25. Bishop Guðrún (Church of Iceland) – A Nation Led by Women, and a Bishop Who Says Queer People Should Be Safe in Christianity

🎙️ 25. Bishop Guðrún Karls Helgudottir (Church of Iceland) – A Nation Led by Women, and a Bishop Who Says Queer People Should Be Safe in Christianity

When a nation is led by women at the highest levels - the President, the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Reykjavík, the National Police Commissioner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Bishop of Iceland - something becomes visible: women in power isn’t an exception, it’s normal. Into that context steps Bishop Guðrún - the second woman ever to serve as Bishop of Iceland - who tells LGBTQ+ people that God’s creation is good — and that we are holy creations of God.

Together, Alexis & Bishop Guðrún dive into:

• Iceland’s 1975 Women’s Strike & gender equality milestones
• From harm to repair - why churches MUST affirm LGBTQ+ people
• The Bishop’s civic role - national funerals, ceremonies, moral voice
• Mental health, suicide, and walking with people in suffering
• A prayer in Icelandic for listeners who left church but not God

💡 Key Takeaways

🌈 Safety, dignity, and belonging for queer people is Christian discipleship - not deviation.
 👩‍⚖️ When women lead at every level of national life, equality becomes ordinary - not symbolic.
 🧭 The Bishop’s role is not partisan power - it is moral presence and public courage.
 🕊️ True pastoral leadership walks with people in suffering, not above them.

⛪ About Our Guest

Bishop Guðrún Karls Helgudottir (@gudrun.biskup_) is the Bishop of Iceland - the spiritual head of the Church of Iceland (@kirkjan.is), a national Lutheran church interwoven into Icelandic cultural life, history, and state ceremonies. The Bishop’s office carries both sacred and civic weight: accompanying presidents and prime ministers at moments of national significance, offering moral clarity in public crises, and serving as a pastoral presence when the country gathers in grief, remembrance, or celebration.

Bishop Guðrún is the second woman ever to serve as Bishop of Iceland. Her pathway includes parish leadership in Sweden and Iceland, and theological formation at the University of Iceland and the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Known internationally for her clear advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion, Bishop Guðrún represents a model of Christian leadership rooted not in fear or exclusion, but in dignity, equality, and the conviction that God’s creation is good.

📚 Resources Mentioned

Iceland Church Pride clip:
 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNBnMnFMtN8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Bishop Guðrún Trans rights clip:
 

Transcript

Alexis (00:00)
there is someone listening who is part of the queer community, who is in a space that they don't feel safe around Christians, can you speak to them now and what message do you have as the bishop, head bishop of Iceland as a Christian?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (00:17)
You should be safe. You should be safe as a queer person, especially within Christianity, because God loves you. God created you just like you are. And God does not make mistakes in God's creation. So that's why you are perfect as you And we holy. We are holy creations of God.

and God loves us just like we are. So be yourself. Try to find the courage and people that you can talk to and can feel safe with. And a church that does not recognize you as a creation of God being just you, I question the church that does that. Because that's not the message of Jesus at all.

And that is not the message of God that created all human beings and God looked at its creation and saw that it was good. So you're good, just like you are.

Alexis (01:23)
⁓ thank you. It's very moving. I know that's going to help a lot of people. Thank you for that.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (01:28)
I hope so,

I hope so, because I mean this from the bottom of my heart.

Alexis Rice (01:38)
Welcome to the Sacred Slope, friends. Today is a really special day. It is our 25th episode release, and I wanted to start by really thanking you. Thank you so much for being here. You have given me the strength and the hope and the drive to continue bringing these incredible, soul-filling, life-giving conversations to you.

this project was born out of a conviction that Christianity is not a monolith. There is no one person, one political party, one country, one denomination, one interpretation that completely owns and speaks for Jesus, that completely owns and speaks for our diverse, global, inclusive.

Christian faith. I wanted to tell you a little bit about my reference point, I felt like you were owed that after 25 episodes. I grew up in California, so lucky to do that because it is one of the most diverse places on earth. I've also gotten to live

and travel to over 30 countries in the world. And I'm not done yet. I speak three languages. I only learned English growing up and learned two more along the way. And I know what it's like to be a foreigner and an immigrant as I been in other countries where English is not the first language. So I know that experience of struggling.

