gritty faith

Stephanie Cochrane lives in New Orleans, where she makes a good effort in any given week to notice the people around her—particularly those working in service roles. It's a way to help others feel visible, she says.

Thrumming beneath the surface is another deep concern of her heart, which is talking honestly about the challenges of church and faith. As someone who has been in churches where things went wrong or where behavior needed to meet a certain standard, she knows God's people don't do the best job representing God.

And when pain happens or questions come—when the people closest to us die, sometimes by their very own hand—these things have no neat or tidy answers. Stephanie cares that people find the freedom to talk about these things with each other. She also wants them to know the person of Jesus in that place.

In this conversation, we explore:

* The practice of seeing those in service roles as real, whole people

* What can happen to faith when a loved one takes their life

* The value of honest but not cynical conversations about faith and church

* Why the two extremes of deep grief aren't healthy places to stay

* The ripple effect each life can have on innumerable other lives

* The courage it takes to go first and how our worst fears in doing so aren't likely to be realized

Connect with Stephanie on her website and on Instagram at @stephaniehcochrane.

Connect with Christianne on Instagram at @christiannesquires or by subscribing to the Light Notes email list.

And consider applying to be a guest on the show! Fill out the guest application form here.