Alan Fadling's Blog, page 76

Podcast: Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest

How can the idea of sabbath and rest be subversive when it is built into the very fabric of God’s beautiful creation? Join us this week as we look at the surprising power of rest.

Without giving too much away, here are four of of the nine questions A.J. and I discuss in this podcast.

1. A.J.’s book is entitled “Subversive Sabbath.” In what ways is Sabbath a subversive practice?

2. A.J., please share the story of your own experience of discovering and entering

into the gift of Sabbath.

3. In your own practice of Sabbath, what have been some of the boundaries you’ve

observed (the “I won’ts”) and the engagements you’ve enjoyed (the “I wills”)?

4. How might someone who has an unpredictable weekly work schedule practice Sabbath?

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher

Join us on Patreon!

Become a Patron

Those of you who listen to our podcast know that we are creating a worldwide conversation at the intersection of deeper spiritual life and broader personal influence. That’s what we mean by Unhurried Living.

In an age where hurry, distraction and busyness are rampant, we share a different message: Rest Deeper. Live Fuller. Lead Better.

We need your help to keep this work going–and to make it better. So we invite you to join us as a partner on Patreon.com.

Our podcast will always be free to all listeners, but by subscribing to Patreon you can help–your monthly subscription helps us grow our team, pay for the hard costs of producing our work, and makes it possible for us to spread our message globally. You can partner with us for as little as $1 a month.

The post Podcast: Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Your Tears Will Teach You

A friend recently told me about a new show called The Good Doctor. It’s about a resident at a hospital who has autism and how he functions with his community. At one point the autistic young man is asked to defend why he wants to become a doctor. Without spoiling it for any of you who plan to watch it, let’s just say he gives a real  tear-jerker of a speech. Short. To the point. Perfectly authentic.

My eyes welled up with tears and spilled over to my cheeks. I felt joy, connection, hope.

But, Gem, this is just a TV show. Connection? Really? Yes. And you have felt it too. In some past movie or show, you have felt a connection to a particular character or story line and you were moved. Maybe not to tears, maybe to some other emotion. You were moved.

Many years ago, I was prayed for by an experienced spiritual director who also happened to be a nun at the Pecos Benedictine Abbey in New Mexico. She will be forever in my heart because of her grace, care and prayerful presence as we delved into the depths of my soul.

One of the things she told me as I cried during prayer is that tears are a gift. In fact, she called it “the gift of tears.” I haven’t looked at my tears the same since that time. They are a gift. They point to something. Tears show you what is important to you. They can point out something about yourself that you haven’t yet discovered. They can remind you of something significant that you forgot. Or maybe you simply need to express some kind of pain.

At least one reason I was moved by The Good Doctor is that a young man who everyone else thought was “weird” or “unqualified” found the respect and admiration of a room full of people. He spoke the simple truth about his desire to become a doctor. And his qualification became undeniable.

In that moment, he became a projection for that part of me that doesn’t always feel like I fit in or that I’m qualified. Sometimes my “conditions” are limitations that may keep me from what I want. So my eyes filled with tears because I recognized that within me. His desire gave voice to that part of me.

And don’t we all want that? Don’t we all want to be accepted in spite of our own issues? I know I do.

Let’s bring this back to tears. This is just a simple story of watching a show and being moved by some great acting and dialogue. But I was able to get a glimpse inside of myself (the desire for acceptance in spite of my limitations).

And that is a good thing to remember about myself. Because I know I’m not alone. It means that I can offer that acceptance to myself and then to others. Others who, like me, also want to be accepted in spite of their issues or apparent limitations.

I can seek to extend this kind of grace as often as possible. To remember that people are not machines or bit players in a movie about me. People are people and we could all use an extended hand of grace now and again.

In this current climate of anger, contempt, depression and more, lived grace is more important than ever. Let your tears guide you to that grace.

Reflection

What brings a tear to your eye?
What might this be telling you about a place of desire, pain or something else?
How can you extend grace to yourself within this space?
How might you extend that same grace to someone else?

 

Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash

The post Your Tears Will Teach You appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Flourishing: Discovering the Good Life

Blessed. To some, it just sounds like archaic, out-of-date vocabulary, but it’s word that means to label what makes for a good life of human flourishing. How do we live with deep peace, rich joy, measureless love? How do we live blessed?

