sick and hAlarious: Encountering God in it All

Layne and Abigail take a moment to remember those who have joined the great cloud of witnesses this All Saints' Sunday. They reminisce about the dollar theater in Cleveland, Harry Potter, and Abigail's great aunt Betty. On this All Saints' Sunday,  they invite you to contemplate the impact of those you have lost, giving thanks to God for their lives. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!Scripture reading: Hebrews 12:1-6sickhapodcast.compatreon.com

Sick and hAlarious are Back! Layne and Abigail explore the reasons why life can be so competitive and why no one feels like they are winning. Through the lens of biblical  marriage (polygamous and kinda incestuous) they wonder what would happen if women didn’t play into patriarchy’s hand.  Also included in the episodes is numerous references to Friends and discussing the concept of sister sister wives.  Join them and encounter God in the Sick and hAlarious! Support us at patreon.com/sickhapodcastsickhapodcast.comScripture discussion Genesis 29:15-30:1

Episode 51 Lost Episode “What is up with Delilah”Abigail and Layne totally forgot they had recorded this episode and are elated to dust it off and share it with their listeners. With too many outdated pop-culture references to count, they discuss Delilah’s role in the downfall of Samson. Layne and Abigail delve into how this story has shaped purity culture, perpetuating harmful stereotypes of women, and the pervasiveness of the patriarchy, offering an alternative perspective on how we can approach this biblical narrative. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!sickhapodcast.comBible Text: Judges 16:4-20

Happy Halloween! Layne and Abigail are back after a long a break and are asking the Question “why was I not allowed to trick or treat?”  They remember all of the alternative Halloween options of their childhood and Abi tells a HAlarious story in which her regular clothes were mistaken for a costume. They turn to a harrowing text in Exodus 32 looking for some clarity on how fear can cause us to make mistakes and how being less rigid just might open us up to God’s work in the world.  Join them and encounter God in the Sick and HAlarious! Scripture Reading Exodus 32:1-14

Layne and Abigail are back in the book of Judges exploring the haunting tale of Jephthah's unnamed daughter and ask why it reads like a script from an episode of Game of Thrones. As they ponder where God could possibly be  in this text, they look for meaningful ways to remember and honor this young girl whose life was unnecessarily cut short. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious. Scripture Reading: Judges 11:29-40www.sickhapodcast.com

Abigail and Layne are back! Enjoy this special Halloween episode where they ask is the vaccine is the Mark of the Beast? They decide to read a passage from Revelation to get some clarity on the whole thing and finally get some understanding on the meaning of 666. Also included in this episode is a discussion about ticks in the afterlife. Join them as they look for God in the sick and hAlarious!Scripture reading: Revelation 13:11-18 

Layne and Abigail share the changes that have taken place in their lives over the past few months. Abigail reminds Layne of the most annoying CD she ever burned for her and they talk about Layne's tractor loving grandpa. Turning to the Psalms for comfort, they decide to do something a little different with the scripture portion this week. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!Scripture reading Psalm 139:1-18To support sick and hAlarious, find us on patreon! patreon.com/sickhapodcastSubscribe to our website for all the latest updates! www.sickhapodcast.com

Abigail and Layne begin a series discussing modern forms of idolatry and this week’s focus is on guns. They wonder if Jesus would have carried a firearm and turn to a story in the Gospel of Matthew to hear Jesus’ opinion on the whole matter. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious! Scripture Reading:  Matthew 26:47-56 www.patreon.com/sickhapodcast 

On this deep dive, Layne tells Abigail all about the 18th century itinerant preacher, John Wesley. Layne reframes  the life of Wesley through his many failed romances and his inner turmoil of serving God or having a family. Abigail and Layne reflect on how Wesley’s understanding of Christian perfection really screwed them up from a young age and decide to embrace their imperfections by not editing out their mistakes in this episode. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 7:1-11sickhapodcast.comwww.patreon.com/sickhapodcast

Layne and Abigail take a look at Nonviolent Communication and discuss all the ways it has helped them navigate through life. They imagine their dream retirement situation and use the model of Nonviolent Communication to help them navigate a difficult situation. They also turn to Jesus’ sermon on the mount and feel encouraged that the narrow path to life is a life of vulnerability and asking for what you need. Join them and encounter God in the Sick and hAlarious!sickhapodcast.comdiscussed in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHduBeFdyns https://www.cnvc.org/ Matthew 7:7-20

