
The Way Up Is Down
Becoming Yourself by Forgetting Yourself
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $17.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Lisa Reneé Pitts
-
By:
-
Marlena Graves
About this listen
"Now, with God's help, I shall become myself."
These words from Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard resonate deeply with Marlena Graves, a Puerto Rican writer, pastor, and activist. In this book, she describes the process of emptying herself that allows her to move upward toward God and become the true self that God calls her to. Drawing on the rich traditions of Eastern and Western Christian saints, she shares stories and insights that have enlivened her transformation. For Marlena, formation and justice always intertwine on the path to a balanced life of both action and contemplation.
If you long for more of God, this book offers a time-honored path to deeper life.
©2020 Marlena Graves (P)2020 eChristianListeners also enjoyed...
-
Bearing God
- Living a Christ-Formed Life in Uncharted Waters
- By: Marlena Graves
- Narrated by: Renee Lisa Pitts
- Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine yourself with Jesus, in a boat on the sea, as a sudden storm fills the other passengers with fear. When the priest read this Gospel story in Mark 4, Marlena Graves didn’t see herself as the terrified disciples, lacking faith. She wasn’t Jesus, peacefully sleeping through the danger. She wasn’t the wind or the waves. According to Graves, “I was the boat! And then it occurred to me that, like Jesus’ mother, Mary, I, too, am a God bearer.” Bearing God is a short and enthralling book that will awaken you as a disciple of Jesus to a sense of adventure in your calling.
-
-
What it means to follow Christ
- By Adam Shields on 01-03-24
By: Marlena Graves
-
The Deeply Formed Life
- Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus
- By: Rich Villodas, Pete Scazzero - foreword
- Narrated by: Rich Villodas
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During our chaotic times, discover five forgotten values that can spark internal growth and help us reconcile our Christian faith with the complexities of race, sexuality, and social justice. Most believers live in the state of "being a Christian" without ever being deeply formed by Christ. Our pace is too frenetic to be in union with God, and we don't know how to quiet our hearts and minds to be present. Our emotions are unhealthy and compartmentalized.
-
-
Discipleship in America
- By Adam Shields on 10-20-20
By: Rich Villodas, and others
-
The Road Back to You
- An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
- By: Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile
- Narrated by: Ian Morgan Cron
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Enneagram is an ancient personality type system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. In The Road Back to You, Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile forge a unique approach - a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of God and of ourselves.
-
-
Wow, what an amazing book! I loved it!!
- By Maria on 06-09-18
By: Ian Morgan Cron, and others
-
A Church Called Tov
- Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing
- By: Scot McKnight, Laura Barringer
- Narrated by: Michael Beck
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is the way forward for the church? Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches―from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church.
-
-
Mostly good, but has a major issue
- By T.J. on 11-30-21
By: Scot McKnight, and others
-
Good and Beautiful and Kind
- Becoming Whole in a Fractured World
- By: Rich Villodas
- Narrated by: Ann Voskamp, Rich Villodas, Rachel Perry
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We long for a good life, a beautiful life, a kind life. But clearly that’s not the world we live in. How did we lose goodness, kindness, and beauty? And more important, how do we get them back into our lives? These are the two questions crying out in our streets, homes, churches, and from deep within our souls. Pastor and author Rich Villodas is convinced that only Jesus offers a way of being human that is both strong and tender enough to tear down the walls of hostility we experience daily.
-
-
A needed encouragement in our weary world
- By Erin M Ambrose on 07-16-24
By: Rich Villodas
-
Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes
- Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World
- By: E. Randolph Richards, Richard James
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Combining the expertise of a biblical scholar and a missionary practitioner, Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes is an essential guidebook to the cultural background of the Bible and how it should inform our reading. E. Randolph Richards and Richard James explore deep social structures of the ancient Mediterranean - kinship, patronage, and brokerage-along with their key social tools-honor, shame, and boundaries - that the biblical authors lived in and lie below the surface of each text.
-
-
One of the most important books a theologian can own
- By Anonymous User on 02-05-21
By: E. Randolph Richards, and others
-
Bearing God
- Living a Christ-Formed Life in Uncharted Waters
- By: Marlena Graves
- Narrated by: Renee Lisa Pitts
- Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine yourself with Jesus, in a boat on the sea, as a sudden storm fills the other passengers with fear. When the priest read this Gospel story in Mark 4, Marlena Graves didn’t see herself as the terrified disciples, lacking faith. She wasn’t Jesus, peacefully sleeping through the danger. She wasn’t the wind or the waves. According to Graves, “I was the boat! And then it occurred to me that, like Jesus’ mother, Mary, I, too, am a God bearer.” Bearing God is a short and enthralling book that will awaken you as a disciple of Jesus to a sense of adventure in your calling.
