Season 1
Sacred Rhythms in the Life of the Leader: A Taste of the Transforming Community Experience
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You’re invited on the journey of transforming leadership! Sacred Rhythms in the Life of the Leader is Season 1 of Ruth Haley Barton’s podcast Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. Each episode highlights a quarterly theme of the Transforming Community experience. Join Steve Wiens (a Transforming Community alum) for a lively dialogue with Ruth Haley Barton about forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God in the midst of leading.
Episode 1 | Invitation to Retreat/Dangerously Tired
Join us on the journey of transforming leadership! What do pastors and ministry leaders tell Ruth when they know they are safe? In the very first episode of the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast, Ruth and Steve discuss what it looks like for leaders to be dangerously tired. Are you holding a beach ball under water? Ruth shares…
Listen and access show notesEpisode 2 | A Leader’s Journey into Silence and Solitude
Do you sleep with your phone? You won’t believe who has your number! Ruth and Steve talk about the challenge of technology for leaders who desire to practice silence and solitude. They discuss the unique difficulties leaders face as they enter into solitude and silence. And you will hear more about Ruth’s own journey into solitude and…
Listen and access show notesEpisode 3 | Prayer – Deepening Our Intimacy With God
How does Ruth respond when a pastor admits they don’t know how to pray anymore? You will be surprised. This episode is for those who feel stuck in their prayer even though prayer is part of their job description. Ruth describes transitions in the life of prayer with a rich discussion of intimacy that isn’t…
Listen and access show notesEpisode 4 | Engaging the Scriptures for Transformation
What happens to a leader’s soul when s/he only engages Scripture for ministry? Steve asks for a friend. 😉 What can a pastor or leader do when they are no longer encountering God in Scripture? Join us for an enlightening discussion about the practice of finding yourself in the Biblical story — especially difficult for…
Listen and access show notesEpisode 5 | Honoring the Body as a Spiritual Discipline
Ruth draws from Elijah’s story to shed light on the role of the body in the spiritual life. This episode explores the connection between our bodies and our spiritual lives. Discover the joy of living in your body as a gift from God. Ruth and Steve discuss different practices for honoring God in our bodies,…
Listen and access show notesEpisode 6 | Transformation Through Self-Knowledge and Self-Examination
This podcast kicks off with a discussion of the ancient practice of the Examen. In case you are wondering, self-examination is so much more than just asking God to show us our sin. In this rich discussion straight out of Psalm 139, Ruth provides a clear definition of true self and false self and deals…
Listen and access show notesEpisode 7 | The Art and Practice of Spiritual Discernment
Discernment is not a subjective woo-woo experience! Ruth begins episode 7 by explaining why discernment is an art AND a practice. This discussion highlights the unlikely place discernment begins, and why it is important to remember God’s wisdom is often very different than human wisdom. Steve shares his own story of discerning together with other…
Listen and access show notesEpisode 8 | For the Sake of Others
Are you a missional or a formational organization? Steve and Ruth take on this dualism. As usual, the conversation begins with looking at Scripture, showing the cause and effect relationship between our formation and the ability to discern the will of God. Ruth finally gets around to defining spiritual transformation and puts a stake in…
Listen and access show notesEpisode 9 | A Rule of Life: Arranging our Lives for Spiritual Transformation
The final episode of Season 1: Sacred Rhythms in the Life of the Leader. Ruth and Steve wrap up season 1 with a lively discussion of how to put it all together in your own sacred rhythms. Ruth confesses her true feelings about rules before she defines a rule of life and shares why it…
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