That Didn’t Go as Planned
When world events disrupt our lives
Sunday April 21st, 2024

Text:

Matthew 24:
The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
…
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
——-

Quotes:

—-
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.

———
God, grant us the serenity
to accept the things we cannot change,
the courage to change the things we can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is,
not as we would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right
if we surrender to Your will;
so that we may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

  Reinhold Niebuhr

——
That Didn’t Go as Planned
The invitation of faith when life goes off course
Sunday April 14th, 2024

Text:
Luke 5:1-11

5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

———
Quotes:

“You were not just born to center your entire existence on work and labor. You were born to heal, to grow, to be of service to yourself and community, to practice, to experiment, to create, to have space, to dream, and to connect.”

““Loving ourselves and each other deepens our disruption of the dominant systems. They want us unwell, fearful, exhausted, and without deep self-love because you are easier to manipulate when you are distracted by what is not real or true.”
-Tricia Hersey (nap ministry)

——-
Easter 2024
That didn’t go as planned
Sunday March 31st, 2024

Text:

Luke 23:
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land[l] until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed,[m] and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. 47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.”[n] 48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.

——

Luke 24:
1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body.[a] 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women[b] were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men[c] said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.[d] 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
-
Quotes:
“A prayer labyrinth is like a maze you walk through, except there is only one path from start to finish. A form of movement meditation, this is an ancient spiritual tool, steeped in spiritual mystery and practiced all over the world.  The path may be winding and counterintuitive, but the meaning is that God is our home and destination and the love holding it all, like the unpredictable path of our lives.”
——-

”Nature teaches nothing is lost.
It’s transmuted.
Spread between rows of beans,
last year’s rusty leaves tamp down weeds.
Coffee grounds and banana peels
foster rose blooms. Bread crumbs
scattered for birds become song.
Leftovers offered to chickens come back
as eggs, yolks sunrise orange.
Broccoli stems and bruised apples
fed to cows return as milk steaming in the pail,
as patties steaming in the pasture.
Surely our shame and sorrow
also return,
composted by years
into something generative as wisdom.”
-Laura Grace Waldron
——
”This is the hope of Easter. That even when things do go as planned and we’re left picking up the pieces of our broken lives, we can look to the empty tomb and have hope. Hope that the sorrow of our times does not tell the whole stor, but that healing and salvation are ahead. That love is bigger than hate and injustice. That love holds all of our dead ends and wrong turns. That love sees our faults and brokenness, yet sees through them to the our invincible belovedness and preciousness, as God sees us. That love knows the way. That God is writing a bigger story, even if we don’t see it yet. That love wins.”
——

Closing Questions:

What is one thing that didn’t go as planned?

What emotion do you feel (write it on the seeds and plant them to become flowers)
———

Sifting Through The Noise
The Practice of Peace
Sunday March 24th, 2024

Text:
Matthew 26:36-56

36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away[a] unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

——
Quotes:
“Spiritual disciplines are activities that open us to God's transforming love and the changes that only God can bring about in our lives.”
Ruth Haley Barton

”“I cannot transform myself, or anyone else for that matter. What I can do is create the conditions in which spiritual transformation can take place, by developing and maintaining a rhythm of spiritual practices that keep me open and available to God.”
Ruth Haley Barton

——
“Many convert to a non-religious lifestyle not for negative but for positive reasons… they want to align themselves with progress, reason, and science. 
But, when people abandon their ancestral religion, they usually cease to take part in a whole series of practices that their ancestors took for granted, including: Giving thanks as a community and as a family, being a part of a community that sings together, praying, accepting death as a transition and not an end, going through rites of passage like baptism, confirmation, and marriage, having traditional religious funerals, acknowledging ancestors, celebrating festivals that give structure to the passage of time through the year, connecting with sacred places, participating in rituals that give a sense of collective identity and continuity, being encouraged to help other people, being a part of  a larger story that helps give meaning to individual lives, feeding a connection to a spiritual reality that transcends space and time.
By giving up a religion and the practices that go with it, people’s lives are indeed freed from restrictions.  For ex-Christians, Sunday need no longer be a special day of thanksgiving, rest and recreation; it can be just another day for work or shopping, There is no religious barrier to a 24/7 lifestyle”
-Rupert Seldrake, Science and Spiritual Practice
——

A couple quotes about spritual practices:
On meditation
“Since the 1960s, scientific journals have published thousands of papers on the effects of meditation on health and well being.  These effects include a reduction of anxiety, a reduction of allergic skin reactions, less incidence of angina and caring arrhythmias, relief from bronchial asthmas and coughs, reduced problems with constipation, fewer problems with duodenal ulcers, less dizziness and fatigue, lower blood pressure in people suffering from hypertension, alleviation of pain, reduction of insomnia, improved fertility, and help in mild to moderate depression.”

On connection to religious community
“People who regularly went to church tended to have less mental illness, suffer less depression, show less anxiety, and live longer than those with little or no religious participation. This affect was not confined to Christianity.  There was a similar effect in Taiwan in a predominantly Buddhist context.

There are exceptions. For a minority of people, especially thise who are filled with guilt, fear, or who have experienced severe religious conflicts, religious practices can have negative effects on health and well being”

On being in nature
“The effects of exposure to the natural world have been studied scientifically  According to a recent summary of this research, ‘Nature improves mental health- people are less depressed when they have better access to green spaces.  The beneficial effect is not just a matter of physical excersice, although that is part of the picture.  There is something about natural environments that improves people’s well being… Put simply, being in nature feels good.

Studies in Japan of the practice ‘forest bathing’ (shinrin-yoku) have shown that wandering in the woods had a calming physiological and psychological effect, including reduction of the storess hormone courtsol in the blood, and an enhancement of the activity of the immune system.”
-
On mental health:
“Mindfulness practices possess the transformative ability to continually reshape our brains into “new creations,” rewiring their structures…. Through mindfulness and centering prayer, not only does the amygdala shrink post practice, but the functional connections between the amygdala and pre-frontal corten strengthen, reducing fear and increasing empathy and awareness”
-Shaleen Kendrick

—-

Further Engagement:
-Sacred Rhythms, Ruth Haley Barton
-Soul Care, African American Spiritual Practice, Barbara Peacock
-Science and Spiritual Practice, Rupert Sheldrake

———

Sifting Through The Noise
How to engage the world’s suffering
Sunday March 17th, 2024

Text:
Luke 10:25-37
25 An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.[a] “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

29 But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
——

Quotes:

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news,” Rogers said to his television neighbors, “my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

- Mr Rogers
———
“The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it."
-David Orr
——-

“One of the great problems is to see clearly what we have to resist.  I would say that at the moment we have to understand better than we do the war mentality.  If we do not understand it, we will run the risk of contributing to its confusions and thereby helping the enemies of man and peace.  The great danger is that under the pressures of anxiety and fear, the alternation of crisis and relaxation and new crisis, the people of the world will come to accept gradually the idea of war, the idea of submission to it’s total power, and the abdication of reason, spirit, and individual conscience.  The great peril is the deadening of the conscience.”
-Thomas Merton
——
Takeaways
-Notice how you interact with the headlines of the world
-Pray for those who come to mind
-Do one act of helping (donation, text message, connection, clean house, etc).
-Begin to fill your life with “helpers”

—————

Sifting Through The Noise
Sunday March 10th, 2024

Text: 1 kgs 18: 15-45

15 But Elijah said, “I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day.”

16 So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah. 17 When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?”

