J.O.Y.: Recent Episodes
St. Margaret's Episcopal Church
With the Rev. Mary Vano and a new guest host for each episode, we discuss topics of theology, spirituality, and faithful living. It's a dynamic conversation between Jesus, Others, and You. Listeners are invited to send comments, ask questions, nominate
Daniel Bowman, Jr., is the author of On the Spectrum: Autism, Faith, & the Gifts of Neurodiversity. In his insightful book, Bowman shares the heartbreaks and triumphs of his own story, and in this conversation, we think about another way...
On this episode, hear from Jennifer O’Brien, author of The Hospice Doctors Widow: A Journal. Jennifer’s career has been as an educator and administrator in the medical field. She was married to Dr. Bob Lehmberg, a p...
Brother Lawrence was a Seventeenth Century lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in France, and he is still remembered for his simple teachings about finding God in our everyday lives. In this episode of J.O.Y., Mary shares a conversation with th...
Sophia Said is the outgoing executive director of the Interfaith Center, an organization here in Little Rock, whose mission is to reduce the fear and hatred among world religions by providing education and enhancing public dialogue among different faith c...
A lawyer once asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" In this episode of J.O.Y., we're talking with Natalie Larrison of the Syrian Emergency Task Force - a non-governmental organization working to end the atrocities against Syrian civilians t...
In this episode, Mary interviews the Rev. Kira Austin-Young, author of the book Pro-Choice and Christian: Reconciling Faith, Politics, and Justice. In the ongoing debates over reproductive rights, one perspective is often overshadowed: those who...
In this episode, Mary speaks with the Very Rev. Dr. Cynthia Kittredge - Dean and President of the Seminary of the Southwest, and New Testament scholar. We're talking about falling in love with scripture. Our journeys haven't been about...
The Rev. Erin Jean Warde is an Episcopal priest in Austin, Texas. She is a writer, a spiritual director, and a recovery coach. In this conversation, Mary and Erin Jean explore the topic of sobriety. It's not just about drinki...
Jerusalem Greer works for Presiding Bishop Michael Curry as the staff officer for Evangelism for the Episcopal Church. She lives here in Arkansas where she also works their farm, and writes blogs and books. In this conversation, we're ...
The Rev. Dr. Kate Alexander is the author of Saving Beauty: A Theological Aesthetics Nature. In this conversation, we're talking about the redemptive power of nature, and exploring how this may be our best motivation to do what we can to save ou...
What can world languages teach us about God and one another? The answer is quite a lot! Listen this conversation with Debbie Pettibone, Spanish teacher and chair of the World Languages Department at Episcopal Collegiate School.
Our special guest for this episode is Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, who is the State Epidemiologist in Arkansas. She's also a person of faith, and in this conversation we explore how we make our way through tough challenges by placing our trust in God a...
In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of his disciples as friends, and in this podcast, we're exploring the joy of friendship with Mary's closest friends of 20 years: the Revs. Morgan Allen, Daryl Hay, Austin Rios, and Barkley Thompson.
In this podcast, enjoy a conversation with the Rev. Betsy Singleton Snyder, a United Methodist pastor in Little Rock, Arkansas. Betsy is an author, a community activist, as well as a wife and mother. For more from Betsy, check out her ...
Mary speaks with Dr. Donnal Walter about "Fratelli Tutti" - the latest encyclical from Pope Francis. It's a vision of how we can rebuild the world by creating more loving kinship bonds among all humanity.
Mary joins up with producer Heidi Sohl again to answer listener questions about Advent and Christmas.
In this conversation with the Rev. Dr. Chris Keller, we talk about SUMMA - a theological debate camp for high school students. What can we learn about God through debate? Hint: it has something to do with the important of thought in fa...
Our nominated guest for today's podcast is Stephen Vano, who composed and created the music for J.O.Y. Listen to our conversation about the creative process, and the joy behind it.
Sometimes our best view of God is in the rearview mirror. In this episode of Joy Kreider, of Eastern Mennonite University, we discuss how we can use our personal stories to discover God's work in our lives, and how sharing those stories can be an...
