Heal the Divide: A Conversation with Christina Gordon of Festival of Homiletics

Tara is joined by Christina Gordon to discuss the 2025 Festival of Homiletics. They explore themes of connection, spiritual centering, and healing through faith and community. Christina shares her journey and insights about promoting faith narratives through the festival. They also discuss the importance of renewal for faith leaders and some actionable tips for church workers looking to participate in the event. The episode features a Celtic Daily Prayer meditation, personal stories, and an uplifting blessing for listeners.

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• 20:21 (Cont.) Heal the Divide: A Conversation with Christina Gordon of Festival of Homiletics

Transcript

S6 E14 Healing the Divides: A Conversation with Christina Gordon of the the Festival of Homiletics

 [00:00:00] 

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Hi there, friends of Holy Shenanigans Podcast. This is Tara Lamont Eastman, pastor Podcaster and Holy Shenanigator and today I am so happy to have with me Christina Gordon. And Christina is coming to us today representing her work with the Festival of Homiletics and also her wonderful self. Hi Christina. Thank you so much for being with us today.

Christina Gordon: Hi Tara. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here with you today. It is an honor and a privilege to share in some holy shenanigans with you and everyone.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: I've been really thinking a lot about connection and how we can extend or cultivate that sense of connection. In person in a grassroots way, but also in the technical ways and in the ways that we have resources [00:01:00] through the internet, through podcasts, and even through this example of the Festival of Homiletics that we're gonna be doing some holy experiments in the days to come.

Christina Gordon: Yeah, we've got space for it all. Absolutely.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: To center our thoughts today. I'm gonna offer a meditation from the Celtic Daily Prayer, which has been really helpful to me in recent days. And it is a quote from Kathy Hutchin and it reads this way. Your love comes to me in the silence, ordinary, like a child's treasure. I turn it over in the nook of my hand, warming its smooth, heaviness. A thought of you stony. Clearly defined drops as though down a deep well. Is lost [00:02:00] momentarily then turns up a certainty in the heart, and I will read that one more time.

Christina,

Christina Gordon: Lovely.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: your love comes to me in the silence ordinary like a child's treasure. I turn it over in the nook of my hand warming. Its smooth heaviness. A thought of you stony. Clearly defined drops as though down a deep well is lost momentarily, then turns up a certainty in the heart. 

Christina Gordon: It was beautiful.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: So in regards to connection, when you hear that reading, what comes up for you today?

Christina Gordon: Mm.

You know the first line, [00:03:00] the, your love comes to me. It sounds easy and it sounds comfortable, and it's a reminder of an invitation and an invitation that has always been and is and always will be there for me. The idea of it being something. Strong and firm, you know, smooth, like a rock in the, you know, turning it in the nook of my hand.

 I think about like worry stones or people carry Buckeyes or something that you just sort of keep around you as a reminder to sort of, you know, maybe if you've got too much going on in your brain, if there's too much going on around you, that it kind of pulls you back to yourself, pulls you back to who you are who you're meant to be.

And then the idea that it provides this certainty that it is this settling, this grounding for us reminder of who we are and [00:04:00] whose we are what that means for us in this world.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: And so I'm wondering do you wear or carry anything with you as a means of centering?

Christina Gordon: I do I do, I had keep in my purse a buckeye that was given to me years and years and years ago that was worn away by someone else's hands. And Was passed on to me. And I probably don't engage with it as much as I should, as much as I used to. But it is there sort of sitting in that heavy taking up space in something that I always have with me.

Something that feels very, you know, something like a, a purse feels really functional, and then you have this little amulet, this little reminder in there. To bring me back to myself. Yeah. How about you?

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: I wear a necklace in some way that is connected to St. Brigid.

 the [00:05:00] patron saint of Ireland whose calling in life kept her in these in-between spaces. These spaces of transition and change, but also were connected to hearth tending and fire as a source of warmth. And she carried that with her in such a beautiful way.

That today even as we start our conversation, I have lit a candle to mark our time here. I don't know if you can see it, but there

you go. 

Christina Gordon: yes.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: There's our candle. And a point of connection to That love that always is.

Christina Gordon: Mm-hmm.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: I thought today I might start our conversation by, talking about where we first connected, Christina.

Christina Gordon: Yeah, please.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: So last May. I had the wonderful joy of attending the Festival of Homiletics in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And it was the very first time I was [00:06:00] able to attend the festival in person. And so I had the wonderful ability to kind of wander around and bob and weave and attend things that really spoke to my heart.

