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1st out of 9 books
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2 voters
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry
"I'm tired of helping others enjoy God." "I just want to enjoy God for myself." With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership explores to...more
Hardcover, 228 pages
Published
June 6th 2008
by IVP Books
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This is a very helpful book, I do recommend it, its a helpful read! The only detraction from it receiving an Excellent (5-star) rating from me is that the author is a bit lose in bringing the allegorical explanations up to make a given point.
We all have a need, whether we're aware of it or not, to slow down and reconnect with where strength truly generates -- our relationship with the God, who paid the supreme price for us! The Book can help lead to a very healthy reflective place, where listen...more
We all have a need, whether we're aware of it or not, to slow down and reconnect with where strength truly generates -- our relationship with the God, who paid the supreme price for us! The Book can help lead to a very healthy reflective place, where listen...more
This was a decent book; I probably would give it 2.5 stars. It deserves to be read slowly and it will cause Christian leaders to pause and take time to consider the state of their soul. If readers spend more time in solitude after reading this book, it is a success. Barton uses the story of Moses as the frame for the chapters which at times made me wonder whether the lessons here could not have come from a non-Christian perspective? In other words, as great as Moses is as an example, Christians...more
It's funny but while I was reading this I wasn't all that impressed. It's good enough. I think what I liked the most was that she referenced many people and passages I've read in recent years -- so we were tracking on concepts, it just didn't seem all that fresh. But yesterday I went to copy into my quote book things that I'd marked and realized there were more profound things than I had remembered. In the end this is probably a 3.5-3.8 becuase of the thoughts it's provoked. Don't expect grandne...more
I am an unapologetic Ruth Haley Barton fan. That said, this the first of her books I'd only recommend to some people.
Ruth Haley Barton writes on spiritual formation, and here she puts her spiritual direction hat on and uses the life of Moses as a canvass on which to paint the journey of a leader. As Moses moves through failure, success, wrestling with God and with those he is leading, Barton points to similar realities in our lives as leaders.
Because she follows the whole arc of Moses' life, I...more
Ruth Haley Barton writes on spiritual formation, and here she puts her spiritual direction hat on and uses the life of Moses as a canvass on which to paint the journey of a leader. As Moses moves through failure, success, wrestling with God and with those he is leading, Barton points to similar realities in our lives as leaders.
Because she follows the whole arc of Moses' life, I...more
This book can be extremely helpful for leaders who know that "something is missing" in their leadership or lives.
The sense of that void is God's tap on the shoulder to draw near to Him to see what He will say and do. In my case, He did great things. I am journeying with Him in a new freedom because of His grace to suggest to my spirit that something was missing.
For me, that something is majored on in this book. And really laid out clearly in Ruth Barton's other book Invitation to Solitude and S...more
The sense of that void is God's tap on the shoulder to draw near to Him to see what He will say and do. In my case, He did great things. I am journeying with Him in a new freedom because of His grace to suggest to my spirit that something was missing.
For me, that something is majored on in this book. And really laid out clearly in Ruth Barton's other book Invitation to Solitude and S...more
Many leadership books focus on the outer life of a leader--the skills requisite to good leadership. While I've found much help in such books, I've learned that who we are inside as leaders is probably the most critical factor in hindering or advancing effective leadership.
Ruth Haley Barton makes this same point in this book and explores how leaders can develop their inner life, their souls. The book is written from a Christian perspective, studying the life of Moses. She begins by talking about...more
Ruth Haley Barton makes this same point in this book and explores how leaders can develop their inner life, their souls. The book is written from a Christian perspective, studying the life of Moses. She begins by talking about...more
"Vocation doesn't come from willfulness. It comes from listening."
"Most of us have not had much training in waiting -- or at least not enough to prepare us to help others wait in times when they feel highly threatened. Richard Rohr calls this waiting place "liminal space": liminal comes from the Latin word limina which means threshold. Liminal space, the place of waiting, is:
'a unique spiritual position where human beings hate to be but where the biblical God is always leading them. It is when...more
"Most of us have not had much training in waiting -- or at least not enough to prepare us to help others wait in times when they feel highly threatened. Richard Rohr calls this waiting place "liminal space": liminal comes from the Latin word limina which means threshold. Liminal space, the place of waiting, is:
'a unique spiritual position where human beings hate to be but where the biblical God is always leading them. It is when...more
This book can sound intimidating. Especially after you read the first chapter. Self-analyzation can be a scary thing because who knows what you will find. I learned that searching your soul is vital to leading others, and just living a life pleasing to the Lord. Searching your soul will keep us from temptation, and will keep us strong as we continue about daily routine. I learned that the soul will get what the soul wants whether its done in a healthy way or not.
