The Winding Path of Transformation – Finding Yourself Between Glory and Humility

Jeff Tacklind, pastor of Church by the Sea—a quirky, diverse congregation in Laguna Beach, California—knows from decades of ministry experience that sometimes effective leadership looks like standing in the middle of conflict, holding the tension. In The Winding Path of Transformation, Tacklind describes spiritual transformation as an invitation to paradox. By entering into suffering, he says, we find joy. By embracing the downward path of humility, we find glory. And by remaining small, sometimes we grow to great heights.Any leaders who have wondered if God really called them to lead a congregation will resonate with Tacklind's vulnerability in this honest and meditative account. So will readers who have found their own spiritual journey to be winding and halting rather than a constant ascent of growth. Tacklind draws from the natural world—trees, waves, mountains, and canyons—to bring to life the lessons that he has picked up along the way. C. S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Søren Kierkegaard and others all serve as guides who light the way on the winding path of following God.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Cathleen Falsani Preface Part One: Glory and Humility 1. At Home in the Middle Place 2. Growing Deep Roots 3. Enlarge My Heart 4. Discovering Our True Vocation Part Two: Necessary Seasons 5. The Importance of Desolation 6. The Illumination of Waiting 7. The Desire to Belong 8. Living with Questions Part Three: The Slow Opening 9. Learning to Be Me 10. The Significance of Small Prayers 11. Trusting God in the Brokenness 12. The Slow Work of the Cross Part Four: The Way of the River 13. Living in Joy and Grief 14. The Tension of Glory and Humility 15. The Wisdom of the River 16. Leaving and Returning 17. Discovering Joy Afterword Acknowledgments

About the Author :
Jeff Tacklind is lead pastor of Church by the Sea in Laguna Beach, California, where he lives with his wife and three children. He is a spiritual director and has a master's degree in philosophy and a doctorate in semiotics and future studies.

Review :
"Jeff Tacklind is a surprising and winsome voice with a wide reach. He writes with the vulnerability of someone who just wants to be a little more like Jesus. But behind his easygoing tone you'll find the riches of a seasoned spiritual director and pastor." "The Winding Path of Transformation is so unique, so vulnerable, so reflective that it is hard to find words to do it justice. Written like a novel and drawing from sources as different as Kierkegaard and Cyndi Lauper, Tacklind's work is, at once, deeply personal and also an insightful, helpful depiction of the shared contours of every person's pilgrimage. Deep, authentic, wise, and hopeful, The Winding Path of Transformation is a rich guide for all who hunger for a more deeply transformed life." "Very few authors could summon the courage to write this book. But be warned: it takes almost as much courage to read this book as it took to write it. If you go down this yellow-winding road with the author, you will move around the entire color wheel of emotions. You will gasp at its honesty; you will squirm and wince and feel uncomfortable at its vulnerability; you will shake your head in marvel and wonderment at its revelations; you will cry. But the promise of the title is real—your own journey will be transformed." "As a young Christian, I imagined what it would look like to mature in my faith. Looking back now, I realize the path was far more winding than I could have anticipated. I appreciate Jeff's life-tested and pastorally wise counsel in The Winding Path of Transformation. It's a wonderful guide along the path of growth." "I love this quiet, deeply honest book; it indeed has left me—as the author hopes will be the case for his readers—with a renewed appetite for transformation and freedom and an awareness of God's presence, 'Always already.'" "Oh, how I have wished that transformation could come through reading a book. Jeff addresses this fallacy head-on. Transformation comes through opening up the fodder of our lives to the slow work of God. Period. Jeff gently coaxes us to stand in the places of engagement, where we live deeply out of our own skin, away from the shallow shoulds and into the sacred invitation imprinted on our souls. I am grateful to have such a holy and humble traveling companion in this beautiful book."