Become Good Soil

By Morgan SnyderReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Become Good Soil episodes

September 14, 2020 065: Heroic Stories Series – Wives of the Become Good Soil Intensive Fellowship
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Friends,

As we anticipate the next Become Good Soil Intensive event—we are now accepting applications—I want to feature stories of what our Father is accomplishing through this message: stories of heroic men recovering heart, strength, joy and intimacy; stories of heroic women championing those men; and stories of women benefiting from men who have risked getting curious about the landscape of their souls and consenting to the process of becoming the kind of king to whom God can entrust his Kingdom.

I am blessed to have now cultivated quite a number of allies living this message, including the friends whose lives I have the privilege of seeing up close. I reached out to a few of these men to ask if I could invite their wives into a conversation. What I wanted to hear is what it’s been like for the women to live with their men. I wanted to hear from each woman how she would respond to this question: What is the fruit of the message of becoming a king in your husband's life?

I’m confident you’ll enjoy listening to these three candid and courageous women and the stories they generously share. Above all, my hope is that as you listen, your heart is strengthened with deep assurance of the radical transformation and care that our Father promises along this way.

As you hear the fruit of consenting to a decade of becoming, if you're compelled to find out more about the Become Good Soil Intensive, you are on time. We're accepting applications now.

For the Kingdom,

Morgan
1 hr 3 min
August 18, 2020 064: Cultivating a Habitat for the Soul
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“There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.”

–Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

You find yourself in a world gone mad.

and

You have a soul—or, more accurately, you are a soul—made by God, made for God, and made to need God.

You've noticed by now that these two things, the world system and your soul, are constantly at war. But if the aim of the Gospel is the restoration of all creation, including your human soul, how do you avoid the tragedy that Jesus named as gaining the world and losing your soul (Mark 8:36)?

What is the way back? How do we reestablish what has been lost, how do we replant what has been uprooted? Here’s what is giving me hope again today: the quest doesn't begin with us; it begins with God. Our job is to respond.

There are practices in our power to do that accomplish in us what we never could on our own—small, consistent, but heroic acts that integrate our fractured souls and reconnect us supernaturally with our God. Join Cherie and me for a very practical discussion on being found by God through the formation of small and accessible practices. May this conversation—originally offered at our Homecoming event last fall—encourage you as you seek to arrange your days for union with God.

Remember this: there is always a way forward, no matter how far into the weeds or off-track we might find ourselves today. The good news is this: our Father is more at work than we are. He is seeking us even now, finding us right where we are, and moving us forward in his story of healing us, restoring our sanity, cultivating our flourishing, and moving us into deeper union with him.

For the Kingdom,

Morgan
1 hr 2 min
July 27, 2020 063: Isle of Misfits
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Authenticity is a collection of choices we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.

–Brené Brown

Courage begets courage.

That was my experience of Nancy Carmichael when she invited me to share a conversation on her podcast, Isle of Misfits. Her podcast predominantly serves a tribe of women; and truth be told, of the over 40 podcasts, interviews, radio shows, and events I’ve been invited to participate with regarding the launch of Becoming a King, Nancy was the only woman to bravely and boldly extend me an invitation.

All of the other communities, organizations, and tribes have been hosted by men.

Of course, on the surface, this ratio makes sense: Becoming a King appears to be a message for men.

Yet experience tells me it's more than that. My sense is that the lack of invitation reflects the aggregate negative impact of fallen masculinity upon women. Many women—perhaps especially those who have fought hard for a voice and presence as a cultural influencer—have been failed not only by the individual men in their lives, but also by long-standing cultural structures that, rather than holding esteem and respect for female influence and power, have brought contempt.

Many women, if given a choice, would just as well choose to steer clear of masculinity.

Why would a woman risk opening her heart to masculinity when she has been failed for so long on so many levels?

As the Spirit has been opening my eyes and allowing me to begin to see the depth and breadth of the degrading, harmful, and disempowering impact of broken masculinity upon women, what comes up for me is deep sorrow and a desire to be a part of what God is doing on the earth to turn the tide. I have seen many of your lives. I know you stand with me in wanting to be a humbled and strong-hearted portion of the restoration of all things, particularly as it relates to masculinity.

