The Alabaster Jar

Few writers in the twentieth century were as creative and productive as Dorothy L. Sayers, the English playwright, novelist, and poet. Her justly renowned works include detective fiction featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, theological reflections, literary criticism, and her translation of Dante's Divine Comedy. Among the prominent themes of her work was the need for and challenges of developing communit...

Dr. Sanja Rickette Stinson knows what it feels like to be stuck, looked down on, and pushed to the side. In this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Sanja and Lynn Cohick discuss how Sanja developed her book to show you how others have overcome and broken through self-limiting mindsets. Sanja believes you might do the same. Instead of saying, “what if”, because you think you might fail, say, “WHAT IF” b...

🎉 The Alabaster Jar Turns 1️⃣ 🎉 Ministry as a female is challenging, but that hasn't stopped so many women from courageously responding to their call. The Alabaster Jar has had the distinct honor to hear from and champion women doing all kinds of exceptional work serving in God's Kingdom. 📢 We would love to hear about your favorite moments. Let us know on this Instagram post and you could win t...

You have the power to change your life. And your power begins with owning your voice. Being powerful is not about having the big job, the right house, or a large bank account. Being powerful is having the inner confidence to move your beliefs into action. Building your inner strength begins with having strong emotional habits. Emotional habits are the thoughts and patterns you repeat every day—the...

The way in which we make sense of our story largely shapes the trajectory of one's future. Dr. Joy Moore has a deep well of experience in preaching, African American studies, and practical theology. She shares how to investigate your story and live fully from the Biblical story. You will definitely benefit from her experience leading in the church and teaching in academia. Learn more about Sermon...

Carolyn Moore had a clear and dynamic call to ministry. Yet, like many women, she spent years not fully embracing her call. Join Carolyn Moore and Lynn Cohick as they explore Carolyn's journey of embracing her calling and the powerful observations from when women lead toward their fullest potential. God has called women to fully lead in His Kingdom. Let Carolyn help you take the necessary steps in...

Struggling with body image challenges is a reality for so many women. Lynn, Sareen, and Tracey talk about the unique expectations about clothing and body image that women have to navigate in ministry. God wants women to fully show up as their embodied selves. This conversation helps you make sure you're asking the right questions about helping you fully show up as yourself. The Center for Women in...

There is no getting away from how appearance impacts presenting in any sort of public setting. Lynn Cohick and Tracey Bianchi explore how everything from make-up to Paul's instruction in 1 Timothy about modesty in this conversation. Modesty culture has been harmful to so many women, but there are helpful applications that Lynn and Tracey unpack from scriptures that could have been previously misin...

What's the spiritual purpose of lent? Could it be more than trying to stop a bad habit? Lynn Cohick talks with Sareen Musselman about how lent is an opportunity for believers to more deeply reflect on what the Holy Spirit wants to communicate so believers can be known by God. The Gospel of John is filled with wonderful characters that exhibit what it means to be known by God. Nathanial, The Woman...

Juni Felix wants you to know, “The heartache that you woke up with this morning, that pain in your soul that makes even the task of receiving hope for today exhausting, that heartache is not who you are. The abuses, losses, and betrayals you’ve experienced do not have to continue to cast a dark shadow over your life. Your journey is not over, and you are never alone. Your situation is not your des...

God values women. While many Christians would readily affirm this truth, the widely held assumption that the Bible depicts a male God persists—as it has for centuries. This misperception of Christianity not only perniciously implies that men deserve an elevated place over women but also compromises the glory of God by making God appear to be part of creation, subject to it and its categories, rath...

You feel it, deep in your bones: God is inviting you to join Him, to participate in His redemptive work in the world. And yet, as a woman leader, you face so many potential obstacles. Lack of clarity over your unique calling. Competing time demands. Changing seasons of life. Challenges such as self-doubt, criticism, and spiritual dryness. With nearly 30 years of ministry experience, Angie Ward kno...

Doctrine is integrally linked to the practical realities of the Christian life. In order to grow into more faithful practitioners of Christianity, we need to engage in the practice of learning doctrine and understanding how it shapes faithful lives. Lynn Cohick and Sareen Musselman talk with Beth Felker Jones about how students can explore basic Christian doctrines, think theologically so they can...

