The Word As Resistance

In this week's text, Jesus entrusts the treasure of another land-based parable to the gathered community. Here, instead of exploring the interconnection between seeds and the soil they are planted in like last week’s parable, the story revolves around the complex interconnection between the growth and fruition of good seeds planted in good soil and so-called weeds maliciously planted and growing a...

"The sower went out to sow." So begins one of Jesus' most famous parables. What could he be saying to this crowd of people at the lakeside? Join Dr. Sharon Fennema, Rev. Anne Dunlap, and Rev. Liz Kearny as they talk about seeds, soil, belonging, underground secrets, and more! Transcript available here: https://bit.ly/TWARepisodes

As summer weather draws so many of us outside to dance with a whole host of sky, water, and plant relatives, the Revised Common Lectionary journeys with Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew as he shares stories and works wonders rooted in his relationship with the natural world. Join Rev. Liz Kearny, Rev. Anne Dunlap, and Dr. Sharon Fennema of the Liberating Lineages Collective as they offer a "teaser"...

In this Easter episode, join Rev. Liz Kearny, Rev. Anne Dunlap, and Rev. Brigitta Vieyra as they witness Mary Magdalene's grief, and find life-giving currents of intimacy, waiting, agency, and claiming in the movement of this story. Transcript available here: https://bit.ly/TWARepisodes

On this Good Friday, our hearts ache with Jesus and his community as they endure his arrest, interrogation and torture, and execution. Join Rev. Anne Dunlap, Dr. Sharon Fennema, and Rev. Liz Kearny as they keep tearful vigil through the Gospel of John's telling of this grievous story. Transcript available here: https://bit.ly/TWARepisodes

This week, Jesus-the-organizer and his comrades enact a protest parade in opposition to Rome’s military procession happening on the other side of town, all during the feast of the Passover, when the Jewish people remember God’s liberating acts that brought them out of slavery in Egypt. Join Rev. Liz Kearny, Rev. Anne Dunlap, and Rev. Brigitta Vieyra as they join the crowd in this embodied act of l...

This week we encounter yet another passage from John (11:1-45) where water and bodies play a central role, this time the water of tears and the dead body of Lazarus and the grieving bodies of Mary, Martha, Jesus, and the community gathered around them. Join Rev. Anne Dunlap, Rev. Liz Kearny, and Dr. Sharon Fennema as they consider the ways that resurrection and grief are inseparable and how God lo...

The 9th chapter of the Gospel of John is full of questions. What kinds of questions continue harm? What kinds of questions will get us free? Join Rev. Liz Kearny, Dr. Sharon Fennema, and Rev. Anne Dunlap as they wrestle with these questions, and wonder together how this story of a blind man receiving his sight can help us build a world where Every. Body. is met with care and dignity. In honor and...

In this week's text, Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, and they are both transformed in the course of their rather intimate conversation. Join Dr. Sharon Fennema, Rev. Anne Dunlap, and Rev. Liz Kearny as they navigate the many layers of lineages of Jacob's well and the waters of life. Transcript available here: bit.ly/TWARepisodes

This week we get to eavesdrop on the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus about what a life moving toward kindom-making looks like. We’re reminded that logos, usually translated as “word,” actually means something more like “conversation,” so here we recognize Jesus/the Conversation-made-flesh doing what Jesus does best - engaging beloveds in deepening their understanding and widening their lo...

We're back! Join us for this special series for Lent 2026, on the gospel texts for Year A. In this episode, Rev. Liz Kearny, Rev. Anne Dunlap, and Dr. Sharon Fennema meet Jesus at the end of his 40 day wilderness journey, famished, not long after he has been baptized by John in the Jordan River, and go deep talking about the Son of God, the "diabolos," and temptations that tear us apart. Transcrip...

This live recording of Dr. Vincent Harding’s song for the freedom movement is of a multi-racial “movement choir practice” in Denver, CO in December 2014, being led by Minister Daryl J. Walker. We are deeply grateful to the Freeney-Harding family for letting us use the song for this podcast. This song has been the theme song of our podcast since the beginning. Enjoy it now in its entirety. Lyrics:...

