Life with God: A Renovaré Podcast

Nathan talks with pastor and poet Joshua Luke Smith about practicing presence and contentment in the “leftovers” of your life, because the hard parts are holy ground.

Nathan talks with Jon Bailey, Renovaré Ministry Team member and new author of the book Dwelling in Christ (first book in this season's Renovaré Book Club). The two discuss how Jon came to experience and write about the never-ending journey of transformation in Christ.

Nate speaks with retired psychiatrist Dr. Hilary Johnson about how the indivisibility of body, mind, and spirit means that wellness is, at some level, always a spiritual endeavor—empowered by God in and through loving relationships.

On Life With God, Nathan has a fascinating conversation with author Mark Buchanan about his WWII novel, What Is Left of the Night —why he wrote it, what he learned, and how it offers a vision of kingdom living we can carry into present-day crises.

We invite you to enter a time of prayer with Nathan Foster as he works through the Litany of Humility’s three movements and expands them with his own meditations. The prayer begins, “O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.”

Nathan Foster talks with author and priest Ragan Sutterfield on the sacramental nature of birding and other patient pursuits which train our attention so that we can live awake to our transcendent God and the invisible realm of his kingdom.

In this bonus episode we share a conversation from a Renovaré webinar called Shaped by the Word. Host Carolyn Arends speaks with Tim Mackie and Carla Harding about how Scripture functions in the lives of Jesus’ disciples to form us and draw us into a living relationship with Father Son and Spirit.

Three Renovaré staff members—Carolyn Arends, Monty Harrington, and Brandan Spencer—joined Nathan on Life with God to describe the team’s pilgrimage to Montgomery to give sustained attention to injustice against Black people in the United States and celebrate the legacy of God-empowered resistance and resilience.

Nathan talks with Grace Pouch about her new book Savoring Childhood and how small steps toward a slower, simpler lifestyle create space for a deeply rooted life of love for God and others. Grace’s book Savoring Childhood A few excerpts: A sample chapter from the publisher "Animal Friends" "Simple Tastes" "Joy is in the Waiting" on Christianity Today Grace’s website gracepouch.com Follow along for reflections on family life, spiritual formation, and the slow work of renewal on Grace’s Substack @GrapplePie , and on Instagram @Grace.Pate.Pouch

On Nathan Foster’s recent trip to England, he recorded an in-person conversation with Roy Searle, board member for Renovaré Britain and Ireland and elder in the Northumbria Community, about seeking and finding God in the era of “great unravelling.” Show Notes Roy is a Companion in the Northumbria Community and a former Pioneer Ambassador with the Baptist Union of Great Britain. A popular speaker, writer, leadership mentor, spiritual director, retreat leader and advisor, he is passionate about encouraging people to know the transforming love of God, helping them to realize their potential and encouraging people to love both God and neighbor and live generously. He is a Fellow of St. John’s College, Durham, an Associate Tutor at Spurgeons College, London, a member of the Renovaré Board in Britain and Ireland and an associate of The Commons Co-operative. Roy's latest book - Forming Communities of Hope in the Great Unraveling by Alan J. Roxburgh and Roy Searle The Northumbria Community website Celtic Daily Prayer Celtic Spirituality - A Beginners Guide The Patrick Compline is an evening prayer from the Celtic Daily Prayer collection — a collection and practice used by the Northumbria Community as part of their shared rule , or community rhythm.

Lori Melton joins Nate on the Life With God podcast this week to share about the spiritual practice she writes about in her new book, Journey with a Giant .

Nate talks with author and Renovaré Institute alum Emily Bain Murphy about her new middle grade fiction book and the potency of stories for spiritual formation.

Nate speaks with author and Willard scholar Keas Keasler about the enduring helpfulness of Dallas Willard’s life and work.

Nathan Foster talks with Tiffany Clark about what the 20th century Indian Christian mystic Sundar Singh can teach us about encountering God.

Pete Greig, author of the book How To Hear God (up next in the Renovaré Book Club), joined Nate for a wonderful conversation on the ways that God speaks and what it looks like to listen well. Show Notes *Join us for the second half of this year's Renovaré Book Club at a reduced rate as Pete Greig leads us through his book How to Hear God . Pete’s book— How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People Read an excerpt from How to Hear God . 24-7 Prayer (founded by Pete) Lectio 365 Daily Devotional (co-hosted by Pete) Waverley Abbey Scripture reference—the Emmaus Road story is found in Luke 24:13-35 Support the Life With God podcast and the work of Renovaré at renovare.org/donate .

Nathan and Vivianne Foster share a meditation for the New Year melding a famous quote by Francis de Sales with the words of Mary from Luke 1 in this bonus episode of Life With God .

