Zach de Vaux, Part 2: Planting a Church from Nothing

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

This season is all about spiritual rhythms and disciplines, and we’ve been using the last few episodes to focus on sabbaticals, a continuation of the practice of sabbath rest. In this episode, Micki Ann chats with our final guest of the season, pastor Grady Davidson, as he outlines his sabbatical experience.

Grady began thinking about pursuing a sabbatical after nearly thirteen years as a pastor at Lookout Valley Presbyterian Church. With the support of his leadership, encouragement from mentors, and assistance from the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program, the Davidson family set off on a fifteen-week sabbatical. This time was broken up into trips and activities that focused on three areas: exploring the past, embracing the present, and envisioning the future. The result was a fruitful time of rest and refocusing that not only refreshed Grady and his wife but provided him with the perspective and wisdom needed for the unexpected Covid season that developed just months after he returned to ministry.

Join us for the final episode of season 5 as Grady shares the three areas he hoped to address through the sabbatical, and stay till the end to hear about “the spiritual gift of plodding.”

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:26] Rhythms of sabbath and sabbaticals
• [1:53] Introducing Grady Davidson
• [3:44] The importance of sabbaticals
• [5:15] Defining sabbaticals
• [6:41] Thoughts and conversations leading to Grady’s sabbatical
• [10:27] Areas of focus for sabbatical
  • Grady’s pulpit ministry
  • Family and marriage
  • Empowering congregation to serve
• [18:15] Preparing the church for Grady’s absence 
  • Finding a temporary pastor
  • Outlining worship services
  • Organizing special events
• [20:39] Content of Grady’s sabbatical
  • Exploring the past
    • Tour of Israel and Jordan
    • Road trips with wife to places they’d lived
  • Embracing the present
    • Beach time with family
    • Integrating The Daily Office
  • Envisioning the future
    • 11 day solo trip in Montana
• [33:00] Processing the past
• [38:46] Takeaways and returning to ministry
• [42:32] Change in spiritual practices
• [46:38] Call to denominational leaders to advocate for sabbaticals
• [48:23] Final thoughts: “the spiritual gift of plodding”

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer
• Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

Last episode, Micki Ann and Rusty McKie introduced the topic of sabbaticals. In this episode, Micki Ann interviews pastor Tracy Edwards, who shares his story of working with his congregation to take a much-needed break from ministry.

In his seventeen years of pastoring, Tracy had never taken a sabbatical. It wasn’t until he was overwhelmed by the difficulty of leading a small congregation during the Covid crisis that he reached a breaking point. During a conversation with a counselor, Tracy was able to identify feeling dry and disconnected from God, problems which were affecting both his work in the church and his relationship with his family. With support and encouragement from his congregation and family, Tracy took a one-month sabbatical that culminated in a solo trip where the Lord spoke to the heart of the issue. 

This is the second of three episodes about sabbaticals. Listen in to this episode to hear more about Tracy’s experience and why sabbaticals are critical for ministry leaders.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:50] Explaining the extended focus on sabbaticals
• [2:03] What is a sabbatical?
• [4:06] Introducing Tracy Edwards
• [9:23] The unique challenges of being a pastor
• [11:37] Factors leading to Tracy’s sabbatical
• [15:19] Turning point: General Assembly
  • Conversation with a counselor
    • Hose analogy
    • Circle exercise
  • Feeling “dry” and disconnected from the Lord
• [18:49] The issue of pastors not being able to connect with each other
• [20:59] The dry place and ministry
• [23:03] Steps Tracy took for restoration
  • Connected with local counselor
  • Talked to leadership about sabbatical
  • Honesty with congregation
• [27:31] How Tracy’s family was affected
• [29:52] Details about sabbatical 
  • Unplugging from work/church
  • 10-day vacation with wife and daughter
  • Solo camping trip
• [32:37] Pivotal moment alone with God
• [37:31] Encouragement to take sabbaticals and following Jesus’s example
• [42:46] Churches: pray for your pastor
• [45:53] Practicals for those who aren’t able to take a sabbatical 
• [47:03] True vacation means skipping Sundays

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

Earlier in this season, Adam and Micki Ann talked about the spiritual rhythm of sabbath, but what if you need more than one day of rest? In this episode, guest Rusty McKie shares advice on how to take a sabbatical. 

