The Expansionist Podcast

Illuminating The Sacred With Laurie Brock


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What if the holiest things in your life aren’t on an altar but on your kitchen shelf, folded in a quilt, or humming across your lawn? We sit down with Reverend Lori Brock—priest, author, and competitive equestrian—and uncover how ordinary objects become gateways to grace.

Lori shares how a simple question from a priest cracked open a vocation she had never seen modeled for women. That thread runs through our whole conversation: why representation matters for girls in the pews, how to unlearn the secular–sacred split, and what it means to name our homes as holy ground. We dig into her practice of “letting objects testify,” a mindful way to ask not if something is sacred but how it is sacred—whether it’s an inherited skillet, a vacation ornament, or a quiet electric lawn mower that turns yard work into prayer.

Advent frames the spiritual terrain: waiting is uncomfortable, thresholds are tight, and anger can be holy because it leads us to buried grief or long-silenced power. Lori’s stories with horses bring this to earth. Grooming, hoof picks, and the trust of a prey animal reveal a living catechism of vulnerability, consent, and care. Along the way, we talk about misogyny dressed up as theology, the courage of women at the first Easter, and how to discern which objects to keep, which to bless and release, and which to let teach us one last time.

Come for the theology you can hold in your hands and leave with a practice you can live today. If this conversation stirred something in you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more expansive faith talks, and leave a review to help others find the show.


Laurie M. Brock is an Episcopal priest, competitive equestrian, and author of three books. During her time in seminary, she worked as a chaplain in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and has continued her work in trauma chaplaincy with the Lexington Police Department in Kentucky. She is a retreat leader and guest essayist for several online and in-print devotionals.

www.broadleafbooks.com


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The Expansionist PodcastBy Shelly Shepherd and Heather Drake