Upside Down Podcast

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How do you honor the ways in which you’ve grown while having grace for your past self? Lindsy Wallace interviews Kayla Craig, the “Day One” of the Upside Down Podcast, along with fellow co-hosts Patricia Taylor and Alissa Molina for our final episode.

In this episode, we:

Hear from Kayla about how she sees God in a more vibrant, beautiful way since the podcast first started
Reflect on how different conversations and guests have expanded her language and helped her shape her questions
Discuss Kayla’s vocational discovery of deep spiritual writing that is accessible and maintains an eye for wonder and beauty
Hear about her current and upcoming projects, including two books and a new podcast
Talk about her hopes for five years from now: less burnout, more communal rest, and more tenderness
Learn about Kayla’s fascination with the Titanic

Join us for the very last episode of our little podcast that could! Let us know what one word would describe your journey with this community. Thank you so much for being a part of the conversation all these years.

News, Notes, and Links:

Follow Liturgies for Parents on Instagram, subscribe to the podcast, and grab Kayla’s book, To Light Their Way.
You can continue to support the Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help keep this podcast accessible.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’ll still be on Instagram. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.

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What happens when you step into your truest self? Kayla Craig interviews fellow Upside Down Podcast host Patricia (aka Patty) Taylor with Alissa Molina and Lindsy Wallace in our second-to-the-last episode.

In this episode, we:

Hear Patty describe the growth she has experienced since becoming a co-host and how it’s deepened her confidence in who God created her to be
Talk about how the podcast has provided a space to show up fully as yourself and what it’s like being with people who are not just willing but eager to be on the journey with you
Discuss her significant shift on social media to becoming an anti-racism educator with #somethoughtsfromyourblackfriend
Hear the wisdom she has to impart to those who resonate with her story
Acknowledge the sacrifices and losses that can come from walking out one’s convictions—and how it’s still worth it
Learn what episodes inspired her, affirmed her, and broadened her faith
Discover everyone’s hot takes on raw tomatoes

**Join us for our last couple of episodes and hear insights and stories from our hosts that you don’t get from our regular episodes or social media.

News, Notes, and Links:**

Want to listen to or revisit some of Patty’s favorite episodes? Check them out here: The Enneagram For Justice Seekers, The Gender & Ethnicity of God with Dr. Christena Cleveland, Native with Kaitlin Curtice, and Maternal Justice with Cessilye Smith.
You can continue to support the Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help keep this podcast accessible.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.

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How does being in an ecumenical space expand and enrich our spiritual lives, within and beyond the walls of the church? Patricia Taylor, along with Kayla Craig and Lindsy Wallace, put Upside Down Podcast co-host Alissa Molina in the hot seat in the second of our final four episodes.

In this episode, we:

Hear from Alissa as she explains what the podcast has brought to her life and how it has helped her embrace Catholicism even more
Reflect on how the podcast brought up questions of the heart that forced her to see how she’s embodying faith beyond the space of worship
Discuss how past topics and guests revealed that there are so many places to experience God
Talk about the unique ecumenical space the podcast has offered over the years and the impact of it on her faith
Learn more about From Here, the nonprofit media organization that Alissa started to encourage the love of God, neighbor, and self

Join us for our remaining episodes to hear more from our hosts and learn about their journey over the years with the Upside Down Podcast. We’re so grateful to have you along.

News, Notes, and Links:

Be sure to check out From Here and all of its offerings.
You can continue to support the Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help keep this podcast accessible.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.

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What happens when our view of God becomes more expansive, and what does it reveal to us about ourselves and others? Lindsy Wallace is the first Upside Down Podcast host in the hot seat, as she’s interviewed by fellow co-hosts Alissa Molina, Patricia Taylor, and Kayla Craig.

In this episode, we:

Talk about Lindsy’s personal and spiritual growth over the duration of the podcast, including connecting with a more expansive view of God
Reflect on finding the Divine at the end of ourselves, when so much has been stripped away
Hear about Lindsy leaning into her 7 wing (as an enneagram 8)
Discuss what it means to live all of it—the exciting and the terrifying—as she’s going through all the things
Learn what topics and people Lindsy wishes we had time to cover and interview
Talk about hope for the future (hint: it’s in the margins)

Join us for part one of four episodes in which we interview each host, sharing personal stories, reflections, and responses to an array of rapid-fire questions as we wind down The Upside Down Podcast.

News, Notes, and Links:

Check out Mary Graham on Instagram.
Have you ever listened to our interview with Father Gregory Boyle? Find it here.
You can continue to support the Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help keep this podcast accessible.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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We’ve got a special announcement to share. Co-hosts Kayla Craig, Lindsy Wallace, Alissa Molina, and Patricia Taylor come together to bring you an important update about the future of the Upside Down Podcast.

News, Notes, and Links:

You can continue to support the Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help keep this podcast accessible.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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What does hope mean to you, and how do you practice it? Lindsy Wallace talks with award-winning musician, writer, and activist Andre Henry about sustaining hope, translating it into action, and how art can help dismantle empires.

In this episode, we:

Talk about his newly released book, All the White Friends I Couldn’t Keep, and who he wrote it for
Go over Andre’s practice of always reading something about hope to remind himself of what’s possible
Ask what the role of art is in the work of justice
Talk about how artists can play so many roles in the movement: creative strategist, messenger, morale keeper, and so on
Discuss what it means for Andre to be an artivist
Consider the power of a committed minority working toward social progress
Talk about relationships he’s lost and what he’s gained in community, hope for change, and space for himself to truly be
Discuss the connection between hope and action, as well as the role has faith played in sustaining hope
Go over Andre’s hope regimen to stay healthy and mitigate despair

Join us in this rich conversation as we dive into how hope is more than optimism: it’s about imagining and creating a better world and writing history. Let us know what you think and what hopeful action you can take in your own communities.

