Words From Silence: A Contemplative Podcast

I’m delighted to share today’s episode featuring Rohadi Nagassar, an author, podcaster, and minister who writes and speaks on the topics of decolonization, justice, identity and culture, and deconstructing religion.

In today’s conversation, we’re discussing his brand new book, Whole and Human: Forty Meditations for Liberating Body and Spirit, which releases on May 26th. Our discussion centers on individual and collective liberation as we interrogate the parts of our inherited beliefs that lead to unfreedom as well as the invitations available to us in order to experience flourishing. We discuss the three pillars that form the framework for the book: embodiment, decolonization, and justice.

Rohadi is the author of five books including the forthcoming (May 2026) Whole & Human. Forty Meditations for Liberating Body and Spirit, and his 2022 release, “When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins.” He has served part-time in vocational ministry for the past 17 years. Rohadi lives in Canada, on Treaty 7 Territory, in Calgary, Alberta.

Creator and host of the Faith in a Fresh Vibe Podcast, find Rohadi’s most recent serial series entitled, “Farewell Evangelicalism,” offering multiple guests interrogating contemporary Christianity and its downfall.

He is the founder of RoBarry Publications, home of Robarry Literary agency, founded in 2025. His work experience includes over 25 years in the private sector in marketing consulting and communications, and 15 years of non-profit experience in organizational development and governance.

Visit his website: www.rohadi.com and sign up for his weekly Newsletter. You can also find his most recent writings available on Substack. Find his books and merch on his website or wherever books are sold.

Socials: Threads: @rohadi.nagassar; Instagram: @rohadi.nagassar; Bluesky

Today’s episode features my good friend Aaron Manes, who is a spiritual director and Enneagram practitioner in the Dallas area. I’m excited to share this conversation about the somatic Enneagram: what it is, how it leads to a more embodied experience of the Enneagram, and a little about the different energies of the head, heart, and gut centers of intelligence. This is packed full of good information on a really helpful new modality.

More about Aaron… Aaron Manes (he/him) is a trained spiritual director, a certified Somatic Enneagram faculty member with Marion Gilbert and an inner work healing practitioner. He is the co-host of The Somatic Enneagram Podcast. He creates and holds space as a companion, guide and facilitator for people willing to do the hard and brave work of finding their selves in the world. Aaron’s current projects also include bringing to life “Creativa” which is community-making expression for public spiritual work.

I’m delighted to share this interview with certified leadership coach, consultant, and author Tracey Gee! You’ll want to hear this insightful conversation about her book, The Magic of Knowing What You Want: A Practical Guide to Unearthing the Wisdom of Your Desires.

One of the questions I ask people in spiritual direction that often seems to catch them off guard is, “What do you want?” Depending on our social location and culture, many of us have been taught that our desires are irrelevant, untrustworthy, selfish, wrong, or even evil. However, to be human is to have desires, and often surface-level desires point to deeper needs that are valid and important. Getting in touch with our desires allows us room to access and name our needs, which then gives us more agency in determining how we want those needs to be met in ways that align with our values and lived reality instead of letting them subconsciously run the show.

Naming our desires can be difficult when we have been socialized not to prioritize knowing and naming what we want. Tracey Gee’s book, The Magic of Knowing What You Want, provides a practical guide for how to begin.

More about Tracey… Tracey Gee is a certified leadership coach and consultant dedicated to guiding individuals toward transformative self-awareness and meaningful personal and professional growth. As an author, Tracey draws insight from her extensive experience across workshops, speaking engagements, and personalized coaching sessions. She is also a certified facilitator in four frameworks—Gallup CliftonStrengths, Working Genius, Enneagram, and Cultural Intelligence. Her diverse clientele includes UC Berkeley, Firm Foundation, AltaMed, Nomi Network, and the Miami Heat. Tracey is originally from the Bay Area of California and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, children, and dog, Kona. She loves coffee shops and every dog she's ever met. You can find her online at: https://traceygee.me

I’m grateful for this opportunity to share with you the sacred story of my dear friend, spiritual director Marian Schulze! Marian and I graduated together from the same spiritual direction program and became fast friends about three years ago, when the program began. We are both Enneagram 6s, and I loved talking with Marian about the interaction of our Enneagram number with our spiritual growth.

