The Collective Table

Welcome to The Collective Table, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy! This podcast is brought to you by The Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Each week, we bring our listeners a recording of our weekly Sunday teaching at Oceanside Sanctuary, which ties scripture into the larger conversations happening in our community, congregation and podcast. We’re glad you’re here - thanks for listening. 

This week, guest preacher Larry Warner brings us a message entitled "Cultivating Awareness" which is based on the scripture found in Psalm 139:23-24. 

This teaching was recorded on Sunday, April 27th, 2025 at The Oceanside Sanctuary Church (OSC) in Oceanside, CA. To learn more about our community or to support the work we do, visit us at https://oceansidesanctuary.org.

Welcome to this bonus re-release episode from The Collective Table Podcast as a part of Season 10, The 50.5%. During this season of the podcast, we have been exploring how women make up more than half of the population - 50.5%, to be exact - and yet, their stories, bodies, and wisdom have too often been silenced, sidelined, or spiritualized out of the frame. For this special re-release, we're honored to return to a soul-stirring conversation with Emmy Award winner Lyvonne Briggs.

Lyvonne is a body- and sex-positive womanist spiritualist - writer, preacher, pastor, and prophet. In this episode, she shares with former hosts Chelsea and Dana the deep truths behind her book Sensual Faith: The Art of Coming Home to Your Body. Together, they explore what it means to honor the sacredness of our physical selves, especially in a world that has taught so many of us - especially women and femmes - to distrust or disconnect from our bodies.

This episode speaks directly to the heart of 50.5%: What does it look like to become whole again when the world - and sometimes even our faith traditions - have split our very selves apart? Lyvonne offers a theology rooted in freedom, pleasure, and coming home to yourself.

Content Note: This conversation includes mature language as well as themes of sex and sensuality. Listener discretion is advised, particularly for younger audiences.

Learn more about Lyvonne’s powerful work: https://lyvonnep.com/
Support her on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/lyvonnep

Welcome to The Collective Table, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy! This podcast is brought to you by The Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Each week, we bring our listeners a recording of our weekly Sunday teaching at Oceanside Sanctuary, which ties scripture into the larger conversations happening in our community, congregation and podcast. We’re glad you’re here - thanks for listening. 

This week, Jason's Easter lesson is entitled "Be Not Afraid" and is based on the scripture found in Matthew 28:1-10.

This teaching was recorded on Sunday, April 20th, 2025 at The Oceanside Sanctuary Church (OSC) in Oceanside, CA. To learn more about our community or to support the work we do, visit us at https://oceansidesanctuary.org.

Welcome to The Collective Table, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy! This podcast is brought to you by The Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Each week, we bring our listeners a recording of our weekly Sunday teaching at Oceanside Sanctuary, which ties scripture into the larger conversations happening in our community, congregation and podcast. We’re glad you’re here - thanks for listening. 

This week, Jenell's lesson is entitled "Praying the Psalms: A Practice for Honest Prayer" and is based on the scripture found in Psalm 118:27-29. 

This teaching was recorded on Sunday, April 13th, 2025 at The Oceanside Sanctuary Church (OSC) in Oceanside, CA. To learn more about our community or to support the work we do, visit us at https://oceansidesanctuary.org.

In this episode of The Collective Table, hosts Jenell & Jason continue our conversation with Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). As the first Black woman to lead a Mainline Christian denomination, Rev. Hord Owens brings powerful insight into what it really means to be an anti-racist church in the 21st century.

In today’s episode, Jenell & Jason wrestle with tough questions about who truly owns “the table” in our churches and communities, how historical narratives continue to shape power dynamics today, and why simply inviting people in isn't the same as sharing power. Rev. Hord Owens also challenges us to confront the allure of oppressive power structures, calling Christians to practice real, transformative leadership rooted in justice and humility.

Along the way, we also take a closer look at the history of our own tradition, from early figures like Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell, to hidden stories of hope like Sarah Lue Bostick and the continuing legacy of Black Disciples. We also reflect on how true change demands honesty about the past and courageous action in the present.

Questions to Consider:

Further Reading:

Stay Connected: Contact us at [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 760-722-8522!

The Collective Table is a production of Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Learn more about what we do at  www.oceansidesanctuary.org

This episode was edited in collaboration by Niko Butler and Claire Watson. 

