In this episode of A Couple Takes on MS, we sit down with our pastor, Pastor Dana Hendershot, to talk about one of the biggest questions that can rise up after a diagnosis like MS (or cancer): Why did God let this happen?
Dan reflects on 26 years since his MS diagnosis and how faith can change over time, not always through easy answers, but through presence, perspective, and community. Pastor Dana shares the moment her theology of suffering shifted, what she learned during her own cancer journey, and why it’s okay to bring every emotion to God. Including anger.
We talk about prayer as breath, the difference between “God caused this” and “God is with you in this,” why joy only exists in the present moment, and how hope sometimes looks like being carried by others when you can’t carry yourself.
In this episode, we get real with Pastor Dana about:
• Where God is in diagnosis and suffering
• Why it’s OK to be angry with God (and why God can handle it)
• Prayer as presence and the Spirit as the promise
• Theology of the cross vs. theology of glory
• Hope, community, and being carried when you’re worn down
• Finding joy right now and why singing can help shift your mind
And Jennifer expands on this podcast (and a metaphor from Pastor Dana that she ca’t getrb out of her head in her essay, “Multiple Sclerosis and faith: the rip in our canvas.”
An open invitation for you, our listeners
Where have you felt God’s presence during a difficult season in your life? We’d love to hear from you at acoupletakesonms@gmail.com.
About our guest:
Pastor Dana Hendershot is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and has served as Senior Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, since 2011. Dana holds a degree in psychology with a focus in neuropsychology and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, where her studies explored the intersection of science and faith.
In addition to her congregational ministry, Dana serves as Chair of the Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science, and Technology, helping lead national conversations about how theology, scientific discovery, and human curiosity connect. Her writing has appeared in Working Preacher, The Lutheran, and Lutheran Partners, where she brings thoughtful theology into everyday lived experience.
In 2023, Dana was diagnosed with Large Cell B Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and underwent extensive treatment. That experience deepened her understanding of the body, vulnerability, and what it means to show up for others with compassion and presence.
Dana has also been deeply involved in community advocacy. She helped establish Mount Pleasant’s first rotating homeless shelter—Isabella County Restoration House—serves on Central Michigan University’s Institutional Review Board, and previously served on the Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida Board of Directors while advocating for farmworker justice alongside the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
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