Chad Jarnagin

Nov 15

9 min read ⭑

“When we listen to listen rather than to respond, we can truly understand. Sometimes anything other than understanding without a response would be wrong.”

Tucked between rivers and hills on the outskirts of Franklin, Tennessee, you’ll find a quaint and quiet country chapel. There, you’ll meet the Rev. Chad E. Jarnagin, who founded Luminous Parish over 10 years ago and has fallen in love with the peaceful pace of life and sacred atmosphere that came with it. If you get into a conversation with him, he’ll probably spend most of the time listening — but if you dig enough, you’ll eventually find out he’s a Type Five on the Enneagram, the author of “Learning to Be: Reconstructing Peace and Spiritual Health,” a die-hard baseball fan, a musician and a certified executive bourbon steward. Today, he’s giving us a glimpse into what life is like as an Anglican vicar, how reading about different perspectives throughout history helps him rest and how the Anglican faith guided him back to Jesus after several experiences of spiritual abuse.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I am still fond of the area — the humans, culture, food and sports teams. Yes, Cincinnati chili is amazing. Don’t believe anyone who says differently. After moving to Tennessee, where I have lived for 25-plus years, I have come to appreciate life here. My wife and I have been married for over 20 years. Jennifer is amazing and an Enneagram Type Nine if there ever was one. An educator and a brilliant woman. We have three boys who love music, baseball, running, soccer and football. We are a pretty rhythmic family, meaning we worship liturgically at our Anglican parish, eat some of the same foods on a weekly basis and travel to familiar and new places when we can. Outdoor living is everything to us. Though we aren’t high on hot temperatures, we love to be outside. Winter and autumn have our hearts.

I come from a long lineage of people who love baseball. My dad, grandfather, uncle and cousin played professionally. I tried but only lasted through college. Music has always been in my blood as well. I toured for 20 years before I went into ministry. I’ve been on staff at very large churches, but over 10 years ago, I was ordained into the Anglican Church. We planted a small parish called Luminous Parish, where we meet in a historical country chapel. Life is slow, peaceful, sacred and wonderful there. Once I went back to school to receive my master’s degree and master of divinity, I realized that I loved learning and probably will forever. Maybe that is the Type Five in me.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity (or activities) do you love engaging in, which also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?

My boys run cross-country, which requires us to be all over our beautiful country. I find myself in parks multiple times per week. I have a constant stack of books in tow. They range from old dead priests to poets, known and unknown. There is something about reading perspectives from different times in human history. I continue to find that we are more alike than we are different.

Sometimes I listen to ambient music, sometimes rock and indie. On occasion, I lie on my back deck with a cigar and whiskey. Sometimes it is coffee or soda water. There is a presence that draws me deeper and deeper. Thoughts, communion, lament and dreaming keep me moving forward while being grounded in the present moment allows for contemplation and breath.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you hide it?

Oof. To know one’s self requires honesty. For most of my 30s, I didn’t know what was underneath, but after digging in and allowing vulnerable awareness, I finally realized that I have deep and intrusive thoughts. Anxiety and depression seem to be just under the surface. Sometimes they compel me to spiral down and feel trapped in my thoughts, feelings and regret. There are moments of hope, sometimes. Sometimes there doesn’t seem to be much hope or light. Experiencing death in abundance has been part of my story. Grandfather, grandmothers, sister, father ... friends. I allow for all the feelings. The void and absence. I welcome the attunement, be it darkness or light.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?

I spent several years writing what would eventually become my first published book, “Learning to Be: Reconstructing Peace and Spiritual Health.” Though my daily efforts are priesthood responsibilities, I still consider myself an artist. I create from words. I think in melody and cadence. One of my purposes is to help others see, hear and sense the Otherly. I believe that to be Creation and their Creator. Religion has been known to harm and distort hope, ironically. Giving space and naming that reality has become paramount in my being, work and purpose. There is a way forward for every single human, and I want to be about that work. Years ago, I was emotionally abused by a pastor, only to see it happen again years later. This almost caused me to lose my faith. I was even agnostic for a few years. The ancient faith practices of Anglicanism (along with a catholic sensibility), contemplation, slowing, minimalism and breath work enabled a way not only to cope with life but to thrive in it.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

Thomas Keating wrote, “Silence is God’s first language. Everything else is a bad translation.” Stillness is where I sense love. This love is God through the Holy Spirit. For years, I found myself in worship settings that were loud, vibrant and big. It was sensory overload, to be honest. But you don’t know what you don’t know. Once you see, hear and experience how beautiful and holy stillness, silence and contemplation are, you can’t unsee, unhear and unknow. I’m old enough to realize that you can balance vibrance and stillness. Typically, though — let’s be real — most of us have a difficult time finding that balance.

