The Side Aisle

To wrap up our limited series podcast, we bring together threads from across the conversation: family, politics, belonging, and the stories we tell about what makes a life “good.” Drawing from our own experiences in evangelical spaces, we talk about how our formation shapes the way we show up in hard conversations today. At the heart of this episode is an invitation to build a life that reflects y...

In this episode of The Side Aisle , we reflect on what it means to live authentically in public, especially in a digital world that rewards oversharing. Not everything meaningful is meant to be shared, and not every story is ready to be told. Instead of asking what will resonate most online, we consider a deeper question: what is actually ours to share? We think through how vulnerability can creat...

What does it look like to stay faithful inside institutions that sometimes disappoint us? When do you stay, and when do you go? In this episode, hosted by Amanda, Lore, Sara, and Kendall get honest about their own church histories. including formative moments and the tension of engaging politically and spiritually in communities that don't always make it easy. The group talks about what it actuall...

In this episode hosted by Kendall, we talk about The Good Life, and what that phrase even means in a world overloaded with wellness for sale, political and religious division, and competing ideals around family. We chat about how social media has become one of the most powerful forces shaping our definitions of fulfillment, often presenting polished versions of life that may or may not reflect rea...

In this episode hosted by Sara, we delve into complicated territory: engaging family across political differences. We explore how family shapes our political worldview in early years, what it looks like to raise aware and thoughtful kids, and offer ideas for reaching across differences in parent-child relationships, in marriage, and more. There's the tension a lot of us are sitting with right now:...

An introduction to The Side Aisle, in which we talk about why we wanted to do this and what feels difficult about these kinds of conversations. Also, why we don’t disparage the idea of "the third way", but what it means to us and why it’s important to clarify our terms.  Books mentioned: Parker Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness , Chapter Ten, A Third Way Submit your questions for us to discuss on theside...

Welcome to The Side Aisle, a podcast for those who know the either/or framework in faith and politics...just isn't working anymore. The Side Aisle is a conversation between four friends — Sara Billups, Amanda Held Opelt, Kendall Vanderslice, and Lore Wilbert — about struggling to live in this contentious cultural moment with both grace and conviction in our families, our churches, our communities,...