18 “I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead. 19 Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.[a]”

20 So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. 23 Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. 24 Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.

25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.”

26 So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

27 About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself.[b] Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”

28 So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. 29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

30 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel,[c] 32 and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons.[d] 33 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.[e]

Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.”

34 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,[f] prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

40 Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.

Elijah Prays for Rain

41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”

42 So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.

43 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”

The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”

Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”

45 And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. 46 Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt[g] and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

1 kgs 19:1-18

19 When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. 2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,[a] the mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.

The Lord Speaks to Elijah

But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

15 Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. 16 Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi[b] to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. 17 Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! 18 Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

——

Sifting Through The Noise // Sabbath
Sunday March 3rd, 2024

Mark 1:12-13

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Mark 1:35

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Quote:

“The Soul is like a wild animal --tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient, and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is to go crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly in the woods and sit silently….the creature we are waiting for may well emerge.” - Parker Palmer, Let your Life Speak

——

Sifting Through The Noise // Tests & Temptations
Sunday February 18th, 2024

Text: Matthew 4:1-11 (NSRVue)

The Testing of Jesus

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ”

11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NET2)

9 But he [Jesus] said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Matthew 6:1-18 (NET2)

Pure-Hearted Giving

6 “Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward! 3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Private Prayer

5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward! 6 But whenever you pray, go into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 7 When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 So pray this way:

“Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored,

10 may your kingdom come,

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread,

12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

14 “For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

Proper Fasting

16 “When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward! 17 When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

——

New Year, Who Dis? // Creation Care
Sunday February 11th, 2024

Text:

”Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
-Gen 1:26

”The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
-Gen 2:15

”But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
-2 Peter 3:10

”I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
-Revelation 21:1-5

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
-Luke 10:27, Matthew 22:37

”20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”
-Romans 1:20

——-

Quotes:
Eschatology shapes ethics. And a truly biblical eschatology of creation renewed should inspire us to become earthkeepers. More exactly, such a view of the future should motivate us to become people who embody ecological virtues such as justice and love, courage and hope.
-Steven Bouma-Prediger

“The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential likeness to ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the reflection of ourselves we find in them”
-Thomas Merton

THE CANTICLE OF THE CREATURES, St. Francis

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,

Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing.

To You alone, Most High, do they belong,

and no man is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures,

especially Sir Brother Sun Who is the day and through whom You give us light
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,

in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,

and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather

through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,

which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,

through whom You light the night

and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,

who sustains and governs us, and who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

——-

Sadies Creation Care Ideas:

1) Throw trash in trash receptacles not recyclable receptacles

2) Reuse containers/packaging/papers/etc.

3) Buy in bulk

4) Buy used

5) Don’t buy the new version of electronic products just because it is the newest

6) Only buy things when you need them

7) Don’t buy single use items if you can help it

8) Bring your own bags to the store

9) Use the green bin/compost

10) Don’t overwater your lawn

11) Turn your yard into edible, native, or drought-tolerant landscaping

12) Eat less meat

13) Buy food that isn't packaged if possible (eat more fresh foods)

14) Buy food/products that come from your area

15) Make your own food (eat out less, eat less prepared/packaged food)

16) Make your own coffee/latte/tea in the mornings

17) Grow some of your own food

18) Save the water while you are waiting for the shower/bath water to get hot enough

19) Turn off lights when you leave the room

20) Open your windows and use fans instead of running the AC

21) Put on/take off layers of clothing instead of adjusting the temperature

22) Shower less

23) Wash your laundry w/ cold water

24) Use eco-friendly soaps/detergents/body products (all that stuff goes down the drain and into our waters)

25) Use less antibacterial soaps/gels

26) Try natural cleaning products before taking out the big guns (bleach, Drano, etc.)

27) Don’t take antibiotics or hormones unless you need them (extras get peed out and negatively effect the environment)

28) Use less plastic
29) Blow your nose w/ a hankie instead of tissues

30) Walk or ride your bike

31) Take public transit

32) Borrow books from the library

33) Give usable items to thrift stores instead of throwing them away
34) - recycle and compost as much as possible (stuff does not break down in dumps)... find out what is recyclable and compostable (more than you'd think)



——————-

New Year, Who Dis? // Intellectual Engagement
Sunday February 4th, 2024

Text:

Romans 12:1-2 (NRSV)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2 (Frist Nations Version)

1 So then, my sacred family members, because Creator has shown us such mercy and kindness, I now call on you to offer your whole beings, heart, mind, and strength, to the Great Spirit as a living sacrifice. Do this in a sacred and spiritual manner that will make his heart glad.

2 Do not permit the ways of this world to mold and shape you. Instead, let Creator change you from the inside out, in the way a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. He will do this by giving you a new way of thinking, seeing, and walking. Then you will know for sure what the Great Spirit wants for you, things that are good, that make the heart glad, and that help you to walk the path of becoming a mature and true human being.

James 1:19-21

19 Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. 20 God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. 21 So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation garden of your life.

—

Quotes:

Intellectual engagement is an absorbing, creatively energized focus resulting in a deep personal commitment to exploration, investigation, problem-solving and inquiry over a sustained period of time.

Dr. Michele Jacobsen, 2013

——

New Year, Who Dis? // Contextualization
Sunday January 28th, 2024

Text:

John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
——

John 1:14 MSG
The Word became flesh and blood,

    and moved into the neighborhood.

We saw the glory with our own eyes,

    the one-of-a-kind glory,

    like Father, like Son,

Generous inside and out,

    true from start to finish.

——-

John 1:14 (First Nations Version)
14Creator’s Word became a flesh-and-blood human being and pitched his sacred tent among us, living as one of us. We looked upon his great beauty and saw how honorable he was, the kind of honor held only by this one Son who fully represents his Father—full of his great kindness and truth.