-
-
What it means to follow Christ
- By Adam Shields on 01-03-24
By: Marlena Graves
-
The Deeply Formed Life
- Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus
- By: Rich Villodas, Pete Scazzero - foreword
- Narrated by: Rich Villodas
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During our chaotic times, discover five forgotten values that can spark internal growth and help us reconcile our Christian faith with the complexities of race, sexuality, and social justice. Most believers live in the state of "being a Christian" without ever being deeply formed by Christ. Our pace is too frenetic to be in union with God, and we don't know how to quiet our hearts and minds to be present. Our emotions are unhealthy and compartmentalized.
-
-
Discipleship in America
- By Adam Shields on 10-20-20
By: Rich Villodas, and others
-
The Road Back to You
- An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
- By: Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile
- Narrated by: Ian Morgan Cron
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Enneagram is an ancient personality type system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. In The Road Back to You, Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile forge a unique approach - a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of God and of ourselves.
-
-
Wow, what an amazing book! I loved it!!
- By Maria on 06-09-18
By: Ian Morgan Cron, and others
-
A Church Called Tov
- Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing
- By: Scot McKnight, Laura Barringer
- Narrated by: Michael Beck
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is the way forward for the church? Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches―from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church.
-
-
Mostly good, but has a major issue
- By T.J. on 11-30-21
By: Scot McKnight, and others
-
Good and Beautiful and Kind
- Becoming Whole in a Fractured World
- By: Rich Villodas
- Narrated by: Ann Voskamp, Rich Villodas, Rachel Perry
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We long for a good life, a beautiful life, a kind life. But clearly that’s not the world we live in. How did we lose goodness, kindness, and beauty? And more important, how do we get them back into our lives? These are the two questions crying out in our streets, homes, churches, and from deep within our souls. Pastor and author Rich Villodas is convinced that only Jesus offers a way of being human that is both strong and tender enough to tear down the walls of hostility we experience daily.
-
-
A needed encouragement in our weary world
- By Erin M Ambrose on 07-16-24
By: Rich Villodas
-
Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes
- Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World
- By: E. Randolph Richards, Richard James
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Combining the expertise of a biblical scholar and a missionary practitioner, Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes is an essential guidebook to the cultural background of the Bible and how it should inform our reading. E. Randolph Richards and Richard James explore deep social structures of the ancient Mediterranean - kinship, patronage, and brokerage-along with their key social tools-honor, shame, and boundaries - that the biblical authors lived in and lie below the surface of each text.
-
-
One of the most important books a theologian can own
- By Anonymous User on 02-05-21
By: E. Randolph Richards, and others
-
Abuelita Faith
- What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength
- By: Kat Armas
- Narrated by: Sofia Willingham
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Combining personal storytelling with biblical reflection, Cuban American writer Kat Armas tells the story of unnamed and overlooked theologians - mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters - whose sacred wisdom teaches us something unique about spirituality and God.
-
-
A book that will draw you in and keep you there
- By Cory Crocker on 02-12-25
By: Kat Armas
-
Tattoos on the Heart
- The Power of Boundless Compassion
- By: Gregory Boyle
- Narrated by: Gregory Boyle
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thirty years ago, Gregory Boyle founded Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program in Los Angeles, the gang capital of the world. In Tattoos on the Heart, his debut book, he distills his experience working with gang members into a breathtaking series of parables inspired by faith.
-
-
Wow...
- By john williamson on 07-08-21
By: Gregory Boyle
-
Holy Hygge
- Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow
- By: Jamie Erickson
- Narrated by: Ann Kimberly
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Holy Hygge, author Jamie Erickson unites the popular Danish practice with the deep theological truths of the gospel. She unpacks the seven tenets of hygge: hospitality, relationships, well-being, atmosphere, comfort, contentment, and rest. In addition, Erickson shows how the external veneer of a lifestyle can create a life-giving home only when placed under the hope of the gospel. Holy Hygge provides practical ideas for using hygge to gather people and introduce them to faith in Christ.
-
-
Beautifully written and inspiring
- By Ashley on 02-07-23
By: Jamie Erickson
-
The Soul of Desire
- Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community
- By: Curt Thompson MD, Makoto Fujimura - foreword
- Narrated by: Kyle Tait
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Soul of Desire, psychiatrist Curt Thompson suggests that underneath all our longings is the desire to be known - and what's more, that this fundamental yearning manifests itself in our deep need to make things of beauty, revealing who we are to others. Weaving together neuroscience and spiritual formation to open up new horizons for thinking not only about the nature of the mind but about what it means to be human, The Soul of Desire is a mature, creative work.