And take pictures, which I love to do. And so I plunked myself down in the front of this incredible sanctuary in downtown Pittsburgh. And there you were sitting in the same pew as me taking pictures for the work that you do as the social media facilitator for the festival. And that was our connection point.

Which led from one thing to another. And here we are today, about a year later, having a conversation about our spiritual journeys, but as well as about the festival and how that continues to connect us.

Christina Gordon: I'm so grateful for that moment. I'm so grateful for that little space of time between sermons and speakers where this Enneagram six introvert felt [00:07:00] a holy moment and talked to. The woman in the, pew next to her with the amazing glasses and the great outfit, and that we hit it off and talked and were able to connect.

 I am one of those folks who I love airports. I love to be in a space full of people and people watch and observe. And if no one talks to me, that's fine. The reality is I love people. And getting that opportunity to connect with you and have my one little friend at the festival where I could check in with throughout our time there and pass pictures back and forth and wow, that was a great sermon or.

You know just reconnect on and off throughout the festival was really special for me and really added to my experience. So I absolutely count that as a holy shenanigans moment. Spirit was at work in that [00:08:00] space.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Yeah. And for me too because it was a, time for me where I was really discerning and trying to listen to God and what was next for me in my vocation. I. And having a, friend to share that with in you was such a gift. And I wanna extend my thanks to you for that, time.

Christina Gordon: Oh yeah. . I'm so glad that we were able to do that and connect, and I'm glad that I could be in that space. When you were in that discernment moment, I had had one of my own a few years back and being at festival was one of the great outcomes of that discernment moment for me. And so. That felt really special in full circle for me as well.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Which brings us to this year and to a, different way of us connecting through the festival. would you like to share a little bit more about what this year holds for you with the festival and how that connection continues for us?

Christina Gordon: absolutely. So this year I'm the coordinator of [00:09:00] marketing for the Festival of Homiletics 2025, which is taking place at Peachtree Road, United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and also, as we say, online from anywhere. The dates are May 12th through the 15th. And I'm also a former church worker turned communication specialist.

And so my goal in this chapter of my life, I. Is really to take the stories of faith leaders and faith communities and the good work being done in God's world through the hands and feet of these folks and amplify those stories out so that we can both make sure the world knows that this good work is happening and also invite folks in to this transformation that we feel called to.

That work and that vision for myself right now and my work with Festival of Homiletics, I tie them together by inviting faith leaders of all, all, all, all varieties, [00:10:00] pastors, ministry leaders, bi-vocational folks, lay leaders, church leaders, nonprofit directors, social activists, online community hosts.

I invite them to gather for four days of worship. For fellowship and connection and reflection at this amazing gathering of, speakers and this year's festival promises to be top notch. 

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: this. Year's theme is preaching to heal. Divides

an important topic, isn't it?

Christina Gordon: Feels timely, doesn't it?

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: It does. So this festival is being offered in person, in place in Atlanta, Georgia, but is also online, everywhere, anywhere. And that's where my connection is.

Christina Gordon: Mm-hmm. 

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: The festival this year as I'm going to be hosting that online presence for those folks that zoom and, and Hoover in from all over the place. But I'm just [00:11:00] curious, Christina, what does it mean for you as we think about connection and healing the divides, what comes up for you today?

Christina Gordon: There are the usual suspects when we think about division in our time and politics, social issues family issues within our congregations and within our denominations. Those have been around for time immemorial and also this space that we are in right now in our time and space together. As a country, as a globe, as a people it feels heavy 

and it feels hard. And, you know, we spend time every year listening to faith leaders, to pastors, to preachers. We want to know what topics are gonna resonate with them and what topics are gonna resonate with their communities. And that's sort of where this theme is born out of.

So this year's theme, [00:12:00] preaching to Heal the Divide it's a reminder of who we are. That we are God's people and we are all God's beloved. And, that as God's people, we recognize that God's word proclaimed holds universal truths that bind all of us. And that preaching to heal the divide, it's not a glossing over of what's happening in our world right now.

It's really a call to action to remind us the powers and principalities would have us forget that we are of God and that we are. All connected. And this is a reminder, a call to action to push back on that and to have us remember that we are all in this together. That we are indeed not alone in this work.

 It reminds me of Otis Moss II's sermon that he preached to close out our festival. [00:13:00] He shared a story about his daughter's middle school basketball team. And it concluded with you know, that we are all on the same team, that we're all doing this together, that there are many pieces that separate us, but that God's word, that God's love.

that is what really binds us, what holds us together and our call. Comes out of that and that the work that we do is a reminder that we're all on the same team. And I think this year's lineup of sermons, this year's lineup of lectures and workshops really reflects this idea that we are all connected.

