Commons Church Podcast

Whether you’re a homebody or not, home matters. Of course there are the equity pieces of housing first and affordability. These are big concerns in the life of the city. It’s good to want for others what we want for ourselves: safety, security, and a place to receive our Amazon packages. But there’s also a quieter hope for what home can mean. As is our practice in the summer, we’ll listen to the teaching team explore themes of rest, digest, repair, and relate through their experience of home and theological reflections on the places we live.

Whether you’re a homebody or not, home matters. Of course there are the equity pieces of housing first and affordability. These are big concerns in the life of the city. It’s good to want for others what we want for ourselves: safety, security, and a place to receive our Amazon packages. But there’s also a quieter hope for what home can mean. As is our practice in the summer, we’ll listen to the teaching team explore themes of rest, digest, repair, and relate through their experience of home and theological reflections on the places we live.

This week, we explore key moments in the life of Saul, the first king of Israel, through the lens of 1 Samuel 13. We'll uncover the complexities of biblical translation, the importance of understanding the true purpose behind scripture, and the dangers of intertwining religion with politics. Through stories of assassination, propaganda, and manipulation, this sermon challenges us to look beyond the details and grasp the deeper lessons that guide our faith journey.

In this exploration of 1 Samuel 9-12, we delve into the intriguing story of Saul's ascension to kingship and Samuel's complex reaction. We're reminded of our human tendency to judge by appearances, as Saul is initially described as tall and handsome. Yet, the narrative subtly warns us against such superficial assessments. As we witness Samuel's reluctance to anoint Saul, we're invited to reflect on our own moments of passive resistance to God's will. This story challenges us to examine where we might be holding back in our own lives, whether out of wisdom or fear. Ultimately, we're encouraged to move forward with purpose, trusting in God's presence even amidst our doubts and hesitations.

We explore the themes of leadership, authority, and the pursuit of God's will. The story of Samuel and the Israelites' demand for a king serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us that true authority lies not in titles or positions, but in the influence earned through demonstrating care and trustworthiness. We are challenged to reflect on our own choices and the ways in which we may bend towards our own desires, potentially steering away from what is just and right. The message emphasizes the importance of seeking God's guidance directly, rather than relying solely on human leaders.

We're exploring the complex relationship between God and the Israelites during the time of the judges. The story of Samuel's unexpected rise to priesthood despite not being a Levite highlights God's willingness to bend the rules when necessary to move the story forward. We see that God is open to dialogue and consistently imagines a reality unbounded by our limited expectations. The ark of the covenant, a physical representation of God's presence, is examined, and its connection to the forgiveness of sins through Christ's sacrifice is beautifully drawn. Ultimately, we are reminded that God is not interested in ruthless aggression or war, even from his chosen people. God would rather lose and appear foolish than support our endless pursuits of violence. This realization is the beginning of a path that leads us to the ultimate forgiveness found in Jesus.

This message explores the powerful story of Hannah in 1 Samuel, highlighting her faithfulness, self-awareness, and trust in God amidst adversity. Hannah's story teaches us that we can hold onto our faith even as we navigate difficult circumstances and confront distorted religious narratives. The message emphasizes the importance of knowing ourselves, advocating for our needs, and trusting in God's ultimate power to reverse fortunes. As we face transitions and change in our own lives, we can find comfort in the idea that God is always at work, even when human agency seems to shape events. The complex portrayal of characters in 1 Samuel invites us to explore the depths of our own moral character and recognize the potential for holiness in our involvement with the world.

The story of Samson, as told in the Book of Judges, sheds light on the complexities of human nature and our relationship with God. We see in Samson a man driven by impulses and desires, reflecting the struggles we all face in our own lives. Yet, even in his flaws, God's spirit moves through him, showing us that God can work with what is true and genuine in each of us. The story challenges us to look beyond the surface and see the deeper spiritual truths at play. As we journey with Samson, we are reminded that putting our hope in human strength and fierceness alone cannot bring true peace. Instead, we must turn to the compassion and transformative power of Christ to find our way through the wreckage of our lives and the world around us.

This sermon explores the stories of two unique judges, Shamgar and Deborah, in the Book of Judges. It highlights how their stories expand the narrative of salvation and leadership, challenging the Israelites' preconceived notions. The sermon suggests that even in the midst of the conquest of Canaan, there are hints that salvation and leadership can come from unexpected sources, such as a Canaanite warrior (Shamgar) and a woman (Deborah). The story of Jael, a foreign woman who defeats Sisera, further emphasizes this point. While the violence in these stories is not celebrated, the sermon points out that they may be part of a larger journey towards peace and a more inclusive understanding of God's plan.

Listen in as we grapple with the challenging depictions of divine violence in the Hebrew scriptures, contrasted with Jesus' message of grace and love. We delve into how these ancient texts can be reinterpreted through the compassionate lens of Jesus' life, steering clear of projecting our biases onto the divine. With insights from Robert Allen Warrior's analysis on the implications of conquest narratives for indigenous peoples, this conversation urges a thoughtful examination of our spiritual evolution and the consequences of our interpretations.

In this series, we examine the transformation of Biblical narratives from a glorification of conflict to an embrace of mercy and compassion. We discuss how the initial exclusionary stance in texts like Judges gradually opens up to an inclusive, loving ethos, setting the stage for Jesus' revolutionary teachings. By understanding the journey from fear to acceptance, we offer fresh perspectives on difficult passages, reaffirming our vision of God in the light of Christ's example, and invite you to join us in appreciating the dynamic, purposeful progression of history towards peace and love.

In our conversation, we explore the deep connection between joy and suffering, pondering biblical narratives set in valleys symbolizing the depths of despair and the peaks of hope. Hear about the transformation from pastoral work to personal wellness, and the embracing of healthier habits that bridge the physical with the spiritual. As we share these stories, we are reminded that true joy is not the denial of pain but the acknowledgment and transcendence of it, offering a path to a joy that persists day after day.

In our conversation, we explore the deep connection between joy and suffering, pondering biblical narratives set in valleys symbolizing the depths of despair and the peaks of hope. Hear about the transformation from pastoral work to personal wellness, and the embracing of healthier habits that bridge the physical with the spiritual. As we share these stories, we are reminded that true joy is not the denial of pain but the acknowledgment and transcendence of it, offering a path to a joy that persists day after day.

In our conversation, we explore the deep connection between joy and suffering, pondering biblical narratives set in valleys symbolizing the depths of despair and the peaks of hope. Hear about the transformation from pastoral work to personal wellness, and the embracing of healthier habits that bridge the physical with the spiritual. As we share these stories, we are reminded that true joy is not the denial of pain but the acknowledgment and transcendence of it, offering a path to a joy that persists day after day.

Through the shadows of the Babylonian exile toward discovering unexpected moments of joy with the enigmatic prophet Ezekiel. We peel back the layers of history to understand how these dark times were pivotal for Jewish literature and self-reflection, fostering a rich soil from which the Hebrew scriptures grew. Listen in as we unravel Ezekiel's apocalyptic visions, and consider how catastrophic events can unexpectedly renew our sense of joy in body and soul.

In our conversation, we explore the deep connection between joy and suffering, pondering biblical narratives set in valleys symbolizing the depths of despair and the peaks of hope. Hear about the transformation from pastoral work to personal wellness, and the embracing of healthier habits that bridge the physical with the spiritual. As we share these stories, we are reminded that true joy is not the denial of pain but the acknowledgment and transcendence of it, offering a path to a joy that persists day after day.

Join us as we embark on a five-week journey, unwrapping the layers of joy within the fabric of biblical history and our everyday lives. Listen in as we explore the difference between joy, pleasure, happiness, and fun, dissecting the nuanced ways we can train ourselves to spot and sustain a sense of joy that persists even beyond the highs of celebratory moments like Easter. Drawing from Michel de Montaigne's insights, we'll ponder the profound impact of joy that arises not from the exceptional, but the ordinary, inviting you to savor the simplicity that life offers.

In our series kickoff, we recount the story of Abraham, where a casual lunch on his porch becomes a divine encounter, reminding us that profound experiences often hide in plain sight. Reflect with us on the intimacy of this moment and the human elements that make such stories relatable. We discuss how Abraham's hospitality and Sarah's laughter exemplify faith and humanity's response to divine promises. Through these narratives, we aim to recognize the joy in the mundane and understand its significance in the grand tapestry of theological and personal narratives. Tune in to rediscover the joy in the everyday and learn to celebrate life in its entirety.

Our journey through the Gospel of Mark continues as we unpack the profound narratives of Jesus feeding thousands and walking on water. These stories are not merely historical accounts but invitations to societal transformation and expanded generosity. We delve into the socio-economic messages within these miracles, pondering the notion of abundance and communal care. Furthermore, we consider the moments of divine presence in everyday life, discussing how ordinary acts of kindness hold as much significance as the miraculous. By the end of our time together, you may find yourself with a broader spiritual imagination, ready to recognize the divine in the most unexpected places and situations.

Our journey through the Gospel of Mark continues as we unpack the profound narratives of Jesus feeding thousands and walking on water. These stories are not merely historical accounts but invitations to societal transformation and expanded generosity. We delve into the socio-economic messages within these miracles, pondering the notion of abundance and communal care. Furthermore, we consider the moments of divine presence in everyday life, discussing how ordinary acts of kindness hold as much significance as the miraculous. By the end of our time together, you may find yourself with a broader spiritual imagination, ready to recognize the divine in the most unexpected places and situations.

Our journey through the Gospel of Mark continues as we unpack the profound narratives of Jesus feeding thousands and walking on water. These stories are not merely historical accounts but invitations to societal transformation and expanded generosity. We delve into the socio-economic messages within these miracles, pondering the notion of abundance and communal care. Furthermore, we consider the moments of divine presence in everyday life, discussing how ordinary acts of kindness hold as much significance as the miraculous. By the end of our time together, you may find yourself with a broader spiritual imagination, ready to recognize the divine in the most unexpected places and situations.

Our journey through the Gospel of Mark continues as we unpack the profound narratives of Jesus feeding thousands and walking on water. These stories are not merely historical accounts but invitations to societal transformation and expanded generosity. We delve into the socio-economic messages within these miracles, pondering the notion of abundance and communal care. Furthermore, we consider the moments of divine presence in everyday life, discussing how ordinary acts of kindness hold as much significance as the miraculous. By the end of our time together, you may find yourself with a broader spiritual imagination, ready to recognize the divine in the most unexpected places and situations.

Our journey through the Gospel of Mark continues as we unpack the profound narratives of Jesus feeding thousands and walking on water. These stories are not merely historical accounts but invitations to societal transformation and expanded generosity. We delve into the socio-economic messages within these miracles, pondering the notion of abundance and communal care. Furthermore, we consider the moments of divine presence in everyday life, discussing how ordinary acts of kindness hold as much significance as the miraculous. By the end of our time together, you may find yourself with a broader spiritual imagination, ready to recognize the divine in the most unexpected places and situations.

Our journey through the Gospel of Mark continues as we unpack the profound narratives of Jesus feeding thousands and walking on water. These stories are not merely historical accounts but invitations to societal transformation and expanded generosity. We delve into the socio-economic messages within these miracles, pondering the notion of abundance and communal care. Furthermore, we consider the moments of divine presence in everyday life, discussing how ordinary acts of kindness hold as much significance as the miraculous. By the end of our time together, you may find yourself with a broader spiritual imagination, ready to recognize the divine in the most unexpected places and situations.

Mk 6
Any text is produced in a particular time, place, and context. In the case of the Bible, that context is always very different from ours as readers. “White North American Christians, especially those of us from the privileged strata of society, must come to terms with the fact that our reading site for the Gospel of Mark is empire, locus imperium” (Ched Meyers, Binding The Strong Man). This location means that we have to do the work, as best we can, to separate ourselves from our assumptions to hear what the text is saying to its intended audience.

Lent provides an opportune moment to do just that. To let go of our privileged assumptions and to read from the place of surrender. This Lent, we will pick up where we left off in the fall to work through the second half of Mark’s Gospel.

Confidence to be ourselves. Together.

We forget how diverse the first Christian communities were. Maybe it’s because we’re from a long line of “if you don’t agree, go somewhere else.” Or we’re used to finding people like us at church, not people different from us. Or we think similarity is what the healthy body of Christ looks like. The groups of people in churches like the one Paul started in Corinth would have found each other strange. Paul gets that, and still, in the face of conflict he keeps saying, “Draw closer. Draw closer to each other. It’s your difference that makes you beautiful.” Series text: second half of 1 Corinthians.

Confidence to be ourselves. Together.

We forget how diverse the first Christian communities were. Maybe it’s because we’re from a long line of “if you don’t agree, go somewhere else.” Or we’re used to finding people like us at church, not people different from us. Or we think similarity is what the healthy body of Christ looks like. The groups of people in churches like the one Paul started in Corinth would have found each other strange. Paul gets that, and still, in the face of conflict he keeps saying, “Draw closer. Draw closer to each other. It’s your difference that makes you beautiful.” Series text: second half of 1 Corinthians.

Confidence to be ourselves. Together.

We forget how diverse the first Christian communities were. Maybe it’s because we’re from a long line of “if you don’t agree, go somewhere else.” Or we’re used to finding people like us at church, not people different from us. Or we think similarity is what the healthy body of Christ looks like. The groups of people in churches like the one Paul started in Corinth would have found each other strange. Paul gets that, and still, in the face of conflict he keeps saying, “Draw closer. Draw closer to each other. It’s your difference that makes you beautiful.” Series text: second half of 1 Corinthians.

Confidence to be ourselves. Together.

We forget how diverse the first Christian communities were. Maybe it’s because we’re from a long line of “if you don’t agree, go somewhere else.” Or we’re used to finding people like us at church, not people different from us. Or we think similarity is what the healthy body of Christ looks like. The groups of people in churches like the one Paul started in Corinth would have found each other strange. Paul gets that, and still, in the face of conflict he keeps saying, “Draw closer. Draw closer to each other. It’s your difference that makes you beautiful.” Series text: second half of 1 Corinthians.

PART TWO: 
Opinions have a way, over time, of being fossilized, and that's a real danger as we enter into a new year, imagining all of the possibilities for change and growth. When your opinions get stuck, they become narratives, no longer just statements about how we view the world, but now stories that tell us how we must view the world. And this is why the practice of continually letting go is far more difficult and, to be honest, I think, far more important than we often realize, because sometimes we're not just letting go of unhealthy practices or even unhelpful ideas or just old hurts. We're letting go of all the stories that we have allowed to define us, opinions that have become fossilized and fixed. And often letting go of that is the prerequisite for all of the change that we hope to actually see in ourselves.

PART ONE: Letting Go
Opinions have a way, over time, of being fossilized, and that's a real danger as we enter into a new year, imagining all of the possibilities for change and growth. When your opinions get stuck, they become narratives, no longer just statements about how we view the world, but now stories that tell us how we must view the world. And this is why the practice of continually letting go is far more difficult and, to be honest, I think, far more important than we often realize, because sometimes we're not just letting go of unhealthy practices or even unhelpful ideas or just old hurts. We're letting go of all the stories that we have allowed to define us, opinions that have become fossilized and fixed. And often letting go of that is the prerequisite for all of the change that we hope to actually see in ourselves.

At its heart, this season holds the mystery of how God became human. And if it’s true, the story of Christmas celebrates the full extent of divine fragility. If it’s true, it asserts a bold claim: that God stands in solidarity with our shared experience. This is a solidarity for life’s deepest valleys and soaring heights. For its lush and flourishing places and also those dry and forgotten places in our hearts.

This Advent, we trace the landscapes of our lives in search of the path God takes toward us.

At its heart, this season holds the mystery of how God became human. And if it’s true, the story of Christmas celebrates the full extent of divine fragility. If it’s true, it asserts a bold claim: that God stands in solidarity with our shared experience. This is a solidarity for life’s deepest valleys and soaring heights. For its lush and flourishing places and also those dry and forgotten places in our hearts.

This Advent, we trace the landscapes of our lives in search of the path God takes toward us.

