Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community

Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community

By The Episcopal ChurchReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
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Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community episodes

  • Preaching Christmas Day

    In this episode of Prophetic Voices, we’ll be discussing the lectionary for Christmas Day. The texts covered are Luke 2:1-20 and John 1:1-14. 


    Our exceptional guests this week are:

    • The Rev. Dr. Christina O’Hara, a spiritual director and the rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Sioux Falls, S.D. She enjoys hiking, ballet, tap dance, and cuddling her two new grandbabies.
    • The Rev. Canon Dr. Altagracia Perez-Bullard, a queer, Black, urban Latina who now works and lives at Virginia Theological Seminary after 40 years of congregational ministry, both lay and ordained. She is the associate dean of multicultural ministries and assistant professor of practical theology. She feels deeply challenged to do all she can to support the thriving of creation and is discerning what that looks like at this point in her life.
    • The biblical Aaron Scott (he/him), the gender justice officer for The Episcopal Church, supporting LGBTQ+ and gender justice ministries churchwide. Aaron is a lay person in the Diocese of Olympia, a dad, and an author. He loves pumpkin spice, flannel, and all things basic and fall.  

      Prophetic Voices is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s interim officer for Indigenous Ministries. For more information on Becoming Beloved Community, visit iam.ec/becomingbelovedcommunity.

       

      Resources Mentioned

      Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels by Kenneth E. Bailey

      1 hr 2 min
    • Preaching Advent 4 (A)

      In this episode of Prophetic Voices, we’ll be discussing the lectionary for Advent 4 (A). The texts covered are Matthew 1:18-25, Romans 1:1-7, Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18.


      Our thoughtful guests this week are:

      • The Rev. Jazzy Bostock, a kanaka maoli woman serving St. John the Baptist and Maluhia Lutheran Church in Waianae, Hawaii. She and her wife have a small homestead, consisting of raised garden beds, some fruit trees, a flock of hens, a hive of bees, and a dog. Their two sons, Theo, four, who came to them through foster care, and Sam, 5 months, keep joy, laughter, and coffee flowing in their home. 
      • The Rev. Jason Shank, interim church planting network strategist for The Episcopal Church. He enjoys spending time with his wife Erin, also an Episcopal priest, and their two children, Chelsea and Emma. Jason has a passion for church planting and redevelopment, exploring and cultivating ways to reach people through the love of Jesus Christ.  
      • The Rev. Alex Smith (they/them), associate pastor at Peace Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Sioux Falls, S.D. They serve on the spiritual care team as a hospital chaplain with Sanford USD Medical Center. Alex loves table-top and role-playing games and plays lots of Dungeons & Dragons.

        Prophetic Voices is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s interim officer for Indigenous Ministries. For more information on Becoming Beloved Community, visit iam.ec/becomingbelovedcommunity.

        1 hr 6 min
      • Preaching Advent 3 (A)

        In this episode of Prophetic Voices, we’ll be discussing the lectionary for Advent 3 (A). The texts covered are Matthew 11:2-11, Canticle 15 (the Magnificat), and Isaiah 35:1-10.


        Our thoughtful guests this week are:

        • The Rev. Dr. Erin Kirby, the mom of an amazing adult daughter and the rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Marion, N.C. She is a member of the Diocese of Western North Carolina's Beloved Community and Racial Reconciliation team. Having grown up in the mountains of western North Carolina, she moved back “as close to the land of my heart as I could get” during COVID. In her free time, she and her dog Buttercup enjoy a good long hike or just a day splashing around a mountain stream. 
        • The Rev. LaClaire Atkins, vicar of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Greenville, S.C., the only fully Spanish-speaking congregation in the diocese. She has been actively serving the church since her early 20s. Of all her roles in life, she is most fulfilled by being wife to Michael and mommy to Jackson, who will turn 5 this coming January.
        • The Rev. Phil Hooper, rector of St. Anne Episcopal Church, West Chester, in the Diocese of Southern Ohio. He is a contributor to several Episcopal publications and spends his free time exploring the landscapes and history of the midwest with his fiancé, Matt. His sermons and writings can be found at byanotherroad.com.

          Prophetic Voices is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s interim officer for Indigenous Ministries. For more information on Becoming Beloved Community, visit iam.ec/becomingbelovedcommunity.

