Episode 1 - Presence over Presents

Rev. Dr. Lakisha R. Lockhart is a mother, wife, daughter, sister, former Zumba instructor, Womanist and coolest auntie around. She believes in the power of play, movement, aesthetics, and creative arts in life and in theology, using the body as a locus for theological reflection. She is a consultant, executive secretary for the Religious Education Association, and in her professorial role as Assistant Professor of Christian Education at Union Presbyterian Seminary she is not only a teacher, but a facilitator, rope jumper, game-player, advocate and catalyst for critical consciousness and engagement in educating in faith and actually living into that faith through various spiritual and artistic practices. 

5 Love Languages of Children expert Dr. Jennifer Thomas dives deep into the possible love languages of children and how we can apply this knowledge as the parents and caregivers. 

As we step into Mental Health Awareness Month, we're thrilled to have Dr. Jessica Young Brown join us on the podcast! 🌟 We're talking about important topics like mental health in the church and religious-related trauma. You won't want to miss this insightful conversation!Dr. Jessica is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her passion lies in making mental health accessible and equitable, especially for marginalized communities. With expertise in areas like racism's impact on mental health and the intersection of faith and mental well-being, Dr. Brown brings a wealth of knowledge to our discussion.

Kayla Craig is the insta-famous creator of Liturgies for Parents and the author of Every Season Sacred. Kayla has such a beautiful way of speaking to the heart of parents who have a love of faith and their children and want to connect the two. 

During this episode, Daniel Wolpert talks through Christianity in an Age of Science and the road blocks Christians can some times go up against around this topic.  Dan is the Executive Director and co-founder of MICAH, the Minnesota Institute for Contemplation and Healing, he is a spouse, partner, ally, activist, and dad. Dan has been a student of the spiritual life since age 21 and has taught in the fields of psychology and spiritual formation in numerous settings. In addition to his retreat and teaching work, Dan provides counseling and spiritual direction services at MICAH. He is also the author of many books, two of which we will go into today: Creating a Life with God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices, The Collapse of the Three Story Universe: Christianity in an Age of Science.

Godly Play Foundation brings us an heart-opening interview full of aha moments with the incredible Pastor Meredith Miller, author of "Woven: Nurturing a Faith your Kid Doesn't Have to Heal From." Meredith offers us a different way of looking at strengthening our relationship and our children's relationships with God.  Find more of Meredith's resources on here website: https://meredithannemiller.com/ 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Now is the time  of fresh starts, but also, how do we honor where we are?  We were honored to speak with our guest Ellie Roscher.  Ellie is the author of Remarkable Rose, The Embodied Path, 12 Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl and How Coffee Saved My Life. Her writing also appears in the Baltimore Review, Eunoia Review, Mothering Spirit, Inscape Magazine, and elsewhere. Ellie teaches yoga and writing in Minneapolis. She holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. 

In our first episode we dive into the busy holiday season and how the Reverend Cynthia Williams Insko offers tips and tricks for being present with our children in the mess of it all.  From practical tips to AHA moments, Joy and Raenelle truly soaked up this information and can't wait to implement these ideas in our own households. 

Welcome to Mess Makes Meaning with Joy and Raenelle. Brought to you by the Godly Play Foundation, we are here as fellow parents who understand we all want to nurture our children's spirituality, but life is messy and some times finding the meaning in that mess is hard. We will talk with guests each episode who have insight into ways we can care for our children while caring for ourselves as we make meaning together through narrative, wonder, rhythm and play.