Podcasts about shalem institute

This conversation with Leah Rampy, author of Earth and Soul, emphasizes the importance of connecting deeply with the Earth amidst climate chaos. By exploring themes of kinship, responsibility, and deep listening, we uncover ways to foster relationship with nature that can lead to sustainable solutions for our planet.  Learn more about Leah HERE. Buy Leah's book, Earth and Soul HERE.Learn more about Daniel and Unshod HERE.Leah Rampy is a writer, speaker, and retreat leader who weaves ecology, spirituality, personal stories, and practices to help others deepen their relationship to the natural world. She is the author of the award winning Earth & Soul: Reconnecting amid Climate Chaos and a frequent speaker on spiritual ecology and leadership in these uncertain times. Leah co-authored and co-facilitated with Beth Norcross the six-part video series on The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees: Insights from Our Elders in collaboration with the award-winning film maker Jane Pittman and sponsored by The Center for Spirituality in Nature. Leah and Beth are co-authoring a book, Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees, to be published by Broadleaf Books in April 2025.​She has led over a dozen pilgrimages to sacred places in the US and internationally for the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation where she previously served as the Executive Director and continues as an adjunct staff member. She is the founder and leader of Church of the Wild Two Rivers, affiliated with the Wild Church Network, that meets regularly to deepen spirituality through time in the natural world. Leah also offers retreats through Friends of Silence, a nonprofit honoring the work and intent of the late, well-loved author, Nan Merrill. Through Shepherd University's Lifelong Learning Program, Leah teaches classes on ecology through the lens of current writers. Her essays on living more fully connected to Earth in these uncertain times have appeared in the Anthology of Appalachian Writers (Barbara Kingsolver edition), The Cardinal Anthology Vol 1, and Soul Food; Nourishing Essays on Contemplative Living and Leadership. She is a member of West Virginia Writers.Leah holds a doctorate in Curriculum from Indiana University. She has extensive leadership experience as an executive in Fortune 100 organizations and in nonprofits and has offered executive coaching and consulting to individuals and organizations through the business she founded in 2001, Illumined Way, LLC.She lives with her husband in a cohousing community in Shepherdstown, WV, where members collaborated to build and now to run their village with a focus on community, environmental responsibility, and Earth care. She co-founded Save Our Soil, a volunteer organization to promote soil health, local food, native plants, and regenerative agriculture in the Eastern Panhandle and beyond. The Rampys have two adult children who live in Virginia, and two dogs who live at home.

Episode Summary:John Philip Newell is best described as “a wandering teacher with the heart of a Celtic bard and the mind of a Celtic scholar.” Formerly the Warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland, John Philip joined me from his home in Edinburgh to offer a new, yet ancient way forward in a time when the empire has once again wedded and bedded Christianity.Long before the colonizing forces of imperial Christianity made their way to the British Isles, an indigenous form of spirituality nourished those sacred souls living in the borderlands of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. The Celts believed divinity pervaded every aspect of life. There was no distinction between secular and sacred, human and divine. The Celtic vision of the world is essentially sacramental, perceiving God's presence in ordinary things like rocks, forests, springs, groves, hills, and meadows. “The Celtic approach to God opens up a world in which nothing is too common to be exalted and nothing is so exalted that it cannot be made common,” writes Esther De Waal. For them, the natural world is the container of the sacred and a gateway to the luminous—the holy intersection between mortals and the supernatural. These tribes bewildered the Roman church because they were relational rather than rational, inspirational rather than institutional, and indigenous instead of imperial.In this modern age, when we find ourselves divorced from the natural world, addicted to technology, controlled by institutional religion, and victims of an empire of our own making, there is a great deal to learn from the ancient Celts. We need nothing less than a reclamation of our humanity, a rekindling of the Beltaine Fire burning in every human heart.Most of us are still reeling from the recent presidential election. The dark forces of authoritarianism, patriarchy, and white supremacy are chronically ingrained in the highest levels of government, blessed and absolved by white Christianity. But here's what I'm slowly starting to believe—every dark ending births a new beginning. Evil never has the last word. We've been given a dark gift, a chance to resist and re-imagine the world as it should be. We are living in liminal time, “when we can't go back but we can't see the way forward,” writes my friend Melanie Mudge.What better time to wake up, “dream new dreams,” and rekindle the sacred flame in every human soul. As John Philip reminds us:“We live in a threshold moment. We are waking up to the earth again. We are awakening to the feminine and the desire to faithfully tend the interrelationship of all things. In this moment, politically, culturally, and religiously, we are witnessing the death throes of a shadow form of masculine power that has arrayed itself over against the earth and over against the sacredness of the feminine. This shadow form of power, however, has no ultimate future, for it is essentially false in its betrayal of the earth and the feminine. So in fear it is lashing out with unprecedented force. But it is not the deep spirit of this moment in time. Something else is trying to be born.”Celtic spirituality is needed now more than ever. Allow John Philip to lead you into deeper streams of indigenous wisdom where action and contemplation, vision and profound mystery light our collective way forward. His latest book, The Great Search, is out now. Bio:John Philip Newell (b 1953) is an internationally renowned Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being.Canadian by birth, and also Scottish, he resides with his wife Ali in the ecovillage of Findhorn in Scotland. In 2016 he began the Earth & Soul initiative and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland.His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including his award-winning publication, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, which was the 2022 Gold Winner of the Nautilus Book Award for Spirituality and Religious Thought of the West. His new book, also with HarperOne (and published in the UK by Wild Goose), is The Great Search (August 2024), in which he looks at the great spiritual yearnings of humanity today in the context of the decline of religion as we have known it.Newell speaks of himself as ‘a wandering teacher' following the ancient path of many lone teachers before him in the Celtic world, ‘wandering Scots' (or scotus vagans as they were called) seeking the wellbeing of the world. He has been described as having ‘the heart of a Celtic bard and the mind of a Celtic scholar', combining in his teachings the poetic and the intellectual, the head as well as the heart, and spiritual awareness as well as political and ecological concern. His writings have been translated into seven languages. In 2020 he relinquished his ordination as a minister of the Church of Scotland as no longer reflecting the heart of his belief in the sacredness of Earth and every human being. He continues, however, to see himself as ‘a grateful son of the Christian household' seeking to be in relationship with the wisdom of humanity's other great spiritual traditions.In 2011 John Philip was awarded the first-ever Contemplative Voices Award from the Shalem Institute in Washington DC for his prophetic work in the field of spirituality and compassion. In 2022 he received the Sacred Universe Award from the Well Center for Spirituality in Chicago, IL in recognition of his significant work in furthering humanity's relationship with the sacredness of Earth.Please follow us on social media (use the buttons below) and help us get the word out! (Also, please don't hesitate to use any of these channels or email to contact us with any questions, concerns, or feedback.)If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and a review, or share on your socials

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter talks with author, spiritual director, and founder of the Transforming Center, Ruth Haley Barton about the importance of spiritual formation for pastoral care. Ruth Haley Barton offers up so many moments of pure gold as she talks about the soul, the art of discernment, and how she came to discover the goodness with spiritual formation decades ago. This is an important episode for any pastor and leader. If you haven't read her work, please check out Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, Sacred Rhythms, Pursuing God's Will Together, or Life Together in Christ. BIO Ruth Haley Barton (Doctor of Divinity, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) is founder of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors, Christian leaders, and the congregations and organizations they serve (www.thetransformingcenter.org). A sought-after teacher, retreat leader, and trained spiritual director, Ruth is the author of numerous books and articles on the spiritual life. Educated at Northern Seminary, the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and Loyola University Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies, she has served on the pastoral staff of several churches including Willow Creek Community Church and is Professor of Spiritual Transformation at Northern Seminary. EPISODE LINKS @transformingctr on Instagram www.ruthhaleybarton.com www.transformingcenter.org @steveryancarter @craft_character Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week's episode, Teresa Yerkes of the Christian Meditation Center shares about the practice of Christian Meditation and its role in the spiritual life. Teresa Yerkes is the Founder of Christian Meditation Center, has been a Christian since 1983 and has practiced Christian meditation since 2000. She is the author of three books, Come Closer: The Practice of Christian Meditation, God Within You: The Case for Christian Meditation, and Making Love: The Spiritual Act of Love. She teaches and leads Christian meditation training and facilitates sessions. She is a public speaker, facilitates book clubs, and leads retreats. Teresa is a Certified Lay Speaker and Lay Counselor. She brings nearly forty years of her own personal discovery, along with highly specialized spiritual direction training provided by the Shalem Institute. www.Christianmeditationcenter.org   Teresa's books: Come Closer: The Practice of Christian Meditation https://amzn.to/4aazrRa God Within You: The Case for Christian Meditation https://amzn.to/3NdwN2U Making Love: The Spiritual Act of Love https://amzn.to/3RxagAE Books Recommended by Teresa: Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart https://amzn.to/41d3fZc ——Invitation to Love: The Way of Christian Contemplation https://amzn.to/3R9SKB9 Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle https://amzn.to/46Mzkbl Schucman, A Course in Miracles, https://amzn.to/3Td9Kck Brian's Website: www.Brianrussellphd.com Brian Russell's Books Astonished by the Word: Reading Scripture for Deep Transformation https://amzn.to/3OKecg8 Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life https://amzn.to/2S0AcIZ (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World (Cascade): https://amzn.to/3PU5RqE Invitation: A Bible Study to Begin With (Seedbed) https://my.seedbed.com/product/oneboo... Connecting with Brian: Website: www.brianrussellphd.com Twitter: @briandrussell Instagram: @yourprofessorforlife Interested in coaching or inviting Brian to speak or teach for your community of faith or group? Email: deepdivespirituality@gmail.com Links to Amazon are Affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, Amazon returns a small percentage of the sale to Brian Russell. This supports the podcast and does not increase the price of the items you may choose to buy. Thank you for your support.

On today's episode, we will explore the changing needs of Christian contemplatives through a thought-provoking conversation with our guest, Keith Kristich. Keith is a writer, retreat leader, and founder of the online contemplative community, Closer Than Breath. His mission is to help people unlearn rigid religion, reimagine what is divine, and see God everywhere. Keith is a commissioned presenter of Centering Prayer through Contemplative Outreach and trained with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in leading contemplative prayer groups and retreats.To learn more about Closer Than Breath, visit their website www.closerthanbreath.comTo connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On today's episode, we speak with Gigi Ross, who began practicing Centering Prayer after attending an introductory workshop in 1998. Gigi has been a Spiritual Director since 2000 and worked as an Associate Director at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Foundation. She also served on the leadership team for Contemplative Outreach of Maryland and Washington from 2003 to 2005. She is currently working at the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) as the Living School Student Experience Manager. We are so grateful for our long-standing partnership with CAC and the tremendous work she is doing there. To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

This week, we are sharing a "Space for God" devotional offered by Anne Grizzle (a Spiritual Director and faculty member at Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation). Anne guides us through a time of listening intercession. Too often in our prayer, we jump right into praying for what we think we should pray for without asking the Lord to place on our hearts the people and things he would want us to pray for. Anne helps us make space to listen and receive God's prayer requests for us, others, and the world.View Our Complete Archive of “Space for God” Prayer PracticesLearn More About Spiritual Direction through Coracleinthecoracle.org  |  @inthecoracle Support the show

