Lord Have Mercy: Recent Episodes
Crystal Cheatham
Dig deep into the discussions about God the Bible and Sex with co-hosts Crystal Cheatham and Sexologist Reverend Alba Onofrio. Join in on the upbeat banter that is both hilariously irreverent and appropriately pensive as they hit key topics so on the nose you will squeal and clap with excitement. 'Cuz let's be honest, people never say these things! As sexual as we all are, we still want to know how the Bible applies to our personal identities. Oh, and it's queer. Ok bye!
Rhea is an entrepreneur, certified herbalist, health coach, and green witch. After being a devout evangelical for over a decade (and escaping a cult,) she decided to get to know Spirit for herself and for empowerment through herbal healing.
Rhea is certified through the Bellebuono School of Herbal Medicine and will be graduating from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition next summer.
She writes for herbal companies like the Practical Herbalist, the Sacred Science, Goddess Detox, Learning Herbs, and Crystal Star.
Rhea is passionate about teaching people how to heal their bodies and spirits by listening to their intuition and leaning into their communities. She’s big on home-cooked meals, cocktail hours, black coffee, and Doctor Who.
Rhea lives with her family in Portland, Oregon where she passionately advocates for her neighborhood (no matter how much her introversion makes canvassing difficult.)
Her POP-Ed series workshop Lean Into The Woo-Woo is available for signup at OurBibleApp.com.
Crystal talks to Jo Luehmann about her upcoming Pop-Ed series, Decolonizing Christianity.
Who is God?
If you want to examine the scriptural view of the LGBTQI+ community you must first understand the one who breathed life into the collection of books that make up the Bible. Who is this God we worship? The question is critical because every other issue hinges on who we know God to be.
Jesus tells us that when we see him, we see the Father. Jesus is the full revelation of God. That means understanding scripture, relationships, and the world around us all hinge on this central question.
Who is God?
Who is God?
If you want to examine the scriptural view of the LGBTQI+ community you must first understand the one who breathed life into the collection of books that make up the Bible. Who is this God we worship? The question is critical because every other issue hinges on who we know God to be.
Jesus tells us that when we see him, we see the Father. Jesus is the full revelation of God. That means understanding scripture, relationships, and the world around us all hinge on this central question.
Who is God?
Who is God?
If you want to examine the scriptural view of the LGBTQI+ community you must first understand the one who breathed life into the collection of books that make up the Bible. Who is this God we worship? The question is critical because every other issue hinges on who we know God to be.
Jesus tells us that when we see him, we see the Father. Jesus is the full revelation of God. That means understanding scripture, relationships, and the world around us all hinge on this central question.
Who is God?
Who is God?
If you want to examine the scriptural view of the LGBTQI+ community you must first understand the one who breathed life into the collection of books that make up the Bible. Who is this God we worship? The question is critical because every other issue hinges on who we know God to be.
Jesus tells us that when we see him, we see the Father. Jesus is the full revelation of God. That means understanding scripture, relationships, and the world around us all hinge on this central question.
Who is God?
Who is God?
If you want to examine the scriptural view of the LGBTQI+ community you must first understand the one who breathed life into the collection of books that make up the Bible. Who is this God we worship? The question is critical because every other issue hinges on who we know God to be.
Jesus tells us that when we see him, we see the Father. Jesus is the full revelation of God. That means understanding scripture, relationships, and the world around us all hinge on this central question.
Who is God?
Who is God?
If you want to examine the scriptural view of the LGBTQI+ community you must first understand the one who breathed life into the collection of books that make up the Bible. Who is this God we worship? The question is critical because every other issue hinges on who we know God to be.
Jesus tells us that when we see him, we see the Father. Jesus is the full revelation of God. That means understanding scripture, relationships, and the world around us all hinge on this central question.
Who is God?
Who is God?
If you want to examine the scriptural view of the LGBTQI+ community you must first understand the one who breathed life into the collection of books that make up the Bible. Who is this God we worship? The question is critical because every other issue hinges on who we know God to be.