Eric Barreto is from Princeton Seminary. He's one of our speakers this year. He is preaching a sermon simply titled, we. It is based on the counting parables from Luke 15. 

And then we've got Austin Hartke, who is an amazing author and activist who is bringing us a lecture titled Beyond Division, beyond the Binaries, and it's really [00:14:00] asking churches to consider what it might look like to embrace gender diversity in their spaces.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Hmm.

Christina Gordon: We've got some festival favorites coming back. We've got Anna , Carter Florence, we've got Dr. Cynthia Hale, who's preaching a sermon reminding us with an exclamation point on the end that it is not complicated, that we get bugged down in the, details and the minutiae. And that really some of this is not complicated for us.

And so she'll be preaching on that. When we are gathered together, whether we are in person in Atlanta, whether we are online with you and the online community of streamers, this group of change makers, this group of walk along, siders of faith leaders. When we share our own stories and our best practices.

We recognize that the good work we do is all connected to a larger goal. It knocks down the walls that would isolate us and separate us, and [00:15:00] it gives us a chance to celebrate our place as God's beloved.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: I'm a pastor that is ordained Lutheran and I am in an ecumenical calling to a Presbyterian church. And I have received a lot of encouragement both from the presbytery of Lake Erie as well as the northwest Synod of the ELCA with resources to be able to attend.

I. Festival, whether that is online or in person. There's been a a great encouragement though for the online presence that if a pastor wants to host a little hub in their church and invite colleagues to come and join them, that there are resources to help with that. Isn't that awesome?

Christina Gordon: That's amazing. That's our dream for that online offering. Yes.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: And so my little way is trying to cultivate community and helping with that online hosting, [00:16:00] but I just wanna encourage clergy or church workers, or seminary professors or seminarians that if you are looking for a way to connect in Northwestern Pennsylvania to reach out to your synod or your presbytery.

And if you're not in that geographical part of the world, to reach out to your leaders at your synod or your presbytery and say, Hey, they're doing this over here in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Why can't we? Yes. 

Christina Gordon: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And on that note we have discounts for first timers to festival both online and in person. We have seminarian discounts. You can find out about those by emailing us at festival@luthersem.edu to get more info. And we also have opportunities for folks who love serving who are maybe local, who could step into the space.

 We [00:17:00] offer discounts to our festival volunteers, so it's a great way to be a part of something. If. you're having a challenge or trying to figure out how to make it work this year, we get that.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: I just wanna take a moment to emphasize is that when you are in the middle of, seminary studies or teaching or in a parish or in a local church, taking time for recharge and rest and continuing education sometimes can feel very hard.

Because there's always something to do. But I think it's really important for folks to understand that, you can't pour from an empty cup. As we started our conversation today talking about, , how are we going to center and giving the example of a centering practice. That was on purpose for myself and for you, and for folks that are listening, [00:18:00] you know that those centering practices, those pauses, those times of filling our cup, are so essential to our wellness, our wholeness, not just as pastors and preachers or teachers or students just as human beings that are beloved by God.

Christina Gordon: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Festival of Homiletics is a time and a space where you can be fed and be cared for.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Yeah. Is that one of your favorite things about the festival?

Christina Gordon: It is, . As someone who worked for a church, I know what it meant for my staff team to be able to all. Engage together at festival to spend time together listening some incredible voices of our time. And when you come to festival online or in person, you get to come as you are.

You don't need to engage the scripture ahead of time. You don't have to [00:19:00] work out the exegesis. You get to show up, you get to take a breath. Soak up the word proclaimed fellowship with other folks who do what you do. And maybe if it's there for you, listen for what's next. I liken it to an oxygen mask on an airplane.

You know, they always tell you to put yours on first. And festival is a time for faith leaders to take that sacred pause, put on that mask, and listen for the spirit.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Awesome. Christina, I wonder, would you like to share a holy Shenanigans story specifically from the Festival of Homeletics that you may have experienced?

Christina Gordon: Yes, it is timely. You know, I mentioned before that our opportunity to connect, I definitely count as a holy shenanigans moment,

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Me too.

Christina Gordon: and I appreciate how you define. Holy shenanigans, that it's the movement of the [00:20:00] Holy Spirit or the divine in everyday life. And so while we think of the word shenanigans, as you know, could be silly, I love how you talk about it.

