Searching the Sacred | Holy Women, Shared Stories

Step into the lives of ten remarkable women who appear in the Quran, Hebrew Scriptures, and Christian Bible, and discover the threads that connect us across faiths.

In each episode, faith leaders from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions come together to explore these stories through personal reflection, insight, and curiosity.

Our conversations are not about finding the “right” interpretation but about listening, wondering, and sometimes experiencing a little “holy envy” for the beauty and depth in another tradition’s story.

Join us as we illuminate the women who shaped sacred narratives—and perhaps see faith, each other, and ourselves in new ways.

Guests on Today's Episode:

Talath Aalia Siddiqui: “Honor your emotions to become the person you are meant to be!” This is the gist of what Coach Aalia is all about. With over fifteen years of experience as a business consultant and executive, she brings her knowledge and expertise to educate, coach, and lead towards collective betterment. Aalia is a certified Life Coach in Social-Emotional Leadership and heads a consulting company providing non-profit management and coaching focused on unleashing human potential. Her affiliations include Baithak School Society, Muslimah Connection, Mohammed Webb Foundation, Sisterhood of Salam Shalom, and various Islamic Centers in US. She holds a master’s degree in Leadership and Coaching, and a bachelor’s in business management. She has an Islamic Teachers Certification from Ribaat Academy and is currently enrolled in 2nd year of Al-Madinah Institute Suhba Seminary with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui. Aalia is an avid student of knowledge, and enjoys organizing events, arts & crafts, nature walks, and traveling. Aalia is working on her upcoming book Becoming More ME: Building a Self-Concept as a Pakistani, American, Muslim, Woman©. https://www.coachaalia.com/

Rabbi Tamar Magill-Grimm: Rabbi Tamar Magill-Grimm brings a love for ongoing, serious, deep Jewish learning and spiritual growth to her role as Senior Rabbi at Beth Jacob Congregation. Over the course of the last 10 years, she has served in various roles at Beth Jacob, including Rabbi-Educator and Assistant Rabbi. Prior to working at Beth Jacob, she was the rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Rock Island, IL. Rabbi Tamar received her Rabbinic Ordination and Masters in Jewish Studies from Hebrew College Rabbinical School in Boston and graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology, and a certificate in Women’s Studies. She lives in St. Paul, MN, with her spouse and two daughters. Together they enjoy cross-country skiing, watching women’s basketball and eating pizza. beth-jacob.org

Rachel Pieh Jones: Rachel Pieh Jones has written about life at the crossroads of faith and culture for the New York Times, Runners World, and more. Her work is influenced by living in the Horn of Africa, raising Third Culture Kids, and adventurous exploration of the natural world. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Somaliland and Djibouti for over twenty years. She holds two Masters degrees, is a current PhD student in Intercultural Studies, and works as a ghostwriter and developmental editor. Rachel is the award-winning author of six books including Pillars: How Muslim Friends Led Me Closer to Jesus." www.rachelpiehjones.com

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This is a 40 Orchards podcast.

At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle through biblical texts, so that— together— we can expand each other’s experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.

We search through the lens of sacred possibility; assuming there is more to be discovered, questioned, and applied as we listen for how God is still speaking.

You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40Orchards.org

Our opening music is by LesFM

Our closing music is by NCR Music Vibes

Additional music is by Three Music and Scott Holmes Music

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Welcome to a new season of Searching the Sacred!

Step into the lives of ten remarkable women who appear in the Quran, Hebrew Scriptures, and Christian Bible, and discover the threads that connect us across faiths.

In each episode, faith leaders from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions come together to explore these stories through personal reflection, insight, and curiosity.

Our conversations are not about finding the “right” interpretation but about listening, wondering, and sometimes experiencing a little “holy envy” for the beauty and depth in another tradition’s story.

Join us as we illuminate the women who shaped sacred narratives—and perhaps see faith, each other, and ourselves in new ways.

____

This is a 40 Orchards podcast.

At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle through biblical texts, so that— together— we can expand each other’s experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.

We search through the lens of sacred possibility; assuming there is more to be discovered, questioned, and applied as we listen for how God is still speaking.

You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40Orchards.org

Our opening music is by LesFM

Our closing music is by NCR Music Vibes

Additional music is by Three Music and Scott Holmes Music

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Looking for a way to give as the year comes to a close? We are asking people to consider an end of the year gift to support 40 Orchards. You can learn more about this by going to 40Orchards.org.

____

This is a 40 Orchards podcast.

At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle through biblical texts, so that— together— we can expand each other’s experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.

We search through the lens of sacred possibility; assuming there is more to be discovered, questioned, and applied as we listen for how God is still speaking.

You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40Orchards.org

Our music is by Scott Holmes Music

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Welcome to Advent! Taking a slightly different twist from our normal deep dive into a particular passage, we are going to explore the Advent Hymn 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel'.

There is rich Biblical history and theology embedded in this beautiful hymn. And when we ask good questions and wrestle with meaning, good conversation can arise.

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You will also notice that midway through the episode, we are asking people to consider an end of the year gift to support 40 Orchards. You can learn more about this by going to 40Orchards.org.

____

This is a 40 Orchards podcast.

At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle through biblical texts, so that— together— we can expand each other’s experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.

