This month, the Academy Podcast features Rubén Ortiz's teaching from the 2022 online Academy Day Apart retreat called “Hope in a Time of Despair: Advent Through Immigrant Eyes." In this episode, Rubén Ortiz shares his personal journey as a migrant, weaving together stories of family, faith, and transformation. Through the lenses of familia, nepantla (the in-between spaces), and diaspora, Rubén reflects on the spiritual lessons he’s learned through migration and exile. Drawing on biblical narratives, his own experiences, and the themes of Advent, Rubén explores the creative and transformative potential of waiting, belonging, and building bridges across cultures.

Join us as Rubén invites us to expand the boundaries of our hearts, see the vast ocean of possibilities in migration, and discover how faith shapes a life in motion.

Take a look at Rubén's presentation slides here: https://bit.ly/rubenortizacademy

Rev. Rubén N. Ortiz, M.Div., is the Latino Field Ministries Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). He a two-time immigrant: Cuba to Ecuador (1993) and Ecuador to USA (2000). With studies in music, communications, and theology, Rubén has served as a pastor for more than two decades as well as a Spiritual Director. He is often called upon as a consultant, advisor, and resource facilitator and is passionate about promoting the wellbeing of congregations and pastors. Rubén was a participant in Two-Year Academy #32 (a Spanish and English bilingual Academy) and is also part of the Academy Advisory Board. In his ministry with CBF, he works with Latino congregations and partners and provides leadership to FAMILIA, CBF’s Latino Network. Rubén and his wife, Xiomara, are “empty-nester” parents of Natalia Sofia and Daniel Andrés.

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We're excited to announce that the next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. Learn more about Two-Year Academy #43 and apply here: https://academy.upperroom.org/event/two-year-43/

Show Notes:

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Support Our Work

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/

This month, the Academy Podcast features Barbara Brown Taylor's teaching from a Five-Day in Alabama in 2022. In this episode, Barbara reflects on the spiritual significance of twilight, exploring how this threshold time between light and dark mirrors our own journeys through faith, transformation, and the unknown.

Join us for a compelling discussion as Barbara invites us to embrace the sacredness of liminal spaces, to find divine presence in moments of transition, and to open ourselves to the mystery that twilight holds. Discover how twilight can be a teacher in the journey of descent and transformation, where we are invited to live faithfully in the tensions of life.

Barbara Brown Taylor is a best-selling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest.  Her first memoir, Leaving Church, won an Author of the Year award from the Georgia Writers Association in 2006.  Her next three books earned places on the New York Times bestseller list.  Taylor has served on the faculties of Piedmont College, Emory University, Mercer University, Columbia Seminary, Oblate School of Theology, and the Certificate in Theological Studies program at Arrendale State Prison for Women in Alto, Georgia. Her latest book, Always a Guest, was released in October 2020 from Westminster John Knox Press.

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We're excited to announce that the next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. Lear more at https://academy.upperroom.org/event/two-year-43/. The online application for Academy #43 will be available in the very near future. If you want to be one of the first to know when registration is open, please complete this simple form to give us your name and contact information so that we can inform you as soon as the application is ready.

Show Notes:

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Support Our Work

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/

This month, the Academy Podcast features Molly Vetter's teaching from Academy #42 in 2023 on the topic, "Spirituality and Embodiment." In this episode, Molly Vetter reflects on the intersection of scripture, art, and spirituality, inviting listeners to see how sacred traditions and personal experiences converge in daily life.

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that invites us to see our faith embodied in everyday life, to find the sacred in art and community, and to live faithfully—even when it challenges institutional norms.

Rev. Molly Vetter is passionate about many things: building community with unlikely and diverse people, making the church more boldly welcoming, and caring for the earth. Since 2019, she has served as Senior Pastor of Westwood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, a congregation with a rich legacy of thoughtful engagement on social issues and incredible worship gatherings in which to connect to the grace and mystery of our God. Molly received her Masters of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology and studied Art History for undergrad at Boston University. In her personal and professional life, she loves planning events and trips, and enjoys experiencing them, too. She loves designing and making things, especially out of fabric or food or the internet. Outside of the local church, Molly has served in several leadership roles in the broader United Methodist Church and stays active in organizations that serve the local community. She volunteers with the Grain Place Foundation, a non-profit that will inherit and continue her family’s organic farm in central Nebraska. Molly lives with her husband, Matthew Parker, and their son Jonah. Molly is an alum of Two-Year Academy #41 and will serve as Retreat Leader for upcoming Two-Year Academy #43.