——

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a servant to all, so that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

—-

Quotes:

“A mature Christian sees Christ in everything and everyone else. That is a definition that will never fail you, always demand more of you, and give you no reasons to fight, exclude, or reject anyone.”
-Richard Rohr

——

“In realizing that union with God is achieved in and through union with others, we see that the religious person is basically a loving person.  They love others not simply out of personal inclination or an arbitrary external law, but rather because they intuit God’s presence in the presence of the other.”
-James Finley

——-

Reflection Questions:

How has God met you in your context(s)?.

How can you honor, in loving presence, the context of your neighbors?

———-

New Year, Who Dis? // Creativity
Sunday January 21st, 2024

Text:

Genesis 1:
1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

—-
Quotes/Resources/Links:

James Webb Telescope Discoveries

Partners Relief and Development Art for Peace Project

Article on "Tohuwabohu"

——-

Closing Questions:

1) Do you believe God is done?  With you?  With our world?
2) Where is your “Tohuwabohu.”?
3) Where is there “Tohuwabohu” in the world?

———

New Year, Who Dis? // Compassion, Peace, & Justice
Sunday January 14th, 2024

Text:

Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

——

Mark 1:40-45
A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.

Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed

——-

Amos 5:
There are those who turn justice into bitterness
    and cast righteousness to the ground.

8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the Lord is his name.

9 With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin. 10 There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth.

11 You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards,  you will not drink their wine.

12 For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins.  There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes  and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.

13 Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil.

14 Seek good, not evil,  that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,   just as you say he is.

15 Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.

————
21“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.

22  Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,  I will not accept them.

Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,  I will have no regard for them.

23 Away with the noise of your songs!  I will not listen to the music of your harps.24  But let justice roll on like a river,  righteousness like a never-failing stream!

——

Quotes:

Rev, Dr MLK
“When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
-“Revolution of values,”

“Again we have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that Capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant ethic of hard work and sacrifice. The fact is that capitalism was built on the exploitation and suffering of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor – both black and white, both here and abroad.”
-“The three evils of society,”

“The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.”

— “The three evils of society,”

"First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."
— "Letter from a Birmingham jail,"

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”

——-

New Year, Who Dis? // Deep Community & Restorative Practices
Sunday January 7th, 2024

Text:

“Matthew 12:46-48
"46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
——

Matthew 16:
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

——

Colossians 1:15-18
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
——

Acts 2:42-47:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
———

Quotes / Resources:

Conflict Communication Styles
Competitor
Collaborator
Deal Maker
Avoider
Peace Keeper
——

Bell Hooks:
 “I think that part of what a culture of domination has done is raise that romantic relationship up as the single most important bond, when of course the single most important bond is that of community.”

——-

Closing Questions:

How does Jesus’ view of family/body/community challenge me?

How have you received from sacred community in your life?

What might intentionality and investment into community mean for me?

Christmas w/ Oak Life // Christ in the Rubble
Sunday December 23rd, 2023

Text:
Luke 2:1-20

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

———

Quotes/Resources:
Christ in the Rubble: A Liturgy of Lament (2023 Christmas Message by Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac)
Munther Isaac Sermon clip
Munther Iaaac News Story

Closing Questions:
How is the Christmas story holding you this year?
Where do you see Christ being birthed into our world?

——-

Advent Embodied // Carrying Christ
Sunday December 17th, 2023

Text: Luke 1: 26-38

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”, But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Quotes:

“Mary wasn’t ordinary, her womb was where Heaven and Earth combined. The Spirit that created everything from a formless and empty space while hovering over water, hovered over Mary and created a life that changed our world forever. Her obedience and faith in the creative wonders of God is something to behold. “

—

“Obedience is an unpopular word nowadays, but the artist must be obedient to the work, whether it be a symphony, a painting, or a story for a small child. I believe that each work of art, whether it is a work of great genius, or something very small, comes to the artist and says, ‘Here I am. Enflesh me. Give birth to me.’ And the artist can either say, ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord,’ and willingly become the bearer of the work, or refuses; but the obedient response is not necessarily a conscious one, and not everyone has the humble, courageous obedience of Mary. Mary did not always understand, but one does not have to understand to be obedient. Instead of understanding-that intellectual understanding which we are so fond of- there is a feeling of rightness, of knowing, knowing things which you are not yet able to understand.”

-Madeleine L’Engle

 —

“One need not be a saint, or a mother, to become a bearer of God. One needs only to obey. The divine resides in all of us, but it is our choice to magnify it or diminish it, to ignore it or to surrender to its lead.”

-Rachel Held Evans

Take-a-ways:

• What does it mean to carry Christ in our current context? (going against the norms despite the difficulty or backlash)

• What is God asking us to Create?  

• How can we magnify the divine within ourselves?  How can we see the divine in others?

——

Advent Embodied // The Magi, the Weird, & the Sacred
Sunday December 10th, 2023

Text:

Matthew 2:1-12

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Visit of the Magi

2 1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east[b] and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah[c] was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
    who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi[e] and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east,[f] until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped,[g] they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

——-

Romans 1:20
“Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made”.

———

Qoutes:

"Dark matter" refers to matter of an unknown nature that many astronomers and cosmologists think must make up the majority of the mass in the universe. Its presence is revealed by the gravitational effects on objects that we can see. According to the current understanding of how gravity works, the way the visible matter behaves indicates that there should be much more matter than we can detect — and therefore, much more mass exerting a gravitational influence — in objects in space, like stars in galaxies, or galaxies in clusters. The clusters move at speeds that are too high to be attributed just to the visible galaxies.

If we were to apply the rules of gravity to the matter that we can see, galaxies (and galaxy clusters) would fly apart, losing the swiftly moving outer components, because there isn't enough mass (and therefore gravity) present to hold them in place. So, if more mass is added to the visible matter, the equations work, objects remain in their paths, and everything makes sense, mathematically. Results from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) show that roughy 1/4 of the mass of the universe is composed of dark matter. But what is it, really?

For the time being, dark matter can be thought of as a way to fill in a variable in an equation — the definite quantity of indefinite substance, or the indefinite influence of some as-yet undetectable force.”

https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/dark_matter2.html

——

When confronted with the order and beauty of the universe and the strange coincidences of nature, it's very tempting to take the leap of faith from science into religion. I am sure many physicists want to. I only wish they would admit it.

-- Tony Rothman
——

Instead of an intellectual search, there was suddenly a very deep gut feeling that something was different... seeing that Sun... set in the background of the very deep black and velvety cosmos, seeing--rather, knowing for sure--that there was a purposefulness of flow, of energy, of time, of space in the cosmos--that it was beyond man's rational ability to understand, that suddenly there was a nonrational way of understanding that had been beyond my previous experience... On the return trip home, gazing through 240,000 miles of space toward the stars and the planet from which I had come, I suddenly experienced the universe as intelligent, loving, harmonious.