I recently read again those well-known lines that begin the book of Psalms:

1 Blessed is the one

         who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

         or sit in the company of mockers,

2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

         and who meditates on his law day and night.

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

         which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

         whatever they do prospers. (Ps. 1:1-3)

In technical terms, to get to the blessed outcomes in verse 3, I need to avoid the path warned against in verse 1 and embrace the path pointed out in verse 2. (Why not take a moment to read those psalm lines above again in light of this idea?)

Rather than go in the same direction as those who take no care for what God loves, I delight in whatever God has in mind. Rather than settle into places where people will do whatever it takes to get what they think they want, I stand in the good presence of God, rooted and at home there. Rather than get friendly with those who live to ridicule anything and everything, I keep company with those who love to honor what is good and true.

Such is the blessed life. The kingdom of God is a place of joy that is greater than any thrill or buzz this world has on offer. The presence of God is brimming with vitality and holy energy. The Person of God is absolutely, immeasurably delightful.

Lord, teach me to have eyes and ears open to everything you call good. Give me a heart and a mind that embraces that good. Give me hands and feet that move into and share that goodness. In this way, Lord, bless me and may I be blessed. Amen.

For Reflection:

Where have you been looking for a sense of blessedness—of having a very good life? Have you been finding it?
In light of the counsel in this psalm, what would it look like in this season of your life to “delight in the law of the Lord?”
How might you find and feel pleasure in what God says is reliably good?

 

Photo by Tom Ezzatkhah on Unsplash

The post Flourishing: Discovering the Good Life appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Podcast: Vulnerability & Identity: Experiencing Love as the Center

We have all felt embarrassed, humiliated or ashamed one time or another, and questioned our identity in those moments. Today on the podcast, we’re looking at the vulnerability that accompanies those dynamics and how Jesus himself can meet us there.

When we think about this question of identity, we envision a simple dot in the center of a dotted circle going around it’s periphery. The dot at the center is our actual, simple identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. The dotted line that looks like something orbiting around that center point represents everything we attempt to make an identity of our own. We try to do enough, acquire enough, impress enough people. But it’s just going in circles.

We hurry around, orbit after orbit, seeking for a sense of meaning and purpose “out there” in achievements, acquisitions and accolades. But the spiritual reality of finding our identity already in place in our friendship with God through Christ lies at the simple center of who we are.

Being rooted in Jesus at the center brings us to a place of engagement with all the realities “out there”, but from a place of peace and stillness at the center with God.

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher

Join us on Patreon!

Become a Patron

Those of you who listen to our podcast know that we are creating a worldwide conversation at the intersection of deeper spiritual life and broader personal influence. That’s what we mean by Unhurried Living.

In an age where hurry, distraction and busyness are rampant, we share a different message: Rest Deeper. Live Fuller. Lead Better.

We need your help to keep this work going–and to make it better. So we invite you to join us as a partner on Patreon.com.

Our podcast will always be free to all listeners, but by subscribing to Patreon you can help–your monthly subscription helps us grow our team, pay for the hard costs of producing our work, and makes it possible for us to spread our message globally. You can partner with us for as little as $1 a month.

The post Podcast: Vulnerability & Identity: Experiencing Love as the Center appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Many of you have heard about the passing of Eugene Peterson last week. Such a loss for us. Our heartfelt prayers go out to his family and friends. In case you missed the news, go ahead and take the time to read more about this influential man.

I have trusted Peterson and his team to give me a refreshed take on scripture for many years now. The Message breathed new life into verses that had become rote for me. I was able to enjoy nuances of phrase, and gained a deeper appreciation for long worn passages.

One of my favorite book titles of his is, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. I realize that Peterson borrowed that phrase from Friedrich Nietzsche, however, I use that phrase at least once a week as I am describing to people the transformative nature of the Christian life.

Peterson was a pastor and a wordsmith, a potent combination that broke open my heart to truth many a time. He mentored me from afar and I am truly grateful.

Over the last number of years, I have lost quite a few mentors as each succumbed to old age or illness. I list a few here in memoriam:

Wayne Anderson

Abbot David Geraets

Dallas Willard

Chuck Miller

Sister Ann Cic

Each one of these people have made an indelible mark on my life by being who they were called to be. None of them were perfect. And each one who have told you that with their own lips.

