of the beautiful ways that the people of God celebrate Christmas in Evangelical, Greek Orthodox and Coptic faith communities. Myrto and Lynn discuss Old Testament scriptures that point us toward the coming of Jesus. Learn more about Myrto here.
Award winning author, Amanda Bedzrah, returns to the podcast as we continue our Advent series. Amanda shares her memories of experiencing the warmth of community during Christmas in Nigeria. She describes the challenges and triumphs of adjusting to new communities and traditions since moving to London. God has called Amanda to launch a remarkable ministry blessing imprisoned women, and she shares with us the impact that practicing generosity has made in her own life and the faith of her children...
Ireland has some of the most beautiful expressions of Christmas. Join Dr. Miriam O'Regan as she explains her experience growing up in Ireland from the food they ate to their special "women's Christmas." It's no joke! The day is called "Nollaig na mBan” and it is celebrated on January 6th as a way of saying thank you for all the many things the women did to make the holiday season special.
In our fast-paced consumeristic culture, waiting is difficult. That's one of the reasons Advent is so important. Advent at its core is about waiting. In this special episode, Tracey Bianchi talks with Lynn and Sareen about intentionally embracing the waiting and pausing present throughout the Advent season.
Invisibility persists throughout the Asian American story. Grace Ji-Sun Kim shares her experience as a Koren woman growing up Asian in the western world. On the one hand, xenophobia has long contributed to racism and discrimination toward Asian Americans. On the other hand, terms such as perpetual foreigner and honorific whites have been thrust upon Asian Americans, minimizing their plight with racism and erasing their experience as racial minorities. Grace Ji-Sun Kim shares this and more in her...
Tammy Melchien has served as a pastor on staff at Community Christian Church for 20 years. She is currently leading the teaching team and teaches regularly at one of Community Christian Church's online or Chicagoland campuses. Lynn Cohick and Sareen Musselman talk with Tammy to discuss her years of ministry experience. Tammy has a wealth of experience from her years leading and teaching. She is hopeful about so many young blossoming women and hopefully imagining the future ahead. Read more about...
Women have always played pivotal leadership roles in serving the mission of the Church. The New Testament provides ample evidence of this important reality. Women depicted in the art of early church structures also support this historical fact. Since the First Council of Nicaea through the 12th century, there are depictions of women preaching, women marked as clergy, and even one carrying a Communion chalice. In this episode, Lynn Cohick talks with Dr. Sandra Glahn about her discoveries and the ...
Register for LEAD BOLD in Chicagoland: https://www.leadingbold.org/chicagoconference What does a Vegas show have to do with learning what it means to follow God? Andrea Coli talks with Lynn Cohick and Kelly Dippolito about her experience in the cast of an improv show on the Strip and how God revealed Himself in an unlikely way. Andrea will help you discover spiritual truths hidden in the rules of improvisation. In the end, you'll agree that life, like improvisation, can be surprisingly remarkabl...
The topic of women's role in ministry can often be a contentious conversation. Sue Edwards and Kelley Mathews approach the topic with the goal of bringing more light and less heat to the conversation. They put together a straightforward Q&A guide to women in ministry. In this book they cover questions like: What did God mean by the woman as man's "helper"? How is it that Christians reach different conclusions about 1 Timothy 2:11-15? How did Western culture influence the role of women in soc...
Life flows in seasons as summer fades into fall. As the heat of summer is replaced by cool fall breezes, seasons of our life change with the passage of time. Through acknowledging the dynamic nature of life, we can be more content in the present and better prepared for the future. Lynn talks with Andrea Robinson about her journey of working in chemical engineering to pursuing Biblical studies. Her life and career have focused her to pay attention to the beauty and importance of God's creation. S...
Women have been leading in Christianity from the start. For centuries, discussions of early Christianity have focused on male leaders in the church. But there is ample evidence right in the New Testament that women were actively involved in ministry, at the frontier of the gospel mission, and as respected leaders. In this episode of Alabaster Jar, Nijay Gupta calls us to bring these women out of the shadows by shining light on their many inspiring contributions to the planting, growth, and healt...
In this special broadcast of Kingdom Roots with Scot McKnight, we highlight the exceptional work by Lisa Bowens on the Apostle Paul. In African American Readings of Paul, she surveys a wealth of primary sources from the early 1700s to the mid-twentieth century, including sermons, conversion stories, slave petitions, and autobiographies of ex-slaves, many of which introduce readers to previously unknown names in the history of New Testament interpretation. Along with their hermeneutical value, th...