After pastoring for several years, Rusty sensed God leading him in a new direction, resulting in Steadfast Ministries, an organization that helps ministry leaders. One of Rusty’s focuses is sabbatical coaching, where he helps individuals make the most of an extended time away from work. Although sabbaticals can be for anyone, pastors in particular often need time to refocus and reconnect with the Lord. Rusty explains that pastoral ministry is a career with unique burdens and difficulties, such as mixing the personal, vocational, and spiritual parts of one’s life. Whether it’s time for deep rest or space to process through repressed grief, a sabbatical provides the opportunity to address hardships and make plans for a more sustainable life in ministry.

Even if you’re not a pastor or ministry leader, you can still use Rusty’s tips on caring for your own soul. Listen in to Micki Ann’s interview with Rusty, the first of three episodes about sabbaticals.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [1:19] Why focus on sabbaticals?
• [2:07] Rusty McKie’s ministry background and present work
• [6:06] Why Rusty chose the field of spiritual direction
• [10:15] What is a sabbatical?
• [12:24] Sabbatical coaching and book
• [15:13] The unique challenges of pastoral ministry
• [21:40] First steps for someone taking a sabbatical 
• [28:07] A crisis of grief
• [34:26] Planning your sabbatical
• [40:00] Processing big questions/issues
• [44:46] How to stay in restful space upon reentry
  • Spend time with God in silence and solitude and ask what needs to change
  • Utilize a Rule of Life
  • Anticipate old habits
• [48:57] Final thought: care for your own soul

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer
• Steadfast Ministries
• Sabbaticals by Rusty McKie

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

No spiritual practice is more connected to the Bible and the Church than the Lord’s Prayer. In this episode, Adam explains why knowing this piece of Scripture is so useful for praying comprehensively at any time.

The initial significance of the Lord’s Prayer is obvious – it’s the model prayer Jesus himself gave to his disciples; however, the Lord’s Prayer also represents the most-prayed prayer of church history, AND it covers all the areas Christians should be praying about regularly. So how do you incorporate this prayer into your spiritual rhythms? First, Adam says, you need to memorize it. Once you do, you can pray through the petitions quickly during in-between times (commutes, waiting for your coffee order, etc.) or sit down and go through the prayer slowly during your devotions.

Listen in to this episode to hear how using the Lord’s Prayer repeatedly can be transformative and why one church father called it “the summary of the whole gospel.”

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:27] Update: new facility!
• [2:36] Why do a whole episode on the Lord’s Prayer
• [3:44] The historical and ecumenical significance of the Lord’s Prayer
• [5:42] A comprehensive prayer
• [7:50] The gospel and the Lord’s Prayer
• [12:33] A prayer of few words
• [13:28] How to use the Lord’s Prayer as a spiritual practice
  • Memorization
  • Repetition
  • Praying on the go
  • Utilizing the petitions
  • Doing a “deep dive”
• [23:22] The importance of the first line
• [26:07] Connecting your life and needs to the prayer
• [28:09] The Lord’s Prayer as a communal prayer
• [31:43] “So deep, but so easy”
• [34:26] Adam and Micki Ann recite the Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

Does how we use our bodies matter theologically? According to guest Joey Schlabs, the answer is a definitive “yes!” In this episode, Micki Ann dialogues with Joey about embodied spirituality and the why and how of making embodied choices. 

Between his academic interest in unexplored topics in the church and his curiosity about the theology of everyday life, Joey has spent more than five years researching the sacred importance of our physical bodies. He explains that humans were made to have embodied presence (physically dwelling with God) and embodied attention (purposefully interacting with the physical world). Within these two paradigms, we are tasked with making choices about how to be present and attentive in the here and now. How we make these decisions is a spiritual discipline that shapes and prepares us for eternity with God.

