The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus

Review of Deeply FormedI’ve been follow Rich on Twitter for several years, as he popped up in my feed through retweets of others I’d followed. He was always so articulate and smart and had so much wisdom that I knew I needed his voice on my feed.Cut to a few months ago when he announced he was releasing a book and wanted people to help launch the book. I jumped at the opportunity, got an advanced copy and got an early start reading transformative principles that many of us, especially Americans, need in these chaotic times.Rich does a great job speaking from his experience in living out the principles he lays out in this book. Whether it be actively keeping the Sabbath, an ancient practice that is full of wisdom and much needed in our on-the-go society. Or racial reconciliation as a necessary practice in the church, or even examining our interior lives to see where we can be healed through our communion with God or even counseling if necessary.While all of these are definitely important, what stuck out to me was his willingness to be open and honest about his life. It’s easy to sell a book with things everyone else should be doing. But these words come from his lived experience of the things he’s writing about. There’s sincerity and it pours from the pages. While he will admit that he is still learning these things, his invititation is to join him on the journey to be more deeply formed.I’d like to leave a short paragraph of his discussion around Sabbath. I felt this was huge for me and something I’m aware of but haven’t put in the effort. After reading his story and how he’s applied this to him and his family’s life, it’s inspired me to do the same for me and my family. “Sabbath is an invitation to a life that isn’t dominated and distorted by overwork. This feeling of domination and distortion is something we know all too well, and by “all,” I mean all of humanity. You could argue that the commandment most violated by everyone is the fourth. It’s also the commandment we often boast about breaking in our pride to express how tirelessly we work. Yet our lives are under the judgment of our own frenetic pace because we can’t stop.”Amen.

In the wake of the worldwide pandemic, we've been plunged into this new disorienting existence. So many of us have been scrambling for some kind of "normal" to ground us and get us through. At the same time, we've also been given the chance to sift through how we have been living for so long, figuring out what was working and what was not. In the midst of all of this, Rich Villodas' premier book The Deeply Formed Life was released.Reading the title alone reminds me of the verse from Psalm 1:4: "That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers." And each chapter of the book guides the reader through "Five Transformative Values" that help one look at life underneath the surface, to see where things can be moved around, sorted through, and rooted into something bigger than ourselves.From Contemplative Rhythms in surprising settings, to Racial Reconciliation, to Sexual Wholeness, to being Missional, Villodas reminds us what it is to be human and how we lean into that, finding respite and guidance from our Creator and others who have been on this journey before us. The Deeply Formed Life is a refreshing book overall. Villodas is pastoral and understanding, not once did I feel "preached at" while reading. I felt encouraged, built up, and ready to incorporate the practices he wrote about into my life at a time when we all need firm ground under our feet. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who has been feeling the same need.

The author gets to the heart of the Christian Life. I appreciate the grace that comes through and the lack of shaming.

This is a great book for anyone wondering how to live a faithful and fruitful Christian life in our current cultural climate. Using the metaphors of an iceberg and a redwood forest, Rich Villodas argues that believers need to take time away from the shallow, hectic activities of life to cultivate a deep, layered life of spiritual formation from which they can draw. In a culture that pressures us to be shallowly-formed, we need to be deeply rooted. From a life deeply anchored in prayer and in gospel truth, Christians can then reach out to engage the world in life-giving ways.It was refreshing to see a book about Christian discipleship from an evangelical perspective that actually includes chapters on pursuing racial justice and sexual wholeness under the umbrella of spiritual disciplines, and with appropriate nuance to boot. A rare thing in our day, as many resources either ignore these topics or take a very one-sided or agenda-driven approach. Pastor Villodas offers a wise and balanced perspective, and considering our cultural moment Christians cannot and should not shy away from discussing these subjects in the context of spiritual formation.Maybe I'm overly cynical, but as I was reading this book I feared that many of the people who most need to hear Villodas's advice are the kinds of people who would dismiss it as soon as they got to the chapter on race, thinking it sounded too "liberal" or too much like CRT or something (which it's not). But that means there is definitely an audience that needs this message. And the conclusions taught here are all orthodox -- which is the real reason why they're uncomfortable for some.I do wish Villodas had gone into more detail in offering practical action steps for each of the five "formative practices" offered. It certainly felt weighted more toward theory than application. Still, the theory taught here is great, and as far as discipleship books go, this one fills a much-needed slot in explaining how to marry contemplative spiritual practices with active/social practices to cultivate a "deeply formed life," so I'd say it's worth a read for anyone interested in Christian spiritual growth. Great for groups or classes, or just for personal enrichment.

Fantastic book! In a world of increasing noise and chaos, Rich invites people into a live that will last. I appreciated the thoughtful and coherent chapters and found myself longing to love a more deeply formed life, both for myself and for the world around me.

Do you want to go deeper in your relationship with Jesus, this is an excellent practical guide

Delivery was quick, but few pages were torn inside. I had bought this to gift a friend and now it will be a damaged gift.

A book about spiritual formation that is accessible and practical! Villodas understands the busy-ness that accompanies life in this world, and still calls us to a more excellent way, inviting us to be deeply formed in the image of Jesus Christ. He accomplishes this with relatable life experiences, and without heaping guilt. In addition to the expected topics of contemplative rhythms and interior examination, Villodas also explores practices around racial reconciliation as part of the life of faith; making this book not only an exploration of timeless spiritual practices, but extremely relevant for this moment in time.

The book is good, very informative and from a pastor who knows what he is talking about. However, because the material within the chapters on the racial reconciliation are from a North American context it’s a bit alien to people like myself not from America. Of course racial reconciliation is vital across the world but I couldn’t help but feel like I was reading through American political talking points, which in turn caused me to switch off. However, the chapters following this are very good.