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A lively dialogue with Ruth Haley Barton about forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God in the midst of leading. Learn more at www.transformingcenter.org.
Episodes
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Monday Mar 27, 2023
This season we are focusing on justice as an aspect of spiritual formation and we believe Lent to be the perfect season to explore this connection. Using A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and the lectionary, we will look at various aspects of justice, its importance to God and why the modern church has often regrettably failed to live out God’s call to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”
Our dream team from episode one returns this week to discuss communal suffering and the Paschal Mystery. Ruth is joined again by David Bailey and Tina Harris to explore these topics. How do oppressed people experience the Paschal Mystery? What is redemptive suffering? How do we determine where we are in the cycle of suffering, death, burial and resurrection and how can we discern if God might be calling us towards the next movement in this cycle?
Lectionary scripture for this week:
Mentioned in this episode:
Martin & Malcolm & America by Dr. James Cone
David Bailey is a public theologian, culture maker, and catalyst focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society, and the executive producer of the documentary 11 am: Hope for America's Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project. David is rooted at East End Covenant Fellowship, serving on the preaching team, and his greatest honor is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.
Journey with us this Lent! Our season is inspired by A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and many of our guests are contributors to this resource.
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Music Kyrie Eleison (Lord, Have Mercy) from Lent Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, in addition to receiving overflow conversation from the episode, patrons at all levels will receive weekly reflection questions intended to help them journey through Lent with both the podcast and the resource A Just Passion! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Monday Mar 20, 2023
Monday Mar 20, 2023
This season we are focusing on justice as an aspect of spiritual formation and we believe Lent to be the perfect season to explore this connection. Using A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and the lectionary, we will look at various aspects of justice, its importance to God and why the modern church has often regrettably failed to live out God’s call to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”
Ruth is joined by Gary Haugen on today’s episode. Gary Haugen has spent most of his career fighting injustice at the systemic level as a lawyer and founder of International Justice Mission. Ruth and Gary discuss the moment Gary realized he’d grown up his whole life in the church never once hearing a message about how much God cared about justice. They talk about the ways in which the poor are chronically vulnerable to violence, how the church often isn’t doing work that addresses this issue, and how, at IJM, attention to their own spiritual formation is crucial in sustaining their justice work.
Lectionary scripture for this week:
Mentioned in this episode:
Just Courage by Gary Haugen
The Locust Effect by Gary Haugen
Gary Alan Haugen is an American attorney who is the Founder, CEO, and former President of International Justice Mission, a global organization that protects the poor from violence throughout the developing world. Gary has been recognized by the U.S. State Department as a Trafficking in Persons “Hero” – the highest honor given by the U.S. government for anti-slavery leadership. He is the author of several books, including Good News About Injustice (Intervarsity Press) and, most recently, The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence (Oxford University Press).
Journey with us this Lent! Our season is inspired by A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and many of our guests are contributors to this resource.
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded from Lent Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, in addition to receiving overflow conversation from the episode, patrons at all levels will receive weekly reflection questions intended to help them journey through Lent with both the podcast and the resource A Just Passion! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Monday Mar 13, 2023
Monday Mar 13, 2023
This season we are focusing on justice as an aspect of spiritual formation and we believe Lent to be the perfect season to explore this connection. Using A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and the lectionary, we will look at various aspects of justice, its importance to God and why the modern church has often regrettably failed to live out God’s call to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”
This week, Ruth and Tina are joined by Sheila Wise Rowe to discuss racial trauma and collective healing. What exactly is racial trauma and what is the long term impact of this trauma on people of color? How can the church play a part in the healing of this trauma? And why is this healing work a part of justice work? The three women also look at the lectionary reading this week from John, the story of the Samaritan woman.
