Excavate

For our final episode of 2023, we’re compiling a “best of” books and movies by female storytellers from the year. Jamie is an avid reader and Heather is a film enthusiast, so we’re sharing some of our favorite content we read and watched. In light of our recent episodes about Taylor Swift and the value of storytelling and creating by women, we thought we’d give you some next steps for where else to look in elevating and celebrating what women make. It was a great year for women, we’ve got lots of wonderful recommendations!

Films:

Priscilla - available on VOD (video on demand)

Polite Society - available on Prime Video and VOD

Bottoms - available on MGM+ and VOD

The Marvels - coming to VOD soon, Disney+ in February

Barbie - available on Max and VOD

Judy Blume Forever – available on Prime Video and VOD

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret - available on Prime Video and VOD

Past Lives - available on VOD

Books:

The Woman They Wanted: Shattering the Illusion of the Good Christian Wife by Shannon Harris

All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore

Happy Place by Emily Henry

The work of Dr. Carmen Imes – Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters and also Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters

Order any books through our favorite independent bookseller, Hearts and Minds Bookstore! Send us a screenshot of your order/correspondence and you’ll be entered to win a copy of This Here Flesh by Cole Arthur Riley https://www.heartsandmindsbooks.com/

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @excavatepodcast…check there for our honorable mentions that we didn’t get to in this episode!

To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.

For today’s episode we want to focus on the themes of Advent and Christmas by taking some time to look at the story of Mary. The incarnation gives dignity to the human body that God called very good and it also brings a particular honoring to the body of women. We’ll dig into the significance of an embodied spirituality as illustrated by Jesus’s coming, as well as the protections God puts in place for Mary to insure that she is believed and supported by her partner, Joseph. Dig into these important themes as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.

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To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.

This week there was just too much to cover in talking about Taylor Swift for only 1 episode, so this is a second release deluxe episode, bonus content, from the vault! In our first episode we didn’t get to dig into the significance of her re-recorded albums and the cultural impact they’ve had, or the phenomenon that has been the Eras Tour. So today we’re digging into all the extra material that didn’t make the first episode, and discussing what Taylor has to teach the Church about creating meaningful online engagement and communal experiences.

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We are still in the midst of a 1989 TV giveaway! If you share an episode of Excavate and tag us, you can enter to win your own CD or vinyl. Winners will be announced On Taylor’s birthday, December 13th!

To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.

*Heather was having an unexpected issue with her mic on this recording, we apologize for the temporary drop in sound quality

Welcome to season 3! We’re starting back by discussing the topic that’s dominated the news cycle and frankly all our personal attention here at Excavate, the year of Taylor Swift. Over the course of the Eras Tour, 2 more re-recorded albums, of course a very high profile break-up and new relationship, Taylor Swift has never been bigger. We have both been fans of hers for a long time, which means a lot of years of identifying and dismantling our own internalized misogyny, having countless heated conversations defending her against the sexist attitudes of others, and loving and connecting with her music and public image. Even though Taylor is more popular than ever, she’s still a lightning rod for ridicule and misogyny. Today we’ll dig into the underlying patriarchy that’s embedded in the backlash against her, how our reactions to her can be an opportunity for curiosity and reflection, and why Taylor means so much to so many.

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To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.

This week we’re closing out our Summer Shorts series and Season 2 discussing a significant moment in the early Church that illustrates a profound care for widows. The apostles respond to marginalized women who speak up in a remarkable way that still provides a much-needed model to the modern Church. This story also illustrates the role that conflict and Godly resolution can play for church growth. Don’t miss this overlooked but powerful story in Acts!

Read along with us:

Acts 6:1-7

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To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.

In this episode we’re taking on an infamous story about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the fate of Lot’s wife. This is a story that reveals the dangers of not obeying the commands of God and of being overly fixated on the past. Yet we also frequently malign Lot’s wife and reduce the event to her being disobedient and foolish. Today we want to dig into what they were all experiencing that day in Genesis, and what this story can tell us about the process of moving forward. Let’s dig in.

Read along with us:

Gen. 19:15-26

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To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.

Today we’re continuing in our summer shorts and looking at an important matriarch you’ve probably never heard of. We know about Sarah, Leah and Rachel, but we rarely talk about Asenath, the wife of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Their two sons take on a big legacy in the history of Israel, yet her contribution to the people of God has been considered controversial. There’s a lot to uncover about this hidden matriarch, let’s dig in.

Read along with us:

Gen. 41:45, 50-52

Gen. 48:5 (also 48:11-22)

For further research:

https://jude3project.org/

Reading While Black by Dr. Esau McCaulley

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To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.

Today we’re continuing in our Summer Shorts series with Job’s daughters. We’ll take a second look at the book of Job overall and perhaps a perspective that puts Job’s daughters in a fuller picture. We’ll also look at how Job names his daughters and what that might say about his encounters with God, our experiences of loss and suffering, and the hope God can give us for new chapters.

Read along with us:

Job 9:33-35

Job 19:25

Job 42:14-15

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To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.

Today we’re continuing in our Summer Shorts series and looking at the mention of the servant woman, Rhoda, in the book of Acts. She is mentioned within a bigger story and her role has often been laughed at and she is seen as silly or flighty. But when we take the time to look more closely, there is so much to uncover about equity and discipleship, belief and hope, and the power of overwhelming joy.

Read along with us:

Acts 12:6-17

Shop our Excavate merch store https://excavatepodcast.myshopify.com/

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @excavatepodcast

To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.

We’re kicking off a summer series reflecting on the short phrases that might be easy for modern readers to miss. As all of our routines are changed a bit over the summer, we thought it would be a fun time to dig into a few short mentions of women in Scripture that didn’t make it into full length episodes. We’ll be taking some time to slow down and reflect on the way these women can speak to us even with minimal words. Today we’re going to look at two early leaders recognized by Paul in a list of greetings in the letter to the Romans, and what their names and the way he addresses them can tell us about the radical transformation of Christ.

Read along with us:

Romans 16:12

Shop our Excavate merch store https://excavatepodcast.myshopify.com/

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @excavatepodcast

To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.