Life with God: A Renovaré Podcast

With gratitude for the life of Donn Thomas, we share this episode from the Renovaré Podcast archive (originally aired April 13, 2020). Donn speaks with Nate about his cancer diagnosis and other scary situations, and how God's presence helps us move from fear to confidence.

Monica and Jeremy Chambers join Nate to discuss ways of engaging with two transforming prayers for the Christian life: Psalm 23 and the Lord’s Prayer.

Katie Davis Majors shares her story of formation through suffering and explains the message of her book, Safe All Along.

Tina Dyer (Renovaré Board Treasurer) and Grace Pouch (Renovaré’s Content Manager) talk with Nathan Foster about the brilliance of Sojourner Truth and how her story has impacted their lives. Tina and Grace will lead the Renovaré book club through The Narrative of Sojourner Truth beginning on March 27.Show Notes[1:51] I am curious to know how you two discovered Sojourner Truth.[4:26] How has her story impacted you two?[10:08] What makes her credible?[13:02] I think I know you two well enough to know that you're both open to having potentially difficult conversations about your experiences and about race. So what was that like for the two of you to explore Sojourner's life together?[19:06] How would you like people to approach Sojourner's story?[22:11] Could you share one [question from Sojourner that you’re sitting with]?[23:10] What is your hope for people to take away from Sojourner's work? Resources:The Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth, written by Olive GilbertBeautiful Vessels by Bakht Singh, Sojourner Truth, Richard J. Foster, Tina Dyer, Grace Pouch

Renovaré Ministry Team member and pastor, Kai Nilsen, talks with Nate about what we can learn from recent disruptions to church norms.

In this week’s episode of the Renovaré Podcast, Nathan talks with Miriam Rockness and Mimi Dixon about the life and faith of Lilias Trotter. Show Notes[ ] What has drawn you and fed you about her life? How did you discover her?[ ] Is it accurate to say we might have lost some of these pieces of her work had it not been for your journey?[ ] What I’m hearing, Miriam, is that you said Yes, and it reminds me a little of Lilias. She said Yes. Mimi, do you have any sense as to where she had the courage to say Yes? What did you hear in her words?ResourcesA Passion for the Impossible, Miriam Huffman RocknessParables of the Cross, by Lilias TrotterCreative Prayer, by Emily HermanThe Way of the Sevenfold Secret, Lilias TrotterMany Beautiful Things (movie about the life of Lilias Trotter)Miriam Rockness website

Show notesWhat is visio divina, Viv?And how do you do that?What you're saying is that it's something we do all the time.—it's just taking a little extra pause or intentionality with what we're seeing?Can I do visio with nature… look out my window?What is your practice? Do you find a painting and say, “I'm gonna spend a half hour with this?”So it would be a little like sitting down to read a book. I'm gonna sit down and read visually, like a painting or a scene. Is that how you would do it?What is your practice for selecting a piece to use and how do you get a certain space in your house or what?You mentioned you don't watch television. Does that tie in?How does this fit into the practice of retreat, or does it?How does that practice [of choosing art for a space] tie into retreat … for example, you've built a retreat house?What do you look for when you go on retreat?What kind of experiences are you hoping to craft with the retreats at the house?...Find out more about Vivianne's retreat house, Vilayala.

Nathan Foster talks with Winn Collier about the penetrating and practical spiritual wisdom of 17th-century archbishop and writer François Fénelon.Show Notes [3:42] Could you share a little about Fénelon? [10:35] There’s almost a level of pain that one needs to feel in order to find the comfort... I wonder if it's a season of life, if you’re in a space where you’re really needing a kind of brokenness.[11:57] I would go beyond identifying [pain]... It’s giving a map.[13:26] Do you know his influences, what shaped him in his life?[15:18] What were you hoping to do with the book?[16:45] What did you learn from the project?[19:56] Do you get any indication that he was a person of joy?[21:28] You can dip in anywhere in his letters ... I will usually read one at a time and just sit with it, reading it multiple times before moving to another one. Am I doing it right?[23:07] Thoughtful, honest pastor—this reminds me of another friend of ours beyond the grave. How would you connect him with Eugene Peterson? Would you?[24:17] How are things with the Eugene Peterson Center?ResourcesLet God: Spiritual Conversations with François Fénelon, by Winn CollierLet Go, by François FénelonA Burning in My Bones, by Winn CollierEugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination

Brenda Quinn and Richard Foster join Nathan to talk about Richard’s new book, Learning Humility: A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue.Show Notes[4:38] Dad, could you give us an overview?[9:38] Brenda, what was your journey like as you were reading the chapters and how did this work for you as a Christ follower and a pastor?[17:08] Dad, the humble mumble – could you explain that? How did spending this year and writing the book tie into that?[18:44] Brenda, as a pastor, I’m sure you get lots of compliments. How do you handle those when people have nice things to say about you?[21:21] A lot of people don’t know how to say I’m sorry or own up to things. And that potentially stems from (a lack of) humility, doesn’t it, that my ego is fragile enough that I can’t handle critique?[22:45] Humility is really about freedom, would you agree?[25:21] You were in an environment (in the university) where people not only ask you, but they expect you to have the answers. And it can be the same in ministry. Brenda, in your context, where is the freedom you experience as you learn humility?[27:55] Dad, what surprised you in writing this book and spending the year on it?[29:45] What would you say to someone listening to this, or they’ve read the book, and they say “I’m in, I want to grow in humility”? What should they do? Where’s a good place to start?[32:59] But we can certainly get better, right? There’s improvement to be made.[33:43] For people who read the book, what would your hope be?[36:01] The thing I found really helpful about the book, that snuck up on me, was the allure. Why wouldn’t I want that? Seeing it as an invitation to freedom, to become our true selves, the self that God created us to be.ResourcesLearning Humility: A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue, by Richard FosterHumility, a Renovaré resource with selections from Learning Humility and Humility (by Andrew Murray)

Robyn Wrigley-Carr returns to the Renovaré Podcast to talk with Nate about Evelyn Underhill—the 20th century author, spiritual director and retreat leader—and about Baron Friedrich Von Hügel, whose spiritual direction transformed Evelyn’s life with God.Show Notes[2:15] Here’s a quote from Eugene Peterson: “The most extensive and inviting introduction … a brilliantly written book.” How did it feel to have read that about your book?[3:49] Could you tell me what is a baron and who is said Baron that was so impactful on Evelyn’s life, and on Eugene’s too?[6:56] What were [Von Hügel’s] health issues?[8:59] Why did [Von Hügel] only want to see [Evelyn Underhill] twice a year?[ ] What would you say were some of the key components in [Evelyn Underhill’s] own formation?[ ] Who were some of these folks that were influencing [Evelyn]?[ ] I find it helpful to hear [Baron Von Hügel] doing spiritual direction in a very different way than we think of it... What would you say were some of Evelyn Underhill’s contributions to the discipline of spiritual direction?[ ] What about [Evelyn’s] life inspires you?ResourcesThe Spiritual Formation of Evelyn Underhill, by Robyn Wrigley-CarrEvelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book, by Robyn Wrigley-Carr