Right There With You

What if God was never a punisher—and hell was never the point?In this powerful episode of Right There With You, hosts Cass Cooper and Ciarra Jones sit down with public theologians Tamice Spencer-Helms (Faith Unleavened) and Brian Recker (Hell Bent) to explore how fear, whiteness, and Christian supremacy have shaped American Christianity and the spiritual lives of millions.Together, they unpack:How hell theology produces fear, shame, and controlWhy a punitive view of God leads to a punitive societyThe role of whiteness in shaping Christian identity, belonging, and powerWhat it means to be Black, queer, and spiritually rooted outside colonized faithHow to heal from religious trauma and rebuild spirituality in loveWhy restorative justice aligns more with Jesus than fear-based salvationThe wilderness between Trayvon Martin and George Floyd—and what liberation looks like after lossThis conversation is tender, challenging, funny, and liberating. It’s for anyone navigating deconstruction, exvangelical healing, racial justice, queerness, parenting, divorce, co-parenting, or redefining their relationship to God.If you’ve ever feared hell, questioned God’s love, or felt pushed out of church spaces—you’re right there with us.Featured GuestsTamice Spencer-HelmsAuthor of Faith Unleavened: The Wilderness Between Trayvon Martin & George FloydFounder, theologian, cultural critic, and co-creator of The Ember Gathering, a post-evangelical liberation event.Brian ReckerAuthor of Hell Bent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of LoveFormer evangelical pastor, restorative justice advocate, and co-founder of The Ember Gathering.🌿 Find Cass & Ciarra Online✨ Instagram: @RightThereWithYouPod✨ Patreon: patreon.com/thecommunitygarden✨ Cass: iamcasscooper.com | TikTok @just_cass2.0✨ Ciarra: ciarajonesconsulting.com | TikTok @thegardeningtheologian

In this episode of Right There With You, Cass and Ciarra tackle the uncomfortable truth: the male gaze is not ministry. From pulpits to platforms, patriarchal theology has long defined what holiness looks like—especially for women and queer folks.Together, they explore how deconstruction, feminism, and faith intersect when the church’s obsession with purity, power, and performance collides with real people’s lives.The conversation dives deep into spiritual grooming, gendered accountability, sexual repression, and performative forgiveness, asking: what happens when control is mistaken for care?Cass and Ciarra illuminate the path toward sacred agency, reminding listeners that embodiment, truth-telling, and community care are not rebellion—they’re revival.🌿 Find Cass & Ciarra Online✨ Instagram: @RightThereWithYouPod✨ Patreon: patreon.com/thecommunitygarden✨ Cass: iamcasscooper.com | TikTok @just_cass2.0✨ Ciarra: ciarajonesconsulting.com | TikTok @thegardeningtheologian

Divorce doesn’t just cost money—it costs peace, time, and sometimes, your sense of self. In this solo episode, Cass shares how she spent three years and $60,000 leaving her marriage—and why she would pay it again. Through data, lived experience, and quiet truth-telling, she unpacks what divorce taught her about boundaries, burnout, and the real price of peace.✨ Sacred Descent Prompt: Have you ever had to pay for your peace—in love, work, or life?🌿 Find Cass & Ciarra Online✨ Instagram: @RightThereWithYouPod✨ Patreon: patreon.com/thecommunitygarden✨ Cass: iamcasscooper.com | TikTok @just_cass2.0✨ Ciarra: ciarajonesconsulting.com | TikTok @thegardeningtheologian

In this punchy, needed conversation, Cass and Ciarra name what’s happening to families when SNAP benefits are paused or cut: systemic policy violence. We reframe how we talk about “violence” in the context of food access, connect the dots between shutdown economics and hungry kids, and call out the gap between faith-in-words and care-in-action. We also offer practical ways to show up right now—mutual aid, local giving, and community care—while challenging the narratives that blame the most vulnerable. If you care about food security, social justice, and policy reform, this episode is your fire starter and field guide. ✊🏽Resources & ActionsMutual Aid: Support a local mutual aid fridge, pantry, or school weekend-meal program.Food Banks: Donate time or funds to your nearest food bank.Policy: Call state reps to support SNAP extensions and emergency allotments.Community Check-In: Host a potluck or send a private “Do you need groceries this week?” message to your circle.Consider Donating to:Fort Worth: Funkytown Fridge at Westside Presbyterian Church: https://www.westsidepc.org/.Oakland: Oak Life Churcy: https://www.oaklifechurch.com/🌿 Find Cass & Ciarra Online✨ Instagram: @RightThereWithYouPod✨ Patreon: patreon.com/thecommunitygarden✨ Cass: iamcasscooper.com | TikTok @just_cass2.0✨ Ciarra: ciarajonesconsulting.com | TikTok @thegardeningtheologian

