Posts by Transforming Center

Why did Ruth write another book? How does it relate to Invitation to Solitude and Silence? We start with a delicious word – invitation. Ruth moves in to define our terms and discuss how retreat has been compromised in our culture. Ruth and Steve even discuss who should go on retreat. Lets reclaim the word…

Why does Ruth end a book on silence and solitude with a chapter on for sake of others? Listen to find out. Ruth describes her own journey of moving out of silence and solitude and how it transformed her interaction with teenagers. A great discussion of words and why silence and solitude are important for…

Why does Elijah say the same things again? We expect Elijah’s experience of God’s presence to transform him, but there is a comforting interpretation of this passage. The good news: we don’t have to beg God for guidance. He is our shepherd and wants to guide. A great conversation ensues around how silence and solitude…

We begin this episode with a quick review of the story of Elijah. There is a payoff to waiting, and not running away.  God is becoming Elijah’s ultimate orienting reality. Entering a silence that is not empty but full of God’s presence. Good news, God is a much better parent than we ever could be.…

We are in the chaos with Elijah. In solitude and silence we feel the battle between the false self and the true self. Some of the most important questions emerge from the chaos. Ruth and Steve discuss what facing ourself really means and how our true self is hidden with Christ in God. This is…

It takes stamina to stay in silence and solitude. Why does God meet us in such vast emptiness? Ruth has a thought. There is great encouragement in Elijah’s journey and how long it took. Emptiness can be very lonely, yet you don’t have to go alone. It is good to have some human support and…

We have made it to the cave with Elijah and he is telling the whole truth. The good news is God can handle anything. Ruth shares about being in solitude and silence with gratitude and how restful and energizing it can be. What if we feel like God didn’t show up? Ruth has some advice. Faithfulness to these practices…

We are moving through this story slowly and it is good. At this point God asks Elijah a question. Allowing the mind rest into the heart is a helpful way to describe letting the mind rest without discounting the contribution of the mind. Ruth shares a personal example of resting and trusting God. We end…

What is not to like about the fact that God instructed Elijah to take not one but two naps? Why do we treat our body so poorly? Ruth and Steve discuss a powerful psalm to better understand the dynamic of silence and solitude. They also discuss how the daily examen can help us get in…

We pick up with the story of Elijah, and why it is important that he rested first. We talk about how to recognize being dangerously tired, with Ruth sharing some concrete examples. How does one surrender to exhaustion. We get into describing what sane rhythms look like, and we close by practicing again. Subscribe on…

Our lives are not in danger like Elijahs, but we all have to face resistance. If you feel the push pull, then this is likely a signal God is at work.  How do we push through our fear? What if we are afraid God will not show up? It is good to know our own baggage.…

Learning to be present with God alone – where do we begin? How do we get to the point where we recognize that what needs done in our lives only God can do? We define our terms in this episode – what is silence and what is solitude? Steve is already overachieving, Ruth encourages people…

Learning to be present with God alone – where do we begin? How do we get to the point where we recognize that what needs done in our lives only God can do? We define our terms in this episode – what is silence and what is solitude? Steve is already overachieving, Ruth encourages people…

In Season 5: Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Steve Wiens and Ruth Haley Barton will walk through Ruth’s book by the same name. Join us for a rich conversation, and grab a copy of the book to take a deeper dive into solitude and silence. Episode 1: Beyond Words finds us walking with Elijah in…

This episode begins with a discussion of the kind of lonineless that is probably the hardest for a spiritual leader – when we feel God is against us. Moses’ story in Exodus 33 has a lot to teach us. If you have ever doubted God’s goodness to you because of the personal cost of ministry…

Episode 8 highlights God’s faithfulness in meeting us in the loneliness of our leadership and how that leads to discerning together. We do an overview of corporate leadership discernment (All of Season 3 is devoted to the topic) and end with the conclusion to the story Ruth began in Episode 4 of this season. Ruth…

Leadership opens leaders up to a whole world of pain. Moses is such a great leader because he always brings the difficulties people brought to God. You don’t hear much about the role of intercession in leadership circles. A rich discussion of differentiation and its importance in leadership ensues. Ruth shares how she makes intercession…

The story of Moses and Jethro brings us right into the topic of sane rhythms in the life of the leader. What are the signs we are dangerously tired? What is the role of technology in all that! You won’t believe what Ruth does not have on her iPhone. Everyone is dealing with pace of…

In this episode Ruth and Steve start looking at the implications of the leadership journey, and how to guide others on their spiritual journey. Ruth makes a distinction between first half of life leaders and second half of life leader – looking at suffering and experiencing an internal death which leads to inner authority. Great…

This episode begins a bit differently. Instead of starting with the biblical story (Moses) Steve dives in and turns the table on Ruth, asking her about her own calling and what it looks like right now. Steve and Ruth talk about the fatal question, and a great discussion proceeds out of understanding the difference between…

Don’t wait till you’re headed into a collision to recognize the need to pay attention. Ruth shares a funny, but sobering example. In this episode Ruth and Steve discuss practices to help leaders pay attention to their life in leadership, and you will find encouragement in Steve’s faith building experience of learning to page attention…