News, Notes, and Links:

You can find Andre on the web, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and SoundCloud.
Order your copy of Andre’s book, All the White Friends I Couldn’t Keep, here.
Check out the book Andre mentioned, Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit, here.
Learn more about the work of Erica Chenoweth, Ph.D. on civil resistance.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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How do we know when we are in a space of true belonging, where our whole person can be welcome, present, and safe? Co-hosts Patricia Taylor, Kayla Craig, and Lindsy Wallace talk with writer, liturgist, and speaker Cole Arthur Riley about freedom and belonging—the good and the bad kind.

In this episode, we:

Discuss how Black Liturgies came to be and why Cole chose to initially remain anonymous
Share definitions of true belonging: spaces where we have the freedom to question, doubt, and change our minds without our status of belonging being at risk
Consider how our bodies know what belonging is as opposed to assimilation or conformity
Talk about the importance of solitude to better understand what belonging is for each of us
Point out how not all belonging is good and that there are consequences for both staying and leaving
Ask what our ancestors teach us about belonging and liberation from harmful spaces
Wonder what it looks like for there to be a space of belonging for everyone and how, perhaps, it starts with the least of these to shape that space

Join us in this conversation about finding belonging and the community that comes with it. We hope it gives you more language for your journey and imagination for what could be.

News, Notes, and Links:

Follow Cole and her work on her website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and be sure to grab a copy of her new book, This Here Flesh.
Add Toni Morrison’s Beloved to your bookshelf, if you haven’t already.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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It’s our 100th episode! Co-hosts Kayla Craig, Alissa Molina, Patricia Taylor, and Lindsy Wallace celebrate this milestone by looking back on where they’ve been, what they’ve learned, and what they hope for this little podcast that could and the community that’s grown from it.

In this episode, we:

Hear from listeners, former guests, and past hosts about their Upside Down Podcast memories and reflections
Talk about how the podcast came to be: to create a space for honest conversations about faith, justice, and culture
Remember how each of us got to a point where we needed these conversations and why
Discuss how caring for ourselves is a communal act and necessary for dismantling unjust systems
Recall pivotal moments with different podcast guests that stayed with us and even shaped our thinking
Celebrate the over five years of building and being a part of this incredible community

Thank you so much for being a part of this space, whether you’ve been a longtime listener or you’re just joining us. We’re honored you’re here.

News, Notes, and Links:

Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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How do you break up with American Christianity and meaningfully make space for those in deconstruction? Co-hosts Alissa Molina, Patricia Taylor, and Kayla Craig talk with Jonny Craig, Kayla’s husband, our podcast editor, and the host of The Digital Community—an online space for sharing questions, doubts, and wonderings about God and culture.

In this episode, we:

Dive into what deconstruction means for many and the experience of realizing that the world we learned about in church is different from the actual world we inhabit
Talk about the creation of The Digital Community and how it’s for people who are looking to find spiritual fullness and safety beyond the walls of the church
Point out the effort to preserve power by criticizing deconstruction and vilifying people of color and women
Consider the lonesome, lonely journey of being in deconstruction and how much we need to connect with each other
Ask the question, “What is culture, and what is Christ?” when unpacking church, biblical translations, and so on
Talk about the need to divest from whiteness and sit under the leadership of historically marginalized groups

Join us for this conversation about finding and holding space for deconstructing and dismantling. Our hope is that you come away encouraged to persist in unlearning and learning, wherever you are.

News, Notes, and Links:

Check out The Digital Community’s website and on Instagram! Want to hear more? The Digital Community also has a podcast.
You can follow Jonny on Twitter here.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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Have you ever considered just how paradigm-shifting grace is? Co-hosts Kayla Craig and Lindsy Wallace have a conversation with New York Times bestselling author, USA Today columnist, and CNN Senior Political Analyst Kirsten Powers about her new book, Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts. Together, they talk about what grace is—and what it isn’t—and what it can do.

In this episode, we:

Point out that practicing grace is far from passive or weak and that it’s more for ourselves than for those we extend it to
Go over what grace looks like as an enneagram 8
Talk about how trauma influences our relationship with the world and people
Discuss the trap of dualistic thinking and how it prevents us from empathizing and seeing possibility in others
Consider how learning from other cultures and belief systems that do not adopt dualistic thinking can help inform us about grace
Talk about the misappropriation and spiritual bypassing around grace in faith spaces
Dive into the humanizing effect of grace and how it can dismantle polarizing thinking

Join us for this conversation about the practice of grace and how it can move us toward wholeness and a more just society. We hope it encourages you to live into it more fully and deeply.

News, Notes, and Links:

Want to follow along with Kirsten? You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and (sometimes) Twitter!
Be sure to check out her book, Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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How do we talk with young people about fighting racism when we’re struggling with it ourselves? Co-hosts Patricia Taylor, Lindsy Wallace, and Kayla Craig talk with Dr. Jemar Tisby—the founder of The Witness, Inc., cohost of the Pass the Mic podcast, and a New York Times bestselling author—about the need to normalize having conversations about racial justice with the young people in our lives.