Jesus tells us that when we see him, we see the Father. Jesus is the full revelation of God. That means understanding scripture, relationships, and the world around us all hinge on this central question.
Who is God?
Today’s guest is Matthias Roberts. Matthias is a counselor, the host of the Queerology podcast and now he’s an author. Check out his forthcoming book Beyond Shame in the new year. Check out his book at MatthiasRoberts.com.
Trey Pearson: http://treypearson.com/
Illustrated Ministry: https://www.illustratedministry.com/ourbible
Healing Others by Deborah Jian Lee “For those of us from marginalized backgrounds & identities, this 4-day devotional offers reflection on what it means to be a suffering part of the Body and how we can work towards healing ourselves and others, to start mending the whole Body of Christ.” Day 4 - Healing Others: Written by Deborah Jian Lee and read by host, Theresa Ta. Pass the Salt is a product of Our Bible App, edited and produced by Crystal Cheatham.
Day 3 - One Body, Many Parts Healing Ourselves by Deborah Jian Lee “For those of us from marginalized backgrounds & identities, this 4-day devotional offers reflection on what it means to be a suffering part of the Body and how we can work towards healing ourselves and others, to start mending the whole Body of Christ.” Day 3 - Healing Ourselves: Written by Deborah Jian Lee and read by host, Theresa Ta. Pass the Salt is a product of Our Bible App, edited and produced by Crystal Cheatham.
Day 2 - One Body, Many Parts
Name Your Gifts by Deborah Jian Lee
“For those of us from marginalized backgrounds & identities, this 4-day devotional offers reflection on what it means to be a suffering part of the Body and how we can work towards healing ourselves and others, to start mending the whole Body of Christ.”
Day 2 - Naming Your Gifts: Read by host, Theresa Ta.
Pass the Salt is a product of Our Bible App, edited and produced by Crystal Cheatham.
Receiving Life’s Fullness by Deborah Jian Lee For those of us from marginalized backgrounds & identities, this 4-day devotional offers reflection on what it means to be a suffering part of the Body and how we can work towards healing ourselves and others, to start mending the whole Body of Christ. Day 1 - Receiving Life’s Fullness: Written by Deborah Jian Lee and ready by host, Theresa Ta. Pass the Salt is a product of Our Bible App, edited and produced by Crystal Cheatham.
Our Sponsor: https://www.illustratedministry.com/ourbible
Hope Beyond the Hymen:A Sermon on Luke 20:27–38 by Tuhina Verma Rasche
Hannah Bonner achieved her masters of divinity from Duke University Divinity School. Dedicated to amplifying the voices of young women, she produced a documentary, “Awaken the Voice,” to ensure that the young women she worked with in pursuing justice for Sandra Bland would be remembered. An avid hiker, Hannah can be found most evenings admiring a saguaro cactus along one of Tucson’s many trails. And now Hannah. Support her work on the border by giving to some of the organizations referenced in this episode: Desert Southwest Conference, Las Americas, and Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
Sarah Bowen is a member of One Spirit Interfaith Seminary's academic staff, Spiritual Directors International, and several recovery communities. She is the best selling author of the award winning book Void if Detached: Seeking Modern Spirituality through my Father’s Old Sermons and newly released follow up title Spiritual Rebel: A Positively Addictive Guide to Finding Deeper Perspective and Higher Purpose.
Sarah seeks to help others connect with the higher power of their own understanding, in whatever way is meaningful to each. I just find her words to be way less angry and more sensical than mine so I really hope you embrace this discussion and walk away with some lessons as I did.
This episode is sponsored by Faith in Public Life. Please sign the Faith in Public Life petition to end gun violence.
Samantha Field grew up in a Christian fundamentalist cult, but escaped as a young adult. Now, she writes about being a bisexual woman and abuse survivor, exploring intersectional feminism and liberation theology. Her devotional “Re-Reading Ruth” has been featured in Our Bible App. This 5-day devotional explores the book of Ruth through several different ways, taking a closer look at what it says about women, story and myth, immigrants and refugees, and systematic oppression.