Like a Kaleidoscope, when life shifts, new beauty appears. Karen Guess shares how Kaleid women are on a journey together, connecting our stories with stories God is telling in our city. Shifts can be messy, confusing, hopeful, or uncomfortable. Kaleid embraces shifts. They welcome God's work within them as they gain new perspectives about themselves, others, and their city. Kaleid Circles are a place to practice seeing and engaging reality so that we and our world will be changed. Through conte...
Christian theological education should reflect the rich diversity of the global body of Christ. Dr. Brittany Kim helped found and now leads Every Voice. Lynn and Sareen discuss with Brittany how Every Voice supports minority students and offers resources to help theological educators develop more diverse and inclusive learning environments. Learn more about this great organization at https://everyvoicekingdomdiversity.org/
The Bible exists as a narrative. Dr. Ruth Anne Reese has spent her life helping students of the Bible better understand the larger Biblical story. Misinterpretation runs rampant when Bible students don't place the Biblical texts in their larger context. Ruth Anne and Lynn talk through accessible ways to remember the Biblical narrative. They even work through some difficult passages that some have used to manipulate women into unhealthy forms of submission. Suggested Resources: 1 Peter Commentary...
The Bible is full of examples of male and female mutuality. Marg Mowczko talks with Lynn Cohick about her journey of exploring these many examples on a deeper level. The experience has deeply impacted her life and journey with God. Read Marg's Blog: Links ---------------- Phoebe: Deacon of the Church at Cenchrea https://margmowczko.com/tag/was-phoebe-a-deacon/ Plutarch and Paul on Husbands and Wives https://margmowczko.com/plutarch-and-paul-on-men-and-women-and-marriage/ Paul’s Female Coworkers ...
If God is calling women to lead, what's holding them back? Susan Harris Howell has spent years helping students investigate this question. In Buried Talents, she makes clear how gender disparity in leadership is directly connected to a larger, less overt issue: gendered socialization. Howell examines gendered messages people encounter inside and outside the church in each stage of life, showing how they often create misconceptions about who women are, what they're capable of, and how they fit in...
Many Christian leaders use their fame and influence to great effect. Whether that popularity resides at the local church level or represents national or international influence, many leaders have effectively said to their followers, "Follow me as I follow Christ." But fame that is cultivated for its own sake, without attendant spiritual maturity and accountability, has a shadow side that runs counter to the heart of the gospel. In this episode, Katelyn Beaty shares with Lynn Cohick how celebrity...
Women often face unique challenges when it comes to growing in their leadership capacity. Balancing competing demands, the lack of presence of other women leading, and organizational structures against women are all reasons that keep women stuck. The whole church is better when women are leading at the highest level. Rev. Lisa Johnson joins the podcast and shares how she has helped women develop as a leader and grow in spiritual formation. Watch Together in Ministry Webinar with Rob Dixon: https...
Bathsheba is taken against her will by the most powerful man in Israel. A month later, she discovers she carries the evidence of their secret, dangerous encounter. With her husband at war, this pregnancy could mean her death or untold greatness. When the king finds out that she is with child, he immediately summons her husband home from war, a cunning plan in mind. Amanda talks with Lynn about how she developed this fictional retelling of one of the greatest Bible stories of all time. This is a ...
For decades, Patrick's mom and dad rescued lost and forgotten donkeys in the Irish countryside, never knowing that one day, the donkeys would rescue their son. Sanctuary is the remarkable true story of how faith turned one lost man's life around with the help of the rescue animals who loved him. It's an antidote to despair and a call to hope, revealing the beauty and wonder of Ireland as you've never seen it before. Join Susy & Lynn on the podcast as they explore Susy's journey to writing th...
Paul's instruction for Timothy concerning a group of women in 1 Timothy 2 has unfortunately been used to silence many women throughout the history of the Church. Lynn and Sareen wrestle through the myths and themes around this contentious passage. Context matters and Lynn carefully provides a helpful explanation of all the different elements that were at work in this passage. 🎓 Learn more about these Seminary Now courses: Lynn's Women In The New Testament - https://seminarynow.com/programs/wome...
