Creativity does not often come up in conversations about belonging, but in this episode, Sarah talks with Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez (professional oboist and author of The Artist’s Joy) about how reconnecting to our creative identity (yes, all of us…) changes not only how we see ourselves but also how we relate with God and each other. They talk about widening the definition of creativity and handling competition. Merideth also offers some practical questions to reconnect with our creativity and the joy of making, whatever it is that we make.

Find episode notes and additional essays on the communal life at Human Together on Substack. Sarah's book The Way of Belonging is available wherever you typically buy your books.

Connect with Merideth on Instagram, or pick up a copy of her book The Artist's Joy.

Human Together is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.

Sarah chats with Tiffany Bluhm (author of The Women We’ve Been Waiting For) about redefining self-care as it relates to our identity, our hunt for wholeness, and our communal flourishing.

Find episode notes and additional essays on the communal life at Human Together . Sarah's book The Way of Belonging is available wherever you typically buy your books.

Connect with Tiffany on Instagram, or find her books at TiffanyBluhm.com.

Human Together is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.

Whether you are in the pulpit or the pews, you might question how much of yourself is welcome in faith spaces. In this episode, Sarah chats with Jon Pyle (Community Care Pastor in San Antonio) about authenticity, vulnerability, and belonging within the church, especially when you carry questions or wounds.

Find episode notes and additional essays on the communal life at Human Together . Sarah's book The Way of Belonging is available wherever you typically buy your books.

Connect with Jon on Instagram.

Human Together is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.

Sarah is joined by Jenai Auman to talk about our human tendency to lean toward sameness and distance ourselves from people who are different. Jenai shares her own experience of being “othered” and how placing people into us-versus-them categories can be so damaging to not only our worth but also how we relate. Together, they explore how we can move toward a wider, more welcoming way.

Find episode notes and additional essays on the communal life at Human Together . Sarah's book The Way of Belonging is available wherever you typically buy your books.

Connect with Jenai on Instagram or grab a copy of her book Othered.

Human Together is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.

Continuing our series on belonging, Sarah and guest Sara Billups dive into the notion of staying put—both to a geographical location but also to the church. Sara shares pieces of her own story as they ask: how does attaching ourselves to places and people affect our sense of belonging? Where and how might God be inviting us to stay?

Find episode notes and additional essays on the communal life at Human Together or say hello to Sarah on Instagram.

Connect with Sara Billups at Bitter Scroll on Substack.

Human Together is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.

Sarah talks with Aundi Kolber (therapist and author of Try Softer™ and Strong Like Water) about the interplay between authenticity and attachment. They talk about how our sense of belonging and ability to connect is affected when we carry unrepaired relational wounds. Aundi also offers some hard-earned wisdom on how we can take small steps toward healing while still honoring the experiences that have brought us where we are.

Find episode notes and ways to connect with Sarah at sarahewestfall.com

Discover more about Aundi and her work at AundiKolber.com

Human Together is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.

In this third conversation in our series on belonging, Sarah talks with Chuck DeGroat (professor, licensed therapist, & author of Healing What’s Within) about how so many of us live “habitually disconnected.” Together, they explore what it might look like to pay attention to our internal landscape and longings as a means of finding our way back home to ourselves, to God, and to each other.

Find episode notes and ways to connect with Sarah at sarahewestfall.com

Connect with Chuck at chuckdegroat.net

Human Together is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.

Who we are and how we relate are intimately connected. In this episode, guest Kimberly Phinney shares how life-threatening illness shifted not only her sense of self but also her pursuit of belonging. Sarah and Kimberly talk about identity based on performance, expanding our definition of belonging, and valuing presence in the midst of pain.

Find episode notes and ways to connect with Sarah at sarahewestfall.com

Connect with Kimberly at thewayback2ourselves.com

Human Together is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.

Loneliness is part of the human experience, but ethnic loneliness carries added layers of complexity for many people who have historically been pushed to the margins. In our season two opener, Sarah talks with Prasanta Verma about the ache to belong, how our “in-betweenness” can be essential to one’s identity, and practicing curiosity with ourselves and others.

Find episode notes and ways to connect with Sarah at sarahewestfall.com

Connect with Prasanta at prasantaverma.com

Human Together is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.

We’re wrapping up season one with Steve Bezner, and this episode covers a number of bases. Steve shares about his own pastoral journey, the communities that have formed him as well as the loneliness he can experience within the role. Sarah and Steve also chat about his forthcoming book Your Jesus is Too American (October 2024).

Find episode notes and ways to connect with Sarah at sarahewestfall.com

Connect with Steve on Instagram.

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The Human Together podcast is written and recorded by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. Theme music is “Sit with Me” by Sarah Scharbrough.