Preaching for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Carolyn Jacobs, MSW, Ph.D. offers a reflection on community: "The challenges of our church and our world are invitations to continuous discernment of how to dialogue, to forgive, and to be obedient to the urgings of the Spirit. We live in a time when we need to step out and invite others to prayer, dialogue, and action. We need to trust the Holy Spirit to guide us. For the challenges invite us to become open to our personal and collective vulnerabilities in creating and nurturing communities of faith that are inclusive. To remember that we are not alone, that we are because others exist in the world surrounding us. We trust that whatever challenging circumstances or people we meet on our journeys, we are called to listen for God's voice as we gather in groups of two or more and hold in our hearts the love of our neighbors as ourselves." Carolyn Jacobs, MSW, PhD is Dean Emerita and Elizabeth Marting Treuhaft Professor Emerita of the Smith College School for Social Work and Spiritual Director. Dr. Jacobs was a member of the School's faculty for 35 years, serving as the dean 14 of those years, as well as director of an Advanced Certificate Program in Spirituality and Social Work Practice for seven years. She received her MSW from San Diego State University, her doctorate from the Heller School of Brandeis University, and her training as a spiritual director from the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. She maintains a spiritual direction practice and is committed to creating spaces for health care providers to discover the rich resources of contemplative practices from many wisdom traditions in developing resilience for self and others. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/09102023 to learn more about Dr. Jacobs, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

There is an increasing awareness of a several things related to aging. One is the fact that modern medicine and health practices are making it possible for people to live longer so that more people are able to live to being senior adults and to do so for a long time. Another is that members of the Baby Boom generation are retiring. A third is that for many people the experience if aging is not a good experience. So, efforts are being made and practices developed to address the present circumstances related to aging. This episode will focus on the ideas, practices, and events connected with the concept of Sage-ing. Sage-ing was developed by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Schalomi. The fruit of his experiences and efforts from addressing his own aging have produced many things, but the two in particular that are discussed in this episode are his book that he co-wrote with Ronald S. Miller titled From Age-ing to Sage-ing: A Revolutionary Approach to Growing Older, and the organization, Sage-ing International. My guests to help us understand more fully this movement called Sage-ing are Jeanne Marsh and The Reverend David Blackmon. After retiring from the corporate world in 2005, Jeanne received an MA from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology where she was first introduced to Sage-ing through Reb Zalman's book, From Age-ing to Sage-ing . Jeanne brings twenty-seven years experience in corporate Human Resources and Management Training and Development. She currently serves as Coordinator for the Sage-ing Leader Certification Program. Jeanne is also certified to administer and consult using theMyers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and facilitates “Connecting With Self” and Sage-ing workshops in the Asheville area as well as partnering with other Sage-ing Leaders throughout the country. David Blackmon serves as a chaplain in health care facilities in Western North Carolina. David's training includes masters degrees from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. David completed a year's internship in clinical pastoral education in 1989 before beginning a 20-year stent at Mission Hospitals in Asheville, North Carolina. He served as Coordinating pastor for First Baptist Church of Asheville for a dozen years before entering semi-retirement in 2021. During a sabbatical, he completed the Spiritual Guidance Program at the Shalem Institute in 20014-2015. David rejoices in the sacred experiences and creative callings of people from all faiths and backgrounds and welcomes this diversity as a crucial resource in the growing community of sage-ing. The intro and outro music for this episode is from a clip of a song called 'Father Let Your Kingdom Come' which is found on The Porter's Gate Worship Project Work Songs album and is used by permission by The Porter's Gate Worship Project.

Episode 86 or Episode 5 of Season 2 Guest: Rev. Stuart Higginbotham, Episcopal Priest serving Grace Episcopal Church in Gainsville, Georgia. http://www.gracechurchgainesville.org. Full Bio below   Author of The Heart of a Calling     News Commend to you the work of Dr. Martin Shaw. Martin is a storyteller and author. https://drmartinshaw.com Stephen Jenkinson. He is a former Hospice and Palliative Care director in Toronto, Canada. Grief & Mystery. https://orphanwisdom.com Dr. Fanny Brewster has a new book out titled Race and the Unconscious: An Africanist Depth Psychology Perspective on Dreaming  August 4, 2023 Book Launch https://www.pacifica.edu/pacifica-news/dr-fanny-brewster-book-launch/ Personal Updates On Wednesday evening, September 13, I'll be joined by local musician Mike Bussey for an evening called “Songs and Stories of Weird Wisdom.” Cross Mills Library in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Write me at jim@jameshazelwood.net My Weekly Newsletter with an Essay on Mysticism and Psychology https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/   Poem by William Stafford The Way it Is There's a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn't change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can't get lost. Tragedies happen; people get hurt or die; and you suffer and get old. Nothing you do can stop time's unfolding. You don't ever let go of the thread.     Stuart's Bio I began my cure as rector of Grace in early January 2014, after serving as Senior Associate at St. Benedict's in Smyrna, Georgia, for over five years. Working with the entire leadership team at Grace, I have a particular passion for the intersection of contemplative practices and congregational development. Grace is an extraordinary community of nearly one thousand souls, and I feel blessed to live and pray among them as we prepare to celebrate our Bicentennial in 2028. I also serve as Assistant Professor in the Practice of Spiritual Formation and Ministry at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. At Candler, I focus on the contextual education of the Episcopal and Anglican seminarians, exploring the dynamics of congregational life in a “laboratory of spiritual imagination.” Candler School of Theology Anglican/Episcopal Studies Program My broader work as a priest, teacher, retreat leader, and author is grounded in the Christian contemplative tradition. I continue to share in ongoing conversations with friends from the New Contemplative Exchange, a fellowship first gathered by Thomas Keating, Richard Rohr, Tilden Edwards, and Laurence Freeman at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado in August 2017. Since that time, I contributed to and co-edited the volume Contemplation and Community: A Gathering of Fresh Voices for a Living Tradition (Crossroad, 2019) and am the author of The Heart of a Calling: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness in Congregational Ministry (Crossroad, 2021). Before “church life,” I studied in the pre-med program at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas (B.S. in Biology, summa cum laude), and I did my initial theological studies at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia (M.Div, honors in spiritual formation). I also completed a certificate in Anglican Studies and the Doctor of Ministry degree from the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee Tennessee. With the global contemplative community, I have worked with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, the World Community for Christian Meditation, Contemplative Outreach, the Candler School of Theology, Mepkin Abbey, and others. As well, I continue my practice and research into the connections between the Christian contemplative tradition and the Tibetan/Himalayan Buddhism, and I have a deep appreciation for the intersection of poetry and contemplative practice. My wife, Lisa, and I have one daughter, Evelyn. We both grew up in Southeastern Arkansas, in the Mississippi Delta, with fried catfish, sweet tea, and mosquitoes the size of small birds.                      https://contemplativereformation.blog   Host: James Hazelwood   James Hazelwood, author, bishop, and spiritual companion, is the author of Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life and Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net  

Well for the Journey In this episode, Greg talks about Well for the Journey, a spiritual wellness center in Lutherville, MD. The various programs offered in different formats and settings are focused on spiritual well-being, and center on the sacred conversation between the Spirit and a person's spirit, with the aim of bringing transformation and healing to the world. Changing the world, one person at a time, one heart at a time.We are honored to have Greg Cochran as our guest on this episode. Greg Cochran is Executive Director at a spiritual wellness center, Well for the Journey, in Lutherville, Maryland. He is a program/retreat facilitator and a spiritual companion. Greg is currently a staff member of Shalem Institute's Spiritual Guidance Program in D.C. and a mentor in Paseo's Spiritual Guidance Program in Idaho. He recently completed his service as Associate Pastor at Woodbrook Baptist Church (1988-2022). Greg is a graduate of Clemson University and Southern Seminary. He and his wife, Carole, live in Baltimore. They have two children (26 and 24). Greg is a hiker, photographer, woodworker, and loves being with family – and is always desiring to be open and listening for the invitation of the Spirit. Highlights:[00:00:00] Intro [00:01:45] How did Well for the Journey get started? [00:04:59] How has the Spirit surprised you? [00:06:05] A Model for Listening [00:08:16] What is Spiritual Wellness? [00:10:15] Challenges [00:12:58] Faith and Trust [00:13:26] Moving Into the Surrounding Communities [00:16:07] Expanding the Reach and Impact [00:17:37] Hope for the World [00:19:12] How someone can participate in or support Well for the Journey [00:20:47] Thanks Resources mentioned in this episode: Well for the Journey – A Spiritual Wellness Center in Lutherville, MDListening for Clues is pleased to present our new series, "Good News!" featuring weekly conversations with people who are making a difference, large or small. We want everyone to know what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how. So, our listeners and viewers can experience the good news and go out and make a difference themselves. Listening for Clues invites you into conversations that discover clues, rather than solutions to life's problems. Join the journey with Jon Shematek and Lauren Welch, Episcopal deacons, as we explore whatever lies ahead. Check our website Listening for Clues.© 2023 Listening for Clues

Episode 84 or Episode 3 of Season 2   Guest: Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown   Link to my Substack Article on Howard Thurman and Carl Jung https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/p/howard-thurman-and-carl-jung   News I was a guest on the Retirement Wisdom Podcast Podcast Episode here PSYCHE & EARTH -A Relationship in Crisis https://www.civilizationintransition.com    November 2–5, 2023 Santa Fe, New Mexico Hartford International University Eco-Spirituality Program Click here   Personal Updates Emails and letters Write me at jim@jameshazelwood.net My Weekly Newsletter with an Essay on Mysticism and Psychology https://jameshazelwood.substack.com/   Interview Guest & Links Lerita Coleman Brown, author, speaker, heart and kidney transplant recipient, and former psychology professor. As a Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation graduate, I serve as a *spiritual director/companion retreat leader. She lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA, with my husband, and our family includes two grown children and one grandchild who resides in Dallas, Texas, and Baltimore, Maryland. Author of a New Book on Howard Thurman, “What Makes Your Heart Sing: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman.” Lerita Coleman Brown's website https://leritacolemanbrown.com Howard Thurman resources On Dr Coleman Brown's website page https://leritacolemanbrown.com/?page_id=76262 PBS Documentary on Howard Thurman “Backs Against the Wall” https://youtu.be/wVl_irB59lM?t=2 Candler Emory University Thurman Audio Archives https://thurman.pitts.emory.edu/items/browse Books by Howard Thurman mentioned in the Podcast Howard Thurman, With Hand and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1981. Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited Boston: Beacon Press, (1949), 1996 (reprint edition). Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart Boston: Beacon Press, 1999 Doctor Coleman Brown's new book What Makes Your Heart Sing 2023     James Hazelwood, author, bishop, and spiritual companion, is the author of Weird Wisdom for the Second Half of Life and Everyday Spirituality: Discover a Life of Hope, Peace, and Meaning. His website is www.jameshazelwood.net        

On this episode, Scott welcomes Robbin Brent, one of the primary authors in our Practicing Compassion daily reading booklet for Lent, 2023. Robbin is the director of publication and resource development for Living Compass. She is also a spiritual guide/director as well as a small group and retreat leader. See her complete bio below. Robbin is the creator of the Facilitator/Companion Guide which is a wonderful resource for both individuals and groups that are using our Lenten booklet.  You can download a free copy of the the Facilitator/Companion Guide at https://shop.livingcompass.org/products/living-well-through-lent-2023-facilitator-guide-pdf-file Robbin's bio:   Robbin Brent is the director of publications and resource development for Living Compass, a spiritual director, founder of Wisdom Way of Knowing, and the former director of the Center for Spiritual Resources in NC. Robbin is an experienced leader of spiritual retreats and programs, facilitates global gatherings of contemplative leaders, and is a graduate of Shalem Institute's Transforming Community and Spiritual Guidance programs. She loves spending time with her two sons, three grandchildren, and dog, Boone, hiking, and enjoying early morning coffee while communing with the wildlife that graces her backyard.

