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Neurodivergent Faith

Josh Davis (Autistic Pastor)

Neurodivergent Faith explores the intersection of neurodivergence and Christian faith and practice, creating a space where neurodivergent individuals can process their faith without judgment, while also offering education and inspiration for neurotypical listeners to understand and support their neurodivergent family in Christ.

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23 episodes
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Avg 42 min
English

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S5 · E6
Yesterday · 40 min
Repeated Overwhelm Is Not Character Formation: On Capacity + Discernment
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I begin with listener mail—including some thoughtful questions about parenting, sensory overwhelm, gratitude, accommodation, and the difference between stretching ourselves and pushing ourselves into dysregulation. Then, I transition into my own seasonal inventory: What's working for me? What's not working? And what's changing? I share some things that are surprisingly life-giving right now—from spiritual direction with podcast listeners, to my current journal, rearranging my office, and an unexpected breakthrough at our family-and-friends “dinner dinner.” I also talk honestly about what's not working: Sabbath days, family Sabbath dinners, summertime overstimulation, unpredictable schedules, shifting ministry meetings, and the deceptively disruptive practice of checking email and texts on low-demand days. And underneath all of it is a deeper question about capacity and discernment. I've spent much of my life assuming that if something isn't working, the answer is to try harder, become more disciplined, or figure out how to make myself fit. Sometimes discernment means asking not only, “What is God calling me to do?” but also: What is actually sustainable for me? #NeurodivergentFaith #Neurodivergence #Autism #ADHD #SpiritualDirection #ChristianSpirituality #Discernment #Capacity #SensoryOverload #NeurodivergentChristians #FaithAndNeurodiversity #ChristianPodcast #Overwhelm #SelfKnowledge To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S5 · E5
August 27 · 45 min
Belonging Without Becoming Someone Else
Send us Fan Mail In this special episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I’m sharing a replay of my conversation on Deb Gregory’s Betwixt podcast. Deb is an author and spiritual director, and as someone who is part of a neurodiverse family, she and I share a lot of common ground—and a deep curiosity about the ways neurodivergent people experience God and the world. In our conversation, we explore sensory challenges and sensory joy, differences in imagination, masking, belonging, and the unique gifts neurodivergent people bring to the body of Christ. What happens when we stop viewing neurodivergence primarily through the lens of difficulty or deficit and begin asking what neurodivergent people might uniquely contribute to our communities of faith? How might our different ways of sensing, imagining, noticing, and experiencing the world become gifts rather than things we need to hide? This conversation is an invitation to consider a different kind of belonging—one that doesn't require us to mask, conform, or become more like everyone else in order to have a place in the body of Christ. This episode is a replay of Betwixt, Deb Gregory's podcast. You can find the original podcast and explore more of Deb's work at Flourish Spiritual Direction & Contemplative Center — Betwixt Podcast. #NeurodivergentFaith #BelongingWithoutBecomingSomeoneElse #NeurodiversityAndFaith #NeurodivergentChristian #AutisticChristian #ADHDFaith #NeurodivergentCommunity #SensoryJoy #NeurodivergentGifts #Masking #ChristianContemplation #SpiritualDirection #Belonging #BodyOfChrist To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S5 · E4
August 20 · 29 min
Praying with ADHD
Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I explore what prayer can look like for Christians with ADHD, drawing inspiration from Megan Fowler’s Christianity Today article, “How to Pray with ADHD.” Along the way, I reflect on the shame many ADHD Christians carry when they struggle to maintain traditional spiritual practices—and the “lesser than” mindset that can develop when we measure spiritual maturity by neurotypical standards. We explore the freedom of realizing, “I get to pray differently.” Maybe stillness and silence help you connect with God—or maybe walking, doodling, stretching, knitting, or fidgeting helps your attention become available. Maybe your hyperfocus isn't something you need to overcome in order to pray. What if you could actually share your fascination, curiosity, joy, and discoveries with God? I also explore how ancient Christian practices—from Lectio Divina and the Jesus Prayer to liturgy, repetition, movement, prayer beads, physical postures, and the rhythms of the church calendar—can offer neurodivergent Christians meaningful ways to encounter God. And toward the end of the episode, we move from talking about prayer to actually praying together. Whether you're walking, doodling, fidgeting, driving, or simply sitting wherever you are, I invite you to notice where your attention is and share it with God. Because prayer is not a performance. Prayer is relationship. You don't have to become someone else before God will meet you. You get to come to God as the person God created you to be. #NeurodivergentFaith #PrayingWithADHD #ADHDFaith #NeurodiversityAndFaith #ADHDChristian #NeurodivergentChristian #AutisticChristian #SpiritualDirection #ChristianContemplation #NeurodivergentCommunity #Prayer #SpiritualPractices #ADHDSpirituality #Neurodiversity #ChristianPodcast To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S5 · E3
August 13 · 51 min
When You Don't Fit The Mold (with Daniel Curtis)
Send us Fan Mail What happens when the world keeps telling you that you don’t fit? In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I talk with Daniel Curtis, a speaker, storyteller, composer, and late-diagnosed ADD adult from South Wales. Daniel shares openly about being bullied, struggling with self-doubt, being told by a teacher that music wasn’t for him, and the long journey of learning to question the stories others had written about him. At the heart of our conversation is a question Daniel often asks: “Who were you before the world told you who to be?” Together, we explore what it means to go looking for who we really are—to notice what brings us alive, what makes us shut down, who helps us become more fully ourselves, and what we might want the rest of our lives to look like. And we ask an important question for anyone who has ever felt like they didn't quite fit the mold: Is there room in God’s Kingdom for someone like me? Daniel’s story is ultimately one of trusting that the person God created us to be may be far more beautiful than the person the world told us we needed to become. Daniel Curtis | Speaker, Storyteller & Composer | www.danielcurtishq.com #NeurodivergentFaith #WhenYouDontFitTheMold #NeurodiversityAndFaith #ADDandFaith #ADHDFaith #NeurodivergentChristian #NeurodivergentCommunity #FaithAndIdentity #NeurodivergentCalling #NeurodivergentCreativity #Belonging #Masking #LateDiagnosedADD #ChristianPodcast To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S5 · E2
August 6 · 42 min
Executive Function + Faith (Part 5): Persistence and Stress Resilience
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I continue my conversation with Neurodiverse Couples Coach Robin Tate—and bring our series on executive function and faith to a close. Together, we explore two more executive functions that have a profound impact on our daily lives: persistence/perseverance, and stress resilience. What does it mean to keep going when our brains and bodies are overwhelmed? And how do we discern the difference between faithful perseverance and pushing ourselves beyond what is healthy or sustainable? What might it look like to cultivate resilience without turning resilience into another demand to perform? Throughout this series, Robin and I have explored executive function not simply as a set of skills we need to improve, but as a reality of neurodiversity. Each unique brain has executive function strengths and challenges...and each person is worthy of dignity and inclusion as an image-bearer of God. #NeurodivergentFaith #ExecutiveFunction #NeurodiversityAndFaith #Persistence #Perseverance #StressResilience #NeurodivergentChristian #ADHDFaith #AutisticChristian #NeurodivergentCommunity #FaithAndNeurodiversity To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S5 · E1
July 30 · 33 min
Executive Function + Faith (Part 4): Cognitive Flexibility + Self-Awareness
