Beyond Words®

Reflections on the Soul of Leadership

Written by Ruth Haley Barton, each reflection provides spiritual guidance and encouragement for those seeking to be in God for the world.

How Shall I Pray? Spiritual Guidance For When Words Fail

By Ruth Haley Barton |

When words fail, let silence be your prayer. Lean into the ministry of the Holy Spirit, trusting that even when we don’t know how to pray, prayer is happening. The…

A Spirituality of Racial Justice

Part 2: Lament that Leads to Justice: Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s Transforming Leadership

By Ruth Haley Barton |

“Where do we go from here—chaos or community?”  Martin Luther King, Jr. Lament is a spiritual practice that is more than mere catharsis; when practiced fully, it can be a…

Spiritual Direction (Part 1): A Vital Practice for Discerning Leaders

By Ruth Haley Barton |

“A spiritual director is one who helps another to recognize and to follow the inspirations of grace in his life,…

Lectio Divina: Engaging the Scriptures for Spiritual Transformation

By Ruth Haley Barton |

Lectio Divina (translated “divine [or sacred] reading”) is an approach to the Scriptures that sets us up to listen for…

Are You Longing for More in Church?

By Ruth Haley Barton |

Eventually, someone looking for a church home will ask some variation of this question:  “So, what kind of church are…

Transformed Nonconformist: Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Ruth Haley Barton |

The Transforming Center is closed today in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his courageous leadership in championing…

Epiphany: Celebrating the Imperfect Journey

By Ruth Haley Barton |

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who…

I cannot imagine just how I did life before!

Tiptoeing Around the Edges of Burnout

By Transforming Center |

By Daniele Evans My Transforming Community (TC13) experience began with plenty excitement, anticipation and my soul tiptoeing around the edges…

Two Years Transforming: Forever Grateful

By Transforming Center |

By Nathan Albert For the last two years, I traveled to a monastery outside of Chicago every three months for…

stacked rocks

The Major Imperatives Within Mature Discipleship

By Ron Rolheiser, OMI |

“At a certain age our lives simplify and we need have only three phrases left in our spiritual vocabulary: Thank…

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Pay attention to the soul of your leadership with a FREE series written by Ruth Haley Barton

  • Reflections written for spiritual leaders delivered over 4 weeks each Saturday morning
  • Includes guidance to listen to what your soul wants to say to God and what God wants to say to your soul
  • Every reflection includes a recording by Ruth that goes deeper into topic.
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