In this episode, Jedd interviews Ruth Haley Barton — founder of the Transforming Center and author of a number of excellent books on the spiritual disciplines. Ruth shares practices and habits critical for sustaining work of justice and mercy for a lifetime.
In this episode, we'll explore:
Why spiritual disciplines are so vital to the Christian life generally and especially critical for people who are involved with hard, often painful justice work.
Specific practices for cultivating the kind of inner life in Christ that can sustain us in long journeys of justice and mercy — both individually and as teams.
Restoring the joy and “first love” of our mission when we’ve lost it.
The benefits of a weekly Sabbath, patterns of prayer within the work day, and times away in solitude and silence.
Key Quotes
“Silence is a place where we wait on God in the midst of the great unfixables of our lives."
Ruth Haley Barton
“When we get involved in mission, we are carried out to the edges, where human wisdom fails, where we see the limits of what we can do in terms of solving the problems and the issues of the world. In silence, we wait on God. Psalm 62 says, ‘For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.’”
Ruth Haley Barton
“The most important thing we have to offer others is our transforming selves.”
Ruth Haley Barton
Resources and Guests
Ruth Haley Barton
Award Winning Author, Conference Speaker, Founder of the Transforming Center
Ruth travels widely, teaching and consulting with leadership teams in the areas of leadership transformation, corporate discernment, and spiritual community. She has served on the pastoral staff of several churches, including Willow Creek Community Church. Ruth has taught at the Wheaton College Graduate School, Denver Seminary, Northeastern Seminary and Mars Hill Graduate School and is a senior teaching fellow for the Renovare Institute. She has recently joined the faculty of Northern Seminary as an adjunct Professor of Spiritual Transformation.
The breadth of Ruth’s study and learning in a variety of settings contributes to the strength of her teaching and writing. While she values all that she has gained from the teachers and institutions in which she has studied, this does not imply endorsement of everything taught in these environments. Ruth’s teaching and writing have been most profoundly shaped by her commitment to “examine the Scriptures to see if these things are so.” (Acts 17:11)
The ministry of the Transforming Center exists to strengthen the souls of pastors, Christian leaders, and the congregations and organizations they serve. Ruth is the primary teacher and spiritual director in our core program for leaders, the Transforming Community experience. Learn more about a growing movement of individuals and churches who desire to become a Transforming Church.
Jedd Medefind, Host
Jedd Medefind loves journeying life with his wife, Rachel. He relishes wrestling matches with his five children—Siena, Marin, Eden, Lincoln, and Phoebe. Most of all, he desires to reflect the heart of Jesus Christ in all of life.
Jedd has seen (and experienced!) that lives are turned upside-down when Christians begin to reflect God’s heart through adoption, foster care and service to orphans worldwide. This kind of love transforms not only vulnerable children, but also those who open hearts and homes to them. Churches begin to look different, too, as the entire community pulls together for children who’ve known great hurt. Finally, the change touches even onlookers, who encounter the Gospel not only in words, but made visible before their eyes.
Desiring to spur this kind of transformation through the Church, Jedd serves as President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans.
Through CAFO, more than 225 respected organizations unite in shared initiatives, along with a wide network of churches. CAFO’s membership works in tandem to inspire and equip families, churches and organizations for effective service to vulnerable children and families — from adoption and US foster care, to aid and empowerment programs worldwide.
Prior to his this role, Jedd served in the White House as a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush, leading the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. In this post, he oversaw reform efforts across the government to make community- and faith-based groups central partners in all Federal efforts to aid the needy, from prisoner reentry to global AIDS. As described by the Harvard Political Review, these reforms “fundamentally changed the government’s strategy for improving the lives of the downtrodden…”
Previously, Jedd held a range of posts in the California State Legislature. He also helped establish the California Community Renewal Project, which strengthens nonprofits in some of the state’s most challenged communities. He has worked, studied and served in more than thirty countries, with organizations ranging from Price-Waterhouse in Moscow to Christian Life Bangladesh.
Books written by Jedd include Upended and Four Souls. He also writes articles and op-eds for publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post to Comment Magazine, and engages radio interviews with both faith-based and mainstream outlets, from NPR and Al Jazeera to Moody Radio. Jedd’s most recent book, Becoming Home, offers a brief-yet-rich exploration of how families and communities can embrace vulnerable children with wisdom and love through adoption, foster care, mentoring and more.