Lectionary scripture for this week:
Mentioned in this episode:
Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience by Sheila Wise Rowe
Young, Gifted, and Black: A Journey of Lament and Celebration by Sheila Wise Rowe
First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament
Sheila Wise Rowe is a truth-teller who is passionate about matters of faith and emotional healing. She advocates for the dignity, rights, and healing of abuse and racial trauma survivors, and racial conciliation. In 2020 Sheila authored the award-winning book, Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience released by InterVarsity Press (IVP), and recently Young, Gifted, and Black: A Journey of Lament and Celebration. Sheila lives in Massachusetts with Nicholas, her husband of 31 years and near their adult children; a daughter, a son and a daughter-in-law.
Journey with us this Lent! Our season is inspired by A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and many of our guests are contributors to this resource.
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
A Prayer for Healing from Lent Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, in addition to receiving overflow conversation from the episode, patrons at all levels will receive weekly reflection questions intended to help them journey through Lent with both the podcast and the resource A Just Passion! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Monday Mar 06, 2023
This season we are focusing on justice as an aspect of spiritual formation and we believe Lent to be the perfect season to explore this connection. Using A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and the lectionary, we will look at various aspects of justice, its importance to God and why the modern church has often regrettably failed to live out God’s call to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”
In week two, Ruth and Transforming Center team member Tina Harris sit down with Terry Wildman, translator of the First Nations Version of the New Testament. The three discuss the tragic impact colonialism has had on indigenous people, the part Christianity has played in it and how he sees the First Nations Version translation as an act of justice. Terry also reads his translation of the lectionary reading in his own voice. This conversation is incredibly powerful and insightful.
Lectionary scripture for this week:
Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-10 or Matthew 17:1-9
Mentioned in this episode:
First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament
Terry M. Wildman, of Ojibwe and Yaqui ancestry, is the Lead Translator and Project Manager of the First Nations Version. He serves as the Director of Spiritual Growth and Leadership Development for Native InterVarsity. He’s also the founder of Rain Ministries and has previously served as a pastor and worship leader. Together they are the GRAMMY-nominated and Nammy award-winning musical duo and recording artists known as RainSong.
Journey with us this Lent! Our season is inspired by A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and many of our guests are contributors to this resource.
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Returning from Lent Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, in addition to receiving overflow conversation from the episode, patrons at all levels will receive weekly reflection questions intended to help them journey through Lent with both the podcast and the resource A Just Passion! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Monday Feb 27, 2023
This season we are focusing on justice as an aspect of spiritual formation and we believe Lent to be the perfect season to explore this connection. Using A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and the lectionary, we will look at various aspects of justice, its importance to God and why the modern church has often regrettably failed to live out God’s call to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”
In week one, Ruth brings back Transforming Center team member Tina Harris, and guest Dominique DuBois Gilliard to look at the theme of confession. The three discuss the relational nature of justice, how our silence, inaction, and indifference to injustice breeds relational death, how our privilege can keep us disconnected from the pain of others and more.
Lectionary scripture for this week:
Mentioned in this episode:
Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice that Restores by Dominique DuBois Gilliard
Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege by Dominique DuBois Gilliard
Dominique DuBois Gilliard is the Director of Racial Righteousness and Reconciliation for the Love Mercy Do Justice(LMDJ) initiative of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). He is the author of Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice that Restores, and Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege. Dominique has served in pastoral ministry in Atlanta, Chicago, and Oakland as an ordained minister. Dominique earned an MDiv from North Park Theological Seminary, where he currently serves as an adjunct professor teaching courses in the fields of Christian ethics, theology, missiology, and reconciliation.
Journey with us this Lent! Our season is inspired by A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and many of our guests are contributors to this resource.
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
The Way of the Cross from Lent Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, in addition to receiving overflow conversation from the episode, patrons at all levels will receive weekly reflection questions intended to help them journey through Lent with both the podcast and the resource A Just Passion! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Monday Feb 20, 2023
Monday Feb 20, 2023
This season we are focusing on justice as an aspect of spiritual formation and we believe Lent to be the perfect season to explore this connection. Using A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and the lectionary, we will look at various aspects of justice, its importance to God and why the church has often regrettably failed to live out God’s call to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”
For this Ash Wednesday episode Ruth sits down with David Bailey and Tina Harris to examine the connections between Lent and pursuing justice as a spiritual practice. They name areas of injustice and do some definitional work around exactly what God’s call to justice is. The three also speak candidly on why the white church has often failed to focus on this call, in both word and deed.