Q: What do you get when you put two app developers in a podcast together? A: GREAT CONVERSATION! Ya’ll we queer/Christian business owners are taking over the world. It was a pleasure to sit down with Adam Evers. Adam Evers is the co-founder of Believr, an app yet to launch that promises to be the premier dating app for LGBTQ+ Christians. In this interview Adam shares about his personal experience and in the second half of the show we learn more about the inner workings of taking on a project like the love lives of LGBTQ+ Christians.
In this episode I interview Ben Christian of A Game for Good Christians. Similar to Cards Against Humanity this card game is irreverent and will most likely make you spit out your drink if you’re not careful. The difference is that these cards are all sourced from Biblical material—and let the hilarity ensue! I hope you enjoy the show.
Yaz Nuñez is a friend and former co-worker from Soulforce. Solfource works to sabotage Christian Supremacy and end the political and religious oppression of all marginalized people. With an ethic of relentless, nonviolent resistance, Soulforce sabotages Christian Supremacy through research and informed strategy. Yaz recently became Soulforce’s youngest co-Executive Director. It was recently announced that Yaz and Alba Onofrio (Rev. Sex) will be taking over Haven Herrin’s role together, to ensure the brave and hard work that Soulforce continues to get done. I wanted to sit down with Yaz to talk about that transition.
Erin Green is an affirming biblical scholar and LGBTQ+ activist. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Azusa Pacific University and is a current Mdiv student at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Erin is best known for her work in supporting LGBTQ+ students on conservative, Christian university campuses. She is also the Co-Executive Director of Brave Commons, a Queer Latinx led group seeking to dismantle oppressive systems at Christian Universities and address the denial of basic human rights of LGBTQ+ students. I met Erin online as I do most of my guests, and soon invited her to write for Our Bible App. You can check out her first devotional, “Our feelings are holy,” in the app with more to come. Find out more about her work at Erinrgreen.com.
You may know Isaac Archuleta from a previous episode but I’m bringing him back because we have a surprise to share with you. He is the creator of the I Am Clinic, a place where LGBTQ Christians can receive mental health services that allows them to step into their fuller selves. Find out more about Isaac at iamclinic.org.
George has been in the church his whole life. From growing up in the Coptic Orthodox tradition, to serving in Pastor roles within Evangelical and Mainline Churches. We get the chance to talk about George and his work with Church Clarity. As George puts it, “We shouldn’t know more about our Uber drivers than we do about our pastors.”
Aaron Bailey is an executive pastor at Left Hand Church and the founder of Launch Pad, a church planting organization for open and affirming churches. I met Aaron at a conference where we bonded over our entrepreneurial endeavors in the faith sector. It’s not too often I get to geek about about the intersections of my two passions (faith and startups) so don’t hate me too much after listening to this convo!
Today’s guest is Elizabeth Jeffries, author of the forthcoming book Through the Kaleidoscope: How Exploring Cell Biology Transforms My Relationship With God. Raised in an evangelical fundamentalist non-denominational Christian church our discussion focuses on Elizabeth’s journey and what brought her into this space of openness and acceptance. We get to talking about homeschool, A Wrinkle in Time and of course sex.
Today’s guest is Lenny Duncan, Pastor of Jehu’s Table and author of the upcoming book Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S. Today Lenny is discussing his new devotional in Our Bible App called Recovery & Resurrection: For Those Who Have Known Death Intimately, along with his book and a bit about his complex sexuality. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed talking to this Goliath of Truth Bombs.
Today’s guest is Danny Prada, pastor of the Heartway Church. Danny aids the homeless population, pastors the Heartway church and hosts their weekly podcast. Pastor Danny is also in the process of working towards his doctor of ministry degree at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Bailey Brawner is the Pastor of two congregations in the United Methodist Church in Alaska. She graduated from Boston University School of Theology with an MDiv. and a certificate in Religion and Conflict Transformation. Bailey is focused on creating spiritual spaces for people who've experienced religious trauma. Today she talks about all these things as well as what it's like to be open about her asexuality.
