Around the Fire

Gene Maynard

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Christianity
Updated Daily

The Trailhead will take you on a journey deep into spiritual formation country. It will retrieve the core ideas and practices that have, for centuries, helped hungry spiritual people and communities navigate the way into a deeper, more transformative life with God. genemaynard.substack.com

May 16

Two Words That Describe What God Is Up to in Me

Around the Fire is an audio companion to The Compass, my Substack publication on contemplative Christian spiritual formation. Think of it this way: the weekly essays are the miles. This is the campfire at the end of the day that offers a few minutes to sit with something we’ve been carrying, go a little deeper, and let the day’s ideas settle. Today’s episode is about two words that have come to me as I’ve been living here and walking the trails in northwest Montana. Both words describe what I am becoming aware that God is up to in my life and how this space and time has been given to me for the purpose of formation and focus. Around the Fire today is relating a simple answer to the question what might happen in our life if we can regain the practice of noticing what God is up to in our hearts, in the lives of people we are with, and in our culture. New episodes drop Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday though the mission of hosting depleted, exhausted, and wounded pastors and missionaries interrupted this rhythm the past two weeks. If you’re not yet part of The Compass community, I’d love for you to join us. Free subscribers get the full essay five days a week. Paid subscribers receive monthly spiritual formation practice tools, teaching videos, and live conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe

21 min
Apr 25

A View that Demands I Behold

Around the Fire is an audio companion to The Compass, my Substack publication on contemplative Christian spiritual formation. Think of it this way: the weekly essays are the miles. This is the campfire at the end of the day that offers a few minutes to sit with something we’ve been carrying, go a little deeper, and let the day’s ideas settle. Today’s episode builds off of the Friday Compass “Wandering” post “When Did We Stop Seeing” by exploring an old word, “Behold!” It is asking a simple question: what might happen in our life if we regain the practice of noticing what God is up to in our hearts, in the lives of people we are with, and in our culture. New episodes drop Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, usually seven to nine minutes, long enough to matter, short enough to finish before the fire burns down. If you’re not yet part of The Compass community, I’d love for you to join us. Free subscribers get the full essay five days a week. Paid subscribers receive monthly practice tools, teaching videos, and live conversation. Pull up a chair. I’ll see you around the fire. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe

17 min
Apr 24

Around the Fire

Around the Fire is the audio companion to The Compass, my Substack publication on contemplative Christian spiritual formation. Think of it this way: the weekly essays are the miles. This is the campfire at the end of the day that offers a few minutes to sit with something we’ve been carrying, go a little deeper, and let the day’s ideas settle. Today’s episode builds off a question my wife asked about evil: how did these people who treat others with such inhumanness become like that? It’s a great question, one to think about, one to wonder about how a person is formed toward goodness or toward ugliness. New episodes drop Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, usually seven to nine minutes, long enough to matter, short enough to finish before the fire burns down. If you’re not yet part of The Compass community, I’d love for you to join us. Free subscribers get the full essay five days a week. Paid subscribers receive monthly practice tools, teaching videos, and live conversation. Pull up a chair. I’ll see you around the fire. IHG (In His Grip) — Gene This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe

8 min
Apr 21

Around the Fire

Around the Fire is a new audio companion to The Compass, my Substack publication on contemplative Christian spiritual formation. Think of it this way: the weekly essays are the miles. This is the campfire at the end of the day that offers a few minutes to sit with something we’ve been carrying, go a little deeper, and let the day’s ideas settle. Today’s episode builds off this week’s Compass essay on spiritual classics, which is anchored specifically to William Penn’s No Cross, No Crown, and follows one thread a little further into the dark. If you haven’t read the essay yet, it’s worth starting there before you pull up a chair here. It’s called “The Two-Foot Shelf.” New episodes drop Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, usually seven to nine minutes, long enough to matter, short enough to finish before the fire burns down. If you’re not yet part of The Compass community, I’d love for you to join us. Free subscribers get the full essay five days a week. Paid subscribers receive monthly practice tools, teaching videos, and live conversation. Pull up a chair. I’ll see you around the fire. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe

9 min
Feb 1

The Sound of Still Water

I don't usually post on weekends, but today asked for an exception. Lorri and I drove into Glacier today with no particular agenda—just following the road as it wound along Lake McDonald. We found ourselves at a pullout and instead of checking it off the list — been to the lake and moving on — we just... stopped and wandered along the lakeshore. It took only a few moments to discover the treasure waiting to be loved: As our eyes took in the beauty, our ears began to tune into what you can hear in a natural quiet zone: small waves lapping against the shoreline, the occasional bird call, wind moving through the trees. We sat there, not talking, not capturing the perfect shot, just being present to what was already there. Three seconds of those sounds are uploaded above. With our sense filling up and our day slowing down, we made an easy choice: drive up the east side of Glacier. Rounding a sharp corner, this iconic mountain parted the clouds and seemed to whisper, “Don’t miss this.” We heard, agreed, pulled off again. The light kept changing, the clouds kept shifting, and each movement felt like a gift rather than something we'd earned or achieved. I'm sharing these images not to make you envious of our backyard (though I won't pretend it's not extraordinary), but because something about today felt important to pass along: the treasure wasn't in the destination. It was in the decision to linger. We live in a culture that's constantly asking us to do more, see more, accomplish more. Even our vacations become exhausting productions. We rush through experiences instead of inhabiting them. We're always heading somewhere else, convinced that the next thing will finally satisfy. But what if the deepest satisfaction is already here, in the simple act of pulling off the fast lane and paying attention? What if slowing down isn't about doing less, but about being present enough to receive what's right in front of us? The lake didn't perform for us today. Mount Reynolds didn't appear on schedule. The clearing skies weren't guaranteed. We simply showed up, and then we stayed long enough to notice what was already being offered. That's not just a lesson for tourists in national parks. It's a posture for life. What would it mean for you to find your own version of that pullout by the lake? Not someplace exotic you need to travel to, but the ordinary moment you could linger in today—the morning coffee you actually taste, the conversation you don't rush through, the sunset you watch all the way down instead of just glancing at? The sound of still water. The mountain emerging from clouds. The patches of blue sky breaking through gray. These aren't just Montana moments. They're invitations to a life where simple presence becomes the treasure we've been searching for all along. What's one simple thing you could linger with today? Gratefully, — Gene This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe

