Attaching to God: Neuroscience-informed Spiritual Formation

Jesus told his followers, “Go and make disciples of every nation,” but a lot of us stop before we start—because we feel like we don’t have what it takes. But Jesus didn’t ask spiritual superstars to make disciples. He invited ordinary people into the adventure of following him.Our guest, Jessie Cruickshank, holds an M.Ed. from Harvard in mind, brain, and education. She is an ordained minister and a nationally recognized expert in disciple-making and the neuroscience of transformation. And she has recently written Ordinary Discipleship: How God Wires Us for the Adventure of Transformation.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).

What if the Psalms aren't just old religious poetry, but guideposts for our everyday struggles and wounds? What if the Psalms are a pathway into the presence of God through the all too human emotions of joy, sadness, and even anger?Join Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw for a conversation with David Taylor, associate professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, as we explore the relevance of the Psalms and his book, Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life.Together, we unpack the Psalms of Praise and the counterintuitive nature of joy, as well as how to find solace in the presence of those who are glad to be with us amidst life's challenges. Then, we venture into the world of Psalms of Lament, learning how they teach us to name our pain and grant us permission to be honest with God in our prayers and laments. Then we end by talking about the angry Psalms, the imprecatory Psalm.  As we delve deeper into the life of faith and the Psalms, we discuss their ability to move us beyond our attachment histories and emotions, fostering a more profound connection with God.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).

What if the key to a deep and fulfilling faith journey lies in the integration of the brain, body, and Bible? Join Geoff and Cyd as they discuss the importance of integration, taking inspiration from the Trinity, the Church as the Body of Christ, our union with God, and the great commandment to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  As they talk about interpersonal neurobiology, internal family systems, and coaching, this conversation will hopefully leave you with a new understanding of the interconnectedness of faith, neuroscience, and the human experience.ANNOUNCEMENTS: — HELP SUPPORT this podcast financially by joining our Substack for only $8 a month (every little bit helps).— ANCHORED Learning Cohort: Launching in mid-May.  Join now and start working through the material and then join the weekly cohort LIVE meetings.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).

Whether we are aware of it or not, we are constantly living from the answers of three core attachment questions. Join us for a conversation on the three default attachment questions deeply embedded in our nervous systems and implicit memories: 1) are other people available to me; 2) will this distress be alleviated; and 3) can I use my agency for good? ANNOUNCEMENTS: — HELP SUPPORT this podcast financially by joining our Substack for only $8 a month (every little bit helps).— ANCHORED Learning Cohort: Launching in mid-May.  Join now and start working through the material and then join the weekly cohort LIVE meetings.— ATTACHING TO GOD Learning Cohort: Launching again in mid-June. Join us and learn to grow beyond anxious and avoidant spiritualities.DESCRIPTION: We explore how our answers to these questions inform our behavior and how a process of rupture and repair helps us gain insight.We also discuss the significance of secure attachment during our formative years, and how our caregivers' sensitivity and attunement can lay the foundation for our sense of agency and security. However, an inconsistent care environment may lead to insecurity and impact our expectations from the world. Discover how our answers to these questions affect our ability to use our agency in moments of distress and our role in the Embodied Faith journey. Don't miss this enlightening discussion on the power of attachment and its profound influence on our lives.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).

What would you say to someone who just feels that in-person worship is for them? If we worship in spirit and truth, do our bodies even matter? Are our bodies just neutral spectators, reluctant participants in worship?Dr. David Taylor joins us to talk about just how important our bodies are for worship, that we "get to" and "need to" worship God with our bodies. Check out his new book, A Body of Praise: Understanding the Role of Our Physical Bodies in Worship. And find out more about David here. ANNOUNCEMENTS: — HELP SUPPORT this podcast financially by joining our Substack for only $8 a month (every little bit helps).— ANCHORED Learning Cohort: Launching in mid-May.  Join now and start working through the material and then join the weekly cohort LIVE meetings.— ATTACHING TO GOD Learning Cohort: Launching again in mid-June. Join us and learn to grow beyond anxious and avoidant spiritualities.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).

Will power + Knowledge ≠ Spiritual Change. What is the role of community, of joy, of honoring our parts, and of self-compassion as we seek to unstick our minds and break unhealthy spiritual patterns?Geoff and Cyd offer a brief reflection on themes from our previous episode.ANNOUNCEMENTS: — HELP SUPPORT this podcast financially by joining our Substack for only $8 a month (every little bit helps).— ANCHORED Learning Cohort: Launching in mid-May.  Join now and start working through the material and then join the weekly cohort LIVE meetings.— ATTACHING TO GOD Learning Cohort: Launching again in mid-June. Join us and learn to grow beyond anxious and avoidant spiritualities.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).

How can you unstick your mind? How can faith be a key to mental resistance?We talk it with Mimika Cooney, a faith-based author, speaker, and coach.  She empowers Christians to rewire their brain by combining neuroscience, positive psychology, and a faith-based approach. Author of the recently released Unstick Your Mind: Shift your Mindset, Develop Grit & Break Barriers.You can find Mimika at www.mimikacooney.com.And follow her on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/mimikacooneyDive 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).

What is so important about joy? The great commandment is to love God and others, but is joy even more central than that? Where does joy fit in the landscape of political outrage and cynicism, in the seriousness of life today?We're talking about it. Looking at why joy and love are so connected. (And this is really the beginning of season 4...Ignore that Geoff said it was the beginning of season 3). ANNOUNCEMENTS: — HELP SUPPORT this podcast financially by joining our Substack for only $8 a month (every little bit helps).— SOUL SPRING CLEANING, for Busy People: A 30-minute Reflection to help you clean up your SOUL-CLUTTER.— ANCHORED Learning Cohort: Launching in mid-May.  Join now and start working through the material and then join the weekly cohort LIVE meetings.— ATTACHING TO GOD Learning Cohort: Launching again in mid-June. Join us and learn to grow beyond anxious and avoidant spiritualities.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).

Did Brené Brown miss something about shame? Is it always bad, or something good? Does God save us from shame? Or might God save us through shame?If this sounds crazy, maybe it is because we thinking about shame in a Western cultural framework.  Dr. Jackson Wu talks about how honor and shame work in the Bible, and how that might help us read the scriptures and understand salvation.Check out his new books, Seeking God's Face: Practical Reflections on Honor and Shame in Scripture, and The Cross in Context: Reconsidering Biblical Metaphors for Atonement. And follow Brad on Twitter and read his blog.(This podcast was recorded before Brad stopped using his pseudonym, which he explains here).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).

How, in our churches, can we walk with those struggling with the effects of trauma? How can we create spaces for deep connection with God and authentic healing?How can we become more than trauma-informed, becoming God’s people who are truly trauma-responsive as those who follow the crucified and risen Jesus?Cyd and Geoff sit down with Janyne McConnaughey (PhD) to talk about a practical and compassionate roadmap for how churches can journey with those struggling with trauma.Janyne's New Book: Trauma in the Pews: The Impact on Faith and Spiritual Practices (affiliate)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).