Welcome to The Collective Table, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy! This podcast is brought to you by The Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Each week, we bring our listeners a recording of our weekly Sunday teaching at Oceanside Sanctuary, which ties scripture into the larger conversations happening in our community, congregation and podcast. We’re glad you’re here - thanks for listening. 

This week, Jason's lesson is entitled "Fasting for Liberation" and is based on the scripture found in Matthew 6:16-18 and Isaiah 58:6-9.

This teaching was recorded on Sunday, April 6th, 2025 at The Oceanside Sanctuary Church (OSC) in Oceanside, CA. To learn more about our community or to support the work we do, visit us at https://oceansidesanctuary.org.

Welcome to The Collective Table, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy! This podcast is brought to you by The Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Each week, we bring our listeners a recording of our weekly Sunday teaching at Oceanside Sanctuary, which ties scripture into the larger conversations happening in our community, congregation and podcast. We’re glad you’re here—thanks for listening. 

This week, Jason's lesson is entitled "The Year of the Lords Favor" and is based on the scripture found in Luke 4:16-30. 

This teaching was recorded on Sunday, March 30, 2025 at The Oceanside Sanctuary Church (OSC) in Oceanside, CA. To learn more about our community or to support the work we do, visit us at https://oceansidesanctuary.org.

In this episode of The Collective Table Podcast, we sit down with Rev. Terri Hord Owens, the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada—the first Black woman to lead a mainline Christian denomination in North America. A passionate advocate for justice, inclusion, and faith-driven transformation, Rev. Hord Owens brings a powerful voice to our ongoing series, The 50.5%, which explores the experiences and leadership of women in faith communities.

Together, we discuss:

The challenges and joys of her historic leadership role

How race and gender intersect in the expectations placed on women in ministry

The ways faith communities can move beyond tokenism toward true justice and inclusion

Her perspective on leadership that embraces authenticity rather than conforming to traditional molds

We also reflect on the broader implications of her leadership and how it invites us all to reimagine the church as a space of radical welcome and wholeness.

Pre-Order Her Book: Staying at the Table: Being the Church We Say We Are - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/staying-at-the-table-terri-hord-owens/1146959617 

Discussion Questions:

How have your perceptions of leadership in the church been shaped by race and gender?

Have you ever felt pressured to fit into a particular “costume” or mold to be accepted in a faith space?

How can you commit to listening and learning from a more diverse set of voices in your faith journey?

Join the conversation and share your thoughts with us!

️ The Collective Table Podcast is a production of Oceanside Sanctuary, a progressive and affirming church community committed to inclusive, inspiring, and impactful Christian spirituality. Learn more about us at https://oceansidesanctuary.org.

Get in Touch: Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 760-722-8522.

Welcome to The Collective Table, where we celebrate the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy! This podcast is brought to you by The Oceanside Sanctuary Church. Each week, we bring our listeners a recording of our weekly Sunday teaching at Oceanside Sanctuary, which ties scripture into the larger conversations happening in our community, congregation and podcast. We’re glad you’re here - thanks for listening. 

This week, Jason's lesson is entitled "At the Root" and is based on the scripture found in Luke 3:7-14.

This teaching was recorded on Sunday, March 23rd, 2025 at The Oceanside Sanctuary Church (OSC) in Oceanside, CA. To learn more about our community or to support the work we do, visit us at https://oceansidesanctuary.org.

Surprise! We’ve got a special bonus episode for you as we celebrate making it halfway through Season 10 of The Collective Table Podcast! If you loved our two-part conversation with Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney last month, you’re in for a treat—today, we’re bringing you the full, uncut interview. No interruptions, just pure brilliance from Dr. Gafney.

For those who may not know, Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney is a renowned biblical scholar, Episcopal priest, and professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School. She’s a leading voice in womanist biblical interpretation, a perspective that highlights the voices of women and marginalized people in Scripture. She’s the author of Womanist Midrash and A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, both of which reimagine how the Bible is read and preached through a justice-centered lens.

We had an incredible time learning from Dr. Gafney, and we hope this full-length conversation gives you even more insight into her work and wisdom. So, grab a cup of coffee (or tea), settle in, and nerd out with us as we explore Scripture in a new but deeply rooted way.

Find more about Dr. Wil Gafney and her work at wilgafney.com.

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