At its heart, this season holds the mystery of how God became human. And if it’s true, the story of Christmas celebrates the full extent of divine fragility. If it’s true, it asserts a bold claim: that God stands in solidarity with our shared experience. This is a solidarity for life’s deepest valleys and soaring heights. For its lush and flourishing places and also those dry and forgotten places in our hearts.

This Advent, we trace the landscapes of our lives in search of the path God takes toward us.

At its heart, this season holds the mystery of how God became human. And if it’s true, the story of Christmas celebrates the full extent of divine fragility. If it’s true, it asserts a bold claim: that God stands in solidarity with our shared experience. This is a solidarity for life’s deepest valleys and soaring heights. For its lush and flourishing places and also those dry and forgotten places in our hearts.

This Advent, we trace the landscapes of our lives in search of the path God takes toward us.

Mark 5
Buckle up for a metaphorical ride across Lake Kinneret, where we scrutinize Jesus' encounter with a man tormented by demons. This tale gets eerie, political, and ultimately heartfelt. As we delve into the metaphorical representation of possession, Jesus' role in pacifying the storm and emancipating the man from his demons becomes more apparent. When our narrative returns to the familiar side of the lake, you'll witness Jesus' interactions with a wealthy man and an unclean woman seeking healing. These accounts remind us of the boundless grace and lessons of love and inclusion that Jesus brings to our own communities.

Mark 
We explore the contrasting approaches of Jesus and the Pharisees, as described in the second narrative package of Mark. In this section of Mark, Jesus begins to confront his religious critics, the Pharisees, who, despite their liberal ideologies, were often at odds with Jesus. We discuss an enlightening debate between Jesus and the Pharisees about prioritizing faith over tradition, a topic that unveils Jesus' remarkable ability to challenge and transform pre-existing notions.

We also see Jesus' unique approach toward his religious critics and his ability to expand our imagination. We reflect upon an instance where Jesus questions the Pharisees on the Sabbath law, reminding them that rules are meant to aid, not control. Unpacking Jesus' teachings and his revolutionary message about the prioritization of life over law.

Mark 4
We explore the contrasting approaches of Jesus and the Pharisees, as described in the second narrative package of Mark. In this section of Mark, Jesus begins to confront his religious critics, the Pharisees, who, despite their liberal ideologies, were often at odds with Jesus. We discuss an enlightening debate between Jesus and the Pharisees about prioritizing faith over tradition, a topic that unveils Jesus' remarkable ability to challenge and transform pre-existing notions.

We also see Jesus' unique approach toward his religious critics and his ability to expand our imagination. We reflect upon an instance where Jesus questions the Pharisees on the Sabbath law, reminding them that rules are meant to aid, not control. Unpacking Jesus' teachings and his revolutionary message about the prioritization of life over law.

Mark 2+3
We explore the contrasting approaches of Jesus and the Pharisees, as described in the second narrative package of Mark. In this section of Mark, Jesus begins to confront his religious critics, the Pharisees, who, despite their liberal ideologies, were often at odds with Jesus. We discuss an enlightening debate between Jesus and the Pharisees about prioritizing faith over tradition, a topic that unveils Jesus' remarkable ability to challenge and transform pre-existing notions.

We also see Jesus' unique approach toward his religious critics and his ability to expand our imagination. We reflect upon an instance where Jesus questions the Pharisees on the Sabbath law, reminding them that rules are meant to aid, not control. Unpacking Jesus' teachings and his revolutionary message about the prioritization of life over law.

Mark is generally considered to be the earliest of the four gospels we have in our Bibles. In fact, the consensus is that Mark served as a reference for what Matthew and Luke would later write. Mark is fast-paced, moving quickly through Jesus’ life, probably offering our first look at the historical Jesus. And in that look, we see a Jesus who is focused on the practical concerns of those he serves. Economics, politics, pressures, these are the issues that shape Jesus’ teachings in Mark. He may have an eye toward heaven, but he is firmly rooted in the praxis of God’s kingdom here now in the Gospel of Mark. In this series, we will crack open this first Gospel and begin a two-part journey through Mark’s memory of Jesus.

Mark is generally considered to be the earliest of the four gospels we have in our Bibles. In fact, the consensus is that Mark served as a reference for what Matthew and Luke would later write. Mark is fast-paced, moving quickly through Jesus’ life, probably offering our first look at the historical Jesus. And in that look, we see a Jesus who is focused on the practical concerns of those he serves. Economics, politics, pressures, these are the issues that shape Jesus’ teachings in Mark. He may have an eye toward heaven, but he is firmly rooted in the praxis of God’s kingdom here now in the Gospel of Mark. In this series, we will crack open this first Gospel and begin a two-part journey through Mark’s memory of Jesus.

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do.

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do.

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do.

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do.

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do.

“....Happiness is not an ideal of reason but of imagination”

 –Immanuel Kant

Two years ago, we had a blast doing a series like this...and we think you did too.So, we’re bringing happiness back.In part, because this is a practice of community. To share stories. To make meaning. To brighten faces. But also because it’s a practice of imagination. To shape futures. To inspire choices. To chart new pathways.

Life has a way of making us feel limited at times, as though the patterns and options we have are set. As an alternative, Christian faith challenges us over and over again to use our imaginations to make, and move, and hope with abandon.

So join us as we collect several voices to tell us what makes them happy. You might just find yourself feeling lighter because they did.

“....Happiness is not an ideal of reason but of imagination”

 –Immanuel Kant

Two years ago, we had a blast doing a series like this...and we think you did too.So, we’re bringing happiness back.In part, because this is a practice of community. To share stories. To make meaning. To brighten faces. But also because it’s a practice of imagination. To shape futures. To inspire choices. To chart new pathways.

Life has a way of making us feel limited at times, as though the patterns and options we have are set. As an alternative, Christian faith challenges us over and over again to use our imaginations to make, and move, and hope with abandon.

So join us as we collect several voices to tell us what makes them happy. You might just find yourself feeling lighter because they did.

“....Happiness is not an ideal of reason but of imagination”

 –Immanuel Kant

Two years ago, we had a blast doing a series like this...and we think you did too.So, we’re bringing happiness back.In part, because this is a practice of community. To share stories. To make meaning. To brighten faces. But also because it’s a practice of imagination. To shape futures. To inspire choices. To chart new pathways.

Life has a way of making us feel limited at times, as though the patterns and options we have are set. As an alternative, Christian faith challenges us over and over again to use our imaginations to make, and move, and hope with abandon.

So join us as we collect several voices to tell us what makes them happy. You might just find yourself feeling lighter because they did.

“....Happiness is not an ideal of reason but of imagination”

 –Immanuel Kant

Two years ago, we had a blast doing a series like this...and we think you did too.So, we’re bringing happiness back.In part, because this is a practice of community. To share stories. To make meaning. To brighten faces. But also because it’s a practice of imagination. To shape futures. To inspire choices. To chart new pathways.

Life has a way of making us feel limited at times, as though the patterns and options we have are set. As an alternative, Christian faith challenges us over and over again to use our imaginations to make, and move, and hope with abandon.

So join us as we collect several voices to tell us what makes them happy. You might just find yourself feeling lighter because they did.

This one is about Anthony Bloom
***
The Christian tradition has always recognized certain individuals as playing an important role in its formation and development. These people are often singled out - their stories recorded - their contributions remembered. From Paul to Ignatius, and from Julian of Norwich to Teresa of Calcutta, we call them saints. Saints are often memorialized by the places they’re from, by the disciplines or fields they worked in, or by the times they lived. Their holiness directly tied to the ways they shaped people and communities and institutions. 

And one of the things we recognize here at Commons is that we rely on a chorus of saintly mystics, scholars, and innovators to inform who we are. People whose courage and wisdom shape us as a local, 21st-century expression of the Church. 

So join us as we name our patron saints. As we explore their stories. As we celebrate the ways they guide us 

This one is about Mary Oliver
***
The Christian tradition has always recognized certain individuals as playing an important role in its formation and development. These people are often singled out - their stories recorded - their contributions remembered. From Paul to Ignatius, and from Julian of Norwich to Teresa of Calcutta, we call them saints. Saints are often memorialized by the places they’re from, by the disciplines or fields they worked in, or by the times they lived. Their holiness directly tied to the ways they shaped people and communities and institutions. 

And one of the things we recognize here at Commons is that we rely on a chorus of saintly mystics, scholars, and innovators to inform who we are. People whose courage and wisdom shape us as a local, 21st-century expression of the Church. 

So join us as we name our patron saints. As we explore their stories. As we celebrate the ways they guide us 

This one is about Amy-Jill Levine
***
The Christian tradition has always recognized certain individuals as playing an important role in its formation and development. These people are often singled out - their stories recorded - their contributions remembered. From Paul to Ignatius, and from Julian of Norwich to Teresa of Calcutta, we call them saints. Saints are often memorialized by the places they’re from, by the disciplines or fields they worked in, or by the times they lived. Their holiness directly tied to the ways they shaped people and communities and institutions. 

And one of the things we recognize here at Commons is that we rely on a chorus of saintly mystics, scholars, and innovators to inform who we are. People whose courage and wisdom shape us as a local, 21st-century expression of the Church. 

So join us as we name our patron saints. As we explore their stories. As we celebrate the ways they guide us 

This one is about Rene Girard
***
The Christian tradition has always recognized certain individuals as playing an important role in its formation and development. These people are often singled out - their stories recorded - their contributions remembered. From Paul to Ignatius, and from Julian of Norwich to Teresa of Calcutta, we call them saints. Saints are often memorialized by the places they’re from, by the disciplines or fields they worked in, or by the times they lived. Their holiness directly tied to the ways they shaped people and communities and institutions. 

And one of the things we recognize here at Commons is that we rely on a chorus of saintly mystics, scholars, and innovators to inform who we are. People whose courage and wisdom shape us as a local, 21st-century expression of the Church. 

So join us as we name our patron saints. As we explore their stories. As we celebrate the ways they guide us 

Exodus 33-40
***
There are claims that Exodus is the essential book in the Bible. It's where we meet God by name, learn to trust a God who hears the cries of the oppressed, and experience awe for a God who guides wanderers.
We can relate to Exodus. We wonder about who God is, we wonder about who God helps, and we know the feeling of waiting and wandering.
It's a universal experience not to know the way forward but to press on anyway. Two steps ahead, one step back. Up a ladder, down a snake.
Jesus' life follows in Moses' footsteps, making Exodus important for Christians. It's the story of liberation, and the way it defines freedom isn't something you can scribble on a sign.
Exodus freedom is learned on a long walk with others newly set free alongside you, figuring out life and divinity as you march toward the promise of home.

Exodus 32
***
There are claims that Exodus is the essential book in the Bible. It's where we meet God by name, learn to trust a God who hears the cries of the oppressed, and experience awe for a God who guides wanderers.
We can relate to Exodus. We wonder about who God is, we wonder about who God helps, and we know the feeling of waiting and wandering.
It's a universal experience not to know the way forward but to press on anyway. Two steps ahead, one step back. Up a ladder, down a snake.
Jesus' life follows in Moses' footsteps, making Exodus important for Christians. It's the story of liberation, and the way it defines freedom isn't something you can scribble on a sign.
Exodus freedom is learned on a long walk with others newly set free alongside you, figuring out life and divinity as you march toward the promise of home.

Exodus 20
***
There are claims that Exodus is the essential book in the Bible. It's where we meet God by name, learn to trust a God who hears the cries of the oppressed, and experience awe for a God who guides wanderers.
We can relate to Exodus. We wonder about who God is, we wonder about who God helps, and we know the feeling of waiting and wandering.
It's a universal experience not to know the way forward but to press on anyway. Two steps ahead, one step back. Up a ladder, down a snake.
Jesus' life follows in Moses' footsteps, making Exodus important for Christians. It's the story of liberation, and the way it defines freedom isn't something you can scribble on a sign.
Exodus freedom is learned on a long walk with others newly set free alongside you, figuring out life and divinity as you march toward the promise of home.

Exodus
***
There are claims that Exodus is the essential book in the Bible. It's where we meet God by name, learn to trust a God who hears the cries of the oppressed, and experience awe for a God who guides wanderers.
We can relate to Exodus. We wonder about who God is, we wonder about who God helps, and we know the feeling of waiting and wandering.
It's a universal experience not to know the way forward but to press on anyway. Two steps ahead, one step back. Up a ladder, down a snake.
Jesus' life follows in Moses' footsteps, making Exodus important for Christians. It's the story of liberation, and the way it defines freedom isn't something you can scribble on a sign.
Exodus freedom is learned on a long walk with others newly set free alongside you, figuring out life and divinity as you march toward the promise of home.

Exodus 13-15
***
There are claims that Exodus is the essential book in the Bible. It's where we meet God by name, learn to trust a God who hears the cries of the oppressed, and experience awe for a God who guides wanderers.
We can relate to Exodus. We wonder about who God is, we wonder about who God helps, and we know the feeling of waiting and wandering.
It's a universal experience not to know the way forward but to press on anyway. Two steps ahead, one step back. Up a ladder, down a snake.
Jesus' life follows in Moses' footsteps, making Exodus important for Christians. It's the story of liberation, and the way it defines freedom isn't something you can scribble on a sign.
Exodus freedom is learned on a long walk with others newly set free alongside you, figuring out life and divinity as you march toward the promise of home.

Exodus 7+12
***
There are claims that Exodus is the essential book in the Bible. It's where we meet God by name, learn to trust a God who hears the cries of the oppressed, and experience awe for a God who guides wanderers.
We can relate to Exodus. We wonder about who God is, we wonder about who God helps, and we know the feeling of waiting and wandering.
It's a universal experience not to know the way forward but to press on anyway. Two steps ahead, one step back. Up a ladder, down a snake.
Jesus' life follows in Moses' footsteps, making Exodus important for Christians. It's the story of liberation, and the way it defines freedom isn't something you can scribble on a sign.
Exodus freedom is learned on a long walk with others newly set free alongside you, figuring out life and divinity as you march toward the promise of home.

Exodus 3+4
***
There are claims that Exodus is the essential book in the Bible. It's where we meet God by name, learn to trust a God who hears the cries of the oppressed, and experience awe for a God who guides wanderers.
We can relate to Exodus. We wonder about who God is, we wonder about who God helps, and we know the feeling of waiting and wandering.
It's a universal experience not to know the way forward but to press on anyway. Two steps ahead, one step back. Up a ladder, down a snake.
Jesus' life follows in Moses' footsteps, making Exodus important for Christians. It's the story of liberation, and the way it defines freedom isn't something you can scribble on a sign.
Exodus freedom is learned on a long walk with others newly set free alongside you, figuring out life and divinity as you march toward the promise of home.

Exodus 1+2
***
There are claims that Exodus is the essential book in the Bible. It's where we meet God by name, learn to trust a God who hears the cries of the oppressed, and experience awe for a God who guides wanderers.
We can relate to Exodus. We wonder about who God is, we wonder about who God helps, and we know the feeling of waiting and wandering.
It's a universal experience not to know the way forward but to press on anyway. Two steps ahead, one step back. Up a ladder, down a snake.
Jesus' life follows in Moses' footsteps, making Exodus important for Christians. It's the story of liberation, and the way it defines freedom isn't something you can scribble on a sign.
Exodus freedom is learned on a long walk with others newly set free alongside you, figuring out life and divinity as you march toward the promise of home.

1 Cor 5-7
***
Some people – maybe you’re one of them – turn to pastors to make good choices. They want to know if what they think is acceptable to God, if what they do is pleasing to God, and if what they consider is in the will of God.
There’s something blessed about want- ing affirmation from someone you trust. But what if your pastors don’t have the perfect answer and can’t give you the ideal guidance? Are there other ways
to make good choices? Of course, there are. Wisdom is boundless like that.
In the early church, apostles and leaders wrote to communities to help them make good choices. On the one hand, their words can feel overbearing and re- strictive, but on the other hand, they can feel a lot like love. Love that cares about where you get your information. Love that instructs you to steer clear of legal trouble – the courts aren’t made for your soft soul. Love that concerns itself with the food you eat and where it comes from. Love that inquires about who you’re sleeping with and if that heals or harms you. Again and again, when we turn to letters like 1 Corinthians, we walk away with advice that still speaks across centuries to help us make good choices.

