Sorta Sacred

What does it mean to serve something greater than yourself — and what happens to your faith when that service asks everything of you? This week, Jess and Mark sit down with two men who have lived that question from the inside. Rev. Gregory S. Brown is the senior pastor at St. David Lutheran Church in West Columbia, South Carolina, and an Army National Guard chaplain. Lt. Col. David Kelso is a West...

In this episode, Jess and Mark sit down with the Reverend Kenneth W. Wheeler — retired ELCA pastor, public theologian, preacher, and author of US: The Resurrection of American Terror . Rev. Wheeler grew up under Jim Crow segregation in Jackson, Mississippi, and has spent seven decades as a Black man in America bearing witness to the through-line of white supremacy — from the lynching tree to Janua...

What can a bowl of spinach tell you about community, belonging, and what it means to truly welcome a neighbor?  Ann McGlynn, founder and executive director of Tapestry Farms in Davenport, Iowa, joins Mark and Jess to share how a simple gift of homegrown food from a refugee family sparked a nonprofit urban farm system that has now served over 130 families and grown tens of thousands of pounds of fr...

Money is practical. It's also emotional, moral, and — if we're being honest — kind of spiritual.  In this episode, Mark and Jess sit down with Martha Wells, a Davenport-based accountant and enrolled agent with over 40 years of experience, to talk about what our finances actually reveal about our values.  From the anxiety of opening a shoebox full of receipts to the ethics of tax deductio...

Mark, Katy, and Sara are back — and this time they brought more jokes (some great, some gloriously terrible), more laughter, and yes, audio gremlins appeared in the pursuit of something new! But that's kind of the point.  Sorta Sacred was never meant to be overly polished. It's honest, it's human, and it's a little messy — just like faith itself. Pull up a chair for another rou...

What does it actually mean to stand by someone battling addiction? Not to fix them, not to enable them — but to truly love them? Jenny Halupnik and Dakotah Smith of One Eighty join us to help us understand addiction without judgment, support without losing ourselves, and hold onto hope even when it's hard to find. Thanks to the incredible production team of Sorta Sacred: Music: Brian Schou  D...

We all know the feeling—a conversation that starts civil and somehow ends in a standoff. But what if the problem isn't what we're talking about, but how we're talking? In this episode, Mark and Jess sit down with Dr. Gauri Pitale, Augustana College's Vice President for Culture and Connection and a medical anthropologist, to explore the transformative practice of dialogue—and wh...

In this episode, Mark and Jess explore how personality differences in relationships can become sources of growth rather than frustration with Dr. Derek Ball, a licensed marriage and family therapist. The conversation centers on understanding personality types through frameworks like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Derek guides the hosts through how to honor these differences rather than simply to...

Ever wonder if you're doing what you're "supposed" to be doing with your life? You're not alone. In this episode, Mark and Jess sit down with Keri Bass, Assistant Director of Vocational Exploration and Career Coach at Augustana College, to explore one of life's biggest questions: What is vocation, and how do we figure out ours? It's not about finding the one perf...

It's January—the season of fresh starts, ambitious resolutions, and the eternal hope that this will be the year we finally get it together. But why do so many of our good intentions fizzle out by February? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Beth Repp, an ophthalmologist turned certified life coach, to explore what actually works when it comes to lasting change. This isn't about vision...

Remember when Christmas morning felt like pure magic? When the hardest decision was which cookie to leave for Santa? The holidays look different at every stage of life—and that's exactly what we're exploring in this holiday-themed episode. Jess and Mark sit down with James Weiss, who takes us on a journey through decades of holiday celebrations.  This isn't just nostalgia (though th...

What if the way you're naturally wired isn't something to fix, but something to celebrate? In this episode, Jess and Mark sit down with Wendy Hilton-Morrow, Professor of Communication Studies at Augustana College and Gallup Certified Global Strengths Coach, to explore the transformative world of strengths-based thinking. Questions for Wendy: Wendy Hilton-Morrow, Ph. D. whmstrengthsconsul...

What if wellness isn't about green smoothies, gym memberships, or the latest meditation app? In this episode, Mark and Jess sit down with Steve Kalber, St. Paul's counselor and former behavioral health nurse, to unpack what wellness actually means—and why it's not the same thing as being "healthy." Steve breaks down the four domains of wellness (mental, physical, spiritual...

For 2025, Melissa Pepper's mantra is JOY. But what does that actually mean when you're navigating leadership responsibilities, medical challenges, parenting decisions, and the everyday chaos of life? Whether you've never thought about choosing a personal mantra or you're a seasoned practitioner, Melissa's insights will inspire you to think differently about what it means t...

Happy Halloween! Today, Jess and Mark explore Halloween and the monsters lurking in the Bible.  Special thanks to: Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay Music by PulseBox from Pixabay Music and sound effects by Tunetank from Pixabay Thanks to the incredible production team of Sorta Sacred: Music: Brian Schou  Design: Lauren Brown  Merch: Allison Winter 

Mark and two St. Paul pastors (Katy and Sara) tackle your biggest (and smallest) questions about faith, life, and everything in between with humor, honesty, and a whole lot of heart. Thanks to the incredible production team of Sorta Sacred: Music: Brian Schou  Design: Lauren Brown  Merch: Allison Winter 

In this episode, hosts Mark and Jess explore the importance of structure and routine in parenting with two seasoned early childhood experts. Thanks to the incredible production team of Sorta Sacred: Music: Brian Schou  Design: Lauren Brown  Merch: Allison Winter 

Welcome to Sorta Sacred! Conversations about the joys and challenges of life. Together we're finding something sorta sacred in the most normal parts of our days.  On the pilot episode, co-hosts Mark Niethammer and Jessica Taylor chat about their backstories, how Sorta Sacred came about, and what future conversations entail.  Thanks to the incredible production team of Sorta Sacred: Music: Bri...