          1 hr 7 min
        • Preaching Advent 2 (A)

          In this episode of Prophetic Voices, we’ll be discussing the lectionary for Advent 2 (A). The texts covered are Isaiah 11:1-10, Matthew 3:1-12, Jeremiah 34, Isaiah 40, and Job.


          Our thoughtful guests this week are:

          • Dr Xenia L. Chan of Sioux Falls, S.D., an assistant professor of religion focusing on Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Augustana University. She enjoys reading poetry, making coffee on pour-over, and spending time with her cat.
          • Dr. Kristen Daley Mosier, a writer, licensed lay preacher and ecotheologian rooted in the Pacific Northwest (Diocese of Olympia). Her writing explores baptismal ethics through a watershed lens and ways to faithfully connect with the whole community of creation. She enjoys cultivating a backyard habitat for the more-than-human neighbors and, with her spouse, serving their cat, Winston.
          • The Very Rev. Ward Simpson, also of Sioux Falls, S.D., dean of Calvary Cathedral where he serves both the Anglo congregation and Tiospaye Wakan, their parochial mission among the Dakota/Lakota who live in the city. He finds great pleasure in reading, especially hard science fiction. Three encounters in his childhood that had profound impacts on his life were with Walter Mondale, Jane Goodall, and Mary Leaky. 

            Prophetic Voices is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s interim officer for Indigenous Ministries. For more information on Becoming Beloved Community, visit iam.ec/becomingbelovedcommunity.

             

            Mentioned in This Episode

            • The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On by Franny Choi, the poem referenced is available here or here. 
            • Embracing Hopelessness by Miguel A. De La Torre
            • Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te of Pope Leo XIV to All Christians on Love for the Poor is available here or here.
              • 1 hr 7 min
            • Preaching Advent 1 (A)

              In this episode of Prophetic Voices, we’ll be discussing the lectionary for Advent 1 (A). The texts covered are Matthew 24:36-44, Romans 13:11-14, and Psalm 122.

              Our thoughtful guests this week are:

              • The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade, associate professor of preaching and worship at Lexington Theological Seminary. An ordained Lutheran minister since 2000, Dr. Schade has written or edited seven books and is the EcoPreacher blogger for Patheos.com. Dr. Schade is the director of a Lilly Grant for the project, “Compelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World,” in partnership with Lexington Theological Seminary, The BTS Center, and Climate Justice Ministries.
              • The Courageous Chris Clark, who makes his home on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Musqueam people (Vancouver, British Columbia) where he's a final-year M.Div. student at Vancouver School of Theology. Chris is a fantasy nerd, a church geek, and a neuro-spicy creative who loves classical ethnocultural music, stand-up comedy, musicals, opera, board games, animals (all animals), and belly laughs. 
              • The Rev. Dr. Tommie Lee Watkins, Jr., assistant professor at the University of Alabama Department of Social Work.  Tommie also provides spiritual direction and is a licensed multi-engine rated commercial pilot. He has several research articles and publications on religiosity, spirituality, sexuality, and health, as well as a workbook, "God’s Gift: Sexuality and Spirituality," available at his website.

                Prophetic Voices is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s interim officer for Indigenous Ministries. For more information on Becoming Beloved Community, visit iam.ec/becomingbelovedcommunity. To learn more about Creation Care, visit ⁠⁠episcopalchurch.org/creation-care⁠⁠.


                Mentioned in This Episode

                • Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor
                  1 hr 5 min
                • Coming Soon: Prophetic Voices for Advent 2025

                  Across our church and our society, we are having profound dialogues about race, truth, justice, and healing. Join us this Advent for another year of Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community. We explore where dialogue intersects with our faith. Join us and our invited guests as we share prophetic voices and explore the readings for each week of Advent and Christmas Day through the lens of social justice.


                  You’ll hear ancient texts interpreted in new ways, find fodder for preaching and teaching, and make present day connections to the prophetic voices of the Bible. This podcast will help us rethink how we hear, see, and interact with the lectionary readings, refocusing from the rush of the Christmas season to the voice crying out in the wilderness. 


                  Our episode for Advent 1 will drop in late October 2025.

                  2 min
                • Preaching the Feast of St. Francis

                  In this episode of Prophetic Voices, we’ll be discussing the lectionary for Saturday, October 4, the Feast of St. Francis. The texts covered are Psalm 121 and Luke 12:13-21, 27.


