Sorta Sacred

Honest, human, lightly irreverent, grounded in something deeper. This podcast explores stories, reflections, and conversations about life intersecting with faith.

Hosted by Mark Niethammer and Jessica Taylor. Mark is the senior pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa. He is a wine enthusiast, enjoys all things outdoorsy, and is optimistically pessimistic by nature. Mark has been in ordained ministry for more than 15 years.

Meanwhile, Jessica is the director of communication at St. Paul. She is a whine enthusiast, enjoys all things indoorsy, and is pessimistically optimistic by nurture.

St. Paul Lutheran Church is a 3,500-member ELCA church located in the Quad Cities.

All Episodes

Sorta Sacred

The Art of Dialogue

February 20, 2026

0:00 | 43:52

We all know the feeling—a conversation that starts civil and somehow ends in a standoff. But what if the problem isn't what we're talking about, but how we're talking? In this episode, Mark and Jess sit down with Dr. Gauri Pitale, Augustana College's Vice President for Culture and Connection and a medical anthropologist, to explore the transformative practice of dialogue—and why it's different from debate, discussion, or even your average conversation.

Dr. Pitale brings a fascinating lens to this work: part anthropologist, part community builder, part spiritual seeker. She introduces us to the "cultural iceberg"—the idea that most of who we are is hidden beneath the surface—and challenges us to stop judging people's "branches" and start getting curious about their "roots." From preparing for a hard conversation with your uncle to navigating a heated dinner table moment, this episode is full of practical wisdom and genuine hope.

If you've ever wanted to actually understand someone you deeply disagree with—this one's for you.

Book recommendation:
Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein

Thanks to the incredible production team of Sorta Sacred:

Music: Brian Schou

Tech support: Miles Thompson

Design: Lauren Brown

Merch: Allison Winter