But the potency of who they were, the depth of their love and message, and their unwavering faith have marked me for life.

Alan and I often recount how we are now about the age Chuck Miller was when we met him. We were in our late twenties and he was in his mid fifties. He seemed so old to us back then! And now, here we are, in the glorious position of paying it forward in the same way he gave to us.

As I continue to watch the greats pass from this life, I am compelled to ask myself if I will take up the mantle. I don’t, in any way, purport to be able to fill their shoes. Who could? But am I willing to be who I am called to be? Am I willing to influence people by the depth of my love and message? Am I willing to continue on in unwavering faith?

My current answer is a resounding yes! And I encourage you to answer these questions for yourself. I encourage each of us to think of ourselves as mentors because we all have people in our lives who need someone who is ahead of them. Someone who will call out and say, “Come on in, the water is fine!”

And the good news is that you don’t have to be a Peterson or a Willard to do this. You get to be yourself, as God created you. He has gifted you and placed you within your current context. You have a reach to people that no one else may have a reach to.

If you sense a fire lit under me, then you are very perceptive. The death of Peterson has fanned the flame within me that there is still work to do. These faithful men and women have moved on and it is our turn to shine a light in this hurried, wounded and sometimes contemptuous culture.

Although I never met Eugene Peterson in person, he joins those who have gone before him who will continue to teach me for years to come. Will you pick up the mantle in your own life and your own context? I hope so. Let’s continue together in this long obedience in the same direction.

  Reflection

You have your own list of mentors. What is it about them that you most appreciate?
How might you become a mentor or influencer in the lives of those around you?
How has God gifted you to be an influential light in your context? Remember, it’s not about size, it’s about love.

The post Long Obedience in the Same Direction appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Inviting Guidance: Living Beyond Conventional Wisdom

It makes a huge difference in my life when I come to God with my pre-existing plans, seeking his blessing, and when I come to God seeking what he is already blessing. I think there’s an Old Testament phrase that captures this “seek God first” approach: “inquiring of the Lord.”

For example, King Jehoshaphat was facing an attack by the surrounding peoples of Moab and Ammon. The threat was real because there were vast armies on the verge of attack. It is in this situation that we read these words:

Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him (2 Chr 20:3-4).

Here are a few insights that I found helpful:

Fasting can bring greater focus when we are inquiring of the Lord.
It is often best to inquire of the Lord in community.
When I am inquiring of the Lord, I am seeking God’s help.

Jehoshaphat’s prayer of inquiry is including in this story (2 Chr 20:6-12) and, again, it’s a helpful model for our own seeking:

He remembers who God is (6) – the heavenly king of kings who is powerful and mighty.
He remembers their holy history with God driving out enemies in the past (7-8).
He affirms his intention to trust God and cry out to God in the face of this great threat (9).
His inquiring of the Lord asks a question we might also ask: “Our God, will you not judge them (12a) ?”
I love how this prayer closes: “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you (12b).”

Isn’t this a beautiful model when we are facing great challenges and don’t know what to do next? There is a sad passage in the prophet Jeremiah that reminds us of what happens when leaders don’t inquire of the Lord:

The shepherds are senseless

and do not inquire of the Lord;

so they do not prosper

and all their flock is scattered (Jer 10:21).

Senseless leaders do not inquire of the Lord and the people they serve are scattered and exposed.

For reflection:

In what circumstance might you seek God’s guidance and God’s counsel?

What question would you like to ask God?

Why not ask this question and give God a few moments of unhurried attention to listen for how he might respond?

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

The post Inviting Guidance: Living Beyond Conventional Wisdom appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Podcast: The Power of Mentored Community

In this episode we look at community and what it means to be mentored within the communities in which we engage, live, work, and play. How does the posture of that community impact our spiritual growth as a leader.

Today we are offering details and insight into the Unhurried Collective, a two year mentored community group learning how to Rest Deeper, Live Fuller, and Lead Better. We’ve had many questions on what an Unhurried Collective is and we thought this would be a great opportunity to share information on this impactful two year community leader program, how it came to be and what you could expect when discerning to apply.

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher

Join us on Patreon!

Become a Patron

Those of you who listen to our podcast know that we are creating a worldwide conversation at the intersection of deeper spiritual life and broader personal influence. That’s what we mean by Unhurried Living.