Artwork & Photos from the episode:

The Trinity — Kelly Latimore: https://kellylatimoreicons.com/products/the-trinity

That they may have life — Corita Kent:

https://collection.corita.org/piece/64-24

Enriched bread — Corita Kent:

https://collection.corita.org/piece/65-02

Welcome Sign — Noah Purifoy:

https://bit.ly/3BKvF3V

Toilet Bowl Sculpture — Noah Purifoy

https://bit.ly/3Y32fG2

Sitting in The White House — Noah Purifoy:

https://bit.ly/3ByXyfr

White/Colored — Noah Purifoy:

https://bit.ly/3BsD5bZ

Claremont School of Theology Cross — Sam Maloof:

https://bit.ly/3XPVMho

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We're excited to announce that the next Two-Year Academy begins November 3, 2025. A website and online application for Academy #43 will be available in the very near future. We’ll be sharing those details in the coming weeks. If you want to be one of the first to know when registration is open, please complete this simple form to give us your name and contact information so that we can inform you as soon as the application is ready. Link to Form: forms.gle/X63WN8RHtAvLDWLL7

Show Notes:

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Support Our Work

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/

This month, the Academy Podcast features Juan Carlos Huertas' teaching from Academy #42 in 2023 on the topic, "Attentiveness to the Word." In this episode, Huertas dives into the rich world of prophetic literature, exploring how the ancient texts of the Bible connect to the realities of our lives today, emphasizing how scripture mirrors modern challenges in justice, leadership, and kinship. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that invites us to engage more deeply with scripture, justice, and our role in building a more equitable and loving world.

Juan Carlos describes himself as a follower of Jesus, husband, dad, spiritual director, and pastor. Currently he is Minister of Proclamation and Practice of Justice at First-Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, NE. Previously, Juan Carlos was the pastor of Grace Community United Methodist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. Juan says what God has called him to do in his ministry is, “To work as Jesus would have us work to make a difference in our community, to work together for peace and justice.” Juan is married to Shannon Perry Huertas and they have three children, Seth, Isabelle, & Lucas. For more information, go to https://www.firstplymouth.org/juan-carlos-huertas.

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We're excited to announce that the next Two-Year Academy begins November 2, 2025. A website and online application for Academy #43 will be available in the very near future. If you want to be one of the first to know when registration is open, please complete this simple form to give us your name and contact information so that we can inform you as soon as the application is ready. Link to Form: https://forms.gle/X63WN8RHtAvLDWLL7

Show Notes:

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Support Our Work

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/

This month, the Academy Podcast features Shively Smith's teaching from Academy #42 in 2023 on the profound spirituality of the New Testament. In this episode, Dr. Smith explores the diversity within early Christian texts, emphasizing how the spirit of new life and love was interpreted across various cultures, languages, and geographies. She encourages listeners to reflect on the spiritual and social implications of the crucifixion, urging us to consider who stands with us at the cross and who we wish were there. Tune in to be challenged, inspired, and invited into deeper reflection on the intersections of faith and society.

Shively Smith is Associate Professor of New Testament and Director of the PhD Program at Boston University School of Theology. She is also Resident Scholar and an itinerant elder at the historic Metropolitan AME Church of Washington DC. Since the age of 16, Smith has been a student of the Bible and other sacred texts. Dedicated to the life of the mind and journey of the spirit, she goes about her work as a scholar and teacher of biblical texts and histories with hopes of making a difference by speaking informed, courageous, and spirit-filled truths. Smith says: “I'm proud to have studied and collaborated with some of the most committed and educated scholars, teachers, and preachers in theological education, the Church universal, other religious traditions, and beyond. Each day, I aim to grow in my understanding and faith to create bridges for people from different walks of life to talk to each other.” For more information, go to https://www.shivelysmith.com/about.

You can hear more from Shively in her session on Spirituality and Scripture at the first session of The Academy's new hybrid offering mentioned below!

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The Academy for Spiritual Formation presents Spirituality in Practice. This newest offering is a unique six-session hybrid model that consists of three immersive, five-day in-person retreats and three online one-day retreats plus monthly two-hour online practice sessions to support integration of learnings and nurture community. Spirituality in Practice is structured to provide an in-depth spiritual journey while keeping the time and financial commitments at more manageable levels. We are accepting applications now. Session 1 begins September 6, 2024, in Mundelein, IL (near Chicago). Find more details and apply here

Show Notes:

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Support Our Work

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/

This month, the Academy Podcast features Lucretia Berry and Ben Bowell's teaching from an online Academy Day Apart in 2021 called, Courageous Curiosity: Cultivating an Antiracist Spirituality. In this enlightening conversation, Lucretia and Ben share their personal stories of Christian faith formation and its intersection with antiracism. Together, they offer profound insights into the importance of examining our stories as we seek to dismantle racism, inviting us to engage in deep soul work for true transformation.