1 Corinthians 8:1–13
***
Some people – maybe you’re one of them – turn to pastors to make good choices. They want to know if what they think is acceptable to God, if what they do is pleasing to God, and if what they consider is in the will of God.
There’s something blessed about wanting affirmation from someone you trust. But what if your pastors don’t have the perfect answer and can’t give you the ideal guidance? Are there other ways
to make good choices? Of course, there are. Wisdom is boundless like that.
In the early church, apostles and leaders wrote to communities to help them make good choices. On the one hand, their words can feel overbearing and restrictive, but on the other hand, they can feel a lot like love. Love that cares about where you get your information. Love that instructs you to steer clear of legal trouble – the courts aren’t made for your soft soul. Love that concerns itself with the food you eat and where it comes from. Love that inquires about who you’re sleeping with and if that heals or harms you. Again and again, when we turn to letters like 1 Corinthians, we walk away with advice that still speaks across centuries to help us make good choices.

1 Corinthians 6
***
Some people – maybe you’re one of them – turn to pastors to make good choices. They want to know if what they think is acceptable to God, if what they do is pleasing to God, and if what they consider is in the will of God.
There’s something blessed about wanting affirmation from someone you trust. But what if your pastors don’t have the perfect answer and can’t give you the ideal guidance? Are there other ways
to make good choices? Of course, there are. Wisdom is boundless like that.
In the early church, apostles and leaders wrote to communities to help them make good choices. On the one hand, their words can feel overbearing and restrictive, but on the other hand, they can feel a lot like love. Love that cares about where you get your information. Love that instructs you to steer clear of legal trouble – the courts aren’t made for your soft soul. Love that concerns itself with the food you eat and where it comes from. Love that inquires about who you’re sleeping with and if that heals or harms you. Again and again, when we turn to letters like 1 Corinthians, we walk away with advice that still speaks across centuries to help us make good choices.

1 Corinthians 1
***
Some people – maybe you’re one of them – turn to pastors to make good choices. They want to know if what they think is acceptable to God, if what they do is pleasing to God, and if what they consider is in the will of God.
There’s something blessed about want- ing affirmation from someone you trust. But what if your pastors don’t have the perfect answer and can’t give you the ideal guidance? Are there other ways
to make good choices? Of course, there are. Wisdom is boundless like that.
In the early church, apostles and leaders wrote to communities to help them make good choices. On the one hand, their words can feel overbearing and re- strictive, but on the other hand, they can feel a lot like love. Love that cares about where you get your information. Love that instructs you to steer clear of legal trouble – the courts aren’t made for your soft soul. Love that concerns itself with the food you eat and where it comes from. Love that inquires about who you’re sleeping with and if that heals or harms you. Again and again, when we turn to letters like 1 Corinthians, we walk away with advice that still speaks across centuries to help us make good choices.

Dawn is breaking. Darkness fades away.

And in the light of Easter morning we awake to find that resurrection has come to find us.

Slipping into everyday moments.

Seeping into the dried out and forgotten places of our hearts.

Showing up to surprise in unexpected ways.

So, we celebrate!

Christ has been raised to life, and with him all creation too.

Life and love burst into full bloom.

Decay and despair release their grip.

And as they do, we give in to hope. We look forward with fresh expectation. We come together in praise of all new begin- nings.

Celebrate with us this Easter Sunday.

Things weren’t going to end well.

Even after doing so much good, sharing so much love, and bringing so much hope, Jesus kept telling his friends that his enemies would get the best of him. And then, in the final moments of his life - With his body taken and broken by violence - Jesus seemed to pause as death approached.

He turned his face to heaven, and taught his friends a prayer for broken hearts. Simply asking, “Why?”

Which is the question we bring with us to the end of Holy Week.

Carried from all the places of our sorrow - our loss - and our helplessness.
Here we ask our whys, and remember that God spared nothing to make all things new. That Jesus gave himself
over to death to lead us into life. That in his final words Jesus revealed how God knows the language of our doubt and fear. Showing us the road to resurrection, dark as it may be. And we that we don’t have to walk it alone.

Palm Sunday: JOHN 17 + 12

A Gospel’s structure is a roadmap – a way to get your bearings in a story.

John structures his Gospel in four parts (stay with me). There’s the Prologue, the Book of Signs, the Book of Glory, and the Appendix. This Lent, we’ll work through the Book of Glory (John 13-20).

But maybe you’re like, “So what?” And you’re right about something there. That word “glory” doesn’t mean much to most of us. It feels stodgy and strange. But what if we replace it with its definition? A word we are more fond of – Beauty. Book of Beauty.

As we make our Lenten journey – these forty days toward Easter – what beauty will we find in the story of Jesus as John tells it?

These beautiful stories guide us like roadmaps to live as friends of God. The stories here are about service, Spirit, belonging, union, heartbreak, and new life.

Glory includes so much. It’s beautiful like that.

Fifth Sunday of Lent: JOHN 15:18-16:15

A Gospel’s structure is a roadmap – a way to get your bearings in a story.

John structures his Gospel in four parts (stay with me). There’s the Prologue, the Book of Signs, the Book of Glory, and the Appendix. This Lent, we’ll work through the Book of Glory (John 13-20).

But maybe you’re like, “So what?” And you’re right about something there. That word “glory” doesn’t mean much to most of us. It feels stodgy and strange. But what if we replace it with its definition? A word we are more fond of – Beauty. Book of Beauty.

As we make our Lenten journey – these forty days toward Easter – what beauty will we find in the story of Jesus as John tells it?

These beautiful stories guide us like roadmaps to live as friends of God. The stories here are about service, Spirit, belonging, union, heartbreak, and new life.

Glory includes so much. It’s beautiful like that.

Fourth Sunday of Lent: JOHN 15:1-17

A Gospel’s structure is a roadmap – a way to get your bearings in a story.

John structures his Gospel in four parts (stay with me). There’s the Prologue, the Book of Signs, the Book of Glory, and the Appendix. This Lent, we’ll work through the Book of Glory (John 13-20).

But maybe you’re like, “So what?” And you’re right about something there. That word “glory” doesn’t mean much to most of us. It feels stodgy and strange. But what if we replace it with its definition? A word we are more fond of – Beauty. Book of Beauty.

As we make our Lenten journey – these forty days toward Easter – what beauty will we find in the story of Jesus as John tells it?

These beautiful stories guide us like roadmaps to live as friends of God. The stories here are about service, Spirit, belonging, union, heartbreak, and new life.

Glory includes so much. It’s beautiful like that.

Third Sunday of Lent: JOHN 14:8-23

A Gospel’s structure is a roadmap – a way to get your bearings in a story.

John structures his Gospel in four parts (stay with me). There’s the Prologue, the Book of Signs, the Book of Glory, and the Appendix. This Lent, we’ll work through the Book of Glory (John 13-20).

But maybe you’re like, “So what?” And you’re right about something there. That word “glory” doesn’t mean much to most of us. It feels stodgy and strange. But what if we replace it with its definition? A word we are more fond of – Beauty. Book of Beauty.

As we make our Lenten journey – these forty days toward Easter – what beauty will we find in the story of Jesus as John tells it?

These beautiful stories guide us like roadmaps to live as friends of God. The stories here are about service, Spirit, belonging, union, heartbreak, and new life.

Glory includes so much. It’s beautiful like that.

Second Sunday of Lent: JOHN 14:1-7

A Gospel’s structure is a roadmap – a way to get your bearings in a story.

John structures his Gospel in four parts (stay with me). There’s the Prologue, the Book of Signs, the Book of Glory, and the Appendix. This Lent, we’ll work through the Book of Glory (John 13-20).

But maybe you’re like, “So what?” And you’re right about something there. That word “glory” doesn’t mean much to most of us. It feels stodgy and strange. But what if we replace it with its definition? A word we are more fond of – Beauty. Book of Beauty.

As we make our Lenten journey – these forty days toward Easter – what beauty will we find in the story of Jesus as John tells it?

These beautiful stories guide us like roadmaps to live as friends of God. The stories here are about service, Spirit, belonging, union, heartbreak, and new life.

Glory includes so much. It’s beautiful like that.

First Sunday of Lent: JOHN 13:18-38

A Gospel’s structure is a roadmap – a way to get your bearings in a story.

John structures his Gospel in four parts (stay with me). There’s the Prologue, the Book of Signs, the Book of Glory, and the Appendix. This Lent, we’ll work through the Book of Glory (John 13-20).

But maybe you’re like, “So what?” And you’re right about something there. That word “glory” doesn’t mean much to most of us. It feels stodgy and strange. But what if we replace it with its definition? A word we are more fond of – Beauty. Book of Beauty.

As we make our Lenten journey – these forty days toward Easter – what beauty will we find in the story of Jesus as John tells it?

These beautiful stories guide us like roadmaps to live as friends of God. The stories here are about service, Spirit, belonging, union, heartbreak, and new life.

Glory includes so much. It’s beautiful like that.

Part 4 of 4. Today we talk about violence
***
In studying the Bible, we have found it to be a trustworthy and beautiful guide for life. And yet, we also know the many ways this same profound text has been weaponized against others. Whether to marginalize, silence, or shame those who have dared to ask questions and chart a new path through the world, this is not only wrong but a misapprehension of the Bible’s role in the Christian faith. 

On the first page of this year’s journal, we wrote, “we are completely fascinated by this complex and beautiful collection of texts we call the Bible—but we worship Jesus.” That’s not because we think there is a disconnect between the two. In fact, we are convinced the Bible is what points us back to Jesus. However, Scripture is where we encounter Jesus. Scripture is not a replacement for Jesus. And therefore, our use of the Bible must be as peaceful and grace-filled as the Jesus we follow. In this series, we will attempt to disarm the Bible of violent interpretations but also to recapture some of the extraordinary ways in which the Bible calls us to life change.

Part 3 of 4. Today we talk about atonement theory.
***
In studying the Bible, we have found it to be a trustworthy and beautiful guide for life. And yet, we also know the many ways this same profound text has been weaponized against others. Whether to marginalize, silence, or shame those who have dared to ask questions and chart a new path through the world, this is not only wrong but a misapprehension of the Bible’s role in the Christian faith. 

On the first page of this year’s journal, we wrote, “we are completely fascinated by this complex and beautiful collection of texts we call the Bible—but we worship Jesus.” That’s not because we think there is a disconnect between the two. In fact, we are convinced the Bible is what points us back to Jesus. However, Scripture is where we encounter Jesus. Scripture is not a replacement for Jesus. And therefore, our use of the Bible must be as peaceful and grace-filled as the Jesus we follow. In this series, we will attempt to disarm the Bible of violent interpretations but also to recapture some of the extraordinary ways in which the Bible calls us to life change.

Part 2 of 4. Today we talk about the inspired vs inerrant Scriptures.
***
In studying the Bible, we have found it to be a trustworthy and beautiful guide for life. And yet, we also know the many ways this same profound text has been weaponized against others. Whether to marginalize, silence, or shame those who have dared to ask questions and chart a new path through the world, this is not only wrong but a misapprehension of the Bible’s role in the Christian faith. 

On the first page of this year’s journal, we wrote, “we are completely fascinated by this complex and beautiful collection of texts we call the Bible—but we worship Jesus.” That’s not because we think there is a disconnect between the two. In fact, we are convinced the Bible is what points us back to Jesus. However, Scripture is where we encounter Jesus. Scripture is not a replacement for Jesus. And therefore, our use of the Bible must be as peaceful and grace-filled as the Jesus we follow. In this series, we will attempt to disarm the Bible of violent interpretations but also to recapture some of the extraordinary ways in which the Bible calls us to life change.

Part 1 of 4. Today we talk about our definitions of God, the power of our images and how for us to see God we need to look at Jesus. 
***
In studying the Bible, we have found it to be a trustworthy and beautiful guide for life. And yet, we also know the many ways this same profound text has been weaponized against others. Whether to marginalize, silence, or shame those who have dared to ask questions and chart a new path through the world, this is not only wrong but a misapprehension of the Bible’s role in the Christian faith. 

On the first page of this year’s journal, we wrote, “we are completely fascinated by this complex and beautiful collection of texts we call the Bible—but we worship Jesus.” That’s not because we think there is a disconnect between the two. In fact, we are convinced the Bible is what points us back to Jesus. However, Scripture is where we encounter Jesus. Scripture is not a replacement for Jesus. And therefore, our use of the Bible must be as peaceful and grace-filled as the Jesus we follow. In this series, we will attempt to disarm the Bible of violent interpretations but also to recapture some of the extraordinary ways in which the Bible calls us to life change.

Right now, more than any time we can remember, we are polarized, on edge, and ready to attack each other. That doesn't mean there aren't good reasons to be cautious. We all know people who engage in bad faith, intent not on dialogue but on manipulation or deceit. However, if we allow that caution to transform us into essentially uncurious persons, we will miss out on much of what God has available for us. 

Being human is a limited experience of the world. And therefore, it is only when we open our perspective to the knowledge of the person beside us, and beside them, that we are able to properly envision the world. 

Curiosity is a spiritual discipline. One that keeps us humble and learning. And who knows, maybe the person beside you right now might be your next best friend. 

So let's talk about being curious. 

Right now, more than any time we can remember, we are polarized, on edge, and ready to attack each other. That doesn't mean there aren't good reasons to be cautious. We all know people who engage in bad faith, intent not on dialogue but on manipulation or deceit. However, if we allow that caution to transform us into essentially uncurious persons, we will miss out on much of what God has available for us. 

Being human is a limited experience of the world. And therefore, it is only when we open our perspective to the knowledge of the person beside us, and beside them, that we are able to properly envision the world. 

Curiosity is a spiritual discipline. One that keeps us humble and learning. And who knows, maybe the person beside you right now might be your next best friend. 

So let's talk about being curious. 

Right now, more than any time we can remember, we are polarized, on edge, and ready to attack each other. That doesn't mean there aren't good reasons to be cautious. We all know people who engage in bad faith, intent not on dialogue but on manipulation or deceit. However, if we allow that caution to transform us into essentially uncurious persons, we will miss out on much of what God has available for us. 

Being human is a limited experience of the world. And therefore, it is only when we open our perspective to the knowledge of the person beside us, and beside them, that we are able to properly envision the world. 

Curiosity is a spiritual discipline. One that keeps us humble and learning. And who knows, maybe the person beside you right now might be your next best friend. 

So let's talk about being curious. 

The lead-up to Christmas is full of big feelings. You can think of feelings in two categories: feelings when your needs are unmet and feelings when your needs are met. When your needs are unmet, you might feel cranky or annoyed. When your needs are met, you might feel joyful or calm. All of those feelings are expressions of biology. We feel emotions in our bodies. So there’s a wonderful connection between feelings and Advent. Advent is the season of divine embodiment. The story of Jesus’ arrival starts with ordinary humans feeling big feelings. 

Joseph is worried about stepping outside his community’s expectations. Elizabeth and Zechariah are self- conscious as they age, and their longed- for son is soon to arrive. Mary is dazzled as she encounters an angel who invites her into an outrageous story of divine nearness. The shepherds are invigorated by singing skies and a baby they run around to tell everyone about. Feeling Advent is about noticing how the story of Jesus’ arrival puts us in touch with the mystery we celebrate every year at Christmas.

The lead-up to Christmas is full of big feelings. You can think of feelings in two categories: feelings when your needs are unmet and feelings when your needs are met. When your needs are unmet, you might feel cranky or annoyed. When your needs are met, you might feel joyful or calm. All of those feelings are expressions of biology. We feel emotions in our bodies. So there’s a wonderful connection between feelings and Advent. Advent is the season of divine embodiment. The story of Jesus’ arrival starts with ordinary humans feeling big feelings. 

