rooted (IN).ten.tionally

Life is loud. Chaotic. Stressful. How do we move through the noise to be still and know God? In this extended episode, Susan is joined by Matt Tebbe, a pastor, communicator and co-founder of Gravity Leadership. To normalize the practice of silence, Matt models practical tools you can use to move into and experience quiet. In the stillness of silence, you'll find a new pathway to know God and your...

Welcome to a new season of the rooted (IN).ten.tionally podcast! For many of you, 2020 was a year of lament. And then, just as you turned the corner to 2021, the violence and chaos in the U.S. Capitol amplified your shock, frustration and sorrow. How do you move through the pain of lament to a deep and lasting hope? I invite you to meditate with me through a scripture from Lamentations 3. Together...

Are you overwhelmed by the distress, disappointments, and divisions of these days? How can the wrongs be set right? How do you even begin to pray? Jesus understands. And he offers you the way and the words. In this episode, you're invited to personalize the Lord's Prayer. As you pray through each phrase of this prayer, you'll enter safe space to express your heart to a good Father who loves you de...

As we face together so much that threatens to divide us, I invite you to pray with Jesus for oneness. It can feel impossible, this ideal of unity. And yet, in this prayer, you will find a promise. Pray this prayer with Jesus and listen for the invitation. As you hold honestly the things that divide, let God reveal to you his heart of love and guidance for this season. Join the rooted community at...

As we seek to live rooted and grounded amidst all that's wrong in the world, we inevitably experience a mix of emotions--blessing, sorrow, and more. In today's episode, liturgist and author Aaron Niequist joins me to guide you through a practice that embraces both blessing and sorrow together. As you hold both the good and the bad in your life before God, you will enter the calming peace of God's...

Your rooted journey today will take you into a new and perhaps unexpected place: Lament. Prayers of lament are common in Scripture, particularly in the Psalms, and are a call for help in the midst of pain. Today I create safe space for you to bring the unedited cry of your heart honestly to God. As you reflect on the pain in your life and in the world– and then move back to a place trust - you wil...

During your times of reflection on this rooted journey, you may have noticed your human tendency to give soul space to things that crowd out the life of the Spirit. In today's episode, pastor Mandy Smith joins me to guide you in a prayer of emptying and filling. Drawing upon the scriptural metaphor of the clay jar (2 Corinthians 4:7-9), you will identify and release the things you are carrying to...

Today, I invite you to engage in an ancient prayer of renewal: the Sign of the Cross. As you touch your forehead, chest and shoulders, and intentionally reflect along with me, you will become more mindful of the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with and within you. Look for clarity and peace to wash over you as you connect your mind, heart, past and future in this present moment. Join t...

You've joined the rooted journey and found a safe space to connect with God through Susan's words. Not surprisingly, her depth of wisdom comes from a lifetime of walking closely with the Lord. In this episode, Susan is interviewed by long-time friend Steve Eklund. Journey with her as she discovers healing from depression, founds a ministry for people with AIDS, and becomes a practitioner in the ar...

In this episode, we step into the Christmas story as the angel speaks to Mary. I invite you to engage in Mary's experience, responding to the promise of God born in her and considering the life that God has deposited in you. How will you respond to the angel's words that nothing is impossible with God? Join the rooted movement and find Susan's book at susancarson.net. Book Susan to contribute to y...

This ancient prayer from Ireland's beloved Saint Patrick helps center us again in the reality of (IN). Together, we'll contemplate the reality that Christ is in us as we are in Christ. Allow the reality of (IN) to expand in your heart and mind as you contemplate the prayer. The answers, the strength, the healing, the hope you need today are not out there somewhere. They are already here. Step (IN)...

The worries and all the doing of life often leave us disconnected from God and ourselves. Through this listening and healing prayer experience, you're invited to move from worry and anxiety back to love. From a place of rest, we'll pray from Psalm 139, inviting Holy Spirit to search our hearts and show us what's in the way of connection. Join the rooted movement and find Susan's book at susancarso...

Seeing really is believing. So today, we engage in a practice that will help us see and participate in a story told by Jesus. Watch how God is present to you as you engage your imagination and all your senses to see this story about a father and two sons. This practice of imaginative prayer from St. Ignatius gives us a powerful way to prayerfully reflect on Scripture. Join the rooted movement and...

Welcome to (IN).ten.tionally Rooted, ten (or so) minutes designed to help you connect more deeply with God and your true self. In this episode, we engage in an ancient practice known as lectio divina or sacred reading. Author Richard Foster describes it as "the kind of reading in which the mind descends into the heart and both are drawn into the love and goodness of God." Are you ready to experien...