My kids are half American and half Dutch. I met my husband as I studied abroad in Spain from the Netherlands over 20 years ago, and we've been happily married for a very long time. In my daughter's classroom, we are fortunate enough in California to be in a public school where there's around 25, 30 kids and there are 16 languages spoken. So

As you can imagine, there are kids from every faith background and no faith. There are kids from all over the world who are living, breathing examples of kids who are playing together and learning from each other and celebrating each other's diversity and identity as an incredible strength. And I wish that so much for everybody that's listening, if you haven't ever gotten to experience that.

that you find ways to do that. I've also worshiped with Christians in many different cultures. with Christians in many different ways. As you've seen a lot of that, I've prayed with people from so many different denominations, and it's been so fun to see how different people pray. Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian.

the Church of England, Black churches. Lutheran, non-denominational, post-evangelical, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Episcopal. I mean, there's so many different denominations that we've already had exposure to. And I'm just so excited to continue this journey with you. I learned firsthand.

through all of this, and I hope that you are all learning firsthand that we are all shaped by context. We all have bias, and that is completely okay as long as we recognize that. And so curiosity is that path towards humility and humility is that path towards love. So this podcast is my offering to that truth.

we've already gotten to hear voices from California, Washington, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and internationally. We've gone to Canada, England, and today we're going to Iceland to hear from a very important figure. This is one of the honors of my life that I have been able to interview this woman. This is Bishop Guðrún

And I completely butchered it, but I really did my best. And one of the reasons I want to say that is that we might not get everything right when we are trying to understand people who are not the same as we are, but it's important that we try and we try with respect. And for those who are are noticing that other people are trying, it's important to have grace and mercy as people learn.

I'll introduce her formally in just a moment, but I wanted to say this. Bishop Guðrún is a beacon of Christian courage in the world, where many public examples of Christianity do not always reflect the fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. She models a way of repairing harm

of welcoming the marginalized, of living out Jesus's real actual teachings. So thank you for walking down the sacred slope with me. Thank you for your curiosity, your courage and your vulnerability. Thank you for your kind messages of encouragement, your kind reviews. If this matters to you, it would really you would take 60 seconds, do it while you're listening to this podcast. review, rate and share with a friend or your Bible study

group chat or your church, your family, if you can follow the sacred slope on YouTube, Spotify, Apple podcasts, Instagram, TikTok, threads, Facebook and Blue Sky. This is still just me. There's no sponsors currently. There's no funding currently. I'm doing it all myself because I believe in this holy work. I am thankful that you are joining this journey with me So now let's go to Iceland.

Alexis (08:01)
Welcome back, friends. Today on the sacred slope, it is my profound honor to welcome Bishop Guðrún Károls Helga Dóttir. How did I do?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (08:12)
Thank you. Thank you. Well done.

Alexis (08:16)
Hello, hi, Guðrún

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (08:19)
Hi, nice to meet you.

Alexis (08:20)
nice to meet you. So Bishop Guðrún, Is the 15th Bishop of Iceland. She was consecrated on September 1st, 2024 in Iceland's National Cathedral I don't want to say it in the American way. How do you pronounce it?

In Reykjavik. We're going to make a lot of, we're going to learn a lot from each other today.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (08:40)
Yeah, yeah,

I'm gonna make mistakes too.

Alexis (08:44)
second woman ever to hold this office in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, a historic milestone for both the church and the nation. The office of Bishop of Iceland carries both spiritual and civic weight. The Bishop shepherds the national church, but also takes part in moments of national importance, presiding at state ceremonies, advising leaders,

and speaking into public debates on justice, equality, and culture. Recently, she stood alongside Iceland's president and prime minister, both at the memorial for Pope Francis, powerful symbol of how the role bridges faith and public life. Her pathway to leadership includes years of parish ministry, theological study at the University of Iceland, and formative experiences in Sweden,

and at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. She is known for her pastoral presence, her advocacy for LGBTQ plus inclusion, and her commitment to bringing the Bishop's office into local communities each year to be closer to the people. Her leadership is not only historic, but it's deeply symbolic. A woman presiding at the highest levels of church and civic life in one of the most, egalitarian societies.

So welcome to the Sacred Slope.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (10:02)
Thank you.

Alexis (10:02)
Bishop Guðrún would you share your journey into ministry and what it has meant to become Iceland's second female bishop?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (10:11)
Wow, this is a big question. I studied theology in Iceland in the beginning when I finished, I decided to move to Sweden because of love. My husband was a professor at the university in Gothenburg. So I moved there and...