Joseph is worried about stepping outside his community’s expectations. Elizabeth and Zechariah are self- conscious as they age, and their longed- for son is soon to arrive. Mary is dazzled as she encounters an angel who invites her into an outrageous story of divine nearness. The shepherds are invigorated by singing skies and a baby they run around to tell everyone about. Feeling Advent is about noticing how the story of Jesus’ arrival puts us in touch with the mystery we celebrate every year at Christmas.

The lead-up to Christmas is full of big feelings. You can think of feelings in two categories: feelings when your needs are unmet and feelings when your needs are met. When your needs are unmet, you might feel cranky or annoyed. When your needs are met, you might feel joyful or calm. All of those feelings are expressions of biology. We feel emotions in our bodies. So there’s a wonderful connection between feelings and Advent. Advent is the season of divine embodiment. The story of Jesus’ arrival starts with ordinary humans feeling big feelings. 

Joseph is worried about stepping outside his community’s expectations. Elizabeth and Zechariah are self- conscious as they age, and their longed- for son is soon to arrive. Mary is dazzled as she encounters an angel who invites her into an outrageous story of divine nearness. The shepherds are invigorated by singing skies and a baby they run around to tell everyone about. Feeling Advent is about noticing how the story of Jesus’ arrival puts us in touch with the mystery we celebrate every year at Christmas.

The lead-up to Christmas is full of big feelings. You can think of feelings in two categories: feelings when your needs are unmet and feelings when your needs are met. When your needs are unmet, you might feel cranky or annoyed. When your needs are met, you might feel joyful or calm. All of those feelings are expressions of biology. We feel emotions in our bodies. So there’s a wonderful connection between feelings and Advent. Advent is the season of divine embodiment. The story of Jesus’ arrival starts with ordinary humans feeling big feelings. 

Joseph is worried about stepping outside his community’s expectations. Elizabeth and Zechariah are self- conscious as they age, and their longed- for son is soon to arrive. Mary is dazzled as she encounters an angel who invites her into an outrageous story of divine nearness. The shepherds are invigorated by singing skies and a baby they run around to tell everyone about. Feeling Advent is about noticing how the story of Jesus’ arrival puts us in touch with the mystery we celebrate every year at Christmas.

The lead-up to Christmas is full of big feelings. You can think of feelings in two categories: feelings when your needs are unmet and feelings when your needs are met. When your needs are unmet, you might feel cranky or annoyed. When your needs are met, you might feel joyful or calm. All of those feelings are expressions of biology. We feel emotions in our bodies. So there’s a wonderful connection between feelings and Advent. Advent is the season of divine embodiment. The story of Jesus’ arrival starts with ordinary humans feeling big feelings. 

Joseph is worried about stepping outside his community’s expectations. Elizabeth and Zechariah are self- conscious as they age, and their longed- for son is soon to arrive. Mary is dazzled as she encounters an angel who invites her into an outrageous story of divine nearness. The shepherds are invigorated by singing skies and a baby they run around to tell everyone about. Feeling Advent is about noticing how the story of Jesus’ arrival puts us in touch with the mystery we celebrate every year at Christmas.

The book of Revelation deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity. It has intrigued and frustrated readers for millennia. How do we make sense of John's prophetic vision of cosmic war in light of the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does John mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the fate of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it's more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus.

Based on the book Upside-Down Apocalypse, but with the benefit of or whole teaching team at Commons, this series will walk through the book of Revelation using biblical scholarship and the nonviolence of Jesus as our guide.

Along the way, we'll discover what John imagines as he weaves this profound revelation of non-violent triumph and see with fresh eyes how the Prince of Peace turns violence on its head once and for all.

The book of Revelation deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity. It has intrigued and frustrated readers for millennia. How do we make sense of John's prophetic vision of cosmic war in light of the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does John mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the fate of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it's more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus.

Based on the book Upside-Down Apocalypse, but with the benefit of or whole teaching team at Commons, this series will walk through the book of Revelation using biblical scholarship and the nonviolence of Jesus as our guide.

Along the way, we'll discover what John imagines as he weaves this profound revelation of non-violent triumph and see with fresh eyes how the Prince of Peace turns violence on its head once and for all.

The book of Revelation deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity. It has intrigued and frustrated readers for millennia. How do we make sense of John's prophetic vision of cosmic war in light of the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does John mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the fate of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it's more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus.

Based on the book Upside-Down Apocalypse, but with the benefit of or whole teaching team at Commons, this series will walk through the book of Revelation using biblical scholarship and the nonviolence of Jesus as our guide.

Along the way, we'll discover what John imagines as he weaves this profound revelation of non-violent triumph and see with fresh eyes how the Prince of Peace turns violence on its head once and for all.

The book of Revelation deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity. It has intrigued and frustrated readers for millennia. How do we make sense of John's prophetic vision of cosmic war in light of the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does John mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the fate of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it's more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus.

Based on the book Upside-Down Apocalypse, but with the benefit of or whole teaching team at Commons, this series will walk through the book of Revelation using biblical scholarship and the nonviolence of Jesus as our guide.

Along the way, we'll discover what John imagines as he weaves this profound revelation of non-violent triumph and see with fresh eyes how the Prince of Peace turns violence on its head once and for all.

The book of Revelation deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity. It has intrigued and frustrated readers for millennia. How do we make sense of John's prophetic vision of cosmic war in light of the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does John mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the fate of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it's more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus.

Based on the book Upside-Down Apocalypse, but with the benefit of or whole teaching team at Commons, this series will walk through the book of Revelation using biblical scholarship and the nonviolence of Jesus as our guide.

Along the way, we'll discover what John imagines as he weaves this profound revelation of non-violent triumph and see with fresh eyes how the Prince of Peace turns violence on its head once and for all.

The book of Revelation deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity. It has intrigued and frustrated readers for millennia. How do we make sense of John's prophetic vision of cosmic war in light of the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does John mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the fate of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it's more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus.

Based on the book Upside-Down Apocalypse, but with the benefit of or whole teaching team at Commons, this series will walk through the book of Revelation using biblical scholarship and the nonviolence of Jesus as our guide.

Along the way, we'll discover what John imagines as he weaves this profound revelation of non-violent triumph and see with fresh eyes how the Prince of Peace turns violence on its head once and for all.

The book of Revelation deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity. It has intrigued and frustrated readers for millennia. How do we make sense of John's prophetic vision of cosmic war in light of the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does John mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the fate of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it's more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus.

Based on the book Upside-Down Apocalypse, but with the benefit of or whole teaching team at Commons, this series will walk through the book of Revelation using biblical scholarship and the nonviolence of Jesus as our guide.

Along the way, we'll discover what John imagines as he weaves this profound revelation of non-violent triumph and see with fresh eyes how the Prince of Peace turns violence on its head once and for all.

The book of Revelation deals on a cosmic scale with good and evil, politics and empire, community and eternity. It has intrigued and frustrated readers for millennia. How do we make sense of John's prophetic vision of cosmic war in light of the nonviolence Jesus embodies in the gospels? What does John mean to tell us about Jesus, our world, and the fate of all things? As End Times conspiracy theories surge, it's more important than ever that we read the final book of the Bible without distorting the true message of Jesus.

Based on the book Upside-Down Apocalypse, but with the benefit of or whole teaching team at Commons, this series will walk through the book of Revelation using biblical scholarship and the nonviolence of Jesus as our guide.

Along the way, we'll discover what John imagines as he weaves this profound revelation of non-violent triumph and see with fresh eyes how the Prince of Peace turns violence on its head once and for all.

There is no denying the sheer largeness of our Biblical faith. There is a lot to know: story and truth and history. But in the middle of all this stands the simple, the basic, the essential, the pure: “love God and love your neighbour.” We want to begin our year together by going back to the basics to help answer the frequently asked questions that inevitably arise when something new begins.

Who are we?
By what do we define ourselves? 
How will we live together as a community?

We know not every question can be answered in three weeks. In fact, many of our questions can only be answered in the long story of being church together. But here, we want to put some stakes in the ground–some definitional ideas that will guide us into our future together. So come. Join in. Share what you have and take a piece of what others around you are offering. We want these conversations to be accessible to anyone, whether you are new to Commons or have been here for all nine seasons.

There is no denying the sheer largeness of our Biblical faith. There is a lot to know: story and truth and history. But in the middle of all this stands the simple, the basic, the essential, the pure: “love God and love your neighbour.” We want to begin our year together by going back to the basics to help answer the frequently asked questions that inevitably arise when something new begins.

Who are we?
By what do we define ourselves? 
How will we live together as a community?

We know not every question can be answered in three weeks. In fact, many of our questions can only be answered in the long story of being church together. But here, we want to put some stakes in the ground–some definitional ideas that will guide us into our future together. So come. Join in. Share what you have and take a piece of what others around you are offering. We want these conversations to be accessible to anyone, whether you are new to Commons or have been here for all nine seasons.

There is no denying the sheer largeness of our Biblical faith. There is a lot to know: story and truth and history. But in the middle of all this stands the simple, the basic, the essential, the pure: “love God and love your neighbour.” We want to begin our year together by going back to the basics to help answer the frequently asked questions that inevitably arise when something new begins.

Who are we?
By what do we define ourselves? 
How will we live together as a community?

We know not every question can be answered in three weeks. In fact, many of our questions can only be answered in the long story of being church together. But here, we want to put some stakes in the ground–some definitional ideas that will guide us into our future together. So come. Join in. Share what you have and take a piece of what others around you are offering. We want these conversations to be accessible to anyone, whether you are new to Commons or have been here for all nine seasons.

There are stories about people in the bible that we love to love. These are the stories everyone seems to know: famous daughters, brave judges, and influential church planters.

They wait in broad daylight for us to discover something new, as if to say, “There’s more to me than what you think you know and love.”

For as much as the bible is about God, it would be nothing without people. And the thing about people is that even while they change, they also stay the same. Century after century, people get lost, make a new home, and find love. People stand up for what they believe in, step outside their comfort zones, become the leader they didn’t know they could be. They mess up, try again, and find joy in surprising places. It is holy to be human.

Let’s examine four biblical figures, their familiar place in the narrative, and what they represent about the world in which they lived. Without a doubt, we will find God’s commitment to our empowerment through the verses written about these people. The stories of Ruth, Deborah, Junia, and Mary Magdalene are still shining with bright light.

There are stories about people in the bible that we love to love. These are the stories everyone seems to know: famous daughters, brave judges, and influential church planters.

They wait in broad daylight for us to discover something new, as if to say, “There’s more to me than what you think you know and love.”

For as much as the bible is about God, it would be nothing without people. And the thing about people is that even while they change, they also stay the same. Century after century, people get lost, make a new home, and find love. People stand up for what they believe in, step outside their comfort zones, become the leader they didn’t know they could be. They mess up, try again, and find joy in surprising places. It is holy to be human.

Let’s examine four biblical figures, their familiar place in the narrative, and what they represent about the world in which they lived. Without a doubt, we will find God’s commitment to our empowerment through the verses written about these people. The stories of Ruth, Deborah, Junia, and Mary Magdalene are still shining with bright light.

There are stories about people in the bible that we love to love. These are the stories everyone seems to know: famous daughters, brave judges, and influential church planters.

They wait in broad daylight for us to discover something new, as if to say, “There’s more to me than what you think you know and love.”

For as much as the bible is about God, it would be nothing without people. And the thing about people is that even while they change, they also stay the same. Century after century, people get lost, make a new home, and find love. People stand up for what they believe in, step outside their comfort zones, become the leader they didn’t know they could be. They mess up, try again, and find joy in surprising places. It is holy to be human.

Let’s examine four biblical figures, their familiar place in the narrative, and what they represent about the world in which they lived. Without a doubt, we will find God’s commitment to our empowerment through the verses written about these people. The stories of Ruth, Deborah, Junia, and Mary Magdalene are still shining with bright light.

There are stories about people in the bible that we love to love. These are the stories everyone seems to know: famous daughters, brave judges, and influential church planters.

They wait in broad daylight for us to discover something new, as if to say, “There’s more to me than what you think you know and love.”

For as much as the bible is about God, it would be nothing without people. And the thing about people is that even while they change, they also stay the same. Century after century, people get lost, make a new home, and find love. People stand up for what they believe in, step outside their comfort zones, become the leader they didn’t know they could be. They mess up, try again, and find joy in surprising places. It is holy to be human.

Let’s examine four biblical figures, their familiar place in the narrative, and what they represent about the world in which they lived. Without a doubt, we will find God’s commitment to our empowerment through the verses written about these people. The stories of Ruth, Deborah, Junia, and Mary Magdalene are still shining with bright light.

There are so many stories about people in the bible that, with eyes wide open, disturb. In the history of interpretation, explanations abound. We hear that these folks had it coming, that their differences were unacceptable, that they were vulnerable and weak.

As disturbing as these stories feel, they don't disappear. They wait in the shadows as if to say, "Our pain is real and held by God in this sacred story."

For as much as the bible is about people, it's about God. And while God elevates people to positions of priest, prophet, and king, God also pays close attention to people who exist in the margins. The assaulted partners, the tired mothers, the children forced to flee their homes. It's holy to be human.

Let's examine four biblical figures, their place in the shadows of the text, and what they represent about a world where bad things happen to all kinds of people. Maybe we'll never find a hurried rescue, but instead, God revealed in the shadow lives of Bathsheba, Hagar, Tamar, and Eve.

There are so many stories about people in the bible that, with eyes wide open, disturb. In the history of interpretation, explanations abound. We hear that these folks had it coming, that their differences were unacceptable, that they were vulnerable and weak.

As disturbing as these stories feel, they don't disappear. They wait in the shadows as if to say, "Our pain is real and held by God in this sacred story."

For as much as the bible is about people, it's about God. And while God elevates people to positions of priest, prophet, and king, God also pays close attention to people who exist in the margins. The assaulted partners, the tired mothers, the children forced to flee their homes. It's holy to be human.

Let's examine four biblical figures, their place in the shadows of the text, and what they represent about a world where bad things happen to all kinds of people. Maybe we'll never find a hurried rescue, but instead, God revealed in the shadow lives of Bathsheba, Hagar, Tamar, and Eve.

There are so many stories about people in the bible that, with eyes wide open, disturb. In the history of interpretation, explanations abound. We hear that these folks had it coming, that their differences were unacceptable, that they were vulnerable and weak.

As disturbing as these stories feel, they don't disappear. They wait in the shadows as if to say, "Our pain is real and held by God in this sacred story."

For as much as the bible is about people, it's about God. And while God elevates people to positions of priest, prophet, and king, God also pays close attention to people who exist in the margins. The assaulted partners, the tired mothers, the children forced to flee their homes. It's holy to be human.

Let's examine four biblical figures, their place in the shadows of the text, and what they represent about a world where bad things happen to all kinds of people. Maybe we'll never find a hurried rescue, but instead, God revealed in the shadow lives of Bathsheba, Hagar, Tamar, and Eve.

There are so many stories about people in the bible that, with eyes wide open, disturb. In the history of interpretation, explanations abound. We hear that these folks had it coming, that their differences were unacceptable, that they were vulnerable and weak.

As disturbing as these stories feel, they don't disappear. They wait in the shadows as if to say, "Our pain is real and held by God in this sacred story."

For as much as the bible is about people, it's about God. And while God elevates people to positions of priest, prophet, and king, God also pays close attention to people who exist in the margins. The assaulted partners, the tired mothers, the children forced to flee their homes. It's holy to be human.

Let's examine four biblical figures, their place in the shadows of the text, and what they represent about a world where bad things happen to all kinds of people. Maybe we'll never find a hurried rescue, but instead, God revealed in the shadow lives of Bathsheba, Hagar, Tamar, and Eve.

Upside Down Apocalypse is available July 5, 2022 

In this series, we're going to take a look at a Jesus-centred interpretation of the book of Revelation. In this video we'll talk about:

00:00 Introduction
01:00 A Closer Look
03:25 Second Chances
04:40 Judgement and Redemption 
06:55 Power and Control 
08:29 Profound Hope

This video is part 6 of 6.