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I continue my conversation with Neurodiverse Couples Coach Robin Tate in Part Four of our series exploring executive function and neurodivergence. This time, we turn our attention to two often-overlooked executive functions: cognitive flexibility and self-awareness. Together, we explore what it means to shift our perspective, hold multiple possibilities, notice what is happening within us, and grow in our understanding of ourselves. And, of course, we explore what all of this has to do with faith. How does cognitive flexibility shape the way we relate to God? How might growing in self-awareness change the way we love ourselves and relate to the people around us? As we continue this conversation, Robin and I uncover the reality that executive function isn't just about getting things done. It can also shape the way we experience God, understand ourselves, navigate relationships, and participate in the life of faith. #NeurodivergentFaith #ExecutiveFunction #NeurodiversityAndFaith #SelfAwareness #NeurodivergentChristian #ADHDFaith #AutisticChristian #NeurodivergentCommunity #CognitiveFlexibility To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E10
May 28 · 51 min
Creating Church Spaces Where Every Child Belongs
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I sit down with author, speaker, ministry leader, and grandmother Kim Botto for a deeply compassionate conversation about creating church spaces where every child truly belongs. Together, we explore what it means for churches to move beyond behavior management and toward curiosity, compassion, and connection—especially when supporting neurodivergent children, children impacted by trauma, and families who often feel unseen or misunderstood in church spaces. Drawing from her book Boundless Hope for Every Child: Help for the Hurting, Compassion for the Misunderstood, Belonging for the Lonely, Kim shares practical wisdom for churches and children’s ministries, as well as personal reflections from her own experience as part of a neurodiverse family. We talk about belonging, disability ministry, trauma-informed care, the spiritual harm many families experience when they don’t feel welcomed, and the hope of building communities that reflect the heart of Jesus more fully. Learn more about Kim, her book, trainings, and ministry resources at: https://kimbotto.com #NeurodivergentFaith #KimBotto #EveryChildBelongs #Neurodiversity #DisabilityMinistry #TraumaInformedMinistry #ChildrensMinistry #BoundlessHope #Neurodivergent #ParentingNeurodivergentKids #Belonging To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E9
May 21 · 50 min
Spiritual Wayfinding: Neurodivergence + Embodied Connection With God
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I sit down with spiritual director and author Deb Gregory to explore the sacred connection between spirituality, embodiment, and neurodivergence. As members of neurodiverse families ourselves, Deb and I talk about the importance of curiosity—especially the kind of curiosity that helps us listen more deeply to what neurodivergent children and adults may truly need. Together, we reflect on how emotions, movement, sensory awareness, and our physical bodies can become companions in discernment and connection with God. We also explore walking as a spiritual practice, and how togetherness, conversation, and movement can open doors into contemplative life alongside more traditional practices like silence, solitude, and stillness. Learn more about Deb Gregory and her book Spiritual Wayfinding at: https://www.flourishspiritualdirection.com/ #NeurodivergentFaith #SpiritualWayfinding #DebGregory #SpiritualDirection #Neurodiversity #EmbodiedFaith #ContemplativeLife #SensoryProcessingDisorder #EmbodiedPrayer #WalkingPrayer #Neurodivergent #FaithAndMentalHealth To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E8
May 14 · 29 min
Neurodivergent Faith: What's Working (And What's Not) Right Now (Spring 2026)
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I reflect on what’s working—and what’s not—in this current season of life and faith. From singing together as a family and discovering the quiet gift of object-focused connection, to the unexpected grace of a few steady days of routine after months of disruption, I trace the small rhythms that are helping me settle again. I also name what hasn’t been working—forced conversations, shifting schedules, and the disorientation that comes when familiar anchors are pulled away. Along the way, I share glimpses of personal practices that are grounding me: our monthly Neurodivergent Faith gatherings, the gift of listener stories, moments of musical flow, and simple rhythms like keeping laundry on Thursdays. This is an invitation to notice your own life with curiosity and compassion—and how God might be meeting you in the middle of it all. #NeurodivergentFaith #FaithAndNeurodivergence #NeurodivergentChristian #SpiritualRhythms #WhatsWorking #ParentingAndFaith #NeurodivergentLife #FaithAndMentalHealth To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E7
May 7 · 37 min
Parents, Please Regulate Yourselves!