I decided to try and see if I could become a pastor in the Church of And it took me three and a half years because they wanted to make me as Swedish as they could before they ordained me. And so I was the Church of Sweden and I was a pastor there for about four years. Then I moved back to Iceland and became a

I in the largest congregation in Reykjavik and I was there for eight years and then I became a senior pastor in the same church and was there for another eight years. then I became bishop.

The journey to become a bishop in Iceland is I was nominated by the pastors and deacons and we were three that were nominated and then there was an election and we have to have over 50 % of the votes of all the church people yeah.

That's how it goes. And that was my journey in a very, very short description. I think it was good for me and hopefully for the church as well that a pastor in Sweden as well, because I think it enriches the church to see the world.

learn something from other churches and it is approximately the same church as here. It is also an evangelical Lutheran church in Sweden. And it's very nice now to have all this connection to the Swedish church and the in the Nordic countries because Iceland is tiny. We are not that many here. So it is very important to us to

feel that we belong to a bigger world and a bigger church than just this one here. We all know each other.

Alexis (12:25)
Hmm. that's wonderful. Could you tell me a little bit about your faith growing up as a child and growing into your teenage years? What What does faith look like for you?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (12:28)
Yeah.

grandfather was a pastor in a small church I think for me, religion was always a normal part of life. It was just the way life was. And I was a great believer. I was, mean, God was my friend.

I prayed to God many times every day and I asked for everything I wanted. Mostly I didn't get it, but sometimes I did. But that just hardened me. I believed even stronger even though I didn't get everything I wanted. No, but yeah, God was like a friend, always with me, you know, gave me comfort.

and I didn't question God. It was just how it was. We did go to church like fairly often, not every Sunday, not at all. It's not really like that in Iceland. But you know, maybe 20 times a year or something and that's quite a lot here. But then when I became a teenager, I started questioning everything.

And there were a years where I told everyone and myself didn't believe anymore. I was not Christian. I didn't believe anything. God is not here. There's no God. But at the same time, I was always keen on discussing, you know, religion and theology and everything.

So I think years were more like well, I was going through an important phase in my religion. was as a religious person and I needed to get that distance

from seeing God and faith as

something you don't question. So I started questioning everything and I think that was really because I came on the other side. And I think it has also given me the understanding that it is okay to question.

It is not only okay, I think it's even important to question our faith, know, question God, question everything. Because if we don't do that, the faith is blind. So I think it's a part of growing as a person and growing as a religious to ask these questions. And I think at the end of this

period, it was time to choose what to study at the university. And I started looking into theology and I realized that I could learn everything that I found most interesting in that department, theology department. So I registered and I started and I think on day five

I found that I was home. And my grandmother, you know, the wife to my grandfather that was a pastor, she said to me, but you know, you don't have to become a pastor, you can just become a teacher. So that's where we were

Alexis (15:41)
⁓

say interesting thing the US is that I have talked to many women who were told that as they wanted to go to seminary to become pastors. of the reasons I'm looking forward to hearing about Icelandic society also having you share that with the world is about how it evolved especially with gender equality and kind of what's happened there.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (15:51)
Yeah.

Alexis (16:07)
And it's something that we can certainly learn from in the US right now, is it feels like we're going backwards. I'm interested to know over the past 50 years or so, has Icelandic society and the church evolved together? where do you see the church's fingerprints on national values?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (16:10)
the

The Church of Iceland was a state church until 1997. Then church and state were separated. church is still run as a national church but not a government church. And it's still by the government but on basis of

that are between the church and the And I see the fingerprints everywhere on all the values. It is a Christian society, basically. Iceland has historically been a fairly religious country. And the church has always had a deep and meaningful place, not only but also

in the culture in Iceland. And even though Icelanders have become more secular recent years, the church still plays a large role in society, I would say. The church has over 400 churches in this country. We are only

400,000

that live here. And the churches around the country, they are tightly connected to the cultural life of the communities they serve. So it's not only a religious role, but also

cultural role and like they are tightly connected often to the music schools and you know we hold concerts in the church we don't lose what the church is about even though it's that tied to the culture and I would say, I mean the laws in Iceland, everything is based on Christianity.

So the church has played a really big role.

30 years ago, think about 90 % of the Icelanders belong to the Church of Iceland. Now we are around 60 or 65. But at the same time, the difference is also that now 20 % of the Icelanders have moved here from another countries just in the recent 10 to 20 years

So I would say maybe around 70 % of the Icelanders belong to the church in some way. And that is quite a big church. would say we have a big role in the society in Iceland.