We search through the lens of sacred possibility; assuming there is more to be discovered, questioned, and applied as we listen for how God is still speaking.

You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40Orchards.org

Our opening music is by LesFM

Our closing music is by NCR Music Vibes

Additional music is by Three Music and Scott Holmes Music

____

This season of Searching the Sacred (a 40 Orchards podcast) will explore how we read and understand the Bible. For many people, the way we were first exposed to the Bible isn't working anymore. We want to hold it as a sacred text or we don't want to give up on Jesus, but we struggle with reading the Bible.

Is it without error (inerrant)? Is it true? Can it be trusted? Is it from God? What does sacred text really mean? What do we do with theology? How do the creeds impact our understanding of God? And many more!

Our goal is not to solve these questions, but to enter into the dialogue and provide some helpful wrestling. We also want to leave you with some good questions to ponder between episodes.

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Notes from Episode 7...

The Reverend Dr. Wil Gafney: https://www.wilgafney.com/

Dr. Walter Brueggemann: https://www.walterbrueggemann.com/

Fr. Richard Rohr: https://cac.org/about/cac-faculty/cac-founder-richard-rohr/

Dr. Tikva Frymer-Kensky: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/author/frymer-kensky-tikva

____

This is a 40 Orchards podcast.

At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle through biblical texts, so that— together— we can expand each other’s experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.

We search through the lens of sacred possibility; assuming there is more to be discovered, questioned, and applied as we listen for how God is still speaking.

You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40Orchards.org

Our opening music is by LesFM

Our closing music is by NCR Music Vibes

Additional music is by Three Music

____

This season of Searching the Sacred (a 40 Orchards podcast) will explore how we read and understand the Bible. For many people, the way we were first exposed to the Bible isn't working anymore. We want to hold it as a sacred text or we don't want to give up on Jesus, but we struggle with reading the Bible.

Is it without error (inerrant)? Is it true? Can it be trusted? Is it from God? What does sacred text really mean? What do we do with theology? How do the creeds impact our understanding of God? And many more!

Our goal is not to solve these questions, but to enter into the dialogue and provide some helpful wrestling. We also want to leave you with some good questions to ponder between episodes.

____

Notes from Episode 6...

The show, Shiny Happy People (Season Two) was referenced. This is a Prime Video documentary. HERE is more info.

TULIP, the acronym often associated with Calvinism was discussed. Learn more HERE.

We also discussed variations within different denominations. HERE is an article by LOGOS that helps give some history of denominations and some books that dive deeper into the history of each. This is not exhaustive at all...but a helpful starting point.

____

This is a 40 Orchards podcast.

At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle through biblical texts, so that— together— we can expand each other’s experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.

We search through the lens of sacred possibility; assuming there is more to be discovered, questioned, and applied as we listen for how God is still speaking.

You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40Orchards.org

Our opening music is by LesFM

Our closing music is by NCR Music Vibes

Additional music is by Three Music

____

This season of Searching the Sacred (a 40 Orchards podcast) will explore how we read and understand the Bible. For many people, the way we were first exposed to the Bible isn't working anymore. We want to hold it as a sacred text or we don't want to give up on Jesus, but we struggle with reading the Bible.

Is it without error (inerrant)? Is it true? Can it be trusted? Is it from God? What does sacred text really mean? What do we do with theology? How do the creeds impact our understanding of God? And many more!

Our goal is not to solve these questions, but to enter into the dialogue and provide some helpful wrestling. We also want to leave you with some good questions to ponder between episodes.

____

Notes from Episode 5...

Dr. Wilda Gafney was highlighted in this episode. HERE is more on her work. HERE is her book, Womanist Midrash.

HERE is a helpful article from Bible Gateway that helps contextualize many of the major English translations.

____

This is a 40 Orchards podcast.

At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle through biblical texts, so that— together— we can expand each other’s experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.

We search through the lens of sacred possibility; assuming there is more to be discovered, questioned, and applied as we listen for how God is still speaking.

You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40Orchards.org

Our opening music is by LesFM

Our closing music is by NCR Music Vibes

Additional music is by Three Music

____

This season of Searching the Sacred (a 40 Orchards podcast) will explore how we read and understand the Bible. For many people, the way we were first exposed to the Bible isn't working anymore. We want to hold it as a sacred text or we don't want to give up on Jesus, but we struggle with reading the Bible.

Is it without error (inerrant)? Is it true? Can it be trusted? Is it from God? What does sacred text really mean? What do we do with theology? How do the creeds impact our understanding of God? And many more!

Our goal is not to solve these questions, but to enter into the dialogue and provide some helpful wrestling. We also want to leave you with some good questions to ponder between episodes.

____

Notes from Episode 4...

____

This is a 40 Orchards podcast.

At 40 Orchards, our mission is to create circles for all people to wrestle through biblical texts, so that— together— we can expand each other’s experience of what is sacred, whole, and good.

We search through the lens of sacred possibility; assuming there is more to be discovered, questioned, and applied as we listen for how God is still speaking.

You can learn more about 40 Orchards and sign-up for a study by going to 40Orchards.org

Our opening music is by LesFM

Our closing music is by NCR Music Vibes

Additional music is by Three Music

____