Spiritual Formation as COVID-19 Gets More Depressing

Quick to Listen

Christianity Today

Religion, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.3 • 622 Ratings

🗓️ 18 November 2020

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Transcribed highlights of the show can be found in our episode summaries. We’re right on the cusp of the holiday season. Except this year it doesn’t feel much like it. Each day this month, thousands of American—record numbers—have tested positive for COVID-19. Even as several vaccines are now on the horizon, many public health authorities have asked Americans to not reunite with extended family over Thanksgiving, requests that will no doubt continue during the Christmas season. Millions of people have already spent hours more this year inside, apart from their loved ones, houses of worship, and beloved activities. While the summer offered many a respite from their homes, the arrival of cold weather will likely keep people there. This bleakness, of course, comes on the heels of a year of postponed weddings, never organized baby showers, and drive-by birthday parties. And, of course, one of the year’s most agonizing elements has been the disparity with which community and individuals have adopted and practiced social distancing and mask-wearing. These relationship tensions have had both personal and societal polarizing effect. This week on Quick to Listen, we discussed the reality between the joyous expectations of the holidays—and the darkness we’re all feeling this year with Chris Hall, the president of Renovare, the spiritual formation organization started by Richard Foster. Hall is also associate editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and has written a great four volume series of books on what we can learn from the early church, and was one of CT’s theology editors and advisers. He joined global media manager Morgan Lee and editorial director Ted Olsen to talk about growing in your relationship with God and practicing spiritual disciplines during a pandemic. What is Quick to Listen? Read more Rate Quick to Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow our hosts on Twitter: Morgan Lee and Ted Olsen Learn more about Renovaré Music by Sweeps Quick to Listen is produced by Morgan Lee and Matt Linder The transcript is edited by Bunmi Ishola Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you in part by The Apologetics Guy Show, the podcast that helps you find clear answers to tough questions about Christianity.
0:11.0	Learn to explain your faith with courage and compassion.
0:14.5	Join Moody Bible Institute professor Dr. Mikkel del Rosario at apologeticsky.com.
0:21.9	We're right on the cusp of the holiday season, except this year it doesn't feel much like it.
0:28.8	Each day this month, thousands of Americans record numbers have tested positive for COVID-19.
0:34.5	Even as several vaccines are now on the horizon.
0:37.4	Many public health authorities have asked Americans not to reunite with extended family over Thanksgiving, requests that will no doubt continue during the Christmas season.
0:46.4	Millions of people have already spent hours, more inside this year, apart from their loved ones, houses of worship, and favorite activities.
0:55.0	While this summer offered many a respite from their homes, the arrival of cold weather
0:58.8	will likely keep people there, cabin fever or not.
1:02.4	This bleakness, of course, comes on the heels of a year of postponed weddings and never-organized
1:07.1	baby showers and many drive-by birthday parties.
1:14.6	And of course, one of the year's most agonizing elements has been the disparity with which community and individuals have adopted and practiced social distancing and mask wearing.
1:19.6	These relationship tensions have had both a personal and societal polarizing effect.
1:24.6	So it's really been a lot.
1:26.6	We wanted to confront the reality behind the joyous
1:29.5	expectations of the holidays and the darkness that we've all been feeling this year.
1:37.8	You are listening to Quick to Listen, where we go beyond hashtags and hot takes to discuss a major
1:42.8	cultural event. I'm Morgan Lee, global media manager at Christianity Today.
1:47.1	And I'm Ted Olson, editorial director at Christianity Today.
2:06.6	All right, Ted, it's kind of weird to, like, give a gut check to kind of like a collective gut check, but would you want to speak about your own personal angst or mehness or exasperation?
2:14.9	So I met with my game group, two buddies of mine that we used to board game, fairly
	...

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