Ethical Non-Monogamy

The Rev. Janie Kirt Morris. Mother Janie was the 6th woman to be ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Oklahoma.  The priesthood was a second career for Janie as she was a well respected teacher in Norman, Oklahoma for many years and a lay leader at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Janie recalls her discernment process and how she had an inner message from the Holy Spirit urging her to do more with her life. She shares the challenges of raising a family as a single mother while in seminary as well as how her various church contexts handled having a female priest. What I find most compelling about Mother Janie is her calming, strong presence and steadfast devotion to her faith and call. And you will hear that in her voice. Towards the end of the episode she shares some stories of how she ministered to families who didn’t want a female priest to be their rector and ya’ll, her faithful witness of love literally transformed people. 

In her retirement, Janie serves on the Board of Directors of Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma and chairs the Many Beliefs Serving Together committee. She also volunteers her time as a Spiritual Care Provider at Palomar, our Oklahoma City Family Justice Center. 

This episode features Beverly Bradley, a former Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Oklahoma who was the first woman Bishop Moody ordained to the priesthood in 1988. She was the second woman in the Diocese of Oklahoma to be ordained to the priesthood and the first woman in the Diocese to serve as Rector of a parish.

In this episode, Beverly shares intimate details of her path to ordination including gaining the graces of the patriarchal authorities in her life and how she managed being a lone ranger female priest in Oklahoma when there wasn’t much support for ordained women at that time. 

I’m especially delighted and thankful to share Beverly’s story as we continue to unfold the history of women’s ordination in this mini-series. Her story is one of boldness and faithfulness to the Spirit’s call in her life. She is sharp, witty and truly a pioneer in the Church in Oklahoma. Thank you for your witness, Beverly.

This episode features the Rt. Rev. Robert Moody, the 4th Diocesan Bishop of Oklahoma serving from 1989-2007.  

Most notably, during his Episcopate, Bishop Moody dealt with the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Murrah building bombing, supporting the consecration of Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man to become bishop, and increased ministry to the prisons, Native American communities, college campuses and Anglican schools and health clinics in the West Ankole Diocese of Uganda. 

In this first episode of the mini-series on women’s ordination in Oklahoma, we chat about his perspective on the gifts women bring to ordained ministry and what the national and local landscape of the church looked like during his episcopate. Bishop Moody also gives his insights on how the Church can stay faithful to tradition while responding to the ever changing needs of a society and community in our modern times. 

The introductory episode features a three episode mini series about the History of Women's Ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. This oral history project helps unfold the details of the trailblazing efforts of men and women in Oklahoma to make ordained ministry a reality for the Episcopal Church in the United States.

I am so excited to share with you a lively conversation with my friend, Dr. Susannah Larry about her new book entitled “Leaving Silence: Sexualized Violence, the Bible and Standing with Survivors.” Dr. Larry is an assistant professor of Biblical Studies at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana.  She is dedicated to reclaiming the Bible as a liberating Word to the contemporary Christian life and exposing flaws of biblical interpretations that use the text to justify sexualized violence in anyway. 

Content Warning - we discuss topics that are graphic and violent in nature. But this book ya’ll, is so needed in our world today. Dr. Larry tackles some tough tough passages in the Bible and teaches in such a clear, intentional and pastoral way. We get into issues of power analysis, trauma informed exegesis, gender roles, ancient contexts verses our contemporary contexts, how Jesus experienced sexualized violence and so much more. 

Our hundredth episode features the Rev. Teresa Pecinovsky. Reverend Teresa was born in South Korea, raised in Iowa, holds a master of education from the university of Houston and a master of divinity from Vanderbilt university. She’s an ordained disciples of christ minister and currently serves as a hospice chaplain, preacher and children’s minister. 

We chat about her upcoming children’s picture book called Mother God illustrated by the incredible artist Khoa Le. With lyrical, rhyming text and exquisite illustrations, Mother God introduces readers to a dozen images of God inspired by feminine descriptions from Scripture. Children and adults alike will be in awe of the God who made them as they come to know her as a creative seamstress, generous baker, fierce mother bear, protective mother hen, strong woman in labor, nurturing nursing mother, wise grandmother, and comforting singer of lullabies.

Pre-order the book at  tkpcreates.com or https://www.beamingbooks.com/store/product/9781506479019/Mother-God. 

Follow Teresa on instagram and twitter @tkpcreates

The Rev. Katie is the Staff Officer for Church Planting at Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s office. She founded The Abbey, a missional worship community based in a coffee shop in Birmingham, Alabama. There she served many folks on the margins including folks experiencing homelessness, mental illness, addiction and many more. 

In our conversation, the Rev. Katie and I explore the ups and downs of church planting. She explains the difficult balance of creating sustainable community while also being a business enterprise, how covid is breaking down the Church’s idolatry of the Eucharist and how good Church is not fast, easy or cheap! 

Sara and Sarah chat about stewardship and parenting during covid-tide.  Sara explains how her family of five are caring for one another and being extra thoughtful about how they are spending their time in their small town Tennessee life.  We are keeping all our friends and family who are navigating these hard times in our prayers.  Parents, teachers, administrators ya’ll are doing the lord’s work out there and we appreciate you.  We hope this episode gives some guidance and framework for thinking about how to create a healthy family dynamic by centering our lives in, on and through God’s Love.

This week’s podcast features a very inspiring lay leader in Sarah's community of Oklahoma City, Ann Ali or as some folks in her call her in her community, “Rev” Ann Ali.  Ann and Sarah chat about her life and service to her community and country as a police officer, army reservist, pastor and teacher.  They also discuss what god is calling us to during this time of corona virus.  Ann is full of cultural and familial wisdom antidotes and speaks of a faith that moves mountains and restores weary souls to their Maker.  Ann is an agent of change and seeks to share the love of god to all those she meets especially those on the margins she works with in homeless outreach as an Episcopal lay leader in her home church of St. Augustine’s Oklahoma City.

Happy Pride Month! In celebration of the rich, beautiful, diversity God created in LGBTQ folks we wanted to share this episode on ethical non-monogamy! Sara and Sarah chat about their experiences with ethical-non monogamy.  They explore the theological and practical expressions of this relational practice as they de-mystify its use in the world.  They hope you all find this helpful as you navigate your own relationships and relational ethics.