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What does it truly mean to practice radical acceptance in a deeply divided world? This question sits at the heart of our conversation as we explore the challenging yet transformative path toward seeing the sacred in everyone.

The journey begins with an uncomfortable truth—many of us struggle to extend true acceptance beyond those who think, believe, and live like we do. Yet the revolutionary power of radical love demands we go further. Through personal stories and theological reflection, we unpack what it means to "take doors off hinges" to create longer tables where everyone belongs.

We dive into how Christian nationalism has unconsciously shaped many believers' understanding of faith, creating blind spots that limit our capacity for true inclusion. Using the powerful metaphor of church as "the huddle, not the game," we reimagine spiritual community as preparation for the real work of embodying love in everyday life.

Perhaps most challenging is our exploration of what radical acceptance doesn't mean—we distinguish between loving people in their belovedness versus accepting harmful behaviors. This nuanced approach allows us to stand firmly against injustice while still seeing the humanity in everyone.

Throughout our conversation, we return to a central hope: that through community and practice, we can expand our capacity for love in ways that transform both ourselves and our world. What if reimagining what's possible—even a world without war—begins with the simple yet profound act of radical acceptance?

Join us in this honest, heartfelt discussion about creating spaces where "the beautiful becomes the story" and where love—uncontrolled, unpoliced, and unbounded—shows us the way forward.

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Changing your mind might be the most revolutionary spiritual practice available to you right now. Heather and Shelly dive deep into the transformative power of mental flexibility and how it connects to the core teachings of Jesus.

What happens when we allow ourselves to consider that our perspective might be incomplete? The hosts explore how Jesus repeatedly invited his followers to "repent" – literally to change their minds – and how this practice creates pathways for authentic spiritual growth. "Is it possible that I am not seeing the whole picture?" becomes a doorway to profound transformation.

The conversation examines why changing our minds feels so threatening (hint: it's mostly ego) and how the Mary Magdalene way models courage in trusting our deeper knowing even when it goes against established norms. They discuss practical approaches for communities seeking change, including making authentic friendships across differences and "making what's beautiful the story" rather than rigidly adhering to established patterns.

This episode challenges listeners to expand their understanding beyond familiar frameworks by engaging with diverse traditions and even learning from the natural world. "Start by changing your own mind," the hosts suggest, reminding us that this internal shift might be our most powerful tool for creating change in a divided world. The practice of recognizing everyone's belovedness – including those with whom we deeply disagree – creates a foundation for genuine transformation.

Ready to explore how changing your mind might open new possibilities in your spiritual journey? Join Heather and Shelly for this thought-provoking conversation that will leave you reconsidering what you thought you knew.

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Prayer isn't just words whispered in sacred spaces—it's marching in the streets, demanding justice from those in power, and standing in solidarity with the marginalized. This revolutionary understanding of spirituality sits at the heart of "We Pray Freedom," a groundbreaking liturgical collection from theologians Liz Theoharis and Charon Hribar.

The book reimagines prayer as "the work of the people" in its most authentic sense, featuring contributions from over 80 grassroots leaders—unhoused organizers, low-wage workers, and faith activists—who share liturgies born from their communities' struggles. These prayers, songs, and rituals emerge not from theological institutions but from lived experiences of injustice and visions for a more equitable world.

Take the biblical story of the persistent widow, often interpreted narrowly as encouraging consistent personal prayer. Theoharis reframes it powerfully: "This woman goes to this person with power and demands justice and wins it, and that's how we pray without ceasing." This perspective invites us to see prayer not as passive acceptance but as persistent action toward justice.

Both authors bring deep personal connections to this work. Liz Theoharis, raised in a movement family, experienced housing insecurity firsthand. Charon Hribar grew up in a small steel town, witnessing economic devastation when the industry collapsed. Their paths converged at Union Theological Seminary, where they established the Kairos Center, connecting faith communities with economic justice movements.

Whether you're a longtime activist, spiritual seeker, or someone questioning traditional religious practices, "We Pray Freedom" offers a fresh vision of spirituality that doesn't separate faith from action. It's an invitation to join what might be called the "Freedom Church"—not an institution, but a community committed to embodying prayer through working for justice, freedom, and peace in our world.

Visit weprayfreedom.org for additional resources, including music videos and organizing tools, or join the Freedom Church of the Poor virtually on Sundays at 6pm Eastern to experience this transformative approach to spirituality in community.

You can buy their new book here: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889830344/We-Pray-Freedom

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Mary Magdalene beckons us beyond the twelve verses that mention her in scripture, inviting us into a profound reimagining of what it means to witness the divine. Shelley Shepard and Heather Drake explore this sacred friendship during Mary's feast week, diving into the transformative power of seeing resurrection through feminine eyes.

What makes Mary's witness unique? The hosts suggest that witnessing isn't merely observing or repeating stories—it's embodying presence in vulnerability and mutual care. "If I am a witness to someone's life," Heather explains, "it's not that I am bossing them or repeating a story. I am embodying my own presence." This reframes Jesus's commission to Mary as an invitation into intimate friendship where humanity is fully embraced, needs are tended to, and love flows freely between companions.

The conversation takes an unexpected turn when the hosts propose a powerful possibility: perhaps in the garden, Mary called to Jesus first. What if her longing and connection transcended death itself, and his response—"Mary"—was simply answering her call? This perspective transforms the resurrection narrative from a one-sided miracle to a testament of love's power to bridge even death's chasm. Jesus's instruction not to cling to him becomes not rejection but invitation to transcendence—moving beyond limited forms into expansive understanding.