Send us Fan Mail What if one of the most important things you bring to your neurodivergent child (or your loved one)… isn’t your words, your strategies, or your plans—but your regulated presence? In this episode, we explore the sacred, often overlooked work of parents learning to regulate themselves—especially when raising neurodivergent kids. We’ll name the honest truth: parenting can be overstimulating. And being overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re human. Through story, reflection, and the quiet example of Jesus slowing the moment down, this episode invites you into a different kind of response—one rooted in awareness, presence, and repair. You’ll also be guided through simple, accessible practices you can use in real time—with your children, and for yourself. #NeurodivergentParenting #RegulateYourself #CoRegulation #ParentingSupport #Neurodiversity #AutismParenting #ADHDParenting #NervousSystem #EmotionalRegulation #FaithAndParenting #SpiritualFormation #EmbodiedFaith #ParentingJourney To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E6
April 30 · 52 min
Parenting, Trauma, + Connection [with Amanda Diekman]
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I sit down with Amanda Diekman—known to many as “Low Demand Amanda”—to explore the tender intersection of parenting, trauma, and connection. We name the reality so many parents carry quietly: that some of our pain is happening inside the parenting journey itself. And we ask the honest question—how do we begin to heal while we are actively parenting? Amanda brings wisdom shaped by lived experience as a neurodivergent parent raising neurodivergent kids. We talk about PDA, the limits of control-based parenting, and the quiet, powerful shift of dropping demands to build trusting connection. We also turn inward—toward the sacred work of reparenting ourselves. Learning, slowly, to offer our own hearts the compassion, regulation, and grace we may have never received. To connect with Amanda: https://www.instagram.com/lowdemandamanda/ https://www.amandadiekman.com/podcast #NeurodivergentFaith #ParentingTrauma #PDAParenting #LowDemandParenting #AmandaDiekman #NeurodivergentParenting #TraumaInformed #ConnectionOverControl #Reparenting #FaithAndMentalHealth #GentleParenting #NervousSystem #ParentingJourney To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E5
April 23 · 32 min
Child Sacrifice for the Sake of the Community
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, “Child Sacrifice for the Sake of the Community,” we explore what happens when belonging, harmony, and reputation are prioritized over a child’s nervous system. Through personal reflection, we name the ways many of us learned to override our bodies—whether in overwhelming environments, unspoken expectations to “push through,” or even being required to give affection we didn’t feel safe offering. We gently unpack the difference between tantrums and meltdowns, and why that distinction matters for compassion, safety, and understanding. Along the way, we begin to notice how these early patterns can shape our relationship with our bodies, our boundaries, and even our faith. This is an invitation to move from self-abandonment towards finding new ways of honoring God, ourselves, and our communities at the same time. #NeurodivergentFaith #TraumaInformed #NervousSystemAwareness #AutismAcceptance #BodyAutonomy #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndMentalHealth #HealingJourney #ParentingWithCompassion #EmbodiedFaith To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E4
April 16 · 57 min
The Myth of Good Christian Parenting
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Neurodivergent Faith, I sit down with Marissa Franks Burt and Kelsey Kramer McGinnis to explore some often unexamined assumptions that have shaped Christian parenting culture. Together, we name the pressure to produce “obedient and compliant” children—and how those expectations can harm families, especially those with neurodivergent kids. We talk about the danger of calling something “biblical” when it’s deeply shaped by culture, and the connection between behaviorism, masking, belonging, and connection. This episode offers both honesty and hope for those processing their own childhoods as well as those currently parenting neurodivergent kids. (And, of course some of us who are doing both!) To find the book "The Myth of Good Christian Parenting": https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781587436642_the-myth-of-good-christian-parenting To connect with Marissa: https://www.instagram.com/mburtwrites/ To connect with Kelsey: https://www.instagram.com/kelseykmcginnis/ #NeurodivergentFaith #ChristianParenting #NeurodivergentKids #SpiritualFormation #ReligiousTrauma #FaithDeconstruction #ParentingNeurodivergentKids #LateDiagnosedNeurodivergent To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E3
