Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership with Ruth Haley Barton

Here we are on the threshold of another Lenten season! Since the Paschal mystery is the culmination of the Lenten season, we are going to ”begin with the end in mind” by exploring this great mystery of our faith and where it might be playing itself out in our own lives.  Relying on Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s description in The Holy Longing, Ruth identifies the five movements of the Paschal mystery and the inner dynamics that can help us enter more fully into our own journey of suffering, death, burial, and transformation. This bonus episode is intended to usher you in to the Lenten season with purpose and thoughtfulness.

In this final episode of the Advent season Ruth and Marilyn discuss the unique spiritual invitations and soul work of the winter season. They touch on the inward journey of self-examination, processing grief, and embracing the transformation in life’s dormancy. They conclude with a deep discussion on themes of letting go, living in the present, and the spiritual significance of endings and new beginnings. The episode also features a poignant poem by Robert Hayden and an Advent-themed prayer by Ted Loder.

In this week’s episode, Ruth and Marilyn discuss the themes of winter and vulnerability. They explore the metaphorical storms of winter, praying beyond safety, and infinite longing. The conversation also touches on the challenges posed by climate change, the significance of collective humility, and the importance of grappling with complex, real-world issues within church communities. Marilyn concludes by reading her poem ’After the Fire,’ reflecting on loss, renewal, and the essential nature of vulnerability in the spiritual journey.

This week, ​​Ruth and Marilyn discuss the concept of Blue Christmas services that acknowledge grief during the festive season and offer consolation to those experiencing loss. The episode also delves into the idea of dormancy, likening spiritual dormancy to the natural world’s winter phase, where growth happens unseen. The conversation highlights the importance of creating space for mourning, acknowledging our vulnerabilities, and the need for faith and guidance during these seasons of grief and apparent inertness.

This week, Ruth and Marilyn discuss the importance of recognizing and responding to the invitation for inward focus during this time and the subsequent freedom it can bring. We conclude with practical suggestions for embracing the quiet and contemplative aspects of the season and posing the following questions for reflection: How are you perceiving or sensing the invitation inward?  As you sense or perceive that invitation, do you feel yourself resisting, or are you willing? And finally, do you have any sense at all of what you might be invited to freedom from and freedom to?