Preorder links:
US https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652664496&sr=8-1
Canada https://www.amazon.ca/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Upside Down Apocalypse is available July 5, 2022 

In this series, we're going to take a look at a Jesus-centred interpretation of the book of Revelation. In this video we'll talk about:

00:00 Introduction
01:15 Har Megiddo
03:12 Ground Zero
04:20 The Rider on the White Horse
08:42 Subversion of our Expectations 

This video is part 5 of 6.

Preorder links:
US https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652664496&sr=8-1
Canada https://www.amazon.ca/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Upside Down Apocalypse is available July 5, 2022 

In this series, we're going to take a look at a Jesus-centred interpretation of the book of Revelation. In this video we'll talk about:
00:00 Introduction
01:15 All the Sevens
02:40 The Trumpets
06:60 A Seventh Angel
10:42 Counter-Narrative

In future videos, we'll talk about the genre of apocalyptic literature and look at some of the key moments and images from the book of Revelation.

Preorder links:
US https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652664496&sr=8-1
Canada https://www.amazon.ca/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Upside Down Apocalypse is available July 5, 2022 

In this series, we're going to take a look at a Jesus-centred interpretation of the book of Revelation. In this video we'll talk about:
00:00 Introduction
01:10 The Purpose of the Letters
02:58 The Economy of Laodicea
04:55 Water Sources

In future videos, we'll talk about the genre of apocalyptic literature and look at some of the key moments and images from the book of Revelation.

Preorder links:
US https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652664496&sr=8-1
Canada https://www.amazon.ca/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Upside Down Apocalypse is available July 5, 2022 

In this series, we're going to take a look at a Jesus-centred interpretation of the book of Revelation. We'll start by talking about:
00:00 Introduction
01:20 Where Apocalyptic literature comes from 
04:30 Apocalyptic Language Games
09:28 666 and the Mark of the Beast

In future videos, we'll look at some of the key moments and images from the book of Revelation.

Preorder links:
US https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652664496&sr=8-1
Canada https://www.amazon.ca/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Upside Down Apocalypse is available July 5, 2022 

In this series, we're going to take a look at a Jesus-centred interpretation of the book of Revelation. We'll start by talking about:
01:30 Why it's important to interpret Revelation through Jesus
06:04 The purpose of prophecy in the Hebrew tradition
09:40 How John uses Isaiah as the structure for his writing

In future videos, we'll talk about the genre of apocalyptic literature and look at some of the key moments and images from the book of Revelation.

Preorder links:
US https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652664496&sr=8-1
Canada https://www.amazon.ca/Upside-Down-Apocalypse-Grounding-Revelation-Gospel/dp/1513810391/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. 

We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. 

Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. 

So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well.

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. 

We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. 

Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. 

So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well.

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. 

We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. 

Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. 

So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well.

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. 

We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. 

Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. 

So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well.

"Genesis is a book about origins: the origins of humankind, the origins of Israel, and the origins of the unique relationship between God and a particular people." —Nahum Sarna. 

We will listen to the memory of ancient Israel wrapped in poetic narratives. We will spend time with the strangeness of these stories, attending to the faith embedded in them. We will let the text draw us into a cosmic account of creation, the epic beginning rooted in the stories of the ancient Near East and artfully reshaped to tell the good news: Creator calls the world into being and out of love binds Godself to it. 

Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann believes that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in the bible, but they are also among the most misunderstood. 

So, come back with us to the origins with your big questions. Bring your daily experience of the glory and darkness of human nature. Let's wander together into the stories of falling and faithfulness. And let's listen well.

Philippians 2
***
We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.
A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.
An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.
The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.
Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.
Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,
and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.
And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.
Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together!

Heb 1
***
We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.
A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.
An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.
The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.
Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.
Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,
and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.
And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.
Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together!

Ephesians 2:14-18
***
We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.
A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.
An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.
The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.
Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.
Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,
and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.
And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.
Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together!

We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.
A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.
An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.
The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.
Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.
Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,
and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.
And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.
Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together!

John 1:1-14
***
We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.
A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.
An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.
The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.
Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.
Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,
and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.
And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.
Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together!

We have just through Easter and we are now in the season of Eastertide, the 50 day celebration of resurrection. And that’s lovely but I think for a lot of us that are steeped in the evangelical industrial complex our relationship with Easter can feel a little complicated.
Sure,  we love resurrection and we are glad Jesus died “for us” but sometimes there is this niggling feeling like it doesn’t quite add up.
God is the source of this beautiful story of triumph and life and all the different ways that this story takes root in us but why did it happen in the first place?
If resurrection was always the goal does that mean a death always had to happen and if that always had to happen, who gets credit, or perhaps better said, the blame for that death?

We all have a guilty musical pleasure. Admit it.
A band we return to as the soundtrack to some other season.
An album we replay because it.still. holds.up.
The song we blast in the car when it comes on — lyrics flowing freely, dance moves optional.
Because music stirs us, evokes emotion, forms memory, and helps us return to ourselves.
Which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, at times, early Christian authors seem to have drawn on the songs and poetry around them as they wrote. Pulling meaningful words, rhythm,
and melody together to inspire their reflection and theology.
And this is a fascinating idea — that musicality shaped Scripture, but also that it plays a role in what makes these words compelling today.
Join us as we explore this ancient playlist together!

Easter Sunday is here. Resurrection has come for us. Today we awake knowing that the story is not over. And it is a celebration!

But this is also our first Easter Sunday gathering together to worship in three years, and we are ecstatic.

The Christian faith is an Easter faith. That means it is ultimately a joyous and hopeful view of the universe. Christ
has triumphed over the enemies of life and love. Death, and sin, and isolation, and despair have been given an expiry date. Love, and hope, and mercy, and grace have been given fully guaranteed futures.

Celebrate with us this Resurrection Sunday.

Everything depends on Jesus, his dying and rising life. Everything.
With a clear sense of who Jesus is—God most clearly revealed to us—and a
clear focus on what he has done for us through the cross and resurrection, we live now with a hope and confidence that cannot be undone.
Holy Week is the time in the Christian calendar when we pay closest attention to this part of the story.
In the same way, that the gospels slow down during Jesus' last week, helping us to notice every meaning-filled moment: we should not rush too quickly today. This is how God reverses death into life, despair into hope, violence into peace. And it does not come easily.

John 9:1-7
***
Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. 

There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)

So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. 

As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us.

John 6:15-21
***
Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. 

There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)

So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. 

As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us.

John 6:1-15
***
Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. 

There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)

So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. 

As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us.

John 5
***
Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. 

There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)

So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. 

As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us.

John 4
***
Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. 

There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)

So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. 

As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us.

Jesus endlessly fascinates. There is not a single moment, word, or action in his life that is not pregnant with something more. 

There is a qualitative difference that is unmistakable about Jesus, though. John puts in simply, "In him was life and that life was the light of all people." (John 1:4) As John writes about Jesus, he knows that he is touching the infinite. He charmingly says that the world was too small to record what could be said about him. (John 21:25)

So, what to do? How to tell a story too big for pages? Well, John chooses for us seven representative moments, seven real and tangible, physical signs of how the eternal comes into our material world through Jesus. Water and wine, hunger and bread, blindness and sight, dead and alive, we learn that the life of Jesus is not removed from where we are, but deeply present if we can see. 

As we begin the movement toward Easter, we follow seven revealing moments in the life of Jesus in the real physicality of our human selves; John will show us who Jesus is: God's presence with us.

“There is little doubt that our doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the least developed areas in mainstream Christianity.” —Alwyn Marriage
Whether you’ve been around the Christian story for a while—or you’ve recently started exploring, there’s a certain mystique around the idea of God as Spirit.
And that mystique is all the more compelling when we acknowledge that many of us feel some distance between Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit to his friends and our experience in the world. An advocate? To help us?
So let’s be honest — the nature of the Divine is elusive.
And just for the record, we’re not assuming that four sermons are going to answer all your questions.
But we are going to explore some big theological ideas, all while contending that maybe... just maybe, you’re more familiar with the Spirit’s gentle touch than you think you are.

In my mind talking about the nature of God shouldn't be an exercise in gatekeeping—all of our God-talk is provisional, after all. There are, however, some important ideas in the Christian imagination of God that we are attempting to preserve with the doctrine of Trinity. So let's talk about that.

Acts 10 + 15
 ***
“There is little doubt that our doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the least developed areas in mainstream Christianity.” —Alwyn Marriage
Whether you’ve been around the Christian story for a while—or you’ve recently started exploring, there’s a certain mystique around the idea of God as Spirit.
And that mystique is all the more compelling when we acknowledge that many of us feel some distance between Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit to his friends and our experience in the world. An advocate? To help us?
So let’s be honest — the nature of the Divine is elusive.
And just for the record, we’re not assuming that four sermons are going to answer all your questions.
But we are going to explore some big theological ideas, all while contending that maybe... just maybe, you’re more familiar with the Spirit’s gentle touch than you think you are.

John 14
***
“There is little doubt that our doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the least developed areas in mainstream Christianity.” —Alwyn Marriage

Whether you’ve been around the Christian story for a while—or you’ve recently started exploring, there’s a certain mystique around the idea of God as Spirit.

And that mystique is all the more compelling when we acknowledge that many of us feel some distance between Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit to his friends and our experience in the world. An advocate? To help us?

So let’s be honest — the nature of the Divine is elusive.
And just for the record, we’re not assuming that four sermons are going to answer all your questions.

But we are going to explore some big theological ideas, all while contending that maybe... just maybe, you’re more familiar with the Spirit’s gentle touch than you think you are.

“There is little doubt that our doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the least developed areas in mainstream Christianity.” —Alwyn Marriage

Whether you’ve been around the Christian story for a while—or you’ve recently started exploring, there’s a certain mystique around the idea of God as Spirit.

And that mystique is all the more compelling when we acknowledge that many of us feel some distance between Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit to his friends and our experience in the world. An advocate? To help us?

So let’s be honest — the nature of the Divine is elusive.
And just for the record, we’re not assuming that four sermons are going to answer all your questions.

But we are going to explore some big theological ideas, all while contending that maybe... just maybe, you’re more familiar with the Spirit’s gentle touch than you think you are.

Toward. Away. Against: This is a really simple way to think about our default reaction to conflict, our stress reaction to conflict, and how as healthy humans we can choose to respond with the strategy that is most appropriate in any given encounter.

The experience of the global pandemic has changed us. And it has changed our friendships. Some may have deepened, while others have dwindled without getting a solid chance to take root.

Let's begin the new year with a conversation on that deeply personal connection with others we all long for but often struggle to cultivate.

Friendship is essential to our humanity. It is also a gift that we are free to receive and to offer. Some friendships help us become our true selves.

You might remember with fondness the name of your childhood buddy. You know what it feels like to let your guard down with that one person in your life. After

all, they really care. And you are most certainly familiar with the pain of broken trust.

So join us to take another look at friendship together. Let's discover more about ourselves and what it means to cultivate friendships in a world that feels increasingly lonely and polarized.

The experience of the global pandemic has changed us. And it has changed our friendships. Some may have deepened, while others have dwindled without getting a solid chance to take root.

Let's begin the new year with a conversation on that deeply personal connection with others we all long for but often struggle to cultivate.

Friendship is essential to our humanity. It is also a gift that we are free to receive and to offer. Some friendships help us become our true selves.

You might remember with fondness the name of your childhood buddy. You know what it feels like to let your guard down with that one person in your life. After

all, they really care. And you are most certainly familiar with the pain of broken trust.

So join us to take another look at friendship together. Let's discover more about ourselves and what it means to cultivate friendships in a world that feels increasingly lonely and polarized.

The experience of the global pandemic has changed us. And it has changed our friendships. Some may have deepened, while others have dwindled without getting a solid chance to take root.

Let's begin the new year with a conversation on that deeply personal connection with others we all long for but often struggle to cultivate.

Friendship is essential to our humanity. It is also a gift that we are free to receive and to offer. Some friendships help us become our true selves.

You might remember with fondness the name of your childhood buddy. You know what it feels like to let your guard down with that one person in your life. After

all, they really care. And you are most certainly familiar with the pain of broken trust.

So join us to take another look at friendship together. Let's discover more about ourselves and what it means to cultivate friendships in a world that feels increasingly lonely and polarized.

The experience of the global pandemic has changed us. And it has changed our friendships. Some may have deepened, while others have dwindled without getting a solid chance to take root.

Let's begin the new year with a conversation on that deeply personal connection with others we all long for but often struggle to cultivate.

Friendship is essential to our humanity. It is also a gift that we are free to receive and to offer. Some friendships help us become our true selves.

You might remember with fondness the name of your childhood buddy. You know what it feels like to let your guard down with that one person in your life. After

all, they really care. And you are most certainly familiar with the pain of broken trust.

So join us to take another look at friendship together. Let's discover more about ourselves and what it means to cultivate friendships in a world that feels increasingly lonely and polarized.

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.

Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.

Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.

This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world.

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.

Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.

Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.

This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world.

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.
Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.
Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.
This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world.

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.

Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.

Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.

This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world.

Try this thought experiment. What moments in your life do you consider pivotal? Maybe it’s a big trip, grad school graduation, or the birth of a child.

Now, imagine yourself taking ten minutes to write from memory what happened, how you felt, and who said what. Next, imagine someone else who was with you writing down what they saw, how they felt, and who said what.

Can you imagine the differences? One story feels intimate, the other distant. One story catches a mortifying detail, the other only fondness. One stirs sadness, and the other stays upbeat. There are so many angles to the same story. It’s true in life, and it’s true in the scriptures.

This Advent, we go back to the moments just before Jesus was born. We trace tragedy in a genealogy. We find comedy in Joseph's confusion. We see fairytale in Elizabeth’s late-in-life pregnancy. We stumble through mystery as Mary gets the news of a baby soon born to change the world.

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” 

One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. 

But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. 

James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. 

Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. 

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” 

One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. 

But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. 

James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. 

Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. 

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” 

One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. 

But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. 

James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. 

Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. 

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” 

One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. 

But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. 

James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. 

Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. 

Church tradition holds that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther despised the epistle of James, going so far as to say that it contained little to none of “the nature of the Gospel.” 

One of Luther’s biggest complaints was that this early Christian letter contains only the slightest mention of Jesus, which is why he thought it had so little to offer. 

But part of why we think the book of James deserves our attention is because, if you look close enough, it says some profound things about what it means to be like Jesus. And it doesn’t sugarcoat them in saccharine, theological language either. 

James speaks to the grit of our lives: yo what it means to be an everyday human, the struggle to have faith, the challenge of putting faith to work. 

Which, curiously enough, sounds a lot like Jesus. 

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" 

Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. 

There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. 

The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. 

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" 

Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. 

There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. 

The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. 

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" 

Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. 

There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. 

The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. 

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" 

Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. 

There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. 

The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. 

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" 

Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. 

There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. 

The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. 

One of Jesus' key ideas was that of the kingdom of God. An imagination for the world as it could be pervades not only Jesus' teaching but all of his interactions. In fact, this is a uniquely human ability to think in sequence and to understand meaning through the lens of past, present, and future. Simply put, we live in a storied world, and one of the most important questions for any story is, "Where is it going?" 

Jesus taught from these three aspects of reality: There is a past from which we live—an explanation for the way things are. There is a way to live in the present— our responsibilities defined by the story we are a part of. 

There is a future to live toward—a hope that motivates and comforts us. 

The Good News doesn't hold together without all of these and certainly not without a strong sense of where the story is going. Our question in this series is simple—what do Jesus' parables about the future teach us about how we should live today. 

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
–Mahatma Ghandi

Doesn’t it feel like there’s a shortage of true happiness? Whether the news—or our own experience—or a string of rainy afternoons, we can find ourselves wondering why the world always seems to be frowning.

Which is why—this summer—we’re striking out in search of some real, wholesome, happy-face-emoji moments. And in this series, we’re gathering individuals and stories from our community to answer the question “What makes you happy?”

And we promise—

You won’t be able to keep from grinning when you see what makes these people light up. You’ll head into Monday with a new awareness of how brightly Grace shines in the world. And you’ll be glad you joined us as we go looking for life-well-lived.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
–Mahatma Ghandi

Doesn’t it feel like there’s a shortage of true happiness? Whether the news—or our own experience—or a string of rainy afternoons, we can find ourselves wondering why the world always seems to be frowning.

