Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper & Lead Better

Alan Fadling talks with James Bryan Smith about his latest book, The Magnificent Story. We unpack what it means that the gospel of Jesus is good, beautiful and true here and now, not just someday. James Bryan Smith is the author of the trilogy: The Good and Beautiful God, The Good and Beautiful Life, and The Good and Beautiful Community. He is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He also serves as the director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation at Friends University. A founding member of Richard Foster's spiritual renewal ministry, Renovaré, Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches. His recent book is The Magnificent Story. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today we are going to talk about practicing the presence of God in the midst of our real, and sometimes busy, lives. First by looking at Psalm 84, then we’ll move into the Stages of Competence, and, finally, ending up with seven practical tips for taking 5 minutes to become present in the middle of a busy day. If you want to read the transcripts for this podcast, you can access the content here: [Psalm 84: The Presence of God] (http://unhurriedliving.com/psalm-84-presence-god/) [Presence and the Stages of Competence] (http://unhurriedliving.com/presence-stages-competence/) [Take Five: 22 Simple ways to Enjoy God's Presence] (http://unhurriedliving.com/take-five/) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this mini-sode, Alan shares a way of praying scripture that has become an important part of his spiritual rhythm. In a sense, it’s not just about “me praying scripture.” It’s also about God’s Spirit praying scripture into me. It’s a way of not only thinking about and studying scripture, but also letting scripture soak into my being—into our emotions, our intentions, our perspectives, our deep beliefs. It’s a way of encountering God in scripture. At the heart of his mini-sode is a six-minute guided prayer in Psalm 16:5-9. 5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. 6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure… Subscribe to our emails for weekly inspiration, tips and resources. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

BREATHE is a practice you can engage, for about 5 minutes, at any point in your day. It’s a helpful process of re-focusing and re-engaging. You can take a moment to breathe and to find some inner stillness in God’s presence. You can quiet your mind and heart for a moment and emerge refreshed and ready to move into your next task or conversation. It’s very difficult to be truly productive when you feel scattered or hurried. Mini-retreats like this can help you slow down, remember God's care, and bring you back into the moment. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today, I talk with Suanne Camfield, author of The Sound of Million Dreams: Awakening to Who You are Becoming. You’ll enjoy our engaging conversation on the themes of: Being, Presence, Comparison, Becoming, and Truth. This is the passage from Suanne’s book that made me want to talk with her: “…the stirring was a moment: an awareness of the holy in the midst of the every day that simultaneously brought clarity and chaos to my space in the world. A feeling: of perpetual pressing, pushing, and pulling that happened and continues to happen all at once, a mystery not unlike the way we say the kingdom of God is both now and not yet, both here and yet to come, both with in us and among us, that was compelling me to do something. The vision: pathway for the future who’s specifics I couldn’t catch sight of but was certain existed nonetheless. And longing: an ache to offer a piece of myself to the world that held within it to the smallest hope of leaving a mark. An invitation: a solicitation to view life through a new lens, a kindling that burned so deeply I’d spend the next 10 years trying to figure it out. A calling. A dream. A gift. There was something I was supposed to do. There was a person I was supposed to become.” (bolded emphasis mine) If you recognize that moment, feeling, vision, longing and invitation, you’ll benefit from Suanne’s insights. And at the end of the podcast Alan & Gem drill down into Truth with a capital T and how opening to truth can lead to new places of healing. Suanne Camfield is women’s director at Christ Church of Oak Brook as well as a writer and speaker. She is also a founding member of the Redbud Writers Guild. Suanne frequently teaches communities of all ages at her church. She has written for multiple publications and was a contributor to the Every Day Matters Bible. Her latest book is The Sound of Million Dreams: Awakening to Who You are Becoming. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today we are talking about Solitude and Silence or what we call Unhurried Time with God. But this is not just a “you should do it” talk. We are going to share stories from our own lives. From early on in our own experience and one from within the last month. We share these with you so you can see how we started out. We were in our late 20s and were just beginning our process of solitude and silence. Many of us unconsciously resist solitude because we don’t actually want to know what is going on inside of us, much less show it to God. We are also afraid of what he might say. Might give an assignment. Might express disappointment. We are hoping to encourage you to take whatever next step makes sense for you, whether this is a new practice or not. It’s ok to acknowledge that you are afraid. It’s ok to take a step toward broken or wounded parts of yourself. Our experience is that, if any of that stuff comes up in a time of solitude, that God is gracious. He will most likely meet you in that place in a way that is do-able for you. We have found that God meets us right where we are. He is not trying to cause further damage. He wants to bring healing. He wants to show you the depths of his love. But solitude and silence isn't only about facing ourselves. We have found that very often God simply wants to let you know how much he loves you. You can find rest, refreshment and new energy for your life. It is ultimately about relationship, however, and that should always be the focus. Simple presence. God with you and you with God. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Curiosity is one of the most important qualities in a good leader. We’ve seen the fruit of that counsel in our life and work. Today we share a conversation that Alan enjoyed with Casey Tygrett about his new book, Becoming Curious: A Spiritual Practice of Asking Questions. As a spiritual director, I have a bias for asking good questions. I love what Casey has written here, and it was a pleasure to interact with him about the journey that led to this book. We need to learn to resist the temptation to form easy answers when God might be leading us to live with a good question for a season. We give people a gift when we ask them a loving, thoughtful questions, and then give them the time is takes to listen well to their response. I hope you’ll enjoy today’s episode. Casey Tygrett is a pastor, blogger, adjunct seminary professor, and spiritual director who serves as the teaching pastor at Heartland Community Church in Rockford, Illinois. Casey's heart and passion is that writing is not just information, it can reveal the beauty of God as art. He is the author of Becoming Curious: A Spiritual Practice of Asking Questions. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

