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Above the waterline conversations are the norm for our society – we talk about the weather or the latest tv show we watched or the cute thing our kid did. But how often do you share the “deeper stories,” the stories that reveal our fears, heartache, dreams, and so on? When we tune into our “below the waterline” we see the beautiful depths of our human soul clearly.
Today’s guest is Chuck DeGroat (LPC, PhD), a counselor whose approach includes going beneath the waterline, integrating aspects of therapeutic work and spiritual direction while drawing from the wisdom of a variety of methods. Join him with our host Stephen W. Smith as they delve into the distinctives of soul care from a counselor’s point of view, and how it can invite us to pay attention to the longing in our hearts.
Chuck is Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality at Western Theological Seminary Holland MI, and Co-Founder and a Senior Fellow at Newbigin House of Studies, San Francisco. He is a licensed therapist, author, retreat leader, and spiritual director. Chuck has been married to Sara for 25 years, and has two daughters.
Chuck has spent the last 20+ years in a dynamic combination of pastoral ministry, seminary teaching, and clinical counseling. His books are practical and pastoral, meeting readers at the intersection of our spiritual journeys and the very real struggles we experience.
RESOURCES FROM PODCAST
Cura Animarum – Translate is the cure of souls.
Chuck’s new book mentioned “When Narcissim Comes to Church” - Pre-ordering available HERE. Book officially published March 2020.
Leslie Newbigin Quote: “I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic, Jesus is Lord.”
Soul Care Institute - Cohort taught by Chuck in Michigan
Moment to Breathe - The Dark Night by St. Paul
Stanzas Of The Soul
1. One dark night,
fired with love’s urgent longings
— ah, the sheer grace! —
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.
2. In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
— ah, the sheer grace! —
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.
3. On that glad night,
in secret, for no one saw me,
nor did I look at anything,
with no other light or guide
than the one that burned in my heart.
4. This guided me
more surely than the light of noon
to where he was awaiting me
— him I knew so well —
there in a place where no one appeared.
5. O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.
6. Upon my flowering breast
which I kept wholly for him alone,
there he lay sleeping,
and I caressing him
there in a breeze from the fanning cedars.
7. When the breeze blew from the turret,
as I parted his hair,
it wounded my neck
with its gentle hand,
suspending all my senses.
8. I abandoned and forgot myself,
laying my face on my Beloved;
all things ceased; I went out from myself,
leaving my cares
forgotten among the lilies.
~ St. John of the Cross
We depend on your support to carry on the ministry of Potter's Inn. Each of our ministry staff also raise their own financial support for salaries to serve with our team.
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