In an age where hurry, distraction and busyness are rampant, we share a different message: Rest Deeper. Live Fuller. Lead Better.

We need your help to keep this work going–and to make it better. So we invite you to join us as a partner on Patreon.com.

Our podcast will always be free to all listeners, but by subscribing to Patreon you can help–your monthly subscription helps us grow our team, pay for the hard costs of producing our work, and makes it possible for us to spread our message globally. You can partner with us for as little as $1 a month.

The post Podcast: The Power of Mentored Community appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Unshakable and Assured

Many years ago, at a nearby retreat center, I was sitting outside my bedroom door and pondering the view. Bark chips. Thousands of them.

I hadn’t been to that location since they had remodeled. I was disappointed at the lack of grass. Why bark chips? To me, grass would have been more soothing and beautiful. Instead I was greeted by a large, dry spread of little pieces of wood.

As I stared at the bark chips I began to realize that they were the perfect metaphor for the multitude of thoughts in my head. It was representative of the inner clutter I had brought with me to the time away in solitude.

I sat in the chair on my little porch and told God that I was looking forward to how he would meet with me over the next 24 hours. How would I become free from the clutter?

I got to the end of my 24-hour retreat and a few things had shaken down in the process. I realized the swirl in my head was not simply the details of my life, but mostly my over-processing of them.

I had been reading Sacred Companions by David Benner. In one of the chapters he encouraged a friend not to second-guess what God was up to or over analyze what one was supposed to learn from a situation. In the context he was in no way negating the thoughtful pondering of God’s work in your life. There are times, however, when too much thinking or analyzing is not helpful. Sometimes we get stuck in our head and it can lead to unhealthy inaction.

Over the years I have grown in this area. I still tend to analyze. But I don’t get stuck as often as I used to. Back then, I would spin around by asking “why” or by seeking control of a situation by over thinking. I’d get side tracked by others’ opinions and my own emotions which were ever changing. I would exhaust myself with over-analysis.

During my time at the retreat center I was deeply encouraged by two passages on peace:

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27, NLT)

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.” (John 16:33, The Message)

I couldn’t, by my own efforts, make the bark chips of my inner clutter go away. I could, however, receive the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ. I could continue to attune myself to God in the midst. That’s what that time of retreat was. A time for the dust to settle and for me to remember what is always true. God is present and he gives peace.

Finding this voice of peace is like being in a large, bustling crowd and tuning into one voice among the throng. He is there, speaking, leading and loving. I am still learning to be still to listen and receive.

Reflection

How do you sometimes overthink relationships or situations?
What does this overthinking lead to (emotions, actions)?


How might you encounter the Prince of Peace today?


How might you make your way to being “unshakable and assured, deeply at peace“?

 

Photo by Fernando Reyes on Unsplash

 

The post Unshakable and Assured appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Inhaling Grace: A Gift for You

“The grace of God is the atmosphere of his kingdom. We live by inhaling grace.”

This is the invitation we’re extending to you through the release of our first Unhurried Living publication, Inhaling Grace.

These sixty devotionals are drawn from nearly thirty years of my personal journal. I invite you to embark on a journey of being well-shepherded by the grace of God. We learn just how surrounded we are by grace, moment to moment, day to day. Enjoy breathing more deeply in God’s gracious presence.

We’re deeply encouraged by the strong feedback we’ve received from a number of early readers. I really hope you’ll get yourself a copy. You can ask your local bookseller to order you a copy, or you can find one at Amazon.com.

You can download the “Introduction” right now by clicking on this link.

INHALING GRACE – INTRODUCTION

The grace of God is the atmosphere of his kingdom. We live by inhaling grace. We grow short of breath when we inhale anxiety, fear, or insecurity. These pollutants don’t have a home in the joyful, generous kingdom of our Father in heaven. I wrote these sixty devotionals in hopes of helping you enjoy breathing more deeply in God’s gracious presence.

These devotionals had their beginnings in my personal journal. I began to practice the regular discipline of spiritual journaling in 1990. Since then, I’ve written nearly ten thousand pages and over six million words in that journal. It’s been a place of wrestling, thinking, reflection, and prayer. It’s been a place of meeting with God. I hope it will be as fruitful for you to read these devotionals as it has been for me to write them.