                  Our amazing guests this week are:

                  • The Courageous Chris Clark, a final-year M.Div. student at Vancouver School of Theology. Chris is a fantasy nerd, a church geek, and a neuro-spicy creative who loves classical ethnocultural music, stand-up comedy, musicals, opera, board games, animals (all animals), and belly laughs. He makes his home on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Musqueam people (Vancouver, B.C.).
                  • The Rt. Rev. Cathleen Chittenden Bascom, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. A passionate advocate for creation care, she is the author of the novel Of Green Stuff Woven. She is a wife and mother who finds joy in gardening, cross country skiing, traveling, and cherishing time with family and friends.
                  • The Outstanding Olivia Morin-Swanson, a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Duluth, Minn. She enjoys spending time with her loved ones and talking/learning about God. She cares deeply about advocating for those who need it and singing in the choir.

                    Prophetic Voices is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s interim officer for Indigenous Ministries. For more information on Becoming Beloved Community, visit iam.ec/becomingbelovedcommunity. To learn more about Creation Care, visit ⁠⁠episcopalchurch.org/creation-care⁠⁠.

                    Mentioned in This Episode

                    • Season of Creation Website:  https://seasonofcreation.org
                    • Season of Creation liturgical guide:  https://newcreationliturgies.org/seasonofcreation/SeasonOfCreation-ACelebrationGuideForEpiscopalParishes2025.pdf
                    • The Canticle of Creation by St. Francis https://www.allcreation.org/home/stfrancis-canticle
                    • General Convention Resolution B002  https://www.vbinder.net/resolutions/643/explanation?house=HD&lang=en
                    • The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Spirit_Level/i1oz6wYHjisC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
                    • Renewing the Face of the Earth:  Human Responsibility and the Environment by Rowan Williams  http://rowanwilliams.archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/816/renewing-the-face-of-the-earth-human-responsibility-and-the-environment.html
                    • Mouth of the Donkey:  Re-imagining Biblical Animals by Laura Duhan-Kaplan
                      1 hr 1 min
                    • Preaching Proper 21

                      In this episode of Prophetic Voices, we’ll be discussing the lectionary for Sunday, September 28, Proper 21 (C). The texts covered are Luke 16:19-31, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Amos 6:1a, 4-7, and Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15.


                      Our superb guests this week are:

                      • The Rev. Canon Melissa McCarthy, canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Los Angeles and chair of the Bishop’s Commission on Climate Change. When she is not doing the work she loves, she can be found wandering in the Sierra Nevada mountains or training her two working dogs.
                      • The Rev. Phil Hooper, rector of St. Anne Episcopal Church, West Chester, in the Diocese of Southern Ohio. He is a contributor to several Episcopal publications and spends his free time exploring the landscapes and history of the Midwest with his fiancé, Matt. His sermons and writings can be found at byanotherroad.com.
                      • The Thoughtful Eli Crowley, from the Diocese of the Rio Grande. A member of the Official Youth Presence at the 81st General Convention, he also serves on the Task Force on Creation Healing as Christian Ministry.

                        Prophetic Voices is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s interim officer for Indigenous Ministries. For more information on Becoming Beloved Community, visit iam.ec/becomingbelovedcommunity. To learn more about Creation Care, visit ⁠⁠episcopalchurch.org/creation-care⁠⁠.


                        Mentioned in This Episode

                        • New Creation Liturgies: https://newcreationliturgies.org
                        • Giving What We Can: https://www.givingwhatwecan.org
                        • Season of Creation Website:  https://seasonofcreation.org
                        • Season of Creation liturgical guide:  https://newcreationliturgies.org/seasonofcreation/SeasonOfCreation-ACelebrationGuideForEpiscopalParishes2025.pdf
                          • 48 min
                        • Preaching Proper 20

                          In this episode of Prophetic Voices, we’ll be discussing the lectionary for Sunday, September 21, Proper 20 (C). The texts covered are Luke 16:1-13 and Amos 8:4-7.