This week's podcast is a continuation of the conversation begun with Dr. Chelsea Wakefield, Director of the Couples Center at UAMS. Here, we talk about more advanced relationship skills - skills that can apply to all kinds of relationships! For ...
Marriage is often a challenge... add in a pandemic and other global crises, and life with your most-loved partner may become especially difficult. In this podcast, we speak with Dr. Chelsea Wakefield, therapist, couples' counselor, and Director ...
Baptismal life begins by turning. In this episode, Bishop Larry Benfield talks to Mary about the baptismal liturgy, and what it means to turn away from sin and evil and toward Jesus Christ.
It's a noisy world out there! Sister Deborah Troillet, Executive Director of the Arkansas House of Prayer, joins us to talk about silence as our gateway to divine peace and wisdom. Silence is a gift for all of us... you only have to se...
What do the sacred spaces in your life teach you about your faith? In this episode, Mary speaks with her former seminary professor about a topic they both love.
The Rev. Amy Dafler Meaux has recently been called to serve as the new Dean and Rector of Trinity Cathedral in Little Rock. Amy and Mary remember seminary together, discuss the joys and challenges of being women in ministry, and share their hope...
We are faced with so many challenges in the world right now, and so much over which to grieve. Are we allowed to be distracted? Is it okay to have some fun? The Rev. Morgan Allen of Trinity Church in Boston speaks with Mary a...
What is "Mindful Self-Compassion"? Simply stated, it's caring for ourselves as we would for a cherished friend. In this episode, we learn about this practice from Dr. Catherine Crisp. Further resouces are av...
What are the roots that have influenced who you are, and keep you grounded in your life? The Rev. Daryl Hay from Bryan, Texas discusses his quest to find his roots with us.
In this podcast, Mary talks with Sarah-Catherine Gutierrez of Aptus Financial about her new book, But First, Save Ten. This is a conversation about finding freedom from financial anxiety, and how we can do that, even in these uncertain times.
"If God is good, why is there suffering?" Listen in as Mary has a conversation with her father, The Rev. Dr. Robert Certain, about how Christians can respond faithfully through those times of trial.
Our listeners asked some good questions, and Mary has done her best to respond to them! Heidi Sohl, producer of this podcast, serves as the moderator and guest host.
The Rev. Barkley Thompson is Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, Texas, and author of the book, In the Midst of the City: The Gospel and God's Politics. Listen to Mary and Barkley as they talk about how people of faith can pariticipate i...
Feeling stuck at home? In this podcast, Mary connects with her friend Austin Rios, the rector of St. Paul's Within the Walls in Rome, Italy. We're talking about pilgrimage as part of the spiritual journey, and how we can make such a jo...
The Honorable Joyce Williams Warren was the first black female judge in Arkansas. Presiding over juvenile and domestic relations cases, Joyce has been honored throughout her career for the good work she offers our community. In this po...
This episode features the Rev. Rob Leacock, Episcopal priest and school chaplain. Rob and Mary talk about the "Strange Vocation" of priesthood, and how finding your unique vocation will lead you to joy. Plus, if you l...
For many of us, the pandemic has knocked us off balance. In this episode Mary speaks with the Rev. Marna Franson, Episcopal priest and certified Life Coach about how we can live more balanced and more joyful lives.
Our guest for this episode is Richie Marsh, an historian and high-school teacher. We're talking about what we can learn from the past to shape our futures, how history can help us have perspective in the present, and how God works in all times t...
In this episode, Susan Hiler, a certified grief counselor, and Community of Hope chaplain, joins us to talk about grief. There's a lot to grieve right now. So, what should we expect from grief, and how can we support one another?
Today, we're talking about the Sacrament of Holy Communion, what it means to us, and how we're missing it during the pandemic.
The Rev. Mary Vano speaks to her neighbor, the Rev. Dr. George Parks, senior pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in North Little Rock and Conway.
For the first podcast in the series, we discuss the meaning of "J.O.Y" - "Jesus, Others, and You." Also, what is joy, and how can we find it?