Listen in as Joey and Micki Ann discuss what embodied spirituality has to say about technology and how he and his family engage these ideas in their daily lives.  

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:58] Introduction to Joey Schlabs
• [5:38] How Joey came to focus on this topic
• [9:12] Defining “embodied spirituality” 
• [13:21] Embodied presence
• [16:18] Embodied attention
• [23:22] The “Garden to City” paradigm
• [27:22] Babel, Babylon, and the rival city
• [30:52] Technology as relief from our physical burdens
• [41:33] Making embodied choices
• [48:38] The science of the brain following the body
• [52:27] The habitude of embodied choices
• [56:58] Joey’s experience doing spiritual disciplines in community
• [1:00:07] Final thoughts and book recommendations 

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer
• Every Moment Holy (Vol. I) by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
• Every Moment Holy (Vol. II) by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
• You Are What You Love by James K. A. Smith

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

This episode’s spiritual discipline is the Examen – but don’t worry, this isn’t a test! It’s an ancient practice combining prayer, thankfulness, and reflection. As they walk through the steps of the Examen, Adam and Micki Ann discuss the importance of reflective practices.

In simplest terms, the Examen is the process of prayerfully reflecting on your day. As you go over the events, feelings, and conversations that happened, invite God to highlight moments to you, offering thanks and asking forgiveness as needed. Part of what makes this practice unique is the focus on feelings. As Micki Ann explains, God speaks to us through our hearts, so knowing ourselves better is helpful in growing closer to God.

Listen in to this episode to hear Micki Ann’s thoughts about getting to live your day twice and why the Examen is so valuable.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:37] Why talk about spiritual practices on this podcast
• [1:34] The etymology of “examen”
• [2:51] What is The Examen?
• [6:19] The steps of The Examen
  • 1. Looking back on your day with God
  • 2. Reviewing your day and expressing thanks
  • 3. Paying attention to feelings (consolations and desolations)
  • 4. Asking for forgiveness
  • 5. Looking ahead to the next day
• [14:50] What it really means to examine our feelings
• [18:20] Adam’s thoughts on this practice
• [22:26] The benefits of “living your day twice”
• [26:13] The importance of reflection
• [29:20] The fruitfulness of The Examen
  • Being able to see that God is at work in your life
  • Knowing our own hearts
  • Reflecting
• [32:37] Closing thought from John Calvin

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

How can the Ten Commandments be used as a positive spiritual practice? In this episode, Adam and Micki Ann move past the common negative view of the Ten Commandments and show how they can be used to bring us closer to God and the life He created us for.

Especially in the context of creation, the Ten Commandments help answer the question, “What would my life be like if it was as God intended?” They act as a calling both to holiness and to human flourishing. Through prayer (and memorization!), the Ten Commandments can be used to evaluate our own lives, allowing God to reveal areas of sin and help us realign ourselves with His morality.

Listen in to this episode to hear some of Adam’s experience with this practice and tips for incorporating it into your own spiritual walk.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:49] Why the Ten Commandments?
• [4:24] The Ten Commandments and human flourishing
• [7:00] The Ten Commandments and human spirituality
• [10:52] Remembering the “upward call”
• [13:44] Changing popular perception of the Ten Commandments 
• [18:58] How to use the Ten Commandments as a spiritual discipline
  • Memorization
  • Praying through them
• [21:25] Challenges of this practice
• [26:12] Exploring the Ten Commandments in the context of a prayer retreat

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

There are many ways to read Scripture, but Lectio Divina (Latin for “sacred reading”) is a slowed-down approach with the aim of engaging in conversation with God through the text. In this episode, Adam and Micki Ann look at the four movements of Lectio Divina and how these practices can be used to hear God in unexpected places.

