Update: How the Prison, the 12-Steps, & Ignatius Help us Embrace Our Powerlessness No. 76

In this episode Josh offers some updates on the Invitation and shares more about what he is learning in and through the School of Prayer, how it is formed around what he experienced over the six years praying with a group of men in a prison while facilitating the Spiritual Exercises. Here Josh identifies how Christianity can function much more like a 12-Step addiction recovery program.

Consider the School of Prayer

Artwork by Samatha Kadzban

---

Subversive Hope,
A Rebellion Against Despair

My subversive act of hope, my rebellion against despair, is to invite you to consider the School of Prayer, a nine-month study and practice of the rule of life at the vital intersection of contemplation and justice.

"Rule of life," ie, measurement of time, energy, resources, attention

We turn to the monastic vocabulary of "rule" to discern how to give ourselves to God creatively, abundantly, intentionally not out of duty but for the sake of love.

In practice, the School of Prayer is not for the super spiritual. It's a failure lab, a safe space to hear the Holy Spirit's voice inviting us deeper in and through our hard hearts and our small faith. The holy irony is that we find our prayer as we confront our resistances to prayer.

We have space for you in the cohorts that begin soon. If you are even slightly interested, listen to this episode and let's talk.

Peace & Love,

Josh

Good Friday: Being Human Becoming Human w/ Fr John Beher & Overdue Update #65

It’s been too long. I apologize for disappearing. Doing quarantine for a year with young children is not easy. It’s been difficult to get anything done, yet there has been much goodness for the Invitation even in 2020-2021 that I want to share with you.

In this episode I offer good news about this years three cohorts of the School of Prayer, our new spiritual direction practicum, the School of Contemplative Listening, the first annual Invitation Family Camp, the forthcoming episodes, and our summer book club. But first, a mediation for Good Friday, a reading from Fr John Beher’s genius Becoming Human: Meditations on Christian Anthropology in Word and Image.

We can only recognize Jesus through the cross, through his death. Ironically, our life comes through our death, our rising in and through and beyond this world! Fr Beher helps us understand that to be truly human in to die.

Registration for the SOCL is open. We’ll have registration for the SOP and the Family Camp open in the next week.

I hope you and yours are well. Don’t be shy. It’d be great to hear from you!

And thanks for listening to the podcast!

Peace & Love Josh

An Update & Meditation w/ the Desert Fathers: The Podcast is Returning! no. 38

This update episode is way overdue. I miss you, so I'm finally reaching out to get you caught up on all that's been happening with the Invitation. At the end of this update, I offer a brief meditation on a timely word from The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, specifically a conversation between John the Dwarf and Abba Poemen (pictured above).

It's Giving Tuesday! I would sincerely appreciate your financial support. You can find a place to offer donations at this link.

There is so much new content coming your way soon!

Much Love to you and yours!

Josh

Update: A Hasidic Tale & Giving Tuesday! No. 32

In this update episode, a Hasidic tale from Abraham Joshua Heschel helps us understand the Spirit's invitation to find the treasure right here in front of ourselves, right at home.

We are on the eve of #GivingTuesday. If you haven't had a chance to watch our Kickstarter video, please do.

Here's a link: tinyurl.com/y9gqmnhaA 

We hope you can catch onto the larger vision of what the Invitation is up to as a nonprofit connecting the prison to the local church parish through spiritual direction and this podcast. If you have means, please support the Kickstarter campaign as it raises money to fund our capital budget, money that will help us efficiently and creatively offer you spiritual formation resources on a more consistent basis.

Share the Invitation with your people, and pray for us on this crazy journey of trusting God. Peace & Love of Jesus to you!

The picture of this episode is the home of what we are calling 'Cloudstreet' as it is under snowy construction. Cloudstreet will be the hub of our practice of spiritual direction, a retreat space, and a production space!!!

Big hugs and LOVE!

Josh

Update! Your Guide to Going Deeper With the Invitation no. 22

This is an update episode to invite you to go deeper with the Invitation Podcast by: 1. joining a summer-long, multi-episode retreat through the shema (Deut 6; Mark 12)of loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; and 2. to become a sustaining member of the Invitation as it seeks to become a non-profit. Here Josh shares the story of how he got into spiritual direction, started this podcast, became involved in the prison prayer practices...and how all these pieces fit together into a non-profit! Please subscribe to make sure you can download a free song, "Silence" that Josh and his wife, Susanna Childress (aka Ordinary Neighbors) recorded for the podcast.

An Update & Short Meditation, 'Choosing Less' no. 8

In this episode Josh offers two updates in a reflective meditation, a kind of short retreat. If you are interested in the Feb 7-8 church leader's contemplative retreat, send him an email (josh at harderwyk dot com). Josh also explains his decision to step down from his position at Harderwyk. Huge thanks to the leaders at that church and to all the people as well. Listen to find out more. A new, proper website will be online soon. Stay tuned for more conversations and retreats coming soon!