To end they look at Matthew 6 for inspiration on practices and postures we can all have this Lenten season as we look to pursue justice as a part of our spiritual formation.
David Bailey is a public theologian, culture maker, and catalyst focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society, and the executive producer of the documentary 11 am: Hope for America's Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project. David is rooted at East End Covenant Fellowship, serving on the preaching team, and his greatest honor is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.
Tina Harris is ordained in the United Methodist Church and holds a Master of Divinity from St. Paul School of Theology. She has served the church in a variety of roles, including Lead Pastor of Grand Avenue Temple UMC and Director of Mission, Service and Justice Ministries in the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church. Tina is passionate about community engagement and has served and/or actively supported several civic organizations and ministries. As an attorney and diversity leader, a common thread in her work is to gather individuals into communities, challenge comfort zones and invite those whom society has overlooked to take their place at the table.
Journey with us this Lent! Our season is inspired by A Just Passion: A Six-Week Lenten Journey, and many of our guests are contributors to this resource.
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Isaiah 58 from Urban Doxology featuring Amena Brown
Support the podcast! This season, in addition to receiving overflow conversation from the episode, patrons at all levels will receive weekly reflection questions intended to help them journey through Lent with both the podcast and the resource A Just Passion! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
We are wrapping up our sabbatical season by turning our attention to the congregation; how does a congregation benefit from a pastor’s sabbatical. Ruth sits down with her brother, Pastor Jonathan Haley, to discuss the thoughtful and intentional ways he included his congregation in his sabbatical planning, how he stayed connected with them and how they, together, wrapped up the entire experience.
Then, Ruth shares some final thoughts about sabbatical, her takeaways from her conversations this season and things to think about as you go forward with the idea of a sabbatical. Finally, Ruth closes with a meditation inspired by Psalm 46:10 by Henri Nouwen.
Jonathan Haley -- also known as Taylor -- is a husband, father, pastor and endurance athlete. Jonathan was a part of the first Transforming Community, and has served numerous communities, as well as served on the board of directors for the Transforming Center. Jonathan earned his D.Min. from McCormick Seminary, where he researched and reflected on how a pastor's spiritual practices shape a congregation. In 2018 he enjoyed a 3-month renewal leave, during which he biked across the country, with a personal and congregational focus on "experiencing our bodies as God's gift to us." He has served First Presbyterian Church in La Crosse, Wisconsin as pastor/head of staff for 20 years.
Purchase Ruth’s new book! Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest is out now, wherever you buy books (Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org).
You can also order the Sabbath Journal, meant to accompany you on your sabbath journey and give you space to share what your soul wants to say to God.
Interested in applying to Transforming Community 19? You can review the dates and apply today!
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Springs of Living Water from Transforming Center Resource Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive an overflow of bonus content from the episodes, including exclusive conversations between Ruth and guests, clips that we couldn’t fit into the final cuts, and more! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Are sabbaticals just for pastors? This week, Ruth sits down with guest Andy Crouch to talk about sabbatical from an everyman perspective. Andy has taken full responsibility for his own rhythm of regular sabbaticals by saving up and risking the need to find a new job at the end of his time away. Ruth and Andy also talk about the place of trust sabbaticals take us, the rhythms Andy sees happen when you start to take a regular sabbatical, and of course, since it’s Andy Crouch, we’re going to talk about technology
Andy Crouch is partner for theology and culture at Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship. His writing explores faith, culture, and the image of God in the domains of technology, power, leadership, and the arts. He is the author of five books including The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place, and Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling.
Purchase Ruth’s new book! Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest is out now, wherever you buy books (Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org).
You can also order the Sabbath Journal, meant to accompany you on your sabbath journey and give you space to share what your soul wants to say to God.