In this episode, we:

Discuss how Dr. Tisby’s new book, How to Fight Racism Young Reader’s Edition: A Guide to Standing Up for Racial Justice, came about
Talk about how you keep going in the pursuit of racial justice when attacks and accusations are thrown your way
Remember the example of others who persisted before us, like Fannie Lou Hamer
Point out that Christianity can inspire movements toward equity and justice, despite being used to justify the opposite
Talk about the importance of digging in with our families when it comes to racial justice and not letting headlines disciple our youth
Emphasize the need to continue educating ourselves about racism to interrupt generational ignorance
Ask how we can encourage youth to persist when they see grownups behaving badly

Join us for this inspiring discussion about fighting racism by raising up the next generation of justice seekers. We invite you to share your thoughts with us on Instagram and in our Facebook group!

News, Notes, and Links:

Follow along with Dr. Jemar Tisby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Substack, and be sure to pick up a copy of his new book, How to Fight Racism Young Reader’s Edition: A Guide to Standing Up for Racial Justice.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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Have you ever considered that Jesus is who he is because of a woman? Co-hosts Patricia Taylor and Kayla Craig talk with writer Kat Armas about this bigger, expansive, abuelita faith—one that persists, resists, and survives.

In this episode, we:

Discuss the influence of Kat’s Roman Catholic upbringing on having a tangible and embodied view of Mother Mary
Talk about Julian of Norwich’s image of Jesus as mother as well as Jesus being raised by a mother and being mothered himself
Marvel at how marginalized women can contain the most sacred and most holy
Define what abuelita theology means and how it’s birthed through our lived experiences
Go over the difference between persistence and resistance and where they can meet and overlap on the journey to justice
Ask who is in our spiritual genealogies and who are the theologians in our lives who wouldn’t be considered one by the dominant culture
Wonder what are the places where we haven’t been trained to experience God

Join us for this stirring conversation about what a lived theology looks like from the perspective of being a woman. We hope that it enriches your experience of the Advent season.

News, Notes, and Links:

Follow along with Kat through her website, on Instagram, on Twitter, and through her podcast. You pick up her beautiful book, Abuelita Faith, here.
Check out the Chasing Justice Masterclass that Kat co-led with Dr. Yolanda Pierce, “Rooted: Elders, Ancestors, and Collective Memory” here.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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How do we navigate grief ourselves and with others? Co-hosts Patricia Taylor and Alissa Molina have a conversation with J.S. Park, who is a teaching pastor, writer, and interfaith hospital chaplain about persisting through grief and the ministry of presence.

In this episode, we:

Discuss the vulnerability of sharing our grief, how it can open us to being wounded or experiencing healing
Define the role of a chaplain and the experience of vicarious grief
Talk about how those in crisis can question whether or not they are allowed to grieve and where that shame of grief comes from
Cover what it means to bypass someone’s pain and our instinct to want to problem solve
Ask about the role of the church in navigating grief, pointing out how believers can often mishandle it through spiritual bypassing
Consider how we can push back on the need to “fix” a person’s grief immediately and the significance of just showing up instead
Talk about how letting grief in can offer us a fuller and more human experience, connecting us to those who went before us

Join us for this rich conversation about the experience of grief and how we can grieve well, for the sake of ourselves and others. We hope you find permission and safety to grieve, whatever you’re going through.

News, Notes, and Links:

Follow along with J.S. Park on Instagram and Twitter, and be sure to pick up a copy of his book.
Read this Instagram post from September 4 that we referenced.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise

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How do you live an open-handed life while protecting your peace? Co-hosts Lindsy Wallace, Alissa Molina, and Kayla Craig explore the topic of boundaries: what they mean and why they’re crucial in our lives, relationships, and the spaces we exist in.

In this episode, we:

Define what boundaries are and how they can be designed for the mutual health and flourishing of ourselves and others around us
Consider how boundaries can show up in our lives to help us to rest, safety, and receiving what we need
Get honest about struggling with the guilt of setting good boundaries
Talk about how the idea of boundaries can carry negative connotations, especially in church settings in which we (especially women) are expected to sacrifice and pour out constantly
Discuss the necessity of unlearning the suppression of our needs in order to serve others and replace that with learning how to articulate our needs instead
Look at the example of Jesus, who often withdrew to lonely places
Push back against the cultural expectation that we have to do everything and show up a certain way to be valued
Ask what is ours to press into and what is the most loving thing to do for ourselves and other people

Join us as we dig into why we need boundaries and process out loud what this looks like in our lives. We hope this episode encourages you to check in with yourself. Feel free to share your thoughts on this episode with our community on social media!

News, Notes, and Links:

Brené Brown writes about three ways to set boundaries.
Check out this succinct explainer on boundaries from GoodTherapy.
We found this Healthline article about protecting your emotional space to be super helpful.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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What’s missing when we fail to see the fullness of humanity in the disabled community? In this episode, co-hosts Lindsy Wallace and Kayla Craig talk with Dr. Amy Kenny about persisting in disability, healing versus fixing, and much more.