Tara welcomes Therese Taylor-Stinson, author of Walking the Way of Harriet Tubman: Public Mystic and Freedom Fighter (Broadleaf Books). They discuss public mysticism, internal liberation, and perseverance. About our guest:Therese Taylor-Stinson is a writer, spiritual director, ordained deacon, and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). A graduate of the Shalem Institute and a member of the Shalem Society for Contemplative Leadership, she is also the Founding Managing Member of the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, Ltd. Taylor-Stinson is the editor of the award-winning collection Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around. Therese lives her life as a contemplative, and enjoys the natural world and the people and projects that are drawn to her as gifts. She and her husband live in Silver Spring, Maryland.Ashley T Lee PodcastAshley T. Lee Podcast will cover many life issues such as overcoming stress, anxiety...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify The Gospel and JusticeAs believers, how do we talk about justice well?Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showWhen in Western New York, please join Pastor Tara in worship at First Presbyterian Church of Jamestown NY on Sundays at 10:30 am.

Our conversation with Kristy Wallace and Bill Haley is one for the books. Kristy and Bill share their vision of and stories from The Repentance Project. Engagement that follows awareness and repentance that leads to repair are two of the major themes with lament, resilience, and love sprinkled in. We hope you enjoy this thoughtful conversation as much as we did.Kristy Wallace is the director of The Repentance Project. As an undergraduate student, she studied Afro-American Studies and Public Policy at the University of Maryland (UMCP).  Kristy attended graduate school at Moody Graduate School (MGS) in Chicago, IL.  At MGS she was introduced to God as a God of justice.  Kristy's training in trauma-informed Intentional Listening administered by Wellspring Counseling has allowed her to walk with families living in poverty as they journey toward healing. The Rev. Bill Haley is the Executive Director of Coracle.  A graduate of Bethel College (1991) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (magna cum laude, 1994), he is an Anglican priest and spiritual director, having completed his training with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation (2007). With his wife Tara and four kids, Bill currently lives at Corhaven in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.» Subscribe to PEACE TALKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peace-talks/id1590168616About the Center for Formation, Justice and Peace: Justice and peace come from the inside out—from the overflow of a transformed heart. This belief led our founder, Bishop Todd Hunter, to start the Center for Formation, Justice and Peace in 2021. The Center brings together a diverse, interdenominational community of people who want to be formed in love to heal a broken world. Because “religion” is often part of the problem, we've created a brave, Jesus-centered space for dialogue, questioning, creating and exploration. PEACE TALKS introduces you to women and men who are working to undo oppression, leading to lives of deeper peace for all.*Connect with The Center Online!*Visit The Center's Website: https://centerfjp.orgFollow The Center on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerfjpFollow The Center on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CenterFjpFollow The Center on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerfjp/Support the show

  What does it mean to live from the centered self in an off center world? We're delving into this challenge in today's chat with Keith Kristich, founder of Closer Than Breath, an online interspiritual community lifting up centering prayer and “the study of universal truths to deepen your relationship with God and develop peace within.” Keith is a commissioned teacher of Centering Prayer through Contemplative Outreach, trained with the Shalem Institute and certified Enneagram teacher through the Conscious Living Center.  We discuss the transformative power of becoming still, listening to God's voice within us, moving from ego into deeper relationship with the Divine, and the wisdom of Father Thomas Keating (author, priest, teacher and leader within the contemplative prayer community), and Saint Teresa of Ávil, revered Spanish mystic, Carmelite nun and writer who once said: “Prayer is an act of love, words are not necessary.”  Don't miss the next event from the Closer Than Breath community: Centering Prayer Summit, Jan. 21-23, a virtual space, to learn and practice with leading centering prayer teachers.  Download the God is Closer Than Breath Guide here. Website: CloserThanBreath.com Instagram: @keithkristich Stay Connected with Pray with our Feet Podcast + Online Community: If you enjoy the Pray with our Feet podcast, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, where you can subscribe to the show. You can also listen on Spotify, and on all major streaming platforms. Visit the Pray with our Feet store and find everything from tees to mugs and more. You can also donate on our website. Our podcast is produced by Keston De Coteau, award-winning videographer and photographer.

Join Jamie Deering as she shares stories and considers with curiosity what it is to be present to oneself and others as we allow God to flow through us in the midst of different ways of thinking, seeing and being in the world. For a video version of this episode, see: https://youtu.be/PZ9MDBvRbe8   From Jamie's interview: “One of the first and primary ways that God grabbed a hold of me and that I knew the presence of God in me and in the world, was through music. When I was four years old, I began piano lessons and when I was in elementary school, there was a choir and I was so excited to be part of this, creating music with our bodies and with our souls, which has felt to me like a special portal, a special pathway to God. … The thread of music through my entire life is what has anchored me in knowing and experiencing God's presence.”   “It was so important for me as my kids were growing up to be sure that they had this experience of the diversity of humankind and the diversity of thought and movement and ideas. … It was such a blessing and gift to be exposed to different ways of thinking, different ways of being in the world. I served in the Peace Corps, as you know, and lived in Macedonia for a little under two years. That plus my experiences in a variety of churches throughout my formative spiritual formation years was understanding the power of a community to form, to be so influential, in how our worldview, I'll stick with me, how my worldview was formed.”   “Recently a friend of mine distinguished for me this word, interdependence, and we've been having conversations. We come from different cultures and so I've been curious about, again, the formation of this person coming, growing up in a different culture. And my growing up in the American culture, in sort of a spirit of independence; this other culture was a spirit of interdependence. I've been learning more about what that is and connecting that to all the experiences that I've had; they have been helpful in pointing me to what it means to be interdependent and communal in thinking.”   “There are some things in contemplation we can do to set down striving; this concept of being with our thoughts then gets integrated in somatic presence with being in our bodies, being in my body. What is my body experiencing right now? Because our bodies live in present time. And so to the degree that I can be in my body, I can be present in present time. So there's that sense of being with. Then in spiritual direction, being with another, companioning another. Again, it's so important for me to be able to know what it is that's going on in me, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, so that I can hold space. So I can offer that space to another person for them to be with whatever is going on in them.”   “Haecceitas … this notion that we are all uniquely gifted by God for work here on earth for God. Presence in God through us, manifesting God through us in the world. I feel this mysterious, mystical, and special gift that my gifts now are partnered so beautifully with the Franciscan Sisters, and what might God be bringing into the world through us.”   “There's an expression in contemplative prayer of the wellspring of love, the wellspring of God; that is probably the primary image that I use when I'm leading contemplation, because the wellspring is always available to us. Always. We just sit by the wellspring, contemplating the wellspring, being with the wellspring of love.”   “Living life from a place of curiosity - I find that to be very Franciscan. And expanding beyond that, the spiritual journey, to live from curiosity. To be listeners seeking to understand another, is also very Franciscan, rather than be understood. …The wellspring cultivates curiosity and the ability to be with another and hold space for another's essence, to see another in their essence.”   For a full transcript, please include episode number and email: fslfpodcast@fslf.org.   References: Saint Francis, The Praises of God: https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=180   Peace Corps, Macedonia: https://www.peacecorps.gov/north-macedonia/   Contemplative Practice: see Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation: https://shalem.org/   Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Coaching: see Jamie's website: https://soulisticcoach.com/   Haecceitas: a Franciscan term coined by John Duns Scotus re: the unique value, dignity, ‘thisness', of every person and everything; two references: https://cac.org/irreplaceable-thisness-2018-03-18/ , and https://www.ssfamericas.org/post/a-hagiography-of-blessed-john-duns-scotus     Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota: https://www.fslf.org/ Franciscan Programs Ministry, including Engaging Franciscan Spirituality course: https://www.fslf.org/pages/Franciscan-Programs-Ministry   Third Order Regular Rule, reference to admonishing with compassion: If discord caused by word or deed should occur among them, they should immediately (Mt. 18:35) and humbly ask forgiveness of one another even before offering their gift of prayer before the Lord (cf. Mt 5:24).And if anyone seriously neglects the form of life all profess, the minister, or others who may know of it, are to admonish that person. Those giving the admonition should neither embarrass nor speak evil of the other, but show great kindness. Let all be careful of self-righteousness, which causes anger and annoyance because of another's sin. These in oneself or in another hinder living lovingly.   Sheffield train station fountain in England, image of the Trinity as fountain fullness of God; see photo below, see a YouTube of the fountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RPXt-MvN0Q      

SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support this vital ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter's Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast)   SHOW NOTES What if rest has already been created and all we have to do is find ways to participate? Listen in to Steve and Ruth as they discuss how Sabbath is more than a practice, but a way of life ordered around God's invitation to regular rhythms of work, rest, and replenishment that will sustain us for the long haul. ABOUT OUR GUEST Ruth Haley Barton (Doctor of Divinity, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) is founder of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors, Christian leaders and the congregations and organizations they serve. A sought-after teacher, retreat leader, and trained spiritual director, Ruth is the author of numerous books and articles on the spiritual life. Educated at Northern Seminary, the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and Loyola University Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies, she has served on the pastoral staff of several churches including Willow Creek Community Church and is Professor of Spiritual Transformation at Northern Seminary. Ruth's Website (includes all her books. blog, and podcast) HER LATEST BOOK: Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again by Ruth Haley Barton   FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page Potter's Inn Main FB Page Instagram   CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats. 

This week, author and spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton sat down with Brandon, Kevin, Rachel, and Liz (one of our volunteers) to have a conversation around silence, solitude, and navigating spiritual disciplines. Ruth opens up about her journey through spiritual direction into solitude and silence and offers practical tips around how to engage with God's invitation into that discipline. Ruth also shared about her new book, Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again.    If you're interested in diving a little deeper into the practice of silence and solitude, you can join us for a four week Practice Lab on October 30 from 1:30-3:00 pm. You can register here.   Guest Bio  Ruth Haley Barton (Doctor of Divinity, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the founder of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors, Christian leaders, and the congregations and organizations they serve. A sought-after teacher, retreat leader, and trained spiritual director, Ruth is the author of numerous books and articles on spiritual life. Educated at Northern Seminary, the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, and Loyola University Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies, she has served on the pastoral staff of several churches including Willow Creek Community Church, and is a Professor of Spiritual Transformation at Northern Seminary.   Highlights   Introducing: Ruth Haley Barton - 3:06 How Ruth Haley Barton cultivated the practice of silence and solitude in her own life. Moving towards becoming an author and spiritual director. The invitation to silence and solitude. A structure for intimacy - 19:26 Navigating the push-pull phenomenon of integrating the spiritual disciplines. What engaging with silence and solitude can look like across different life stages. Talking through preconceived notions around silence and solitude. Silence and Solitude in real-time - 37:00 Processing the counterbalance of mountain and valley experiences in our own faith journeys. The reimagined definition of productivity and success. Ruth shares a little about her new book. Practical applications to try out in your own time (including a guided minute of silence) Kevin, Brandon, Rachel, and Liz debrief about their conversation.   Resources Ruth Haley Barton's Website The Transforming Center Invitation to Silence and Solitude by Ruth Haley Barton 1 Kings 19 - The Story of Elijiah Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again by Ruth Haley Barton The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)   Quotes “...whatever we're experiencing in the early parts of our journey into solitude and silence, it's pretty normal. And that it's not a quick fix: discipline, solitude, and silence are not the quick fix. It is a long obedience in the same direction. And then we begin to see the results eventually.” - Ruth Haley Barton “If you're feeling the push-pull, then you know you wanna press through. And it's not so much about should, as much as it's about touching the deepest desire of your heart, which is to have a real relationship with this person and to keep doing the things that help you to cultivate a real relationship. So you wanna drop down to the deepest desire that you have in this relationship and towards this person. You're not gonna press through because of "ought and should", you're gonna press through because you know it's gonna be good for your relationship if you go ahead and push through. And that's really different than odds and shoulds.” - Ruth Haley Barton  

