My Faith Journey, My Family, and Why Your Worth Was Never Up for Debate: Brynne Erickson Interviewed

This episode was different. Jennifer Roskelly, who joined me for an earlier conversation, turned the microphone around and interviewed me. We talk about the middle ground, trust, agency, and what it actually means to be enough exactly as you are.

✨Listen to the full episode or read for the breakdown.

Why Middle Ground

In my early thirties I realized I no longer believed the traditional narrative I had been raised in, but I was not willing to walk away from all of it either. My community, my culture, my identity were all woven into this faith. Stepping away from it entirely was not something I wanted, and I do not believe it is wrong for those who do. But for me, I found myself in a messy middle with no map.

Middle ground is not a permanent destination. It is a place to exist honestly while you figure out what is actually true for you.

The podcast took shape as I had more conversations with people who were sitting in the same uncertainty and found that saying the hard things out loud brought connection instead of isolation. Vulnerability about doubt, it turns out, is one of the fastest paths to finding out you are not alone.

The Question That Changed Everything

The turning point in my own faith was not a theological debate. It was personal. When my brother came out as gay and another brother stepped away from the church, I had to face the reality that my family no longer fit the traditional picture of a celestial family. I took that directly to God.

What do you think about my family?

What came back was peace. Calm in the middle of chaos. A deep knowing that my family was loved exactly as they were and that it was all going to be okay. I cannot deny that experience no matter what it contradicts. And it became the foundation everything else has been built on since.

"I took it to God and asked, what do you think about my family? What came back was peace. A deep knowing that my family was loved exactly as they were. I cannot deny that no matter what it contradicts."

The Gospel Versus the Container

"The atonement is not you do everything right and then Christ makes up the difference. It is I took care of it all. Trust. Live. Learn. Spread light."

My mom has always made a distinction that has stuck with me. The church, the religion, and the gospel are not all the same thing. The organization is the container. The policies and procedures are the rules men put in place to help manage the container. The gospel is the essence underneath all of it.

I have leaned into the essence.

The atonement to me is not a system where you do everything right and then Christ makes up the difference. It is I took care of it all. Trust. Live. Learn. Spread light. The more I have focused on that rather than on checking boxes, the more peace I have found. And the more I have been able to extend that same grace to everyone else regardless of where their journey takes them.

What I Would Say With the Microphone

Jennifer asked me what I would say to the world if Jesus were standing behind me. The first thing that came to mind was simple.

You are enough.

Not because anything has been earned. Not because all the right boxes have been checked. Because you are a child of the ultimate creator and that divine DNA is already in you. Your worth is inherent. It does not require proof. It does not require a building or a covenant or a worthy interview. It just is.

And if you want to become more than who you are right now, it is because you choose to. Not because you have to in order to earn something. Because you want to, and that wanting matters.

"Your worth is inherent. It does not require proof, a building, a covenant, or a worthy interview. You are made of divine DNA and your potential is limitless."

What Being a Disciple Actually Looks Like

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ to me is sitting with people. Asking questions. Not needing to save or condemn or prove anything. Just taking it in and being willing to ask, how is this working for you? Why does this work for you? Tell me about your journey.

Everyone's journey is honored by God just as much as yours, even when you land in completely different places.

The small things matter more than we think. A text when someone's name comes to mind. A smile at the store. Showing up at someone's door not to see a clean house but to see them. That is the mustard seed. That is the spark that grows into something enormous.

It's work worth doing 💕

Brynne

Thanks for Being Here

Hi, I’m Brynne. I share my journey of becoming through stories and reflection - guided by a higher power as I explore identity, faith, and everyday life, inviting you to grow alongside me.

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