Encore: Barbara Brown Taylor on Being the Saint of Small Things

Description:

Barbara Brown Taylor gave us the question that ends every episode of this show, so it feels right to hand the Sacred Work series over to her. In this encore, the New York Times bestselling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest talks with Jen about the year she spent doing almost nothing impressive: the county fair with a couple of six-year-olds, an old racehorse nobody wanted, blueberry pies for friends going through hard things, and shifts at the public library. She calls herself the saint of small things, and she is honest about how hard that is to say out loud when people want to know what big thing you are working on. They also get into why she is wary of hope that functions as an escape hatch, how she keeps her heart from going wooden in a world of terrible headlines, and why friendship is worth protecting even though nobody rewards you for it. Stay to the end for the benediction Barbara wrote for this community.

Thought-provoking Quotes:

• I’ll be the saint of small things today.
• Headlines give me omniscience but no omnipotence.
• I’ve got to attend to the sustainability of a supple heart.
• I’m real wary of hope unless it functions right here, right now.
• The years are short but the days are long, and that’s a blessing not a curse.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• A Rhythm of Prayer by Sarah Bessey, which includes Barbara’s contribution
• This Here Flesh by Cole Arthur Riley, who has also been a guest on For the Love
• When God Is Silent by Barbara Brown Taylor
• Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor
• Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor
• An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://barbarabrowntaylor.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorBarbaraBrownTaylor

Connect with Jen!
Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker
Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker
Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.