Faith and Common Ground

What happens when a Christian pastor and a Pagan priestess become friend and spend years learning from each other?

In this special reboot episode of Faith and Common Ground, Jesse and Amber revisit the beginnings of their unlikely friendship, reflect on how their perspectives have evolved, and share what they've learned from years of honest conversations across religious differences.

Then, with Thanksgiving approaching, they turn to a question many families are facing: What does hospitality look like when we fundamentally disagree?

From political divisions to uncomfortable holiday gatherings, they explore the idea of a "radical hospitality table"—a place where differences can be acknowledged, difficult conversations can happen with mutual respect, and gratitude can bring us together without requiring us to agree.

This month on Faith and Common Ground, Jesse and Amber celebrate their longest episode by welcoming two guests who have turned their personal journeys into opportunities to help others. Former journalist Ashiah Bird shares how she found a new calling helping unhoused people find a place to call home. Then, Austen Marie, host of the Neuro Spicy Mompod, talks about growing up neurodivergent, becoming a teacher, and discovering her passion for educating neurodivergent children and helping their parents better understand and support them. Two very different journeys, one common thread: finding purpose in making a difference.

What happens when you’ve been hurt by religion, struggled with addiction, questioned the institutions you once trusted—and yet you don’t walk away from faith?

In this episode, we talk with Angelica about her very honest, very complicated, and deeply meaningful spiritual journey. Her story doesn't fit neatly into the categories of “faithful” or “deconstructed,” “orthodox” or “unchurched.” Instead, she has learned to take the pieces of her experience—the good, the painful, the things that worked and the things that didn’t—and integrate them into a faith that is uniquely her own.

Angelica is remarkably candid about the choices she has made and the ways her journey might be judged by others. But she also talks about the freedom that comes from recognizing that there isn't always a well-marked path for where we're going.

As we wrap up our series on deconstructing from religion, this conversation feels like a perfect off-ramp. Because maybe deconstruction isn't about tearing everything down. Maybe it's about figuring out what is worth keeping—and then beginning to build.

Maybe it's time to do some constructing.

This week we revisit a conversation we somehow forgot was already in our archives! Emily G. shares her journey of deconstructing from the Mormon church, followed by a conversation with Kathy Fernandes of the Center for Spiritual Living about why faith and intellect don't have to be at odds. Two conversations that remind us there's room for both honest questions and authentic spirituality.

What happens when the faith you've inherited no longer fits? In this second episode of our series on religious deconstruction, Amber and Jesse talk with Frederic Jones and Larry Love, authors of Called: A Faith and the Forward-Looking, about "spiritual exiles" and the search for a faith beyond rigid certainty.

We also revisit a powerful interview with Emily G., who shares her journey out of the Mormon tradition and the challenges of rebuilding faith after leaving.

Join us as we explore questions, doubt, belonging, and the hope that can emerge on the other side of deconstruction.

For this episode of Faith and Common Ground, Amber and Jesse explore the growing phenomenon of spiritual deconstruction. Drawing from real stories shared online by Christians, Pagans, and New Age practitioners, this episode examines what happens when people begin questioning the beliefs and communities that once shaped their lives.

Some leave faith behind. Others rebuild it in new ways. Across very different traditions, surprising common ground emerges in the search for authenticity, healing, and meaning.

From the end of life to the end of the world, how do we face what comes last? Jesse and Amber hear from two hospice caregivers about how to show up with compassion, honesty, and grace when it matters most and then we explore how many world religions imagine the end of time.

This week Amber and Jesse welcome authors Pastor Robert Morton and Karyn Chabot for a conversation that lives right in the heart of what Faith and Common Ground is about—honest faith, deep questions, and unexpected places of connection.

Jesse and Amber welcome Christopher Armstrong and Nicola Turner to talk about a variety of topics related to health and healing including mutants and over-caffeinated Americans. No. Really.

Amber and Jesse go international in this episode, welcoming two healing practitioners from Canada and Scotland. Maria Seraphina explores the practice of intergenerational healing, while Abigail Hinds shares insightful guidance on the importance of breast health.

This week, Jesse and Amber are joined by holistic health expert Gail Alibozek—certified in health restoration, a medical malpractice survivor, and a powerful voice for patient advocacy. She opens up about her journey and the restorative role herbal medicine can play in whole-person wellness.

Amber and Jesse take a walk through Chico California's annual "A Touch of Chico" fair to ask people what their greatest joys and most pressing concerns are. Crystal Lively also visits the studio to talk about her fourth annual Gratitude Walk and how gratitude fits into our joys and concerns theme.

In this episode, Jesse and Amber welcome back two returning guests to the table. Jennifer Conlin joins us for a follow-up on Jesse’s acupuncture treatment, and Stefani Pearsall shares insights on navigating difficult times with a higher vibrational frequency.

David Deveaux joins Amber and Jesse to share a different method of teaching kids to read. Then "Papa" Jim Secola talks about living sober for 18 years and his work helping others achieve sobriety.

In this episode, Jesse and Amber welcome Jennifer Conlin who shares her inspiring journey to becoming an acupuncturist and how Eastern healing traditions transformed her life and practice. Then, Shane Montane offers a thoughtful introduction to Kabbalah, helping us understand its rich mystical teachings and how they apply to our modern spiritual lives.

Laurie Howard, a self-proclaimed "JewBuh" talks about what it's like to be a practitioner of Judaism and Buddhism and Dr. Michelle Klobodu and Jeanette Conery address research on holistic treatments for metabolic syndrome.

Jenny Hildenbrand and Erin Haley join Jesse and Amber at the Radical Hospitality table to share how they responded to felt needs in their community and found out they're the only ones in town who did!

Amber and Jesse get a late start in 2025 with Sophia Penisu, our youngest guest on the show, who is serving people and planet by learning about Net Zero Building. We also have Amber Flood, an old friend of Amber St Clare who shares about receiving and giving spiritual direction for people in need.

Jesse and Amber share how they maintain common ground despite their differences and set some intentions for the new year.

Jesse and Amber attend the annual Chico Area Interfaith Council dinner and host a panel for the council's Stop the Hate Campaign followed by a one-on-one interview with one of the panelists, Hillary Crosby.