The Invitation

This is prayer exercise #41 from the prayer guide, "40 Ways to Spend Five Minutes with God," available at invitationpodcast.org. Listen and discover why there are 41 prayer practices and not just 40. A brief reading is offered from G.K. Chesterton's book, Orthodoxy.

In this long format retreat Nathan Foster of Renovaré uses a reading from the 14th Century British mystic Julian of Norwich in a guided prayer. He uses several statements of how "God's wishes" us to pursue him. Visit renovare.org for more resources from Nathan and several other helpful teachers.

This is prayer exercise #26 from the prayer guide, "40 Ways to Spend Five Minutes with God," available at invitationpodcast.org. Listen to and join a prayer written by Teilhard de Chardin, a 20th century Jesuit paleontologist. Instrumental sounds by Josh Banner

In this conversation Josh and Nathan discuss spiritual disciplines, the six streams of spirituality celebrated by Renovaré, ecumenicism, mysticism, and parenting. How indeed do we help anyone, especially our own children grow spiritually? Josh introduces this conversation with a longer 'audio essay' on his own history with books by Nathan's father, Richard Foster and how Richard Foster and Dallas...

This is prayer exercise #14 from the prayer guide, "40 Ways to Spend Five Minutes with God," available at invitationpodcast.org. If this short format leaves you wanting more guidance in prayer, please try out one of our first three episodes. A new long format retreat led by Nathan Foster of Renovare and an interview with Nathan will be available soon. The definitions of meditation, or 'haga' in He...

Josh managed to get an hour with recording artists Josh Garrels and John Mark McMillan in the afternoon before they performed a concert at Hope College. They discuss the charismatic, Evangelical, and Catholic church; aesthetic care of worship and worship spaces; reading the Bible for what it actually says; family disciplines and Sabbath keeping, creating more space for God with exercise, when to s...

This episode is the first in our new five minute format. This is prayer exercise #4 from the prayer guide, "40 Ways to Spend Five Minutes with God," available at invitationpodcast.org. Be sure to get out something to write with for this guided prayer. If you have interest in writing and recording a five minute prayer exercise, please consult the prayer guide and then contact josh@invitationpodcast...

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, pr...

Josh sits down with spiritual director and author Sharon Garlough Brown (www.sensibleshoes.com) at the Dominican Center in Grand Rapids, MI. They discuss Sharon's journey into spiritual direction, the story behind her Sensible Shoes books, Ignatian Spirituality, the missional church, Henri Nouwen, Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, the disciplines of silence, lectio divina, journaling, Scripture medi...

Josh is visited by his long-time friend Brad Kilman, a worship leader and songwriter from Oklahoma City. They discuss spiritual friendship, the similarities between worship leading and spiritual direction, songwriting, their first experiences in a recording studio, spiritual listening, dealing with ego in leadership, Taizé, and the enneagram. www.bradkilman.com Also check out www.theversesproject....

For the first Invitation Podcast interview, Josh sits down with his spiritual director, Joseph Byrd OLF. As with any conversation with Joseph, prepare yourself to hang on tight to the dynamic spiritual ‘flow’ of this conversation. Topics covered are prayer, suffering, waking to God as if from a dream, music, prison outreach, CS Lewis, Dallas Willard, Teilhard de Chardin, St. Ignatius, St. Francis...

"I will come in to you to eat with you, and you with me." How do we sit down and participate in the greater pleasures of God? This retreat slowly and carefully guides you through Scripture, quotes from great authors (Fredrick Buechner, Origen, Theophan the Recluse), and questions for you to consider, all to help you become more familiar with God in prayer. Music: “Save My Life” Josh Banner 1999 “A...

This second 'retreat' of the Invitation considers what it means to search for God with your whole heart and to find him. Jeremiah 29:12-14 is read three times in the format of lectio divina. Thoughts and questions are shared throughout to guide your time of prayer. Music: “Save My Life” Josh Banner 1999 “Always Faithful” by Brad Kilman www.bradkilman.com Josh with Jared DeMeester (uke & upright ba...

With all the lovely and encouraging feedback on episode, here is an update as we prepare episodes 2 and 3. Also, there is a brief description of the Invitation Summer Retreat 2016, "Developing a Conversational Relationship With God" that starts May 4. You are invited to participate! For more information visit www.harderwyk.com/spiritual-formation

This first episode is an introduction to spiritual formation and meditation on Matthew 11:28-30.