A few years ago, a friend made it possible for me to get away for three days at a monastery near the Central California coast so I could go back through a few years of my journal to select excerpts for this first Unhurried Living devotional. The rolling, spring-green hills reached out into the distance, providing a vista that felt spacious to my soul. I didn’t think of this collection being called Inhaling Grace back then, but I believe that is where the idea was planted.

As you read these entries, you’ll probably notice frequent mention of some facet of Jesus as Good Shepherd. This theme emerged as these journal excerpts came together. For some, Jesus as Shepherd might feel overly familiar. Perhaps it brings to mind a traditional painting of Jesus with a lamb on his shoulders, making the metaphor feel old-fashioned and out- of-touch. I understand, but as one who has served as a pastor most of my adult life, the connection between Jesus as Shepherd and the work I do has been life-giving. In my training of Christian leaders, I remind them that they have a pastor—a Shepherd—in Jesus. And he is very good at what he does!

When I began my current spiritual journal nearly thirty years ago, my first entry captured my experience of a one-day solitude retreat that a future mentor, Wayne Anderson, was leading in Southern California. As part of a class of seminarians, we were given extended time to be alone in God’s presence. It was only seventy-five minutes, but for many of us, it felt like forever. Most of us were hyperactive ministry leaders, and we were unaccustomed to spending much time alone or quiet. We thought of our relationship with God mostly in terms of our activity for God rather than our relationship with God.

The theme of that retreat day grew out of John 10 where Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd. On page one of my journal, I wrote these notes: “Wayne taught from John 10, the Good Shepherd passage. It was gold! The three big ideas were that (1) we know Jesus in the same way that Jesus knows the Father, (2) we listen to Jesus, and (3) we follow Jesus. It is so simple, and yet so perspective changing.” Can you sense the depths of grace in what I received that day?

Since that day, I’ve been on a journey of learning how to let myself be well-shepherded by Jesus in my life, my relation- ships, and my work. It’s been a process of learning just how sur- rounded I am by grace, moment to moment, day to day. In the years since that first day practicing solitude and silence, I have continued this pattern. I’ve learned to follow Jesus into lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). I’ve learned to inhale grace. Then my life, my words, and my works become an exhaling of grace.

It’s my prayer that as you read these entries you’ll experience a renewal and refreshing of your ideas, assumptions, expectations, and perspectives of Jesus. I hope you’ll see how he is wanting to guide you into more and more life. I’m hopeful that you’ll become more accustomed to inhaling the grace of God that is always with you. I’m glad we get to inhale his grace together.

P.S. – If you’d like to order five or more copies at a discount, you can do so at https://unhurriedliving.com/grace.

The post Inhaling Grace: A Gift for You appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Podcast: Inhaling Grace: 60-Day Unhurried Living Devotional

Today we look at grace. One of our mentors, Wayne Anderson, often reminded us that we are not

only saved by grace, but we serve by grace, lead by grace, live by grace. In other words, the generous grace of God is not merely a doorway through which we enter this Christian life, but it is the pathway on which we live it.

In this podcast we introduce you to our newest resource, *Inhaling Grace: a 60-Day Unhurried Living Devotional.*

The grace of God is the atmosphere of his kingdom. We live by inhaling grace. These sixty devotionals are drawn from nearly thirty years of Alan’s personal journal. The invitation in this devotional is to embark on a journey of being well shepherded by the grace of God. We learn just how surrounded we are by grace, moment to moment, day to day. We invite you to listen and enjoy breathing more deeply in God’s gracious presence.

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher

Join us on Patreon!

Become a Patron

Those of you who listen to our podcast know that we are creating a worldwide conversation at the intersection of deeper spiritual life and broader personal influence. That’s what we mean by Unhurried Living.

In an age where hurry, distraction and busyness are rampant, we share a different message: Rest Deeper. Live Fuller. Lead Better.

We need your help to keep this work going–and to make it better. So we invite you to join us as a partner on Patreon.com.

Our podcast will always be free to all listeners, but by subscribing to Patreon you can help–your monthly subscription helps us grow our team, pay for the hard costs of producing our work, and makes it possible for us to spread our message globally. You can partner with us for as little as $1 a month.

The post Podcast: Inhaling Grace: 60-Day Unhurried Living Devotional appeared first on Unhurried Living.