The Deeply Formed Life: Rich Villodas Interviewed by Rosie Villodas

My name is Rosie Villodas. I’m a wife, mom, sister, and daughter. Rich and I have been married for 14 years and have known each other for 17 years altogether. We have two children and we live in Queens, NYC. He’s always made me laugh and still does (he still hopes to become a comedian if this pastor/author thing doesn’t work out.)

As much as I love me some Rich Villodas you need to know that he’s not perfect. Don’t get me wrong, neither am I, but this blog post is about Rich and his new book. So allow me to set the stage for who Rich is and why his new book, The Deeply Formed Life, is going to be such a blessing to so many.

Rich—like all of us—isn’t perfect. He doesn’t always get things right. He makes mistakes as a leader, pastor, father, and husband. He always leaves about one inch in his glass after drinking water. He never finishes it, and that drives me crazy. He goes to bed with socks on only to take them off in the middle of the night so I find them all stuck at the edge of the bed under the sheets. On a more serious note, he can be stubborn when he has his mind fixed on things; he doesn’t always communicate well when it comes to our schedules. He’s human, just like you and me.

But, he is also one of the most patient, loving, and generous people I’ve ever known. He goes out of his way to show his love to me and our kids. We have been through lots of things in our 14 years of marriage and through it all, we have always said yes to each other. Again and again.

The Villodas Family

One of the things I admire most about Rich is how he welcomes and even seeks out accountability and feedback for his life. From getting feedback on his sermon in-between services, to his regular meetings with a therapist, to how he has a group of pastor friends who he meets with regularly, and many other things, Rich knows that having people in his life who care for him helps him stay grounded in reality and see things he may not see in himself. These influences speak truth and life to him in love. It’s something we all need regularly.

I also admire Rich because he has stood on the shoulders of giants in the faith who came before him. He reads voraciously to learn from them and grow as a follower of Christ. He has learned from many branches of the Christian faith to incorporate contemplative rhythms and traditions that remind us of who God is.

I know that it’s deep in Rich’s heart to see Christ-followers become whole as they seek to grow deep in their faith; to see people move beyond trite recitations of Christian clichés as an answer to the hard parts of life. He really desires that they would stand strong on a foundation built in Christ; that their faith—coming from deep inside us—would spring from time truly spent in God’s presence. 

The Deeply Formed Life will help us advance God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Because God deeply loves us, we can hold onto that love and live in this world, loving others from that place of deep wholeness. It’s not a destination to deep wholeness, it’s a lifelong journey. A lifelong journey to help us love God, ourselves, and others well.

So join me as I interview my husband, Rich Villodas, on his new book, The Deeply Formed Life.

Rosie: Tell us about yourself and how you got involved in ministry?

Rich: I’m a native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent from East NY, Brooklyn. I’m the eldest of five siblings, have been married to my inimitable wife, Rosie, for 14 years, and the father of two beautiful kids (11 and 6 years old). I became a Christian at 19 years of age in a store-front Pentecostal church in Brooklyn. I immediately sensed a call to preach, and after receiving five prophetic words from various pastors and evangelists confirming this call, I began preaching in small churches throughout NYC. I made a decision to attend Nyack College, where I studied theology and pastoral ministry. Since then, I’ve been part of four church communities—the last 12 years as a pastor at New Life Fellowship in Queens.

Rosie: When did you stop "doing church" and start living a transformative life? What was the turning point for you?

Rich: Because of my dramatic conversion, I don’t ever recall “doing church.” From my first days as a Christian, I was struck by the love of Christ, the necessity of the local church to sustain spiritual growth, and the call to a life of transformation. I thank God that I have not had to wade through the kind of performative Christianity that many experience over the course of their lives. 

Rosie: Your new book is called "The Deeply Formed Life" -- what made you decide to write this book?

Rich: I wrote this book because I believe we need to rethink spiritual formation in the Church. Every generation faces particular challenges, and these challenges are to be met by contextualized frameworks that help us live faithfully to Jesus. Additionally, I wrote this book to synthesize and codify the five values that our church is built on. I believe these values are not just important for our local church, but for the church in our nation as a whole. Lastly, I wrote this book because these values have formed my life in ways that I believe have been liberating.

Rosie: What does it mean to be rooted in the way of Jesus?

Rich: As I wrote in my book, to be rooted in the way of Jesus requires us to be deeply formed, and widely informed through a collection of practices that flesh out the theological convictions that find expression in the life of Jesus as found in the gospels. For the purposes of my ministry and church community, the formational framework I present is one that gives concurrent attention to contemplative rhythms, interior examination, racial justice, sexual wholeness, and missional presence. Holding these values together is what I consider the deeply formed life.

Rosie: Right now, we see a lot of chaos–political division, racism, apathy—taking place in the church? How do you respond as a pastor? How should we respond to these things as believers? Is there a "right response?"

Rich: My response is multilayered. I think we need to respond with lament and prayer. The purpose of lament is not just to feel sad, but to carry our grief to God in ways that open us up to faithful and prophetic engagement in the world. As a pastor, I must consistently remind the people I lead to resist the ways of political idolatry, racist ideology, and the like. Is there a right response? I think so, but it requires a prayerful posture that cultivates self-confrontation, repentance, and moral courage.

Rosie: What do you say to people who believe that social justice doesn't belong in the church?

Rich: I say they will have trouble living faithfully to Jesus. People often fail to see that in Jesus, there is intentional continuity in his ministry as it relates to the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament). The prophets of Israel consistently address social injustice, the misuse of power, and God’s particular concern for the vulnerable. We see these themes prominently featured in Jesus’ life.

Rosie: Why is Sabbath rest so important to you and to our family?

Rich: Sabbath rest has been a staple of our home for 12+ years. Sabbath is a 24-hour period with not “have to’s” or “shoulds” which, over time, is to result in rest and renewal. We were not made for non-stop work. We were made for a creative interplay of work and rest. We rest from our work, and we work from our rest. Sabbath is a recognition of our limitations. We are not God. We need to stop. Otherwise, we will find ourselves doing violence against our souls, each other, and creation.

Rosie: What do you hope readers will take away from reading this book? 

Rich: I hope people will see the troubling realities that we face—dangerous rhythms, racial injustice, emotional immaturity, flippant sexuality, political idolatry, and individualistic consumerism—as opportunities to be formed by Jesus in the world. The world is desperate for witnesses of healing and I hope this book contributes to that existential longing.

To order your copy of The Deeply Formed Life, visit  www.richvillodas.com or wherever books are sold.

To learn more about Rosie Villodas, visit  www.rosievillodas.com.