Today for Valentine’s day I wanted to do something special. Valentine’s day can often make you feel that breeze of loneliness. You may feel content in your singleness or your relationship every other day but the moment Valentine’s day comes around that explosion of artificial pink hearts and candy can make you question everything and suddenly you’re super-duper insecure. Well I say knock it off and here’s how. Kevin Garcia is here to help us snap back to reality. Remember. You are enough and here’s how you know. Let’s talk to Kevin. Kevin Garcia is a digital pastor, content creator, and self identifying hot mess. Working at the intersection of queerness, sexuality, Christian faith, gender, and justice, Kevin creates videos blogs and podcasts that reflect the queer Christian experience.
Tuhina Verma Rasche and Jason Chesnut are two Lutheran ministers and the duo behind such liturgical collections as Shut The Hell Up and Fuck This Shit. This year they focused their dynamic power on Epiphany, that strange stretch of time between the new year and Lent.
Carla Sofia, also known as La Mechuda, is a lesbian woman, a Latina and a believer of Jesus now based in Argentina. She wants to open the conversation and show that LGBT + people can live spirituality in a real and true way. She is a pioneer, a mover and a shaker and is creating spaces in which those who want to commune at the intersections of Christianity and LGBT + identity can do so and thrive. Join us in this live conversation at the Queer Christian Fellowship Conference in Chicago.
Today I sit down with Micky Scotbey Jones! Micky is a justice doula, a writer, speaker and social justice advocate. Recently named one of the Black Christian leaders changing the world in Huffington Post, Micky encourages others to join her in moments of holy disruption and self-care in community. If you love Micky (and I’m sure you will after this convo) you can support her endeavor to become a certified Enneagram Accredited Professional. She is so close and just needs your help to make her $4,000 goal. Find out more here.
Miriam Samuelson-Roberts is a co-host of the podcast Alter Guild and the author of our featured OBA devotional, New Year, Healed You. In this episode we discuss her amazing devotional which does away with the usual “new year, new you” traps. We also talk about what it’s like to be a bisexual pastor in a heterosexual (and monogamous) marriage and why it’s important to talk about that. It was such a pleasure to chat with Miriam. I hope you feel the warmth too.
Have you ever felt entitled to rest? Can taking a Sabbath be an act of social justice? Lyndsey Medford thinks so! And she penned those words in her devotional series, “The Burnouts Guide to Being Human” now available in Our Bible App. I don’t know about you but a discussion about burnout feels quite timely right about now! Tune in as Lyndsey and I take this conversation to whole new and surprising places.
Today’s guest is OBA author Rev. Jacob Breeze. He is the pastor of the Holy Family Church in Houston. He wrote a devotional for the app about the Liturgical calendar and the importance of following it all the way through and not just at special holidays like Christmas. I gotta say I loved talking to this man and let’s hope he decides to contribute more to the app.
Laura Jean Truman is an Atlanta based writer, and the author of Our Bible App’s newest devotional series, Imagination: The Most Underrated Spiritual Discipline. In this episode I get to fangirl all over the place about Laura Jean’s amazing work, her activism and finally about the devotional she wrote for us.
Jamie Lee Finch is a musician, poet and a Relationship Guide between humans and their bodies. She works with individuals of all genders who consistently find within themselves an inability to connect with, communicate with, and successfully relate to their own bodies. Many of these individuals are survivors of fundamentalist religion who now experience a range of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual conditions. I hope you enjoy the show!
Chris Stroop is an ex-Evangelical seeking to create space for other ex-Evangelicals and exiles from other forms of religious fundamentalism. He writes, “Reclaiming and sharing our ex-Evangelical stories will serve both to foster healing and to raise awareness of the threat to democracy and human rights posed by theocratic views, and of the real human harm caused all too often by conservative Evangelicalism.” Follow Chris on Twitter @C_Stroop and read more of his writing online.
Today I bring you a conversation I had with a very special old life friend of mine, Jessie Standafer. You know those conversations where you pick up where you left off after 6 years and don’t realize how much you missed the person? This is that convo! Jessie Standafer is a musician a doula and all around artist. She is figuring the divide between lesbian and Christian and is probably doing it better than most of us! All that to say Jessie is glowing with wisdom and I hope you enjoy both their words and their music. Watch the videos we discuss here and visit iTunes to get ahold of her music.