This is my favorite of Barton's books as she examines a wide variety of aspects of spiritual life, especially as it applies to leaders. Several of the chapters are further expanded in her subsequent books (chapter 8 in Sacred Rhythms and chapter 12 in Pursuing God's Will Together), but it is helpful getting the broad picture in this volume. The purpose of the book is fully realized not in understanding conceptually all that Barton covers but in encountering God in relation to these different asp...more
This is a great book to step back and evaluate and strengthen (to use her word) your ability to lead in all spheres of life. Each chapter gives new insights from her life and people in the Bible, often Moses. The meditation questions and prayers and poems are poignant. The only downside is that the final chapters most directly apply to those in a leadership position in a formal ministry.
Okay, chapter 7 is great, but the rest of the book is hard for me to get through. There is a lot of truth, but it frankly doesn't keep me engaged. I much prefer to pick up the Bible and read through I&II Kings like I've been doing the last month or so.....
I read this book as part of my Spiritual Foundations of Leadership course in Seminary. Fantastic book, one that I heartily recommended to my pastor and one that I would recommend to anyone who is in Christian leadership!
Refreshing...I like the quote about wanting to just enjoy God, not be always helping others enjoy Him. It's not about external, worldly measures of success...it's about faithfulness and re-connecting to the vine.
I was captivated before I finished the first paragraph. There I was, she's describing me and those were my words. Perfect book in my time of need. Thankful that I serve a God who restores our souls.
the book, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, is an invitation to enter more deeply into the process of spiritual transformation and to choose to lead from that place.
Perfect for someone burned out with ministry and leadership. She deftly utilizes the narrative of Moses to explore a vision for leadership that transforms the leader's soul.
This is not a book to rush through. It is one to be read slowly. I am more comfortable setting quietly in the presence of the Lord after reading this book.
This is an excellent book, requires savouring, meditation, and an investment of personal energy. I think this will be a re-read for 2012-2013, as I grow with it.
Ruth has done a beautiful job ... this is a must read for leaders.
Grabbed and held. A new take on Moses, but I dug. Resonated.
Have read and re-read this one and will again.
Apr 12, 2010
Lisa
marked it as to-read
Rich Nathan Recommendation.
Fantastic Book!
Jan 10, 2010
Glendyne
is currently reading it
Just reading now
Jul 29, 2012
Heather
added it
Amazing.
3/4 of the way through...so insightful, wise, clear. I've learned a ton about Moses and how God formed him as a leader. I'm thankful for this book.
Jan 29, 2010
Samuel
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those in leadership positions. Those who want to deepen their walk with Christ.
Shelves:
leadership,
spiritual-development
When I first starting reading, it took me a little while to get into the book. The more I read, the more I liked it. Learning how to connect more intimately with God will help us connect with that which will help us to lead others more effectively.
This book was too excellent and too transformative to be a quick read. I can't remember the last time it took me 6 months to get through a book. And yet, I stuck with it because it affected me on a very deep and personal level. Transforming leadership begins with transforming self, and growing in Divine intimacy. My prayer is that the Lord doesn't leave me where He found me when I first picked up this book.
A deep book that has revitalized me and reshaped my vision of what leadership could be.
This has been one of the most spiritually encouraging books I've ever read. It is real, honest, and gets to the heart of the true battles of the life of a Christian. Ruth Haley Barton has a realistic grasp on church life, warts and all. She isn't afraid to tackle the things that pull us down, and also has terrific insight into how to connect with God through all the ups and downs of the Christian life.
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FROM BOOK COVER:
Ruth Haley Barton is a writer, spiritual director, and retreat leader. She is co-founder of The Transforming Center, a community of Christian men and women who shape and care for the souls of leaders. She has served on the staff at several different churches, including Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL, where she co-authored a spiritual formation curriculum enti...more
More about Ruth Haley Barton...
Ruth Haley Barton is a writer, spiritual director, and retreat leader. She is co-founder of The Transforming Center, a community of Christian men and women who shape and care for the souls of leaders. She has served on the staff at several different churches, including Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL, where she co-authored a spiritual formation curriculum enti...more
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