-- Edgar Mitchell, U.S. Astronaut

———-

Advent Embodied // Incarnation
Sunday December 3rd, 2023

Text:
John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[b]

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[c] and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.[e] 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who[f] is close to the Father’s heart,[g] who has made him known.
——

Quotes:

“The incarnation is "a kind of vast joke whereby the Creator of the ends of the earth comes among us in diapers…”
-Fredrich Beuchner
——

“There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred, and that is one of the deepest messages of the Incarnation.”

― Madeleine L’Engle
———

“God was consistent in working through one man to reveal himself everywhere, as well as through the other parts of His creation, so that nothing was left devoid of his Divinity and his self-knowledge… so that the whole universe was filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters fill the sea”

- St Athanasius
——-
“Whenever I meet someone in need, it’s really Jesus in his most distressing disguise.”
-Mother Thersa

———
“While most of the cells in your body regenerate every seven to 15 years, many of the particles that make up those cells have actually existed for millions of millennia. The hydrogen atoms in you were produced in the big bang, and the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen atoms were made in burning stars. The very heavy elements in you were made in exploding stars.”
-https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/the-particle-physics-of-you?language_content_entity=und

—-

“And in this he showed me a little thing, the quantity of a hazel nut, lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed. And it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, ‘What may this be?’ And it was answered generally thus, ‘It is all that is made.’ I marveled how it might last, for I thought it might suddenly have fallen to nothing for littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: It lasts and ever shall, for God loves it. And so have all things their beginning by the love of God.
In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it. The second that God loves it. And the third, that God keeps it.”
-Julian of Norwich
——

Takeaways:
-Your body is a reflection of God’s image and creativity
-Every other body is a reflection of God’s image and creativity
-Maybe our bodies are connected to all things

Closing invitation
1) Get in touch with you body (taste and see)

Three ideas:

-Meditate and listen to your body
-Sacramentalize your next meal
-Do something loving towards your body
-Practice slow breathing

————

Body Scan Script:

A BODY SCAN SCRIPT

Begin by making yourself comfortable. Sit in a chair and allow your back to be straight, but not stiff, with your feet on the ground. You could also do this practice standing or if you prefer, you can lie down and have your head supported. Your hands could be resting gently in your lap or at your side. Allow your eyes to close, or to remain open with a soft gaze.

Take several long, slow, deep breaths. Become aware of God’s loving presence here and now….

Breathing in fully and exhaling slowly. Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose or mouth. Feel your stomach expand on an inhale and relax and let go as you exhale.

Begin to let go of noises around you. Begin to shift your attention from outside to inside yourself. If you are distracted by sounds in the room, simply notice this and bring your focus back to your breathing.

Now slowly bring your attention down to your feet. Begin observing sensations in your feet. You might want to wiggle your toes a little, feeling your toes against your socks or shoes. Just notice, without judgment. You might imagine sending your breath down to your feet, as if the breath is traveling through the nose to the lungs and through the abdomen all the way down to your feet. And then back up again out through your nose and lungs. Perhaps you don't feel anything at all. That is fine, too. Just allow yourself to feel the sensation of not feeling anything.

When you are ready, allow your feet to dissolve in your mind’s eye and move your attention up to your ankles, calves, knees and thighs. Observe the sensations you are experiencing throughout your legs. Breathe into and breathe out of the legs. If your mind begins to wander during this exercise, gently notice this without judgment and bring your mind back to noticing the sensations in your legs. If you notice any discomfort, pain or stiffness, don't judge this. Just simply notice it. Observe how all sensations rise and fall, shift and change moment to moment. Notice how no sensation is permanent. Just observe and allow the sensations to be in the moment, just as they are. Breathe into and out from the legs.

Then on the next out breath, allow the legs to dissolve in your mind. And move to the sensations in your lower back and pelvis. Softening and releasing as you breathe in and out. Slowly move your attention up to your mid back and upper back. Become curious about the sensations here. You may become aware of sensations in the muscle, temperature or points of contact with furniture or the bed. With each outbreath, you may let go of tension you are carrying. And then very gently shift your focus to your stomach and all the internal organs here. Perhaps you notice the feeling of clothing, the process of digestion or the belly rising or falling with each breath. If you notice opinions arising about these areas, gently let these go and return to noticing sensations.

As you continue to breathe, bring your awareness to the chest and heart region and just notice your heartbeat. Observe how the chest rises during the inhale and how the chest falls during the exhale. Let go of any judgments that may arise. On the next outbreath, shift the focus to your hands and fingertips. See if you can channel your breathing into and out of this area as if you are breathing into and out from your hands. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the sensations in your hands.

And then, on the next outbreath, shift the focus and bring your awareness up into your arms. Observe the sensations or lack of sensations that may be occurring there. You might notice some difference between the left arm and the right arm – no need to judge this. As you exhale, you may experience the arm soften and release tensions. Continue to breathe and shift focus to the neck, shoulder and throat region. This is an area where we often have tension. Be with the sensations here. It could be tightness, rigidity or holding. You may notice the shoulders moving along with the breath. Let go of any thoughts or stories you are telling about this area. As you breathe, you may feel tension rolling off your shoulders.

On the next outbreath, shift your focus and direct your attention to the scalp, head and face. Observe all of the sensations occurring there. Notice the movement of the air as you breathe into or out of the nostrils or mouth. As you exhale, you might notice the softening of any tension you may be holding.

And now, let your attention to expand out to include the entire body as a whole. Bring into your awareness the top of your head down to the bottom of your toes. Feel the gentle rhythm of the breath as it moves through the body. Give thanks for your body and begin to sense Gods pride and joy over you….

As you come to the end of this practice, take a full, deep breath, taking in all the energy of this practice. Exhale fully. And when you are ready, open your eyes and return your attention to the present moment. As you become fully alert and awake, consider setting the intention that this practice of building awareness will benefit everyone you come in contact with today.

——-

Reimagine // Faith
Sunday November 26th, 2023

Text:

Matthew 13:31-32

31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

Matthew 17:20
“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

——-

Quotes:

“...I had arrived at an understanding of faith that had far more to do with trust than with certainty. I trusted God to be God even if I could not say who God was for sure. I trusted God to sustain the world although I could not say for sure how that happened. I trusted God to hold me and those I loved, in life and in death…

“I wanted to recover the kind of faith that has nothing to do with being sure what I believe and everything to do with trusting God to catch me though I am not sure of anything.”

― Barbara Brown Taylor, Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith

—-

“The civil rights movement was based on faith. Many of us who were participants in this movement saw our involvement as an extension of our faith. We saw ourselves doing the work of the Almighty. Segregation and racial discrimination were not in keeping with our faith, so we had to do something.”