Which is why—this summer—we’re striking out in search of some real, wholesome, happy-face-emoji moments. And in this series, we’re gathering individuals and stories from our community to answer the question “What makes you happy?”

And we promise—

You won’t be able to keep from grinning when you see what makes these people light up. You’ll head into Monday with a new awareness of how brightly Grace shines in the world. And you’ll be glad you joined us as we go looking for life-well-lived.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
–Mahatma Ghandi

Doesn’t it feel like there’s a shortage of true happiness? Whether the news—or our own experience—or a string of rainy afternoons, we can find ourselves wondering why the world always seems to be frowning.

Which is why—this summer—we’re striking out in search of some real, wholesome, happy-face-emoji moments. And in this series, we’re gathering individuals and stories from our community to answer the question “What makes you happy?”

And we promise—

You won’t be able to keep from grinning when you see what makes these people light up. You’ll head into Monday with a new awareness of how brightly Grace shines in the world. And you’ll be glad you joined us as we go looking for life-well-lived.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
–Mahatma Ghandi

Doesn’t it feel like there’s a shortage of true happiness? Whether the news—or our own experience—or a string of rainy afternoons, we can find ourselves wondering why the world always seems to be frowning.

Which is why—this summer—we’re striking out in search of some real, wholesome, happy-face-emoji moments. And in this series, we’re gathering individuals and stories from our community to answer the question “What makes you happy?”

And we promise—

You won’t be able to keep from grinning when you see what makes these people light up. You’ll head into Monday with a new awareness of how brightly Grace shines in the world. And you’ll be glad you joined us as we go looking for life-well-lived.

There are times in life when either/or decisions are super important. Life-saving, even. Is this food good for me or bad? Is this relationship what I want or isn’t it? Do I believe this thing about God or don’t I?

The answers to these questions may serve us well for a time. Maybe even a long time. But there are some questions that aren’t settled with either/or answers. Contemplative thinkers even insist that an either/or posture to the world is antithetical to human life. After all, we know ourselves to be not only nice but sometimes cruel, to be not only tame but sometimes wild, to be not only strong but sometimes weak.

So what comes after an either/or spirituality? How about both/and.

Both/and draws us towards the wisdom at the heart of all creation and towards the wholeness of God’s relationship to the world.

Let’s look at a spirituality that is both loud and quiet, both strong and weak, both alone and together, both sacred and secular, both faithful and full of doubt.

There are times in life when either/or decisions are super important. Life-saving, even. Is this food good for me or bad? Is this relationship what I want or isn’t it? Do I believe this thing about God or don’t I?

The answers to these questions may serve us well for a time. Maybe even a long time. But there are some questions that aren’t settled with either/or answers. Contemplative thinkers even insist that an either/or posture to the world is antithetical to human life. After all, we know ourselves to be not only nice but sometimes cruel, to be not only tame but sometimes wild, to be not only strong but sometimes weak.

So what comes after an either/or spirituality? How about both/and.

Both/and draws us towards the wisdom at the heart of all creation and towards the wholeness of God’s relationship to the world.

Let’s look at a spirituality that is both loud and quiet, both strong and weak, both alone and together, both sacred and secular, both faithful and full of doubt.

There are times in life when either/or decisions are super important. Life-saving, even. Is this food good for me or bad? Is this relationship what I want or isn’t it? Do I believe this thing about God or don’t I?

The answers to these questions may serve us well for a time. Maybe even a long time. But there are some questions that aren’t settled with either/or answers. Contemplative thinkers even insist that an either/or posture to the world is antithetical to human life. After all, we know ourselves to be not only nice but sometimes cruel, to be not only tame but sometimes wild, to be not only strong but sometimes weak.

So what comes after an either/or spirituality? How about both/and.

Both/and draws us towards the wisdom at the heart of all creation and towards the wholeness of God’s relationship to the world.

Let’s look at a spirituality that is both loud and quiet, both strong and weak, both alone and together, both sacred and secular, both faithful and full of doubt.

There are times in life when either/or decisions are super important. Life-saving, even. Is this food good for me or bad? Is this relationship what I want or isn’t it? Do I believe this thing about God or don’t I?

The answers to these questions may serve us well for a time. Maybe even a long time. But there are some questions that aren’t settled with either/or answers. Contemplative thinkers even insist that an either/or posture to the world is antithetical to human life. After all, we know ourselves to be not only nice but sometimes cruel, to be not only tame but sometimes wild, to be not only strong but sometimes weak.

So what comes after an either/or spirituality? How about both/and.

Both/and draws us towards the wisdom at the heart of all creation and towards the wholeness of God’s relationship to the world.

Let’s look at a spirituality that is both loud and quiet, both strong and weak, both alone and together, both sacred and secular, both faithful and full of doubt.

There are times in life when either/or decisions are super important. Life-saving, even. Is this food good for me or bad? Is this relationship what I want or isn’t it? Do I believe this thing about God or don’t I?

The answers to these questions may serve us well for a time. Maybe even a long time. But there are some questions that aren’t settled with either/or answers. Contemplative thinkers even insist that an either/or posture to the world is antithetical to human life. After all, we know ourselves to be not only nice but sometimes cruel, to be not only tame but sometimes wild, to be not only strong but sometimes weak.

So what comes after an either/or spirituality? How about both/and.

Both/and draws us towards the wisdom at the heart of all creation and towards the wholeness of God’s relationship to the world.

Let’s look at a spirituality that is both loud and quiet, both strong and weak, both alone and together, both sacred and secular, both faithful and full of doubt.

What feelings grip us when everything is awful? Resentment. Fear. Isolation. Loss.
In those moments, such words of encouragement as “do not be anxious about anything” or “I can do everything in him who gives me strength” may sound almost glib.
Except...when they come from a friend who’s been though awful and does not sidestep it.
Writing to his friends in Philippi, Paul speaks words of comfort. Clear, simple words about Christ as a way of life. Life anchored in joy. Joy that defies prison chains, cruel empires, petty disagreements, and nagging opposition.
Paul has heard his friends’ story and wants them to know his. We are listening in on a conversation of profound mutual care.
When everything is awful, we need caring words that name the reality of our suffering without bitterness. Words that awake us to the possibility of joy.

What feelings grip us when everything is awful? Resentment. Fear. Isolation. Loss.
In those moments, such words of encouragement as “do not be anxious about anything” or “I can do everything in him who gives me strength” may sound almost glib.
Except...when they come from a friend who’s been though awful and does not sidestep it.
Writing to his friends in Philippi, Paul speaks words of comfort. Clear, simple words about Christ as a way of life. Life anchored in joy. Joy that defies prison chains, cruel empires, petty disagreements, and nagging opposition.
Paul has heard his friends’ story and wants them to know his. We are listening in on a conversation of profound mutual care.
When everything is awful, we need caring words that name the reality of our suffering without bitterness. Words that awake us to the possibility of joy.

What feelings grip us when everything is awful? Resentment. Fear. Isolation. Loss.
In those moments, such words of encouragement as “do not be anxious about anything” or “I can do everything in him who gives me strength” may sound almost glib.
Except...when they come from a friend who’s been though awful and does not sidestep it.
Writing to his friends in Philippi, Paul speaks words of comfort. Clear, simple words about Christ as a way of life. Life anchored in joy. Joy that defies prison chains, cruel empires, petty disagreements, and nagging opposition.
Paul has heard his friends’ story and wants them to know his. We are listening in on a conversation of profound mutual care.
When everything is awful, we need caring words that name the reality of our suffering without bitterness. Words that awake us to the possibility of joy.

What feelings grip us when everything is awful? Resentment. Fear. Isolation. Loss.
In those moments, such words of encouragement as “do not be anxious about anything” or “I can do everything in him who gives me strength” may sound almost glib.
Except...when they come from a friend who’s been though awful and does not sidestep it.
Writing to his friends in Philippi, Paul speaks words of comfort. Clear, simple words about Christ as a way of life. Life anchored in joy. Joy that defies prison chains, cruel empires, petty disagreements, and nagging opposition.
Paul has heard his friends’ story and wants them to know his. We are listening in on a conversation of profound mutual care.
When everything is awful, we need caring words that name the reality of our suffering without bitterness. Words that awake us to the possibility of joy.

What feelings grip us when everything is awful? Resentment. Fear. Isolation. Loss.
In those moments, such words of encouragement as “do not be anxious about anything” or “I can do everything in him who gives me strength” may sound almost glib.
Except...when they come from a friend who’s been though awful and does not sidestep it.
Writing to his friends in Philippi, Paul speaks words of comfort. Clear, simple words about Christ as a way of life. Life anchored in joy. Joy that defies prison chains, cruel empires, petty disagreements, and nagging opposition.
Paul has heard his friends’ story and wants them to know his. We are listening in on a conversation of profound mutual care.
When everything is awful, we need caring words that name the reality of our suffering without bitterness. Words that awake us to the possibility of joy.

What feelings grip us when everything is awful? Resentment. Fear. Isolation. Loss.
In those moments, such words of encouragement as “do not be anxious about anything” or “I can do everything in him who gives me strength” may sound almost glib.
Except...when they come from a friend who’s been though awful and does not sidestep it.
Writing to his friends in Philippi, Paul speaks words of comfort. Clear, simple words about Christ as a way of life. Life anchored in joy. Joy that defies prison chains, cruel empires, petty disagreements, and nagging opposition.
Paul has heard his friends’ story and wants them to know his. We are listening in on a conversation of profound mutual care.
When everything is awful, we need caring words that name the reality of our suffering without bitterness. Words that awake us to the possibility of joy.

What feelings grip us when everything is awful? Resentment. Fear. Isolation. Loss.
In those moments, such words of encouragement as “do not be anxious about anything” or “I can do everything in him who gives me strength” may sound almost glib.
Except...when they come from a friend who’s been though awful and does not sidestep it.
Writing to his friends in Philippi, Paul speaks words of comfort. Clear, simple words about Christ as a way of life. Life anchored in joy. Joy that defies prison chains, cruel empires, petty disagreements, and nagging opposition.
Paul has heard his friends’ story and wants them to know his. We are listening in on a conversation of profound mutual care.
When everything is awful, we need caring words that name the reality of our suffering without bitterness. Words that awake us to the possibility of joy.

What feelings grip us when everything is awful? Resentment. Fear. Isolation. Loss.
In those moments, such words of encouragement as “do not be anxious about anything” or “I can do everything in him who gives me strength” may sound almost glib.
Except...when they come from a friend who’s been though awful and does not sidestep it.
Writing to his friends in Philippi, Paul speaks words of comfort. Clear, simple words about Christ as a way of life. Life anchored in joy. Joy that defies prison chains, cruel empires, petty disagreements, and nagging opposition.
Paul has heard his friends’ story and wants them to know his. We are listening in on a conversation of profound mutual care.
When everything is awful, we need caring words that name the reality of our suffering without bitterness. Words that awake us to the possibility of joy.

The legend of Esther is about a Jewish queen in the Persian empire. It’s a story of imperial power, wise beauty, and devious plots. It’s got lavish banquets, rebel queens, and conniving court officials. The story of Queen Esther is found in the Hebrew Festival Scroll. The Book of Esther is tied to the Feast of Purim. It’s a feast that celebrates the near-miss of disaster. It celebrates all the times we are outnumbered but aren’t ruined, bullied but not overwhelmed, pushed to the sidelines only to find our voice needed at the centre of the story. In and amongst a great story is the human predicament of what we become when we are threatened. Will we rise to become greater than we thought we could be? Or will threat turn us against those we love and those we are meant to serve? The book of Esther isn’t explicit in its language of God. But you will find wisdom in the workings of relationships, in the challenge of power that abuses, and in the strength of a young woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s hero ... but is. 

The legend of Esther is about a Jewish queen in the Persian empire. It’s a story of imperial power, wise beauty, and devious plots. It’s got lavish banquets, rebel queens, and conniving court officials. The story of Queen Esther is found in the Hebrew Festival Scroll. The Book of Esther is tied to the Feast of Purim. It’s a feast that celebrates the near-miss of disaster. It celebrates all the times we are outnumbered but aren’t ruined, bullied but not overwhelmed, pushed to the sidelines only to find our voice needed at the centre of the story. In and amongst a great story is the human predicament of what we become when we are threatened. Will we rise to become greater than we thought we could be? Or will threat turn us against those we love and those we are meant to serve? The book of Esther isn’t explicit in its language of God. But you will find wisdom in the workings of relationships, in the challenge of power that abuses, and in the strength of a young woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s hero ... but is. 

The legend of Esther is about a Jewish queen in the Persian empire. It’s a story of imperial power, wise beauty, and devious plots. It’s got lavish banquets, rebel queens, and conniving court officials. The story of Queen Esther is found in the Hebrew Festival Scroll. The Book of Esther is tied to the Feast of Purim. It’s a feast that celebrates the near-miss of disaster. It celebrates all the times we are outnumbered but aren’t ruined, bullied but not overwhelmed, pushed to the sidelines only to find our voice needed at the centre of the story. In and amongst a great story is the human predicament of what we become when we are threatened. Will we rise to become greater than we thought we could be? Or will threat turn us against those we love and those we are meant to serve? The book of Esther isn’t explicit in its language of God. But you will find wisdom in the workings of relationships, in the challenge of power that abuses, and in the strength of a young woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s hero ... but is. 

The legend of Esther is about a Jewish queen in the Persian empire. It’s a story of imperial power, wise beauty, and devious plots. It’s got lavish banquets, rebel queens, and conniving court officials. The story of Queen Esther is found in the Hebrew Festival Scroll. The Book of Esther is tied to the Feast of Purim. It’s a feast that celebrates the near-miss of disaster. It celebrates all the times we are outnumbered but aren’t ruined, bullied but not overwhelmed, pushed to the sidelines only to find our voice needed at the centre of the story. In and amongst a great story is the human predicament of what we become when we are threatened. Will we rise to become greater than we thought we could be? Or will threat turn us against those we love and those we are meant to serve? The book of Esther isn’t explicit in its language of God. But you will find wisdom in the workings of relationships, in the challenge of power that abuses, and in the strength of a young woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s hero ... but is. 

The legend of Esther is about a Jewish queen in the Persian empire. It’s a story of imperial power, wise beauty, and devious plots. It’s got lavish banquets, rebel queens, and conniving court officials. The story of Queen Esther is found in the Hebrew Festival Scroll. The Book of Esther is tied to the Feast of Purim. It’s a feast that celebrates the near-miss of disaster. It celebrates all the times we are outnumbered but aren’t ruined, bullied but not overwhelmed, pushed to the sidelines only to find our voice needed at the centre of the story. In and amongst a great story is the human predicament of what we become when we are threatened. Will we rise to become greater than we thought we could be? Or will threat turn us against those we love and those we are meant to serve? The book of Esther isn’t explicit in its language of God. But you will find wisdom in the workings of relationships, in the challenge of power that abuses, and in the strength of a young woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s hero ... but is. 

Easter Sunday is here. We have arrived. This morning, we woke up knowing that this is not the end of the story. 

On Easter Sunday we hear this resounding response:
 “Love is always stronger than death, and unto love you have now returned.” 

So, welcome to Easter! To the Feast of Feasts! The joy of the resurrection renews the whole world. 

Feel it, savour it, allow it to renew you too. 

Hear God sing over you: 

“I order you, o sleeper, to awake!
 I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.
 Rise up, work of my hands, you were created in my image.
 Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you.
 Together we form only one person and we cannot be separated!” 

In the narrative of Palm Sunday, the crowds surround Jesus as he enters Jerusalem. There’s so much enthusiasm for a new kind of king. Could it be that their liberator is finally here? The crowd shouts, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” It’s a cry for salvation from Psalm 118. It’s a cry to be saved. 

