I've talked to many women about their bodies, but I've never spoken with men. So today, we are changing that in our conversation with Todd Phillips. Let's see what the culture and the church are teaching about the male body image.
In today's episode of Jackie Always Unplugged, we're diving into what the church teaches us about the female body. And As I said, we should expect a better story than we get from Instagram or Tik Toc, or Netflix.
Well - let me ask you? Do we?
Take a moment and ponder, think back to Sunday school, middle school, youth group, beach camp, summer camp, bible studies, small groups, maybe you attended a Song of Solomon conference, or it was a sermon from the pulpit. What spoken or unspoken messages did you receive about your female body? What messages didn't you receive? That's also a message.
What did you learn about the female body?
It's time we discuss our bodies. Yeah, I know a very painful subject. The pandemic hasn't helped. There's been zoom calls and covid pounds and bathing suit weather is around the corner. And no, this isn't a push for you to join some beach body program. What I want us to do is talk about why we hate our bodies and how we might start to live confidently in our skin, yes, even with Zoom chins and covid pounds.
Over the next five episodes, we will work our way through 1) how our family and culture talk about our bodies, 2) what the church teaches about our bodies. Then 3) I'm talking to a male pastor about what men learn about their bodies, then 4) what God says, then we will close the series talking about desire, which may not seem like it fits but stick with me, it will.
In the last podcast, I spoke with Beth Allison Barr about her book, The Making of Biblical Womanhood. The premise behind the book is simple; biblical womanhood isn’t biblical. Beth argues it’s merely a disguise for promoting patriarchy and subjugating.
So I want to share how the idea of biblical womanhood tends to show up in our faith communities. Because I think, more often than not, it’s expressed in very subtle ways.
And as I share what that can look like, I think you will find you have indeed bumped into and had to respond to - this ideal biblical woman idea.
Today we are talking with Dr. Beth Barr, author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood, which implies she is not God-designed but rather a human-idea.
One of the things we pick up in evangelicalism is that Biblical womanhood is God's design. "It's right there in the bible," plain and simple. But in fact, it's just patriarchy in disguise. Patriarchy is present in our culture, and it was also present in Biblical times. As Carolyn Custis James reminds us, patriarchy is the background of the bible, but it's not the message.
When I went back into counseling, I shared with my counselor that I struggled with how I was taught to see the Scriptures. I learned to read the bible through a particular lens, but that lens was no longer working. It was a lens that had developed from patriarchal and racist roots. My counselor said, why don't' you go back to what you did before you knew so much. Listen to the Spirit.
Join me as we discuss hearing God's voice with Tania Harris.
Today we discuss women's voices with Cami Brubaker, Adjunct Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew. Cami is a mom to 4 kids, a professor at a conservative evangelical bible college, and working on her Ph.D. That's a lot.
Cami and I share common angst in what it's like when you don't fit the ideal biblical woman. Today we talk about why women hold back their voices, what's at play, and what external and internal barriers do we think keep us from finding and using our voices?
Today we are continuing our three-part series on women’s voices. And as I spoke of in my last podcast, the truth is, as girls grow up to be women, they learn to talk less, they discover they are less listened to than their male counterparts. And over the years of pastoring, I’ve noticed that women even self silence.
Women self-silence for various reasons, one being they were taught this is what God expects from them- this is godliness. Stop it!
Recently I was with extended family. We were talking about something, and one of the family members said to me, "We know you'll speak your voice." I can't even remember what he was referencing, and I'm not sure he meant it as a compliment, but I took it as one. I enthusiastically responded, "Yup, I got a voice."
You know why it's painful when our voice isn't allowed or heard, because voice is, among other things, about relationship, about being known. Think of it this way, we are custodians of these two worlds, our inner life, and the outer world. Voice is the bridge between them, our voice allows us to be present, to bring forth the hidden intimacies of our life, to others, to the world around us, to our God. Voice is a part of what it means to be human. Appropriately human.
Liminality is the in-between space when the old is no longer, and the new is not clear yet. It’s betwixt and between – where we, by definition – are not in control. It’s this foggy, confusing space.
Sound Familiar?
Start your year with our discussion with Kat Armstrong, author of In The In-Between Place.
It’s Thanksgiving. This year’s a bit strange cause none of us have celebrated Thanksgiving during a pandemic in the middle of a contentious election cycle.
So I thought, what if this year we got intentional about our time around the table. What if we could mitigate boring or charged conversations by offering an alternative.