Mary Magdalene likely walked a wisdom path even before meeting Jesus, possessing inner knowing that allowed her to grasp what others missed. While the disciples sought political revolution, Mary understood Jesus's teaching that "the kingdom is within." Their unified vision created a friendship that modeled the very love they sought to share with the world. Perhaps this is why, out of all his followers, Jesus commissioned Mary specifically to first proclaim the resurrection—because she alone truly understood its meaning.

Ready to explore Mary's expansive path of wisdom? Join our community where we're reimagining spiritual friendship that honors both our humanity and transcendent potential. Visit expansionisttheology.com to continue the journey of pouring out love generously in a world hungry for connection.

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What if Mary Magdalene's uncovered hair wasn't just a break from tradition, but a revolutionary act of spiritual and feminine liberation?

As we approach Mary Magdalene's feast day on July 22nd, Shelley and Heather dive into one of the most overlooked yet profound aspects of her story – her hair. In ancient times, a woman's hair was simultaneously considered her "glory" and something to be hidden away from public view. The cultural mandate requiring women to cover their hair wasn't simply about modesty; it was fundamentally about control and power.

Mary Magdalene shattered these conventions when she not only uncovered her hair in public but used it to dry Jesus's feet after anointing them with expensive oils and her own tears. This act of devotion wasn't just spiritually significant – it was politically and culturally subversive. She transformed what patriarchal systems had deemed should be hidden into a sacred instrument of connection and worship.

Through vivid imagery and thoughtful exploration, Shelley and Heather unpack how Mary's wealthy status intersected with her beauty, creating a platform that she chose to use not for personal gain but for devotion. They consider how this ancient story speaks to our modern experiences of beauty standards, cultural control, and the search for authentic self-expression. What does it mean when we reclaim aspects of ourselves that we've been conditioned to hide? How might we find liberation in seeing our physical bodies as sacred vessels rather than objects to be controlled?

This conversation opens windows into a radical understanding of embodied spirituality, where tears, hair, and presence become holy offerings. Mary Magdalene's example challenges us to expand our concept of the sacred and invites us to find transcendence not by escaping our humanity but by fully inhabiting it with love, courage, and radical authenticity.

Join us on this journey of expansionist thinking as we reimagine what it means to follow the path of Mary Magdalene – a path where beauty isn't hidden away but becomes the very story that liberates us all. Share your own reflections and join our community at expansionisttheology.com.

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Could Mary Magdalene be a missing part of the Christ story? This question forms the heart of our exploration as we approach her feast day on July 22nd. While neither of us come from Catholic traditions, we recognize the profound wisdom in celebrating feast days that awaken our consciousness to spiritual truth—and Mary Magdalene holds truths too long overlooked.

Mary represents a pathway to transformation that embraces feminine wisdom and embodied spirituality. When the Gospel of Mary was discovered in Egypt in the 19th century, it revealed a woman who understood Christ's message so deeply that male disciples questioned how Jesus could have shared such mysteries with her. Yet Jesus himself declared that wherever his story was told, hers would be told alongside it—a commission we've collectively failed to honor for centuries.

What might Christianity look like if we restored Mary Magdalene to her rightful place? If Jesus is understood as the Second Adam in theological tradition, might Mary represent the Second Eve—not replacing Mary the mother of Jesus, but complementing our understanding of feminine spiritual presence? The evidence suggests she continued as an evangelist after the resurrection, particularly in France, spreading a message of embodied, Spirit-led devotion. Her understanding of anointing—exemplified when she recognized the significance of Jesus's approaching sacrifice—shows spiritual insight beyond what other disciples grasped. When we embrace her witness alongside Christ's, we discover a more complete spirituality that honors both masculine and feminine expressions of divine wisdom. Ready to explore the full story? Join us as we uncover what traditional narratives have too often left untold.

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What happens when we expand our vision of God beyond Father to include Mother? Shelley Shepard and I journey into territory many find unfamiliar yet deeply healing as we explore divine motherhood and its transformative potential.

This conversation travels through personal stories of our relationships with our mothers and how these experiences have colored our spiritual understanding. We examine how limiting God to masculine imagery creates barriers for many who've experienced trauma or difficult relationships with fathers, while embracing feminine divine aspects opens pathways to deeper connection. As we share, "Mothering is too huge a job to relegrate to one person," suggesting our spiritual lives benefit from seeing the sacred feminine expressed through earth, community, and divine presence.

The conversation crescendos as we read the Lord's Prayer from the New Zealand Anglican Prayer Book—beginning with "Eternal Spirit, Earth Maker, Pain Bearer, Life Giver, Father and Mother of us all"—demonstrating this expanded theology already exists within Christian traditions worldwide. We reference Jesus using feminine imagery and mystical teachers like Julian of Norwich who embraced God's mothering qualities centuries ago.

Perhaps most powerfully, we suggest God transcends gender entirely, with the various expressions—Father, Mother, Spirit—serving as different access points for different human needs. The episode concludes with a beautiful prayer to Mother God, granting listeners permission to experience the divine in healing, expansive ways that honor their unique spiritual journeys.

Has your understanding of the divine felt incomplete or limiting? This conversation might just unlock doors to spiritual healing you never knew existed. Join our community of spiritual explorers at expansionisttheology.com as we continue reimagining faith for wholeness, inclusion, and love.