Alexis (18:46)
something that I'm curious about that you said is The church reflects the values of Iceland. This podcast is now being heard in countries around the world, So for those who are unfamiliar with Icelandic values and kind of how the church influences values,

What are the values in your opinion of Iceland?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (19:03)
Well, I would say

all human beings, The laws in Iceland are quite fair when it comes to equality and, human rights. that's really, really respect.

and think it's really important. And tomorrow we are actually celebrating that there are 50 years since almost every woman in Iceland went on strike for one day. tomorrow we are all going out on a strike celebrate this. And this had a really great impact, I think, on everything here.

that the women stick together. And yeah, I would say quite liberal in Iceland. We are. at the same time, we now feel influences coming countries are

that we have here, like women rights, LGBTQ rights and all that. And that scares me a little bit.

Alexis (20:07)
Hmm. I saw a video that you were in indeed talking about the strike from 50 years ago and all these women, was, it was one of the most powerful things I've ever seen in the highest offices in the land. it felt to me from an American perspective, like it felt so normal to you, to you and your society. And I would just love to hear about that because

There are still many voices, especially in the US, as there's this rising tide of men, especially saying that women can't be in leadership, specifically in the church. There are more extreme voices that are saying women shouldn't be leaders at all. There are even women out there that are advocating that are Christian and saying that Christianity says that

the feminist wave is not Christian. And makes a very confusing message, younger Christians who are trying to follow God and wondering, well, if I'm a woman, this a Christian thing to do? If I want to follow my heart into ministry and be the leader or pastor of a church.

how do you think about did the Icelandic people see this in your society and how have you broken through since that strike?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (21:26)
Of course, this has taken time and there are 50 years now since this strike there's also, 50 years since the first woman was ordained as a pastor in So we have quite a lot to celebrate this year and we are really doing that. And now there are 12 years consecration of the first woman bishop here.

and I am number two and I have to say there is a freedom in being the woman number two because the woman number one, has made the path for me and for us all the others all those women that went on a strike, they made the path for us and now our responsibility on going.

not to take this for granted. has been happening now in like the last couple of years, that really reminds us of that. we cannot see this as something that can change. And that's maybe what we do. I think we just, we in Iceland, we look at this as something, I mean, this is nothing special.

This is just how it's supposed to be. But that can change here, just as anywhere else. And I think for most people in the Church of Iceland, the bishop being a woman is not an issue, or priests, ministers being women, that's not an issue.

for most people, have now almost 50 % of the pastors in Iceland are women. So we have come that far now, and it's now. Now we are 50-50. So that's really wonderful. course, and maybe because...

Women are now in all the positions in power in Iceland. mean all the positions right now. because of we now hear voices that are questioning this and asking them, you know, where all the men are. it's the men to come back now, it's enough now.

enough I think these questions are influences from another countries as well, very much. The president is a woman She's also the second one in Iceland now. The prime minister is a woman. head of police department is a woman. And the mayor in Reykjavik is now woman.

Yeah, we are all women now.

Alexis (23:51)
What does that bring to the leadership? What kind of perspective does that bring to the country that might be different? Or maybe it's not different at all. What kind of perspective is that when all these women are holding these positions? First of all, it shows that it's completely possible. And I know that sounds silly, but for us, it's really important to know society does

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (23:51)
And.

Yeah, yeah.

Alexis (24:14)
perfectly fine when women are in charge.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (24:17)
Yeah, yeah. And it has taken time. mean, our laws here are fair when it comes to, you know, gender equality. And that is really important. But often that isn't enough because we also have to change how we think, how our minds work and how we see people in power positions. Can we see women in positions or do we only see men? And now we have come that

far here I think that we can see women in all those positions and we don't question it. Most of us we think it's it's supposed to be and it's really important also for the children growing up in Iceland now and in the countries where it is like this you know having those role models because we did not have the same role models when we were growing up.

So that's really important. I don't think I can say what bring those positions, what's different between men and women. I am so afraid to sound arrogant if I say that we come in with something, I don't know, softer or... I'm not sure. I think it's really...

depends on the person as well. But at the same time, I think there is something different that comes with a woman or a man. There is. I'm not quite sure what it we have not grownup it as that is ours. So we had to work for it.