It has been a week since the US Presidential Election. A loooong week. We might need to step away from all the madness and get a word from God. Not a word about the election, the pandemic, or politics --- just a word. Something God might want to say to you personally.
So on today's' podcast, I've asked my daughter to read to you, and through that reading, I pray the Spirit speaks.
A word.
A word for you.
Mother Mary for Pres… because I imagine she had to figure out how to bring peace between her and Josephs's family due to their unexpected pregnancy. The guts she had to have to leave behind her home, travel, and live like a refugee.
She would bring such insights to our immigration problem. Her having to bring peace among Jesus and his brothers (who didn't buy Jesus' claims). Maybe she could help us become bipartisan again. She must have known what it was like to survive as a widow. She might have something to say about wealth and poverty in America. She endured shame when the community claimed her son was insane. We could use some humility right now.
She stayed at the cross, experiencing loss that no parent wants to experience. She could teach us a few things about suffering as we swim in American victorious theology. She rose to leadership in the early church. She had depth, real-life experience, strength, courage, conviction. Oh and, she had to figure out how to raise the Savior, and oh, how she must have been willing to rethink what she thought she knew about God and her world.
That woman could teach us a few things about life and leadership, and endurance for the long game.
I'd vote for Mary!
If you've ever asked, why is this happening to me, where are you, God, why are you silent in this??? This podcast is for you.
If you've wondered what God has to say about pertinent issues we're facing in America today, like undocumented immigrants, poverty, women's rights, male power and privilege, discrimination, and injustice, this podcast is for you.
If you've suspected that women are more than damsels in distress looking to be rescued by their knight in shining armor – this podcast is for you.
Today I'm talking to one of my favorite female scholars, Carolyn Custis James, and discussing her rendering of the Book of Ruth. This going to knock your socks off.
This summer, I went back to counseling.
My bodies going through menopause – and I need some help navigating what to do when I feel estrogen angry? I also need help trying to figure out how to deconstruct some conservative evangelical beliefs I inherited while running a ministry. As one of my sage friends tells me, I'm not deconstructing; I'm just learning to change on the job. Working through my faith while speaking to yours is a serious business to me.
I'm aware of the power one holds who holds the bible and declares, "thus says the Lord.” That's a serious business. And I don't want to mess anyone up while I'm figuring out my stuff.
So this summer, I went on a hunt. I needed someone who could understand the unique dynamics of being a pastor. I needed someone who wouldn't talk Christianese to me or give me patten answers. I know my stuff, and I need someone who knew theirs. It took a few months, but I finally found this woman in Chicago. It turns out, one point in her career, she too had been a minister. I love it when Jesus does stuff like that.
She said two profoundly helpful things to me. I paid for them, but you are getting them for free.
Today we are talking with author and professor Kristin DuMez about her book Jesus and John Wayne. If you have been perplexed about how and why our conservative evangelical church leaders have been silent about Donald Trump's sexual exploitation OR his leadership style: of bullying, fear, and intimidation: Well, this is the podcast for you. You will walk away going, OH I GET IT. You may not like it, but you will get it!
Today we’re talking with Georgia Pellegrini. Perhaps you know her from her books, Food Hero’s, Girl Hunter, or Modern Pioneering. Or maybe you’ve seen her on Jimmy Kimmel Live or the cover of Shooting Sportsman Magazine. I met Georgia through mutual friends and thought, Hum, this woman is worth getting to know. Regardless, you will benefit from this conversation with Georgia about women, food, and faith.
On August 26th, 1920, the 19th amendment was officially ratified, giving women the vote. Today is the 100th anniversary of that historic day.
That amendment's fate lay in the hands of a 24-year-old young man.
Often women need men to step up if we are going to enjoy the blessed alliance, which is why we are talking with Dr. Rob Dixon today. We have many listeners who want to know how we get men to support women? Listen to Rob and learn.
God is not a divine rapist, he won’t’ force himself upon you.
He woos. He provides a space and place for us to flourish. This relationship Jesus is offering is unlike any other. His love is without limits, his is a love that informs and transforms us.
Does anyone need that? Ya, me too.
In 2005 I had the privilege of studying in Israel. While there, we hiked out to the place archeologists believe is ground zero for the Biblical Cana. Pretty cool, right?
But I have to tell you, the story of the wedding at Cana has always bugged me. It’s place in John’s Gospel, just didn’t make sense. If Jesus used events around meals to teach something, then what exactly was he doing here, water in wine? What in the world does that show you and me?