In this episode, we:
Reframe the concept of disability away from a hierarchy and instead look to how we think of the natural world * Talk about how being an image bearer is not stripped away when our bodies work in a different way * Go over what ableism is, how we engage in it without even realizing it, and how the prosperity gospel feeds into it * Discuss the disabled Christ, the erasure of disability in scripture, and how we miss out on the richness of scripture when we leave out marginalized communities * Talk about how we need to go beyond giving a seat at the table and pursue belonging, leading, and flourishing for the disabled community * Get a preview of her upcoming book, My Body Is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church*, which deals with the difference between healing and curing as well as rethinking the way we understand disability in the Bible

Join us for this stirring conversation about how we typically view disability and what we might experience instead when we trade in that story for a truer, fuller one.
News, Notes, and Links:
Amy’s work has been featured in Roxane Gay's The Audacity, We are not shadows(an anthology), Sojourners,* and theFreedom Road podcast. * Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going. * Learn more at Upside Down Podcast. * We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace. * Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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What is our first inclination when we hear or see something that stretches the way we see things? Do we reach for fear? Do we shut down? Or do we remain curious, asking ourselves questions about our thinking? In this episode, Alissa Molina and Lindsy Wallace interview former co-host Shannon Evans about her recent book release, Rewilding Motherhood: Your Path to an Empowered Feminine Spirituality.In this episode we:

Talk with Shannon about her approach in writing this book
Discuss the ways the book stretched Alissa and pushed her to practice a curiosity
Explore how curiosity often leads to greater depth and learning
Encourage a spirit of wonder, curiosity, and depth when considering motherhood
Remembered that kids are often great models of curiosity

“I wonder what would happen if we digested these questions as a form of instruction for our own spiritual lives? What if we took our theological views or our political and social views and held them up under the microscope of our children’s inquisitiveness? What might change, evolve or broaden if we began pelting previously unquestioned beliefs with questions for the first time?" (Rewilding Motherhood)

News, Notes, and Links:

Order your copy of Shannon’s phenomenal book here.
Make sure to follow her on Instagram and sign up for her newsletter.
Books that were mentioned in this episode: Theology of the Womb: Knowing God Through the Body of a Woman and Body of Stars.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! You can visit us here where you can learn more about this podcast or pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
And you can always find us on Instagram at @upsidedownpodcast.

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

Theology of The Womb: Knowing God through the Body of a Woman

Rewilding Motherhood: Your Path to an Empowered Feminine Spirituality

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What comes to mind when you think of prayer? In this episode, Patricia Taylor, Alissa Molina, and Lindsy Wallace interview co-host Kayla Craig about her upcoming book, To Light Their Way: A Collection of Prayers & Liturgies for Parents, and expanding our idea of prayer.

In this episode, we:

Ask Kayla where her belief that prayer is real and powerful comes from, especially in light of how much prayer gets casually thrown around
Consider how everything in our lives can be prayer
Recount how a difficult experience led Kayla to examine what prayer meant to her and the transformation that happened in her understanding of prayer
Discuss how she addresses tough and complex topics in a nuanced, inclusive way that makes space for all
Ask what does persistence in prayer through our weariness and our wait look like

Join us as we talk about Kayla’s journey of putting together her book. We can’t recommend it enough to anyone with children in their lives: caregivers, educators, and so on.

News, Notes, and Links:

Preorder a copy of To Light Their Way: A Collection of Prayers & Liturgies for Parents from Amazon or from Soul Book Nook, a Black-owned book store that’s local to Kayla and can ship anywhere.
Can’t wait to get your hands on your copy? Here’s a special preview.
Kayla has put together a collection of free gifts as a thank you to anyone who preorders the book before October 5. Get access to a printable collection of 12 breath prayer cards, a 5-day guided devotional for overwhelmed parents, and a downloadable art print for your home or office.
Are you on Goodreads? Be sure to add Kayla’s book to your lists and leave a review.
Follow Liturgies for Parents and Kayla on Instagram, and check out Kayla’s website here.
We love Cole Arthur Riley’s prayers at Black Liturgies.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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What does it mean to persist these days, and what do we desire to persist toward? Co-hosts Lindy Wallace, Kayla Craig, Alissa Molina, and Patricia Taylor kick off our sixth season with a conversation about the long game of persistence and why we’re still here.

In this episode, we:

Talk about why we’re still showing up on this “little podcast that could”
Dig into the meaning of persistence: how it’s both opposing something and imagining how it could be better
Discuss how the definition of persisting has been twisted and weaponized in toxic ways that are detrimental to our health and well-being
Ask ourselves the question, “What are we persisting toward?” What is the endgame we are reaching for?
Dive into how persistence intersects with rest, how both are acts of resistance, and the invitation to join the long line of those who have resisted before us
Consider how persisting can be an act of self-discovery, empowering us to get to the truer version of ourselves by identifying what we say yes or no to
Give you a bit of a teaser about this season’s offerings

Join us as we launch Season 6 with the theme of persistence. Our hope is that you come away inspired to go with intention and take heart that to persist is to imagine something beautifully just and whole for everyone.

News, Notes, and Links:

Check out Iris Chen of Untigering on Instagram.
Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.
Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.
We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.
Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!

Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/upsidedownpodcast)

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What brings you rest? Is it something that’s easy for you to embrace, or do you find yourself struggling with it? Co-hosts Kayla Craig, Alissa Molina, and Patricia Taylor talk about the need for rest—to nourish ourselves and to love one another—in our final episode of the season.

In this episode, we:

Discuss how rest can be a struggle when it is often considered selfish or something to be earned instead of an innate need
Acknowledge that rest is an act of resistance against grind culture and even the Western church’s culture of production and productivity
Ask each other what it takes to be able to say we are worthy of rest and to believe it
Consider the interconnectedness of rest: when we fill ourselves up through our rest, that frees us and creates margin to give so that others may experience rest
Talk about what’s at stake when we don’t rest and how our refusal to rest is a refusal to rest in God
Wonder what it looks like for us to take cues from our bodies and the physical life around us and grow in awareness of those invitations to rest

Join us as we conclude our fifth season with this conversation about the necessity of rest. We hope it speaks to you and encourages you to regard this act as loving and essential to the well-being of yourself and those around you.

