Loving the Imperfect

Author Brianne Turczynski
  • 5.0 (6)
  • SPIRITUALITY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to Loving the Imperfect podcast, a show for spiritual seekers and skeptics.  I’m your imperfect host, Brianne Turczynski. For ten years I’ve studied offerings from holy teachers and holy texts. I’m a teacher and a journalist who has listened to the stories of many people throughout the years. So I thought it was time to share a story or two about my journey and my thoughts on scripture and holy work from different faith traditions and practices: mostly from Sufi teachers, Buddhists, and Christian mystics. So, join me as we imperfectly and clumsily make our way through each day mustering up compassion for the hours ahead. Thank you for stopping by Loving the Imperfect! New episodes are uploaded bi-weekly! For more information about me and my work please visit www.brianneturczynski.com

  1. A SPECIAL EPISODE FOR LENT AND GOOD FRIDAY: St. Therese of Lisieux and The Holy Face Devotion

    MAR 18

    A SPECIAL EPISODE FOR LENT AND GOOD FRIDAY: St. Therese of Lisieux and The Holy Face Devotion

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Loving The Imperfect. This is a special episode for Lent or Good Friday. We will begin by talking a little bit about St. Therese of Lisieux, the 19th century mystic. And afterward I will talk a little bit about what mysticism is because there's a lot of misconception about that. And then afterward, at the very end of this episode is a holy face meditation that I wrote myself, but I encourage you to add to it, using your own imagination, and thinking about what Jesus, through the senses might have experienced on the cross. I hope that you enjoy this episode and that it's fruitful for you and all these episodes will continue to be fruitful for you as you move forward in your spiritual life.  Thank you for listening.  For more information about me and my work, please visit www.brianneturczynski.com or www.lovingtheimperfect.com

    29 min
  2. Writing Retreat: Healthy Rhetoric featuring the work of Lech Walesa

    JAN 28

    Writing Retreat: Healthy Rhetoric featuring the work of Lech Walesa

    Send us Fan Mail Hello and welcome! This is a virtual writing retreat featuring the work of Lech Walesa. Rhetoric is everywhere, from what we read to what we hear and see. In this retreat we will work with a few different meditations, from artwork, to the work of Cicero, to the Gospel of John, then we will follow the patterns of history in Poland from 1938-1989. The hope is that through these exercises we will begin to see how we process the information given to us on a daily basis, and by the end of this workshop participants will be able (I hope) to see what they are called to do in this moment in history. This is a recording of what I prepared for my church community, St. Philip's Episcopal church and the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan.  The questions were taken, with permission, from Rhetoric Professor Curry Kennedy of Texas A&M. And one is from the work of interspiritual author Mirabai Starr (Think of the people who have loved you into being), from her book Wild Mercy.  All quotes have been given sources within the slides shown. Slides 19 & 21 were quotes found on Wikipedia but fact-checked elsewhere: About Solidarity All quotes from Lech Walesa not given documentation on the slides were from an interview he did with the Red Cross (Volume 87 Number 857 March 2007, International Review of the Red Cross).  Red Cross Interview YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/3M_efhiPvLE   For more information about me and my work, please visit www.brianneturczynski.com or www.lovingtheimperfect.com

    1h 11m
  3. What is the Divine Feminine? Featuring the work of Mirabai Starr

    12/03/2025

    What is the Divine Feminine? Featuring the work of Mirabai Starr

    Send us Fan Mail  Today we'll talk about the work of Mirabai Starr, an Inter-spiritual teacher, writer, and translator of the mystics. Mirabai is a well-known teacher of the divine feminine. She has written several books and her translations of St. John of the Cross's poetry as well as St. Teresa of Avila and St. Julian of Norwich's work won her critical acclaim. She is well-versed in the way of all things holy and feminine and wishes to empower women with the simple truth: that we are loved and holy just as we are.  St. Philip's Rochester YouTube Channel Mirabai Starr's Website  For more information about me and my work, please visit www.brianneturczynski.com or www.lovingtheimperfect.com

    26 min
  4. Modern-Day Prophets: Featuring Spoken Word Poet Kae Tempest with Brianne & Erin

    11/05/2025

    Modern-Day Prophets: Featuring Spoken Word Poet Kae Tempest with Brianne & Erin

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome to season 3 of Loving the Imperfect! Thank you for being patient with me over my long break. Join me this season along with my kindergarten classmate, Erin Grossi, as we introduce and discuss some modern-day prophets, people who, we believe, have at least one thing in common: the prophetic voice. The purpose of this season is to introduce listeners to some new artists and writers. We hope the selection we have for you will inspire you to read, write, and create to be a force of love in the world.  Links to cool stuff mentioned on the show: Hold Your Own: Poems by Kae Tempest Book of Traps and Lessons Album by Kae Tempest On Connection by Kae Tempest Olga Tokarczuk's Divine Cosmos interview with the Paris Review Kae Tempest Interview with Fe Ferraris: Musik Express The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot read aloud Richard Rohr's Everything Belongs Podcast Versed Community Membership Invitation   For more information about me and my work, please visit www.brianneturczynski.com or www.lovingtheimperfect.com

    50 min
  5. Season 2 Finale: What Blessings May Come in the Mess of Life with Terry Gonda

