Have you ever had the opportunity to have a long and deep conversation with someone who's book transformed your life?  That happened to me when I interviewed Dr. Marcia Mount Shoop. Unlike the tragic movie The Fault In Our Stars, my experience meeting the woman behind the book was incredible.  I was nervous but her gentle presence helped me relax within minutes.  I continued to learn what it means to live my faith in my body or, in theology words, understand embodiment. Her book Let the Bones Dance gave me poetry and prose to help navigate the issue of sexual violence on college campuses in my thesis.  Her book Touchdowns for Jesus and Other Signs of Apocalypse opened my eyes to the good and need for healing in sports. I'm in good company the New York Times interviewed Marcia too. You should also follow Marcia's Blog.

Check out Sarah Wilke's incredible work at the Upper Room!

Pastor of Nancy Webb Kelly United Methodist Church and Associate Director of Community Care Fellowship A song that inspired Toi: I’m Still Holding On Another story about Toi's incredible Work

Good Friday is a day for lament.  Jeannie Alexander speaks to the sorrow of prison while at the same time speaks words of hope and restoration about the future.  This conversation is tough, but it's one of the best interviews I have ever had and my heart and mind are still wrestling with our conversation. Modern Day Flappers is a podcast dedicated to exploring women's identity beyond traditional scripts.  My hope is for listeners to discover their own story in the lives of the women interviewed and cultivate love for themselves and those around them.    This interview with Jeannie Alexander was recorded in the 4th Story Theatre at West End UMC Wednesday night event called Current. Jeannie Alexander served as the Head Chaplain at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution for three years until September 2014. Prior to that, she was the volunteer chaplain for two years. As chaplain, she facilitated the creation of an unprecedented number of programs for insiders, both in minimum security and on “death row.” Before this, she worked as an attorney, but left the practice of law to become a community organizer and to complete a graduate degree in theology and ethics. As an educator, she’s been a professor of philosophy, ethics, and religion. As a pastor, she’s served and developed interfaith communities in prison based on a model of liberation theology, as well as served as co-pastor to Mercy Community Church, a congregation where 85% of the members were experiencing homelessness.  She is the co-founder of Amos House and Open Table Nashville and was a writer for and sat on the board of The Contributor for several years. Two of her essays are published in And The Criminals With Him, and she features significantly in the documentary Tent City, U.S.A., available on Netflix. She lectures and preaches frequently on the topics of mass incarceration as slavery, mandatory sentencing, and the death penalty. She understands the Gospel as a manifesto for radical liberation now on earth and an invitation to experience God through the living presence of others.To read the Scripture story of The Gerasene Demoniac read Mark 5:1-17 and Luke 8:26-37 More about prison reform can be found at No Exceptions.

A podcast dedicated to exploring women's identity beyond traditional scripts My hope is for listeners to discover their own story in the lives of the women interviewed and cultivate love for themselves and those around them. Things I learned this season: 1 -- I didn’t realize this Modern Day Flapper journey was really about how hard it is sometimes to be a woman pastor. 2 – I have the most amazing friends. 3 – Men have stories of how they can’t live up to the traditional scripts too. It’s hard for everyone. Season Two of Modern Day Flappers will be released in March of 2015. I am so excited about some of the women I have reached out to interview – but I am also thinking that I might interview a few men! Now I’m going to talk about some of my favorite moments: Fran: “I don’t think you know who that woman is yet.” You never know who will be inspired by the ashes… Heather Lefkowitz -- How do we make peace with scripts? Emily: Have you experienced the tension between: “I need to not care what anyone thinks about me and I’m so desperate for love and connection.” Lis: “La esperanza es que se pierde lo ultimo” – Hope is the last thing that you would loose. Betty Nixon: We need to invite someone who disagrees with us! How do you figure out your own style or voice?  “Now I know what I’m supposed to sound like.”  Have you had that moment? Megan’s interview held the most surprises! Carolyn German, "The status quo is allowed to step in and say 'you’re crazy.'" -- Breaking a stereotype: You get to choose who you want to be! “Now I Become Myself” By May Sarton Now I become myself. It’s taken Time, many years and places; I have been dissolved and shaken, Worn other people’s faces, Run madly, as if Time were there, Terribly old, crying a warning, ‘Hurry, you will be dead before-‘ (What? Before you reach the morning? Or the end of the poem is clear? Or love safe in the walled city?) Now to stand still, to be here, Feel my own weight and density! The black shadow on the paper Is my hand; the shadow of a word As thought shapes the shaper Falls heavy on the page, is heard. All fuses now, falls into place From wish to action, word to silence, My work, my love, my time, my face Gathered into one intense Gesture of growing like a plant. As slowly as the ripening fruit Fertile, detached, and always spent, Falls but does not exhaust the root, So all the poem is, can give, Grows in me to become the song, Made so and rooted by love. Now there is time and Time is young. O, in this single hour I live All of myself and do not move. I, the pursued, who madly ran, Stand still, stand still, and stop the sun!

