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A big welcome back to Sarah Bessey!
You will LOVE this conversation about Sarah’s new book which involves a spiritual homecoming. Her message of love and hope oozes from every decibel of this episode.
Scroll down for shownotes and please do look around at the other episodes. Psst, subscribe for extra awesomeness.
Make sure you stop back HERE to join us for a Live conversation about the book November 10th at 8pm EST/GMT-4.
Her new book is HERE!
Sarah Bessey “Out of Sorts”
The difference between this book and the last one.
8:00
Six years away from church.
Finding friends outside of a church community context and the loneliness of that.
Making friends in the neighborhood and having more time because church obligations didn’t take so much time.
11:30
Programing church can take away the organic way people can become bonded.
“Maybe community is a really churchy word for being a really good friend.”
13:30
Obey the Sadness is her favorite chapter
Barbara Brown Taylor
“Learning to Walk in the Dark”
Solar and Lunar Christians
15:30
What unanswered prayers teach.
16:20
I didn’t know how to be sad. I didn’t know how to say [things weren’t] right and that I was longing for wholeness and longing for resolution and redemption. And make peace with that and sit in that tension well.
Holding space for unfinished business.
18:00
The lamenting psalms are meant to be sung in community.
The sacred work of listening when people are hurting.
19:30
When people are uncomfortable with our pain.
The winnowing times when friendships don’t stay provide comfort during the painful times.
Priests move to distribute Communion at the closing Mass of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia Sept. 27. (CNS photo/Teak Phillips, St. Louis Review) See POPE-FAMILY-MASS Sept. 27, 2015.
Open communion in the street
The World Meeting of Families
Sarah’s interaction with liturgy now and underestimating her spiritual roots and homesickness.
Missing the unscripted script of her church.
34:00
Recognizing the global church and its expressions.
35:30
Sushi forever or the many expressions of Christianity.
If your hands are open you can have many ways to encounter God.
37:00
Understanding the wrath of God and sovereignty of God.
46:00
The pain and relief of the dross getting burning away.
“Can God Be Trusted”
by John Stackhouse
49:00
Being okay with growing pains.
The one message she hopes people get from the book.
(She takes us to church! ENJOY!)
Right now, one of the most powerful and influential men in the world is undoubtably Pope Francis.
Pope Francis is the first Jesuit Pope, but too few people know the specific qualities of his Order (The Society of Jesus-Ignatian spirituality). His spirituality and training powerfully and uniquely guide his worldview, philosophy of vocation and work, and themes of his prominent, worldwide administration especially when compared with his predecessors.
Through his decisions, he influences Roman Catholics internationally (a staggering 1.1 billion people) and his ideas influence and inspire many of the 2.2 billion people who consider themselves Christian (specifically: a follower of the way of Jesus), including me.
What is most influential to Pope Francis?
His training in the Society of Jesus (the Catholic Order founded by Ignatius of Loyola 400 years ago). This is what guides how he see the world and makes all his important decisions that direct the Catholic Church and influence others worldwide.
Today, we will learn more about these teachings that often come out-of-sync with the ways and structures of established institutions of religion, politics, and power.
Spirutal Director, Jeanine Breault, formally trained in Jesuit Ignatian Spirituality
Today, you will hear from my spiritual director, Jeanine Breault, a Roman Catholic who is formally trained in the Ignatian tradition. We converse about some of the salient characteristics of the Ignatian spiritual teachings and traditions.
Thus, you will find out the manner in which Pope Francis is directed spiritually by his own spiritual director within this 400 year old spiritual tradition; learn how Ignatian spiritual directors (and the current Pope) see the world and how God works in it, and more.
SHOWNOTES: EPS 24: The (Ignatian) Spirituality of Pope Francis
MIN: 1:00
Answering: What is Ignatian Spirituality?
1:20
Finding God in all things. We are invited to notice how God is at work. More than head knowledge but an experiential knowledge.
2:30
God is always at work for the good in my life and in my world and growing in that awareness. How can I respond to God’s call?
3:30 An Intimate relationship with God SO THAT I can labor with God.
Now that there is a Pope who is a Jesuit (the first in history) how does that shift the role and the the way he see the world as the head of the church.
5:00
On Pope Francis’s new letter “The Joy of the Gospel” and the Jesuit flavorings contained within and the influence on his life.
8:50
On the massive changes at the Vatican.
9:20
Who was Ignatius of Loyola?
The story of the man who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits)
Born in 1491 and his message continues to changes peoples lives.
His war injury and what changed his life.
11:30
The mystical experience he had.
12:30
He work in the discernment of spirits (his work called the Spiritual Exercises) and how these forces work in our lives.
13:10
Discerning and choosing between two goods.
13:30
The rules for discernment that can be applied to anyone at anytime.
