What happens when we stop thinking of art as something created in isolation and start seeing it as a way to build community, nurture hope, and create change? In this episode of Holy Shenanigans, recorded live at Wild Goose Festival 2026, Tara talks with artist and creative visionary Sarah Skinner, Lumen Solis at Instagram, about the transformative power of art. She shares the story of the Witnessing Wall, a collaborative art project that grew from grief and resistance into a living expression of connection, hope, and beloved community. Together, Tara and Lumen explore what happens when we let go of control, invite others into the creative process, and allow our art—and ourselves—to ripple out into the world. They talk about creativity as a spiritual and even liturgical practice, the courage to face difficult realities, and the unexpected ways community can catch us when life gets hard. And, of course, there are a few holy shenanigans along the way—including a goose with wings and bells. You don't have to think of yourself as an artist to join this conversation. You simply have to be willing to make something beautiful, share your gifts, and discover what happens when creativity calls us back into community. Blessed Are the Burned-Out Apr 7, 2025 Written By Sarah Skinner Before the palms, before the cross, before the sunrise—this is for you. For the hands tending Sacred Refuge, for those who feel they must be more than human— this is your invitation to pause. To remember that you are holy. That you are human. That you are held. In my work in ministry, I have walked alongside hundreds of pastors and church workers. And I know: You are tired. This blessing is one small offering in return— a moment of restoration in the Holy Currency of Wellness. A reminder that you, too, are part of the ecosystem of grace. Let me take your hands, and place this blessing in them. Blessed are the burned-out, the ones with sermon notes in the margins of bulletins, who haven’t sat through a full worship service in years because they’re always making it happen for someone else. Blessed are the ones who stayed late to fold bulletins, to run through sound checks, to clean up candle wax— so someone else could experience sacredness. Blessed are the ones who can’t cry during the Good Friday service because they know they have to lead the Easter one. Blessed are the cracked-voiced singers, the undercaffeinated liturgists, the ones whose hearts are full of beauty and whose bodies are just so tired. Blessed are the pastors who write resurrection sermons while quietly grieving the loss no one else knows they’re carrying. Blessed are the ones who bring communion to others, not remembering the last time someone blessed them with bread. Blessed are you— in your imperfection, your overwhelm, your quiet ache. You are not failing. You are not alone. You are not unseen. You are standing at the edge of something holy. And so—before the week begins, before you take up basin and towel, before you preach the cross and sing the tomb open— Come. Not as leader. Not as shepherd. But simply as you. Breathe. Be held. Let this blessing carry you for once. You do not have to resurrect the world. Just remain. Just be. Just breathe. The presence of the Holy One is already here. You are not the tomb’s keeper. You are not the dawn’s engine. You are the one the Holy One would sit beside in the garden— before the palms, before the cross, before the sunrise— just to say: “You are enough. Let me hold your hand awhile.” Send Tara a Text Message Support the show Rev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020. Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary’s Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America). She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.
