033: The Slow and Steady with Dallas Willard and Michael Cusick

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in new window | Download The whole point is presence, the with-God life. That’s the real substance of our relationship with God. – Dallas Willard, 1935-2013 Amidst the clamor of contemporary life, there is the narrow path of slowing down and setting our souls before the insight of the elders. We can take heart: there are wise ones who have gone before us, men and women who have recovered the lost treasure of the Gospel and can effectively communicate it. Wise ones who now make known to us the path of Life. Join me in this deep and rich interview with Dallas Willard and Michael Cusick and spend some time in the company of true elders. Michael is an ally of our Wild at Heart team. As both president of Restoring the Soul and lead counselor of a team of like-hearted warriors, he is devoted to the restoration of the hearts of men. You can find out much more about Restoring the Soul and the retreats, intensive counseling opportunities, and marriage ministry they offer at RestoringTheSoul.com. Here is just a sample of the realities Dallas and Michael touch on in this conversation: How do God and His Kingdom usually work? What is God’s preference in the “how” of uniting heaven and earth in the kingdom of God? Rather than focusing on the ways God can work, what if we focused our energy on participating in the ways God prefers to manifest His kingdom on the earth? Pascal said "all the troubles of the world come from the fact that people cannot go into a room, sit down, and be quiet." Why is stillness important, and how can we participate in the art of sitting down and being quiet? Solitude is a radical discipline that breaks the hold the world's system has over us. Solitude suspends the activities that pull at us, distract us, and energize our unaware-of-God identities and habits. Dallas  and Michael explore how solitude is a reliable activity—within our power to do—that enables us to experience the with-God life through interactive knowing and being known. Wholeness is the functioning of all aspects of the self in harmonious union. It's what enables a person to be truly good, doing good under God. If you're interested in deeper restoration, I encourage you to connect with Michael Cusick and his team at Restoring the Soul. Strength and Honor, Morgan