-John Lewis

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the staircase”
-Dr King JR.

——-

Reimagine // Church & Community
Sunday November 19th, 2023

Text:
Colossians 3:

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

——

Quotes:

“Church attendance is impossible, just like attending your family is possible.  Church is a family you belong to, not an event to attend.”
-David Dark, Lifes too short to pretend you’re not religous

——

”When you join a church you’re just picking which hot mess is your favorite...”
“The modern-day church likes results. Convinced the gospel is a product we’ve got to sell to an increasingly shrinking market, we like our people to function as walking advertisements: happy, put-together, finished—proof that this Jesus stuff WORKS! At its best, such a culture generates pews of Stepford Wife–style robots with painted smiles and programmed moves. At its worst, it creates environments where abuse and corruption get covered up to protect reputations and preserve image. “The world is watching,” Christians like to say, “so let’s be on our best behavior and quickly hide the mess. Let’s throw up some before-and-after shots and roll that flashy footage of our miracle product blanching out every sign of dirt, hiding every sign of disease.” But if the world is watching, we might as well tell the truth. And the truth is, the church doesn’t offer a cure. It doesn’t offer a quick fix. The church offers death and resurrection. The church offers the messy, inconvenient, gut-wrenching, never-ending work of healing and reconciliation. The church offers grace. Anything else we try to peddle is snake oil. It’s not the real thing.”
-Rachel Held Evans
——

“E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G—is connected. The soil needs rain, organic matter, air, worms and life in order to do what it needs to do to give and receive life. Each element is an essential component. “Organizing takes humility and selflessness and patience and rhythm while our ultimate goal of liberation will take many expert components. Some of us build and fight for land, healthy bodies, healthy relationships, clean air, water, homes, safety, dignity, and humanizing education. Others of us fight for food and political prisoners and abolition and environmental justice. Our work is intersectional and multifaceted. Nature teaches us that our work has to be nuanced and steadfast. And more than anything, that we need each other—at our highest natural glory—in order to get free.”
-Adriane Marie Browne, Emergent Strategy

Reimagine // The Myth of Redemptive Violence
Sunday November 12th, 2023

Text:
Psalm 44 (NIV)

National Lament and Prayer for Help

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Maskil.

We have heard it with our ears, O God;
    our ancestors have told us
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.

2 With your hand you drove out the nations
    and planted our ancestors;
you crushed the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.

3 It was not by their sword that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
    and the light of your face, for you loved them.

4 You are my King and my God,
    who decrees[c] victories for Jacob.

5 Through you we push back our enemies;
    through your name we trample our foes.

6 I put no trust in my bow,
    my sword does not bring me victory;

7 but you give us victory over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.

8 In God we make our boast all day long,
    and we will praise your name forever.[d]

9 But now you have rejected and humbled us;
    you no longer go out with our armies.

10 You made us retreat before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered us.

11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
    and have scattered us among the nations.

12 You sold your people for a pittance,
    gaining nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
    the scorn and derision of those around us.

14 You have made us a byword among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads at us.

15 I live in disgrace all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame

16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

17 All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.

18 Our hearts had not turned back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.

19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;
    you covered us over with deep darkness.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

21 would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?

22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

24 Why do you hide your face
    and forget our misery and oppression?

25 We are brought down to the dust;
    our bodies cling to the ground.

26 Rise up and help us;
    rescue us because of your unfailing love.

——-

Matthew 5
Eye for Eye

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

———

Quotes:

The Myth of Redemptive Violence’ is a phrase coined by theologian-activist Walter Wink, who argues that it’s the predominant myth of our culture and possibly of most cultures throughout history. Put simply, it’s the idea that violence or brute force is the primary means by which good wins, evil is dealt with and positive change is accomplished.

——

”Millions of soldiers have given their only lives by believing the lies of Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Stalin, Pol Pot, and Hitler, to name a few. The vast majority of violence in history has been sacralized violence. Members of ISIS probably believe they are doing God’s will. The Ku Klux Klan uses the cross as their symbol!

With God on our side, our violence becomes necessary and even “redemptive violence.” But there is no such thing as redemptive violence. Violence doesn’t save; it only destroys in both short and long term. Jesus replaced the myth of redemptive violence with the truth of redemptive suffering. He showed us on the cross how to hold the pain and let it transform us, rather than pass it on to the others around us.”

Richard Rohr

—-

Resources:
-Walker Wink, Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way
James
-Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited
-Shane Claiborne, Myth of Redemptive Violence
——-

Closing Questions:

Where has the lie of redemptive violence infected me?

How can I alleviate the suffering of others with my life?

—————

Reimagine // Gender & Marraige
Sunday November 5th, 2023

Text:

Proverbs 31:10-31

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

——

Quotes:

"the first line of the Proverbs 31 poem—“a virtuous woman who can find?”—is best translated, “a woman of valor who can find?” (The Hebrew is eshet chayil, “woman of valor”; the male equivalent is gibor chayil, “man of valor.”)  To make this fact even more fun, Ahava explained to me that she and her friends cheer one another on with the blessing, celebrating everything from promotions, to pregnancies, to acts of mercy and justice, to battles with cancer with a hearty “eshet chayil”! (Think of it as something like the Jewish “you go girl.”)”

“for women like me who grew up thinking of the domestic super-heronie of Proverbs 31 as just another impossible standard by which to mark my shortcomings as a woman, the passage can come with some…baggage. 

When presented as a song through which a man offers a woman praise, Proverbs 31 is presented as a task list through which a woman earns it.  This, I believe, misses the point of the text entirely. 

That’s because, too often, we focus on the Proverbs 31 Woman’s  roles as a way of reducing womanhood to marriage, motherhood, and domesticity, when really, this passage is about character that transcends both gender and circumstance. “

-Rachel Held Evans, Blogposts “Three things you might not know about Proverbs 31”

——

“Or another example, we’ve expanded marriage to include same-gender marriage, but how are we still upholding the marriage superiority complex in our society? Rather than expanding the categories, how can we reimagine their very existence? How do we share power and mental loads as part of loving one another? How do we value all types of relationships and celebrate one another on par with the value and celebration we ascribe to marriage?”
-Oak Life Community Member

——

Resources
-A Year of Biblical Womanhood, Rachel Held Evans
--Rachel Held Evans, Blogposts “Three things you might not know about Proverbs 31”
-Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage, David Khalaf , Constantino Khalaf
-God and the Gay Christian, Matthew Vines

——

Closing Questions:

Who in your life is crushing it?  How can you celebrate them?

How have you been conditioned to be something you’re not?

What does it look like for you to be free for who you are?

How can we allow people to more fully express their identities and relationships?