2 sec
Jan 10

When You Can't See Ahead

Yesterday's snowstorm became an unexpected spiritual director. As I walked through heavy snow with visibility down to almost nothing, I couldn't see the mountains I know are right in front of me. And in that moment of forced present-ness, I realized how much of my life I've spent living in the future—planning, strategizing, mapping out what's ahead. But what if seasons of limited visibility aren't obstacles to navigate around, but invitations to see differently? What if not being able to see far ahead actually helps us see more clearly what's right in front of us? Join me for a brief reflection on the gift of living one faithful step at a time. Subscribe to The Compass If this reflection resonated with you, consider subscribing to The Compass. Each week, I share practices and reflections for the contemplative journey—helping you slow down, pay attention, and discover what God might be saying in the everyday moments of your life. Free subscribers receive regular encouragement, while paid subscribers gain access to deeper resources, guided practices, and our growing community of fellow travelers. Whether you’re just beginning to explore contemplative spirituality or you’ve been walking this path for years, there’s a place for you here. I’d be honored to have you join us. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe

5 min
11/25/2025

Writing Our Way Home: A Conversation with Jeanine Joyner

Substack writer Jeanine Joyner has a rare gift. Through her publication “Beloved, Be Loved,” she weaves storytelling and spiritual reflection in ways that invite you into the heart of what it means to be God’s beloved. A former women’s ministry leader, Jeanine now uses her writing to help readers discover their truest identity as beloved children of God. In this conversation, she shares from her own journey—growing up in rural America, navigating the complexities of women’s identity in the church, and finding her voice through writing on Substack. There were moments that stopped me in my tracks, when her words opened up something deeper than I expected. If you’re hungry for writing that nourishes your soul and draws you closer to God, I encourage you to discover Jeanine’s work. Subscribe to her Substack: https://jeaninejoyner.substack.com/. And if this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to The Compass to receive more episodes like this—conversations that help you navigate the deeper currents of faith and life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe

36 min
11/11/2025

Becoming Who You Are

Listen Time: 7:35 minutes About This Episode In the wilderness, Jesus faced a fundamental test: Would he perform to meet expectations, or remain anchored in who he truly was? This Stillpoint meditation explores three moments when Jesus refused to twist himself into what others wanted—and invites you to find that same ground of unshakeable identity in the Father’s love. You don’t have to be what they expect. You don’t have to shrink to fit. You are held in the love that made you. Episode Outline Moment 1: The Temptation to Perform The wilderness test—when performing miracles would have meant negotiating his identity Moment 2: The Temptation to Shrink The mountain withdrawal—when becoming their king would have meant becoming less than himself Moment 3: The Ground of True Self The Gethsemane prayer—surrendering into his truest self, held in the Father’s love Carry This With You I don’t have to be what they expect.I don’t have to shrink to fit.I am held in the love that made me. Related Reading This meditation draws from the Substack post “The Gift of Knowing Yourself” — exploring how spiritual formation helps us know not just God, but ourselves. Because transformation requires awareness of the precise places where we need healing grace. Read the full post here Subscribe to Stillpoint These 5-minute pauses are designed to recenter your life in the presence of God—right in the middle of your busy day. New episodes drop weekly on Substack. Subscribe for free Already a subscriber? Episodes appear directly in your inbox. Share This Episode Know someone who’s exhausted from performing or shrinking to fit others’ expectations? Send them this episode. Sometimes permission to be yourself is the most spiritual gift you can give. About Gene Maynard Gene Maynard is a pastor, spiritual director, and author of Trekking: A Guidebook for Spiritual Transformation. His forthcoming book, Living More: In a World of More, Choose Less—and Live Deeper, explores the themes at the heart of his move to Montana. He writes The Compass: Navigating the Interior Journey, a Substack exploring ancient formation practices for modern disciples, and is launching Stillpoint, a retreat ministry outside Glacier National Park for depleted pastors and missionaries.. Connect: The Compass Substack | genemaynard.com Support This Work Stillpoint is free for everyone, made possible by listeners who believe in creating space for unhurried spirituality. If these meditations have served you, consider supporting future episodes. Become a supporter “May you walk today as one who is fully known and fully loved.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe

8 min

The Trailhead will take you on a journey deep into spiritual formation country. It will retrieve the core ideas and practices that have, for centuries, helped hungry spiritual people and communities navigate the way into a deeper, more transformative life with God. genemaynard.substack.com

Creator

Gene Maynard
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

212
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Gene Maynard
Show Website

Around the Fire