211: Apprenticeship and Initiation – Become Good Soil Foundations Series (Part 6)

Apr 21, 2026

They explore apprenticeship to Jesus and initiation across a life, tracing how spiritual formation unfolds through seasons and thresholds. Historical and modern maps of initiation are compared. Personal stories—body, biking, vocation—show how one theme can reveal growth decade by decade. Listeners are invited to reflect on their own initiation and receive a guided five-minute rest prayer.

01:04:33

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INSIGHT

Apprenticeship Is Learning To Live Like Jesus

Apprenticeship means spending time with Jesus to learn to live as He would in your specific social context.
Morgan frames it as becoming able to do what Jesus did, not just holding correct beliefs, drawing on Dallas Willard's usage.

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INSIGHT

Initiation Is The Frontier Between Life Seasons

Initiation names the frontier moments between life stages where God intentionally matures us toward wholeheartedness.
Cherie distinguishes initiation as the seasonal process that propels lifelong maturity into Christlikeness.

insights

INSIGHT

A Larger Story Makes Ordinary Moments Sacred

Locating your life in God's larger story gives an interpretive frame that makes ordinary moments sacred.
Morgan argues this orientation turns everyday events into ways God connects us to His unfolding kingdom story.

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Why Apprenticeship and Initiation Matter

01:28 • 36sec

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Apprenticeship Defined via Dallas Willard

02:04 • 5min

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Initiation as Lifespan Maturation

07:18 • 2min

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The Fruit of Initiation: Paul’s Example

09:45 • 3min

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Locating Our Story in Scripture

12:26 • 5min

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Practical Invitation to Deeper Initiation

17:40 • 53sec

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Historical Patterns of Initiation

18:33 • 4min

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Modern Maps: Hagberg, Campbell, Rohr

22:48 • 4min

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Entering the Second Half of Life

26:33 • 3min

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Making Initiation Practical

29:11 • 1min

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Relating to Others as Ongoing Journeys

30:25 • 1min

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Using a Single Topic to Trace Initiation

31:37 • 7min

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Cherie’s Body Journey Across Decades

38:17 • 6min

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Morgan’s Mountain Biking as Initiation

43:56 • 10min

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Unlearning Cultural Initiations

53:41 • 3min

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Invitation: Reflect on Your Initiation Theme

56:42 • 34sec

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Five-Minute Rest Prayer

• Mentioned in 44 episodes

Falling Upward

A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

Richard Rohr

In 'Falling Upward,' Richard Rohr divides human life into two halves. The first half is about building a life, achieving success, and establishing an identity. The second half, often misunderstood as a period of decline, is actually a journey of spiritual growth, contentment, and deeper understanding. Rohr argues that spiritual maturity is achieved not by avoiding failures and sufferings but by embracing them as necessary steps towards true self-discovery and union with God. The book offers practical guidance on transitioning from the outer tasks of the first half of life to the inner tasks of the second half, emphasizing the importance of integrity, love, and non-dualistic thinking.

#9557

• Mentioned in 6 episodes

Young Men and Fire

MacLean

Norman Maclean

In 'Young Men and Fire', Norman Maclean delves into the tragic events of the 1949 Mann Gulch fire, which claimed the lives of 13 young Smokejumpers. The book is structured in three parts, detailing the minute-by-minute account of the fire, Maclean's quest to understand the decisions made by the firefighters, and his personal reflections on mortality and human suffering. Maclean's research involved extensive interviews with survivors, analysis of fire behavior, and a deep exploration of the human and environmental factors that led to the tragedy. The book is a blend of forensic analysis, historical narrative, and philosophical meditation, making it a classic of American nonfiction.

#13

• Mentioned in 462 episodes

The Bible

Various Authors

The Bible is a comprehensive collection of texts that form the central religious text of Christianity and Judaism. It is divided into the Old Testament, which includes books such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and others that narrate the creation of the world, the history of the Israelites, and the prophetic messages. The New Testament focuses on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, along with the early Christian church and its spread. The Bible contains a wide range of genres, including historical narratives, poetry, wisdom literature, prophetic writings, and epistles.

#16400

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

The Critical Journey

Stages of Faith Development

Janet O. Hagberg and Robert A. Guelich

Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich's "The Critical Journey" provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the stages of spiritual growth and development. The book explores the various challenges and transitions individuals face as they mature in their faith, offering guidance and support for navigating these crucial junctures. It emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, honest reflection, and a willingness to embrace vulnerability. The authors provide practical tools and insights for personal growth and discipleship, helping readers identify their current stage of faith and chart a course for continued spiritual maturity. The book is a valuable resource for individuals and groups seeking to deepen their understanding of the spiritual life.

#1538

• Mentioned in 29 episodes

Practicing the Way

John Mark Comer

John Mark Comer's "Practicing the Way" offers a practical guide to spiritual formation, emphasizing the importance of intentional discipleship. The book blends ancient wisdom with contemporary relevance, providing readers with tools to cultivate a deeper relationship with God. Comer explores the concepts of being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing as Jesus did, offering a holistic approach to spiritual growth. The book encourages readers to engage in spiritual disciplines and cultivate a life of purpose and meaning. It's a valuable resource for those seeking to deepen their faith and live a more intentional Christian life.

#232

• Mentioned in 108 episodes

The hero with a thousand faces

Joseph Campbell

In this book, Joseph Campbell explores his theory of the 'monomyth', a universal pattern found in the mythological narratives of various cultures. He details the stages of the 'hero's journey', which include departure from the ordinary world, initiation into a supernatural world, and return with a boon. Campbell draws on a wide range of mythological sources and integrates insights from psychology, particularly from Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, to illustrate the common elements of heroic myths across different cultures.

“For many former Smokejumpers, smokejumping is not closely tied with their (current) way of life, but is more something that was necessary for them to pass through and not around, and, once unmistakably done, does not have to be done again. The “it” is within, and is the need to settle some things with the universe and ourselves before taking on the “business of the world.” This “it” is the something special within that demands we do something special, and “it” could be within a lot of us.” —Norman Maclean, Young Men and Fire

Friends, how are we to understand the story of our lives as it unfolds across the years? What meaning do we give to our failures and our faithfulness, our losses and our triumphs, the long disappointments and the surprising gifts we never would have chosen—yet somehow needed? And how do we recognize true growth, not only in our own maturing, but in our apprenticeship to Jesus and the life of His Kingdom?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once suggested that the cost of not following Jesus is, in the end, far greater—even in this life alone—than the cost of walking with Him. For discipleship is not merely a matter of belief, but of learning to live in intimate fellowship with Christ, slowly being formed into the kind of people He Himself would be, if He were to live our lives in our place.

In this next episode of the Become Good Soil Foundations Series, we explore apprenticeship and initiation as two essential lenses for making sense of this question: how our small, particular stories are caught up into something far larger—the redemptive and unfolding story of God.

It’s all been prologue. The best is yet to come.

For the Kingdom,

Morgan & Cherie

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