We live in a world of misunderstanding. People make up stories about us based on what they see, but they don’t truly know our inward journeys. Snap judgments punctuate our world. What if we could look at the lives of grossly misunderstood women of the Bible and mine truth from their stories? How would that change us? Looking at Eve, Leah, Bathsheba, the Proverbs 31 Woman, and others, readers will...

Many believers accept traditional Christian sexual morality but have very little idea why it matters for the Christian life. Beth Felker Jones invites us to a deeper understanding of the body and sexuality and of the spiritual significance of both for followers of Jesus. She sketches a theology of sexuality that demonstrates sex is not about legalistic morals with no basis in reality but rather ab...

Places matter and they have a story to tell. Have you ever wondered if it is important that Jesus grew up in Nazareth but moved his public ministry to Capernaum, even though Jerusalem was the capital of Jewish thought? Does it seem strange to you that Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes held significantly divergent religious views, even though they were all Jewish? In Encountering Jesus in the Real...

Something is not right. The witness of the church in North America is eroding. Many Christians are alarmed by the decline in church attendance and seek a culprit. Too often, we point the finger away from the church, make culture the enemy, and build walls between us and others. But our antagonism and enemy-making are toxins that further eat away at our witness. Is there a better way? Tara Beth Lea...

It doesn't take long for Jesus' life to be threatened by the evil of this world. Lynn Cohick talks with Tracey Bianchi about how to navigate sorrow and difficulties with great strength. Jesus shows us that God is present with us in the vulnerability of a baby. It was not easy for Mary and Joseph to survive in the oppressive system that tried to take so much from them. Discover how you can continue...

There is a long list of women who have been faithful to God. Lynn Cohick and Sareen Musselman explore the example of Elizabeth and other early church martyrs who faithfully embodied the fullness of God's mission. There is so much everyone can learn about the faithful witness of these women. They encourage, inspire, and challenge us all to love God and the world around us. Explore more of Lynn's ac...

Jesus taught, entrusted, and mobilized women for every form of His Kingdom's mission. Nijay Gupta didn't always hold this belief. Lynn Cohick talks with Nijay about his journey of coming to Christ in a context that didn't endorse women in Church leadership and how he discovered many examples of faithful women leading as early Jesus followers. The unfortunate reality is that many of these front-lin...

Matthew's Gospel has a strong Jewish and male-orientated outlook, why are the 4 women incorporated in Jesus' Genealogy? In particular, why include these 4 Old Testament women alongside Mary? Rejecting traditional as well as feminist views, Anne Clements unpacks with Lynn Cohick how she undertakes a close literary reading of the narratives to discern how each woman is characterized and presented. A...

Would you like to meet the real Mary of Nazareth? The real Mary was an unmarried, pregnant teenage girl in first-century Palestine. She was a woman of courage, humility, spirit and resolve, and her response to the angel Gabriel shifted the tectonic plates of history. Scot McKnight & Lynn Cohick explore the contours of Mary's life from the moment she learned of God's plan for the Messiah to the...

Words are powerful tools that can create whole other worlds. Poets are specially gifted at using their words. Jill Baumgaeertner sits down with Lynn Cohick and shares her journey and inspiration as a poet. They cover everything from how the process of writing a poem starts with an image to how writing poetry can help with writing. Poets have an awareness of human experience as part of a grand narr...

Life can seemingly be fine on the surface. But for any of us who scratch that surface, we recognize anxiety, shame, disappointment, and regret. And yet, in the depths of these feelings, in the things we hate about ourselves, others, and this world, we can invite God’s presence. Kellye Fabian Story & Lynn Cohick unpack how this is the essence of holy vulnerability. To enter into holy vulnerabil...

The way of Jesus is the ultimate way to foster emotional health. Becky Castle Miller has recently returned to the United States from the Netherlands after spending 8 years ministering in the multiethnic church in Maastricht Netherlands. Pastoring people from all different experiences led her to start getting curious about the intersection of Biblical and emotions. Becky, Sareen, & Lynn discuss...