————

Reimagine // The Afterlife
Sunday October 29th 2023

Text:

2 Corinthians 5:1-4
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.[a] 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.
———

Quotes:

“When our suffering ends, at last our eyes will be open, and in that sudden clarity our light will be total.  This light is God, our Father-Mother, our Creator, and the Holy Spirit, inside Christ Jesus our Liberator.  I saw that our faith is our light in the darkness of night, and that light is God, our endless day.”

-Julian of Norwich
——-

“Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live for ever, and this must be either true or false. Now there are a good many things which would not be worth bothering about if I were going to live only seventy years, but which I had better bother about very seriously if I am going to live for ever.”
-CS Lewis
——

“The trouble is they have no Needs. You get everything you want (not very good quality, of course) by just imagining it.”

““There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.”

“Hell is a state of mind - ye never said a truer word. And every state of mind, left to itself, every shutting up of the creature within the dungeon of its own mind - is, in the end, Hell. But Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself. All that is fully real is Heavenly. For all that can be shaken will be shaken and only the unshakeable remains.”
C.S. Lewis
——-

“Our picture, which we get from Dante and Michelangelo, particularly of a heaven and a hell, and perhaps of a purgatory as well, simply isn’t consonant with what we find in the New Testament,” Wright said. “A lot of these images of hellfire and damnation are actually pagan images which the Middle Ages picks up again and kind of wallows in.”
-N.T. Wright

——
”Those theological symbols, heaven and hell, are not crudely understood as spatial destinations but rather refer to the experience of God's presence according to two different modes (of being).” -Papanikolaou, and Prodomou
—-
Lord of the Rings:
Pippin looks over at Gandalf and says, “I didn’t think it would end this way.”

PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.

GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.

PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?

GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.

PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.

GANDALF: No. No, it isn't.

———

Further Resources:
-Liturgists podcast on eschatology,
-Eschatology / Hans Scwartz
-Liberating Eschatology / Letty Russell
-On Living / Kerry Egan
-Great Divorce / C.S. Lewis
-Julian of Norwhich “The Showings”

————-

Reimagine // Atonement
Sunday October 22nd 2023

Text:
Luke 23:32-46

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[e] When he had said this, he breathed his last.
——-

Quotes:

“Lose your soul in God’s love I swear there is no other way.  Love causes the earth to tremble. God said if not by pure love how could I have created this world?  I have brought everything into existence so you can know the glory of love”
- Rumi

"If you are frightened into God is is never the true God you meet.  If you are loved into God you meet a God worthy of both Jesus and Christ.  How you get there is where you arrive.”
-Richard Rohr

“What is revealed in the cross “is not Jesus’ necessary passive victimization divinely decreed as a penalty for sin, but rather a dialectic of disaster and powerful human love through which the gracious God of Jesus enters into solidarity with all those who suffer and are lost.” It is “the paradigmatic locus of divine involvement in the pain of the world.”29 Not only does God participate in the suffering of the world through the cross, but for Johnson, God “overcomes, inconceivably, from within through the power of love.”
-Elizabeth Johnson”
——

Further Study:

-The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views by Boyd, Eddy, Green, Screener
-Christus Victor, by Gustaf Aulen
-Things Hidden Since the Foundations of the World by Rene Girard (for the scapegoat theory)

-The Crucified God by Jürgen Moltmann (one of the best modern works on the atonement)
-She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse, by Elizabeth Johnson

——

What we can know about God from the Cross (bass notes):
1) God enters into our brokenness/darkness/ suffering in love etc (presence)
2) Those things are not final word (hope)




————-

Reimagine // Oak Life’s Sprout-Day!
Sunday October 1st, 2023

Acts 2:42-46
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

43 Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceedsto all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous[c] hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

————
First Nations Version:
Acts 2:42-27

42This newly formed family continued daily to learn from the twelve message bearers. They lived together in harmony, ate ceremonial meals, and prayed with one another. 43Great respect and awe came down upon all, and the message bearers performed many powerful signs. 44As these new followers lived together in peace, their harmony grew stronger, and they shared all things. 45Many of them had a giveaway to provide for all who were in need. 46Each day they gathered at the sacred lodge. With good and pure hearts they feasted together in their homes and shared the ceremonial meal of frybread and wine given to them by Creator Sets Free (Jesus). 47They gave honor and thanks to the Great Spirit and were respected by the people. Each day Creator sent more people who being set free to join them.

M. Wildman, Terry. First Nations Version (p. 216). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

—————

Reimagine // Responding to Sin
Sunday September 24th, 2023

Text:
John 8:1-11

CONFLICT BETWEEN LAW AND KINDNESS [First Nations Translation]

But Creator Sets Free (Jesus) went to Olive Mountain to find lodging there. Early in the morning at the sunrise, he returned again to the sacred lodge. All the people began to gather around him, so he sat down and once again began to teach and tell his stories.

Across the plaza a cloud of dust was rising from a group of people who were walking toward Creator Sets Free (Jesus) as he was teaching. They were forcefully dragging a woman along with them. He could see her tears and the look of terror on her face.

It was the scroll keepers and the Separated Ones (Pharisees). They brought the woman to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and forced her down on the ground in front of him and all the people.

“Wisdomkeeper,” they said, “we found this woman in the very act of being unfaithful to her husband. Drawn from the Water (Moses) instructed us in the law to throw stones at her until she dies. What do you have to say about this?”

They were putting him to a test, so they could have a way to accuse him.

The crowd was silent and waited to see what he would say, but he said nothing.

He bent over and with his finger wrote something in the dirt.

When he did not answer right away, the Separated Ones (Pharisees) became angry and kept questioning him.

Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked up at them and said, “The one who has done no wrong should be the first to throw a stone at her.”

He then bent over and again began to write in the dirt with his finger.

When they heard his words, they all stood there silently. Then, beginning with the elders, one at a time they dropped their stones and walked away. Soon all were gone except for Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and the woman. He stood up and looked at her.

“Honored woman,” he said. “Where are the ones who were accusing you? Is there no one who finds fault with you?”

The woman looked up timidly into his eyes and said, “No one, Wisdomkeeper.”

“Then I also find no fault with you,” he said to her. “You may go your way, but take care not to return to this broken path you have been walking.”

[NSRV Translation]

while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and, making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

Reimagine // What is God like?
Sunday September 17th, 2023

Text:
Luke 15:11-32

“There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

——
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
——-

1 John 4:16

16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
——-

Romand 8 31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
——-

Quotes:

“The reason the very concept of God has become so impoverished, so thoroughly mythical, and ultimately so incredible for so many modern persons is not because of all the interesting things we’ve learned over the past few centuries but because of all the vital things we’ve forgotten.  Above all we’ve forgotten being, the self evident mystery of existence.”

