Taking Shelter in the Spirit: A Quaker Nurse on Silence, Faith, and Grounding in Uncertain Times

What do we do when life interrupts us without warning? Midway through this conversation, recorded at the Wild Goose Festival in North Carolina, a tornado warning forced host Ellen Corcella and her guest, Will Rogers, to stop and move to safety. That unexpected pause became a living parable: our lives can be upended at any moment, and resilience often begins with knowing where to turn for shelter. In this episode, Will shares the story of his spiritual transformation and his journey into the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). He reflects on the solace of silence, how making room for stillness allows the Spirit to do its quiet work, and the grounding practices he returns to in times of disquiet and disturbance. As a nurse who pays close attention to networks of care, Will also speaks to how community sustains us when the storms come. Part of the Thriving in the Wilderness series, this conversation invites listeners to consider what grounds them when disruption arrives and how silence, faith, and community can carry us to safety. About Our Guest: Will Rogers Will Rogers is a nurse and a Quaker whose work centers on networks of care. At the Wild Goose Festival, he facilitated the conversation “Divine Interruption: Early Quakers interrupted church services to disagree with priests and gather new Friends. Is it time to revive this practice?” Guided by his Quaker faith, Will advocates for the abolition of prison and war through evidence-based prevention, de-escalation, and transformative justice practices. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, on lands traditionally stewarded by the Eno, Shakori, and other Native peoples. Connect with Will Rogers: • Newsletter: Clover Finder, mostly stories of eldercare • Podcast: The Oregano, available wherever you listen to podcasts Thriving in the Wilderness Series Episodes • Episode #13: Resilience: Your Path Through the Wilderness https://share.transistor.fm/s/1643fd5a • Episode #14: Dr. Natalie Hamrick: How Faith Transforms Our Response to Stress and Illness https://share.transistor.fm/s/e1eede8a • Episode #17: Out of the Wilderness: Sophie Cunningham, Kelsey Mitchell and the Return of the Indiana Fever (Revisited) https://share.transistor.fm/s/904522dd Listen to the Faith & Resilience Podcast Find the Faith & Resilience Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. About Ellen Corcella Ellen Corcella is an ordained minister with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), author of Walk with Me: A Journey through the Landscape of Trauma, and host of the Faith & Resilience Podcast, which explores paths toward healing and hope while examining the sacred values that anchor us through life’s challenges. Connect with Ellen: • Website: www.ellencorcella.com • Newsletter: Sign up at www.ellencorcella.com • Email: [email protected] • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ellencorcella • Trauma Informed Resources: www.ellencorcella.com/help-ptsd-grief-trauma-suicide Ellen’s Book: Walk with Me: A Journey through the Landscape of Trauma • Amazon: amazon.com/author/walk_with_me_ellen_corcella • BookBaby: store.bookbaby.com/book/walk-with-me2 Support the Podcast If you found this episode helpful, please: • ⭐ Rate the podcast on your listening platform • 👍 Like and Subscribe to never miss an episode • 📢 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it • 💬 Leave a review to help others discover Faith & Resilience Produced by: Loren Richmond, Jr. Resonate Media Production Copyright: © 2026 Faith & Resilience Podcast Until next time, may you be resilient in the struggle, and faithful in the serving. #FaithAndResilience #Quakers #QuakerFaith #SpiritualTransformation #WildGooseFestival #Silence #TransformativeJustice #Resilience #EllenCorcella