Instead of unconsciously recirculating contempt and debasement, my desire is to take the lowest seat, hear from women, and listen and learn—then partner together to help restore masculinity as it was meant to be.

The privilege of engaging with Nancy and the Isle of Misfits was catalytic in my own relationship with God. In the hope of passing on what I recieved, I wanted to bring this episode to Become Good Soil for our mutual strengthening.

Here is Nancy’s reflection on the work of Isle of Misfits and on the conversation that we share in this episode:

If you’ve hung around these parts for any length of time, you know that we hold dearly to our core principles, beginning with the dearest of the dear: the clarion call to “Own Your Awkward.”

I gotta tell you, though, in this particular episode with Morgan Snyder from Wild at Heart and Become Good Soil, that little value of ours was put to the test, and I was tempted to edit the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks out of it.

Don’t get me wrong. It was a great conversation, not just about Morgan’s new book, Becoming a King, but about, oh, a lot of things. The “new normal.” God as “genderful.” Acknowledging wounds and healing hurts.

There is deep insight, let me tell you. In fact, so much so, that at one point in the conversation it took a turn toward the vulnerable, and I had to make a choice as to whether I’d keep that part to myself or share it with you all.

In the end, I decided not to edit it out, ‘cause, well, sometimes a little vulnerability makes for a much more interesting conversation.

Friends, let’s dare greatly together and dive in.

For the Kingdom,

Morgan

1 hr 4 min
June 30, 2020 062: Anxiety to Peace
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It is profound how different our experiences can be inside our own skin. When it comes to sensations in the body, we are not on a level playing field. To love and be loved, to know and be known, it’s so important that we practice story-informed relating with ourselves and each other. Jesus is the most brilliant story-informed and trauma-sensitive teacher and friend who has ever lived.

– Cherie Snyder

Many of us—or those whom we love—have contended with the agonizing sensations of acute anxiety. In attempts to regulate these sensations, we often reach for substances, co-dependent relationships, or control over external circumstances to mitigate the pain and upheaval we feel on the inside. Sometimes the efforts we make to soothe our bodies end up causing harm to ourselves or to those we love.

Friends, if acute anxiety has been a part of your story or the story of someone you love, there is reliable hope for encounter, comfort, and transformation. I can speak to this hope on a very personal level: over the past 18 months, God has been tending to the root of the anxiety in me and offering new freedom, restoration, and internal peace beyond what I ever dreamed was possible.

My bride, Cherie, has her own story of acute anxiety. Out of her own story and path toward wholeness, she has consented to the slow and steady process of becoming a trauma-informed educator. She works regularly with fellow travelers to help listen for the sacred information that the body might be conveying and experience loving and compassionate transformation.

Join her in this podcast as she shares a hopeful framework and practical steps to help us listen to our bodies, learn our stories, encounter God, and move compassionately from anxiety through transformation and toward greater peace.

For the Kingdom,

Morgan
53 min
June 02, 2020 061: In Search of a Father
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Many people die with their music still in them. Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.

–Oliver Wendell Holmes

I'm noticing questions along a particular theme surfacing more and more frequently these days.

How do I find a mentor?

What do I do with my disappointment in older men?

How do I offer guidance, counsel, or simply "more" to younger men in my world?

Friends, these are central questions in masculine initiation, and yet we often find ourselves both mixed in our past experiences and perplexed or ambivalent about moving forward. Join me as we dive into a podcast that dips below the waterline, identifying questions and recovering a greater hope we can all share.

For the Kingdom,

53 min
May 20, 2020 060: What if Margin Could Save the World?
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“Make margin in your life, or life will make margin for you.”
–Chuck, from a federal prison cell

No one stops to think.

These five words, spoken over two thousand years ago,1 have the potential to change your life more than any others.

These five words are the headwaters from which a single idea is found, an idea that might be the universal narrow gate through which all like-hearted apprentices of the Kingdom of God must travel if we are to recover the Gospel in our age.

Having nothing to do with COVID-19 or a pandemic, we find ourselves in an unprecedented time in the history of humanity in a wholly other respect.

Thankfully, every unprecedented challenge comes with its own unprecedented possibility and particular provision, for such a time as this.