-
-
Beautiful work
- By Phoebe Barron on 04-07-22
By: Curt Thompson MD, and others
-
The Divine Conspiracy
- By: Dallas Willard
- Narrated by: Thomas Penny
- Length: 18 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In an era in which many Christians consider Jesus a beloved but remote savior, Willard argues compellingly for the relevance of God to every aspect of our existence. Masterfully capturing the central insights of Christ's teachings in a fresh way for today's seekers, he helps us to explore a revolutionary way to experience God by knowing him as an essential part of the here and now, rather than only as part of the hereafter.
-
-
Incredible Book
- By Tom Ewald on 09-07-07
By: Dallas Willard
-
Do I Stay Christian?
- A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned
- By: Brian D. McLaren
- Narrated by: Brian D. McLaren
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do I Stay Christian? addresses in public the powerful question that surprising numbers of people—including pastors, priests, and other religious leaders—are asking in private. Picking up where Faith After Doubt leaves off, Do I Stay Christian? is not McLaren's attempt to persuade Christians to dig in their heels or run for the exit. Instead, he combines his own experience with that of thousands of people who have confided in him over the years to help readers make a responsible, honest, ethical decision about their religious identity.
-
-
Stunning
- By pslwallace on 06-30-23
By: Brian D. McLaren
-
Your Calling Here and Now
- Making Sense of Vocation
- By: Gordon T. Smith
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Our vocation is the outworking of how God has made us. It is not a goal on the horizon but a present reality that we are called to discern and explore. However, in the midst of our daily lives, finding meaning can prove both difficult and elusive, and we are often left wondering if we are missing out on God's purpose for our lives.
-
-
Eat this book
- By Chase C. McKinney on 08-01-22
By: Gordon T. Smith
-
The Prophetic Imagination
- 40th Anniversary Edition
- By: Walter Brueggemann
- Narrated by: Jim Denison
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this 40th anniversary edition of the classic book from one of the most influential biblical scholars of our time, Walter Brueggemann, offers a theological and ethical reading of the Hebrew Bible.
-
-
Grateful for a world reknown Hebrew Scriptures scholar
- By bean481 on 04-14-24
-
The Complete Enneagram
- 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge
- By: Beatrice Chestnut PhD
- Narrated by: Randye Kaye
- Length: 21 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Enneagram - a universal symbol of human purpose and possibility - is an excellent tool for doing the hardest part of consciousness work: realizing, owning, and accepting your strengths and weaknesses. In this comprehensive guide, Beatrice Chestnut, PhD, traces the development of the personality as it relates to the nine types of the Enneagram, the three different subtype forms each type can take, and the path each of us can take toward liberation. With her guidance, listeners will learn to observe themselves, face their fears and more.
-
-
Robotic...
- By Stefanie on 02-06-19
-
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership
- Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry
- By: Ruth Haley Barton
- Narrated by: Teres Byrne
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"I'm tired of helping others enjoy God―I just want to enjoy God for myself." With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Each chapter includes a spiritual practice to ensure your soul gets the nourishment it needs. Forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God is the best choice you can make for yourself and for those you lead.
-
-
Moses and Me
- By Josh Kleinfeld on 04-21-25
-
Garden City
- Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human.
- By: John Mark Comer
- Narrated by: John Mark Comer
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Garden City, popular pastor and speaker John Mark Comer gives a surprisingly countercultural take on the typical "spiritual" answer of the church. Comer explores Scripture to discover God's original intent for how we are meant to spend our time, reshaping how you view and do your work, rest, and life.
-
-
Such a beautiful take on work
- By S. Tanner on 01-05-23
By: John Mark Comer
-
Learning Humility
- A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue
- By: Richard J. Foster
- Narrated by: Richard J. Foster
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a society where raging narcissism dominates the moral landscape, the virtue of humility is often dismissed as irrelevant. Not only is humility vanishing from contemporary culture, but we are also witnessing how destructive a lack of humility has become among our churches and ministry leaders. And yet, Richard Foster, the founder of Renovare, insists that humility is central to the journey toward character formation and spiritual transformation. For this reason he decided to spend a year studying the virtue of humility.
-
-
Quite different in feel from his other books
- By Adam Shields on 03-14-23
What listeners say about The Way Up Is Down
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J.Tyrone Marcus
- 02-19-21
A Wonderful Book!
It was refreshing to listen to this modern day application of kenosis and to see the power and beauty of the self-emptying life. This was an upward call!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!