On today's episode, Alan interviews author and spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton about why we desperately need Sabbath today, how her sabbatical changed her and why rest is so complex AND so vital today. About Ruth Haley Barton   Ruth Haley Barton (Doctor of Divinity, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) is founder of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors, Christian leaders and the congregations and organizations they serve. [www.thetransformingcenter.org] A sought-after teacher, retreat leader and trained spiritual director, Ruth is the author of numerous books and articles on the spiritual life. Educated at Northern Seminary, the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and Loyola University Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies, she has served on the pastoral staff of several churches including Willow Creek Community Church and is Professor of Spiritual Transformation at Northern Seminary. Connect with Ruth Books Transforming Center Purchase A Dozen Secrets to More Effective Leadership https://bit.ly/3TEVBlv Schedule a complimentary breakthrough coaching session www.stayforth.com/coaching    

We at Tree Speech and Alight Theater Guild are incredibly grateful to John Philip Newell for joining us today. Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. Canadian by birth, and a citizen also of Scotland, he resides with his family in Edinburgh and works on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2016 he began the School of Earth and Soul (originally called the School of Celtic Consciousness) and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland. His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including A New Ancient Harmony, Sounds of the Eternal, The Rebirthing of God, and his latest award-winning publication Sacred Earth Sacred Soul. Newell speaks of himself as ‘a wandering teacher' following the ancient path of many lone teachers before him in the Celtic world, ‘wandering Scots' seeking the wellbeing of the world. He has been described as having ‘the heart of a Celtic bard and the mind of a Celtic scholar', combining in his teachings the poetic and the intellectual, the head as well as the heart, and spiritual awareness as well as political and ecological concern. His writings have been translated into seven languages. In 2020 he relinquished his ordination as a minister of the Church of Scotland as no longer reflecting the heart of his belief in the sacredness of the earth and every human being. He continues, however, to see himself as ‘a grateful son of the Christian household' seeking to be in relationship with the wisdom of humanity's other great spiritual traditions. In 2011 John Philip was awarded the first-ever Contemplative Voices Award from the Shalem Institute in Washington DC for his prophetic work in the field of spirituality and compassion. In 2022 he received the Sacred Universe Award from the Well Center for Spirituality in Chicago, IL in recognition of his significant work in furthering humanity's relationship with the sacredness of Earth. If you've enjoyed this episode, please like us on social media, and rate and review us on apple podcasts. Every kind word helps. To learn more about the episode see our show notes and visit us at treespeechpodcast.com, and on instagram @ treespeechpodcast. We have a newly-launched Patreon! We at Tree Speech strive to bring you insightful stories and information about trees and those who engage with them, including interviews with a wide range of people who care about them. As we keep growing, we would appreciate your support! We now have a Patreon, and every dollar helps us continue to produce this podcast. Every contribution supports our production, and we'll be giving gifts of gratitude including an invitation to Tree House, our new virtual community for patrons of all levels. Tree Speech's host, Dori Robinson, is a director, playwright, dramaturg, and educator who seeks and develops projects that explore social consciousness, personal heritage, and the difference one individual can have on their own community. More information at https://www.dorirobinson.com This week's episode was written and recorded in Massachusetts on the native lands of the Wabanaki Confederacy, Pennacook, Massachusett, and Pawtucket people, in New York on the land of the Lenapee tribes as well as the lands of Edinburgh. Logo design by Mill Riot. Special thanks to the Western Avenue Lofts and Studios for all their support. Tree Speech is produced and co-written by Jonathan Zautner. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/treespeech/message

Spiritual directors Therese Taylor-Stinson and Lisa Beacham join Pastors Tom and Billy for a conversation about spiritual direction (what is it, exactly?) and how we can each find our connection to the Divine and our callings as humans. We discuss Ephesians 4: 11-17 and the intersections of spiritual direction and racial identity, as well. Therese Taylor-Stinson is a writer, spiritual director, ordained deacon, and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). A graduate of the Shalem Institute and a member of the Shalem Society for Contemplative Leadership, she is also the Founding Managing Member of the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, Ltd. Taylor-Stinson is the editor of the award-winning books Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around and Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color. Her latest book Walking the Way of Harriet Tubman: Public Mystic and Freedom Fighter will be published later this year. Therese lives her life as a contemplative, and enjoys the natural world and the people and projects that are drawn to her as gifts. She and her husband live in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lisa Beacham is a coach, spiritual director, and retreat leader. She brings experience from the corporate world, community-based non-profits, and work as a consultant all to her current ministry of spiritual direction and coaching. Believe in Baltimore is a podcast conversation with community leaders and change-makers in Baltimore, Maryland, hosted by Govans Presbyterian Church. In each episode, we welcome a local leader to share about their work in Charm City, as well as their hopes and dreams for our community. Govans Presbyterian Church is a theologically progressive community empowering people to make the world better. Learn more about Govans and how you can get involved at www.govanspres.org. Stay connected to Govans Presbyterian online through our social platforms, too! Govans Instagram Account - https://www.instagram.com/govanspresbyterian/ Govans YouTube Account - https://www.youtube.com/user/Govanschurch Govans Twitter Account - www.twitter.com/govanschurch Govans Facebook Account - www.facebook.com/govanschurch For more information or to send us your show ideas, email Billy at billy@govanspres.org.

Carl McColman is a contemplative writer, speaker, teacher, soul friend, and storyteller.He is the author of numerous books, including The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, Answering the Contemplative Call, An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom and Unteachable Lessons. His latest book, Eternal Heart, was published in June 2021.Carl studied at James Madison University (BA, English) and George Mason University (MA, Professional Writing and Editing). His formation in the spiritual life includes training with the Shalem Institute in Washington, DC; the Institute for Pastoral Studies in Atlanta; and the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia, where Carl is a Life-Professed Lay Cistercian: a layperson under formal spiritual guidance with the Trappist monks. He is a certified presenter of Centering Prayer Introductory Workshops. Carl co-hosts the Encountering Silence podcast with filmmaker Cassidy Hall and theologian Kevin Johnson. To learn more about Carl and his work, visit his website, www.anamchara.com.Resources:www.claudiumurgan.comwww.patreon.com/claudiumurganclaudiu@claudiumurgan.comSubscribe for more videos! youtube.com/channel/UC6RlLkzUK_LdyRSV7DE6obQ

We have so many people on this show that are passionate about helping others. But, nobody can say they have more experience with serving people than Parker Palmer. One of his core beliefs is that everyone, no matter the industry, or position should think more and more like community organizers. In this episode, we talked about privilege, educational challenges, mental health and living an undivided life. At 83 years old, Parker has a ton of wisdom to share with us about our own mortality and how to live our best life. We get into some challenging discussions on depression and the importance of finding a support system to lean on in tough times.Parker is the author of ten books. Even though his big book writing career is winding down he still hosts an author page with a huge audience. His audience tunes in daily to read his short form stories, poetry and commentary. It's clear that Parker knows how to bring people together to make life more enjoyable and impactful. One of the most interesting things that connects Parker to the Just Keep Learning audience is his lifelong passion for staying curious. He calls it staying “baffled” and it is the foundation of all of his writing and workshops. Instead of seeking conclusions, how can we seek more questions?He has been a speaker, activist and retreat leader since he started his entrepreneurial journey. The leadership project named him one of the Top 30 Most Influential Leaders In Higher Education, based on his learning and teachings about social change. Social Impact Starts WithinParker explains how social impact really is an inside job. If we take care of ourselves first, then we will be able to help others. Reinforcing our own mindset and crafting and building our own values must come first. If we do this right, then naturally we will want to have an impact on others. We will be more motivated and capable of creating meaningful change in society. This is why it is not selfish to help yourself first.Oftentimes we think of social justice and reform as massive acts of courage. But, Parker reminds us that change truthfully happens with small, regular, meaningful acts of bravery. One such example is getting better and better at being anti-racist. As two white males a very important thing we can do is have conversations about things such as white supremacy and privilege. Having conversations and dialogue about our differences should be the main goal. Instead of always arguing over who is right and wrong, we should do the difficult internal work to be accepting of others. To embrace diversity. Parker shares a great comparison between mono culture amongst humans and crops. It is vital that we strive to be diverse, instead of the same. But, without control over our own, internal pride and emotions we can't begin to have this conversation.Having studied societal leaders, he knows a great deal about people who choose to live a life of integrity and identity. Parker shares the term “undivided life” meaning you are fully focused on your mission.An example he gives of someone focused on their missions, is Rosa Parks. Parker realized that people who learned to pursue their main focus have recalibrated punishment and threats. They have begun to realize that the risks and pain of not pursuing their calling are greater than the possible punishment of pursuing it.Ways That We Could Improve EducationEducation is facing the time for the biggest reform in the last one hundred years. As someone who is passionate about education, Parker has seen a lot of different things come and go in the industry. Here are a few great points he makes about what would be good to see in education today.The flipped classroom. Searching for knowledge and information seeking can be done on your own time. But, when able to have time together, focus on applying the learning in ways that require collaboration, individualization and feedback.Create more cloud based schools. How can we create learning opportunities that span beyond geography. The technology exists that we can have the absolute best teachers on a subject educating from anywhere in the world. By connecting students to experts they are most interested in learning from, you have a natural, intrinsic connection to commitment and engagement.Using apprenticeships, mentorships and internships as an increasingly valid way of teaching. They shouldn't just be add ons to the things we learn. Instead, for those who learn well in this environment, we should use it as a primary educational tool.Understanding the difference between the mind and the brain. We all have a brain, but we all have very different minds. How can we as educators, parents and coaches learn to provide opportunities for all types of minds. Intelligence comes in many forms and for some reason we put an emphasis on being academically intelligent. In reality all of the other intelligences should be equally represented in our educational institutions.Collaborate instead of compete. People may be in denial. But, we are far better off at working together instead of alone. There is no denying that competition can be healthy. But, for the most part we should aim to work together. We should create partnerships and joint ventures based on abundance, as opposed to battling with a scarcity mindset.Becoming A WriterBeing an author can seem like a tough industry to succeed in, but it doesn't need to be. It is all about having perspective, a plan and being consistent. Parker has created ten books that served his audience over the last fifty years. When it comes to writing, there are three main things that he wanted to remind us about.Don't wait for any gatekeepers. There are tons of blogging and newsletter creation platforms. And you need not have a publisher, attorney, or marketer if you don't want to. There is no barrier to getting started. Create a blog, newsletter, author page, portfolio, or even something like medium, or twitter and get writing! As you continue to write and share through short form, you will start to craft a framework for a larger book if that is an interest of yours. Don't wait for some perfect time either. If you have a busy lifestyle, you can have a huge impact in just a couple of minutes per day.If you do love writing, then give it away. When you are starting out, make sure your work is free. Don't start out as a first time writer waiting for a book deal, or trying out different ways to monetize your audience. The main goal is to have an impact on others. You want to understand your target audience, build a community and get feedback. The money will come if you are having an impact and building this community.Build multiple streams of income. As you create your writing practice, you will have to find ways to make money beyond book sales. Being an author is a great way to network, or build an audience. But, for most writers the writing itself is not enough to be your only revenue source. Find other ways to monetize. Such as speaking, guest posting, advertising, brand deals, sponsorships, memberships, or other products and services. A lack of certainty is what makes great creative writers. When it comes to crafting a story and deciding what to write about, focus on questions. We often give a lot of credit to writing about what we do know. But the more valuable, emotional, interesting conversations often come from questions. What really interests you? Write about the questions you have. As you dig deep into those questions you will develop more and more questions. Be increasingly baffled and curious. Keep going, and write about those exciting things that you do not know, but want to learn more about.Memorable Quotes“All meaningful forms of social change are built upon a million million million small acts, and everyone we can take makes a difference.”“We treat cognitive capacity as the highest form of intelligence. Artistic intelligence, relational intelligence, bodily intelligence, problem-solving intelligence. They aren't honored in our school system. They ought to be.”“People who live an undivided life have come to the realization that they no longer want to conform. Day by day they have decided they don't want to pretend on the outside. They would rather act in a way that reflects tParker: I believe that in order to write or teach, well, you have to trust your not knowing, you have to trust your not knowing.heir inner being. Sure, society wants to keep us in place. But, no punishment anyone can lay on me could possibly be greater than the punishment I lay upon myself by conspiring in my own diminishment. Yeah, the world around wants to diminish us, especially at those points where we slam into all of the things that people of color, LGBTQ Plus folk, women around the world are slamming into all the time. But to conspire in your own diminishment is to double down on what the world is, that dehumanization that the world is trying to work on you. And part of the journey in life is to get to a point where you just say, No, I'm not going to do that anymore, and you begin to show up in the world more and more as yourself. ”“I can't imagine a sadder way to die than with the knowledge that I never really turned up in this world as my true self that I was always hiding it out, that I refused ever to take the risk of bringing forward my truth.”“​I believe that in order to write or teach well, you have to trust your not knowing, you have to trust your not knowing.“I'm learning how to get old and I'm working on learning how to die. That's not a morbid question for me. That's a life-giving question. Death is part of life. And to live fully, you have to learn how to die as well. So it's a creative, life-giving question for me.”A Note On Legacy From Parker Palmer“I'm at an age where people have begun to ask me what I want my legacy to be. I always say, “It's not my legacy—it's ours.” It's a shared legacy created by the folks who design and offer Courage & Renewal programs and the folks who participate in them.As a writer, I've always wanted to “put wheels” on my ideas so people can make use of them. For the past twenty years, I've partnered with the Center for Courage & Renewal to do exactly that. Together we've created vehicles for people to ride those ideas toward life-giving destinations—inner as well as outer destinations. Our programs have allowed many people in many walks of life to develop visions and take actions that make our world a better place.I've always believed that the Center's success should be measured by its ability to attract competent, committed, caring people who are doing work that serves the human possibility. That's exactly the kind of people we've attracted. So by my lights, we've succeeded!And what about my writing? In my office, there are two bookcases with three shelves each. They are packed to the max with books I've written in various editions and translations; books for which I've written forewords or chapters; and periodicals for which I've written articles. That's a lot of words! But for me, those words—sitting there inert on the page and shelf—are not the legacy.A legacy is a living thing. What's important to me is the way people have taken my words into their own lives in their own way—and then carried all of that into communities, institutions and the larger society. Without the deep, long-term partnership I've had with the Center for Courage & Renewal, none of that would have happened on the scale it has. I'm forever grateful for this gift of colleagues, friends and fellow travelers.My personal legacy? I'd like it to be one of good humor, good will and generosity. I'd like it to be said that we had a lot of laughs, we extended a lot of kindness, and we built an abundant storehouse of heart-and-soul resources that anyone can draw on. I can't imagine a better legacy than that.” - Parker J. PalmerGuest BioFounder of the Center for Courage & Renewal, Parker is a world-renowned writer, speaker, and activist. He focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. His main message has been that internal, mindset work can lead to better outward social impact.A member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker), Palmer and his wife, Sharon Palmer, live in Madison, Wisconsin. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley, as well as thirteen honorary doctorates. He is the author of ten books, including several award-winning titles, that have sold over 1.5 million copies and been translated into ten languages.In 1998, the Leadership Project, a national survey of 10,000 educators, named Palmer one of the thirty “most influential senior leaders” in higher education and one of the ten key “agenda-setters” of the past decade. In 2011, the Utne Reader named him one of 25 Visionaries on its annual list of “People Who are Changing the World.” In 2017, he received the Shalem Institute's Contemplative Voices Award, given annually to an individual “who has made significant contributions to contemplative understanding, living and leadership.”Best Modern Mobile Recording Site: SquadcastFOLLOW ParkerFacebook - Parker P Facebook PageWebsite - Center For Courage & RenewalTwitter - @parkerjpalmerFOLLOW JUSTIN (JustTries)Website - JustTriesHOMEInstagram - @JustTriesYouTube - Just TriesTwitter - @JustTries_Tiktok - @justtriesPinterest - JustTriesFacebook - Just TriesCONNECT WITH JUST KEEP LEARNINGWebsite - JKLHOMEInstagram - @JustKeepLearning.CaTiktok - @justkeeplearning.caFacebook - Just Keep LearningFree Group - JKL Goal Setting CommunityWe appreciate you being here! Be sure to leave the podcast, “Just Keep Learning” ratings and reviews because it will help people who need it be better able to find it. Also, if you want a shoutout, simply share an image of the episode, you listening, or your takeaways and share it @JustTries anywhere on social!Reach out anytime! Text your questions to JustTries at +1 (313) 710-5499

Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Psychology at Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA. She studied psychology as an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Cruz and received her Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University. In 2008 she completed the Spiritual Guidance Program at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. She is a Howard Thurman Devotee and serves as a spiritual companion/director, writer, retreat leader, and speaker. Her first full length book, When the Heart Speaks, Listen—Discovering Inner Wisdom was released in January, 2019, which tells the story of her heart transplant and the dialogue within. In this episode she talks about our need of being more expansive with definitions and says “mysticism is just one of those kinds of things that happens... I hope that we will abandon this idea that mysticism only happens to special people."

Register for the April 10 laity event through April 3, 2021. Learn more and register here: moumethodist.org/susanbeaumont How do you lead when you are stuck between an ending and a new beginning-when the old way of doing things no longer works but a way forward is not yet clear? Beaumont calls such in-between times liminal seasons-threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. In a liminal season it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead. Susan Beaumont is a consultant, coach, and spiritual director. She has worked with hundreds of congregations and denominational bodies across the United States and in Canada. Susan is known for engaging the best of business practice, filtered through the lens of careful theological reflection. She moves easily between discernment and decision making and nurtures the soul of the leader along with the soul of the institution. Before establishing her own practice, Susan worked for nine years as a Senior Consultant with the Alban Institute. Susan has also served on the faculty of two business schools and a seminary, teaching graduate level courses in leadership, change management and organizational behavior. She has corporate experience in human resource management and organizational development. Susan's educational background includes a M.B.A. from Northwestern University and a M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary. She is also a graduate of the Shalem Institute in Spiritual Formation.

UNO Souls Chat: I am honored today to be chatting with Leah Rampy – an UNO Soul. She has worn many hats including an executive in different corporations (including Fannie Mae), she ran her own consulting business, she was the Executive Director of a non-profit (Shalem Institute), runs interfaith retreats, and now she lives in a cohousing community in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. She is an amazing lady that I admire and is a beacon of light in the community. She is an activist in many areas including the environment, which she is very passionate about. She is rich in wisdom and is such a pleasure to speak with. She has always been an inspiration to me, and I’m grateful that she has been my mentor. – Hear about the Save Our Soil initiative that she undertook at the cohousing community, to address climate change and the lack of ecosystems in the world and to support the regeneration of soil – she has such passion in that area. Quote from Leah: “The intent of the Church of the Wild is to invite people to spend time in the outdoors as a way to connect to the sacredness all around us and the sacredness in the whole living earth.” Words of wisdom: “Everybody has their own wisdom. So it’s a matter of quieting ourselves to listen for that – for what is being given. I really trust that the heart is wise, and that the heart has wisdom beyond what we know. The mystics of old, that talked about mind and heart or the spiritual heart or sinking into the heart, that is deep deep wisdom, and is an invitation always for us - but particularly in times of stress, in times where we cannot figure it out. And our tendency is to try harder. And I have to think about it. And I need to know what I’m supposed to do. And I don’t know if I should do this. And I’m not sure, and we get in that hamster wheel of thinking. And at best it only gets us an iteration of where we are. The transformative piece is a heart journey.”◊◊◊ UNO Souls are beacons of light in our community that can be guides for how to cope through this collective moment of change. I would love to chat with you – please reach out! I honor the light in all of you.

In this podcast, Art Wright is joined by Jason and Dena Hobbs, authors of the new book, When Anxiety Strikes: Help and Hope for Managing Your Storm (Kregel Publications, 2020). They discuss what anxiety is, the intersection of anxiety and faith, and how we can care for ourselves and others in this anxiety-prone time. It is a wonderful conversation, and the book is a fantastic resource for clergy, lay persons, and congregations. Jason B. Hobbs (M.Div., LCSW) has been in private mental health practice for fifteen years, assisting people through their journey with anxiety every day. Jason teaches widely on mindfulness, anxiety, and the intersection of religion and mental health, and recently trained as a spiritual director at the Shalem Institute. Jason has also written Unless a Grain of Wheat Fall. Find him at jasonhobbslcsw.com. Dena Douglas Hobbs (M.Div.) has been learning to tame her own panic and anxiety for decades. She shares her expertise by leading retreats, speaking, blogging at denadouglashobbs.com. Dena is now the Episcopal and Lutheran campus minister at Mercer University. Her previous works include Lighten the Darkness. Dena and Jason currently live in Middle Georgia. Art Wright (M.Div., Ph.D.) is the Theologian in Residence for CBFVA. Recommended Resources and Links: https://www.facebook.com/WhenAnxietyStrikes When Anxiety Strikes Youtube Channel National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Faithnet NAMI: Tips For How to Help a Person with Mental Illness

Join Sister Joan Tuberty as she takes us on a journey through her life, exploring the power of images, prayer, and the attraction to Saints Francis and Clare who give us vivid examples of following in the footprints of Jesus. Let us listen and learn together: “I have always experienced Francis and Clare as people of their day, of their time. [It] was attractive to me that it's such a living tradition, that those of us living today should be faithfully engaged in the time in which we're living...All of our life experiences prepare us to be living right now. And to give ourselves to it, bring all that we are into the living present, and be people of prayer who are engaged in the present world situation.”   References: --Tilden Edwards: Founder of Shalem Institute, author; see https://shalem.org/author/tilden-edwards/.  --What is an icon? To learn more: https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/family/catholic-teens/religious-art/icons-as-religious-art/; for more detailed history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon. --Rublev’s Trinity icon: an invitation to prayer: https://cac.org/take-place-table-2016-09-13/; a historical narrative: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_(Andrei_Rublev). --Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying With Icons, Ave Maria Press, 1987 is a book Sister Joan recommends. In it he presents four icons, including Rublev’s Trinity. --San Damiano Crucifix: a description from San Damiano Retreat: https://sandamiano.org/our-franciscan-identity/san-damiano-crucifix/. “The Franciscan Vision and the Gospel of John” by Michael D. Guinan, O.F.M. studies the San Damiano Cross: https://www.amazon.com/Franciscan-Heritage-Damiano-Crucifix-Creation/dp/1576592030. --“Icons: Gifts of Prayer – Soul Images Made Visible” booklet: referred to by Sister Joan; these booklets including art and reflections on five of her icons, will be available until supplies run out. Please submit a request, including your name and address by clicking on the email icon above, or by emailing fslfpodcast@fslf.org. --Visitation of Mary: In Christianity, the Visitation is the visit of Blessed Virgin Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, to St. Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke 1:39–56. --Story of Saint Francis hearing the call to rebuild the church: to read the story, see Legend of the Three Companions 5:13: https://www.franciscantradition.org/francis-of-assisi-early-documents/the-founder/the-legend-of-the-three-companions/1167-fa-ed-2-page-76. --Story of Saint Francis seeking Saint Clare’s council whether to pray or to preach (action); to see the whole story, see The Deeds of Blessed Father Francis and His Companions XVI:1-13: https://www.franciscantradition.org/francis-of-assisi-early-documents/the-prophet/the-deeds-of-blessed-francis-and-his-companions-1328-1337/2369-fa-ed-3-page-468. --Clarissa Pinkola Estés: quote “We were made for these times” – see: https://www.grahameb.com/pinkola_estes.htm. --Centering Prayer is a contemporary form of contemplative prayer; see: http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/. Consider also a smart phone app called “Centering Prayer,” offered by Contemplative Outreach. You will find many regional websites online listing area centering prayer groups. For those who live in Minnesota, see: https://www.minnesotacontemplativeoutreach.org/groups.html.