Lucretia Berry is the founder of Brownicity - Many Hues, One Humanity (brownicity.com), a non-profit dedicated to advocacy, education and support for racial healing and antiracism that hosts thousands of learners committed to an antiracism learning journey. She is a wife to Nathan and a mother of three little girls. A former college professor, Lucretia designed an onboarding course and authored the accompanying study guide called, What LIES Between Us: Fostering First Steps Toward Racial Healing. She is the Antiracism Curriculum Specialist for Community School of Davidson (NC), a contributor for (In)courage.me, and a TEDx and Q Ideas speaker (Charlotte). Lucretia finds joy in prayer, dark chocolate covered almonds, and dancing!

Ben Boswell is the senior minister at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC where he serves at the intersection of strategic leadership, spiritual formation, and social justice. He is a preacher, pastor, author, civil rights leader, and sought-after public speaker. Ben is also a former infantry officer in the U.S. Army National Guard, a graduate of Marion Military Institute (AA), Campbell University (BA), Duke Divinity School (MDIV), and Saint Paul’s School of Theology (DMIN) where his doctoral thesis was “Identifying Whiteness: Discerning Race through Spiritual Practice in the White Dominant Church.” During his doctoral studies, Ben also completed the Two-Year Academy for Spiritual Formation (#39). He is the author and founder of Confronting Whiteness (confrontingwhiteness.com/), a group that aims to transform people racialized as white into anti-racist practitioners. Ben loves craft beer, movies, running, spending time outdoors and being with his family.

JOIN US

The Academy for Spiritual Formation presents Spirituality in Practice. This newest offering is a unique six-session hybrid model that consists of three immersive, five-day in-person retreats and three online one-day retreats plus monthly two-hour online practice sessions to support integration of learnings and nurture community. Spirituality in Practice is structured to provide an in-depth spiritual journey while keeping the time and financial commitments at more manageable levels. We are accepting applications now. Session 1 begins September 6, 2024, in Mundelein, IL (near Chicago). Find more details and apply at academy.upperroom.org/event/spiritua…-practice2024/.

Show Notes:

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Support Our Work

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at academy.upperroom.org/donate/

This month, the Academy Podcast features Grace Imathiu teaching at the Indiana Five-Day in 2021. Grace illuminates the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, a title she challenges because parables cannot be contained. Grace explores the story through different lenses to reveal a God of reckless abundance who shows us how our life together could be despite our histories.

Rev. Grace Imathiu is Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois. Pastor Grace is a citizen of the world for whom ‘the world is her parish’. As an African who is married to a European and is raising an American son, Grace is fluent in three languages, was educated in Kenya, U.S.A., in England and Israel. Grace has a passion and gift for inspiring and nurturing prophetic communities of faith to live out loud the Jesus Story. For Grace, the quintessential expression of the resurrected Lord’s presence is a community whose very DNA is a radical hospitality which births a loving and a healthy tension that is ideological, theological, racial, ethnic and cultural. She thrives on diversity. Grace was married to David Jones, who recently died in March 2023. Together, they are the parents to Erik.

JOIN US

The Academy for Spiritual Formation presents  Spirituality in Practice. This newest offering is a unique six-session hybrid model that consists of three immersive, five-day in-person retreats and three online one-day retreats plus monthly two-hour online practice sessions to support integration of learnings and nurture community. Spirituality in Practice is structured to provide an in-depth spiritual journey while keeping the time and financial commitments at more manageable levels. We are accepting applications now. Session 1 begins September 6, 2024, in Mundelein, IL (near Chicago). Find more details and apply at academy.upperroom.org/event/spiritua…-practice2024/.

Show Notes:

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Support Our Work

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/

This month, the Academy Podcast features Elaine Heath's understanding of neighborhood shalom. Her lecture from Academy 40 speaks to us of hopes and expectations, of well formed theology that is undone by lived experience. Knowing about Jesus and experiencing the compassion and presence of Jesus in the neighborhood is nothing short of transformational. Listen on, dear one, and as you listen, breathe deeply and expand gently.

Elaine Heath’s vocational journey includes having served as Dean of the Divinity School at Duke University, and the McCreless Professor of Evangelism at Perkins School of Theology.  She is a pioneer in new forms of theological education. In that capacity Heath is co-founder and former President of Neighborhood Seminary. The author of thirteen books, Heath is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and served in pastoral ministry prior to her academic ministry.  She lives with her husband at Spring Forest, an intentional Christian Community and farm in rural North Carolina where she serves as Abbess.

JOIN US

The Academy for Spiritual Formation presents  Spirituality in Practice. This newest offering is a unique six-session hybrid model that consists of three immersive, five-day in-person retreats and three online one-day retreats plus monthly two-hour online practice sessions to support integration of learnings and nurture community. Spirituality in Practice is structured to provide an in-depth spiritual journey while keeping the time and financial commitments at more manageable levels. We are accepting applications now. Session 1 begins September 6, 2024, in Mundelein, IL (near Chicago). Find more details and apply at https://academy.upperroom.org/event/spirituality-in-practice2024/.

