When God Got Real

Poet Naomi Shihab Nye writes that before you can know kindness, you must first lose things. Mona knows this firsthand. A sudden job loss, a year of searching, and the death of her father hollowed her out — and opened her to a kindness that redirected the final chapter of her ministry career. In this episode, she and host Sarah reflect on suffering, surrender, Scripture as a living voice, and why s...

Andrew Ancona is a Connecticut native raised in the Episcopal Church. He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he discerned his call to the priesthood through campus ministry, and received a B.A. in Architecture in 2016. Father Andrew completed his studies for ministry at Berkeley Divinity School, Yale University and Cambridge University, UK. His areas of interest include Li...

Sarah Hollar, an Episcopal Priest and Spiritual Director lives in Charlotte, NC where she serves a parish, tends relationships with her husband, a Futurist by trade, two children, two stepchildren, their spouses, seven grandchildren, and her wise aging mother. She also has a good number of friends. Deeply curious about the complexity of the human experience and how God is present in that complexit...

Aimée Bostwick is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and guide. She holds a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation from Seminary of the Southwest and is ordained through the Order of Hildegard, grounding her work in an interspiritual, earth-honoring theology. With nearly thirty years of experience in spiritual formation, her work weaves together contemplative practice, embodied spirituality, and...

Deborah Warner, this week’s guest facilitator, grew up in New York City. She studied at Union Theological Seminary receiving a Master of Divinity degree with Psychiatry and Religion as her area of concentration. After completing a chaplaincy residency at in the neonatal unit at New York Hospital and working on a medical floor at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center, she became one of the first...

Tamara Franks is a wanderer, sojourner and courageous soul who loves to experience each day fully. She isn’t prone to chit chat; instead, on a moment’s notice, will invite anyone into deep, thoughtful conversation. Wilderness Guide, College Lecturer, and Pastor, she loves to explore diverse lands, listen to the trees, the wind and people’s hearts, cook both simple and elegant meals, and laugh with...

Mandy Monath, a North Carolina native, is the author of This Is Like That: Poems and Process, a collection of poems accompanied by observations on creativity and poetic craft. She is interested in what makes a poem a poem. In other genres, her recent children’s book, How Counting Came to Be, tells the story of a cave girl who thinks too much. Her essays have appeared in Christian Science Monitor a...

The Rev. Deacon Valerie Davis shares her story of finding in an ever-present God, in the grief of losing her mother too soon. Valerie, a cradle Episcopalian, ordained a Deacon, serves in the Diocese of North Carolina. She is a member of the Diocesan Council for Outreach & Justice, is the Co-chair for the Clergy of Color and a facilitator for the diocese’s introductory course on Dismantling Rac...

Sometimes God is found not in crises, but in crises that are averted. Sue Bartlett currently lives in Davidson, North Carolina. She has had many wonderful opportunities in her life - to live in different parts of the country, to travel, to find meaningful work as a nurse, a chef, an artist, and a poet. She has been a granddaughter, daughter, wife, and mother, but her greatest joy is being a grandm...

What happens when you know the culture, follow the rules, make a life plan, assume the good outcome and it all stops… working? Matt Addington is an Episcopal Priest, serving a parish, and is a husband and dad of 2 daughters. Matt feels deeply called to finding the nooks and crannies of life where God is already working in the world through others, and helping the same people understand how they ca...

What happens when you’re “Religious but not Spiritual” and someone you are supposed to protect is in danger, and your commitment and care can’t guarantee a safe outcome? Beth Hunt, who spent 33 years as a business journalist, left that career behind to pursue something a little closer to God. She earned a master’s degree in peace and conflict resolution, and now spends her time helping individuals...

We all have moments when faith moves from idea to experience—when God becomes real in a way that changes everything. On the When God Got Real podcast, real people share their personal stories of encountering the divine, followed by a conversation with host Sarah Hollar exploring how that encounter continues to shape their lives, relationships, and place in the world. www.whengodgotreal.com