Join me as we risk going after the deeper things of God and his Kingdom together.

Below, you’ll find resources referenced in the podcast that will help you dive deeper.

There is a revolution being seeded around the globe. It’s a revolution of the human heart. It’s taking hold. This is our hour.

Let’s go.

For the Kingdom,
Linear vs. Exponential Growth Curve

Human Function Curve
1Isaiah 44:19a NIV
Reflections Questions:
1. Observe the current condition of the space that exists in your life between your load and your limits. What does this reveal, through your actions, about what you believe about margin?

2. Notice what has happened to your attention and your affection...

     over the last year

     over the last five years

     over the last decade

3. What if this life we find ourselves in is not normal? Notice your capacity for adaptation. How has it been a blessing? How has it been a hindrance?

Margin by Richard Swenson

The Overload Syndrome by Richard Swenson

Hurtling Toward Oblivion by Richard Swenson
55 min
May 07, 2020 059: Becoming a King
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in new window | Download

The great problem of the earth and the great aim of the masculine journey boil down to this: when can you trust a man with power?

– John Eldredge

What’s the most important thing?

Over two decades ago I set out on a relentless quest to find the answer. What I found was not what I expected, and where I found it was in the most unanticipated places. With it came a restored strength and an unshakable hope.

The most important thing turned out not to be a thing at all, but rather a path. A path to becoming who God meant when he created each one of us. And it is my joy and sacred trust to share it with you.

In this podcast, join John Eldredge and me as we explore the soul-strengthening themes in Becoming a King.

A Joybomb with Becoming a King Pre-Orders

As I recorded the audiobook for Becoming a King, I sensed that the most powerful way to communicate the impact of this message is through the stories of the men who have lived it. Specifically, I wanted to record a conversation with four of the men who have walked shoulder to shoulder with me along this way as each of us has consented to the process of becoming the kind of man to whom God can entrust the care of his Kingdom. But even more, I wanted to risk interviewing our wives and hear directly about what they have seen and experienced in us along the way of becoming a king.

So along with Cherie, my bride, I circled up with the wives of four of the men who have been living and forming this message at my side for over a decade in their own personal lives and in community.

I asked these courageous and truth-telling women to share from their perspectives about what they’ve seen in their husbands along this journey. The conversation that transpired was raw, honest, and hope-infused, and I am thrilled to share it with you.

For everyone who orders Becoming a King before May 26, we’re offering these bonuses:

First access to the exclusive Wives Conversation Collection

The first three sessions of the Becoming a King video series

The first three chapters of the in-depth Becoming a King study guide

You can find out more at BecomingAKing.com.

Together, let’s reach the many, and find the few.

For the Kingdom,

38 min
April 29, 2020 058: Locking Shields
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No life of faith can be lived privately. There must be overflow into the lives of others.

–Eugene Peterson

Seventy-two years ago, a novel threat emerged on the earth, inciting a proportionate pandemic of fear around the globe. In that hour, it was the advent of the atomic bomb, a weapon whose potential for immediate and global destruction was unprecedented. The pressing and consequential question of that age was “How should we now live in light of this new and deadly threat?” C. S. Lewis wrote the following in response:

In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.”

In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.

This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.

“On Living in an Atomic Age” (1948) in Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays

Following Lewis’s counsel, one of the “human things” we can do is gather, albeit virtually, to connect and be strengthened by the stories of others. Together, we can imagine, dream, question, and unite in prayer, and thereby enact a power beyond ourselves that will steady and focus us as we continue in the sacred and sometimes mundane work of being found at our post on any and every day.

To this end, I have gathered some of my most trusted companions for mutual strengthening; we are inviting you to gather with us as well. Our hope is that as a global fellowship of like-hearted men, we can encourage each other in “sensible and human things,” and as one, bring more and more of the reign of Heaven to more and more of the domain of earth.

Our world is at a rare juncture; the global crisis of our age offers a fresh and remarkably accessible opportunity to return our need and our personal story back to the Hero and Author of the Larger Story from which we originated. There is so much goodness to fight for here. Long-standing strongholds can be broken. Shattered relationships and lives can be restored. Lost things can be found. Life can be recovered. Light shines brighter in darkness. Come, join us. We’re glad you’re here.

