Pursuing Call

It's Good Friday, and my favorite day in the liturgical calendar. So we use Cole Arthur Riley's Black Liturgies to reflect on the day and the times. May you be a blessing and receive the blessings of this day.

I got to speak with Carol Cropp about the life changing events that made her center her core values and change her life. She calls it the Shampoo moment. As homework from this week's episode, here are three things you can do: 1) What are your core values? What are the rules that guide your life's choices? 2) Prayer exercise - "Lord prepare me for what is next, where you are are calling me to go, w...

This week we speak with Haley Bankey, Executive Director of Gathering of Leaders where we met.. Haley runs this program and is a wonderful lay leader in our church creating spaces for leaders to shine. This week's homework assignments are: 1. Watch Disney movies for their theological impact. 2. Take a walk without headphones and just notice what comes up for you. What you see and how your own...

In this episode we relook at the second creation story. Yes there are two! And we just read from the Bible NRSV, the old version of it. And I provide some commentary. Because, well it is an episode of Pursuing Call. The next in the series we will look at the work of Phyllis Trible and talk about her article that explores a Feminist perspective on the story. In Part 3 we will look at how that plays...

This is just a quick self reflection about my lenten practice this year. Love on yourself!

In this episode we continue the conversation with Aly Halpert about her experience of songwriting. During 2022, I was feeling some grief and my friend Kimberly Gordy (check out her episode ⁠here⁠ ), suggested the song ⁠Loosen⁠ . It has become for me a grounding chant with the movement of Rev. Julie. In this conversation we talk about Aly's journey as a musician and dig deeper into the creative...

In this episode I had the privilege of speaking with Aly Halpert about her experience of songwriting. During 2022, I was feeling some grief and my friend Kimberly Gordy (check out her episode here ), suggested the song Loosen . It has become for me a grounding chant with the movement of Rev. Julie. In this conversation we talk about Aly's journey as a musician, engaging grief, judaism and so m...

This week we get to speak with Rev. Hannah Lundberg ( @rev.hannah on TikTok ) about her work as a young Queer woman pastor in Ann Arbor, MI and her inspiration to take on the challenge of having theological messages on TikTok. If you haven't checked out her videos about God's love and grace, we highly suggest you check it out. We also talk a lot about parish ministry, why ordination and fi...

In this week's episode we get to learn more about the spiritual path of Rev. Callie Swanlund ( https://www.callieswanlund.com/ ). In part 1, we learn about how her path to ordination and how she came to see herself as leading in unconventional spaces of worship and community. Homework: Find time to take retreat. What is retreat? Retreat, as Callie discussed is time set apart. What you do in pa...

In this week's episode we get to learn more about the spiritual path of Rev. Callie Swanlund ( https://www.callieswanlund.com/ ). In part 1, we learn about how her path to ordination and how she came to see herself as leading in unconventional spaces of worship and community. Homework: Where and how do you worship? Want to answer this question and tell me your story, please reach out. I would...

This week we continue our conversation with Gabrielle Rivero and her work of Express and Release. We explore her path to engaging in what dance can look like on all bodies and how it can be a practice of healing and connection to God. You can learn more about her and her work by visiting  ⁠https://www.expressnrelease.com/⁠ For journaling: 1. What is your own relationship to your body? 2. How can y...

This week I had the privilege of speaking with Gabrielle Rivero and her work of Express and Release. We explore her path to engaging in what dance can look like on all bodies and how it can be a practice of healing and connection to God. You can learn more about her and her work by visiting https://www.expressnrelease.com/ For journaling: 1. What is your own relationship to your body? 2. How can y...

Rev. Deacon Catherine Cooke is the woman that first listened to me talk about a call to ordained ministry and she taught me how to be in alignment with my theology regardless of ordination status. In this conversation, we learn more about her life and ministry.

This is the final episode in our series for Holy Week. Today we conclude by exploring Queer Theology and my loose attempt as sharing how Queer Theology helped me understand salvation. This presentation is grounded in the work of Patrick S. Cheng and his book An Introduction to Queer Theology: Radical Love Share your thoughts by emailing me, your host, Tamara Plummer @pursuingcall on instagram or t...

Action and Reflection : REST

Hello This week I offer a sermon and reflection on the three parts of the Maundy Thursday service. Please take a moment to listen twice if you like because I did not edit it, and so you are getting a raw episode. Mostly I want you to act: Take the Eucharist and Reflect: how might this inspire more reconnection to others, creation and yourself? I also used the resource Enfleshing Freedom from M. Sh...

Grounding Text: Hebrews 12: 3 - Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. Action: Engage in the Jewish practice of Hitbodedut - (https://reformjudaism.org/3-steps-hitbodedut-talking-god-your-own-terms) Reflection: One or two things that came up for you as you engaged the practice. Don't do too much writing today, just fe...

Grounding Text: Isaiah 49:1 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The LORD called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me. Action: Call someone and tell them what they do well - a gift that they offer the community. Reflection: What have others confirmed as something that you do well; gift that you bring to the community that makes it m...

Today - we ground ourselves in Isaiah 42:1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. Action: Do one thing today that brings forth justice. Literally anything… Reflection: What does God’s version of bringing forth justice look like and feel like? Have you witnessed it?  How can your gifts and sk...

Sorry about the sound y'all this episode. Today, we look at the Philippians reading for Palm Sunday and problematize the concept of Humility for those who are pushed to the margins. Let us embrace a humility that is not about shrinking ourselves but allowing space for communal uplift because we are sharing our gifts and our power. Action:   What is something that you can learn from someone who...

We start here with the blessing of the palms. The moment before we sing a familiar hymn - All Glory Laud and Honor: https://youtu.be/zxzhFsuBijs Reflection: Step 1: Steep in the spirit Step 2: Notice with God’s eyes Step 3: See what the Spirit might motivate you to do. Action: Bless someone or something in whatever that might mean for you. This can be giving a dollar to a stranger, actually laying...

As we prepare for Holy Week, let us journey together and reflect a bit on what God might be up to in our lives so that we can participate in God's dream for the world. That's it. Daily reflections on the days readings. Because this is rooted in Paulo Freire's concept of praxis - doing and reflecting upon the world. Each week there will be a reflection prompt and an action prompt. Actio...

This week we continue our conversation with Alexus Rhone. We dig deeper into our conversation on curating spaces of welcome and explore Alexus' journey into her role as an artistic theologian and minister of Jesus, Jazz and Dessert Wine. You can find out more about her work at https://www.alexusrhone.com/ Question: What are some spaces you have curated and/or when have you felt welcomed to bring y...

This week we continue our conversation with Alexus Rhone. We dig deeper into our conversation on curating spaces of welcome and explore Alexus' journey into her role as an artistic theologian and minister of Jesus, Jazz and Dessert Wine. You can find out more about her work at https://www.alexusrhone.com/ Question: What are some spaces you have curated and/or when have you felt welcomed to bring y...

I was privileged to speak with Alexus Rhone , curator, founder, artistic theologian and oh so much more! In this multipart episode, we explore the where her passion for storytelling was birthed and her story telling series: Jesus, Jazz and Dessert Wine. You can find out more about her work at https://www.alexusrhone.com/ Homework: What spaces are you curating in your own life? What might God be al...