The Alabaster Jar

On this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick is joined by Dr. Lyn Kidson to discuss 1 Timothy and the arguments made in Dr. Lyn Kidson's dissertation " Persuading Shipwrecked Men ." Dr. Kidson explains the false teachings in the church at Ephesus at the time this epistle was written and how Paul addresses these issues in 1 Timothy, particularly regarding asceticism, marriage, and the role...

On this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Sareen Musselman talk with Taylor Yoder and Sam Cho about the martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas, two Christian Saints who were martyred in the Roman Empire in 203 AD. The conversation covers the historical context of their lives and deaths as well as discusses the theological themes around motherhood, embodiment, and finding strength in t...

On this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick is joined by Dr. Carol M. Kaminski to discuss the importance of the tribe of Judah in understanding the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. She traces the promises about the Davidic line back to Genesis and explains how figures like David, Solomon, and the prophets point ahead to Jesus's birth in Bethlehem as the fulfillment of G...

On this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Kelly Dippolito talk with Shannon Harris, author of The Woman They Wanted: Shattering the Illusion of the Good Christian Wife. Shannon shares her personal journey of living within the confines of societal expectations as a pastor’s wife, emphasizing the emphasis on performance and the struggle for perfection. They also delve into Shannon’s...

On this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick talks with Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing, theologian, and author of “Mary’s Voice: Advent Reflections to Contemplate the Coming of Christ.” She discusses the inspiration behind her book, which stems from her work in supporting survivors of abuse and her realization of the significance of Mary’s voice in the scriptures. This episode also delves into the the...

On this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Kelly Dippolito talk with Melissa Pillman, a Pastor and Elder at Missio Dei Wrigleyville in Chicago. They discuss Melissa’s experiences as a female pastor, her journey toward embracing her role, and the importance of being recognized as a pastor within her church. The conversation also delves into the church’s involvement in supporting asyl...

On this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Scot McKnight joins Dr. Lynn Cohick, Kelly Dippolito, and Sareen Musselman to discuss women and ministry, toxic church culture, and strategies for transforming toxic patterns into healthy cultures in churches. The conversation focuses on defining tov (Hebrew word for “goodness”) as rooted in ordinary life and how it can manifest in church culture. The epis...

In this special podcast episode, we brought together three professors from Northern Seminary to talk about the recent Gospel Coalition article by Josh Butler. Dr. Beth Felker Jones has written a book called Faithful: A Theology of Sex and as a systematic theologian, she is able to help us understand human sexuality from a theological perspective. Beth recently wrote a piece on her Substack that ga...

Sue Diaz, a research librarian and Northern Seminary student, joins us to discuss her research into the life, death and legacy of Saint Cecilia. She shares her recent experience visiting Italy and contributing to the development of a visual museum of ancient artistic depictions of women in partnership with the Center for Women in Leadership. A research librarian by profession, she spent thirty yea...

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....

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 w...

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 ac...

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 th...

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 ne...

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 scr...

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...

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 i...

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 poin...

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...

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 ra...

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 ho...

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 Commun...

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...