Sacred Scars Podcast

Leaving behind beliefs, identities, and communities can bring grief that rarely gets acknowledged. In this episode, we explore the weight of losses that have no rituals or names—the ache that comes not just from leaving a person, but from stepping away from a whole way of life. Key topics and stories include: - How grief can be delayed or hidden by relief, anger, or the urge to move on - The paral...

Have you ever questioned the beliefs that once defined you? In this episode, we share the raw stories of unraveling faith, confronting uncertainty, and learning to trust ourselves again. We explore the emotional and existential turbulence that follows religious deconstruction—grief, loss of identity, and the gradual, sometimes messy work of rebuilding meaning on the other side. Key topics and stor...

This episode dives deep into the often messy, emotional terrain of belief swapping and spiritual seeking. Mike and Lori revisit their personal stories of shedding old certainties, wrestling with liminal space, and the relentless pursuit of truth. Together, they explore how identity can feel lost, agency can feel foreign, and the journey forward is rarely linear. With honesty and warmth, they unpac...

Have you ever questioned the beliefs that once defined you? In this opening episode, we share the raw stories of unraveling faith, confronting uncertainty, and learning to trust ourselves again. This conversation explores the emotional and existential turbulence that follows religious deconstruction—grief, loss of identity, and the gradual, sometimes messy work of rebuilding meaning on the other s...

Welcome to Sacred Scars. Lori Bickel and Mike Loy introduce the show and the questions at the heart of it — what lives in the spaces between the masculine and the feminine, the clergy and the congregant, deconstruction, and what comes next. Our trailer — the intro and theme song you'll hear at the close of every episode — says it best: the wounds we carry are "the gold that's glowing from deep wit...