News, Notes, and Links:

Savoring this quote: “God's creation is a life-giving inhale for all of us, and Sabbath is the exhale.” ― Shelly Miller, Rhythms of Rest: Finding the Spirit of Sabbath in a Busy World
And this one, also from Shelly Miller: “Extravagant wastefulness in time might prove the most productive thing you choose for yourself.”
Add “‘All of Your Ways Are Peace” by The Porter’s Gate to your playlist and soak it in.
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How do you begin to reconnect with your community after over a year of wading through the collective heaviness of a global pandemic? Co-hosts Lindsy Wallace, Alissa Molina, and Kayla Craig gather to connect and reflect on where we are and where we’ve been.

In this episode, we:

Acknowledge the importance and exhaustion of connecting and how we have to relearn how to connect with no road map for these times
Check in with each other: how are we really doing after over a year of living through the pandemic (on top of the pandemic of white supremacy, the effects of climate change, and so on)?
Ask each other what we are lamenting and grieving, as well as what practices and rhythms have been helpful throughout this time
Discuss what we are processing: the hard reset some of us have experienced in the wake of the pandemic, stories and voices that have been amplified, and more
Share who we are paying more attention to and whose voices we are pruning
Talk about what is giving us hope and the growth that we’re seeing in the cracks in the sidewalks

Join us for this honest conversation as we do some processing of the past year together. Our hope is that as we model connection together, you’ll be encouraged to pursue connection in your own life as well.

News, Notes, and Links:

Follow Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley on Instagram and soak in her prophetic words.
Add Undrowned By Alexis Pauline Gumbs to your summer reading list.
Check out Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America; Essays By R. Eric Thomas.
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“Silence is not spiritual, and action is not optional.” Author, speaker, and podcast host Tiffany Bluhm talks with host Patricia Taylor about accountability and abuse—particularly in faith spaces—and the hard questions we must ask.

TW: This episode covers spiritual abuse, though it does not go into specific details. Still, we want to allow listeners whose stories may include abuse to be aware of what’s coming.

In this episode, we:

Discuss Tiffany’s latest book, Prey Tell: Why We Silence Women Who Tell the Truth and How Everyone Can Speak Up
Talk about how women are expected to “play by the rules” set by culture, society, and the church
Cover the gaslighting that happens when speaking truth, the weaponization of scripture, and the insulation of men in power
Ask why abuse happens so often in faith spaces and what elements allow for this
Consider how many of us don’t want to believe that we can offer our trust to an untrustworthy leader, leading to silence and complicity
Discuss the systemic nature of abuse, what it takes to dismantle those systems, and the cost of speaking up and speaking out
Talk about how Jesus addressed the powerful and their abuse of authority while leveling hierarchies and ushering in equity

Join us for this discussion about taking an honest look at abuse and what it takes to pursue love as justice. We invite you to lean into the liberating and healing ways of Jesus as we expand and challenge the familiar if it’s not leading us closer to love.

News, Notes, and Links:

Check out Tiffany’s website and follow her on Instagram.
Have you grabbed your copy of “Prey Tell” yet? Find it here!
This post about spiritual abuse from Reclaiming My Theology.
An encouragement from K.J. Ramsey, as well as this wisdom.
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Is there truly enough for everyone, and do we really believe there is abundance? Hosts Alissa Molina, Patricia Taylor, Kayla Craig, and Lindsy Wallace discuss what it means to live out of a posture of abundance in a world that has conditioned us to believe in scarcity.

In this episode, we:

Talk about how we seem to embrace the concept of spiritual abundance yet struggle with the idea of abundance of what we have in this world
Discuss how the mindset of scarcity is incompatible with what we profess to believe and how the economic system of our culture thrives on a scarcity
Dive into how we shift what we believe “enough” means and how much we need
Consider whether or not our economic system is an idol and a place from which we draw our sense of security
Cover the impact that grind culture, meritocracy, and white supremacy have on our relationships, time, priorities, and more

Join us for this thought-provoking conversation about kingdom economics. We hope that it catalyzes honest conversations with your community related to stewardship and taking a posture of abundance together.

News, Notes, and Links:

Lindsy quoted a snippet from The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics by Ched Myers.
Bookmark this poem by Jessica Faith Kantrowitz.
Add Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen to your reading list.
We’re big fans of Money and Possessions by Walter Brueggemann.
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THE BIBLICAL VISION OF SABBATH ECONOMICS

Money and Possessions: Interpretation: Resources for the Use of Scripture in the Church

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What does a liberated faith look like? Writer and speaker Danté Stewart talks with co-hosts Patricia Taylor and Lindsy Wallace about the meaning of liberation and how it impacts how we view God, ourselves, and the world.

In this episode, we:

Reflect on the complex, beautiful, and terrible journey of liberation, the changes we make along the way, and how we look at the world within ourselves and the world around us
Discuss the influence of writer and activist James Baldwin and the invitation from Baldwin to wrestle deeply and truthfully
Talk about the influence of Black womanist theologians and how they shape Danté’s understanding of liberation
Go in depth about how liberation asks us to look at the story of Jesus and see the ways in which he invites us into a better story of God and ourselves than the stories many of us are offered
Discuss the symbols, myths, and metaphors about God that we have inherited, and how those have oftentimes been incredibly limited

Join us for this deep conversation with Danté about the significance of the word liberation and how it gives us the ability to narrate our story and have eyes to see an enlarged view of the world.