Sacred, but never stuffy. As someone who spends a lot of time on social media in my professional life I am exposed to a lot of what is going on around our country and around our world. And because of the nature of my work, I'm connected to hundreds and hundreds of churches all around the world.

And what I am seeing out on social media right now in those feeds is advocacy and activism. It is feeding and caring for one another. It is walking alongside each other. It is churches rolling up their sleeves. Getting the work done that needs to be done for their people, for their communities, for their [00:21:00] cities for their neighbors.

And it is incredible. I can see spirit moving and flying and zipping all through. All of those stories and those spaces when I look out on those feeds every day. As hard as some things are. The church is answering the call and I'm grateful to bear witness to it every day.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Thank you. Thank you for that encouragement . I know a lot of folks. Are feeling things are so heavy. And yeah, there are these centering spaces that are so important. For some context recording this, this is in the middle of Holy Week

Christina Gordon: Okay. An easy time for a faith leader.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Yes. But I feel like it's important to share this little story from my own context previous to working as a ordained pastor, I worked in a lot of art education. And I [00:22:00] was a youth director years ago and was encouraged by a mentor Lynn Farrow to take those art experiences and bring them wholeheartedly into the church.

In my current context, I am working on a banner project. Pretty simple. That's a little piece of fabric I'm giving to adults and children and they are drawing on that with a marker and it is signs of spring, signs of new Life or hope.

And what I thought was going to just be a small project with my congregation keeps getting bigger than I had imagined. Through connections with our sister Lutheran church across the way. And now with a mission effort to support folks who are in the middle of refugee support in my little community.

I have an opportunity to share that with a small group of people later this week that I had [00:23:00] never anticipated. I. Seeing or meeting or having the opportunity to encourage them through the arts. So you never know what those small connections, , those little efforts of, whether it's a food ministry or an art ministry or whatever form it takes in your little hometown church.

Don't underestimate the ripple effects and the connections of those ministries.

Christina Gordon: Absolutely. Wow. Spirit moves in amazing ways, and I'm grateful that you're getting that opportunity this week

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Hey, anytime I get to play with markers

and hang out with people,

Christina Gordon: Mm-hmm.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: I consider that an honor and a joy.

Christina Gordon: Yes.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Christina, as we, come to the close of our conversation today. I wonder, is there anything else that you feel really important to share about the Festival [00:24:00] of Homiletics and what it offers?

Christina Gordon: , festival of Homiletics is a really intentional space and we strive for offering folks fresh perspectives on worship styles, preaching styles how we approach the text, what worship might look like in different spaces. And we remind folks that how text might be heard by a variety of individuals.

We work to engage the issues that matter in our time and space. And we are not afraid to invite listeners to get uncomfortable and to wrestle with those issues. I think about Dr. Thema Bryant last year. I think we were together for this one when she really reminded faith leaders that sometimes mental health issues are above our pay grades.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Yes.

Christina Gordon: And the pressure that was lifted off of that room of people. In hearing that it's okay that we don't have to solve all the problems. Sometimes the best thing for us to [00:25:00] do is to know our limitations 

and to hand our members over into the care of folks who know how to do what needs to be done. There are spaces for really powerful moments at Festival of Homiletics and.

I would encourage you, if you're thinking about it, if you're interested in it, there are many ways that you can participate this year. And to visit our website, check it out, and see what's going to work for you in this space. The invitation is always open,

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: And where do people go to find the festival online?

Christina Gordon: super easy. Festival of homiletics.com.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: And one more ask if I can, Christina. Do you have an invocation or a blessing that you would like to share with our listeners?

Christina Gordon: Yes, thank you for the opportunity. Holy and precious ones you are beloved. And I ask that you hear that still small voice today urging you on in [00:26:00] whatever may be calling you to next. And I ask that the divine be with you and be in your heart and in your hands. And in your breath and in your words as you go about doing the good work for God's people in God's world today. Amen.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: May that be so the stay and every day. Thank you, Christina for saying hello to me last year at the Festival of Homiletics I am so thankful for our connection that continues to grow, and I look forward to working with you this year in the digital atmosphere.

Christina Gordon: I'm so excited for our folks online who are gonna get to spend time with you.

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: Thank you. And for all those who are listening today please take an opportunity to engage with the Festival of Homiletics, wherever you are, whether [00:27:00] it's in Atlanta, Georgia, or online. 

 For all those who are part of the Holy Shenanigans podcast, community may this day you be well. Be at peace. Know that you are always beloved and that you need to take care of yourself. So take the opportunity, fill your cup, put on that oxygen mask and center yourself in love for the work that is before you.