Better on the Inside

New Episode coming early next week.

Find Kadi Cole at her website and on social media. She also has some INSANELY cool resources on here LinkTree. https://linktr.ee/kadicole

If you're not in full time ministry (90+% of people) what does it look like to fully engage your calling? That's one of the big questions Kadi is here to address and she does an amazing job guiding us to a fulfilling life at home, in church and at work.

Summary

In this conversation, Jon Pyle and Riana Shaw Robinson discuss the challenges faced by women and people of color in the church. They talk about the transactional nature of the church and the pressure to compromise one's identity for belonging. Riana shares her experience of being a co-creator with God and the importance of patience in birthing something new. They also discuss the need for non-conventional communities that cater to specific groups and the tension that arises from that. Riana emphasizes the importance of listening to and receiving the stories of others with gratitude. In this conversation, Riana Shaw Robinson discusses the importance of creating safe spaces for marginalized communities and the power of community support. She shares her experiences at Miriam's Song, a church community that welcomes and uplifts women of color. Riana emphasizes the need for inclusivity and acceptance in religious spaces, challenging traditional boundaries and hierarchies. She also highlights the significance of self-care and joy in the midst of challenging times. Overall, the conversation highlights the transformative power of community and the importance of creating spaces where everyone feels seen, held, and loved.

Takeaways

The church can be transactional and often pressures individuals to compromise their identity for belonging.

The Holy Spirit is creative and invites individuals to co-create something new with God.

Non-conventional communities that cater to specific groups can provide a sense of belonging and empowerment.

It is important to listen to and receive the stories of others with gratitude. Creating safe spaces for marginalized communities is essential for their well-being and flourishing.

Inclusivity and acceptance should be prioritized in religious spaces, challenging traditional boundaries and hierarchies.

Self-care and joy are important for maintaining resilience and finding strength in challenging times.

Community support and affirmation are transformative and can help individuals feel seen, held, and loved.

Chapters

00:00 The Struggle of Women of Color in Church Spaces

01:33 Transactional Relationships in Church

03:01 Identity and Belonging

03:57 Navigating Progressive Spaces

04:50 Challenging Traditional Christianity

05:30 Receiving Others' Stories

06:36 Creating Inclusive Spaces

07:35 Listening and Learning

08:39 Accepting Truths

09:29 Unconventional Approaches

10:47 Creating Safe Spaces

11:46 The Importance of Boundaries

12:28 Trusting God's Guidance

14:08 The Power of Women's Gatherings

14:39 Unconventional as Conventional

15:37 Creating Safe Spaces for Marginalized Communities

16:40 Finding Joy in Sunshine

23:31 Supporting Miriam's Song

26:53 Outro Video.mp4

Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson can be found on INSTAGRAM! Check out Miriam's Song Church.

This was a challenging conversation. In a good way. Riana Shaw Robinson birthed a new expression of church for Women of Color called Miriam's Song, and it challenges a lot of assumptions about church, women, Jesus and life in general. I loved chatting with Riana, and I think it'll be beneficial for you too.

Continue this conversation on our Facebook Group (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterontheinside⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Please rate and leave a 5-star review on the Podcast app of your choice!

Transition music: Lundstroem - Jazz lounge sofa & couch.mp3 (https://freemusicarchive.org/)

Leah Wrenne is a singer-songwriter, worship leader, theologian, philosopher, mental health advocate, Philly Girl, and an absolute boss. ⁠Check her out on IG⁠ and ⁠hit up her Linktree!⁠

Segment 1

What’s up y’all!?!? Great to see you again. 

We’re back for Part 2 with Leah Wrenne… and let me tell you… it’s worth the wait. We ended on a bit of a cliffhanger talking about mental health. This time we dive right in to two communities that historically struggle with mental health care: the church community and the black community. Leah sits in the middle of both, and she shares about her experience. 

Segment 2

When you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, fear, and more, how the community responds to you is critical to your care. If that’s you, please check out your local resources. But if you have no place to go, we’d love to help.

Next Leah digs in and we talk about rest. Looking back, I feel like I talked a little more than I would’ve liked to because I’d prefer to let Leah cook a little more. She has some wonderful insights about what It means to really rest and why that matters. Rest is a soul level issue. I want to be clear on that. It’s so much more than physical or emotional… rest is spiritual. 

Segment 3

The Non-Judgment Zone of Joy with an actual singer! Yipes.

Continue this conversation on our Facebook Group (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterontheinside⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Please rate and leave a 5-star review on the Podcast app of your choice!