Show Notes:

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Support Our Work

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/

This month, the Academy Podcast features Claire K. McKeever-Burgett as she discusses the sacred people, places, and experiences that shaped her new book, Blessed are the Women. Step into the holy conversation of what it means to be - not just a woman - but human - one who is loved, and listened to by the Divine. Blessed indeed are the ones who hear women in the Bible for they, like Christ, will see the Divine Mother face to face. Listen on Beloveds. 

Claire K. McKeever-Burgett is an author, creative contemplative, and spiritual leader who has dedicated her life to bridging spirituality and social justice. With a background in English and Professional Writing from Baylor University and a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School, she has served as a clergy, led congregations, and facilitated transformative writing, movement, and liturgical practices centered on healing and embodiment. A mother, certified birth and postpartum doula, and a yoga, dance, and martial arts instructor, Claire lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. She writes regularly on Substack, and her book, Blessed Are the Women: Naming and Reclaiming Women's Stories from the Gospels (February 27, 2024), shares stories of women from the Gospels in their words, with their own names, interwoven with Claire’s personal story of growing up as a woman with a vision and a voice in a conservative, Southern Baptist, male-dominated world. Claire’s writing invites people to pray, dance, sing, and create along with women in ways that help them heal from religious and theological trauma and find a place of welcome and peace within a reimagined, woman-led faith.

Those familiar with the Academy Podcast will also recognize Claire as a former host of the podcast. Claire is an alum of Two-Year Academy #41 and previously served on staff as Associate Director for The Academy for Spiritual Formation.

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The Academy for Spiritual Formation presents Spirituality in Practice. This newest offering is a unique six-session hybrid model that consists of three immersive, five-day in-person retreats and three online one-day retreats plus monthly two-hour online practice sessions to support integration of learnings and nurture community. Spirituality in Practice is structured to provide an in-depth spiritual journey while keeping the time and financial commitments at more manageable levels. We are accepting applications now. Session 1 begins September 6, 2024, in Mundelein, IL (near Chicago). Find more details and apply at https://academy.upperroom.org/event/spirituality-in-practice2024/.

SHOW NOTES

Order Claire K. McKeever-Burgett's new book Blessed are the Women at https://www.clairemckeeverburgett.com/book.

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

SUPPORT OUR WORK

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/

This month, the Academy Podcast features Luther Smith's teaching from Academy 29 in Burlingame, CA. His lecture on "Faithfulness within Conflict" reminds us that conflict should be embraced as a pathway to healing. Ultimately, Dr. Smith invites us to deal with conflict because “Our obedience requires it." The question he asks us is, "will we engage conflict confidently and creatively, or will we find ourselves unprepared?” Listen on, dear one, and as you listen, breathe deeply and expand gently for our world is in deep conflict and, as Luther suggests, it has always been.

Luther Smith is an ordained elder in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, longtime Academy faculty person, and a member of The Academy Advisory Board. Luther spent 35 years of his career as an activist, scholar, and professor at Candler School of Theology, and he is known to be an authority on the life and theology of Howard Thurman. Luther is Professor Emeritus of Church and Community at Candler. His current research focuses on the writings and  correspondence of Howard Thurman, advocacy on behalf of children, and a spirituality of hope. He is married to Helen Pearson Smith and lives in Stone Mountain, GA. They have four children and five grandchildren.

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If you would like to hear Luther Smith teach in person, he will be one of our faculty presenters for Spirituality in Practice: Embodied Imagination for Life and Liberation. This newest offering from The Academy for Spiritual is a unique six-session hybrid model that consists of three immersive, five-day in-person retreats and three online one-day retreats plus monthly two-hour online practice sessions to support integration of learnings and nurture community. Spirituality in Practice is structured to provide an in-depth spiritual journey while keeping the time and financial commitments at more manageable levels. We are accepting applications now. Session 1 begins September 6, 2024, in Mundelein, IL (near Chicago). Find more details and apply at https://academy.upperroom.org/event/spirituality-in-practice2024/

Show Notes:

Order Luther Smith's new book Hope is Here: Spiritual Practices for Pursuing Justice and Beloved Community.

Episode tracks: “Far Side of the Sea,” “Versailles,” and “Fearless” by Amy Stroup, used with permission.

For more information and resources visit: academy.upperroom.org/resources

Support Our Work

If the Academy Podcast or any of the ministries of The Academy for Spiritual Formation have benefited your life and spirituality, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support. You can learn more about how your gifts make a difference at https://academy.upperroom.org/donate/