News, Notes, and Links:

Keep up with Danté’s work by checking out his website, following him on Instagram, and following him on Twitter. You can find the Instagram post we referenced here.
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin is essential reading.
We can’t wait to read World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.
Add these books to the stack: Critical Terms for Religious Studies by Mark C. Taylor, In Search of Our Mothers’ Garden by Alice Walker, and Said I Wasn’t Gonna Tell Nobody: The Making of a Black Theologian by James Cone.
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How do you know when you’ve grown, and how does that growth show up in other parts of your life? Speaker, author, musician, curator, and previous podcast guest Justin McRoberts talks with co-hosts Kayla Craig and Patricia Taylor about what growth does in us in our faith, our relationships, and the risks we must take.

In this episode, we:

Chat about Justin’s upcoming book, It Is What You Make of It
Reflect on the act of discernment and the sense of possibility the process can give us
Challenge the idea of certainty and “getting it right” when it comes to discernment and how that way of thinking impacts our view of God
Discuss the freedom to explore new things that comes with a deep sense of safety
Talk about the role of mentors, coaches, and community as well as the significance of having people invest in your growth for the long haul
Ask what our measurement for success is and how we even define it
Discuss storytelling and the power it has to invite others to enter into something that’s different or new to them

Join us as we talk with Justin about deconstruction, reconstruction, and the process of evolving.

News, Notes, and Links:

Looking for more from Justin McRoberts? Find him on Instagram and check out his podcast, @ Sea with Justin McRoberts. You can also pre-order his newest book, It Is What You Make of It, which is out in June.
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What would it look like if we experienced the Lenten season as a time in which we find God in all things, including the suffering? Writer Cameron Bellm and co-host Alissa Molina have a rich conversation about “the ministry of beautiful hard” and how Lent is an invitation for all of us.

In this episode, we:

Talk about the act of joining and seeking to identify with Christ during the Lenten season
Consider Lent as a sacred invitation to draw near and to enter into the suffering we’re already experiencing with contemplation
Dispel the idea that repentance is about shame
Discuss how Lent is not an olympic sport, and the way we each engage it is unique to what brings us close to God
Talk about Cameron’s partnership with Lauren of Brick House in the City to create a devotional that helps folks walk this Lenten path with a diverse group of saints
Ponder the metaphor of the lotus flower: something beautiful that blooms out of a challenging place

Join us as we have a conversation about walking through Lent from the posture of paying attention to what draws us near to God and deeper into the mystery.

News, Notes, and Links:

Journey through Lent with No Unlikely Saints – A Lenten Pilgrimage With Sacred Company, ℅ Brick House in the City.
We’ll be camping out at this quote from this article for awhile: “The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud.”
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Why is dreaming so significant, and how do you dream freely? Inspired by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s beautiful inauguration poem, co-hosts Patricia Taylor, Kayla Craig, Lindsy Wallace, and Alissa Molina discuss the necessity of dreaming and having prophetic imagination.

In this episode, we:

Talk about the boundlessness of dreaming and how it gives us vision for possibilities
Ask how creativity relates to dreaming
Consider our roles as co-creators with a creator God
Ask how we come to lose our imagination and wonder what we are missing out on when that happens
Talk about the need for a community to show us that which we can’t see on our own and who can enter into dreaming with us
Explore what it means to have the freedom and openness to dream

Join us as we discuss what inspires us to dream, how those around us can be a part of it, what can keep us from dreaming, and the need for prophetic imagination.

News, Notes, and Links:

Grab a copy of The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman and read a transcript of her inauguration poem here.
Check out artist Morgan Harper Nichols on Instagram!
We can’t recommend The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann enough.
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What does it mean to "reclaim theology?" And why might that be necessary? Lindsy Wallace hosts this episode with co-host Patricia Taylor, and guest Brandi Miller joins to talk about why it's important for Christians to take theology back from ideas and systems that oppress.

Brandi Miller is the host of the Reclaiming My Theologypodcast and community that explores how the attributes of oppressive ideologies have infiltrated how we see ourselves, each other, and God. Brandi has spent the better part of the last decade as a writer and campus minister.

She largely spends her time writing at the intersection of faith, race, and politics, plays music and writes with Common Hymnal, and develops justice programs for Christian college students.

In this episode, we:

Define "epistemology"
Talk about the individual work of reconciling the difference between deconstructing faith when there's nothing left vs. reclaiming theology
Ask how we can become communities that have hard conversations
Explore how our upbringings shape the way we view God
Ask, "Who does this benefit?"
Explore the power of Jesus' parables

Join us as we consider how to hold on to what we know to be true about the God of all things - and learn to name what has been shaped by cultural ideas, mores, and values.

News, Notes, and Links:

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In this first episode of 2021, we continue with our focus on the necessities. As we begin this new year, it seems one of the most hard fought necessities we are grasping for is that of Hope. Alissa hosts the episode, with Kayla, Lindsy and Patty joining for a conversation on what it means to fight through despair and work for a discipline of hope.