April 9 · 40 min
Growing Up Undiagnosed In Christian Church + School (Pt 2)
Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of my conversation with Alyssa Barringer, we explore what led to her AuDHD diagnosis and how that understanding began to bring clarity to years of lived experience. We talk about neurodivergence in the family, the connection between message and messenger, and some of the realities of high control religious spaces. Alyssa also shares glimpses of healing in her current church—what it looks like to be welcomed as you are, and simple, practical ways communities can cue safety and belonging. She also shares a story from a deregulating Easter service that somehow still became a place of grace and good news. Part 2 of 2. To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E2
April 2 · 39 min
Growing Up Undiagnosed In Christian Church + School (Pt 1)
Send us Fan Mail In this first part of my conversation with Alyssa Barringer, she shares stories that you may find very relatable—especially if you grew up in the rhythms of church and Christian school, trying to follow God with all sincerity, while simultaneously not fitting the mold. Alyssa shares what it was like to navigate those spaces as an undiagnosed AuDHD girl—and the various approaches she tried to make sense of everything. We talk about the impact of Scripture being used in ways that lacked care or context—and how, for a black-and-white, literal thinker, that can create deep internal confusion about who God is… and how to relate to God as yourself. Alyssa's thoughtful reflections may help you make more sense of your own story. And, I am sure they will also benefit anyone who is a church leader or school teacher in a Christian context. Part 1 of 2. #NeurodivergentFaith #AuDHD #AutisticChristian #ADHDChristian #LateDiagnosed #ChurchHurt #FaithAndNeurodivergence #ChristianSchool #NeurodivergentWomen To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S4 · E1
March 26 · 29 min
S4 E1: I Wish I Had Been Believed
Send us Fan Mail In this opening episode of Season 4, we begin exploring the question: What do you wish your caregivers had known… or done differently? In this episode, Josh shares his answer to this question and together we explore: how invalidation shapes our relationship with our body and self the internalization of messages like “too sensitive” or “too much” and the slow, sacred work of learning to trust ourselves again Josh shares a personal poem, “A Forgotten Language All My Own,” and we turn to Scripture to encounter God as One who understands, receives, and holds our inner world with compassion. #IWishIHadBeenBelieved #TraumaticInvalidation #LateDiagnosed #NeurodivergentFaith #ParentingReflection #Reparenting #NotTooSensitive #NotTooMuch #YourExperienceMatters To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S3 · E12
January 8 · 39 min
Listening to Our Listeners: Celebrating One Year of Neurodivergent Faith
Send us Fan Mail In this final episode of Season 3, we celebrate one year of the Neurodivergent Faith podcast—34 episodes of stories, courage, and connecting with God and with each other. I reflect on the themes and wisdom listeners have shared over the year, highlighting their vulnerability, bravery, and generosity in walking this journey of neurodivergence and faith. We hear from listener voices that have encouraged, challenged, and inspired me, and explore the threads of hope, persistence, and belonging that emerge from their experiences. I also share a vision for an online space where neurodivergent adults can gather monthly to pray, engage scripture, and encourage one another—and invite you to join if God leads. This episode is a moment to pause, give thanks, and honor the tears, courage, and openness that have made this journey meaningful. #NeurodivergentFaith #FaithAndNeurodivergence #ChristianPodcast #PodcastAnniversary #ListenerVoices #NeurodivergentVoices To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S3 · E11
January 1 · 46 min
Masking as Performing Belonging (a conversation with Sunita Theiss)