For the Kingdom,

41 min
April 18, 2020 057: Surviving Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why? [podcast]
The owner of the company maintained his poker face; it was not simply for the card game. This was the face he now donned for every public moment in these dark days. He was in trouble, and under no circumstances would he let it show. The investments he had made in the good times were now worthless.
The post 057: Surviving Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why? [podcast] appeared first on Become Good Soil.
44 min
April 18, 2020 057: Surviving Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why?
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in new window | Download

The owner of the company maintained his poker face; it was not simply for the card game. This was the face he now donned for every public moment in these dark days. He was in trouble, and under no circumstances would he let it show. The investments he had made in the good times were now worthless. Ever since the waves of panic and the dread of complete collapse had gripped the region, commerce had careened to a violent stop; his tenants had no means of making money, much less paying him. Who knew when the next dollar would come? The economy was like concrete—it had moved well when it was wet, but now the scorching heat of oversupply, panic, and free-fall had dried it up overnight. Later, people would swear they had seen the terror behind his eyes. But in those first dreadful days, they had refused to admit it even to themselves.

This story isn’t from 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a glimpse of the grim inner reality of a landlord and investor in 1931, a paraphrase from a story told by Timothy Egan in his brilliant and award-winning book The Worst Hard Time.

In the early 1930s, a terrible collision of deadly drought, global economic instability, and the dire environmental consequences of man’s misuse of power gave rise to a cataclysm of dust storms that devastated the southern high plains of the U.S. Nothing like it had been seen before; and to this day, the total ruination of the ecosystem of the Great Plains is often credited as the worst environmental disaster of human history.

Not surprisingly, few lived to tell the story, or if they did, it was a story too painful or shameful to recount.

I can’t help but connect the stories in The Worst Hard Time with elements of our current global challenge. No one knows the outcome of these times in which we find ourselves. There is no crystal ball; there are no material guarantees. Yet by Grace there is a brilliant, kind Teacher who wants to guide us through all of it into Life. And there is a map of human history that can educate our souls to survive, to endure, and to make the way for future generations to thrive as a result of abiding wisdom applied in the midst of an unprecedented crisis.

Which brings me to a question: In times of crisis, when life shifts in some distinct ways from normal to survival, who lives, who dies, and why? Laurence Gonzales wrote a compelling, research-based narrative exploring the mystery behind this question in his fascinating book Deep Survival.

In the hope of offering some soul-strengthening counsel from shapers among us as well as shapers of old, my aim in this podcast is to pause and consider some very practical aspects of “surviving survival” that we could lean into today in order to become even more the kind of men who can receive life and bring life, in partnership with God, for such a time as this.

Specifically, I highlight 10 ideas that can help us first receive love and then lead in love, even in this uncertain hour.

Friends, let us stand together, holding onto the hope that Paul expressed to the community of God’s people in Galatia: the hope that we who have chosen to receive the gift of God’s generously available life are given the resources we need for union with God and to express our faith in love. Not in our own strength, but in union with the Trinity today. Paul assured us that we do have direct access to remarkable qualities of God’s own life and experience:
Joy that overflows,
Peace that subdues,
Patience that endures,
Kindness in action,
a life full of virtue,
Faith that prevails,
Gentleness of heart, and
Strength of spirit.

(Galatians 5:22-23, The Passion Translation)

And in the midst of these unique times, may we both receive and offer this kind of faith-filled life into our spheres of influence. May the fruit of our union with God be so nourishing and strengthening to those around us that the world will know that God is with us and we will not be shaken.

As One,
Morgan

P.S. As shared in the podcast: Want to join Cherie and me for 30 minutes of refreshment and soul centering? It'd be a great gift to your spouse or nourishment for you or even a mid-day date! All you'll need is a quiet space where you can center in God and move your body in a comfortable space. Grab an exercise mat if you have one.

Join us April 9th at 11:55am MT:
https://zoom.us/j/425375870

Meeting ID: 425 375 870
If you're new to Zoom, you can find helpful instructions HERE.

In the podcast I reference the following books that I’ve found incredibly helpful:

Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why, by Laurence Gonzales

Life Without Lack, by Dallas Willard

The Worst Hard Time, by Tim Egan

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44 min