In this episode, we:

Define what the word hope means to us
Talk about the stubborn nature of hope
Flesh out Hebrews 11:1
Consider what hope as action looks like
Think about how our faith as Christians impacts our ability to hope.
Discuss an amazing faucet/well analogy that Kayla's husband Jonny created for a sermon
Share the people that give us hope and the things that give us hope
Talk about ways we each individually practice hope
Remember the ultimate hope of God’s Kingdom on Earth as is in Heaven

Join us as we consider how to be a people of hope, firm in our belief in a God who loves us and all of humanity.

Recommended reading & resources:

Jonny Craig’s Sermon on Hope for The Bridge
Romans 12:12
Hebrews 11:1
Pope Francis’ Book Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future
The Discipline of Hope Article

Quotes:

“Hope is the audacity to believe and fight for God’s dream of Shalom in the world.” - Lindsy Wallace
“Celtic spirituality speaks of a term called ‘thin places” A place where the boundary between earth and heaven is especially thin, so much so, you can feel it.The distance between Heaven and earth collapses and we’re able to catch a glimpse of the divine. The veil between our earthly home and eternal home becomes thin, almost translucent.” -Patty Breene (@amoderngrace on Instagram)

News, Notes, and Links:

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Surprise! Bonus episode!

In this bonus episode of Upside Down Podcast co-host Lindsy Wallace shares why grieving 2020 is necessary, what happens in our bodies when we don't grieve, ideas for how to do so in creative and embodied ways, and challenges us with the question, What is the meaning we will make of 2020?

News, Notes, and Links:

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In this final episode before the Christmas break, we take some time to point our weary hearts toward our collective necessity for healing. To help us delve deeper into this topic, Kayla Craig and Patty Taylor welcome Dr. Monique Gadson. Dr. Monique is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 16 years of counseling, consulting, and program development experience. Dr. Monique is a consulting therapist to churches and organizations in mental health matters. She holds a doctorate in marriage and family therapy, a master’s in Christian psychological studies, a master’s in clinician mental health counseling.

In this episode, we:

Consider assessing the wounds around us and addressing the most critical wounds first
Talk about healing within the Church and learn about what Dr. Gadson calls the Church’s “autoimmune response”
Flesh out the critical importance of grieving in the healing process.
Acknowledge our tendency to try to get to the “overcoming” before tending to the “oppression”
Embrace the analogy Dr. Gadson gives about taking care of a sink of one or two dishes before the sink is overflowing as it relates to our own healing.
Remember that some wounds take much longer to heal than others and that healing is a process

Join us as we consider how to begin the process of healing our own wounds, the wounds in our churches and the wounds in our communities and country.

Recommended reading & resources:

Dr. Gadson on Instagram
Dr. Gadson’s Podcast: And the Church Said
Interview of Dr. Gadson in VoyageATL
Dr. Gadson YouTube Transforming Visions videos

News, Notes, and Links:

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In this episode on the Necessity of Advent, Alissa Molina hosts and is joined by Kayla Craig, Lindsy Wallace and Patty Taylor to discuss Advent as the season quickly approaches. They bring tired and weary hearts, minds, and bodies to flesh out:

Awe as it relates to the Word becoming Flesh
The reminder that God is near us even if sometimes he feels far
The reminder of the tenderness of God that is near the broken
The vulnerability of God becoming human
The danger in commodifying Jesus
Thinking about how we can be intentional in our preparation for the birth of Jesus
Exploring Advent as the time of Now and Not Yet
Preparing for advent in asking: where has God been faithful this year, where have I lamented this year, where are we practicing joyful hope.

Recommended Reading and Resources

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth."
Sharifa Stevens on Twitter (https://twitter.com/sharifawrites)
Kat Armas on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kat_armas/)
https://www.christianity.com/christian-life/christmas/what-is-advent.html

Quotes

"We think Jesus came in flesh to teach us to about divinity but in reality, Jesus came to teach us how to be man." -- Richard Rohr
"God didn’t just tell us to love our neighbors, he became one." -- Kat Armas
“Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these “last days” (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2), as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis, they called for God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people.”

News, Notes, and Links:

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What does it mean for the church to be a witness? What do our 21st-century sensibilities miss about Jesus’ 1st-century sociopolitical relevance? In this episode of Upside Down Podcast, Lindsy Wallace and Patricia Taylor process a conversation with author and professor Drew G.I. Hart about the revolutionary life of Jesus and the ways in which we can usher in his peace for our world.

In this episode, we:

Consider what it looks like to follow after the way of Jesus in 2020
Lean into the local church as community in the building and in the streets
Widen the experience of Jesus to a political Jesus
Are challenged to see peace as a disruptor to violence
Lean into the power of the embodied, costly, revolutionary love of Jesus

Join us as Drew walks us through his experience of the things that make for peace. Let us set aside our 21st Century sensibilities so we may enter into Jesus’ first century. May we hold his socio-political relevance to the light of day and let it shine through in such a way we put his revolutionary teachings to make a Beloved community today.

Recommended reading & resources:

Who Will Be a Witness - Drew Hart
198 Methods of Nonviolent Action
Drew G. I. Hart Online
Drew Hart on Instagram
Drew Hart on Twitter
Drew Hart on Facebook

Quotes:

“The call of Jesus is really quite simple, despite how complicated we have made it by obfuscating that basic Christian vocation. Follow after the way of Jesus.”

News, Notes, and Links:

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Upside Down Podcast brings together women (and sometimes a few good men) for unscripted ecumenical conversations about God's upside-down kingdom. We're four women from across the US spanning age, denomination, race, culture, and background. We care deeply about the love of God and neighbor and explore themes of the intersections of faith and justice, with a bit of prophetic imagination. We come together as ordinary humans modeling tough conversations so you can be inspired to continue these conversations offline with your local community. In a time when many Christians are deconstructing their faith, we hope to be a welcoming space where people can be curious, learn, connect, and grow into the beloved community.

