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If God created day and night or light and darkness, then where do dawn and dusk fit in? If we believe that God is Creator, male, female and spirit then can humans not identify with different genders and identities? We are back for an exciting and in-depth episode!  Join us for a conversation with our special guests, Rev. Mary Johnson & retired United Methodist Bishop Peggy Johnson. We will discuss God's different appearances throughout scripture, transitions for God’s children, as well as Rev. Mary & Bishop Peggy sharing their own transitional experiences. (Sorry about the audio issues with Laurie Ann's mic) Books Referenced: Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community  By: Laura Erickson-Schroth Transfigured: A 40-day journey through scripture for gender-queer and transgender people (The Where True Love Is Devotionals) By: Suzanne DeWitt Hall Additional Resources: The OtherWise Academy - otherwiseacademy.com

We are back! Listen in as our host, Lawrence Clark, and special guest/former co-host, Taylor Darden, speak honestly about pride month from a faith perspective. Who are the Biblical characters who serve as role models for queer Christians? Why is it important for churches to find affirming ways to observe Pride month? Join us as we discuss these questions and more!

We continue our conversation with special guests, Darren Caffery and Sibongile Sithole, about our faith and mental health, connecting our church and community, and discussing our best self-care practices. Eastern PA United Methodist Church (EPAUMC) Mental Health Ministries - https://umcdmc.org/ministries/mental-health-ministries/

Join us for part 1 of our conversation as we sit down with our special guests, Darren Caffery & Sibongile Sithole, as we dive into our faith, mental health, and what it means to take care of ourselves.

“Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.” - Martin Luther King Jr.  Join our conversation as we celebrate the Christian figures who molded us into the spiritual beings we are today.

In this episode, we celebrate Black History Month and listen to stories of adversity and how our faith guides us through. Join us as we sit down with Rev. David Brown and Dr. Sam Lemon as they share their stories and philosophy to what Black History truly means.

This episode we welcome our guests are Molly Dang and Craig Conley. Join us for a discussion on New Year's Resolutions, goal setting in times of uncertainty and letting faith guide you. Scriptures Referenced Proverbs 3:6; Romans 12: 1,2; Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 16:9 Books Referenced How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be By Katy Milkman The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge By Nathan Whitaker and Tony Dungy www.firstchurchmedia.org

Join us for a discussion on dealing with loss and grief during the holidays. Our special guest is Miriam Williams. Iyanla Van Zandt's recipe for living and loving can be found in her book, Until Today!: Daily Devotions for Spiritual Growth and Peace of Mind.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk 500 miles from one country to another? Join us for a conversation with Pastor Laurie Ann about her Sabbatical in Spain. 

We're back! Join us and our guest Dr. Darren Caffery as we discuss faith and mental health. Host: Pastor Laurie Ann Rookard & Lawrence Clark Editor: Ayanda Sithole www.firstchurchmedia.org

Meet our new co-host, Lawrence Clark, and listen to a discussion about millennials and progressive Christianity.

In this episode we have a discussion about Pride month and how First Church made the decision to become a church committed to restoring its relationship to the LGBTQ community.  This is Taylor's last episode...for now. We thank him for all he has done in leading and growing this podcast. We will miss him immensely! Resources: God and The Gay Christian by Matthew Vines Stonewall 50 from NBC News

We're back!  In this episode we interview Darren Caffery and Mary Spiers, both nueropsychologists and First Church members, to discuss the links between faith and the brain. It's a fascinating, sometimes moving discussion with two brain experts and people of faith. Join us!

We're back with a new episode! In this episode, we interview long-time church member Robin Beaver and her trans daughter Frances Beaver, and have a beautiful, enriching discussion of expanding beyond a narrow view of gender identity, and how Christians can embrace trans theology to better support all of God's children. Notes: Website of Austin Hartke, a trans theologian, speaker, and writer

In this episode, recorded during Black History Month, we interview Temple University professor and Reverend David Brown and his wife, Director of People and Culture at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House Sharon Brown. David and Sharon are  long-time friends and frequent guest speakers/facilitators at First Church. We focus on the topic of race and the Black/African-American experience, particularly within the Christian church. Our guests share their experience and their wisdom on this important issue in an enlightening, beautiful conversation.  Notes: Full text of "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown PBS Documentary The Black Church

Inspired in part by the 2020 documentary The Social Dilemma, and just in time for Lent, this episode explores the good and the bad of social media platforms, how we should respond to them as responsible adults and people of faith, whether they are appropriate for children, and what they mean for all of us, especially the church, in a time of isolation. We interview Janith Weerasinghe, a PhD student in computer science who's spent the last few years researching social media and was an employee of Facebook, and Lawrence Clark, a middle school teacher with valuable perspectives on social media's impact on kids and teens. It's an informative and insightful discussion! Show notes: --Click here to watch the trailer for The Social Dilemma --Digital wellbeing tools: For iPhones: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982 For Android: https://www.android.com/digital-wellbeing/ For PC: the newsfeed eradicator for Facebook

This episode, recorded not long after the new year began, discusses the intersection of faith and fitness. Taylor acts as interviewer for this episode. Special guest Craig Conley, a graduate student in sports science at the University of Pittsburgh, acts as co-guest with Laurie Ann, who is a certified yoga instructor! The two discuss taking care of, respecting, and loving our bodies as people of faith. Notes: https://www.columbusrelief.org/ --The organization Craig works with, with information on their mission and how to donate! Thanks to Janith Weerasinghe who gave us lots of tech support for this episode! 

This special episode focuses on current events, recorded just before the inauguration. The country is perhaps more divided than it's ever been in living memory. It's been a long, painful year for many. We go guestless for this episode, and give our thoughts on patriotism, unity, healing, and whether any of those things are possible or necessary. We get vulnerable as we consider how to see God in the midst of a country torn by violence, illness, white supremacy, and political animus.

We're back! We had a bit of a delay with this one, apologies, the holidays got busy for us just like everyone else! Also there are some minor sound quality issues early on with Taylor's audio, but they are resolved, so hang in there! In this episode, recorded just after Thanksgiving, we discuss the value of women, particularly in positions of leadership in the church. Our guest is Dawn Taylor-Storm, outgoing District Superintendent of Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. We discuss Dawn's calling, her experience as a female pastor and leader in the Methodist Church, and her presiding over the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference during a particularly challenging and unprecedented period of the Methodist Church. Show notes/links: To support indigenous people: www.indigenousmutualaid.org The book Is It Okay to Call God Mother? https://www.amazon.com/Okay-Call-God-Mother-Considering/dp/0801047692 The book club online event Dawn mentions: https://www.epaumc.org/conference-calendar/cdt-book-club-quietly-courageous/2021-01-13/ Author Gil Rendle's new book Quietly Courageous will be discussed!

In this episode, we discuss the Christian's responsibility to care for the earth. We talk about our own journeys in caring more about environmentalism, and we interview Sari Steuber, from Transition Town Media with whom we share a building and many core values! Join us for a rich, frank discussion on serving God by caring for the planet. Show notes: Transition Town Media -  https://transitiontownmedia.org/ 'Our House is on Fire' Greta Thundberg, World Economic Forum 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U72xkMz6Pxk Trailer for the new Hulu documentary about Greta Thunberg, I Am Greta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDdEWkA15Rg Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy by Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone: https://www.activehope.info/ For the Beauty of the Earth performed by Andy Borghesani, piano, and Sarah Kraus, violin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAS7RlE1BE0&t=173s First United Methodist Church of Media https://www.firstchurchmedia.org/