How do you lead when you are stuck between an ending and a new beginning-when the old way of doing things no longer works but a way forward is not yet clear? Beaumont calls such in-between times liminal seasons-threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. In a liminal season it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead. Susan Beaumont is a consultant, coach, and spiritual director. She has worked with hundreds of congregations and denominational bodies across the United States and in Canada. Susan is known for engaging the best of business practice, filtered through the lens of careful theological reflection. She moves easily between discernment and decision making and nurtures the soul of the leader along with the soul of the institution. Before establishing her own practice, Susan worked for nine years as a Senior Consultant with the Alban Institute. Susan has also served on the faculty of two business schools and a seminary, teaching graduate level courses in leadership, change management and organizational behavior. She has corporate experience in human resource management and organizational development. Susan's educational background includes a M.B.A. from Northwestern University and a M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary. She is also a graduate of the Shalem Institute in Spiritual Formation.

This week we continue with our four part series on the exploration of sexuality in spiritual companionship. Facilitated by Frederica Helmiere, we present to you a series of perspectives from several spiritual directors, pastors, and guides on how they approach sexuality in their roles as spiritual companions. These episodes are offered in conjunction with our upcoming webinar series Spiritual Companionship and the Divine Erotic – Ethics and Sexuality, which you can learn more about at sdicompanions.org. This week features a conversation with Frederica, professor and spiritual director Westina Matthews, and Episcopal Priest Father Tommie Watkins, who will be presenters at our upcoming Santa Fe conference.  -- Westina Matthews is an adjunct professor for the Center for Christian Spirituality at The General Theological Seminary, where she teaches contemplative spiritual direction. A graduate of the Spiritual Guidance program at the Shalem Institute, she is an author, public speaker, spiritual director and retreat leader whose practice reflects contemplative living through “holy listening.” Westina has contributed to several Forward Movement anthologies and was a frequent contributor to Sacred Journey: The Journal of Fellowship in Faith. Her newest book is Dancing from the Inside Out: Grace-filled Reflections on Growing Older (Church Publishing Inc., 2019).   Father Tommie Watkins, the first openly gay ordained black priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, is the Rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Alabama. A certified Spiritual Director and licensed master social worker (LMSW), he completed his joint Doctorate in Philosophy degree from the Universities of Alabama, Tuscaloosa and University of Alabama, Birmingham, School of Public Health. Father Tommie earned his Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from The General Theological Seminary. In his book Living Out Loud, he shares his struggle of self-acceptance. Father Tommie’s favorite quote is Dr. King’s: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” As such, Father Tommie is compelled to continue to Live Out Loud. --- Support for this podcast comes from SDI’s upcoming webinar, Spiritual Companionship and the Divine Erotic – Ethics and Sexuality In this two part webinar, we will explore embodied spirituality, sexuality and the divine erotic as they relate to the practice of spiritual companionship. Join us for this practice-based training designed for spiritual companions, guides and directors. Learn more at https://www.sdicompanions.org/product/sdi-webinar-series-spiritual-companionship-and-the-divine-erotic-ethics-and-sexuality/

Your new mentor and coach is here! Christy Belt Grossman is no stranger to growth. As soon as she told me about replacing herself in her full-time job to then begin living to her passion full-time, I knew I struck gold and we had to connect for an episode for others to learn from her. Her insight on helping others to further their success is first class! Christy is the CEO and founder of Ops Boss Coaching, where she helps others fight through various struggles and barriers in their businesses to gain traction towards their true potential. One way to avoid getting lost in the minutia is by clicking play and listening to this episode! To gain access to Christy's guide to avoid failure when hiring in the BTL Toolbox, be sure to make your donation to Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation by heading over to The BTL Facebook page. For access to the BTL Toolbox content FOR LIFE, a $15 contribution must be made to this or one of our previously mentioned charitable causes on our Facebook page. Once you've made your contribution, send an email over to thebtlgroup@gmail.com to validate it and hang on tight and get ready to grow! #BTL #BTLpodcast #BTLtoolbox #GiveAndGain #BrettKelley #ChristyBeltGrossman

No man [woman], for any considerable period, can wear one face to themselves, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne SHOW NOTES For many of us, the Pandemic has served as a mirror, forcing us to take a hard, long look at ourselves. And it might have revealed somethings you do not like very much, as well as the best in each of us. It is a back and forth that is known in spiritual terms as the True and False Self and is the topic of today’s podcast. Jeremy interviews Fil Anderson about the complexity of our true and false self, how we can recognize the difference, and find grace in the midst of confronting our own “imposter.” It’s a beautiful, freeing, and engaging conversation that gives each of us insights that will help us navigate these turbulent times and help us finally claim our identity as God’s child and experience His pure pleasure in who we are. A Contemplative Question: Think back to a time or event where you struggled being your true self; saying what was really on your heart or acting in a way that was consistent with who you are on the inside.   ABOUT FIL ANDERSON Fil Anderson is Executive Director of Journey Resources, based in Greensboro, NC. He’s a frequent conference speaker and spiritual director, and he directs retreats and workshops nationally and internationally. A member of the pastoral staff of St. Mark’s Church and the Spiritual Care Team for Samaritan’s Purse, he provides on-site soul care to their staff and volunteers. Fil is the author of Running on Empty: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers (Waterbrook) and Breaking the Rules: Trading Performance for Intimacy with God (InterVarsity). He also contributed to Transformation of a Man’s Heart: Reflections on the Masculine Journey (InverVarsity). A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Fuller Theological Seminary, he also completed the Graduate Program in Christian Spiritual Guidance at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Fil worked with Young Life for 25 years, serving as area director and regional director before becoming national director of training. Learn more about Fil Mentioned in the Podcast Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging by Brennan Mannings Moment to Breathe - Brennan’s letter to his Imposter Audio Text

Hello, and welcome to Methods, an exploration in guided prayer and meditation. Today Keith Kristich leads us through a Self-Emptying meditation which also focuses on the three intelligence centers of the head, heart, and body. Keith is a centering prayer group facilitator, Enneagram expert, and life coach. A graduate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington D.C., Keith is well versed in contemplative spiritual paths, as well as with non-religious community groups. Find Keith here: https://keithkristich.com/ Feel free to catch up with us on social media @methodspodcast, or if you'd like, you can support us on Patreon. linktr.ee/methodspodcast www.methodspodcast.com www.patreon.com/methods www.instagram.com/methodspodcast www.facebook.com/methodsthepodcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/methods/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/methods/support

Hello, and welcome to Methods, an exploration in guided prayer and meditation. Today we talk with Keith Kristich. Keith is a centering prayer group facilitator, Enneagram expert, and life coach. A graduate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington D.C., Keith is well versed in contemplative spiritual paths, as well as with non-religious community groups. Find Keith here: https://keithkristich.com/ Feel free to catch up with us on social media @methodspodcast, or if you'd like, you can support us on Patreon. linktr.ee/methodspodcast www.methodspodcast.com www.patreon.com/methods www.instagram.com/methodspodcast www.facebook.com/methodsthepodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/methods/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/methods/support

Carrie Newcomer is an American performer, singer, songwriter, recording artist, author and educator. The Boston Globe described her as a “prairie mystic” and Rolling Stone wrote that she is one who “asks all the right questions.” According to a 2014 PBS “Religion and Ethics” interview, Newcomer is a “conversational, introspective” songwriter who “celebrates and savors the ordinary sacred moments of life and champions interfaith dialogue and progressive spiritualty.” Krista Tippett notes that Carrie is “best known for her story-songs that get at the raw and redemptive edges of human reality.” Newcomer is a committed Quaker and connects her faith, her sense of social justice, and her songwriting. “My songwriting has always had a spiritual current to it. There’s a spiritual current in my life, so there is in my work. Otherwise I’d be censoring something important.”  She has performed around the world for humanitarian efforts and carved out a niche as a folksinger who is also an international emissary for peace and tireless advocate for living a more contemplative life. “I would have to say that my most profound and consistent spiritual practice is songwriting—that idea of sacramental living, of seeing the world as sacrament, seeing life as a sacrament of compassion and forgiveness,” she says. Newcomer has produced 18 solo CDs, eight collaborative CDs, three DVD’s, two LP’s with Stone Soup, and has received numerous awards for her music and related charitable activities. Her most recent album is 2019 The Point of Arrival. She has released two books of poetry & essays, A Permeable Life: Poems and Essays and The Beautiful Not Yet: Poems, Essays & Lyric. Her song “I Should’ve Known Better” appeared on Nickel Creek’s Grammy winning gold album “This Side”, and she earned an Emmy for the PBS special “An Evening with Carrie Newcomer.” Newcomer says one of her greatest achievements is writing a song that has become an anthem for social justice activists. She wrote “Room at the Table” after listening to an interview about the importance of folk music to the American civil rights movement. “So, it’s done in call and response: ‘Let our hearts not be hardened to those living on the margin. There is room at the table for everyone.’” She cites Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan, “people creating music and trying to tell story in a poetic way” as influences on her songwriting style. The themes are deep: “There aren’t a lot of black-and-white answers, but… there’s a lot of good questions. I think folks are ready for conversations about questions without being told a pat answer.” She describes her work as “an art form that’s an authentic spiritual relationship that’s pressing in.” She says she has “spent a lifetime trying to describe in language those things we experience that have no words. You do that as a songwriter…Talking about that experience—what is it at the heart of things, right at the center of things. And what is this journey of trying to put into language these things we know, but we have no language for.” Many of the themes in Newcomer’s work come from her friendships and collaborations with activists, authors and religious figures like Parker J. Palmer, Jim Wallis, Scott Russell Sanders and Barbara Kingsolver. She also credits theologians, religious leaders and famous authors as influences. She has done numerous collaborations with authors, academics, philosophers and musicians, including Alison Krauss, Jill Bolte Taylor, Philip Gulley, Rabbi Sandy Sasso. Newcomer explains, “There is simplicity when you don’t know what else to do and then there is simplicity when you can play all sorts of notes and say all sorts of things but you don’t. It’s elegant, myself and all the musicians, it’s a very ego-less kind of playing.” Newcomer has had an ongoing, long-term collaboration with Parker J. Palmer, with whom she has co-written several songs and performed a spoken word/music in live performance, including Healing the Heart of Democracy: A Gathering of Spirits for the Common Good and What We Need is Here: Hope, Hard Times, and Human Possibility. Newcomer and Palmer also are actively collaborating on The Growing Edge, a website, podcast, and retreat. Three of Newcomer’s songs are included in Palmer’s newest book. Newcomer has toured the United States, Europe, Africa and India including performances with Alison Krauss, Mary Chapin Carpenter, American singer-songwriter David Wilcox in shows based on spiritual story. She gives a percentage of her album sales to charitable organizations including the Interfaith Hunger Initiative, American Friends Service Committee, America's Second Harvest, The Center for Courage and Renewal, and Literacy Volunteers of America. “Every album tour I try to partner with a particular social service or justice organization, and I try to choose something that kind of goes along with the themes of that particular album.” In 2009 and 2011 Newcomer traveled to India as a cultural ambassador, including musical performances organized by the U.S. State Department and worked with students of the American Embassy School in New Delhi. In 2011, she released the album, Everything is Everywhere, which featured Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, Amaan and Ayaan on traditional Indian instruments. In 2012, Newcomer made a similar trip to Kenya and performed at various locations in rural Chulaimbo, Kenya at the AMPATH HIV center in Eldoret. She says if she’s learned anything on her goodwill tours, it is that kindness will save the world. Not necessarily grand gestures, but simple small acts of compassion that she says are like the country cousin who sings in the kitchen and does the dishes before she’s even asked. Newcomer also speaks and teaches about creativity, vocation, activism, and spirituality at colleges, workshops, conventions, and retreats. She often explores the connection between creativity and the spiritual life. Newcomer’s first theatrical production, Betty’s Diner: The Musical, was performed at a sold out run at Purdue University in 2015 and is now available to interested theaters, universities, and spiritual communities. Newcomer is the recipient of numerous awards, most recently the 2019 Shalem Institute’s Contemplative Voices Award. In 2016, Newcomer presented the Goshen College commencement address and was awarded an honorary degree in Music for Social Change. In 2010, Rich Warren, host of the Midnight Special radio program, selected Carrie Newcomer as one of the 50 most significant singer-songwriters of folk music for the last 50 years. Warren also selected her Geography of Light as one of his favorite CDs for 2008. Newcomer was born in Dowagiac, Michigan on May 25, 1958 to James B. Newcomer and Donna Baldoni Newcomer. Her mother was raised Catholic, a first generation American from an Italian family and her father was raised Methodist with a background as Mennonite and Amish. Newcomer grew up Methodist, but her fury with the traditional church’s treatment of women led her to find spiritual community with the Quakers. She began writing songs as a teenager and performing in restaurants, coffeehouses and at benefits and festivals. She began her university studies at Ball State University and then Goshen College. Newcomer spent five months teaching art in an elementary school in San Isidro, Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, she encountered the silent- unprogrammed Quakers in Monteverde. “It felt like home,” she says. She completed her studies at Purdue University and received a B.A. in visual art and education. Newcomer is married to Robert Shannon Meitus, an entertainment and intellectual property lawyer. She has one daughter, Amelia Newcomer Aldred. Carrie lives in the woods of southern Indiana with her family. Join us in conversation with this gifted artist and soulful performer!

