Deciding to leave a life dedicated to Christian ministry isn’t a light decision. But, as many of my guests can attest, when you start to see the cracks in the foundation, it’s often harder to stay.
For Chris Highland, those cracks were in the shape of the people to whom he was ministering and the vastness of the natural world. This episode is filled with our experiences of wonder, awe, and the call to something big enough for everyone.
It's not goodbye, just goodbye for now! Join me as I share exciting news, answer a few listener questions, and reflect on all the goodness this season has brought.
See you again on March 31, 2024! Happy New Year!
*Listen to the Now I See "Former Faithful Jams" Playlist*
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Mega-churches have been a hot topic in the past several years. Reports of deception, greed, and abuse of every kind have been coming to light, and it’s easy to see why people are so enthralled.
In this episode, we’re going behind the scenes of a megachurch with former worship leader, Sage Salazar, as they share their transformative journey from a starry-eyed believer to a liberated skeptic. Their experiences with a culture of extreme control, church "Hollywood" glam, and heartbreaking abuse are eye-opening.
Perfectionism and over-control, while not exclusive to those of us who left high-control religion, is something many of us who have left battle regularly. Today’s guest is particularly skilled at working with and through these issues.
I’m talking with therapist Emilea Richardson, owner of Sparrow Soulwork. Together, we have a fun and thoughtful conversation about the impact that overcontrol can have on relationships and how she uses Radically Open DBT in her therapy practice to help her clients (and herself) heal.
This episode is personal for me, and I have made the tough decision to leave in several mistakes and not spend extra time correcting them like I usually would. I hate and love this at the same time, but as Emilea says in our conversation, “mistakes happen, and this can be a model for how that’s ok.”
When you think of women’s stories in the Bible, what do you think of? Is it empowering,? Or do you think of shame and blame? For many of us, it was the latter, and today’s guest is working to change that.
Ronna Detrick is a Spiritual Director and author of the Book Rewriting Eve: Rescuing Women’s Stories from the Bible and Claiming Them As Our Own. Together, we have a thoughtful conversation about her beautiful retelling of stories that have been often subjected to a negative patriarchal lens.
Deciding to leave a life dedicated to Christian ministry isn’t a light decision. But, as many of my guests can attest, when you start to see the cracks in the foundation, it’s often harder to stay.
For Chris Highland, those cracks were in the shape of the people to whom he was ministering and the vastness of the natural world. This episode is filled with our experiences of wonder, awe, and the call to something big enough for everyone.
Radical self acceptance is hard. It can be even harder when you’ve been raised under the umbrella of high-control religion that wants to suppress, hide, and “convert” your sexuality to conform to their ideals.
In this episode, Seth Showalter shares his remarkable story of learning to love himself after years of hiding his sexuality and even attending a gay conversion rehab. Seth’s story is a powerful one you don’t want to miss.
It’s hard to find evidence in contemporary religious practices of women being protected and treated with honor and respect. More often, we see examples of women being made responsible for men’s actions.
In today’s episode, Amanda Armstrong shares her personal experience of this in the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation. It’s a story I didn’t expect, and one you don’t want to miss.
Whether you’re familiar with BJU or not, it has had an impact on your life in some way, and probably not for the better. The ultra-conservative, fundamentalist institution is well-known for it’s strict practices, harsh standards, and unmistakable students.
In this episode, I’m joined by Andrew Pledger, former BJU student and creator of the podcast, Surviving BJU: A Christian Cult. Together, we discuss his experiences there, what he’s learned since, and how he’s Speaking Up louder now than ever.
For many who leave strict fundamentalist circles, dating and sexuality are challenging to navigate. Most fundamentalist churches teach turning off your innate sexuality as a human being and enforce excessively strict dress codes and dating policies.
What damage can that do? And how does it feel looking back at some of these enforcements.
In this episode, I’m talking with former fundamentalist and Bob Jones University graduate, Beth Kellerhals. Together, we have discuss the impact these teachings can have and how Beth is learning to move past them.
Whether you grew up in or around Christianity or not, you’re likely familiar with the idea of God as “The Father.” It’s hard to miss. But for many of us, it’s an idea that’s difficult to connect with.
In this episode, I’m talking with Chrissy Holm, host of the Stirred by Words podcast and author of the upcoming book Finding Sunlight: A Coming of Age Memoir About Love Within the Wreckage of Purity Culture. Together, we examine the impact of God as a silent father figure and the ways we’re unlearning the limited ways we were taught to see God.
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