In today’s conversation, Marian shares about her journey of healing from depression that had led to a mental health crisis. We discuss tending mental health and what is meant by ongoing transformation. This is a tender, difficult but hopeful and needed conversation. As a content warning, we will be discussion depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, so please take care of yourself however you need.

More about Marian: Marian is a trained Spiritual Director in the Dallas area. She received her Certificate of Spiritual Direction from Perkins School of Theology. All of life is a conversation with the Divine, and she is passionate about helping others listen and discern the spiritual wisdom in everyday moments.

She is also trained in the Internal Family Systems model. IFS is a transformative tool that conceives of every human being as a system of inner parts led by a core Self. The Self represents the true essence in each of us that is calm, compassionate, confident, and capable of understanding and healing the different parts of our personality. 

Marian is the founder of Frisco Fastpacs, a non-profit that provides weekend meals to 1,000 children in her local community who are at risk of going hungry when school is not in session. 

Marian and her husband, Brad, have 4 adult children and enjoy spending as much time with them as they will allow. In her free time, you’re likely to find her on a walking trail, with her nose in a book, or trying a new recipe she found on Pinterest.

To learn more about Marian or inquire about spiritual direction, connect with her at marianschulze.com.

For this episode, I had the privilege of talking with poet, speaker, and public theologian Drew Jackson about poetry, spiritual practices, and contemplative activism. If you’ve followed my Instagram profile any length of time or have met with me in spiritual direction, you have probably heard me reference Drew as my favorite poet. Stick around to the end of the episode, and you’ll get to hear him read one of my favorite poems that I love to read as a blessing in spiritual direction.

Drew Jackson is the author of God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God’s Unexpected Coming, which was a finalist for the Christian Book Award, and Touch the Earth: Poems on The Way. His work has appeared in Oneing from the Center for Action and Contemplation, The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad, Christianity Today, Made for Pax, The Journal from the Centre for Public Christianity, Fathom Magazine, and other publications. Drew was a contributing artist on Jon Batiste’s Grammy-nominated album World Music Radio, and also appeared in the award-winning documentary American Symphony on Netflix. Drew is also a co-host of the Everything Belongs podcast from the Center for Action and Contemplation.

Drew received his B.A. in Political Science from the Univ. of Chicago and his M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He currently works as the Managing Director of Mission Integration for the Center for Action and Contemplation, and lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and daughters.

I would love to hear from you! What resonated with you from this conversation?

I’m excited to share this rich conversation I was honored to have with Pastor Trey Ferguson, who has been one of my favorite social media follows for a few years now. Pastor Trey has a great depth of wisdom, insight, humor, and inspiration to share with us as we explore faith, doubt, and wholeness.

In this episode, he will explain what he means by the term, “Theologizin’ Bigger,” which is the title of his amazing book. We’ll be talking about what it means to have an embodied and incarnational theology, the importance of considering power dynamics as we interpret scripture, and how whiteness impacts deconstruction spaces. We will also discuss shame and how and when it can actually be a part of a healthy community.

Trey Ferguson is a minister, writer, and speaker, with an MDiv from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. He is the author of Theologizin' Bigger: Homilies on Living Freely and Loving Wholly. His thoughts on faith in an evolving world can be found on the Three Black Men: Theology, Culture, and the World around Us and New Living Treyslation podcasts, in The Son Do Move newsletter, and @pastortrey05 on social media. He lives in South Florida with his wife and three children. Learn more at pastortrey05.com.

Take a listen and let us know what resonated!

Have you wondered what exactly spiritual direction is? This one’s for you! This week’s episode features spiritual director Emily Turner Watson, a beautiful soul who is sharing a bit about her journey with spiritual direction. We talked about how she draws on a diversity of experiences in various faith communities, both in her own life and in her heritage, in her work of spiritual direction. We also discussed the Enneagram and how Emily’s unique gifts (as someone who leads with type 4) help and inform her work as a spiritual director. I loved hearing Emily’s thoughts and wisdom on the role of slowing down and tuning into the body and to beauty as acts of resistance.