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Dusk from Transforming Center Resource Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive an overflow of bonus content from the episodes, including exclusive conversations between Ruth and guests, clips that we couldn’t fit into the final cuts, and more! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
Inevitably, every sabbatical will meet a challenge, a place where the outside world creeps in and threatens to call you back to the work you’ve committed to set aside. When that happens, what is a leader to do? Ruth sits down with Dr. David C. Alves to discuss how to discern the necessary boundaries each individual must create for their own sabbatical, the resistance they may encounter and how congregations can help their pastors set and keep boundaries.
Then Ruth brings back former guest Rev. Dr. Phaedra D. Blocker to discuss their shared story of a time when they had to discern together whether or not to hold firm to the boundaries Ruth and the Transforming Center board set for Ruth’s sabbatical. This period of dormancy for Ruth and the organization coincided with the national tragedy of George Floyd’s murder and the question of if and how to respond publicly was difficult to discern.
Dr. David C Alves is a New Hampshire writer, and the author of both A Sabbatical Primer for Pastors: How to Initiate and Navigate a Spiritual Renewal Leave and A Sabbatical Primer for Churches: How to Love and Honor the Pastor God Has Given You. As well as three other books. David holds earned degrees from Asbury University and two schools of divinity. He is a past member of the Evangelical Press Association. A semi-retired pastor. And a recovering widower. He currently lives in Concord, NH. He enjoys family, friends, and an intimate relationship with, and love for, God and His creation.
Rev. Dr. Phaedra D. Blocker is a preacher, teacher, singer, spiritual director, and consultant. Founder and principal of Word & Wisdom, she is dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to move toward wholeness and actualize their potential as agents of change and shalom in the world. She serves as Director of the Center for Community Care, Formation & Vitality at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University and is Affiliate Professor in Leadership & Formation.
Purchase Ruth’s new book! Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest is out now, wherever you buy books (Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org).
You can also order the Sabbath Journal, meant to accompany you on your sabbath journey and give you space to share what your soul wants to say to God.
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Dusk from Transforming Center Resource Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive an overflow of bonus content from the episodes, including exclusive conversations between Ruth and guests, clips that we couldn’t fit into the final cuts, and more! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
We have two extra special guests this week! First, Ruth sits down with Christine Lee, Priest-in-Charge of St. Peter’s Chelsea in New York City. She and Ruth discuss how Christine discerned what was most important for her sabbatical and how she responded when her plan for sabbatical coincided with a challenging time for her congregation.
Then, friend of the Transforming Center B.J. Woodworth joins Ruth to discuss how he structured his sabbatical in a very unique way: around brewing beer. He and Ruth discuss practically what that plan looked like and the very surprising spiritual connection he discovered to the brewing process. Ruth also shares about her own sabbatical planning process when she took her first sabbatical.
Both guests provide real life, practical examples of what the sabbatical planning process looks like and the challenges and opportunities pastors and churches face when they embark on this journey.
Christine Lee is the Priest-in-Charge of St. Peter's Chelsea, an Episcopal Church in New York City. She is married to Jimmy, her husband of 19 years, and served as Vicar of All Angels' Church before coming to St. Peter's in October 2019 with a team as part of a church revitalization effort in the Diocese of New York.
BJ Woodworth has served in the PCUSA for the last 28 years as a teacher, church planter, pastor, and spiritual guide. Currently he is the part time Director of Spiritual Life and Taizé Ministries at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Previously he served for 15 years as the founding and lead pastor of the Open Door, Presbyterian Church.
Purchase Ruth’s new book! Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest is out now, wherever you buy books (Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org).
You can also order the Sabbath Journal, meant to accompany you on your sabbath journey and give you space to share what your soul wants to say to God.
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Yesterday Today Forever from Transforming Center Resource Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive an overflow of bonus content from the episodes, including exclusive conversations between Ruth and guests, clips that we couldn’t fit into the final cuts, and more! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!