“As a holy listener …. I have to put myself out of the way, to become humble in the true sense of knowing my place in the order of God’s creation …. above, all, I must be reverent, for I am entrusted with something precious and tender.” (Margaret Guenther) This is the essence of spiritual direction. Enjoy a conversation between Gem Fadling and Beth Booram, who is a seasoned spiritual director. Here are the questions discussed: • How do you meet with God? What is your personal experience tending your own prayer and contemplative life? • What is your favorite definition of spiritual direction? • Describe for me the art of listening to God and the other person at the same time? • How do you develop the skill of asking good questions? • What are the benefits of spiritual direction? • What do you talk about with a spiritual director? • When is a good time in life for someone to seek spiritual direction? • What is one piece of advice you would give to a practicing spiritual director? • What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who is currently in a spiritual direction relationship? Beth Booram, along with her husband David, is the founder and director of Sustainable Faith Indy, a retreat center in Indianapolis. She leads The School of Spiritual Direction, and speaks around the country on topics related to spiritual formation and Christian leadership. She has authored several books including Awaken Your Senses, and Starting Something New: Spiritual Direction for Your God-given Dream. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We’ve said before that at the heart of all we do is people. Where are the people? What do they need? How can we help them take their next step? One model we’ve used over the course of our lives is The Critical Journey by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich. Listen in as Alan and Gem describe the six stages in a life of faith. It is so helpful to see where you are in your journey. It can help you feel validated and understood. It can also help you to see where others are in their journey and give you eyes to see how to encourage them in their process. These stages are not prescriptive or limiting. They simply give vocabulary to our common developmental journey. And for leaders, it can be a helpful way to pray for those in our care. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In today’s episode, we share a recent phone conversation I (Alan) had with Pete Scazzero. We focused especially on his most recent book, The Emotionally Healthy Leader. It came out when I was writing the first draft of my latest book, An Unhurried Leader. I purposely waited to start reading it because I had a sense that there would be many points of resonance. I wanted to give voice to what was on my heart before hearing what God had put on Pete’s heart. I was right. I think you’ll hear how much Pete and enjoyed our first opportunity to talk with one another about the theme of unhurried life in the spirit of Jesus, about how the monastic tradition has been such a gift to both of us, and our hopes for healthier Christian leaders. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.