Not all of us, but many of us, were raised in faith traditions that have shaped us, whether

we like it or not.

The sensory memories, scratchy Easter outfits, the smell of incense, vacation Bible school

games, singing silent night with candle wax strips on your fingers of Christmas Eve.

The taste of that one lady's casserole or the liturgy you can still recite from memory.

And I will never forget how absolutely diligently I played the sheep at the Christmas pageant.

I was just unbelievably good at grazing and shifting in place.

But faith is a living thing.

Sometimes it grows with us.

And sometimes there comes a time in our lives where our faith does not.

We might outgrow it.

Or sometimes it might leave us behind.

We might find ourselves for one reason or another feeling a bit lost, unable to find a community

that can replace what's gone.

Or our bodies or families or problems become unacceptable for one reason or another.

We might experience a feeling of unbelonging in the very places that once felt like home.

I'm Kate Bowler and this is Everything Happens.

Today I'm speaking with one of my real life friends, Jeff Chiu.

Jeff is a writer, preacher, and editor.

And along with one of my other favorite people, Sarah Bessie, Jeff co-leads the evolving

faith conference, which facilitates conversation and community for spiritual misfits.

He is the author of, Does Jesus Really Love Me?

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