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What is the importance of community? Patricia Taylor hosts and is joined by Kayla Craig, Lindsy Wallace and Alissa Molina for this episode of examining what community is today. Pull up a seat at our table in the wilderness as we ask each other how community in the time of Jesus can influence an upside-down life today.

In this episode, we:

Assess the impact of the pandemic on local and virtual communities
Weigh our desire for community against our dream of it
Look at how intimate community should be when it’s toxic
Wonder if it’s possible to return to a community that has inflicted pain
Envision a thriving community that laments and celebrates together
Get honest about an expectation of community in our lives

Join us as we unpack how to intentionally find a community that is from an abundant God and explore with us how to engage in and foster such an environment. May we enter each space with more grace and more love and make space for those who may be searching for their people and their place too.

Recommended reading & resources:

Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Lindsy Wallace on Instagram
Acts 2:42-47 ESV And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Matthew 10:14 ESV And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.

Quotes:

“The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.” James Baldwin
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members... a heart of grace and a soul generated by love." Coretta Scott King

News, Notes, and Links:

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Why is it necessary to vote with our neighbors in mind? Lisa Sharon Harper joins all of the Upside Down Podcast co-hosts for this episode. Lisa is the author of The Very Good Gospel and founder and president of FreedomRoad.us, a consulting group dedicated to shrinking the narrative gap in our nation by designing forums and experiences that bring common understanding, common commitment, and common action. She is a prolific speaker, writer, and activist and a prophetic voice for our time.

In this episode, we:

Jump right in to ask Lisa what voting means to her
Unpack how voting is an exercise in dominion that serves and protects
Open the one-issue party discussion and learn history and impacts of current, controversial Supreme Court rulings
Hear why “clarity is necessary” for Lisa in this election
Consider how Jesus ‘voted’ with the most marginalized in mind

Join us as we consider what is at stake with this election. May we be followers of Jesus, under the rule of God, and vote for the benefit of all humanity created in the image of God.

Recommended reading & resources:

The Very Good Gospel by Lisa Sharon Harper
I Think You’re Wrong but I’m Listening by Sarah and Beth of Pantsuit Politics
Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggeman
The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor by Kaitlyn Schiess
Thou Shalt Not Be A Jerk by Eugene Cho
AND Campaign
LSH's On Why She’s Voting for Biden [IGTV]

News, Notes, and Links:

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Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics

I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations

The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor

The Prophetic Imagination: 40th Anniversary Edition

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We know that God created everything that is Good, True and Beautiful. How in times like these, with so much that feels so heavy, hurtful and even downright ugly, can we find what is beautiful and in turn find the Divine?

Growing up in Missouri as the son of Nigerian immigrants, the life of Ike Ndolo is a woven tapestry of experiences: Hymns and Bob Marley, injustice and mercy, discrimination and acceptance. As a result, Ike has become a well-tested navigator of the human experience. He aims to share and guide you through stories that inform and even reorient your perspective.

Ike Ndolo released three singles in the summer of 2018, “Guiding Light,” “Your Table” & “Follow Me,” all of which are featured on his third LP, “Shine,” released on September 17th, 2018. Recorded at Gnome Studios in Nashville, TN in conjunction with Hardspeak Records.

In this episode, we:

Consider why beauty is necessary, especially now
Take a stroll down Ike’s street to appreciate beauty
Cancel guilt associated with tapping out on occasion and running to beauty
Walk Ike’s path of his media shifting from artistry to anti-racism work
Thank Ike for bringing Black female voices to his media and influence

Join us as we walk towards beauty as resistance. May we trust that we are able to engage in partnership with believers to do today’s justice work.

Recommended reading & resources:

Ike Ndolo
Ike Ndolo on Instagram
Ike Ndolo on Twitter
Shine by Ike Ndolo
Ike Ndolo on YouTube
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Upside Down Podcast brings together women (and sometimes a few good men) for unscripted ecumenical conversations about God's upside-down kingdom. We're four women from across the US spanning age, denomination, race, culture, and background. We care deeply about the love of God and neighbor and explore themes of the intersections of faith and justice, with a bit of prophetic imagination. We come together as ordinary humans modeling tough conversations so you can be inspired to continue these conversations offline with your local community. In a time when many Christians are deconstructing their faith, we hope to be a welcoming space where people can be curious, learn, connect, and grow into the beloved community.

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What does it mean to be for life in 2020? Join us for Season 5 with the hosts you know, founders Kayla Craig and Lindsy Wallace, veteran Alissa Molina, and our newest voice, Patricia Taylor to kick off a season of exploring what is needed in spirituality, justice, culture, and community.

In this episode, we:

Evaluate ‘pro-life’ as Jesus intended for abundant life in 2020
Grieve what happens to the message and witness of Jesus when professing followers of God are unwilling to lay down life and liberties
Seek to follow Jesus in working for a “more and better life than they ever dreamed of”
Discuss what it means to vote for a ‘pro-life’ President
Share practical ways we can honor life in our communities

**Join us as we thoughtfully explore what it means to champion an abundant life in Christ. May we model Jesus in the way we value the Imago Dei in us all.

Upside Down Podcast: Recent Episodes

Kayla Craig, Lindsy Wallace, Patricia Taylor, Alissa Molina