I'm so excited to be back with another season of Lord Have Mercy and this episode is all about having the kind of sex we WANT to have and loving the bodies we inhabit. This wasn't my idea, it was all Emily Joy. Emily Joy is so RAD guys! This episode I got to sit and chat with her about all of the intimate and scary things. If you are a fan like me you should download her music, join her newsletter and send her all the love. You can start by dropping by her website at EmilyJoyPoetry.com.
Join me, Crystal Cheatham as I chat with Sarah Ngu about Church Clarity and a few other projects she's involved in. As a fellow podcaster Sarah has taken charge of Religious Socialism and works as a deacon in her church. Sarah and I talk about scripture, church and some of the things we have in common like being kids of immigrants who happened to also be missionaries. Finally we get to chat about Church Clarity which is an online database that is rating churches one-by-one on policies and personnel as a means of bringing clarity to their stances on some of todays most important public and, often divisive, issues. Find out more at ChurchClarity.org.
It's been a minute since the last episode. Our Bible App launched and I needed a second to catch up, but I'm back with a bang! Check out Jazz Fitzgerald. Seriously watch her move and shake in this world because it is an unbelievable show. Jazz is a student in her third semester at the University of Colorado and the founder of You Are Welcome Here, a conference centered on being interfaith and LGBTQIA+ inclusive and affirming. Jazz is in the processes of fundraising for her immigration status so I hope you'll check out her GoFundMe and tithe $10 or$50 if you can spare it. Blessings to you friends! Hope you enjoy the show.
Join me, Crystal Cheatham, as I catch up with an old friend. J Mase III is a black trans poet and together with fellow performer and spiritual guide, Lady Dane Figueroa we tackle common LHM themes on God, sex and the Bible. I can't help making fun of Mase but we all take our shots at the imperfections of religion, sex culture and Dan Savage (because why not). Hear how toxic religion affects the black trans community and how they intend to credential those who walk their same path. This episode is fire ya'll. I hope you laugh as hard as we did.
Our Bible App launched! Check it out in your app store. Subscribe and don't forget to leave a comment so others can find it too!
In 2017 Louise Omer left behind a marriage, community and possessions to meet women around the world. Asking, where is their place in religion? And can a woman be holy? She is inviting us to join her on this epic trip that began in Australia, and is taking her to Ireland, Sweden, Mexico, Bulgaria, Kenya...and more. Check her out at LouiseOmer.com.
Our Bible App is about to launch and this time I mean business. But it's been about to launch for a year, and that has been disappointing for so many of you. Matthew Blake sits down in the interviewing chair to ask me all about the harrowing year, and why you can be sure the app is coming out January 17-18. Tune in now!
Matthew Blake, or as I like to call him Mr. Heathen, is the host of Heathen podcast. He’s on the other side of Christianity; the outskirts filled with mysticism, spirituality and well…. Questions. After a very religious upbringing he somehow found himself in this no-mans-land and instead of running scared he’s setting up camp and interviewing the natives. He calls each episode, "spiritual conversations for the godless," answering the call for each of us whether we are a believer or not. How can you not love what he's about? You can catch up with him on most social media platforms @HeathenPodcast.
Antonia Terrazas and her project Holy Blacked Out is a manifesto against bad theology. Using it as an effort to reframe a history of run-ins with crooked-ish Christianity, Antonia is here to talk about her work and the Mountain Top Moments that brought her to it. You should see her work at @HolyBlackedOut on Instagram. I created one from an old purity book on courtship (yeah, I know right?!) one and it truly is therapeutic, allowing us to unbind the damaging messages from books we read years ago. Check out my poem above!