The movements of Lectio Divina are easy to remember: Read (slowly!), Reflect (on “shimmery” words/passages), Respond (in prayer), and Rest (allow the Word to settle). Although they can go by different names, these are the four pieces that have been practiced for hundreds of years. Several “bonus” movements can be added, including a time of preparation before reading and an opportunity to Resolve at the end. As Micki Ann notes, the more you practice Lectio Divina, the more the movements become habits that help you to become aware of how God can speak to you through nature, a conversation, and even art.

Listen in to this episode to hear how changing the way you read the Bible can revitalize your spiritual journey, and find out how Adam connects Lectio Divina to Batman.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [1:18] What is Lectio Divina?
• [9:30] “Dryness” and changing the way you read Scripture
• [14:53] The four movements of Lectio Divina
  • (Bonus) Preparation
  • 1. Read
  • 2. Reflect
  • 3. Respond
  • 4. Rest
  • (Bonus) Resolve
• [24:20] Adam’s advice to task-oriented people
• [26:07] How the movements of Lectio Divina can help you hear God outside of reading Scripture
• [31:34] The invitational aspect of Lectio Divina

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

For this episode, Adam and Micki Ann switch roles to allow Adam to tell the story of how he came to realize that he needed to craft a rule of life. As they discuss life-giving habits, real limitations, and the rhythms that guide both of these categories, Micki Ann and Adam explain the rule of life and how it benefits the whole self.

A rule of life is the ordering of your spiritual disciplines and boundaries to “support spiritual growth and life." Adam shares that even though his life was full of prayer, Bible reading, and listening to sermons, he felt empty and drained. By crafting a rule of life around daily, weekly, and yearly practices, Adam’s life took on a rhythm of doing and not doing that strengthened his spiritual life. As much as the rule of life is individual (based on your own personality, abilities, limitations, etc.), it’s important to practice it in community – for accountability, encouragement, and edification.

Listen in to this episode to hear ways to start crafting a rule of life, and find out why this rhythm is like growing cucumbers.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [1:50] What is a rule of life?
• [6:14] How Adam found himself needing a rule of life
• [11:01] Why Adam’s spiritual practices were draining and how he reconfigured them
• [16:51] The individual and corporate aspects of the rule of life
• [19:32] The importance of writing things down
• [20:40] Adam’s growth with his rule of life
• [25:54] Example from the retreat guide on how to develop a rule of life
• [32:52] On starting small
• [37:50] The benefit of doing the rule of life in community
• [40:52] Adam’s family and the rule of life

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer
• Rule of Life Retreat Guide by Adam Whitescarver

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “sabbath?” In this episode, Adam and Micki Ann address preconceptions about the Sabbath and show why this sacramental time is an invitation not just to rest but to deepen intimacy with God.

As Adam shares, a mandatory Sabbath day can seem like the act of an “oppressive overlord,” but this couldn’t be farther from the truth; the Sabbath a holy, consecrated day, but it’s also an acknowledgement of human limitation and our intrinsic need to take a break from work. In fact, we’re encouraged to think about what “taskmasters” in our lives are keeping us from rest and peace. Of course, there’s mystery in why God made this day holy and blessed, and the only way to understand this better is to seek His heart.

Listen in to this episode to hear some practical steps for creating a day of rest. Plus, Micki Ann and Adam answer an important question: what if you work on Sundays?

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [1:31] Addressing misunderstandings about the Sabbath
• [3:55] God’s creation of the first Sabbath
• [8:54] Connection between the Sabbath, eternity, and Jesus’s work on the cross
• [11:07] Defining sabbath rest 
• [14:54] What it means to “remember” the Sabbath
• [20:20] What’s keeping you from resting?
• [26:33] Plan, prepare, and practice
• [29:35] Doing Sabbath on a different day
• [33:11] Jesus and the Sabbath
• [35:00] Information about ChattHOP’s Sabbath Retreat Guide

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer 
• Sabbath Retreat Guide by the Chattanooga House of Prayer
• The Sabbath by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.