More about Emily… Emily Turner Watson is a writer and spiritual director living in Dallas, Texas. She spent the first part of her professional journey working in communications and fundraising in both leadership and support roles at non-profits in Dallas and Washington, D.C. In 2018, Emily received her Certification in Spiritual Direction from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University and in March 2020, felt called to focus full-time on writing and spiritual direction services.

As a deep listener, Emily loves creating space for participants in spiritual direction as together they notice, ponder, question and celebrate the Holy. She guides individuals to listen and make sense of their divine wiring and identity in God taking great joy in gently encouraging directees to explore areas of their life where they feel stuck and/or disconnected from themselves, the Holy and the world around them.

She's also the host for "Tending Spaces to Bear Spiritual Fruit," a podcast produced by Retreat House Spirituality Center. In times of margin, Emily enjoys spending time with her husband Michael, family, cooking, reading, traveling and getting outside in nature.

To learn more, visit her website www.emilylaneturner.com.

It was an absolute honor to have the opportunity to talk with author and LPC Audi Kolber. I have admired and appreciated Aundi since I first encountered her work in 2019, and she has written several informative, practical, and paradigm-shifting books since then. In this episode, we talk about her new book, Take What You Need: Soft Words for Hard Days, and how it builds on her previous work. We also discuss why and how to give compassionate attention to self and others, as well as what all of this has to do with the generous table of healing that God offers each of us.

Aundi Kolber is a licensed professional counselor (MA, LPC) and the best selling author of the critically acclaimed books Try Softer™️, Strong like Water, and her newest offering, Take What You Need. She has received additional training in her specialization of trauma- and body-centered therapies and is passionate about the integration of faith and psychology. Aundi has appeared on Good Morning America, regularly speaks at national events, and is a frequent podcast guest. As a survivor of trauma, Aundi brings hard-won knowledge about the work of change, the power of redemption, and the beauty of experiencing God with us in our pain. You can find her work here.

We’d love to know what resonated with you! Leave a comment:

I loved having the privilege of talking with Jenai Auman about her book, “Othered: Finding Belonging with the God Who Pursues the Hurt, Harmed, & Marginalized.” In this episode, you’ll hear insights from Jenai’s experience of healing from religious trauma. We talked about contemplative activism, invitations during times in the wilderness, and the role of contemplative practices in healing.

Jenai Auman is a Filipina American writer, artist, and author of OTHERED. She draws from her years in church leadership as well as her trauma-informed training to write on healing and holistic spiritual formation. She received her bachelor's degree in behavioral health science and is currently pursuing a master's in spiritual formation at Northeastern Seminary. Jenai lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and sons.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions! What resonated with you from this conversation?

May you find protected spaces for the work of healing when you need it. As you heal, may you experience a felt sense of God’s presence, love, and compassion, and may you become a compassionate presence for others.

Be well, friends.

I’m happy to share this delightful, thoughtful conversation with author Marla Taviano! I first found Marla around 2018 through her White Girl Learning bookstagram account, where she shares recommendations for books by BIPOC authors. I have enjoyed getting to know her and her writing since then. This episode is a bit longer than usual because we covered so many topics—Marla’s deconstruction journey and how it relates to justice/antiracism; creativity, play, and tips from Marla’s expertise on writing, publishing, and poetry.

Marla Taviano is into books, love, justice, globes, anti-racism, blue, gray, rainbows, and poems. She reads and writes for a living, wears her heart on her t-shirts, and is on a journey to live wholefarted (not a typo). She's the author of unbelieve, jaded, and whole, and lives in South Carolina with her kids and her cats. Find out more at marlataviano.com.

We hope you’ll take a listen and let us know what you think! How have justice, creativity, and play related to your deconstruction journey? What makes you come alive?

May you have the felt safety you need to reconnect with your authentic self through play and creativity. May you find spaces and people who will receive your expressions of your authentic self with love and joy.

Wishing you peace.

Be well, friends