And we had to prove elected or to be looked at as persons be leaders. And I think that also does something to a person. You have to prove yourself. You have to show the people that you are good enough. You're okay

Alexis (26:10)
you say

laws are supporting gender equality, know a little bit about what you're talking about, but for our especially US audience you talk about that? Because I think that's so important. It's the US, for example, that we've been fighting for for a long time and really don't have much support

for that support gender equality. And that is important to recognize that there is a role for the government to help set that up.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (26:36)
it's like when you are hiring a person, if you have a man and a woman and they are equal, they have equal education and are equal for this position. And if there are more men in area, you are supposed to choose the woman. that's one thing.

course everything that comes to like abortion and all that. laws are also really important for women to be able to take to men. All that has to do healthcare, I mean...

all this is equal here the law says that men and women are supposed to the same wages for equal jobs. Of course it isn't like that. I mean it's not perfect at all but we have the laws and if we have that I think then it's easier to work at changing our minds but of course it's

like that here, like in so many other countries, maybe every country, professions that many women choose, the wages are lower there than in the professions that men not come all the way

Alexis (27:48)
let's turn to your support for LGBTQ plus visibility. The very first video that I saw of you and why I really was excited to talk about you and your church was this video clip that was so well done. That was just this beautiful show of solidarity that had so many of your pastors and priests just putting a rainbow stole.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (27:52)
you

Alexis (28:11)
over themselves and turning around and walking into their church. it had you in it as well as the head bishop. I've seen you do small social media clips, which I just love of you drinking out of a trans rights mug. I can't tell you what that means to many people who are in the LGBTQ plus community, at least from the point of view of the US.

when there is so much denigration towards people in this community right now, where the government is erasing rainbow sidewalks, where the government is trying to erase even passports for trans people, trying to say you do not exist and you certainly don't exist in the eyes of God, you are unchristian, not Christian. And so I would love to hear about

the Icelandic church, how you've evolved to embrace queer and trans people.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (29:05)
Well...

I as a bishop and also as a minister before that and as a person, as a Christian person, I have recognized and embraced the LGBTQ and the And I would say we have reached this point after many years of...

theological reflections and discussions of the basic role of church responsibility towards all human beings and first and foremost towards those who are marginalized. so we have come far

But it is a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless, that the church played a big part in marginalizing the queer community before, even here in Iceland. So now we owe them and we owe ourselves as Christians to right them wrong. That's how I feel.

And I think that's how almost everyone in the Church of Iceland feels. And as you can see in the video, I'm not alone in this. We are in sync in the Church of Iceland when it comes to this matter. I'm so grateful for that because is something happening now, especially when it comes to the rights of trans people. And there are forces that are trying to

It gets us to change our minds and you know not to see trans people as equal persons with the right to be who they are. And here I think the church has an enormous role to play our Christians.

So for me this is given. I am amazed what this video has done because went viral. And I know been used, know, preachers have been preaching from it in churches in other countries. so so grateful that we did this. did this in the middle of the summer.

So we didn't get all the pastors to take part because people were having summer vacations. Because I think could have had almost every pastor in the Church of Iceland in this video.

Alexis (31:25)
there is someone listening who is part of the queer community, who is in a space that they don't feel safe around Christians, can you speak to them now and what message do you have as the head bishop of Iceland as a Christian?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (31:42)
You should be safe. You should be safe as a queer person, especially within Christianity, because God loves you. God created you just like you are. And God does not make mistakes in God's creation. So that's why you are perfect as you And we holy. We are holy creations of God.

and God loves us just like we are. So be yourself. Try to find the courage and people that you can talk to and can feel safe with. And a church that does not recognize you as a creation of God being just you, I question the church that does that. Because that's not the message of Jesus at all.

And that is not the message of God that created all human beings and God looked at its creation and saw that it was good. So you're good, just like you are.

Alexis (32:49)
⁓ thank you. It's very moving. I know that's going to help a lot of people. Thank you for that.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (32:54)
I hope so,

I hope so, because I mean this from the bottom of my heart.