Transition music: Lundstroem - Jazz lounge sofa & couch.mp3 (https://freemusicarchive.org/)

Leah Wrenne is a singer-songwriter, worship leader, theologian, philosopher, mental health advocate, Philly Girl, and an absolute boss. Check her out on IG and hit up her Linktree!

Music truly connects with our souls. On a deep level, often in ways we don’t quite understand. In that way, music is a mystery. Leah Wrenne is someone who speaks wisely and empathically about that mystery. and I talk about the role of music in her life, when she started writing songs and her Family Country Duo. She also reflects on her mental health and the role music has played.

Continue this conversation on our Facebook Group (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterontheinside⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Please rate and leave a 5-star review on the Podcast app of your choice!

Check out ⁠Liz on Substack⁠. You can find her ⁠on LinkTree⁠ too.

Join ⁠Threaded (Kate's Bible Studies)⁠, check out ⁠her website⁠ and her ⁠new awesome non-profit The Remembered Table⁠.

For those deconstructing or struggling with Scripture, the start of this podcast will be a breath of fresh air. You don't have to keep reading The Bible the same way... there are different perspectives! We also talk about how churches use incomplete measurements of spiritual growth because of the focus on quantitative metrics like butts, budgets and baptisms.

And Liz ends dropping some serious truth about how the church treats families with disabilities and it is truly incredible.

Join us in this conversation with ⁠Kate Boyd⁠ and ⁠Liz Daye⁠.

Check out Liz on Substack. You can find her on LinkTree too.

Join Threaded (Kate's Bible Studies), check out her website and her new awesome non-profit The Remembered Table.

Many folks have a complicated relationship with Scripture. Especially if religious leaders have quoted verses to shame or manipulate you. Other people have struggled making sense of The Bible, which I understand because it is an ancient religious text made up of multiple books, many genres and styles, written over thousands of years in at least 3 languages.

Either way, Scripture can be a major source of stress for people of faith. But what if it wasn't a struggle? What if it could be something that fed your soul? Join us as I dig into these questions with Kate Boyd and Liz Daye.

Part 2

Segment 1 

What’s up, y’all? You’re about to hear Part 2 with Seth Kaplan, who wrote the book Fragile Neighborhoods. And my brother Seth knocks it out of the park.

In our last episode, Dr. Kaplan introduced us to the idea of why our places, work, home, schools and other institutions, matter so much to the quality of our lives. Over the last generation in America, we’ve experienced social decay. This is the thinning of relationships and a growing sense of isolation and loneliness. This isn’t an opinion, either. Every survey and study confirms this reality. You probably feel it too. Like we don’t have as many dependable, anxiety-absorbing institutions as we used to. Like it’s getting harder and harder to connect with people, even people we already know.

We’re in a prosperous and generally stable country, but we’re decaying from the inside out from lack of healthy relationships and communities. In Part 1, Seth left some insight as to how we can make that better in our own neighborhoods. In Part 2, we talk about the role the church can play in restoring and healing our communities.

Part of what I really love about this is that Seth is Jewish. He’s not a church insider, but rather a sociologist who has recommendations based on his research. He doesn’t really have a dog in the fight, nor does he have an ax to grind. Dr. Kaplan is as unbiased as you are liable to get to talk about the future of the church.

Listen to what he has to say.

Segment 2 

I think Dr. Kaplan shares a worthwhile challenge for the church. There was a question I heard at a conference awhile ago that I think applies: “If your church left your community, would anyone besides your congregation notice?” That boils down to impact. If your church is having a positive impact on your community, people would miss it.

And I think Seth is encouraging us to be deeply embedded in the local fabric of our neighborhoods. If you want to make a difference in your community, thickening relationships will be massive. He believes it so strongly, when I asked him if he wanted to share anything else, he wanted to address church leaders.

Segment 3

Can you feel that fire? Dr. Kaplan was preaching. Don’t just hear his words, I challenge you to put them into action. How can you make your “place”, neighborhood, school, college, workplace, church, or other organization, stronger. How can you forge thick relationships that enrich the fabric of people’s lives?

At last we’ve come to the Non-Judgment Zone of Joy. This one is different…

Segment 4

Y’all…I think we have a lot to work on. What Seth and I talked about is a curious kind of solution to social decay. In one sense, we can make it better right away. And the ownership is in our hands. We’re not waiting for the powers that be to change something.

In another sense, it feels a little daunting because we’re fighting against the design of modern America. Because the systems and processes and architecture that disconnect us from one another is the result of choices people have made. That can be kind of overwhelming. But anything done, can be undone. We have a chance to reinvigorate our communities with thick relationships to one another. And progress may be slow… but it’s worth it.

Buy Seth’s book: Fragile Neighborhoods. It’s a great read. And I’ll see y’all next time.