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In this episode, we give Miriam her moment, honoring her role as Israel's priestess. From our earliest meeting of Miriam in Exodus to her passing in Numbers, we see a woman steadily coming into her own. Together, we walk alongside the young girl who knows how to make things happen and through her transition to becoming the matriarch of her people, caring for them, guiding them, and calling Moses to be the leader he needs to be for them. In Miriam's journey, we also attend to her relationship to Zipporah, another woman of strength. Miriam and Zipporah share a bond--as priestesses, as saviors of Moses, and as women who act on their knowing. And we can't sit with these powerful stories without feeling a sense of grief for the cost these women and all women have borne for acting on their knowing. For every woman of strength, and every woman trying to remember that part of yourself, this episode is for you.

This week, we consider the theme of identity in Exodus. Our conversation leads us to consider the evolving of Israel's identity, Hagar as an archetype for faith in the wilderness, and the formation of God's identity as well. Together, we consider the attributes of God introduced in Exodus that get labelled today as "masculine" or "feminine." And we wonder aloud what feminine aspects of God's character have been erased or suppressed over time. How might we relate with God differently if we once again centered God's mothering attributes and radical presence?

Meet Miriam, Prophetess and Priestess, leading her people in the Song of the Sea as they embark on their journey to become a great nation. Starting with a conversation of the role of water in Exodus, Beth, Katy, and Tracy consider who Miriam is to her people, God's self-described "womb-like" qualities, and how women function as wellsprings of life throughout the Torah. Together we realize the essential vitality of women  in furthering the biblical narrative and the power of the feminine to embody and express who God is to the people of Israel. For women wondering if Scripture ever owns or honors the life-giving strength they carry within their bodies, this episode is for you.

Mid-what? Hi there and welcome to Red Tent Midrash, where a mystic, a pilgrim, and a storyteller gather to practice the ancient tradition of midrash: the naming of our questions and wrestlings with Scripture to press on the text and see what it reveals. This season, we focus on the women of Exodus and what they have to say to us about God, religion, leadership, and femininity. Join us as we set the stage for this season, introduce you to the scholars we're engaging, and prepare to go a little deeper with stories that have perhaps grown too familiar for all of us and have more to say to the curious. *Forgive the sound on this one. We figured out a better solution moving forward.

We close season four with Tracy and Katy modeling what conversation during a Red Tent Dinner can look like. In this conversation, Katy shares a story about bearing witness, and Tracy engages the story from her own life as well. With a special look at what it looks like to grow community deeply and organically, this episode shows how meaningful conversation can unfold organically through a Red Tent Dinner. Join Tracy and Katy for a rich conversation, and consider signing up to host your own monthly Red Tent Dinner online at Red Tent Living.

Most of us carry stories that feel painful, if not impossible, to speak aloud. Stories we fear no one would believe. Stories where we or someone we loved experienced pronounced harm or betrayal. Stories that changed us forever.  What does it mean to live after a story of harm has happened?  In this special episode, Katy and Tracy reflect on the impact of stories of harm that they have navigated and their ongoing relationships with those kinds of stories as they walk forward in their lives. Candid and transformational, this episode is for anyone who has ever wondered, "who would believe me if I could ever find the right words to tell the truth?" For more stories from brave, ordinary women, join us at Red Tent Living.

Far too few women feel invited to speak freely about menopause and the changes they experience in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. In this episode, Tracy Johnson and Jamie Schaub go all the places you've wondered about: offering helpful context, personal stories, and encouraging support for women wondering if there is a better, kinder way to love their bodies as they age. It's an episode not to miss!For more stories from brave, ordinary women, join us at Red Tent Living.

Author Christy Bauman shares with Tracy and Katy from her latest work, Her Rites, about the rite of legacy. While many of us have received traditions passed down from our mothers and grandmothers, far fewer have intentional language about the meaning behind those acts and traditions. Together, Christ, Katy, and Tracy reflect on the legacies they have inherited and the ones they long to intentionally leave behind. Join the conversation to consider what intentionally living your life to leave a legacy looks like. For more stories from brave, ordinary women, join us at Red Tent Living.

In this rare sister-episdoe, Katy and Allison, swap stories of different seasons in their life when they knew it was time to embrace an ending, but they felt unsure of what awaited them on the other side. In their own words, they find language for the risks they each chose to take and the way they navigated closing a sweet and familiar season they didn't want to leave, per se, but knew they had outgrown.  Intimate, curious, and connected, join these two women as they bear witness for each other to a couple of stories on unexpected change and adventure.  For more stories from brave, ordinary women, join us at Red Tent Living.

"Sorrow is the key to life," says Becky Allender. In this episode, Becky and Sandhya Oaks reflect on the nature of sorrow, the role it has in our lives, and the beauty we find because we are willing to engage the darker and more painful elements of our lives. Join Becky and Sandhya in this wide ranging conversation on living more fully thanks to the bravery of grief.  For more stories from brave, ordinary women, join us at Red Tent Living.

Kindred Spirits and fellow writers for Red Tent Living, Rachel Blackston and Susan Tucker take time to ponder seasons on endings, specifically in the context of motherhood. From a story shared about the ending of childhood and start of the adolescent era to a longer look at the seasons of parting with a child as they embrace their adult independance, Rachel and Susan not only find language for the bittersweet grief of a mother learning to let go, but also the sacred privelege of raising securely attached children who want to leave and understand how to leave well. Wise and winsome, this conversation is a true delight.

Tracy Johnson and Beth Bruno have both spent years pouring their passion and hearts into full time ministry, and both ultimately made the choice to leave that work behind. Together, they reflect on their initial call to ministry, why they left, and the life they have found in their vocations since. A conversation full of heart, hope, grief and growth, Tracy and Beth honor the seasons of ministry and the good work that comes after.

Surprising, poignant, and creative, Sandhya and Susan share a conversation together about practices of gratitude they have woven into the rhythms of their lives thanks to friendship. From the sacredness of a dinner table to a courageous game practiced 30,000 feet in the air, these women shine a light on the ways we can all grow more present, more thankful, and more connected to the people around us. Tune in for a rich conversation unlike any other.  For more stories from brave, ordinary women, join us at Red Tent Living.

Does all great art flow from suffering? Does the act of creating inherently bring suffering in its wake? How do we navigate the pain and beauty of creation? In this episode Katy Stafford and Cathy Loerzel reflect on their creative endeavors, from the most significant to the most mundane. Together, they ponder, "What does it cost us to create?" While also exploring why they keep creating even when it hurts. Whether or not you imagine yourself to be creative, this episode is for you and the important creative work you bring to you life. Join for a playful and reflective conversation. For more stories from brave, ordinary women, join us at Red Tent Living.

This week, we're taking a moment to pause from our episodes on gratitude and journal on the places where life is good. This brief reflection with Katy is intended to ground you in the blessings of your life exactly as it stands today. Enjoy! For more stories from brave, ordinary women, join us at Red Tent Living.