Alexis (33:04)
curious to learn the Church of Iceland means that role in ceremony. So your office traditionally plays a role state ceremonies, in And you recently took memorial for Pope Francis. was another really powerful image

that you were standing alongside Iceland's prime minister. And I saw you and I just was wondering how you view the bishop's responsibility to accompany civic leaders and bring that moral voice to public life in today's societies.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (33:36)
this is a historical role of the bishop of Iceland. it has always and still has, even though the society has become more secular, the bishop still has this role. And I think it's important for the bishop to role.

with caution and a level of respect in a society that is becoming more secular. bishop should not take part in partisann politics but

should be ready and willing to step in when she feels that she can motivate people to take more Christian approach in big issues. I think that's the role of the bishops. We need more Jesus. And the also has a great role when big...

dramatic events occur and they do occur in Iceland. The fact of the matter is that in a more secular world there are fewer and fewer forces that unify the country when disaster strikes and bearing in mind that Iceland is no stranger natural disasters.

and this is a very small country and therefore I still see the role of the church as that unifying force. Like here when disaster strikes we usually gather in churches and the ministers they play a big part in trauma care and pastoral care and counselling and we have eruptions here regularly. ⁓

know, every lands. Yeah. And whatever happens when it comes to great disasters, the church is there. So that's, think, a significant role the church plays and the bishop as well as the leader.

Alexis (35:48)
⁓ I think that's really important that you care and helping and healing. really resonated with me video that I saw on your feed about the man who was pulling the cart for many kilometers down the road to talk about suicidal thoughts and people who struggle

with the contemplation of suicide or people who have lost themselves to suicide. And when I saw you just walking alongside with them, I thought, that's it. That's Jesus right there

It felt more like Jesus is like, I'm just here to show up and to care. Can you talk about that day and that moment and what that means to you?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (36:31)
And maybe that just symbolizes church is supposed to do as a church and also Christians, and we as human beings are supposed to do. We are supposed to walk alongside each other. Just being a human being and accompanying each other on our life journeys.

And when it comes to suicide, that's also that, you know, it's also something that is close to my we have too many suicides in Iceland. We have now, I think, around 40 persons every year, and we are not that many here. And that's way too high, way too high. I mean, we have been trying to do so much, but even though we have done that,

statistic hasn't gone down. So for me this is something that is really important to the church and for us as a society to work on. Mental care and

Alexis (37:31)
When you look at the state of the world, what gives you hope for the future?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (37:36)
⁓ people like you and others that are not content by the way things are what they can to try to make things better.

You give me hope

Alexis (38:00)
⁓ Thank you, Bishop Guðrún close today, there are people who are listening been prayed over in a long time. A lot of people in the US have left church spaces, not because they say, I'm completely done with a spiritual life or a life connected to God, but there are many.

church spaces in the US that terms of Bible literalism, cannot affirm queer people, women cannot be in leadership. You know the list, I don't have to tell you. list says, if you step out of this, then you must not be a Christian. is partly

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (38:35)
Yeah.

Alexis (38:43)
there's so many that says, I don't agree. I see so much immorality happening in the name of Jesus right now. So I am not connected to any type of local church. And so they have not been prayed over in a long time. But would us the honor of praying in Icelandic so that we can hear the voice of God through you?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (39:03)
Yeah, absolutely. It will be my honor. So let's pray.

I love you, I put my hand on all those who are now suffering, for those who are not afraid, for those who have a view of their and future, for those who experience that they are not loved, that they are not loved by God, they are not loved by people. I for all those who are excluded from society, for those who are excluded from church, for those are excluded from the authorities, for all those who are

We pray to for all us. For all those who are trying to live their day, live their lives and try to as human beings in this home. We want to you God, don't that, want give you your we want to give you...

friend that is needed to take this his and be sent forth into this world. Jesus' Amen.

Alexis (40:20)
Amen. Bishop Guðrún, thank you so much for being with us today on the sacred slope. I can't wait to continue to see all the beautiful work you give me hope in this time. So thank

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (40:33)
Thank you. Thank you for It's an honor to be here on the Sacred Slope

Alexis (40:38)
last question for you. What do you like to do for fun when bishop role?

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (40:43)
I like running. I run marathons.

Alexis (40:49)
Amazing.

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (40:51)
I'm going to run the Tokyo Marathon now, March 1st.

Alexis (40:54)
We will be cheering you on. Thank you. Goodbye. God bless

Gudrun Karls Helgudottir (40:56)
Thank you, thank you and God bless you. God bless you all.

Alexis Rice (41:06)
Thank you for being with us today on the Sacred Slope. If you'd like to nominate a pastor, priest or reverend, send me an email at Alexis@thesacredslope.com. Music was by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin and Sean Spence. I'm Alexis Rice, may the fruit of the spirit guide you this week.

Go in peace, friends.