So um, remember how we said a lot of life was happening and we were all running amok and had nary a second to catch our breath, much less record a podcast episode? We technically had this little fella on deck, waitin' so cute, and we totally forgot about it. So you know what? Here is your 4K Friday episode from MAY LOL. It's no secret that church attendance in this nation has plummeted in recent years, and a recent piece by Russell Moore stirred a lot of good trouble on the socials as he pondered the reasons why. In it, Moore notes the emergence of a massive "silent exodus" of the millennial generation from institutionalized churches, which we -- four card-carrying, flag-waving millennials -- can tell you is absolutely happening. Young people are leaving churches in shocking quantities. What Moore finds interesting, however, is that this exit from a church is not an exit from faith, as such a move so often signaled in previous generations. These young people, he concludes, aren't leaving their churches because they don't take faith seriously. They're leaving because they DO. And we've got ALL kinds of thoughts about it.  (Read Moore's piece here: https://www.russellmoore.com/2021/04/15/losing-our-religion/)

We're BAAAACCCKKKK!!!!! We're back we're back we're back yay hi!!! Hi friends! We're talking with you about freedom today, because yesterday was Independence Day, and America is what it is these days, and we need a fresh reminder of what freedom is really about. Hint: it isn't rights. Not *really*. The national freedoms and the religious freedom we boast aren't quite the same as gospel freedom, and we get into that. We talk about attitudes that enslave us, allegiances that enslave us, fear-based obedience, repentance, and the shame-free love of God that can never EVER be removed from us. We exhort those of you who are shedding fear, even if it means displeasing your communities; we muse on the importance(?) of sin to know grace; and we explore the relationship between life, liberty, and pursuits of happiness within the actual freedom of Christ. Just LITTLE stuff. (Also for your listening enjoyment: a sister FAIL at matching movie quotes. And it's obviously Karli's fault.)

Okay, alright, this was a big one. And there's still so much more to the conversation. We all know that unity is hard to find, right now. And we really do believe that unity is something we're all seeking, even if we vastly disagree on how to get there. But that's the thing: these disagreements on how to get there -- we're letting them get in the way. In our efforts to find unity in this very un-unified world, we fear we're leaning too far into uniformity, and trying to unite details more than the big picture. As if making everything act or look the same will somehow make them the same, and create the peaceful, unified environment we crave. But this doesn't hold. Being "the same" does not make us unified. Uniformity is not the gospel picture of unity, nor is it simply unity in spite of difference. The heart of gospel unity is unity IN difference, even when that looks or feels un-uniform. Because it's that exact un-uniform-ness, ragamuffin, hodgepodge diversity that brings the kingdom its beauty, that brings us together as one Body in pursuit of the same Savior, that hems us into true unity. 

It's a wrap on the Beatitudes, friends, and they def end with a bang. Pairing the ideas of peacemaking and persecution together brings more thoughts and questions to mind than we could ever fit into an episode, but better to start the conversation than never have it! There's so much to unpack, here. Like, what does it look like to MAKE peace rather than just KEEP peace? Does peace really feel like contentment? And what about persecution? What is the difference between being persecuted for the sake of Christ's righteousness and being debated against as Christians? Are they the same? And what if, just what if, the persecution we often fear is imminent isn't caused by hatred of Christ, but brought into being by our own actions against our neighbors? And what about the fact that Jesus calls persecution blessed?! What is that even about? (Also of importance: Karli tests Kelsi's knowledge of Disney Channel taglines, while Karli endures one-minute rapid-fire trivia. What actress do you think she could possibly mean when she says, "TEETH!" ????)

Continuing on in our Beatitudes series, we dive in to the ideas of mercy and purity, two concepts we sometimes wonder if we've missed the point of, just a bit. What IS mercy? Is it the same as grace? Is it just a kindness? What does it really look like to practice it, to withhold deserved judgment and punishment, especially in this age of finger pointing and shaming? And what does it look like to truly be pure of heart? Is God's standard the same as the Christian stereotype? Can shock value ever have a purer motive than appropriateness? (Also on the docket: an ode to George Feeney, and our favorite moments from the best season of the year -- Awards.)

We're in week 2 of the Beatitudes series, and spending a lot of time talking about Shania Twain... Not sorry. We do also discuss Jesus, of course, and what it really means to be meek, what our role is if we *don't* fall into the meek category, and that word righteousness -- is it just about pious behavior? (Very big hint: it's also about justice.) This week was a convicting one, although... Every one of these Beatitudes is proving to be. The more time we spend with these blessings of Jesus, the more convicted we feel by them all. And like, ouch... But good ouch.

We are BACK and fresh as freaking daisies after a week off for Spring Break, full of ideas and excitement for this platform and community. We're switching up our opening segments (lookin' at you, pop culture lovers), and kicking off a series which focuses on our namesake: The Beatitudes -- the eight blessings given by Jesus which totally rock the idea of blessing as the world understands it. Today, we focus on the first two groups he blessed: the poor [in spirit], and those who mourn. And while we've seen these phrases countless times on cards and home walls and church bulletins, it may not all be as cut-and-dry as we've come to believe. And it kinda makes Jesus the raddest, even if (when?) it makes us nervous.

O happy day, he is riz y'all! Easter is the day we hinge our faith on -- the hope that we are not only forgiven, but invited into resurrection, into new life, into total freedom. We reflect on the events of the original day -- the empowerment it brought to women, the peace it brought to doubters, the special attention it brought to the guilt-ridden (not to mention, the hope it offered the whole freaking world) -- as well as what this all means moving forward. And also, angel outfits. Because we focus on the important stuff here at the She-atitudes Podcast.

A shorter episode for this Silent Saturday, the day after Jesus died, when those who loved him were left in shock. We talk a bit about Sabbath -- how Jesus' friends would have observed it then, and how we observe it now. We talk about the importance of observing the whole of Easter weekend, even the parts where nothing seems to be happening, and why that might be difficult. We talk about grieving the Jesus you thought you knew, and having the foundation of your life and faith shaken and shattered -- and even the importance of those things. For the truest understandings of who God is cannot resurrect if we cling to the understandings that must die.

Today we set on our minds on the day Jesus died, the day it seemed that all hope was lost. We dive further into details about crucifixion, what Jesus meant when he cried out in "forsakenness," whether Judas' end was redemptive, and how this "good" Friday is good news, even for the resurrection-skeptic. Maybe especially for the resurrection-skeptic.