Send us Fan Mail In this final episode of the Masking and Spiritual Formation series, Josh is joined by Sunita Theiss for a thoughtful and deeply honest conversation about masking as performing belonging—especially within faith and community spaces. Together, they explore masking as a survival strategy shaped by culture, neurodivergence, and the longing to be safe and included. Sunita reflects on her own experience of masking as constant internal recalibration in environments not designed for her, and how this effort—often mistaken for extroversion—came at the cost of exhaustion and diminished authenticity. They also name how cultural context can complicate the recognition of neurodivergence and normalize over-functioning. The conversation turns toward faith spaces, where masking can take the form of performing spirituality: suppressing bodily needs, hiding stims, or conforming to unspoken expectations of how devotion, participation, or “maturity” should look. When belonging is tied to performance, faith can quietly become conditional—experienced as something we must earn rather than receive. Josh and Sunita reflect on the spiritual costs of this dynamic: compartmentalization, shame, and the erosion of grace. They invite listeners to consider the difference between fitting in and truly belonging, and to imagine communities shaped not by productivity or sameness, but by enoughness, care, and ordinary faithfulness. To connect with Sunita: https://www.instagram.com/sunitatheiss/ https://sunitatheiss.substack.com/ https://sunitatheiss.com/ #MaskingAndSpiritualFormation #NeurodivergentFaith #Neurodivergent #AutisticAdults #ADHDFaith #ActuallyAutistic #NeurodiversityAffirming #EnoughAsYouAre #DisabilityAndFaith #ChurchBelonging To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S3 · E10
Dec 26, 2025 · 54 min
Masking and Faith Communities [a conversation with Harrison Litzell]
Send us Fan Mail In this second episode of the Masking and Spiritual Formation series, Josh is joined by Harrison Litzell for a thoughtful and honest conversation about masking and belonging in faith communities. Together, they explore how masking shows up in churches and spiritual spaces—and how unexamined expectations might unintentionally require performance, conformity, or self-erasure. And, how does masking in a faith community translate to our own individual connection with God? Rather than framing masking as something to eliminate, this conversation makes space for nuance. When and why do people mask in faith communities? How can churches become places where masking is not demanded, yet is also respected as a survival strategy? And what does it look like to create spiritual spaces where people are free to show up as they are? Whether you are neurodivergent, a faith leader, or someone longing for more honest community, this conversation offers language, compassion, and hope for communities where no one has to hide themselves in order to belong. #MaskingAndSpiritualFormation #NeurodivergentFaith #AutisticMasking #NeurodiversityAffirming #Belonging #SacredCommunity #FaithCommunities #ChurchAndNeurodiversity #ActuallyAutistic #AutisticAdult #AutisticVoices #NeurodivergentCommunity To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.
S3 · E9
Dec 18, 2025 · 34 min
Masking and Spiritual Formation (An Introduction)
Send us Fan Mail What if we don't have to pretend to be something we aren't in order to be loved? In this opening episode of a short series on Masking and Spiritual Formation, Josh explores the practice of masking—what it is, why neurodivergent people develop it, and how it quietly shapes our inner lives. Drawing from lived experience, research on autistic masking, original music, and poetry, this episode names masking as a survival strategy rooted in safety and belonging—while also acknowledging the spiritual toll it can take over time. You’ll hear reflections on autistic masking, including compensation, repression, and assimilation; a personal story of discovering just how much effort masking requires; and an invitation to consider what authenticity, integrity, connection, and grace might look like when we no longer have to perform our way into belonging. Whether you are neurodivergent yourself, love someone who is, or are curious about the spiritual lives of masked selves everywhere, this episode offers a spacious beginning. #Masking #NeurodivergentFaith #SpiritualFormation #AutisticVoices #Neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic #SacredBelonging #AutisticMasking #Unmasking #Authenticity #BelovedAsYouAre To connect further, find Josh on Facebook, Instagram or email at: justjosuedavis@gmail.com. You can also join the conversation in our Neurodivergent Faith Community Group on Facebook. Or, for personal encouragement on your own journey of neurodivergence, consider booking a spiritual direction session with Josh through Patreon.

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