Your straight-talking queer bestie and favorite (ex) pastor are here with all the honest, compassionate, and refreshingly explicit advice you didn’t know you needed. Meg Holiday and Brian Recker each deconstructed their faith in their own ways, and went from having all the right answers to wrestling with all the big questions. Join these two pastor's kids as they spill the tea and dish out wisdom on love, God, religion, sex, relationships, and all other sacred things. Send listener letters to sacredcounselpod@gmail.com . . Follow the pod on instagram @sacredcounsel, subscribe, and review to support our growth!
The Sacred Counsel podcast is an absolute gem, providing conversations that feel like a warm embrace and a grounding presence amidst the chaos of deconstruction. As someone who has felt isolated in their own journey of questioning and unraveling beliefs, stumbling upon Brian and Meg's discussions has been nothing short of a revelation. Their chemistry is so natural and captivating that it's hard to believe they didn't know each other before starting this podcast. Plus, Meg's voice is so soothing that it even makes me question my own sexuality a little bit!
The best aspect of The Sacred Counsel is the sense of camaraderie it offers to those going through a similar journey. Brian's perspective on the Bible, Jesus, Christian theology, purity culture, and the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities and religion is refreshingly needed in today's world. His insights serve as a powerful microscope to examine and challenge the harmful ways in which Evangelicals have wielded the Bible as a weapon. By emphasizing cultural and historical context when interpreting scripture, Brian helps bridge the gap between what people were taught growing up in their faith communities and the conflicting experiences they face now. The questioning, grappling, and open dialogue fostered on this podcast are truly transformative.
While it's difficult to find any major flaws in The Sacred Counsel, one minor downside might be that there isn't enough emphasis on actionable steps or resources for those undergoing deconstruction. It would be beneficial for listeners if each episode included suggestions or guides on how to navigate this process or recommendations for further reading or support networks. Nonetheless, this podcast serves as an invaluable source of comfort and validation for those feeling alone in their experiences.
In conclusion, The Sacred Counsel is an essential addition to anyone's podcast library who is navigating the difficult terrain of deconstruction. Brian and Meg bring passion, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness to every discussion they have. Their chemistry is palpable, making each episode incredibly engaging from start to finish. This podcast has the power to make you feel seen, understood, and equipped with new insights into the complex issues that have been swirling around in your head for years. It's a beacon of hope and a reminder that you're not alone on this journey. So grab a cup of tea, cozy up with The Sacred Counsel, and let these conversations serve as a guiding light through the wilderness of deconstruction.
Brian and Meg return to the podcast after a 3-month hiatus to catch up and talk about their opinions on hell and how Meg has been getting so much ate on IG now that she's posting deconstruction videos.
Brian and Meg interview Kevin Garcia, a mystic theologian, queer spiritual coach, and all-around amazing human being, and discuss picking your battles when going home for the holidays, and learning how to celebrate your whole self. We also answer a listener letter from a “validation addict” who wants to stop having to justify his sexuality to his family and himself. We also discuss Kevin's amazing new book, “What makes you bloom,” coming out this January! This episode is filled with amazing nuggets of spiritual wisdom. Enjoy!
In this special episode, Brian and Meg tackle 3 very different listener letters, packing in all sorts of juicy counsel, covering: 1. how to deal with conservative family members at Christmas-time, 2. how divorce impacts kids and some of our best advice on co-parenting, and 3. How to work through harmful religious programing, replacing old thoughts with new thoughts. Don't forget to send listener letters to sacredcounselpod@gmail.com!
Brian and Meg discuss Meg's horrible Thanksgiving, and answer a listener letter about someone navigating big news about their partner's sexuality, and trying to figure out how to feel about it or what she should do. We discuss how evangelicals can falsely blame any non-heterosexual sexuality on trauma, and how kink and sexual exploration can be healthy.
Trigger warning- this episode mentions a rape. We interview Eve from @eve_wasframed about her background in Bethel and her journey out of evangelicalism into atheism. We talk about stereotypes of atheists, evangelical shame around virginity and divorce, and other various highly relatable traumas of American evangelicalism. Find Eve on instagram at @eve_wasframed
Jo Luehmann takes us to church in this episode!! She preaches about why she refuses to abandon herself, how each of us are called to be liberators, why she ultimately left Christianity, the possibilities for beauty inside of the idea of “church,” her advice to those who remain Chrisitan, and creating safety for people to listen to their intuition. Jo Luehmann is a Colombian born and raised (former) pastor with a masters degree in ministry and theology. Jo speaks and teaches about decolonizing church, theology, spirituality and faith, as well as the importance of dismantling white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism both individually and collectively
Brian and meg answer a listener letter, and discuss open marriages, jealousy, putting off divorce for the sake of the kids, “God's eternal plan for marriage,” and navigating the crushing shame that can come from getting divorced.
Dave Hayward, aka Naked Pastor, speaks with us about vulnerability in sex and spirituality, gives us wisdom on stepping out of sexual shame, and shares his most basic form of connection to the divine.
On this episode, Meg and Brian answer a listener letter from someone wrestling with everything they would lose from stepping into their more authentic self. They discuss the way that we can fixate on what we *might* lose, and miss what we are *already losing* by living in a state of dishonesty and failing to bring our whole selves into our relationships, and give some practical advice for having honest, difficult conversations!
This week Brian and Meg talk to Mike Maeshiro about his coming-out journey, his mission to affirm those who are not feeling validated for who they are, how deeply he desires to witness God coming out of the closet, and we get his take on the mega-church pastor Andy Stanley's half-hearted gesture towards LGBT acceptance. We also answer a listener letter from someone dealing with judgmental family members and discuss why Brian loved the Sears catalogue as a kid.
On episode two of the pod, Brian & Meg, answer a letter about how to trust ourselves when we're deconstructing and leaving a high control religion. They also share why they love the word "beloved" and offer a few of their current favorite recommendations including Brian's current guilty pleasure.
In episode one of the pod, Brian and Meg get to know each other (they just met online 3 weeks ago!) by sharing about their deconstruction journeys, christian sex, how dumb hell is, explaining boners to kids, and tattoos. We're off to a great start and good news: we had fun so we're doing it again.
Meg Holiday and Brian Recker, two pastor's kids with different paths to their religious deconstruction met a few weeks ago on IG and decided to start a podcast. They feel like they used to have all of the answers and now they just ask all the questions. Here weekly to discuss everything from religion to sex, Meg and Brian and your queer best friend and your favorite pastor. Ask us anything. Email: sacredcounselpod@gmail.com . . . Follow the podcast on Instagram @sacredcounsel, subscribe, and review to support our growth!
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