In this conversation, Annika sits down with Rev. Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez, Lead Pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Rock Island, Illinois. Jennifer's journey to ministry weaves together deep-loss, creative renewal, and a profound commitment to embodied worship and public faith.

She opens up about relocating to Rock Island, the sudden and tragic loss of her husband (Anthony D. Rodriguez) in 2016 and how that grief transformed daily life for her and her two sons. Drawing on her background in early childhood education and music, she brings into her pastoral vocation a lived understanding of trauma, resilience, and recovery.

You can find Jennifer's book, A Time to Mourn A Time To Dance at:

https://chalicepress.com/products/a-time-to-mourn-a-time-to-dance?srsltid=AfmBOoreQlRunWtKJ7BCMj7CI7uFahOhKRnifRbJ4qeDh_QK-dL1UQk_

We explore how she practices "embodied worship" — worship that engages body, story, heart and community — and how she sees the role of the Church in today's fractured public sphere. Jennifer discusses how faith intersects with politics, social justice and the larger world, and how congregations might offer a space for healing, truth-telling and action.

Whether you're curious about how one leader lives faith in the gray places of loss and hope, or how a local church might become a force for healing in a city like Rock Island — this episode offers insight, vulnerability and a vision for what public theology could look like when grounded in real life.

Music credits: "Different Times" by Jett Everill - licensed via Epidemic Sound

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