Keith Kristich dives deep with Clint into meditation techniques, process, and their experiences with different consciousness states.  Keith is a certified meditation, contemplative prayer, and Enneagram teacher. He did training in contemplation with both the Shalem Institute and Contemplative Outreach. He now leads weekly groups, retreats, and works 1/1 with folks as a life coach. Contemplative Light provides education and resources in a global effort towards inner transformation through meditation and contemplative prayer. You can find us on Facebook as Contemplative Light where we have a very active facebook community or at our website at contemplativelight.org  Support the show (https://contemplativelight.org/)

This episode concludes our two-part conversation with author and spiritual director Therese Taylor-Stinson, the founder of the Spiritual Directors of Color Network. To listen to part one, please click here. "All contemplation should be followed by action; they are there for one another. The reason to contemplate anything would be to have clarity about what action to take next." — Therese Taylor-Stinson Therese Taylor-Stinson is the co-editor of Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color, and the editor of Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around — Stories of Contemplation and Justice. She is an ordained deacon and elder in the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), a lay pastoral caregiver, and a graduate of and an associate faculty member of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, where she previously served as a member of the board. She is the founder of the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, an international, ecumenical/interfaith association of persons of color with a ministry of spiritual accompaniment. A native of Washington DC, she now lives in Maryland. Her ministry, like her books, explores the intersection of contemplative spirituality and the ongoing struggle for social justice and the dismantling of racism. "Trauma doesn't have to be something physical, where a bone is broken or blood is seen or anything like that. Anything that silences you and keeps you from defending yourself against something coming against you is trauma." — Therese Taylor-Stinson In this week's episode, Therese builds on our previous conversation by exploration the relationship between silence and trauma, talking about how the science of epigenetics has revealed how trauma effects people over generations. She also invites us to explore the question of how contemplation can be misused as a way of hiding from the problems facing our world — but how it can also be a meaningful way for people to awaken to what is real and what needs our collective attention. Acknowledging the painful links between Christianity, racism, and white supremacy, Therese offers a word of hope — that we do not need to be shaped by the mistakes of the past, but can work together in pursuit of true justice and reconciliation for today and tomorrow. Comparing the struggle against racism to a relay race, she hopes that the steps that we take today can help to make the world a better place for our grandchildren. To learn more about the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, visit www.sdcnetwork.org. Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Therese Taylor-Stinson (ed.), Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around — Stories of Contemplation and Justice (includes essays by Jacqueline Smith-Crooks, Lerita Coleman Brown, Maisie Sparks, Jung Eun Sophia Park, Soyinka Rahim, and Ineda P. Adesanya, among others) Therese Taylor-Stinson et al. (editors), Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color Serene Jones, Trauma and Grace: Theology in a Ruptured World Yūsuf Ībish and  Ileana Marculescu, eds., Contemplation and Action in World Religions Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream and the Letter from Birmingham Jail James Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree Brian McDermott, SJ, Word Become Flesh: Dimensions of Christology Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited Episode 61: Silence, Contemplation, and Justice: A Conversation with Therese Taylor-Stinson (Part Two) Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Guest: Therese Taylor-Stinson Date Recorded: March 25, 2019  

This episode concludes our two-part conversation with author and spiritual director Therese Taylor-Stinson, the founder of the Spiritual Directors of Color Network. To listen to part one, please click here. "All contemplation should be followed by action; they are there for one another. The reason to contemplate anything would be to have clarity about what action to take next." — Therese Taylor-Stinson Therese Taylor-Stinson is the co-editor of Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color, and the editor of Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around — Stories of Contemplation and Justice. She is an ordained deacon and elder in the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), a lay pastoral caregiver, and a graduate of and an associate faculty member of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, where she previously served as a member of the board. She is the founder of the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, an international, ecumenical/interfaith association of persons of color with a ministry of spiritual accompaniment. A native of Washington DC, she now lives in Maryland. Her ministry, like her books, explores the intersection of contemplative spirituality and the ongoing struggle for social justice and the dismantling of racism. "Trauma doesn't have to be something physical, where a bone is broken or blood is seen or anything like that. Anything that silences you and keeps you from defending yourself against something coming against you is trauma." — Therese Taylor-Stinson In this week's episode, Therese builds on our previous conversation by exploration the relationship between silence and trauma, talking about how the science of epigenetics has revealed how trauma effects people over generations. She also invites us to explore the question of how contemplation can be misused as a way of hiding from the problems facing our world — but how it can also be a meaningful way for people to awaken to what is real and what needs our collective attention. Acknowledging the painful links between Christianity, racism, and white supremacy, Therese offers a word of hope — that we do not need to be shaped by the mistakes of the past, but can work together in pursuit of true justice and reconciliation for today and tomorrow. Comparing the struggle against racism to a relay race, she hopes that the steps that we take today can help to make the world a better place for our grandchildren. To learn more about the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, visit www.sdcnetwork.org. Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Therese Taylor-Stinson (ed.), Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around — Stories of Contemplation and Justice (includes essays by Jacqueline Smith-Crooks, Lerita Coleman Brown, Maisie Sparks, Jung Eun Sophia Park, Soyinka Rahim, and Ineda P. Adesanya, among others) Therese Taylor-Stinson et al. (editors), Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color Serene Jones, Trauma and Grace: Theology in a Ruptured World Yūsuf Ībish and  Ileana Marculescu, eds., Contemplation and Action in World Religions Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream and the Letter from Birmingham Jail James Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree Brian McDermott, SJ, Word Become Flesh: Dimensions of Christology Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited Episode 61: Silence, Contemplation, and Justice: A Conversation with Therese Taylor-Stinson (Part Two) Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Guest: Therese Taylor-Stinson Date Recorded: March 25, 2019  

Therese Taylor-Stinson is the co-editor of Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color, and the editor of Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around — Stories of Contemplation and Justice. She is an ordained deacon and elder in the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), a lay pastoral caregiver, and a graduate of and an associate faculty member of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, where she previously served as a member of the board. She is the founder of the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, an international, ecumenical/interfaith association of persons of color with a ministry of spiritual accompaniment. A native of Washington DC, she now lives in Maryland. Her ministry, like her books, explores the intersection of contemplative spirituality and the ongoing struggle for social justice and the dismantling of racism. I've always loved nature, I love trees... I love the ocean, I love the sunrise and the moonrise... those kinds of things bring me into silence in a kind of pondering and sitting with what we call 'God', but to me is more 'Mystery'." — Therese Taylor-Stinson In this first part of a two-part episode, Therese shares with us her early experience of contemplative silence, formed by her education in Catholic schools as well as her early encounters with the silence of nature. She goes on to show how her journey as a contemplative and a spiritual director has impacted her experience as a woman of color. Of particular interest is her insights into the contemplative dimension of the civil rights movement, particularly in terms of the under-appreciated contribution of Howard Thurman. "For some people of color, silence is uncomfortable — it feels oppressive or imposing,  it makes them go places or feel things they're not ready for, or that they aren't ready to express to me. We have to be really careful with silence... I don't know that silence is a requirement to find that still place within." — Therese Taylor-Stinson In the second half of today's episode, Therese offers insight into the contribution of people of color, not only to contemplative spirituality, but to Christianity as a whole — and how those contributions have been erased from history through the dynamics of racism — leading to a "silencing" toxic in its nature. This is part one of a two-part interview; to hear the second part of this conversation, click here. To learn more about the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, visit www.sdcnetwork.org. Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Therese Taylor-Stinson (ed.), Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around — Stories of Contemplation and Justice (includes essays by Jacqueline Smith-Crooks, Lerita Coleman Brown, Maisie Sparks, Jung Eun Sophia Park, Soyinka Rahim, and Ineda P. Adesanya, among others) Therese Taylor-Stinson et al. (editors), Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited Lerita Coleman Brown, When the Heart Speaks, Listen: Discovering Inner Wisdom Maisie Sparks, Holy Shakespeare! Jung Eun Sophia Park, Border-Crossing Spirituality: Transformation in the Borderland  Soyinka Rahim, Bibo Love Ineda P. Adesanya, Kaleidoscope: Broadening the Palette in the Art of Spiritual Direction Martin Laird, An Ocean of Light: Contemplation, Transformation and Liberation Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing Barbara A. Holmes, Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church Desert Fathers and Mothers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Tilden Edwards, Living in the Presence Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel John Main, Door to Silence: An Anthology for Meditation Gay L. Byron, Symbolic Blackness and Ethnic Difference in Early Christian Literature Albert J. Raboteau, Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South John S. Mbiti, Introduction to African Religions 

Therese Taylor-Stinson is the co-editor of Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color, and the editor of Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around — Stories of Contemplation and Justice. She is an ordained deacon and elder in the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), a lay pastoral caregiver, and a graduate of and an associate faculty member of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, where she previously served as a member of the board. She is the founder of the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, an international, ecumenical/interfaith association of persons of color with a ministry of spiritual accompaniment. A native of Washington DC, she now lives in Maryland. Her ministry, like her books, explores the intersection of contemplative spirituality and the ongoing struggle for social justice and the dismantling of racism. I've always loved nature, I love trees... I love the ocean, I love the sunrise and the moonrise... those kinds of things bring me into silence in a kind of pondering and sitting with what we call 'God', but to me is more 'Mystery'." — Therese Taylor-Stinson In this first part of a two-part episode, Therese shares with us her early experience of contemplative silence, formed by her education in Catholic schools as well as her early encounters with the silence of nature. She goes on to show how her journey as a contemplative and a spiritual director has impacted her experience as a woman of color. Of particular interest is her insights into the contemplative dimension of the civil rights movement, particularly in terms of the under-appreciated contribution of Howard Thurman. "For some people of color, silence is uncomfortable — it feels oppressive or imposing,  it makes them go places or feel things they're not ready for, or that they aren't ready to express to me. We have to be really careful with silence... I don't know that silence is a requirement to find that still place within." — Therese Taylor-Stinson In the second half of today's episode, Therese offers insight into the contribution of people of color, not only to contemplative spirituality, but to Christianity as a whole — and how those contributions have been erased from history through the dynamics of racism — leading to a "silencing" toxic in its nature. This is part one of a two-part interview; to hear the second part of this conversation, click here. To learn more about the Spiritual Directors of Color Network, visit www.sdcnetwork.org. Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Therese Taylor-Stinson (ed.), Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around — Stories of Contemplation and Justice (includes essays by Jacqueline Smith-Crooks, Lerita Coleman Brown, Maisie Sparks, Jung Eun Sophia Park, Soyinka Rahim, and Ineda P. Adesanya, among others) Therese Taylor-Stinson et al. (editors), Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited Lerita Coleman Brown, When the Heart Speaks, Listen: Discovering Inner Wisdom Maisie Sparks, Holy Shakespeare! Jung Eun Sophia Park, Border-Crossing Spirituality: Transformation in the Borderland  Soyinka Rahim, Bibo Love Ineda P. Adesanya, Kaleidoscope: Broadening the Palette in the Art of Spiritual Direction Martin Laird, An Ocean of Light: Contemplation, Transformation and Liberation Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing Barbara A. Holmes, Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church Desert Fathers and Mothers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Tilden Edwards, Living in the Presence Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel John Main, Door to Silence: An Anthology for Meditation Gay L. Byron,

