{"podcast":{"title":"Honoring the Journey","slug":"honoring-the-journey-6751564","podcast_index_feed_id":6751564,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/Swlbwx2u","website_url":"https://www.patheos.com/editorial/podcasts/honoring-the-journey","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/ef0a2fe7-7943-4710-96af-769dcdd9bc29/8f6ffda1-bc8a-4e85-a5e4-9e278ae3a924/3000x3000/hosted-20by-20leslie-20nease-3.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"Leslie Nease","episode_count":112,"summary":"Life is a journey, and we’re all walking our own unique path. But every now and then, we get the chance to step onto someone else’s path, to see the world from their perspective, and to learn from their experiences. That’s what we do here on Honoring the Journey. We walk alongside others, explore their stories, and then step back onto our own path—hopefully with new insights, deeper understanding, and a broader perspective for the journey ahead. Honoring the Journey is hosted by Leslie Nease, a former Christian Radio Host, Speaker & Writer and Contestant on Survivor China known as \"Sister Christian\". Leslie has since deconstructed her Evangelical beliefs, but is still deeply connected to God and is seeking to understand faith from every perspective. Let's journey together!","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T10:21:20.329814+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honoring-the-journey-6751564"},"episode":{"title":"Empty Chairs Community: Honoring the Journey of Justin Telthorst","slug":"empty-chairs-community-honoring-the-journey-of-justin-telthorst","published_at":"2026-02-09T06:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honoring-the-journey-6751564/empty-chairs-community-honoring-the-journey-of-justin-telthorst","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honoring-the-journey-6751564","url":"https://www.patheos.com/editorial/podcasts/honoring-the-journey","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/afp-13455-injected.calisto.simplecastaudio.com/436ddef1-73dc-47da-9031-10559aad1978/episodes/96c22ab9-4456-4eac-916c-49013fc04d2c/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=436ddef1-73dc-47da-9031-10559aad1978&awEpisodeId=96c22ab9-4456-4eac-916c-49013fc04d2c&feed=Swlbwx2u","summary":"This episode of Honoring the Journey is a deeply personal conversation with Justin Telthorst, who shares his journey of coming out as gay at age 25 while remaining within the Catholic Church—a path that defied the common narrative of leaving religion behind. Growing up in a conservative Catholic environment in the Midwest, Justin initially viewed his sexuality as a \"cross to bear\" and his secret testimony to overcome. After years of internal struggle, falling in love with a man, and experiencing profound peace in that relationship, he faced a pivotal moment: conversations with unsupportive priests led him to leave his dream job at a Catholic nonprofit and begin the painful process of coming out. Rather than abandoning his faith entirely, Justin found his way back to Catholicism after several years, choosing to stay and create welcoming spaces within the church. He now runs a Discord community for LGBTQ+ Catholics, offers one-on-one spiritual direction, and advocates for a theology centered on God's infinite mercy and love rather than rules and condemnation.","meta_description":"This episode of Honoring the Journey is a deeply personal conversation with Justin Telthorst, who shares his journey of coming out as gay at age 25 while…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3390,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/honoring-the-journey-6751564/episodes/empty-chairs-community-honoring-the-journey-of-justin-telthorst/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honoring-the-journey-6751564/empty-chairs-community-honoring-the-journey-of-justin-telthorst.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}