    04/23/2025

    Season 2 Finale: What Blessings May Come in the Mess of Life with Terry Gonda

    Send us Fan Mail Hello and welcome to Loving The Imperfect. Today we'll hear from Terry Gonda, a devout Catholic, who was fired from her position as a music director at a local Catholic church because of her marriage to a woman.  Join us today as she shares her story and we hear how a tragic situation like this can evolve and enrich a person's spiritual life. When this story broke in the summer of 2020, it made the pages of both the New York Times and the Associated Press as well as several local news agencies around Detroit.  From Terry's bio: In addition to performing, Terry has studied psychological and spiritual growth for over a decade and is an experienced workshop presenter and lecturer. She offers concert/workshop packages for adults, young adults and teens. Venues may choose from existing workshops or work to tailor the experience for particular needs. Terry is a dynamic speaker and presentations are intense, funny, and full of depth. Past workshops have included some or all of the following: practical tools for facing our fears in our everyday lives, tools for putting the healing journey into perspective, and inspirational/educational faith presentations. Terry is also available to run longer retreat type weekends for small to medium size groups. These include a mixture of presentations, creative activities, and time for reflection as well as plenty of fun. Past retreats have included a weekend on "The Wisdom, Power and Beauty of Women". Thank you for listening! This episode concludes season 2. I will be taking a much-needed break. I will return in a couple of months. If you miss me, please listen to some of the past episodes you may have missed. A big thank you to all who have supported the show thus far by listening and commenting. I really appreciate it! Blessings to you, Brianne Links mentioned: Servant's Entrance Terry Gonda's Website  My Documentary NOT FOR SALE: A Witness Story #prayer #LBGTQ #Inclusive #religion #catholic #bible #mystical #mystic #theology #mysticism #music #art #love #christianity #peace #community  For more information about me and my work, please visit www.brianneturczynski.com or www.lovingtheimperfect.com

    1h 2m
  6. Father Eric Williams: A Life in the Priesthood

    04/09/2025

    Father Eric Williams: A Life in the Priesthood

    Send us Fan Mail Today we'll hear from Father Eric Williams, the priest of St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Rochester. He's going tell us about his journey being an Episcopal priest. This interview is more of a conversation, so you'll hear a lot more of me in this interview, and it's a longer interview than most of my others. So, I hope you enjoy this episode, and you get a lot out of it. Thank you for joining me today. #bible #biblestudy #priest #religious #retreat #prayer #god #jesus #meditation #podcast #love  For more information about me and my work, please visit www.brianneturczynski.com or www.lovingtheimperfect.com

    56 min
  7. Positive Experiences in Vietnam

    03/26/2025

    Positive Experiences in Vietnam

    Send us Fan Mail  Today we'll hear from 90-year-old Dr. Daniel White, a local physician in this area, well known and well-liked by everyone. He was drafted into the Vietnam War as part of a MILPHAT team and spent some time in Vietnam with the civilians. Unlike most men who were drafted, Dr. White had a positive experience, and the friendships he made with the civilians has lasted a lifetime.  Thank you for joining me. For more information about me and my work, please visit www.lovingtheimperfect.com #vietnamvet #veteran #war #americanhistory #story #bible #prayer #podcast #vietnam #military  For more information about me and my work, please visit www.brianneturczynski.com or www.lovingtheimperfect.com

    13 min
  8. A High School Student's Journey with All Things Celestial

    03/12/2025

    A High School Student's Journey with All Things Celestial

    Send us Fan Mail Today we will hear from a 17-year-old local high school student who wishes to remain anonymous.  He is very interested in space, and as of right now, he wants to be an astrophysicist. Despite all you'll hear in this interview, this student is still afraid that he will not get into college.  What's really inspiring about his story, apart from his tremendous knowledge about space, is that he struggled in the first part of his high school career with his grades. He says that he was a blow off and he did try very hard. But it's unfortunate in our school systems that we do base so much of a student's goodness on the letter grade they receive.  He had an epiphany where he had to change his perspective on everything.   I hope that you enjoy this episode. Thank you for joining me.  #podcast #spirituality #episcopal #history #prayer #love #ministry #interviews #christianity #contemplative #meditation #Bible #Bible reading #religion #Biblestudy #christianmystic #mysticism #space #celestial #planets #Nasa #spacex #blackholes #mandelbrotset #math #einstein  For more information about me and my work, please visit www.brianneturczynski.com or www.lovingtheimperfect.com

    27 min
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5
out of 5
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About

Welcome to Loving the Imperfect podcast, a show for spiritual seekers and skeptics.  I’m your imperfect host, Brianne Turczynski. For ten years I’ve studied offerings from holy teachers and holy texts. I’m a teacher and a journalist who has listened to the stories of many people throughout the years. So I thought it was time to share a story or two about my journey and my thoughts on scripture and holy work from different faith traditions and practices: mostly from Sufi teachers, Buddhists, and Christian mystics. So, join me as we imperfectly and clumsily make our way through each day mustering up compassion for the hours ahead. Thank you for stopping by Loving the Imperfect! New episodes are uploaded bi-weekly! For more information about me and my work please visit www.brianneturczynski.com

Information

  • Creator
    Author Brianne Turczynski
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Loving the Imperfect
  • Show Website
    Loving the Imperfect

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