The Faithful Resistance

EXTRA: The Making of Iglesia Episcopal del Espíritu Santo

If you listened to the series, you know a bit about church planting. Yet, each church has unique needs. Back in 2016 Reverend Maggie returned to Cincinnati straight from seminary and found herself thrust into a neighborhood that needed more than a pulpit. What begins as homework club grows into a fragile, radiant community called Iglesia Episcopal del Espíritu Santo. Between language gaffes and late-night shifts, Maggie learns to be a guest, not a host: earning trust by staying, sharing meals, helping parents fill out passport forms for kids, and offering a safe space as politics darken. This addendum follows one priest’s quiet experiments in hospitality, the joys and heartbreak of grassroots church planting, and the lessons she carries forward about listening, belonging, and what it means to build sanctuary in frightening times. Lessons the church must apply now.   Resources: East Bay Sanctuary [https://eastbaysanctuary.org] Immigrant Defenders Law Service (IMMDef) [https://www.immdef.org]

St. Lucy's Church

This is the chaotic, joyful birth of new church, St. Lucy’s!  Everything does not go as planned. And some things, elder Abbey has not had to think about – The Many Children! How do you mesh spiritual traditions with rambunctious toddlers? Well, this episode you get to hear how the crew handled it, corralling babies behind an altar rail, and ultimately discovering- you have to feed the kids! Tune in to hear all about this wacky and wonderful launch day, and what the team has learned since. It’s warm, imperfect, and full of hope. With joy on the inside, joy on the outside, oh what a change we can make.   If you find this show entertaining or thought provoking, please rate it wherever you listen. If you’re ever in the San Francisco Bay Area come visit us at St. Lucy’s- Sunday Night at 5:00 pm. Find more info at Stlucyschurch.org [http://stlucyschurch.org/] You’re also welcome to email me your kind regards at abbeynormalpodcast@gmail.com [abbeynormalpodcast@gmail.com]   Music: Kim Taylor: [http://www.kim-taylor.net/] Like a Woman Can [https://open.spotify.com/track/1e8xQZ5wNLrtgJKpKRFe3n?si=68b5f67d4b284236] Blue Dot Sessions [https://www.sessions.blue/]: Palms Down [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/162616], Goose and Hutch [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/352016], Betany [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/352017], Caveman [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/216488], Donnalee [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/356175], Gallant Fantasie [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/276489], Brass Buttons [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/253184], Leaf Spot [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/352018], A Little Powder [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/276491], Town Market [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/321317]

TRAILER: The Faithful Resistance

What's coming on The Faithful Resistance

Praying Shapes Believing

St Lucy’s is almost a church! But, what will a church service be like? In the final month of planning, the team learns what is required for an Episcopal Eucharistic Service. They discuss each of the 7 steps that provide structure, and wonder about the meaning behind each one. How do you create an experience that won't create in-groups and out-groups, but practices anyone can participate in? Poking at implied power structures, this is about community more than perfection: flexible liturgy, homemade challah and thrifted cups, a table for offerings (and needs), and conversation instead of lecture. We fumble through the Book of Common Prayer, tinker with community created music, and discover how common practices have the power to quietly, subtly, reshape belief. Stlucyschurch.org [http://stlucyschurch.org/]   Music: Kim Taylor: [http://www.kim-taylor.net/] Like a Woman Can [https://open.spotify.com/track/1e8xQZ5wNLrtgJKpKRFe3n?si=68b5f67d4b284236] Blue Dot Sessions: Telly’s Place [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/348354], Highway 104 [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/338710], Skyway [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/309337], Silk and Silver [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/348357], Etude 8 Dimitri [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/348358], Deacon Will [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/338708], Dippler [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/230043], Quindi [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/348983], Horizon Liner [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/349789], Paramo Ocho [https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/348356] Resources: Book of Common Prayer, An Order for Celebrating the Holy Eucharist [https://www.bcponline.org/HE/ordhe.html] Evolving Faith Podcast: Your Woke-Ness in Not Worship [https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast/season-1/episode-8] with Sandra Maria Van Opstal

Toil and Trouble

This is the messy middle: a church being born amid political turmoil, attacks on the vulnerable, and communities in despair. The St. Lucy’s team navigates the turbulent climate in early 2025, leading to some reality checks. They face questions about how they can support those with religious trauma, those who are grieving, and those who are afraid. And do it all while processing their own grief and feelings of inadequacy. As many seek solace, there is an increased demand for churches to not simply offer belonging but also, protection. Tune in for an intimate, unpolished conversation about what faithful resistance looks like today. Links: Martin Luther King Jr. “Loving Your Enemies” sermon [https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/loving-your-enemies-sermon-delivered-dexter-avenue-baptist-church] Intro Song: “It May Be Time to Close Your Eyes” Derek Webb [https://youtu.be/kPW7J6rUemI?si=Eb-nipyAbFhsud1E] Executive Orders: “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” [https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/];  “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” [https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-children-from-chemical-and-surgical-mutilation/]; “Establishment of the White House Faith Office” [https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-14205-establishment-the-white-house-faith-office]; “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias” [https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/] Data: Child Homelessness [https://firstfocus.org/update/child-and-youth-homelessness-continues-to-increase-we-know-what-works-will-congress-act/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]; Gender-Affirming Medications Among Transgender Adolescents in the US [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2828427] “A Service of Prayer for the Nation Homily” [https://edow.org/2025/01/22/a-service-of-prayer-for-the-nation-homily/] Bishop Mariann Budde House Resolution 59 [https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/59] - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the sermon given by the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde was a display of political activism and condemning its distorted message. Book: “The Exvangelicals” [https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/the-exvangelicals/] by Sarah McCammon