Jeff Tacklind and The Winding Path of Transformation

Jeffrey Tacklind is a pastor, spiritual director, and author. Today, Jeff shares his journey from trying to be his dad to serving a congregation as Jesus intended him to. Jeff shares how he chose a small church to serve, discovered spiritual masters, and why he wrote a book on the process of transformation. We also discuss the tension between the longing for glory and the humility of submission to the Lord. Along the way, Jeff shares plenty of personal experiences and I know you will be drawn deeper into God’s heart for you as you listen.

Listen to Jeff’s story now!

Stories Jeff shared:

• Pastoring in Laguna Beach, CA
• Growing up in Orange, CA in a Christian family
• The question someone asked him that changed how he sees people
• Trying to be his dad as he went into ministry
• How seminary affected his journey
• Finding his church and enjoying the community and diversity
• Wrestling with insecurity in his journey
• How God spoke to his heart
• The surf trip that served to remind him of the growth process
• How vulnerability sets the tone for relationship
• Being introduced to Henri Nouwen and Thomas Merton’s work
• Why he wrote The Winding Path of Transformation
• Understanding the tension between glory and humility

Great quotes from Jeff:

I was just this kid growing up always asking questions and would kind of make everybody uncomfortable like I was asking the question we agreed not to ask.

It’s not that I left that story behind; it’s that the story just got bigger.

People don’t need my advice right now. They need good questions. To ask the right question unlocks things for people.

Resources we mentioned:

• The Winding Path of Transformation: Finding Yourself Between Glory and Humility by Jeffrey Tacklind
• Jeff’s website
• After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, Third Edition by Alasdair MacIntyre
• Little Church by the Sea
• The Critical Journey, Stages in the Life of Faith, Second Edition by Janet O. Hagberg & Robert A. Guelich

Related episodes:

• Richard Jacobson and Unchurching
• Laura Flanders and Her Bleeding Heart
• Phileena Heuertz and Christian Contemplation