Shauna Niequist on Letting Dead Things Die

Shauna Niequist on Letting Dead Things Die, Reconstructing Faith, and Breaking from Family and Church Culture with Your Family's Blessing
New York Times bestselling author, Shauna Niequist, talks about how she navigated massive change in her life, from leaving the church and community she grew up in, reconstructing her faith, and on how she broke free from family systems and church culture with her family's blessing.
Welcome to The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, a podcast all about leadership, change, and personal growth. My goal is to help you lead like never before in your church or in your business.
Subscribe to my channel so you catch all our episodes. Find the show notes and more at careynieuwhof.com/episode489. And, you can follow me on Instagram @careynieuwhof, and @cnieuwhof on Facebook and Twitter.
Interested in what gear I use to record my podcast? I list all of the equipment in this blog post: careynieuwhof.com/the-home-st...
Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Academy.
Go to theartofleadershipacademy.com/ today and get access to a growing library of premium on-demand courses, monthly live coaching hosted by me, monthly staff training and a community of top-tier leaders.

[@robertbagwell2113]

Thank you for sharing this. At 35 I think I was at my best. I was full of hope and the Church grew tremendously, but opposition from a small group of "super-spiritual" complainers, finally just made me quit. I prayed about it but I just wanted to get away from the pain. After another ten years in another parish with conflict, achieving relative peace but not able to grow a church in the spiritually challenged northeast, anti-conservative hierarchy finally pushed me out of the denomination. I need lots of this therapy as I at a later stage in life am trying to start a church from scratch.

[@michellebiland5163]

God bless and all the best for your church planting. 💖

[@jom6320]

You can do it with the Lord the need is so very great in these times

[@ssarm1935]

YESSS…I love Shauna’s comment that when so many people are deconstructing or redefining their faith & they don’t/can’t discuss it in their home church community…this points to a systemic issue that’s not being noticed much less addressed. Jesus isn’t the problem. We humans get stuff wrong so much. It’s not a dirty secret to rebuild stuff.

[@surrendersong]

awesome much needed conversation...

[@TheSungjiun]

Thank you for the interview! Grateful that this could be a therapy to ALL 🙋

[@evachristine7360]

Letting dead things die is probably the most amazing thing I've heard ever. I've called you my book Mom for years. Thank you for keeping me alive. After reading her last book it makes a lot of sense of why we're so isolated. When I read "Bread and Wine" my hope was to have a table of writers like that. I'm not sure if it will ever happen but thank you for everything. I heart you.

[@susanbethmorris]

loved this conversation!

[@kelliez9991]

Does a church have to be considered “lazy”. If its not super busy?

[@kathleencaudill7717]

Fantastic. Very thoughtful interview.

[@CareyNieuwhof]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jonnewman21]

Psalm 23 King James Version 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

[@lindajohnson4204]

Not dead!

[@homeschoolingsisters538]

Enneagram? Why do Christians dabble in the occult?

[@cleob9956]

Thanks for saving me the trouble of listening

[@scottclausen2594]

Hello Mr. Elephant in the room, how are you? How can she possibly be speaking about the major life changes she’s experienced in the last few years and not mention the downfall of her father? It shows me that her credibility is irretrievably broken. It’s both sad and troubling. And very Hybels-like. Cary, i didn’t realize you agree to interview conditions. Another credibility ding for you, too. Transparency is a thing of the past I guess.

[@deborahfelts5231]

What is it you want? I think we can read all we want to know about the issues surrounding Bill Hybel's departure from Willowcreek to know what went on. You can then hear Shauna share that her heart was broken. Put those together and figure out that her book addresses the issue without her having to tell us outright about the private details of the situations. Maybe she wants to keep those very personal details private. Maybe she loves her father too much to share intimate details in public. Maybe it's just too painful for her to go into detail. Here's what we can easily figure out. It was a horrendous experience for everyone involved and it shook her world to the core. Enough details are available at the touch of a keyboard. Grant her permission to share what she learned without demanding she divulge things we really don't need to know.

[@MauiJohnJ]

Credibility broken ? Irretrievably ? Really dude ? What is her responsibility here ? Should you be forced to talk about painful stuff your dad or brother or whoever did ? It's not like Cary is interviewing OJ while agreeing to the murders being off limits.

[@ssarm1935]

Seriously? She does not owe the public - comments on her father. Period.

[@MK9fam]

Mmmm perhaps it’s still very painful to speak on it, but I agree to the extent of you don’t speak on the truth, you just support the lies. Even if that means condemning your own family.

[@patriciaperry2028]

enneagram is false! Your both are giving people really bad ‘ impression s

[@cleob9956]

The ubiquity of this thing is frightening. Admittedly received through automatic writing… “but it works, yada yada yada…” Yeah, so did the spirit of divination in the servant girl in Acts 16. It’s so grievous. My children and one of my favorite apologists Gavin Ortlund endorse it. What gives?