What happens when the people and practices you were taught to fear become the very ones that save your spirit?

In this episode, David returns to the sacred, surprising space of HUMC—where therapists, mystics, and queer spiritual leaders weren’t condemned, but welcomed. Through stories of community, healing, and deep transformation, he explores how the once-forbidden became foundational. These weren’t just people. They were spiritual tools in human form.

Blending personal narrative with reflection and meditation, this episode invites listeners to consider what they’ve left outside the sanctuary of their own lives—and what might happen if they dared to bring it in.

David closes with a gentle meditation on reclaiming what was once called unholy, and offers a brief, heartfelt note about an upcoming retreat—a time of deep listening, unfolding, and quiet return.

Water has always been a symbol of transition—of faith, grief, cleansing, and beginning again. In this episode, I reflect on the waters I’ve crossed: leaving behind the dogma of my Southern Baptist upbringing, finding myself alone in a new city, and unexpectedly discovering a resting place at HUMC.

We begin with a meditation connecting to the water within our own bodies, and from there, we journey through the rivers of history, ancient waters that have held joy, violence, and transformation across time and cultures. We touch on sacred stories, devastating events, and the beauty of renewal—

Where have you crossed? What waters are you standing before now? I invite you to pause, reflect, and step in with me

What we carry shapes us—but do we know its name? In this episode of Shards – A Spiritual Journey in Pieces, David explores the weight of unspoken burdens. Through therapy, medical experiences, and family reflection, he uncovers the power of naming pain and the first steps toward release. Join him in this deeply personal and reflective journey, and take a moment to breathe, name, and begin to let go.