Liberation Bible Study

In this episode, Alex Patchin McNeill, and Rev. Dr. Derrick McQueen, pastor at St. James Presbyterian Church in Harlem, attend to the Easter story of the women at Jesus' tomb. Together they wonder whether the women at the tomb were afraid or was it amazement and in awe of what had happened. What awakens in us when we understand resistance as the place where we move from the paralysis of fear and amazement and go do justice? How does our rising up, allow Christ to rise also? Join us to find your Easter. Text: Mark 16:1-8 For further exploration: Andra Day's Rise Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNKu1uNBVkU Rev. Derrick McQueen's reflection on Passover Seder and Easter Sunday https://labshul.org/re-dear-derrick-good-friday-good-passover/

In this episode Alex Patchin McNeill, and Rev. Shawna Bowman, pastor at Friendship Presbyterian Church in Chicago, explore Good Friday through the theme of failure. They wrestle with the intimacy of relationships in this story of betrayal, how decisions borne of fear accelerate failure, and whether our tenderness with others is actually a possible site for transformation and liberation. Text: John 18:1 -1 9:42

In this episode Alex Patchin McNeill, and Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Executive Director at Campaign for Southern Equality, discuss Jesus' protest parade into Jerusalem for Palm Sunday through the theme of joy. They explore the queerness of political theatre, examine the work of resistance while living in your own Jerusalem, and liberation as an act of participation. Text: Mark 11:1-11 Check out Jasmine's work at www.southernequality.org

In this episode, Alex Patchin McNeill and Dr. Robyn Henderson Espinoza, Director of Public Theology Initiatives at Faith Matters Network, and activist theologian, reflect on a part of Paul's letter to Corinthians naming "God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom" through the theme of wisdom. They explore resistance to empire as a willingness to sit with the difficult texts, and see possibilities for liberation through the act of proclaiming what others deem foolish to expose the ridiculousness of the empire.

In this episode Alex Patchin McNeill and Rev. Cedric Harmon, Executive Director of Many Voices: A Black Church Movement for Gay and Transgender Justice, discuss the story of the raising of Lazarus through the theme of hopelessness. Together they explore practices to transform hopelessness and our call to resist the demand of go, go go. Liberation is found when you are unafraid to remove the stone from your community's tombs. Text: John 11: 1-44 Many Voices: www.manyvoices.org More Light: www.mlp.org

On this episode, host Alex Patchin McNeill and collaborative reader Jess Cook, Program and Communications Manager at More Light Presbyterians, explore the story of Jesus' transfiguration through the theme of transformation. Jess and Alex both identify as transgender and in this reading put the trans in transfiguration. They explore ways to resist using old labels for new ways of being embodied in the world, and how the simple act of being yourself can be a vision of liberation. Text: Mark 9: 2-9 More Light: www.mlp.org