Attaching to God: Neuroscience-informed Spiritual Formation

Jared Patrick Boyd, a Vineyard pastor and Founding Director of the Order of the Common Life, discusses finding freedom in constraints. They explore practicing spiritual disciplines in community, the obstacles to love and growth, the practice of faults and affirmations, cultivating humility in spiritual formation, and the impact of making difficult decisions with input from others.

Dr. Andrew Root, a specialist in youth and family ministry and author of over twenty books, discusses the intriguing rise of secular mysticism and its impact on the church. He explores how contemporary spirituality often prioritizes personal transformation over traditional religious frameworks. The conversation highlights the contrasts between secular recovery approaches and community-driven support systems, while also emphasizing the uniqueness of prayer within Christian contexts compared to meditation. Root argues that genuine transformation requires a connection to God.

The podcast explores formative spirituality and agency in the Bible. Dr. Richard Middleton discusses being human and how God seeks partners. They delve into the importance of submitting to Jesus and how our perception of the future affects our choices. The topic of transformation, hope, and virtue ethics in community is also explored. Lastly, joining a new family with different values and practices is discussed, emphasizing the challenges of maintaining a biblical worldview.

What character formation is required for soul care professionals, people like therapists, pastors, or spiritual directors? And what does this mean for everyone who follows Jesus? It is humility and hope, says Dr. Chuck DeGroat. It is doing your work, the work on yourself. Today we talk about how so often (like pastors) therapists in training receive little character formation even while they receive the information needed to diagnose and remedy mental illnesses.  Dr. DeGroat talks about his own pastoral and therapeutic training, how counselors (like pastors) are often taught how to help others without learning to help themselves ("doing your work"), and how cultivating humility and hope will go a little way in solving this problem. Connect with Dr. Chuck DeGroat here.And see his new Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.Or join Cyd and Geoff in their new Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation and Relational Neuroscience.Chuck DeGroat is a Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality and Executive Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Western Theological Seminary Holland MI.  Chuck is a licensed therapist, a spiritual director, and author of five books, one of which is When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse.  As a therapist, he specialized in issues of abuse and trauma, and pastoral (and leadership) health.Dive deeper in our new book, Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection, and learn about our trainings and other resources at embodiedfaith.life.Stay Connected: Check out our Attaching to God 6-Week Learning Cohort. Join the Embodied Faith community to stay connected and get posts, episodes, & resources. Support the podcast with a one-time or regular gift (to keep this ad-free without breaking the Holsclaw's bank).

Have you ever been tossed around by the storms of life and wondered where God is in all? Or have you wished Jesus would quiet the storms a little quicker and more often? Today we are talking about bearing God in the storms of life. Marlena Graves is the Assistant Professor of Spiritual Formation at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, NY. She has written five books, most recently Bearing God: Living A Christ-Formed Life in Uncharted Waters.  She wants people to know God delights in them.Dive deeper in our new book, Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection, and learn about our trainings and other resources at embodiedfaith.life.Stay Connected: Check out our Attaching to God 6-Week Learning Cohort. Join the Embodied Faith community to stay connected and get posts, episodes, & resources. Support the podcast with a one-time or regular gift (to keep this ad-free without breaking the Holsclaw's bank).

Scripture tells us, “Be still and know that I am God”.  But for so many of us, this is so hard.  Today’s episode explores downtime, devotions, and distractions as we seek to be with God in our private and public lives. Our guest, Brian Heasley, is a long-term pioneer within the 24-7 prayer movement and serves as the International Prayer Director, he has years of experience in local-church and pioneer missions. Brian is passionate about prayer, mission, and justice that is rooted in a rhythm of devotional and prayerful responsiveness. Brian’s latest book is Be Still: A Simple Guide to Quiet Times.See the 24/7 Prayer MovementLECTIO 365 Prayer App for Iphone and Android.Dive deeper in our new book, Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection, and learn about our trainings and other resources at embodiedfaith.life.Stay Connected: Check out our Attaching to God 6-Week Learning Cohort. Join the Embodied Faith community to stay connected and get posts, episodes, & resources. Support the podcast with a one-time or regular gift (to keep this ad-free without breaking the Holsclaw's bank).

Is the abundant life as promised in Scripture possible for trauma survivors? Can those who suffer deep tragedy really find wholeness, or happiness, again? Today we are talking with a medical doctor who has walked with many people through trauma and tragedy even as he was walking through it himself. Dr. Lee Warren (MD) is an award-winning author, brain surgeon, and Iraq War veteran. Dr. Warren hosts a podcast exploring the complex interplay between faith and science. We are talking with him about his recent book, "HOPE IS THE FIRST DOSE: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy, and Other Massive Things."Dive deeper in our new book, Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection, and learn about our trainings and other resources at embodiedfaith.life.Stay Connected: Check out our Attaching to God 6-Week Learning Cohort. Join the Embodied Faith community to stay connected and get posts, episodes, & resources. Support the podcast with a one-time or regular gift (to keep this ad-free without breaking the Holsclaw's bank).

Cyd and Geoff discuss the importance of being compassionate towards our engrained attachment strategies and how they impact our nervous systems. They explore the influence of past experiences on neural connections and behaviors, advocating for self-awareness and aligning actions with spiritual intentions. The conversation also delves into the power of choice, habit formation, and decision-making processes, emphasizing personal growth and following a Jesus-centered journey.

Dr. Todd Hall, Professor of Psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology, discusses attachment filters and their influence on our perception of reality. They explore attachment relationships, the impact of past experiences, and healing self-criticisms through new relational experiences. The concept of attachment styles and their influence on relationships is explored, along with the characteristics of secure, anxious, avoidant, and fearful attachment styles. They also discuss the concept of real freedom and the ability to love, recommending Todd Hall's books.

The church is not immune to the growing mental health crisis, certainly not pastors and leaders. And we don’t always know where to get mental health resources for creating resilient individuals and churches. Howe guest today is passionate about bridging that gap.Laura Howe is a clinical mental health social worker, addictions counselor, and projectmanager. She has spent her 15-year career supporting and serving the marginalizedand suffering in her local community. Laura launched Hope Made Strong, an organization dedicated to helping the local church care for their communities without burning out. And launched the Church Mental Health Summit, happening on Oct. 10th, which is on World Mental Health Day.Links: Church Mental Health Summit: https://www.churchmentalhealthsummit.com/Hope Made Strong: https://www.hopemadestrong.org/aboutDive deeper in our new book, Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection, and learn about our trainings and other resources at embodiedfaith.life.Stay Connected: Check out our Attaching to God 6-Week Learning Cohort. Join the Embodied Faith community to stay connected and get posts, episodes, & resources. Support the podcast with a one-time or regular gift (to keep this ad-free without breaking the Holsclaw's bank).