                          Our thoughtful guests this week are:

                          • The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade, associate professor of preaching and worship at Lexington Theological Seminary. An ordained Lutheran minister since 2000, Dr. Schade has written or edited seven books and is the EcoPreacher blogger for Patheos.com. Dr. Schade is the director of a Lilly grant for the project, “Compelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World,” in partnership with Lexington Theological Seminary, The BTS Center, and Climate Justice Ministries.
                          • The Rev. Payton Hoegh, program director of the Center for Spirituality in Nature, a not-for-profit that provides opportunities to consciously connect with the beauty, wisdom, and sacred gifts of creation through guided practice, instructional resources, and a community of care. An ordained leader in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, he is active in interfaith organizing for climate justice and contemplative formation to nurture wholeness in a crisis-touched world. 
                          • The maverick Marley Hays, a graduate student in English at the University of Virginia whose work is sustained by the generous and ever-present teachings of ecology. This summer, she has been a fellow with UVA's Decarbonization Academy, planning forest and meadow patches towards the University's 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction goals. Previously, she worked with the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas at Bethany House and Garden, a 3-acre prairie restoration and produce garden, helping to launch the Episcopal Grasslands Network.  

                            Prophetic Voices is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s interim officer for Indigenous Ministries. For more information on Becoming Beloved Community, visit iam.ec/becomingbelovedcommunity. To learn more about Creation Care, visit ⁠episcopalchurch.org/creation-care⁠.


                            Mentioned in This Episode

                            • Season of Creation Website:  https://seasonofcreation.org
                            • Season of Creation liturgical guide:  https://newcreationliturgies.org/seasonofcreation/SeasonOfCreation-ACelebrationGuideForEpiscopalParishes2025.pdf
                            • Book: Bridges out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities by Ruby K. Payne
                            • Book: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
                            • Book: The Gift: How the Creative Spirit Transforms the World by Lewis Hyde
                            • Book: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
                            • Book: Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey
                            • Essay: Learning the Grammar of Animacy by Robin Wall Kimmerer https://xenoflesh.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/robin-wall-kimmerer.pdf
                            • Book: Preaching Fools: The Gospel as a Rhetoric of Folly by Charles L. Campbell
                            • Essay: Fusings by Natalie Diaz is available on pages 43-67 in the book Borders, Human Itineraries, and All our Relation Authors: Dele Adeyemo, Natalie Diaz, Nadia Yala Kisukidi, Rinaldo Walcott published by Duke University Press
                              • 58 min
                            • Preaching Proper 19

                              In this episode of Prophetic Voices, we’ll be discussing the lectionary for Sunday, September 14, Proper 19 (C). The texts covered are Luke 15:1-10 and Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28.

                              Our amazing guests this week are:

                              • The Rev. Jazzy Bostock, a kanaka maoli woman serving St. John the Baptist and Maluhia Lutheran Church in Waianae, Hawaii. She and her wife have a small homestead, consisting of raised garden beds, some fruit trees, a flock of hens, a hive of bees, and a dog. Their two sons, Theo, who came to them through foster care, and Sam, keep joy, laughter, and coffee flowing in their home.
                              • The Rev. Dr. Lisa da Silva, a professor of wisdom traditions in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she also serves as a spiritual director. The creation of art is her passion, as is deep house music. Lisa was selected to be a 2024 Episcopal Church delegate at COP29 in Azerbaijan. 
                              • The Rev. Anna Shine, a campus minister at Appalachian State University and the missioner for creation care and social justice at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Boone, Diocese of Western North Carolina. Her deepest passion is to find ways to connect and reconnect people of faith with the rest of God's creation. She loves listening to stories, doing puzzles, making music with others through singing and playing violin, getting her hands dirty in garden soil, and spending time with her dog, Hugo. 

                                Prophetic Voices is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s interim officer for Indigenous Ministries. For more information on Becoming Beloved Community, visit iam.ec/becomingbelovedcommunity. To learn more about Creation Care, visit ⁠episcopalchurch.org/creation-care⁠.


                                Mentioned in This Episode

                                • Season of Creation Website:  https://seasonofcreation.org
                                • Season of Creation liturgical guide:  https://newcreationliturgies.org/seasonofcreation/SeasonOfCreation-ACelebrationGuideForEpiscopalParishes2025.pdf
                                  • 56 min

                                About Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community

                                From the publisher's feed

                                Across our church and our society, we are having profound dialogues about race, truth, justice, and healing. Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community explores where that…