Weddings, work, and the “soft life.” Cass and Ciarra unpack why your partner may be the most consequential career decision you’ll ever make—and how to choose love that amplifies, not extracts. They dig into emotional labor in cis-hetero dynamics, what’s different in many queer partnerships, and the realities of going from solo to building a business with your person. Then they redefine success beyond hustle, talk nervous-system-friendly ambition, and share “sacred descent” practices for finding joy along the way.✨ Highlights• Partnership that accelerates (or stalls) your career• Emotional extraction vs. equitable love• Soft life energy without abandoning purpose• Solopreneurship, layoffs, and scaling together• Sacred descent: joy pockets, community, and self-worth beyond metrics📚 Referencedbell hooks — All About LoveEve Rodsky — Fair PlayAnne Helen Petersen — Can’t EvenPixar — Soul🌿 Find Cass & Ciarra Online✨ Instagram: @RightThereWithYouPod✨ Patreon: patreon.com/thecommunitygarden✨ Cass: iamcasscooper.com | TikTok @just_cass2.0✨ Ciarra: ciarajonesconsulting.com | TikTok @thegardeningtheologian

Cass and Ciarra sit down with an HR professional to unpack what HR really does — and what it doesn’t. They explore how to navigate toxic culture, when to go to HR, and how to advocate for yourself without losing your peace.This episode digs into the myths of HR, the reality of workplace power, and the importance of humanizing leadership. From FMLA and ADA to conflict resolution and emotional boundaries, this is a grounded, eye-opening guide to protecting your well-being at work.Sacred Descent Prompt: How do you stay human in systems that forget we’re people first?🌿 Find Cass & Ciarra Online✨ Instagram:@RightThereWithYouPod✨ Patreon:patreon.com/thecommunitygarden✨ Cass: iamcasscooper.com | TikTok@just_cass2.0✨ Ciarra: ciarajonesconsulting.com | TikTok@thegardeningtheologian

Welcome to Episode Two. Cass and Ciarra unpack the tension between Brené Brown’s vulnerability and Audre Lorde’s survival. They explore how empathy culture so often misses the mark for Black women and what real well-being at work looks like when safety isn’t guaranteed.🌿 Find Cass & Ciarra Online✨ Instagram: @RightThereWithYouPod✨ Patreon: patreon.com/thecommunitygarden ✨ Cass: iamcasscooper.com | TikTok @just_cass2.0✨ Ciarra: ciarajonesconsulting.com | TikTok @thegardeningtheologian

Dive into the realities of burnout and corporate culture for Black women as Cass and Ciarra explore how joy can be a form of resistance. They share insights on the importance of soft skills, the need for boundaries, and the benefits of outsourcing to preserve well-being. The duo discusses the systemic challenges in workplaces and highlights the significance of AI literacy as a career asset. With a focus on career pivots and authenticity, this conversation encourages embracing one's unique qualities in the face of corporate pressures.

This season, we’re centering Black women and work — corporate work, creative work, emotional work, and the sacred act of finding rhythm in the middle of it all. 🌿Cass and Ciarra dive into the realities of Black women thriving in systems not built for us, unpacking the weight of burnout, rising layoffs, and the illusion of DEI progress. Together, they explore how to navigate career, identity, and wellness while still living right there with you — in the mess, the healing, and the hope. 💫🌈 Honest voices. Sacred dissent. Real talk about work, womanhood, and the world we’re building next.🌿 Find Cass & Ciarra Online✨ Instagram: @RightThereWithYouPod✨ Patreon: patreon.com/thecommunitygarden✨ Cass: iamcasscooper.com | TikTok @just_cass2.0✨ Ciarra: ciarajonesconsulting.com | TikTok @thegardeningtheologian

Grief, Growth & the Sacred DetourLike most things in life, we started this episode headed in one direction… and then life, in all its realness, rerouted us.This was supposed to be part one of a convo on heteronormativity (don’t worry—we still owe y’all that part two). But grief had other plans. The kind of grief that shows up uninvited and remakes you from the inside out. The kind that asks you to pause, reflect, and sometimes crumble—so you can rebuild something softer, stronger, and truer.In this bonus episode, Cass & Ciarra dive deep into how grief shapes us, how it doesn’t follow a timeline, and how sacred it can become when experienced in community.We explore:✨ TikTok growth and personal wins✨ Beauty standards and skincare as ritual✨ Breakups, co-parenting, and friendship✨ And the quiet, powerful lessons grief teaches us when we let itThis conversation reminds us:🌀 Grief is not linear—it comes in waves.🤝 Community support is essential.🕊️ Grief is sacred when it’s shared, not silenced.We’re grateful to be in this with you. And we’d love to hear from you in the comments:🌱 How is grief reshaping you right now?🌿 What’s helping you hold space for healing?With tenderness,Cass + Ciarra