The Contemplative Pastor

What if extending curiosity towards yourself was not just a path to a deeper understanding of yourself, but also of God?In this episode, join Bryan Rouanzoin and Dr. Alison Cook for a conversation about faithfully tending to the three relationships Jesus named—our relationship with God, with other people, and with ourselves. Drawing from her years of suffering through panic attacks and her decades of clinical practice, Cook describes how understanding the “ecosystem” of our own souls can lead us to be formed by, and united with, God. Over the course of the conversation, Bryan and Dr. Cook address why pastors often neglect their own souls, as well as how therapy and spiritual practice can work together to help us become secure in the “God who gets it.”Dr. Alison Cook is a licensed therapist, psychologist of religion, and bestselling author who works at the intersection of Christian faith and psychology. She and her husband, Joe, have two young adult children and split their time between Boston and Wyoming.To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.John Mark’s newest book Into The Quiet is now available for order at your book provider of choice. You can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/generous.

What does it look like when spiritual maturity, emotional health, and holy ambition exist together?In this episode, join Jay Kim and Drew Hyun for a conversation about living “the mixed life” modeled by Jesus—one of contemplation in the inner life and mission in the outer world. Drew traces his path from an early ministry marked by arrogance and conflict to an ongoing pursuit of emotional health as a leader, pastor, and person. Drew and Jay work through a series of helpful questions for assessing both personal formation and the culture forming in our churches. They also explore the thin line separating holy ambition from selfish ambition, influence as the latest measure of pastoral success, and what it looks like to pursue the “progress and joy” of the gospel while protecting our inner lives.Drew Hyun is a pastor, founder, and author in New York City. He currently pastors at Hope Church Midtown. He is also the President of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship. He and his wife Tina have two children, David and Avery.To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.John Mark’s newest book Into The Quiet is now available for order at your book provider of choice. You can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/generous.Mentioned in this conversation:Emotionally Healthy Discipleship by Pete ScazzeroEmotionally Healthy Success by Pete ScazzeroThe School of Emotionally Healthy LeadershipIn the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen

What does it mean to be a person who is attended to?In this episode, join Bryan Rouanzoin and Jeff Hyun for a conversation about the potential for pain to become the place of our deepest formation. Jeff shares the story of being left by his mom when he was five years old and how their long-awaited reunion led to a “beautiful unraveling” in his adulthood, one that invited him to receive care after years of giving care to others through his pastoral ministry. Bryan and Jeff reflect on what it means to be attended to, how God’s provision often comes through people, and who pastors need beside them in the most precarious seasons of life.Jeff Hyun is the senior pastor of Living Hope Community Church in Brea, California, and the founder of Barnabas & Co., a soul-care ministry for Asian American pastors and faith leaders. He and his wife Stella have three beautiful children.To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.John Mark’s newest book Into The Quiet is now available for order at your book provider of choice. You can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/generous.Mentioned in this conversation:David BrooksGlenn Packiam1 Kings 19Luke 22:31–32

What if confession could be a place of healing, not just pardon?In this episode, join Bryan Rouanzoin and Gavin Bennett for a conversation about the practice of confession—why we're afraid to embrace it, and the belonging that waits for us when we do. Gavin shares how his years-long practice of confession has freed him from the burden of image management and given the people closest to him the chance to stay. Together, Gavin and Bryan explore a simple but perspective-shifting framework (sin belongs to God, shame belongs to our community, and secrets belong to us) and offer an approachable starting place for pastors who want to enter into confessional relationships of their own.Gavin Bennett serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon. He deeply cares about helping people hear and experience God in the ordinary parts of their lives as they learn to consent to the Spirit’s beautifully slow transformational desire.To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.John Mark’s newest book Into The Quiet is now available for order at your book provider of choice. You can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/generous.Mentioned in this conversation:​​Pope Benedict XVPeter AbelardThomas AquinasDallas WillardAugustineGertrude of HelftaIn the Name of Jesus by Henri NouwenTeresa of ÁvilaJohn of the CrossRobert Mulholland1 John 1:9

What formation might we experience in choosing remaining over constant reinvention?In this episode, join Jay Kim and Beau Hughes for a conversation about choosing to keep showing up—to a church, to a practice, and to the pain of the people in our care. As his 19 years at The Village Church Denton comes to a close, Beau reflects on the ways in which his lifelong experience with depression has invited him to pastor from a place of humility “on the ground," rather than from the spiritual mountaintop. Jay and Beau also explore “the delight” of holding conviction and curiosity together as we intersect with other streams of the church as well as the complicated work of detaching identity from pastoral ministry.Beau Hughes is the Associate Director of Church Formation at Practicing the Way and former lead pastor of The Village Church Denton in Denton, Texas, where he served for 19 years. Beau and his wife Kimberly have four children.To find more resources and experiences tailored just for you—the pastor—visit practicingtheway.org/pastor.John Mark’s newest book Into The Quiet is now available for order at your book provider of choice. You can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.This podcast and its episodes are free, thanks to the generosity of The Circle and other givers. You can learn more about The Circle or contribute toward future resources like this podcast at practicingtheway.org/generous.Mentioned in this conversation:Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity by Eugene H. PetersonPete ScazzeroMatt ChandlerSinclair Ferguson