More about Carolyn: http://www.theatercraftinc.com/www.theatercraftinc.com/Carolyn_German.html       ·      Nashville Cultural Arts   ·      Why is nudity always one sided?   ·      The status quo is allowed to step in and say “you’re crazy.”   ·      Glen Campbell – Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife   ·      Lucille Ball -- Biography   ·      “I think about the void that history has given us not because women weren’t doing anything but because people weren’t paying attention… I think for the most part people are busy getting the breakfast on the table and mortgage paid.  I think there is a void of knowledge of the types of contributions women have made.”   ·      As an artist I try to take in lots of input.  I want to know how people think, talk, react.   ·      Writing is NOT like having a baby.   ·      Burden of Justice: 1863   ·      Signs of a New Day: The Z Alexander Looby Story:   ·      The Story Builders   ·      Breaking a stereotype: You get to choose who you want to be   ·      Being a Theatre Educator: Differentiating between acting identity and personal identity can be difficult for youth and children actors.   ·      Not knowing exactly the way it is going to go – but TRUSTING AND WORKING   ·      Modern Day Flapper Dog – Magnolia (Maggie)   ·      The Best is Yet to Come (Thanks Frank)  

Next Modern Day Flapper interview with Megan Black!

Dreaming with Caren Tiechman My guest today is Caren Tiechman who currently works for Living in the Green -- a set of adaptable, facilitated circle practices that provide a framework for discerning, designing, launching, and funding grassroots missional ministries.  https://www.facebook.com/livinginthegreen.sewanee She earned her certificate in Dream Work from Marin Institute for Projective Dream Work in Fairfield, CA: http://www.jeremytaylor.com/mipd/index.html She has a certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Haden Institute in Hendersonville, NC: http://www.hadeninstitute.com/. Caren is a mother of four sons, ages 18 to 23, whom she loves, adores, is astonished at, and enjoys immensely. Caren lived the traditional script for years. How do you reconcile living the script? Woke up a passion through serving in Antioch Joe March in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott -- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91245378 Women Mystics Theresa of Avila inward journey to come back out. Catherine of Siena: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=9 Clare of Assisi: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-davis-phd/a-love-letter-to-st-franc_b_2653317.html Feminine Energy – Understanding our own creative potential Story of the Hebrew Midwives – Exodus 1:15-21 Using dreams to know yourself – story of belt and gratitude Gifts from ancient women in your dreams. Our dreams are another world that is unseen – by remembering and talking about them we are paying attention and acknowledge that we want to be in relationship with it. Every remembered dream is a miracle. Ask myself – where was I before I was here? Why do we have so much shame associated with the female body? Modern day flappers for me is not about having a socially fabulous life – but about demanding to define your own identity. There is enough room for all the women in the word! Let’s make more space. What does balance and partnership in our inside and outside lives? How do you see God in your life?

http://lorimechemmusic.com/ http://www.nashvillejazz.org/ A respected jazz pianist, composer and educator, Lori Mechem, along with her husband Roger Spencer, has lived in the Nashville area since 1988. In addition to directing production shows and conducting musical theatre, she has performed with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Red Holloway, Jimmy Smith, Cal Collins, Roy McCurdy, Terry Gibbs, Pete Christlieb, Edie Gorme, Bobby Militello, Kirk Whalum and Donna McElroy. A native of Anderson Indiana, Lori received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.Lori's first CD, "Welcome to Brazil" was nominated for "Best Jazz Album of the Year" by the Nashville Music Awards in 1997. In 2003, Lori's second CD, "Shiny Stockings, rose to #26 on the jazz charts. In 2005 she released a Brazilian Christmas album on Village Square Music. Since then she has released three more CD's: "April in Paris" (a second Count Basie album), "The Dream of Life" (original meditation music), and "Return to Ipanema."Lori and Roger founded and direct the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Lori is responsible for curriculum, student advisement, and special events, and teaches vocal, instrumental, and keyboard classes. “You play good for a young girl” is something Lori hears a lot.  “You’re a good pastor/preacher for a woman” is something I hear too.  Have you ever heard this for your procession?  Is it regional? Fly to Forever - by Donna McElroy and Lori Mechem Nashville Jazz Workshop is a jewel of Nashville!  Visiting the Jazz Cave or taking a class is a MUST! Lori’s piano mentors: Oscar Peterson, Monte Alexander, Gene Harris, Mary Lou Williams. Sue Level was the first woman Lori saw doing her thing and doing it well.  Who is this in your life? Keep On Keeping On a Documentary about jazz and mentorship.  It’s one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time!  Liz Johnson and Lori Former NJW student Rachael Price Sings Lake Street Dive in the Studio: "What I'm Doing Here" A mentor that really molded Lori in college – “helped her out of the tree” -- was Beth Turcotte.  Who was a mentor from your college days? Improvisation started with the blues – a musical question and answer.  Singers and instrumentalists should play nice and listen to each other. You can hear the pain and where they were -- Carmen McRae.  Charlie Parker – always busy. John Coltrane – deep. How do you figure out your own style or voice?  “Now I know what I’m supposed to sound like.”  Have you had that moment? All of My Life by Lori Mechem & Sandra Dudley