Beyond Words®

Reflections on the Soul of Leadership

Written by Ruth Haley Barton, each reflection provides spiritual guidance and encouragement for those seeking to be in God for the world.

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The Future of Christian Spirituality: Part 3 | A Spirituality that is Practice-Oriented and Practice-Based

By Ruth Haley Barton |

“We do not know God by thinking, but by encountering.” –John of the Cross As my director and I transitioned into a new kind of relationship I was still thinking…

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The Future of Christian Spirituality: Part 2 | The Charism and Practice of Spiritual Direction

By Ruth Haley Barton |

“A spiritual director is one who helps another recognize and follow the inspirations of grace in his life, in order to arrive at the end to which God is leading…

Imagine with Me

By Tina L. Harris |

“Too frequently we think we have to do spectacular things.  Yet if we remember that the sea is actually made…

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The Future of Christian Spirituality: Part 1 | The Role of Desire in the Spiritual Life

By Ruth Haley Barton |

“The reason we do not see God is the faintness of our desire.” –Meister Eckhart Truth be told, it was…

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The Future of Christian Spirituality: A Protestant’s Journey Toward a More Unified Faith

By Ruth Haley Barton |

New leadership is needed for new times, but it will not come from finding more wiley ways to manipulate the…

Lee Ann Thornton Memorial Fund

By Transforming Center |

Lee Ann Waters Thornton, of Austin, Texas, died Thursday November 9, 2023 after a courageous seven-year battle with endometrial cancer.…

close up photo of painting with blue background, large black and orange brushstrokes with smaller red brush strokes.

A Prayer for the Holy Land

By Ruth Haley Barton |

The Spirit helps us in our weakness…for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very…

How Shall I Pray? Spiritual Guidance For When Words Fail

By Ruth Haley Barton |

When words fail, let silence be your prayer. Lean into the ministry of the Holy Spirit, trusting that even when…

A Spirituality of Racial Justice

Part 2: Lament that Leads to Justice: Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s Transforming Leadership

By Ruth Haley Barton |

“Where do we go from here—chaos or community?”  Martin Luther King, Jr. Lament is a spiritual practice that is more…

Group of people looking up at a starry night sky

Epiphany: When the Star Beckons

By Ruth Haley Barton |

Lectionary Readings for Epiphany: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12 “They set out; and there ahead of…

FREE RESOURCE

Pay attention to the soul of your leadership with a FREE series written by Ruth Haley Barton

  • Reflections written for spiritual leaders delivered over 4 weeks each Saturday morning
  • Includes guidance to listen to what your soul wants to say to God and what God wants to say to your soul
  • Every reflection includes a recording by Ruth that goes deeper into topic.
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