-David Bently Hart: The Experience of God
——-

“The God that holds you over the pit of Hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect, over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked; his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times so abominable in his eyes as the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.”

”“The apostle tells us that “God is love”; and therefore, seeing he is an infinite being, it follows that he is an infinite fountain of love. Seeing he is an all-sufficient being, it follows that he is a full and overflowing, and inexhaustible fountain of love. And in that he is an unchangeable and eternal being, he is an unchangeable and eternal fountain of love.”
- Jonathan Edwards
—-

“I desire to make no dispute, will myself dispute with no man, but for the sake of those whom certain believers trouble, I have spoken my mind. I love the one God seen in the face of Jesus Christ. From all copies of Jonathan Edwards’s portrait of God, however faded by time, however softened by the use of less glaring pigments, I turn with loathing. Not such a God is he concerning whom was the message John heard from Jesus, that he is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
-George Macdonald
——

Takeaways:
1) Reflect on the words and images for God that you’ve inherited.

Here are Two book recommendations then some responses from a bunch of other pastors=
-Sinners in the hands of a loving God, Brian Zahn
-Healing Spiritual Wounds, Reconnecting with a loving God after experiencing a hurtful church, Carol Howard Merritt

2) Cultivate some spaciousness/practices to center on the God of Love.

3) Be a reflection of the God of love (and it will start to soak into your being)


———-

Reimagine // Towards a more loving practice of faith (the Bible)
Sunday September 10th, 2023

Text:

1 John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

——

Mathew 5
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment….

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

——

Quotes:

“It was actually dangerous to put the Scriptures in the hands of people whose inner self is not yet sufficiently awakened to encounter the Spirit, because they will try to use God for their own egocentric purposes. (This is why religion is so subject to corruption!)”
-Thomas Merton

“The story of the Hebrew Bible has to tell is the story of an evolving consciousness, a consciousness that went through many stages of development and that, like all living things, sometimes grew slowly and sometimes grew in spurts.”
-Dan Cahill

“The Bible is AT LEAST a collection of books and writings assembled by the Church that chronicle a people group's experiences with, and understanding of, God over thousands of years. EVEN IF that is a comprehensive definition of the Bible, study of scripture is warranted to understand our culture and the way in which people come to know God.”
-Mike Mcharge

——

Books to read:
-Inspired, Rachel Held Evans
-How the Bible Actually Works In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers—and Why That’s Great News, Peter Enns

Shadowlands // Learning to befriend our whole selves
"A Lifelong Pilgramage”
Sunday September 3rd, 2023

Text:

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;

8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

——-

Quotes:
“It is only through shadows that one comes to know the light.”
– St. Catherine of Siena

“The geographical pilgrimage is the symbolic acting out an inner journey. The inner journey is the interpolation of the meanings and signs of the outer pilgrimage. One can have one without the other. It is best to have both.”
-Thomas Merton

“Addiction recovery communities use a gesture called “lifetime amends”. It represents an acknowledgement that the harm and impact of dysfunction caused by addiction is so far reaching that only ongoing amends will build trust to heal… Doing shadow work makes acknowledging and understanding privilege restorative, not exhausting”

“Shadows cannot thrive where repairs are made.  Repairs soothe inflammation cause by previous generations neglect.  Making repairs can be the new norm when we are not offended by the needs and rights of others”
-Pixie Lighthorse

“While in your healing process, it is challenging to focus on others as much as yourself.  It is a sacred time to devote to your wellness.  The gold unearthed is found in clearing the path back to your soul’s blueprint and living from it.  To take this work forward, you will need to believe that every soul is sacred and has a beneficial purpose."
-Pixie

“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.”
-Bel Hooks

——
Song: -May Erlewine, Never One Thing

I'm the underbelly, I am the claw

Never one thing no, not one thing at all

I'm a street fighter, I'm a prayer for peace

I'm a holy roller, I'm a honey bee

I am the truth, I am a lie

I am the ground, I am the sky

I am the silence, I am the call

Never one thing no, not one thing at all

I'm the underbelly, I am the claw

Never one thing no, not one thing at all

I'm a street fighter, I'm a prayer for peace

I'm a holy roller, I'm a honey bee

I am hope, I am defeat

I am broken, I am complete

I am the grace, I am the fall

Never one thing no, not one thing at all

I am the beggar, I am the queen

I am the end, I am the means

I am the hammer, I am the wall

Never one thing no, not one thing at all

I'm the underbelly, I am the claw

Never one thing no, not one thing at all

I'm a street fighter, I'm a prayer for peace

I'm a holy roller, I'm a honey bee

I am a victor, I am the loss

I am a profit, I am the cost

I am the salve, I am the sting

Never, no never, no never one thing

I am a mother, I am the child

I am the meek, I am the wild

I am the witch, I am the saint

I am alive, never one thing

I am the lion, I am the swan

I am the bull, I am the fawn

I am a woman, I am the ring

I am my own, never one thing

-May Erlewine, Never One Thing

——-

Takeaways

-Find a song (listen to never one thing)

-Do one act of repair

-Be a support for some one else

—————-

Shadowlands // Learning to befriend our whole selves
"Shadow Transformation”
August 27th, 2023

Psalm 22:1-11
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me

So far from my cries of anguish

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer

By night, but I find no rest

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One

You are the one Israel praises

In you our ancestors put their trust

They trusted and you delivered them

To you they cried out and were saved

In you they trusted and were not put to shame

But I am a worm and not a man,

Scorned by everyone, despised by the people

All who see me mock me

They hurl insults, shaking their heads

“He trusts in the Lord,” they say

Let the Lord rescue him

Let him deliver him, since he delights in him

Yet you brought me out of the womb

You made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast

From birth I was cast on you

From my mother’s womb you have been my God

Do not be far from me

For trouble is near and there is no one to help…

———-
Psalm 22:19, 25-31

But you, Lord, do not be far from me

You are my strength, come quickly to help me

…From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly

Before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows

The poor will eat and be satisfied

Those who seek the Lord will praise him

May your hearts live forever

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord

And all the families of the nations will bow down before him

For dominion belongs to the Lord

And he rules over the nations

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship

All who go down to the dust will kneel before him

Those who cannot keep themselves alive

Posterity will serve him

Future generations will be told about the Lord

They will proclaim his righteousness

Declaring to a people yet unborn

He has done it

————
Matthew 27:45-50

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

—-

Shadowlands // Learning to befriend our whole selves
"Shadow work & Self Reflection”
August 13th, 2023

Passage:
Psalm 109
God, whom I praise, don’t remain silent!
For wicked and deceitful men
have opened their mouths against me,
spoken against me with lying tongues,
surrounded me with hateful words,
and attacked me without cause.