Explicit content warning: this episode contains language not suitable for children. Layne and Abigail recall moments they’ve received unwanted sexual comments as they’ve gone about their normal daily routines, acknowledging this is a universal experience for all women. Looking to Hosea 1, they find a woman who is labeled by the text in a sexually explicit manner and ask in what ways harmful language directed at women in the Bible have contributed to perpetuating patriarchal and misogynistic readings of scripture. With a feminist hermeneutic, they subvert the text and explore the feminine aspects of God. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!Scripture reading: Hosea 1:2-11sickhapodcast.com

On this month’s deep dive Layne lists all the reasons LeBron James is one of her heroes. She tells Abigail about LeBron’s rise to basketball stardom and the high expectations placed on him from an early age, admiring his ability to stay true to himself and bring a long-expected championship to his hometown of Cleveland (Ohio, not Tennessee). They turn to the gospel of Luke and trace the parallels between Jesus’ own difficulties in his hometown and wonder why it is hardest for the people who know us best to support and accept who we are and where we are going. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!sickhapodcast.com

Abigail and Layne ask what they regret and whether it can be transformed by the Easter story and Jesus’ resurrection. They examine Peter's actions before and after the crucifixion reflecting on how he illustrates the ways our own denial, fear, and worries can be transformed. Layne shares a story about a mall cop illuminating her own ability to be fearful and deny her convictions. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious! www.sickhapodcast.com

In light of Holy Week and Good Friday Abigail and Layne ask the question, what are you grieving? They take a look back over the last year and give space to acknowledge all the loss and change that occurred in their lives. They turn to the story of Lazarus in the Gospel of John and ask Jesus how to grieve. Don’t worry! This episode still has laughter and Layne tells a story of a whale watching tour gone bad! Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious! sickhapodcast.com

No topic is off limits for Abigail and Layne and this week they discuss spiritual warfare. They sit down with Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle, Executive Presbyter of the Greater Atlanta Presbytery, who explains what it is and whether we should engage in it. Together they look at a story in the gospel of Mark about a man tormented by thousands who is healed by Jesus and the implications of that story for spiritual warfare. Aisha sheds light on how this spiritual discipline can lead to freedom and is not something we have to fear. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!www.sickhapodcast.com

Abigail and Layne scrutinize the prohibition against gossip and wonder if it's as bad as we all think. They ask if women are told not to gossip in order to keep patriarchy in power and read a salacious story in Genesis which demonstrates that God’s plans just might be revealed through the town gossip. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!sickhapodcast.com

Abigail and Layne wonder why in high school it became popular to “kiss dating goodbye.” They examine their own dating history and discuss why the church perpetuates fear of romance. Abigail and Layne take a look at the book of Ruth and look for God in the scandal of a midnight surprise. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!www.sickhapodcast.com/

Layne and Abigail wonder why hospitality within the church is often gendered and reduced to hosting parties and special events. With the help of fellow Lee alumni Dr. Beth Ritter-Conn, whose research focuses on the theological dimensions of food, hospitality, and immigration, they invite us to consider the radical, disruptive practice that is not only welcoming the other, but being welcomed by the other. They look at the Genesis 18 text where Abraham welcomes three strangers (who are they?!) and ask how it challenges us to reconsider they ways we practice this mandate. Join them and encounter God in the sick and hAlarious!Dr. Beth Ritter-Conn is a graduate of Lee University and has a Ph.D. in Systematic and Philosophical Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She is a professor at Belmont University in Nashville where she resides with her beloved husband Jordan Ritter-Conn.If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!www.sickhapodcast.com

On this month’s deep dive Abigail takes Layne deep into history to learn about the fascinating medieval prodigy and theologian Heloise. This is a story of many twists and turns and history has suggested Heloise suffered from a tragic love story, but maybe she  suffered from abuse. Layne and Abigail also tackle one of the toughest scriptures in the whole Bible-the one where Paul tells women to stay silent-but they take a closer look and feel confident to continue speaking and teaching.  Join them and encounter God in the story of Heloise!sickhapodcast.com

In the wake of the global pandemic and the subsequent development of the COVID 19 vaccine, Layne and Abigail turn to two to medical doctors to answer all their questions and concerns about the vaccine. They welcome Dr. Sarah M. Jacobs, MD, and Dr. Erin N. Goranson, MD, who help them understand how our bodies work, what a vaccine is and does, and why we can trust the science behind the COVID 19 vaccine. These brilliant women are both graduates of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and share their insight, wisdom, and expertise with laughter and charm. Join them and encounter God in the healthy and serious!www.sickhapodcast.com