Here’s a quick story: I have a route that I run (or walk) through downtown Franklin. It lends itself to slowness. It is an old downtown with a town square. Fridays are my “walk-only” days. This is the only time I wear earbuds and listen to Hammock, Sigur Ros, Tony Anderson or other vibes. One day, about a year ago, I went down a side street that I usually never go. In front of one of the little homes (built in 1849), I saw this little old man (not the original owner), and I simply said, “Hello. Good morning.” The man lit up with a smile and said, “Good morning! I hope you are enjoying your walk because it is a beautiful day, and it welcomes all kinds of opportunities.”

Although that was a bit much for a “good morning,” especially before coffee, I thought about that for about a mile. Later that day, I had a very difficult phone call with someone from my parish. They faced a terrible surprise in their family. I remember pondering with my parishioner and for myself, “This is your life. These are the terms. Now, what’s the invitation?”

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you right now?

I feel like I have tapped this already, but I love it. Rather than having one (or many) spiritual practices, I like to embody postures. St. Francis said, “Seek to understand more than to be understood.” That became my rule of life over the past decade. When we listen to listen rather than to respond, we can truly understand. Sometimes anything other than understanding without a response would be wrong. We have been conditioned to have an opinion about everything, and not just that, but we must announce it to the world, too. In light of all this, one main practice I hope to implement for the remainder of my life is to be slow to speak — if I speak at all.

One of the collects (prayers) we pray every Sunday is The Collect for Purity.

Celebrant: Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known and from you no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may wholly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This ancient prayer is an examen. God knows we cannot hide but should confess.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed the game and changed your heart? What radically altered your life? What changed your reality?

Several things stand out to me. “The Book of Common Prayer” (Anglican) and the work of Fred Rogers. Henri Nouwen. I could list 28 others.

But the greatest of anything has been the Holy Eucharist. When I speak of the Eucharist, I mean the Great Thanksgiving of Holy Communion. Each Sunday, we have the bread and life and the true vine. Broken and given. Do we realize that Christ was unrecognizable to his disciples after his resurrection until he was known during the breaking of the bread? Perhaps we can’t really see or experience Christ in all of our church noise because the spectacle we create has become more than even we can handle. By the way, we are also Christ’s body broken for the sake of the world. I have found all of this to be life-sustaining truth and light-bearing hope.

In our tradition, we believe that the real presence of Christ is with us in the Eucharist. Regardless of the level of this perceived presence, we are reminded that Jesus is with us.

Fred Rogers once said that “love is at the heart of everything. ... Love or a lack of it.” Oh my dang. Yes. I am finding this to be true in humanity’s deepest places. And right now, in our soon-to-be history, I cannot escape how divided and fractured we have become as a society. Tyler Merrick spoke to this when he said, “Proximity breeds empathy. Distance breeds suspicion.” The further we remain from “the other,” the more suspicious we remain. Proximity to those we differ from isn’t celebrated in our time. We have become too tribal. Lord, have mercy. We are better together.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or even thrive) in tough times — times like these! Name one resource you’re savoring and/or finding indispensable in this current season, and tell us what it’s doing for you.

The Lectionary. I would argue this is the oldest and most observed Scripture reading cycle of all time. It’s a three-year cycle of reading the Daily Office (Years A, B, C) and the Liturgical Year (church calendar). It is important for us to know “when” we are, not just where we are. We begin with Advent, move to Christmas, then Epiphany, then Lent, Holy Week, Easter and so on. If you have never observed this resource, it may feel strange, but I believe this to be one of the greatest gifts to the modern church in our overly scheduled and frenetic time.

This resource helps me make sense of the chaos. It shows me I don’t need to be overwhelmed by the need to find numerous other studies or well-branded journals. Just as we pass the peace every Sunday, we then hope to pass this peace to everyone we meet.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

I have a few manuscripts I am casually working on. Each seems like a companion to my first book, “Learning to Be.” Underneath all of that work is a scary risk. Just as I have launched numerous projects over the years, albums, conferences, retreats, church plants and books, there is something else ... I’m imagining a space that will be called “The Luminous Centre for Spiritual Wellness.” I can see it. Sometimes I can smell it. I imagine. As an old priest in the corner of the pub, I invite the weary to a pint as I listen ... ponder ... and hold space. Perhaps the Centre has a pub. That would make for a lovely and easier commute.

How good are you at holding space for others, at listening to their stories and thoughts and at seeking to truly understand? As Fr. Chad has pointed out, this is one of the most important skills we can have as Christians in community and as believers pointing the lost to the Savior.

When we listen to understand, hearts open — even if it’s slowly at first — and a bond takes place. We build a bridge that allows us to see perspectives we perhaps hadn’t considered before.

Who needs you to listen today? Will you offer your ears, heart and mind for God’s glory?

The Rev. Chad E. Jarnagin is a priest, researcher, author, mystic and musician. He’s the founding vicar of Luminous Parish, a space of spiritual wellness in Nashville/Franklin, Tennessee, and was a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (2003-2009). Fr. Chad is the author of Learning to Be: Reconstructing Peace and Spiritual Health (Morgan James Publishing). Chad and his wife, Jennifer — a Montessori educator — have three boys. Chad continues his family’s baseball heritage by coaching in the local youth league.