Ridgeway Addison is an educator and researcher in the fields of spirituality, theology, and ethics. He is a specialist on the American minister and public theologian Howard Thurman. Thurman's own interest during his life in Christian mysticism and nonviolence, contemplative pedagogy, and interreligious encounter and dialogue inform and inspire Dr. Addison's current work in these areas. Currently working as an adjunct Assistant Professor at Georgetown University's School of Nursing & Health Studies, Dr. Addison was the first theologian to serve on the SNHS full-time faculty (2011-2015). He teaches in both undergraduate and graduate programs offering two primary courses—Religious Perspectives on the Problem of Suffering and Health Care Ethics. Dr. Addison is an ordained Baptist minister associated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists. He brings his 22 years of experience in pastoral ministry, including 12 years of Protestant Chaplaincy work at Georgetown, to his work as an educator. Dr. Addison currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Washington Theological Consortium and is active in the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation's programming. A musician and composer, he regularly incorporates music and other arts into his teaching, speaking, and scholarship. He is married to the Reverend Sarah Scherschligt, lead pastor and head of staff at Peace Lutheran Church, Alexandria, VA. They have two young daughters, Magdalene and Lydia. To learn more about Holden Village, visit: www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org

Lerita Coleman Brown, PhD, Professor of Psychology Emerita at Agnes Scott College, is a spiritual director/companion, writer, retreat leader, and speaker. A graduate of the Spiritual Guidance Program at the Shalem Institute (founded by Tilden Edwards, Episode 3), Lerita writes about and promotes contemplative spirituality in everyday life, the life and work of Howard Thurman, and uncovering the peace and joy in one's heart. Dr. Brown was the retreat director and keynote speaker at the "Sewanee Contemplative Exchange," an event that emerged after the New Contemplative Exchange in August 2017 to address the integration between contemplative prayer and compassionate social action. I was all signed up to attend, and then we bought a house and closed the weekend of the retreat:( I missed out on her retreat, but I did not miss out on her wisdom, which comes through passionately in this interview. Her website is called PeaceforHearts.com, and that is exactly what I'm still feeling after connecting with her in this conversation. I know listeners will find #peaceforhearts in this as well.

Lerita Coleman Brown, PhD, Professor of Psychology Emerita at Agnes Scott College, is a spiritual director/companion, writer, retreat leader, and speaker. A graduate of the Spiritual Guidance Program at the Shalem Institute (founded by Tilden Edwards, Episode 3), Lerita writes about and promotes contemplative spirituality in everyday life, the life and work of Howard Thurman, and uncovering the peace and joy in one’s heart. Dr. Brown was the retreat director and keynote speaker at the "Sewanee Contemplative Exchange," an event that emerged after the New Contemplative Exchange in August 2017 to address the integration between contemplative prayer and compassionate social action. I was all signed up to attend, and then we bought a house and closed the weekend of the retreat:( I missed out on her retreat, but I did not miss out on her wisdom, which comes through passionately in this interview. Her website is called PeaceforHearts.com, and that is exactly what I'm still feeling after connecting with her in this conversation. I know listeners will find #peaceforhearts in this as well.

Fr. Nicholas talks about his work that uses contemplative practice for stress relief. Moving From Stress To Joy, by Nicholas Amatohttps://amzn.to/2H8Ns3HA Catholic priest since 1970, Amato has served more than 20 years as a pastor. He is a graduate of the Shalem Institute in Washington, where he served as adjunct faculty member and is also an Associate of Mepkin Trappist Abbey in South Carolina leading contemplative retreats there. Over the years, he has served on the Spiritual Formation staff of Saint Luke Institute in Maryland and is the co-creator of the Mepkin Priest Wellness Program. He has studied in Rome and Jerusalem. His full-time ministry includes leading days of recollection, retreats, and parish missions. He has Masters degrees in Counseling and in Theology, and a Doctorate in Educational Administration. His prior work on spirituality is Living in God: Contemplative Prayer and Contemplative Action published by WestBow Press, 2016Contemplative Light is a community of interfaith spiritual teachers rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition providing resources for the healing of persons. This includes resources for:-Contemplative Practitioners: courses, study guides, training materials, articles, podcasts, and lessons on silent prayer and meditation for beginning and experienced contemplatives.-Contemplative Community: to connect, grow, learn from, and support each other on this journey-Resources for Healing Professionals: clergy, chaplains, lay leaders, spiritual directors, and mental health professionals open to the spiritual aspect of the healing processWe provide contemplative coaching at: https://www.contemplativelight.com/contemplative-coaching-page/Support the show (https://contemplativelight.org/)

This third interview is with the Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, an Episcopalian priest and founding member, former Executive Director, and now Senior Fellow of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Shalem is a Hebrew word meaning "whole" or "complete," or as Tilden explains in this podcast, the Hebrew captures the notion of "movement toward wholeness." According to their website, "Shalem is grounded in Christian contemplative spirituality yet draws on the wisdom of many religious traditions." Through Tilden's leadership Shalem was one of the first institutes designed to train ministers and church leaders for spiritual direction, particularly outside of the context of monasteries where the practice has continued since the earliest centuries of the Church. In that regard, Tilden is a particularly important figure for the rebirth of contemplative spirituality in a distinctively ecumenical context - that is, among Christians of all denominations and backgrounds. It is also worth highlighting that his background includes congregation-based social justice work in Washington, D.C., in his early career as a pastor - he talks about leading others down 16th street in his cassock in the March on Washington in 1963 - and that his introduction to contemplation was further ignited through intensive introductions to contemplation early in his career both with an Episcopalian Benedictine monastery and with a Tibetan Buddhist lama.

This third interview is with the Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, an Episcopalian priest and founding member, former Executive Director, and now Senior Fellow of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Shalem is a Hebrew word meaning "whole" or "complete," or as Tilden explains in this podcast, the Hebrew captures the notion of "movement toward wholeness." According to their website, "Shalem is grounded in Christian contemplative spirituality yet draws on the wisdom of many religious traditions." Through Tilden's leadership Shalem was one of the first institutes designed to train ministers and church leaders for spiritual direction, particularly outside of the context of monasteries where the practice has continued since the earliest centuries of the Church. In that regard, Tilden is a particularly important figure for the rebirth of contemplative spirituality in a distinctively ecumenical context - that is, among Christians of all denominations and backgrounds. It is also worth highlighting that his background includes congregation-based social justice work in Washington, D.C., in his early career as a pastor - he talks about leading others down 16th street in his cassock in the March on Washington in 1963 - and that his introduction to contemplation was further ignited through intensive introductions to contemplation early in his career both with an Episcopalian Benedictine monastery and with a Tibetan Buddhist lama.

John Philip Newell, the celebrated author of Listening for the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality, is one of the most prominent teachers of spirituality in the Western world. In 2011 he received the first-ever Contemplative Voices Award from the Shalem Institute in Washington DC in recognition of his work in spirituality and peacemaking. His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over 15 books, including Christ of the Celts, Praying with the Earth, A New Harmony, and his most recent visionary title The Rebirthing of God: Christianity’s Struggle for New Beginnings.

The Rev. Bill Haley is Executive Director of Coracle and the Associate Rector at The Falls Church Anglican. A graduate of Bethel College (1991) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (magna cum laude, 1994), he is an Anglican priest and spiritual director, having completed his training with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation (2007). His life has been profoundly shaped by many international experiences, particularly in places of deep brokenness in the world, and he has devoted many years to ministering in urban contexts, especially in inner-city Washington DC. With his wife Tara and four kids, Bill lives at Corhaven in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.Since 1996 he has ministered with The Falls Church in a number of different capacities. Bill was the founding Rector of St. Brendan’s in the City in Washington DC. He recently served as the Director of Formation for The Washington Institute and previously served as president of The Regeneration Forum and publisher of re:generation quarterly, a magazine devoted to “community transforming culture”. He has also served on staff at the Servant Leadership School of Church of the Savior, was a founding board member and then President of the Southeast DC Partners, and is currently a US Trustee of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund and on the Advisory Council for The Telos Group. Because of such diverse experiences in life and around the world, and so many questions to ask, and so many things that matter, Bill’s life has been fired by the phrase “in Christ all things hold together.” He wants to be able to live and say with the same passion of St. Paul, “It is no longer I who live, it is Christ who lives in me.”Bill's publications include articles in The Washington Post, re:generation quarterly, Prism and Sojourners magazines, Inward/Outward of The Servant Leadership School, The Cry of Word Made Flesh, and with The Washington Institute. He has compiled several original editions of poetry and prayers. His interests include outdoor sports, especially fly-fishing, the visual arts and music, reading, writing, and long conversations over a good cup of coffee (or wine).Support the show (http://www.faithandlaw.org/donate)

Rabbi Jacob Staub, Chair, Department of Medieval Jewish Civilization, Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Spirituality, and Director, Jewish Spiritual Direction Program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wynnewood, PA, is the guest on this week's Jewish Sacred Aging Podcast. [spp-player] About the Guest Rabbi Jacob Staub Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ph.D., graduated from RRC in 1977. Staub has served on the RRC faculty since 1983; he served as the College's vice president for academic affairs and academic dean from 1989 to 2004. He was instrumental in developing RRC's Spiritual Direction Program and has taught Jewish spiritual direction across North America, including at Spiritual Directors International and the Spirituality Institute of Metivta. He is also a faculty member at Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality. His prior teaching experience includes appointments as assistant professor of religion at Lafayette College and as a Mellon Fellow in Jewish Philosophy at Washington University. He has served as rabbi of Bristol Jewish Center in Bristol, PA, and of Congregation Beth Shalom in Arlington, TX. Staub has served as chair of the Academy for Jewish Philosophy, of which has been a fellow. He has been vice president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and served on its board until recently. Jacob also has chaired the RRA's Gevulot Committee and its Committee on Intermarriage. Staub earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Master of Arts and doctorate in religion from Temple University, where he specialized in medieval Jewish philosophy. He trained as a spiritual director at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. He completed certification in Mindfulness Leadership Training with Sylvia Boorstein and teaches meditation and contemplative practice at RRC. Staub served as editor of The Reconstructionist from 1983 to 1989. He is the author of The Creation of the World According to Gersonides (1982) and “A Guide to Jewish Practice: Shabbat” (forthcoming in 2013), and the editor of Reconstructionism: Denominationalism That Works?” (2010). He is co-editor with Jeffrey L. Schein of Creative Jewish Education: A Reconstructionist Perspective (1985) and co-author with Rebecca T. Alpert of Exploring Judaism, A Reconstructionist Approach (1985, revised edition 2000). Among the awards he has received are RRC's Gladstone Award for Fine Teaching (1997), the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation's President's Award (1989), the RRA's Yedei Emunah Award (2001, 2013) and RRC's Keter Shem Tov (2004).