Ruth and Steve jump right into the story of Moses and we learn why he is such a great guide for those who are in leadership. Ruth and Steve explore some of the common family of origin issues that tend to negatively affect a leader’s life. And Ruth will guide you in finding your own…

It was 10 years ago that Strengthening the Soul of your Leadership was published by InterVarsity Press. Last year we launched this podcast by the same name, and this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary InterVarsity released an expanded edition with a group experience and an assessment tool (check it out). Ruth and Steve will…

Last episode of Season 3. Are you still listening? Listening is a huge part of corporate leadership discernment. Ruth points out the role of listening in the discernment process in Act 15. Leaders are often poor listeners and there are some helpful practices around becoming better listeners and guidance for noticing without judging. Ruth and…

This episode begins with a discussion of why sailing is such a beautiful metaphor for discernment. In this episode Ruth and Steve delve into what helps groups cross the threshold from decision-making to discernment. The prayer of indifference might be new, but it is deeply biblical and Ruth explains its role in discernment. How do…

We are seven episodes in and we haven’t yet talked about the practice of discerning together. Everyone knows that it doesn’t go well when you paint a room and skip the prep work. Ruth shares why the prep work is so important to corporate leadership discernment. The running joke through this season crops up again…

The truth is, sadly, that many have lost faith that a community can be a safe place. How many leadership teams talk about love in the context of leadership? Ruth gives wonderful examples of the practices born out of the values important to the Transforming Center. Steve shares how it can all become derailed by…

What is the first thing that goes when a leadership team gets busy? Does community mean two hours of checking in about how the kids and grandkids are doing? Ruth and Steve have a rich conversation about values and practices that helps us live together as a leadership community. The good news is that values…

What is corporate leadership discernment? Ruth kicks off this episode with defining each word and leads us through the movements of corporate leadership discernment. Discover why hikers and sailors value true north over magnetic north and why conviction is much different than understanding. Ruth and Steve answer the question: Do we all need to sing…

Magical thinking not allowed in this episode… ok not in any episode. Steve leads by pondering whether the western church needs to make a confession. In this episode, Ruth and Steve go deep on five foundations of discernment. Through these foundations they uncover some hard truths – leaders struggle with believing in the goodness of…

What is the best thing a leader brings to leadership? The answer is countercultural. Ruth makes a clear distinction between being healthy and transforming. Listen for an important question that needs to be asked first in leadership groups. A challenging question, but not hard to answer. Steve jumps in with an “asking for a friend”…

It is 2018 and we are excited to be back with Ruth Haley Barton and Transforming Center friend and Transforming Community (TC6) alum, Steve Wiens. In this episode Ruth and Steve dive right into the topic of pursuing God’s will together, and Ruth begins by defining the heart of spiritual leadership. Is discerning together just for…

As we conclude season two, the disciples on the Emmaus Road are so excited about what has happened in and through their encounter with Jesus on the Emmaus Road that they jump up from dinner and turn right around to go back to Jerusalem to share what has happened with the other disciples. The trauma…

Ever had a conversation you wish didn’t have to end? The two disciples were so stirred by their conversation that “they urged Jesus strongly to stay.” And it was in the staying that the disciples recognized Jesus’ transforming presence as they shared a meal together. The practice of stability is not a strength of western…

Jesus is on a roll now—helping the disciples on the Emmaus Road to see their story and what felt so personal to them as part of the larger story of what God has been doing down through history. What makes the human journey really exciting is being able to understand our own story in light…

Jesus listened long enough to the disciples on the Emmaus Road to offer a spiritual perspective on the hardest experiences of life. In this conversation, Ruth and Steve discuss the role of suffering in the Christian journey and how we need to normalize suffering so we can claim its fruitful role in the spiritual life.…

If you read the Emmaus Road conversation carefully in Luke 24, you will notice that part of the story the disciples told Jesus was that “the women of our group astounded us” with news of the Resurrection on that first Easter morning. Ruth unpacks the countercultural approach Jesus took to the role of women and…

In their conversation on the Emmaus Road, Jesus created a safe space for the disciples to share their deepest desire. Getting in touch with our deepest desire is like peeling an onion—there are many layers, and getting to the center might leave you in a pool of tears. Listen to a great conversation about how…

Continuing the story of the Emmaus Road, Jesus plays dumb and models what spiritual companionship can look like. How do we become the kind of person who can listen rather than fix, and stand still being sad rather than rushing in with our own advice? In episode 3, we discover some great questions that can…

Jesus wants to be in your juicy conversations. Just think about it—the Emmaus Road encounter would not have happened had the disciples not welcomed “the stranger” on their journey home. Welcoming the other’s experience and story are integral to the idea of welcoming the stranger. In episode 2, Ruth shares a story of how welcoming…

Many of us are carrying a lot of baggage regarding Christian community.  Ruth has often commented that it is one of the most over-promised, under-delivered aspects of the Christian life—which means that Christians who have been deeply involved in church are often the most cynical and disillusioned. In Season 2 of the Strengthening the Soul…