The Palm Sunday celebration is an ancient tradition. Just a few centuries after Jesus’ death and resurrection, pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem to rehearse Jesus’ entry into the city. The Palm procession meant a lot to these ancient worshippers of Jesus. Thousands of years later, we enact the story of Jesus’ provocative entrance into the city all over again. 

We wave palm branches, we welcome the children to lead us, we cry out from our own lives, “Save us! Never stop saving us.” May Palm Sunday welcome you into the holiest of weeks. May you not fear your suffering, but sense God’s desire to confront and transform your pain. 

A travelogue is an account of a journey. It can be written with either factual details or as a narrative story but the interplay between the movement through the world and the transformation within the writer presents a unique opportunity. The writer of Luke takes full advantage of this in his Gospel as Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and begins his journey. And Jesus walked. He wandered hills, traveled highways, strode across fields, and meandered streets of towns and cities. And as he walked he encountered people, asking them to join him. Once, making his way along the shore of the Galilee, he found some fishermen by the names of Peter and Andrew. He called them to follow him as he walked. They did. That small beginning carried repercussions far beyond whatever they could have initially guessed. To follow Jesus down the road will lead you to a place you cannot see or know now. As we begin our journey to Easter this Lent, we follow Jesus along the road less traveled. And trust that this will make all the difference.

A travelogue is an account of a journey. It can be written with either factual details or as a narrative story but the interplay between the movement through the world and the transformation within the writer presents a unique opportunity. The writer of Luke takes full advantage of this in his Gospel as Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and begins his journey. And Jesus walked. He wandered hills, traveled highways, strode across fields, and meandered streets of towns and cities. And as he walked he encountered people, asking them to join him. Once, making his way along the shore of the Galilee, he found some fishermen by the names of Peter and Andrew. He called them to follow him as he walked. They did. That small beginning carried repercussions far beyond whatever they could have initially guessed. To follow Jesus down the road will lead you to a place you cannot see or know now. As we begin our journey to Easter this Lent, we follow Jesus along the road less traveled. And trust that this will make all the difference.

A travelogue is an account of a journey. It can be written with either factual details or as a narrative story but the interplay between the movement through the world and the transformation within the writer presents a unique opportunity.
The writer of Luke takes full advantage of this in his Gospel as Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and begins his journey.
And Jesus walked. He wandered hills, travelled highways, strode across fields, and meandered streets of towns and cities. And as he walked he encountered people, asking them to join him. Once, making his way along the shore of the Galilee, he found some fishermen by the names of Peter and Andrew. He called them to follow him as he walked. They did. That small beginning carried repercussions far beyond whatever they could have initially guessed. To follow Jesus down the road will lead you to a place you cannot see or know now.
As we begin our journey to Easter this Lent, we follow Jesus along the road less traveled. And trust that this will make all the difference.

A travelogue is an account of a journey. It can be written with either factual details or as a narrative story but the interplay between the movement through the world and the transformation within the writer presents a unique opportunity.
The writer of Luke takes full advantage of this in his Gospel as Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and begins his journey.
And Jesus walked. He wandered hills, travelled highways, strode across fields, and meandered streets of towns and cities. And as he walked he encountered people, asking them to join him. Once, making his way along the shore of the Galilee, he found some fishermen by the names of Peter and Andrew. He called them to follow him as he walked. They did. That small beginning carried repercussions far beyond whatever they could have initially guessed. To follow Jesus down the road will lead you to a place you cannot see or know now.
As we begin our journey to Easter this Lent, we follow Jesus along the road less traveled. And trust that this will make all the difference.

A travelogue is an account of a journey. It can be written with either factual details or as a narrative story but the interplay between the movement through the world and the transformation within the writer presents a unique opportunity.
The writer of Luke takes full advantage of this in his Gospel as Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and begins his journey.
And Jesus walked. He wandered hills, travelled highways, strode across fields, and meandered streets of towns and cities. And as he walked he encountered people, asking them to join him. Once, making his way along the shore of the Galilee, he found some fishermen by the names of Peter and Andrew. He called them to follow him as he walked. They did. That small beginning carried repercussions far beyond whatever they could have initially guessed. To follow Jesus down the road will lead you to a place you cannot see or know now.
As we begin our journey to Easter this Lent, we follow Jesus along the road less traveled. And trust that this will make all the difference.

We’ve talked about ritual before—
the rhythms of life, and faith, and practice that ground us in the Christian tradition.

And one of the reasons we keep coming back to these conversations is because— well—that’s what ritual requires of us. We don’t ever outgrow the need for persistent daily patterns.

We don’t ever get beyond having to build better habits for our good.
We don’t ever discover the best of rituals by neglecting the care they require.

So, we’re excited for how a return to old ideas and familiar practices might inspire us. Exploring how our struggle to sustain spiritual practices might be a symptom of our efforts to self-improve, to self-support, and self-sustain.

Finding that—in looking at the scriptures, and the life and teachings of Jesus—the power of ritual might lie in the ways it pulls us beyond and outside ourselves.

We’ve talked about ritual before—
the rhythms of life, and faith, and practice that ground us in the Christian tradition.

And one of the reasons we keep coming back to these conversations is because— well—that’s what ritual requires of us. We don’t ever outgrow the need for persistent daily patterns.

We don’t ever get beyond having to build better habits for our good.
We don’t ever discover the best of rituals by neglecting the care they require.

So, we’re excited for how a return to old ideas and familiar practices might inspire us. Exploring how our struggle to sustain spiritual practices might be a symptom of our efforts to self-improve, to self-support, and self-sustain.

Finding that—in looking at the scriptures, and the life and teachings of Jesus—the power of ritual might lie in the ways it pulls us beyond and outside ourselves.

We’ve talked about ritual before—
the rhythms of life, and faith, and practice that ground us in the Christian tradition.

And one of the reasons we keep coming back to these conversations is because— well—that’s what ritual requires of us. We don’t ever outgrow the need for persistent daily patterns.

We don’t ever get beyond having to build better habits for our good.
We don’t ever discover the best of rituals by neglecting the care they require.

So, we’re excited for how a return to old ideas and familiar practices might inspire us. Exploring how our struggle to sustain spiritual practices might be a symptom of our efforts to self-improve, to self-support, and self-sustain.

Finding that—in looking at the scriptures, and the life and teachings of Jesus—the power of ritual might lie in the ways it pulls us beyond and outside ourselves.

There’s no way around the challenging work of rebuilding and reconstructing relationships. 

Because most of us have been there— Needing to forgive.

Wanting to lash out.

Caught in the awkward middle ground of owning what’s happened and trying to move forward. 

Which is why—over the next few weeks—we want to reorient ourselves in this work. To consider the ways our broken hearts can be comforted. How broken connections are restored. But also, how the way of Jesus leads us into health in unexpected ways.  Where we start to imagine that God’s renewal of all things might even include our friendships, families, and most intimate relationships. 
***
January 3: What’s Forgiveness
January 10: Practicing Forgiveness 
January 17: The Myth of Revenge 
January 24: Boundary Setting

There’s no way around the challenging work of rebuilding and reconstructing relationships. 

Because most of us have been there— Needing to forgive.

Wanting to lash out.

Caught in the awkward middle ground of owning what’s happened and trying to move forward. 

Which is why—over the next few weeks—we want to reorient ourselves in this work. To consider the ways our broken hearts can be comforted. How broken connections are restored. But also, how the way of Jesus leads us into health in unexpected ways.  Where we start to imagine that God’s renewal of all things might even include our friendships, families, and most intimate relationships. 
***
January 3: What’s Forgiveness
January 10: Practicing Forgiveness 
January 17: The Myth of Revenge 
January 24: Boundary Setting

There’s no way around the challenging work of rebuilding and reconstructing relationships. 

Because most of us have been there— Needing to forgive.

Wanting to lash out.

Caught in the awkward middle ground of owning what’s happened and trying to move forward. 

Which is why—over the next few weeks—we want to reorient ourselves in this work. To consider the ways our broken hearts can be comforted. How broken connections are restored. But also, how the way of Jesus leads us into health in unexpected ways.  Where we start to imagine that God’s renewal of all things might even include our friendships, families, and most intimate relationships. 
***
January 3: What’s Forgiveness
January 10: Practicing Forgiveness 
January 17: The Myth of Revenge
January 24: Boundary Setting

There’s no way around the challenging work of rebuilding and reconstructing relationships. 

Because most of us have been there— Needing to forgive.

Wanting to lash out.

Caught in the awkward middle ground of owning what’s happened and trying to move forward. 

Which is why—over the next few weeks—we want to reorient ourselves in this work. To consider the ways our broken hearts can be comforted. How broken connections are restored. But also, how the way of Jesus leads us into health in unexpected ways.  Where we start to imagine that God’s renewal of all things might even include our friendships, families, and most intimate relationships. 
***
January 3: What’s Forgiveness
January 10: Forgiving 
January 17: Revenging
January 24: Boundary Setting

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.

Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weight
of them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?

The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.

And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough.

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.

Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weight
of them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?

The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.

And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough.

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.

Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weight
of them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?

The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.

And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough.

1. Don't try to stay busy
2. Feel what you feel
3. Don't be afriad

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.

Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weight
of them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?

The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.

And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough.

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.

Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weight
of them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?

The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.

And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough.

Originally part of an online interactive lecture.

We believe in a God who wants us to know that we are welcome.
 The narrative arc of the gospel—from creation to a restored earth—keeps expanding to include individuals, families, tribes, kingdoms, and finally, the multitudes of nations. 

God never stops making more room. 

Last year we talked about different ways our hospitality reflects our room— making God. This year we want to
 build on that conversation and explore God’s vision for what we create as we gather. How we move from isolation into connectedness, from caring for some 

to caring for the whole. Peter Block writes that the hard part of building community is that it is always a custom job. It is born of local people, with unique gifts, deciding what to create together. 

How do we show up for each other, you and I?
 How do we build relatedness one room at a time? 

God, how can I make a bit more room? 

As I see it there are a number of options within Christianity:
1. some people go to heaven, some people go to hell
2. some people go to heaven, some people go to the grave
3. some people go to heaven, some people go through hell

0:00 Introduction
07:10 Biblical Arguments for Universalism
14:41 Biblical passages for Hell
19:46 Theological Arguments for Universalism
21:35 Theological Arguments Against Universalism
25:25 Theological Arguments Against Hell
29:02 Who is Most Moral?

We believe in a God who wants us to know that we are welcome.
The narrative arc of the gospel—from creation to a restored earth—keeps expanding to include individuals, families, tribes, kingdoms, and finally, the multitudes of nations. 

God never stops making more room. 

Last year we talked about different ways our hospitality reflects our room— making God. This year we want to
 build on that conversation and explore God’s vision for what we create as we gather. How we move from isolation into connectedness, from caring for some 

to caring for the whole. Peter Block writes that the hard part of building community is that it is always a custom job. It is born of local people, with unique gifts, deciding what to create together. 

How do we show up for each other, you and I?
 How do we build relatedness one room at a time? 

God, how can I make a bit more room? 

We believe in a God who wants us to know that we are welcome.
 The narrative arc of the gospel—from creation to a restored earth—keeps expanding to include individuals, families, tribes, kingdoms, and finally, the multitudes of nations. 

God never stops making more room. 

Last year we talked about different ways our hospitality reflects our room— making God. This year we want to
 build on that conversation and explore God’s vision for what we create as we gather. How we move from isolation into connectedness, from caring for some 

to caring for the whole. Peter Block writes that the hard part of building community is that it is always a custom job. It is born of local people, with unique gifts, deciding what to create together. 

How do we show up for each other, you and I?
 How do we build relatedness one room at a time? 

God, how can I make a bit more room? 

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene Ionesco
A good question is a superpower.
So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.
But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,
we might end far fewer sentences with
a period—and more with a question mark.
Jesus loved a good question.
Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider.

Rather watch? Here's the youtube link https://youtu.be/3q_9qh0OV8I

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene Ionesco
A good question is a superpower.
So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.
But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,
we might end far fewer sentences with
a period—and more with a question mark.
Jesus loved a good question.
Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider.

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene Ionesco
A good question is a superpower.
So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.
But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,
we might end far fewer sentences with
a period—and more with a question mark.
Jesus loved a good question.
Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider.

The church was vandalized a few weeks ago which was unfortunate but it did give us a good reason to talk about where our popular fascination with the number 666 comes from and why we should all stop worrying about the Antichrist. Revelation is not about the end times (it's about the end of time) and it is certainly not about anything as small as a one world government. If you want to read all of the footnotes head over to Academia.edu to read my work. Be warned it's kinda long and boring. https://www.academia.edu/36173393/A_GIRARDIAN_READING_OF_VIOLENT_IMAGERY_IN_REVELATION

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene Ionesco
A good question is a superpower.
So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.
But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,
we might end far fewer sentences with
a period—and more with a question mark.
Jesus loved a good question.
Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider.

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene Ionesco
A good question is a superpower.
So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.
But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,
we might end far fewer sentences with
a period—and more with a question mark.
Jesus loved a good question.
Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider.

The gospels contain a few uncomfortable stories of demon possession. How do we read these stories as modern audiences? Should we accept them at a surface level? Do we chalk them up to ancient misunderstandings of mental health issues? Or can we explore to uncover the sophistication of ancient storytelling and look for the parables hidden in these texts?

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene Ionesco

A good question is a superpower.

So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.

But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,
we might end far fewer sentences with

a period—and more with a question mark.

Jesus loved a good question.

Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find away to open up new unexplored avenues to consider.

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene Ionesco

A good question is a superpower.

So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.

But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,
we might end far fewer sentences with

a period—and more with a question mark.

Jesus loved a good question.

Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find away to open up new unexplored avenues to consider.

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene Ionesco

A good question is a superpower.

So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.

But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,
we might end far fewer sentences with

a period—and more with a question mark.

Jesus loved a good question.

Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find away to open up new unexplored avenues to consider.

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.
Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.
Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.
But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.
Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. 

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.
Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.
Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.
But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.
Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again.

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.
Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.
Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.
But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.
Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again.

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.
Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.
Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.
But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.
Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again.

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.
Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.
Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.
But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.
Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again.

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.
Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.
Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.
But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.
Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again.

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.
Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.
Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.
But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.
Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again.

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.
Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.
Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.
But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.
Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again.

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.
Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.
Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.
But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.
Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
–2 Timothy 3:16–17

We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?
We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.
In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
–2 Timothy 3:16–17

We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?
We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.
In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
–2 Timothy 3:16–17

We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?
We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.
In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
–2 Timothy 3:16–17

We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?
We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.
In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
–2 Timothy 3:16–17

We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?
We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.
In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves.

Take a moment to remember how many times you’ve been angry or irritated this week. No really, check in with yourself. Were you angry once, twice, two hundred times?

Maybe something tiny triggered you. Maybe something massive enraged you. Maybe your anger feels so constant you don’t know life without it. The scriptures honour all of these layers, and when we lean in to listen to their words, we will find wisdom for all our anger.

Like, there’s a way to be angry that gets to the heart of the matter. And there’s
a creative force to our anger that can address injustice. And there is a need - yes, a need - to feel our anger all the way through so that it doesn’t become our worst enemy.

So let’s not be afraid to tackle anger in this series. Let’s sit quietly enough to listen to what’s going on inside of us and imagine a world where anger doesn’t need to be hidden but can be harnessed to bring about the renewal of all things.

Take a moment to remember how many times you’ve been angry or irritated this week. No really, check in with yourself. Were you angry once, twice, two hundred times?

Maybe something tiny triggered you. Maybe something massive enraged you. Maybe your anger feels so constant you don’t know life without it. The scriptures honour all of these layers, and when we lean in to listen to their words, we will find wisdom for all our anger.

Like, there’s a way to be angry that gets to the heart of the matter. And there’s
a creative force to our anger that can address injustice. And there is a need - yes, a need - to feel our anger all the way through so that it doesn’t become our worst enemy.

So let’s not be afraid to tackle anger in this series. Let’s sit quietly enough to listen to what’s going on inside of us and imagine a world where anger doesn’t need to be hidden but can be harnessed to bring about the renewal of all things.

Take a moment to remember how many times you’ve been angry or irritated this week. No really, check in with yourself. Were you angry once, twice, two hundred times?