Church is a very Christmasy thing, is it not? There's always some choir to go hear or play of children to witness. But for some folks, church isn't a once a year kind of thing. It's an entire life kind of ritual. Teammates Ray Gentry and Elizabeth Rawlings are here to disrupt all that and they do a fantastic job of make the finer parts of church more appealing. They are definitely onto something. Find out how host Crystal Cheatham brings together liturgy, Wicca and Ray's glorious beard all in a brief 40 minute episode. Find them at DisruptWorshipProject.com Oh and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
They call it "a visceral language for a visceral gospel." Tuhina Rasche and Jason Chestnut have decided to amplify the intensity of how the good book is read and we are all for it. Join host Crystal Cheatham as she discusses their annual project and what led these two faith leaders to embrace such apparent irreverence.
Listen in as Ryan Johnstone opens up about her struggles with Christian fundamentalism and being afraid to look at their own body naked in a mirror. Now they are a sex educator and a founder of the sex app KinkedIn. Later on in the episode Rev Sex unravels one of the toughest queer shaming texts in the New Testament.
We all get mad at what's going on in the US today but here's someone who can't stand still and watch. Yaz is a queer faith activist and works for Soulforce. In this episode they talk about the National Religious Broadcasters, the Marriott and what those two things have to do with remembering PULSE. Later Rev. Sex talks about what it's like to get arrested for a God and a people they believe in.
A sexy scandal was afoot when guest Candice met her wife. Candice Czubernat is a writer, speaker, therapist and the founder of The Christian Closet, a web-based counseling practice where she specializes in seeing those needing a safe place to reconcile their faith with their sexual and gender identities. We hear from Rev. Sex about choosing to defer gender pronouns for your kids.
This episode is all about social change. Incase you missed him Peterson Toscano is back for round 2. He makes a surprising yet obvious connection between climate change and queer Christians. Rev Sex hands her mic to social justice activist Yaz Nunez who is planning to defend Pulse Night Club from the National Religious Broadcasters.
Brandan Robertson was like a bull in a china shop when he came out while completing his pastor-man degree at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Before he graduated they tried to kick him out 6 times. His zeal hasn't fizzled out either. Rev Sex follows it up with a chat about gender pronouns.
Crystal Cheatham interviews Amanda Lynn Holmes on how queer Christians can take their activism to local and state levels by challenging their government leaders. Then Rev. Sex shares about the role Christian supremacy has had in creating Trump.
Alison Brook is a singer songwriter and the guest of this episode. Crystal and Alison are long time friends and could not have had more opposite experiences around sex, virginity and body shaming. Alison is up close and personal about her journey and ends the episode with an offering of her music. Later Rev. Sex discusses another side of purity culture--shacking up. Find out more about Alison Brook at www.AlisonBrook.com
Take a real look into the social justice movement happening now in Christianity, through the work of Lyndsey Godwin at Vanderbilt School of Divinity. Crystal and Rev Sex take a listener's question of a youth pastor shepherding queer teens.
Crystal Cheatham interviews Deborah Jian Lee, award-winning journalist, radio producer and author of Rescuing Jesus: How People of Color, Women and Queer Christians are Reclaiming Evangelicalism. Deborah opens up about her spiritual journey and her current project One Book, One Church. Crystal gets to discuss sex and sin with Rev Sex aka Alba.
Crystal Cheatham interviews Isaac Archuleta. Find out more at www.crystalcheatham.com/podast
Peterson Toscano is hilarious and poignant and our in-the-meantime-guest as Alba and Crystal craft an entire season of podcasts that don't skimp on the awkward, tense and cringe worthy truths about God, Sex and the Bible. Peterson is one of Crystal's favorite performers and a true trailblazer who has been handling top tier discussions on sex and the bible long before this podcast. Find out more about Peterson's work at petersontoscano.com and on Twitter @P2Son.
Dig deep into the discussions about God the Bible and Sex with co-hosts Crystal Cheatham and Sexologist Reverend Alba Onofrio. Join in on the upbeat banter that is both hilariously irreverent and appropriately pensive as they hit key topics so on the nose you will squeal and clap with excitement. 'Cuz let's be honest, people never say these things! As sexual as we all are, we still want to know how the Bible applies to our personal identities. Oh, and it's queer. Ok bye!