Holy Shenanigans

In Jesus, Jubilee, & Joy, Tara tells a story about a teacher who helped her to find her voice. Then she brings that voice-amplifying teacher on to answer 3 ½ Questions About Love. Learn more about Dr. Joy Harris-Smith at her website. Keep on the lookout for her new podcast That PTA Meeting launching soon!

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Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

When you have good news you want to share it, make it seen, heard, and known to everyone. I think it springs from compassion, whether it be expressed as a thoughtful  act or caring conversation. 

This episode features remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a portion of his "I have a Dream" speech. This episode also includes a new segment called 3 1/2 Questions about Love, with special guest Laura Hanley. Laura is a board-certified social worker and psychotherapist practicing in the frozen tundra of Minnesota.   She is also a mother to three marvelous boys,  an avid reader,  sometimes-knitter, and forever cat lady.

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Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

In this week’s podcast we learn how Jesus’ miracle of turning water to wine helps us learn how to do a new thing. How can “imagination help [us] penetrate unseen worlds”? Pass your cup, 'cause there is plenty of good wine (or green tea) to go around… Imagination is the stuff of possibility, innovation and good wine.

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Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

Have you ever had to take a detour? This week we learn about the necessity for plans B or C and all the way to Z. We kick off 2022 by taking a plunge into unfamiliar waters. No matter what detour you're facing today, believe that there is another way.

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Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

A New Year is upon us as we live into the season of Christmastide. The Magi are still on the move AND they are looking for love. How can love show up in 2022? Perhaps it shows up in the expansive possibilities of the word “AND” and piece of chalk, a doorway and a poem…

Instructions for the Chalk the Door Blessing mentioned in this episode:

Leader: Peace be to this house, and to all who enter here. May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find LOVE living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same LOVE, now and forever. 

People: AMEN

Leader: Creator of heaven and earth, you revealed LOVE, by the guidance of a star. Bless this house and all who inhabit it. Fill us with the light of LOVE, that our concern for others may reflect your love. Loving Creator, bless this home. May we be blessed with health, goodness of heart, gentleness, and abiding in your will. 

People: Amen

As participants take turns making the inscription, the leader says: The three Wise Men, [C] Caspar, [M] Melchior, [B] and Balthasar followed the star to Bethlehem and the child Jesus [20] two thousand, [22] and twenty two years ago. [+ +] May LOVE bless our home [+ +], and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

More Information on chalking your doorway at home: What Do the Numbers and Letters Mean?  The first and last numbers simply refer to the current year. The letters C M B come from the traditional names for the three kings: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. Some also suggest “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” which means, “May Christ bless this dwelling!”

This weeks poem: Knots and String

Knots AND string to a new year ring.

To link AND weave AND mend.

Wanting its hopes AND dreams without tattered seams,

by strength AND flex and wit.

Sometimes we cut ourselves short - 

far from what we need the most.

Love picks up the end AND mends again

to knit us ever close.

To weave a life of something colorful, lovely AND grand - 

is something not only accomplished by human hands;

but in concert with Creator  - AND then we knit together.

Knots and string to a new year ring.

To link AND weave AND mend.

New hope AND dreams - gathering tattered seams,

with strength AND flex and love.

AND is a way to witness cosmic everyday,

In our small AND sacred breath.

In life and loss, of things tender and cross - 

There is something more here than meets the eye.

In yarn AND days, of wonder AND grace - the LOVE of AND, lets out a sigh…

Do not cut ourselves short - Or far from what we need the most.

Let little love pick up the frazzled end AND mend again AND again… AND knit us forever close.         

Copyright 2021 Tara Lamont Eastman

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Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

It's time for the hope, peace, joy and love of Christmas. The candles are are glowing - and the Nativity story beckons us on - into the Work of Christmas, inspired by wisdom from Howard Thurman. Tara shares a gift of a new Christmas song, The Lights of Christmas.

The Lights of Christmas (Copyright December 2021, Tara L. Eastman / Lyrics and Music)

What is the path we seek?
One of hope, for the meek?
One of courage, in the work of peace?
One of joy sted of chaos, that we meet?

Is there love & for every soul
Dear light o’ Christmas, make us whole.

The Lights of Christmas call us on -
To live the wonder o’ love’s first song.

Wild path for love awaits
4 lights illumin narrow ways.
Tis’ the road to love - shall we go?

The path is so small it's nearly missed,
Light so dim, like the brush of tender kiss.
Almost lost to the naked eye
The lights of Christmas call us neigh’...

Hope for things, better than what is.
Peace for conflicts, run amiss.
Joy dances or' harms, present and past.
Love for life in our faulty cast.

The Lights of Christmas call us on -
To live the wonder o’ love’s first song.

Tis’ the road to love - shall we go?
Tis’ the road of love - time to go.

T.L. Eastman December 17, 2021

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Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

Today’s show for Advent 4 is all about LOVE… Loving God, others & ourselves… Tara muses about how vulnerability (Yes, thank you Brene' Brown) ,is essential to love, especially in the messiness of real life.

Our special guest is Rev. Dr. Danielle J. Buhuro, from Chaplaincy Innovations and co author/editor  of Spiritual Care In An Age of #BlackLivesMatter: Examining the Spiritual and Prophetic Needs of African Americans Living In A Violent America.

The poem, All of It by Cleo Wade, can be found in her book Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life.

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Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

Tara is joined by Becca Ehrlich from Lost Resort on TBS, who describes how living with less makes room for more of the things that really matter.

Becca Ehrlich is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and services as Associate Dean for Community Life at General Theological Seminary in New York City. Her book, Christian Minimalism: Simple Steps for Abundant Living was released in May. Check out her blog, Facebook page, Twitter & Instagram.

You can read Tara’s story about her Grandpap here.

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Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

Tara invites you to take part in #makesomething week and shares a story of a curious art class that made a way for peace in a nursing home.

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Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

We need hope to carry us in the rough waters of life. Tara shares a story about how she learned to swim in the deep end of the pool and how hope overcomes fear.

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Support the show

Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.