Holy Shenanigans

Mercy is the Message with Eady Jay

Tara Lamont Eastman Season 3 Episode 44

Tara and author, pianist & activist EDJ consider the power of mercy in a conversation about deconstruction from fundamentalist conservative evangelical religion, embracing feminism, breaking free from purity culture  and learning how  forgiveness can flip tables of harm and bring unexpected healing in a Evangelical Deconstruction Journey.

EDJ's Facebook account
EDJ's Instagram account
EDJ"s TikTok

EDJ / Eady Jay loves to write about spirituality, sexuality, family, health and music. She has a degree in Christian Theology, 30ish years of senseless celibacy under her belt (wink), personal experience in weight-loss of 65 pounds, and years of professional experience building a business as a piano teacher. She is also a loving daughter, sister, aunt, wife and parent who cared for her terminally ill mother and is raising a child born with a cleft lip and palate.
Over the years she has deconstructed the concept of hell leading her down the path of universalism. Then she deconstructed purity culture and many of the “isms” and became a queer-affirming, feminist. She is still on an Evangelical Deconstruction Journey (EDJ), reforming ethics rooted and established in the God who is love, grace and truth personified.
EDJ is this writer’s initials and an acronym for Evangelical Deconstruction Journey. Eady Jay is a pseudonym derived from the initials EDJ.

Poem of the Week:

What if?

Sometimes my mind spends most of the time replaying, creating and taunting with ideas that worry, ideas that cause scurry, ideas that wander and whine.

Instead of thinking on what isn't sinking. 

Instead of pondering what is fine.

Instead of focusing on what is present, 

what is pleasant and what is kind.


Sometimes my mind likes to wander to places that are dark and cold.

Taking me to places with unfriendly faces. 

The places where defense is gold.

Instead of thinking, on what is today. 

Instead of cherishing what I hold.

Instead of drawing attention to beauty, 

to what is sweet and bold.


Sometimes I think I need to stop, and think of things that matter, that last beyond the temporal soil. 

Sometimes, I know I need to want, what I have,

Not what I think, should be my goal.

Instead of focusing on wants and what ifs.

Instead of reaching to remotes.

What if I looked at what I have,

what I possess, and present a treasure to untold?

Copyright T.L. Eastman

Send Tara a Text Message

Ask Me Anything - EP. 6 "Therapy, Medication + Mental Health"
The podcast where we answer IT ALL! Watch or Stream on Youtube and all streaming platforms

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman is an Ordained Minister of Word & Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She is a contributing writer to the Collaborate Lutheran Student Bible and the Connect Sunday School curriculum, published by Sparkhouse.

People on this episode

Podcasts we love

Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.

Created Creative Podcast Artwork

Created Creative Podcast

Ruth Hetland and Dawn Trautman
Emerged Artwork

Emerged

Tripp Fuller, Tony Jones, Josh Gilbert
The Common Good Podcast Artwork

The Common Good Podcast

Vote Common Good
Working Preacher's Sermon Brainwave Artwork

Working Preacher's Sermon Brainwave

Working Preacher from Luther Seminary