On this week’s podcast episode, Nathan and Vivianne Foster discuss how to welcome Christ—looking to Jesus’ parents as a picture of consent, receptivity, and hospitality. Show Notes Vivianne's Christmas Pie Recipe This recipe was invented as my mother and I struggled to figure out the perfect way to enjoy Christmas Day together without fussing over ten different casseroles that needed to go in and out of the oven, and magically all be ready at the same moment. Having a French Canadian heritage, meat pies — called tourtieres are a big thing for us. This one takes things a step further: essentially everything you’d find on your Christmas plate goes IN the pie. If it feels too risky to swap out your complicated chaotic menu for this sumptuous simple main dish, take a risk by using your leftovers to make this pie. If you can’t handle recipes that simply paint a picture, and omit detailed measurements, I highly recommend not embarking on this adventure. For the rest of you, here we go: Pie crust: Use whatever savory pastry recipe you usually make, adding some fresh or dried herbs, cut up (eg: thyme, rosemary, sage) Filling: You’ll need enough to fill each pie you’re going to make, which I usually eyeball as I mix and add ingredients into a very large mixing bowl, so that the total amount in the bowl is sufficient to fill the shells. Make the ratio as seems fit to you: In a big bowl, combine: Cooked turkey, shredded into chunky pieces, or cut Cubed bread, preferably sourdough, preferably dry so that it doesn’t turn to mush, cubed. (You can toast cubes of fresh bread in the oven if you don’t have any stale bread) Fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped, but raw (so that each berry is at least halved, but could be in quarters) Diced apples In a cast iron frying pan, set to low medium, cook a pound of bacon, slowly; I usually have to do this in two batches, and set on cutting board to cool before chopping into small pieces. Keep the rendered fat from the bacon in the pan, turning the heat up to medium and adding: A few diced onions, or a larger amount of leeks A few diced potatoes (small diced) Once potatoes seem tender but not soft, remove from heat, pouring onion and potato mixture into main bowl, along with bacon bits. Stir the mixture to combine, adding a very generous amount of dried sage (I use at least 1/4 to 1/2 a cup for 2-3 pies. Add as you wish: pepper and salt. Add one egg per pie into the main bowl, mixing thoroughly to moisten the mixture. You will need a minimum of 6 cups of filing per pie you want to fill. Spoon mixture into pie shell, mounding it up in the middle. Cover with pastry top, and cut a few designs in the top to allow hot air to escape. Cover with foil and bake as per your usual preference for baking pies, or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze if you don’t plan on cooking within a day. We usually set aside a family afternoon for assembling the pies and freeze them, then bake from frozen the day of Christmas. A fun part of our tradition is using Christmas cookie cutters to make designs appliquéd on top of the pie. Have fun!

Artist, author, and speaker Scott Erickson joined Nate for a conversation about creative expression as a way to speak truth, notice God's work in our lives, and excavate prayer and adoration for Christ. Show Notes Scott Erickson is an artist, author, and performance speaker who mixes autobiography, mythology, and aesthetics to create symbols and moments that speak to our deepest experiences. He is the author of five books, the creator of two touring one man shows, a spiritual director to brave women and men, and a professional dishwasher for his food blogging wife. He lives in Vancouver, WA and is most loved by his wife, three children, and two out of three cats. scottericksonart.com Instagram - @scottthepainter

Brad East joined Nate on Life With God for a helpful conversation about how our use of technology must be governed by the overarching goals of spiritual formation in Christ. Show Notes Brad East is an associate professor of theology at Abilene Christian University. He is the author of four books: The Doctrine of Scripture (2021), The Church’s Book: Theology of Scripture in Ecclesial Context (2022), The Church: A Guide to the People of God (2024), and Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry (2024). He also writes regularly on his personal blog. He lives in west Texas with his wife and their four children. Brad’s forthcoming book for pastors on navigating digital technology is due out in early 2027 with Baker. For other articles related to this episode, please see: A Vision for Screen-Free Church Just Say No to Online Church Finally, a Tech Book That Doesn’t Pull Punches

Grace Hamman talks with Nathan about medieval wisdom for how to cooperate with God’s grace to set aside vices (anti-love impulses) and put on virtues (loving, Christlike impulses). Grace Hamman, Ph.D. (Duke University) is a writer and independent scholar of late medieval poetry and contemplative writing. She is the author of Ask of Old Paths and Jesus through Medieval Eyes . Her work has been published by academic and popular outlets, including Plough Quarterly and The Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Grace hosts a podcast called Old Books with Grace which celebrates the beauty and joy found in reading the literature and theology of the past. Grace holds a doctorate in English, specializing in medieval literature and theology, from Duke University. She lives near Denver, Colorado with her husband and three young children. https://gracehamman.com/ https://www.instagram.com/oldbookswithgrace/ https://gracehamman.substack.com/