Season Two - Episode 30: The Deeply Formed Life with Rich Villodas
Contemplative Spirituality. Racial Justice. The Art of Preaching.
Rich Villodas speaks and writes about three of my favorite topics! I couldn’t wait to have him on this podcast.
In this, the 30th episode of The Why Behind the What, I interview Rich about his new book, The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformational Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus. We talk about his journey of discovering contemplative spirituality, how these transformational values can help us live a deep life instead of a shallow life, and how racial justice is an essential contemplative practice.
One of my favorite parts of this conversation was when Rich mentioned that “God doesn’t dwell in allusion, but God dwells in reality.”
It was a reminder to me that God is as close to us as our very breathing, that the Divine is all around us, and that we need to become of aware of the True Reality within our reality.
If you want to learn more about Rich, be sure to check out his website and follow him on Twitter. If you’re in Queens and looking for a church community, I recommend you check out his church, New Life Fellowship. You can also stream services online.
Finally a few great resources Rich recommends in this episode are, Barbara Holmes’ Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church and Henri Nouwen’s Out of Solitude and The Way of the Heart.
As you pursue a deeply formed life, one that finds God in reality, may you have peace, may you have calm, and may you have happiness.