Faith in Motion, the Podcast

How do we survive in the aftermath of tragedy? Where do we find or experience hope when it seems like all hope is lost? In her book, The Night Lake, and in this interview, Liz Tichenor walks us through the tremendous loss she experienced - losing her newborn son just forty days into his life, less than a year and a half after she lost her mom to suicide. As an Episcopal Priest, how could she possi...

If you've been a listener for any period of time, this message will not come as a surprise to you. You are full heartedly loved by God. There is nothing that you can do, to change that. 

Alleluia, Christ is risen! There is resurrection all around us, if we choose to see it. Even in the small things, like a rainbow breaking through the clouds, or thousands of flowers blooming in a field of mud.  And the mystery of it all is that it happens in the dark. 

As we dive into Holy Week, let's remember what this season of Lent is about. In the story Pastor Kelsey reads this week the people lay down palms for Jesus to walk on, in celebration and in an act of love to make the path for him softer. This week, take the time to lay down palms for your neighbors. Resource noted in this episode: The Spark Story Bible In honor of Holy Week, we will not be re...

Kara has always asked the big questions - looking for connections to our world and the way people interact.  Through her experiences in human services, working with youth and in ministry, she quickly recognized most of her time was spent helping people reframe stories they’ve told themselves about sex and relationships.  She is the CEO and Founder of Reframing Our Stories . In 2015, Kara created G...

Today we dive into a  passage that has so many aspects to it for different circumstances in ones life. Whether you're in a season of doubt, and unable to look at Jesus for guidance, or you're in a season of needing rest. This one is for you. Remember, you do not need to reach out to God when you are in a season of doubt. For God has got you, God loves you. He will bring you back in the b...

While living in St Louis, Missouri, Elle Dowd’s heart was transformed. Michael Brown, a black man, had been gunned down by a white police officer and Elle found herself at the front lines of protests. In the weeks and months following Brown’s death, Elle experience just a fraction of the broken system she was speaking out against - from rubber bullets to tear gas. In the midst of it all, God softe...

It has been a year since pandemic started. This has not been an easy year, it has been a year of loss and grief. We all have felt it in one way or another. So take this moment to hear words from God, a reminder to be still and know.

Millenials are often talked ABOUT instead of talked TO, especially in the church. People gather to ask, "Where are millenials? How do we get millenials in church? Why aren't they here?" But today is different. Two millenials sit down to chat about the experiences of millenials in the church, especially the fact that we ARE here. Rev. Dr. Colie Beittivia is here to share with us abou...

This International Women's Day we dive into some of the women in the Bible who have bore the image of God. The women who risked their lives, knowing full well the repercussions of their actions and what it could mean for their own life, but trusting in God's call for their life and following that call rather than that of others. This is a reminder that God lives in every single one of us...

It’s not easy to find hope in the midst of the wilderness, but Minister Teña Nock-Hope is here to offer us a guiding hand. Speaking eloquently to the profoundness of difficulty of loss, challenge, and strife, Teña offers the testimony that we can come through it all with our faith stronger than ever before. She herself knows this to be true and shares some of her story with us, testifying to the p...

If you have been a listener for a while now, you know one of the missions of this podcast is to untangle harmful theology. Today Pastor Kelsey does just that. Atonement Theology is one that tends to get misconstrued into Jesus having come to Earth only to atone for our sins. But this is not the case. Jesus was called to Earth so that he can work to bring justice to the world. 

Pastor Kelsey brings in her 29th year by celebrating with us! She flips the script & brings back Rev. Delaney Schlake-Kruse to interview her. Pastor Kelsey tells us about when she knew she wanted to be a Pastor, reminds us why movement can be a form of prayer, and explains what her hopes are for the Lady Preacher Podcast. . . . Pastor Kelsey believes firmly in an all-loving God, embodied Chris...

God is always with you, for you are beloved by God. When you are going through a hardship, and it feels like it is taking a while and as if God has left you hanging, remember that God is with you. You do not have to fight for your worth, especially when it comes to the love of God. You do not have to prove that you are worthy of the love, or worthy of a spot at the table. You are perfect, just as...

Have you ever thought about what makeup can teach us about God? Or what the creation story can teach us about queer belovedness? Join James Admans & Pastor Kelsey for a full conversation around breaking down binaries and creating a more expansive understanding of who God is and who we are as God's people. James Admans (they/them) is a nonbinary, queer Christian theologian and seminarian s...

This year, as Ash Wednesday approahces, we do not need another reminder of our mortality.  So let this passage that we hear for Ash Wednesday be a reminder of who God is, and who God called us to be. God breathed life into the dust of the Earth and created each and every one of us. God called us to be who we are today, body & soul. Let's not make Lent a time of depriving our bodies of thi...

She's baaack! Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund is here again sharing with us about her book,  Blessed Union: Breaking the Silence about Mental Health & Marriage . At least 1/4 of all partnerships are impacted by the presence of mental illness in one or both partners. In her book, Blessed Union , Rev. Lund opens up about how mental illness has affected her own marriage and shares stories of other coupl...

Exhaustion comes in many forms. Exhaustion from parenting toddlers. Exhaustion as a status symbol. Collective pandemic exhaustion. Exhaustion from malnutrition. Exhaustion from war. The prophet Isaiah spoke to an exhausted and weary people, their spirits worn from years of war and exile. His task: to assure them of who God is - of God the everlasting Creator who has never abandoned God's peop...

"In a culture that says bigger is better, it is subversive work to take tiny, lasting steps toward learning and growth." Ellie Roscher is here to talk to us about her new book,  12 Tiny Things: Simple Ways to Live a More Intentional Life , which she co-authored with Heidi Barr . It is not a self-help book, but a guide for curating small, simple spiritual practices that ground our spirits...

A reminder that Jesus is deeply invested in your well being. A reminder of what demons look like in our present day, and the power that Jesus has over those demons. The power that we have over those demons. We are a beloved child of God, we have the power to quiet the demons if we know where to look for them. 

The first thing to say is that this message isn't just for those who work in youth ministry. It is for parents, teachers, pastors, young people, church folks, non-church folks - everyone, really. The gift of youth ministry is that it is stock-full of lessons for all of us. There is a push now - both in youth ministry and in the world in general - to be more creative, more innovative, and more...

A simple reminder that the grace and the forgiveness of God goes beyond what we can even imagine. When we are throwing tantrums, when we are fed up, when we are angry and frustrated. God loves us unconditionally and will always forgive, no matter what. 

It's no secret that women have faced immense barriers when it comes to leadership in the church. In today's interview with Rev. Diane Weible, the conference minister for the Northern California Nevada Conference of the UCC, we dive into what these barriers are and then lift up all of the powerful women of the church who have truly built what we have today. From Moses' mother to our...

In a recent poll taken from our Instagram page it was shown that what we all need is a little hope today. So I'm inviting you to listen to this word of Hope. In a time when it feels like God has abandoned us listen to this message and be reminded that God would not abandon his good and sacred creation.  Come and see the good word that we have for you today.

Content Warning: Pastor Kelsey and Rev. Kat discuss Suicide, Suicide Ideation and topics around Mental Health, and the theology surrounding these topics. Be gentle with yourself when approaching this episode.  For nearly twenty years, Rev. Kat Katsanis-Semel, M.A. has offered workshops and sessions to those who seek greater mental and spiritual wellbeing. Rev. Kat provides wellness-oriented offeri...