As "The Word Is Resistance" comes to completion, enjoy this final episode from Rev. Anne Dunlap, which includes brief reflections on the Magnificat and highlights offerings from 2 of our long-time listeners. Much gratitude for your presence with us over these 7 years! Transcript available here: https://surj.org/our-work/surj-faith/twir/

As "The Word Is Resistance" podcast comes to completion, we are wrapping up with 4 special "Parting Gift" episodes. For this episode, enjoy a group conversation with Liz Kearny, Jean Jeffress, and Brigitta Vieyra, hosted by Anne Dunlap, as they reflect on how the podcast has changed them and what parting gifts they hope listeners take with them as we all go home by another way. Transcript availabl...

As "The Word Is Resistance" podcast comes to completion, we are wrapping up with 4 special "Parting Gift" episodes. For this episode, enjoy a group conversation with M Jade Kaiser and Sharon Fennema, hosted by Anne Dunlap, as they reflect on their how the podcast has changed them and what parting gifts they hope listeners take with them as we all go home by another way. Transcript available here:...

As "The Word Is Resistance" podcast comes to completion, we are wrapping up with 4 special "Parting Gift" episodes. For this episode, enjoy a group conversation with OG contributors Rev. Anne Dunlap, Nichola Torbett, and Rev. Margaret Ernst, as they reflect on their how the podcast has changed them and what parting gifts they hope listeners take with them as we all go home by another way. Transcri...

Paul is writing to his dear ones in Thessalonica about how to keep up their resistance under Roman occupation. Spoiler alert: This work involves 1) debunking the lie empire tells them (us) about “peace and security” while 2) depending on the beloveds around them (us) to fight off the numbing spell of this lie so we can keep resisting together. Tune in for this episode with Rev. Liz Kearny to explo...

In this episode, Rev. M Jade Kaiser wonders what it means to spiritually prepare individually and collectively for both times of disaster and openings of freedom. What wise or foolish actions or non-actions are we taking in the present that will serve us come what may - tomorrow, next year, or generations to come? Transcript available here: https://surj.org/our-work/surj-faith/twir/

Join Rev. Anne Dunlap and Rev. Liz Kearny for a conversation about facing, embracing, wrestling with, and healing our lineages as white folx who seek to build up a new world. As we observe All Saints Day, where are the places of trauma in the stories of our own ancestors? What did they give up to assimilate into whiteness? Where did they show us how to resist oppression? With grounding in the lect...

In a world that wants to force us into either/or thinking, wants to push us to choose - with us or against us - Dr. Sharon Fennema explores Jesus' invitation to discern our callings beyond the binaries. Join in lamenting all that we have given over to Caesar, and in imagining what it would look like to give ourselves and our world over to Love. Transcript available here: surj.org/our-work/surj-fai...

Rev. Liz Kearny was in Italy this month on a family trip and recorded these reflections from her hotel room in Rome after touring the Colosseum. After witnessing these remains of Rome’s death machinery, Rev. Liz wanted to share some #WrestlingWithRomans bonus content as she connects what she saw at the Colosseum with what we’ve been learning together in this series on Paul’s anti-empire missive to...

Paul doesn't shy away from practical matters in his letter to the Romans and this week's episode takes a look at his admonitions against letting differences divide us. Dr. Sharon Fennema explores contemporary and historical examples of the ways solidarity is a threat to empire and asks what these have to show us about resisting "divide and conquer" tactics and building the kind of community we are...

For our 300th episode, join Rev. Jean Jeffress as they wrestle with Romans 13:8-14. Paul is beginning to finalize his argument to the Roman Jesus-followers. He needs them to understand that what the love of Christ Jesus offers is belonging. And he really, really wants God's people to act like it. https://surj.org/our-work/surj-faith/twir/

What does grace mean? What does grace mean for white Christians hoping to resist white supremacy? Rev. Margaret Ernst wrestles with Romans 6:12-23 to help us get a view of grace as grounded in Paul's Jewish understandings of God's love, and as the gift of being invited to take action for liberation. Note: This episode for Pentecost 5A was posted late into the series. Sometimes wrestling takes long...

This new reality Paul’s been sharing with us - about everyone being included in a mighty tree as one beloved community - seems a long way off, doesn’t it? Join Rev. Liz Kearny as she asks, “How do we get from here to there?” We can imagine that Paul’s Gentile audience in Rome is asking the very same question. In response, Paul gives the church in Rome - and all of us - daily practices and ways of...