Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper & Lead Better

What do we do when God no longer feels as close as He used to feel?
Many sincere believers experience seasons when prayer feels empty, Scripture feels quiet, and God seems strangely absent. For leaders especially, those seasons can feel confusing, discouraging, and even shameful.
In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Alan Fadling sits down with theologian and spiritual formation professor Kyle Strobel to discuss the new book When God Seems Distant, coauthored with John Coe.
Together, they explore:
Why spiritual dryness is a normal part of mature faith
The danger of equating spiritual feelings with God’s presence
How suffering and helplessness can become places of formation
The subtle ways we avoid God—even through our spirituality
Why love, rather than striving, is what truly transforms us
This conversation offers a compassionate and deeply hopeful vision for anyone walking through uncertainty, weariness, disappointment, or spiritual distance.
Whether you are a pastor, leader, spiritual director, or simply someone longing to remain near to God in difficult seasons, this episode offers wisdom and encouragement for the journey.
Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.
Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What do you do when your faith feels dry and your prayers feel empty?

In this episode, Gem Fadling sits down with author and Anglican priest Tish Harrison Warren to explore the reality of spiritual dryness, burnout, and what the Christian tradition calls “aridity.” Drawing from her book, What Grows in Weary Lands, Tish offers a deeply grounded vision of faith that endures, even in seasons of doubt, fatigue, and emotional exhaustion.

Together, they reflect on ancient Christian practices, the wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers, and how modern experiences of burnout and languishing intersect with the deeper spiritual journey.

If you’ve ever wondered where God is in your weariness, or how to keep going when your inner life feels thin, this conversation offers a steady, hopeful way forward.

Topics include:
Spiritual dryness and why it happens
Christian practices for burnout and fatigue
How to pray when prayer feels empty
Faith in seasons of doubt and distance from God
Ancient wisdom for modern exhaustion

This episode is for anyone longing to stay rooted in God, even when life feels overwhelming.
_________________________________________
Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads
Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Much of what we long to see in leadership—trust, depth, resilience, and lasting fruit—simply does not grow well in a hurry.

In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Alan Fadling reflects on insights from Wendell Berry to explore a different way of leading. Instead of pushing for results, what if leadership is more like tending a garden? What if the work is less about driving outcomes and more about cultivating the kind of life where good things can grow?

Drawing from Berry’s reflections on the slow work of restoring fertility, Alan invites leaders to consider the deeper kind of growth that happens over time—often unseen, but essential for lasting impact.

You’ll discover:
Why meaningful growth in leadership cannot be rushed
What it looks like to cultivate a life-giving environment
Three simple practices that help leaders foster lasting fruit
How tending your inner life shapes everything you lead

This episode is for pastors, team leaders, and anyone who wants to lead in a way that helps people truly flourish.

Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.
Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What if sustainable leadership begins not with strategy but with fullness?

In this episode, Gem Fadling reflects on Bernard of Clairvaux’s image of the reservoir and contrasts it with the canal model of leadership. Looking at the example of Jesus, who often withdrew to pray despite growing demands, this conversation invites leaders to rediscover depth, overflow, and spiritual sustainability.

If you desire influence without burnout, this episode offers both inspiration and practical next steps.
_________________________________________
Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads
Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Many of us have learned to live at odds with our own desires. Some of us follow them wherever they lead. Others try to suppress or manage them. Either way, desire can begin to feel like something we don’t quite trust.

In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Alan Fadling sits down with therapist and author Jay Stringer to explore a more honest and hopeful way of understanding desire. Drawing from his book Desire: The Longings Inside Us and the New Science of How We Love, Heal, and Grow, Jay helps us see how even our most confusing or unwanted desires can become pathways toward healing.

Together, they discuss:
Why desire can feel like a “civil war” within us
How our stories shape the desires we carry
The role of shame—and the invitation to curiosity
How to discern the deeper longing beneath misdirected desire
A simple next step toward healing and greater awareness

This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt conflicted inside—and wondered if there might be a more grace-filled way forward.

Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.
Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.