14:30
The basic of the rules of discernment.
When a person is oriented to God and desires to please God, then God confirms that and gives graces of peace, joy, and comfort. The opposite feelings do not come from God (fear, anxiety, discouragement, despair, etc).
16:20
Through the Ignatian spiritual exercises, one can figure out what is of God and what is not.
17:40
People coming to direction for the first time are really grappling with a sense of God’s love for them (and not really believing it.)
19:00
Coming to a spirit-led decision and grace is involved.
19:30
Overcoming the obstacle of unworthiness.
20:00
Working at cultivating people’s awareness. Asking questions that create space for inquiry, discovery and discernment.
21:00
We forget that God loves at at some level and it’s a continual process of remembering.
21:50
Her experience with guilt in prayer because of a lack of focus. Apologizing to God about being preoccupied. And the amazing thing God seemed to say in response.
The part of affirming the goodness of God and what God is doing in that person’s life is the job of the director.
23:45
The answer won’t expect to my question: “What do you say or do when people can’t see or sense God, or they have a blindness and are unaware?” (Maybe an “image of God problem”)
24:10
The “director” is not a good word. The Spirit of God is the actual director and it’s God’s business.
25:20
The parallel with gardening and patience for growth.
26:10
“God loves that person more than you do.”
26:00
On not “fixing” things and solving problems.
27:00
Compassionate listening and getting out of the way for God to work better.
28:00
What supervision of a spiritual director looks like so that good listening can keep happening for those directed.
29:00
Finding a director that is properly prepared to direct others is crucial.
Asking Jeanine, “What happens in your mind and heart when you find yourself wanting to solve problems and rescue someone?”
30:00
Remembering the kind of ministry direction is. A prevailing ope that God is at work and in control ultimately. It’s sacred time and time to stay focused. Setting aside things when they come up.
32:40
Do people expect you to be their counselor? And what happens when that happens during direction?
35:00
Helping people know what to expect from direction and how to find someone who is properly trained.
The international listing of trained directors. sdiworld.org
Director will work with people from any tradition.
42:30
The connection of Buddhism and Christian Mysticism in practice. Seeing the goodness in other traditions.
44:00
John O’Donohue and his comments of what Buddhism can brings to Christianity and vice versa.
46:00
Noticing the “now”.
47:00
Coming to a vibrant faith where (you realize) God is working in this very moment.
48:00
Relationships are the ways we become tuned to God and working out our salvation in real life and ordinary experiences.
49:00
Resources to continue on this path.
Ronald Rollhieser The Holy Longing and Prayer: Our Deepest Longing
Carmelite nun Ruth Borrows. Guidelines for Mystic Prayer
As new Pope Francis makes bold statements through actions (washing the feet of inmates, taking residence in the papal guest house, etc) the word I hear tossed about concerning his leadership is MEEK.
Too often lumped as a quality of weakness, Meek Leadership has secret powers!
So what is the word “meek” about and how can it be so influential?
My leadership professor, Tim Valentino, wrote some comments I’d like to share with you.
The biblical word for this is “meek” (praus). A related word is “gentle” (prautes).
The semantic range of this word cluster includes the following: humble, gentle, considerate, unassuming, courteous, and restrained. In some contexts it means, “the absence of pretension.” By way of contrast, it’s the opposite of harsh, arrogant, or braggadocios.
As used outside the New Testament, this word has in it the idea of “lying low.” It was a word originally used, for example, to describe a low-lying river—one that cut through a valley. A river, of course, is a powerful thing, but a low-lying river is one that doesn’t impose its power on you. You have to go out of your way to go see it because it’s unobtrusive.
It’s important to keep in mind, I think, that “meek” does not mean “weak.” Unfortunately, these two words rhyme in English, but they are not synonymous. Nor does this word mean timid, shy, bashful, cowardly, indecisive, or unwilling to serve. Perhaps the best definition comes from William Barclay, who defined meekness as “power under control.”
Again, as used outside the Bible in the first century, this word referred to:
• Tame animals (cf. an elephant with its foot on a circus lady) • Soothing medicine (cf. buffered aspirin or anti-anxiety drugs) • A gentle breeze (cf. not a tornado, but wind that is refreshing to the body)
All of these items can have tremendous, destructive power, but “meekness” brings them under control to serve a good purpose. Significantly, Jesus, who has all authority in heaven and earth, quintessentially displays meekness. He said in Matthew 11:29:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus, of course, was a great leader. He was also meek. Apparently God thinks the two should go together.
Questions to ponder:
§ Do you know anyone who is powerful yet meek? § Do you know anyone who is authoritative yet gentle? § Could your leadership be described as “meek” in the sense used here? § How would our work environments improve if our leaders were meek?