Maybe something tiny triggered you. Maybe something massive enraged you. Maybe your anger feels so constant you don’t know life without it. The scriptures honour all of these layers, and when we lean in to listen to their words, we will find wisdom for all our anger.

Like, there’s a way to be angry that gets to the heart of the matter. And there’s
a creative force to our anger that can address injustice. And there is a need - yes, a need - to feel our anger all the way through so that it doesn’t become our worst enemy.

So let’s not be afraid to tackle anger in this series. Let’s sit quietly enough to listen to what’s going on inside of us and imagine a world where anger doesn’t need to be hidden but can be harnessed to bring about the renewal of all things.

It seems like we have a bit of a problem.
St. James warned his friends that their words were like sparks that had the power to burn down a forest.
The Jewish poets noted that while our mouths contain the power to bless and bring life, they also have the ability to destroy and harm.
And the noted Persian mystic Rumi instructed his readers to shut up like an oyster shell because, well, their mouths were the enemies of their souls, he thought.
Which just means that long before the internet gave us a place to record and play back EVERY SINGLE word, long before social media gave us the platform to spew anonymous hatred, and long before we coined terms like “over- sharing” to describe our inability to keep quiet, we’ve had issues with our mouths.
So let’s open the text, and listen for a moment.

It seems like we have a bit of a problem.
St. James warned his friends that their words were like sparks that had the power to burn down a forest.
The Jewish poets noted that while our mouths contain the power to bless and bring life, they also have the ability to destroy and harm.
And the noted Persian mystic Rumi instructed his readers to shut up like an oyster shell because, well, their mouths were the enemies of their souls, he thought.
Which just means that long before the internet gave us a place to record and play back EVERY SINGLE word, long before social media gave us the platform to spew anonymous hatred, and long before we coined terms like “over- sharing” to describe our inability to keep quiet, we’ve had issues with our mouths.
So let’s open the text, and listen for a moment.

It seems like we have a bit of a problem.
St. James warned his friends that their words were like sparks that had the power to burn down a forest.
The Jewish poets noted that while our mouths contain the power to bless and bring life, they also have the ability to destroy and harm.
And the noted Persian mystic Rumi instructed his readers to shut up like an oyster shell because, well, their mouths were the enemies of their souls, he thought.
Which just means that long before the internet gave us a place to record and play back EVERY SINGLE word, long before social media gave us the platform to spew anonymous hatred, and long before we coined terms like “over- sharing” to describe our inability to keep quiet, we’ve had issues with our mouths.
So let’s open the text, and listen for a moment.

It seems like we have a bit of a problem.
St. James warned his friends that their words were like sparks that had the power to burn down a forest.
The Jewish poets noted that while our mouths contain the power to bless and bring life, they also have the ability to destroy and harm.
And the noted Persian mystic Rumi instructed his readers to shut up like an oyster shell because, well, their mouths were the enemies of their souls, he thought.
Which just means that long before the internet gave us a place to record and play back EVERY SINGLE word, long before social media gave us the platform to spew anonymous hatred, and long before we coined terms like “over- sharing” to describe our inability to keep quiet, we’ve had issues with our mouths.
So let’s open the text, and listen for a moment.

We’re here! Easter is the festival of festivals! The Queen of Feasts! This is the day we wait for. This is the day of new life. And with all we celebrate today, Easter is the day that shapes every day to come. So hear, repeat, and return to this prayer in the Easter season. It’s a beauty and it’s a benediction.
***
Beyond Easter we go singing.
Having been seized
by resurrection
we are full of tears and laughter.
The way ahead is unknown. It will always be like that.
but having danced in the light we will look for glory everywhere.
–Ruth Burgess,
The Iona Community

We are approaching Easter, seen as the greatest festival in the church calendar. But, we’re not there yet. We have a week to go and an ancient path to follow.
Egeria, a woman who was either a nun or an abbess from Spain or Gaul, left behind a diary from her time in the Holy Land (ca. 381-384). In it, she writes in detail about services
in Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday, worshippers celebrate and rehearse the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Then the children gather palm branches and the people walk the road that leads to the cross. Hundreds of years later, we still do the same thing.
This week, we celebrate with hosannas, but on Good Friday and Holy Saturday we will grieve. And our sorrow is the exact place resurrection comes. Thanks be to God.
After Palm Sunday, join us on Maundy Thursday to walk through the Stations of the Cross, for services on Good Friday and then to celebrate Resurrection next week.
Come and reflect on the season.

It’s not always easy to see ourselves as we truly are. But stories can help. When we listen carefully to a story that is authentic to the human experience, we come to know ourselves in new ways. 

The book of Jonah is one such story. Despite its rather fantastical qualities, the story of Jonah is a real human tale. A story of human failure and divine grace, a story of the interplay between duty observed and plain disobedience. A story of the internal conflict between authentic honesty and dishonest selfishness. It’s all here, all of the meaning and the mess of life. 

But the thing that makes Jonah’s story most helpful to us is how everything, all of it, is placed before God. And really, this is the thing most true about our humanity, the thing we most need to educate our imaginations with: there is no other kind of life except that which is lived before God. 

Jonah is not a children’s tale. It is a very grown up tale that ends with a very serious question: what kind of person will you be?

It’s not always easy to see ourselves as we truly are. But stories can help. When we listen carefully to a story that is authentic to the human experience, we come to know ourselves in new ways. 

The book of Jonah is one such story. Despite its rather fantastical qualities, the story of Jonah is a real human tale. A story of human failure and divine grace, a story of the interplay between duty observed and plain disobedience. A story of the internal conflict between authentic honesty and dishonest selfishness. It’s all here, all of the meaning and the mess of life. 

But the thing that makes Jonah’s story most helpful to us is how everything, all of it, is placed before God. And really, this is the thing most true about our humanity, the thing we most need to educate our imaginations with: there is no other kind of life except that which is lived before God. 

Jonah is not a children’s tale. It is a very grown up tale that ends with a very serious question: what kind of person will you be?

It’s not always easy to see ourselves as we truly are. But stories can help. When we listen carefully to a story that is authentic to the human experience, we come to know ourselves in new ways. 

The book of Jonah is one such story. Despite its rather fantastical qualities, the story of Jonah is a real human tale. A story of human failure and divine grace, a story of the interplay between duty observed and plain disobedience. A story of the internal conflict between authentic honesty and dishonest selfishness. It’s all here, all of the meaning and the mess of life. 

But the thing that makes Jonah’s story most helpful to us is how everything, all of it, is placed before God. And really, this is the thing most true about our humanity, the thing we most need to educate our imaginations with: there is no other kind of life except that which is lived before God. 

Jonah is not a children’s tale. It is a very grown up tale that ends with a very serious question: what kind of person will you be?

It’s not always easy to see ourselves as we truly are. But stories can help. When we listen carefully to a story that is authentic to the human experience, we come to know ourselves in new ways. 

The book of Jonah is one such story. Despite its rather fantastical qualities, the story of Jonah is a real human tale. A story of human failure and divine grace, a story of the interplay between duty observed and plain disobedience. A story of the internal conflict between authentic honesty and dishonest selfishness. It’s all here, all of the meaning and the mess of life. 

But the thing that makes Jonah’s story most helpful to us is how everything, all of it, is placed before God. And really, this is the thing most true about our humanity, the thing we most need to educate our imaginations with: there is no other kind of life except that which is lived before God. 

Jonah is not a children’s tale. It is a very grown up tale that ends with a very serious question: what kind of person will you be?  

It’s not always easy to see ourselves as we truly are. But stories can help. When we listen carefully to a story that is authentic to the human experience, we come to know ourselves in new ways. 

The book of Jonah is one such story. Despite its rather fantastical qualities, the story of Jonah is a real human tale. A story of human failure and divine grace, a story of the interplay between duty observed and plain disobedience. A story of the internal conflict between authentic honesty and dishonest selfishness. It’s all here, all of the meaning and the mess of life. 

But the thing that makes Jonah’s story most helpful to us is how everything, all of it, is placed before God. And really, this is the thing most true about our humanity, the thing we most need to educate our imaginations with: there is no other kind of life except that which is lived before God. 

Jonah is not a children’s tale. It is a very grown up tale that ends with a very serious question: what kind of person will you be?  

This is it.
Back in Rome for a final time.

Chapter by chapter, we’ve worked through this lengthy letter from the Apostle Paul. Along the way marking how his theology transformed as he grappled with the story of God in Christ.

Along the way, we’ve grown, and we’ve continued to let the gracious way of Jesus alter the way we think of the Divine.

How we look at each other. How we talk about faith.

So, if you’ve been with us since the beginning, come along as we jump in where we left off and see how Paul wraps things up.

And if you’re new to Commons, step a little closer to a text that’s shaped who we are and who we want to become.

In Romans 16 Paul names a number of women in prominent roles within the early church. But then in his letters to Corinth and Timothy, he seems to take a different tone. What is going on here? Should we try to harmonize these passages? Here's a bit of a deeper dive.

This is it.
Back in Rome for a final time.

Chapter by chapter, we’ve worked through this lengthy letter from the Apostle Paul. Along the way marking how his theology transformed as he grappled with the story of God in Christ.

Along the way, we’ve grown, and we’ve continued to let the gracious way of Jesus alter the way we think of the Divine.

How we look at each other. How we talk about faith.

So, if you’ve been with us since the beginning, come along as we jump in where we left off and see how Paul wraps things up.

And if you’re new to Commons, step a little closer to a text that’s shaped who we are and who we want to become.

This is it.
Back in Rome for a final time.

Chapter by chapter, we’ve worked through this lengthy letter from the Apostle Paul. Along the way marking how his theology transformed as he grappled with the story of God in Christ.

Along the way, we’ve grown, and we’ve continued to let the gracious way of Jesus alter the way we think of the Divine.

How we look at each other. How we talk about faith.

So, if you’ve been with us since the beginning, come along as we jump in where we left off and see how Paul wraps things up.

And if you’re new to Commons, step a little closer to a text that’s shaped who we are and who we want to become.

This is it.
Back in Rome for a final time.

Chapter by chapter, we’ve worked through this lengthy letter from the Apostle Paul. Along the way marking how his theology transformed as he grappled with the story of God in Christ.

Along the way, we’ve grown, and we’ve continued to let the gracious way of Jesus alter the way we think of the Divine.

How we look at each other. How we talk about faith.

So, if you’ve been with us since the beginning, come along as we jump in where we left off and see how Paul wraps things up.

And if you’re new to Commons, step a little closer to a text that’s shaped who we are and who we want to become.

This is it.
Back in Rome for a final time.

Chapter by chapter, we’ve worked through this lengthy letter from the Apostle Paul. Along the way marking how his theology transformed as he grappled with the story of God in Christ.

Along the way, we’ve grown, and we’ve continued to let the gracious way of Jesus alter the way we think of the Divine.

How we look at each other. How we talk about faith.

So, if you’ve been with us since the beginning, come along as we jump in where we left off and see how Paul wraps things up.

And if you’re new to Commons, step a little closer to a text that’s shaped who we are and who we want to become.

Swipe Right is a phrase that entered the common lexicon through the arrival of Tinder, an app designed to help people skip past the hard work of investing in the kind of healthy mature relationships we all really long for.

But here’s the truth; healthy relationships are a matter of life-and-death importance because we are far more than sexual beings; we are human beings with all that is entailed.

In this series, we intend to move past sermons on dating and relationships and talk about what it means to be a human with a brain, and a body and a soul and how all of these aspects inform our experience of love, sexuality, and relationships.

Recap: 2:11
Polished Ivory: 10:33
Black and Beautiful: 15:14
Sex Drives: 23:10
Reintegration: 27:32

Swipe Right is a phrase that entered the common lexicon through the arrival of Tinder, an app designed to help people skip past the hard work of investing in the kind of healthy mature relationships we all really long for.

But here’s the truth; healthy relationships are a matter of life-and-death importance because we are far more than sexual beings; we are human beings with all that is entailed.

In this series, we intend to move past sermons on dating and relationships and talk about what it means to be a human with a brain, and a body and a soul and how all of these aspects inform our experience of love, sexuality, and relationships.

Community Stuff: 1:07
Reading the Story: 4:48
Sexy Songs: 16:04
When Things End: 22:32
Moving Forward: 27:33

Swipe Right is a phrase that entered the common lexicon through the arrival of Tinder, an app designed to help people skip past the hard work of investing in the kind of healthy mature relationships we all really long for.

But here’s the truth; healthy relationships are a matter of life-and-death importance because we are far more than sexual beings; we are human beings with all that is entailed.

In this series, we intend to move past sermons on dating and relationships and talk about what it means to be a human with a brain, and a body and a soul and how all of these aspects inform our experience of love, sexuality, and relationships.

What do your prayers sound like at this time of year? Please God, make time stand still so I can get ready
for Christmas. Please God, help me find a parking spot at the mall. Or, more seriously, Please God, turn this Christmas chaos into something calm.

Advent is a season of waiting, expectation, and hope. It doesn’t mean that all longings are realized, though.

And even as the story of Jesus begins with the angel announcing the birth
of the Saviour to Mary and the world, everyone in the story is given a voice. And those voices are heard in five prayers, traditionally called “A Pentad of Prayers.” Five prayers named after the Latin word for the start of each prayer.

The Fiat mihi - Let it be with me ...
The Magnificat - My soul magnifies ...
The Benedictus - Blessed be the Lord ...
The Gloria in excelsis - Glory to God in the highest ...
The Nunc dimittis - Now dismiss your servant ...

Which prayer will guide you through this season? Let’s find out, together.

What do your prayers sound like at this time of year? Please God, make time stand still so I can get ready
for Christmas. Please God, help me find a parking spot at the mall. Or, more seriously, Please God, turn this Christmas chaos into something calm.

Advent is a season of waiting, expectation, and hope. It doesn’t mean that all longings are realized, though.

And even as the story of Jesus begins with the angel announcing the birth
of the Saviour to Mary and the world, everyone in the story is given a voice. And those voices are heard in five prayers, traditionally called “A Pentad of Prayers.” Five prayers named after the Latin word for the start of each prayer.

The Fiat mihi - Let it be with me ...
The Magnificat - My soul magnifies ...
The Benedictus - Blessed be the Lord ...
The Gloria in excelsis - Glory to God in the highest ...
The Nunc dimittis - Now dismiss your servant ...

Which prayer will guide you through this season? Let’s find out, together.

What do your prayers sound like at this time of year? Please God, make time stand still so I can get ready
for Christmas. Please God, help me find a parking spot at the mall. Or, more seriously, Please God, turn this Christmas chaos into something calm.

Advent is a season of waiting, expectation, and hope. It doesn’t mean that all longings are realized, though.

And even as the story of Jesus begins with the angel announcing the birth
of the Saviour to Mary and the world, everyone in the story is given a voice. And those voices are heard in five prayers, traditionally called “A Pentad of Prayers.” Five prayers named after the Latin word for the start of each prayer.

The Fiat mihi - Let it be with me ...
The Magnificat - My soul magnifies ...
The Benedictus - Blessed be the Lord ...
The Gloria in excelsis - Glory to God in the highest ...
The Nunc dimittis - Now dismiss your servant ...

Which prayer will guide you through this season? Let’s find out, together.

What do your prayers sound like at this time of year? Please God, make time stand still so I can get ready
for Christmas. Please God, help me find a parking spot at the mall. Or, more seriously, Please God, turn this Christmas chaos into something calm.

Advent is a season of waiting, expectation, and hope. It doesn’t mean that all longings are realized, though.

And even as the story of Jesus begins with the angel announcing the birth
of the Saviour to Mary and the world, everyone in the story is given a voice. And those voices are heard in five prayers, traditionally called “A Pentad of Prayers.” Five prayers named after the Latin word for the start of each prayer.

The Fiat mihi - Let it be with me ...
The Magnificat - My soul magnifies ...
The Benedictus - Blessed be the Lord ...
The Gloria in excelsis - Glory to God in the highest ...
The Nunc dimittis - Now dismiss your servant ...