In return for my love they became my accusers,
even though I prayed for them.
They repay me evil for good
and hatred for my love.

[They say,] “Appoint a wicked man over him,
may an accuser stand at his right.

When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
may even his plea be counted a sin.
May his days be few,
may someone else take his position.
May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow

May his children be wandering beggars,
foraging for food from their ruined homes.

May creditors seize all he owns
and strangers make off with his earnings.
May no one treat him kindly,
and may no one take pity on his orphaned children.
May his posterity be cut off;
may his name be erased within a generation.

May the wrongs of his ancestors be remembered by Adonai,
and may the sin of his mother not be erased;
may they always be before Adonai,
so he can cut off all memory of them from the earth.
For he did not remember to show kindness
but hounded the downtrodden, the poor
and the brokenhearted to death.

He loved cursing; may it recoil on him!
He didn’t like blessing; may it stay far from him!
He clothed himself with cursing
as routinely as with his coat;
May it enter inside him as easily as water,
as easily as oil into his bones.
May it cling to him like the coat he wears,
like the belt he wraps around himself.”

This is what my adversaries want Adonai to do,
those who speak evil against me.
But you, God, Adonai,
treat me as your name demands;
rescue me, because your grace is good.

For I am poor and needy,
and my heart within me is wounded.
Like a lengthening evening shadow, I am gone;
I am shaken off like a locust.

My knees are weak from lack of food,
my flesh wastes away for lack of nourishment.
I have become the object of their taunts;
when they see me, they shake their heads.

Help me, Adonai, my God!
Save me, in keeping with your grace;
so that they will know that this comes from your hand,
that you, Adonai, have done it.

Let them go on cursing;
but you, bless!
When they attack, let them be put to shame;
but let your servant rejoice.
Let my adversaries be clothed with confusion,
let them wear their own shame like a robe.

I will eagerly thank Adonai with my mouth,
I will praise him right there in the crowd,
because he stands alongside a needy person
to defend him from unjust accusers.

Quotes:
“Shadow is a term for the discarded aspects of our personalities within that inform our lives. It offers the potential to reveal what we previously thought was unsuitable. SO unsuitable that we imprisoned it and forgot it. The aim of healing is to know the shadow WELL, appreciate it, and seek to integrate it. Not leave it neglected to rot in a cell beneath the surface so it can resign to clinking its tin against the bars asking for acknowledgment and honoring. Your shadow is worthy as part of your life story but it is NOT useful as the operating manual.”
-Pixie Lighthorse

“Unfortunately, there can be no doubt that a man is, on a whole, less good than he imagines himself or wants to be. Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions.”
-Carl Jung

”An easy way to check the nature of our shadow is to look at others and find out the qualities you like the least-these are often qualities you dislike about yourself and push down or avoid-this is called projection and can lead us to have a warped perception of the people around us”
-Tobias Weaver

“The Imprecatory Psalms or Cursing Psalms are a much more radical version of the lament. In this handful of psalms, there are curses pronounced on those who have caused the crisis. Sometimes these are people within the community who have committed injustice, and sometimes people outside who, like the Babylonians, have invaded the country and brought destruction on the nations (Psa 137).

While these psalms are not positive and pious, like all laments they are honest expressions of pain in the face of grief and endings. We should not attempt to "Christianize" these psalms by pretending they are something they are not. Yet neither can we exclude them as "sub-Christian."  Rather, we need to take them seriously as a valid biblical response to God in prayer from the depths of our humanity. Since we accept these psalms as Scripture for the church, we need to allow them to inform our theology rather than using our theology to change the psalms.”
-Dennis Brachter

“Your shadow will try blame shifting and gaslighting first you and then others. It may wait for your health and resources to become compromised before it makes a big fuss…..

Another giveaway that “shadow” is having its way with you is your use of absolutes: Never, always, everyone, nobody, universal terms that reinforce aloneness and dismay and that are usually unprovable. Shadow complains quite a bit. Often there is a deeper need beneath the superficial need that is asking to be noticed.”
-Pixie Lighthorse


Takeaways:

Shadowlands // Learning to befriend our whole selves
"Walking in the mud”
August 6th, 2023

Passage:

Psalm 13

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I bear pain in my soul

    and have sorrow in my heart all day long?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!

    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,

4 and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”;

    my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I trusted in your steadfast love;

    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord

    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

——

Quotes:

"Shadow work is an inside job first, but its potential can change the trajectory for all souls everywhere.”

“It is not our duty to negotiate with an- other’s shadow.”

“Remember to celebrate small, incremental changes”

“All the fragments of your core self that went underground for safety require strength and emotional reserves to integrate.  Prompt yourself to breathe slowly through your nose, taking care not to overexygenete as you do when stressed.  Rabid breathing increases your heart rate which causes your body to fight to metabolic excess oxygen and that can cause anxiety…. Instead, create a restful state to do what clinical therapists call “rest and digest”.  Your body and brain will know it’s safe to divert energy into the rebuilding of neural pathways and cells.  This is especially helpful for those with PTSD. 

You can create a space within yourself and your environment where stress is decreased and expectations are low. If you are call on the outside but in turmoil on the inside, moving your body might help you mobilize.

Self regulating our emotions is how we calm the amygdala, the part of the brain that hyper responds to stimulus.  A habit of unloading stress in unhealthy ways to displace discomfort is not sustainable (And can create new shadows)

Consider channelling intense emotions by chopping wood, punching pillows, or doing load-bearing exercises…. Resistance against your joints releases chemicals that send chemicals to your brain that your organs and bones need a break, and energy will be funneled in a different way.  For some having a mantra helps - “pease. Be still” or “This too shall pass” is helpful to many.”

-Pixie Lighthouse, Goldmining the Shadows

————

Practices:

Practices:

1)Experiment with one mantra

2) Tell some one close to you something good you see in them

3) Mark something worth celebrating

4) Read the Psalms

—

Shadowlands // Learning to befriend our whole selves
"The First Steps: declarations, nests, & hunting”
Sunday July 23rd 2023

Passage:
A Psalm of David. 23 (NKJV)

1The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

——
Quotes:
“If there’s anything that we wish to change in another person, we should first examine ourselves to remember how difficult our own road to change has been” - Carl Jung
-
“Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.” Khalil Gibran

-

“Before beginning to unearth your shadow, identify ways to create space that are favorable to deep soul work.  The environment around you may be full of to-dos and interpersonal matters, so be sure to check in with your inner landscape.

Working with breath, sleep, and diet can create a foundation conducive to emotional healing inside of you…. Composting fear and pain in order to grow self compassion and overall wellness is alchemy, which needs fuel and functionality.” - Pixie Lighthorse

“Your shadow got its start when some else’s ideas of how you should be were imposed on you.  When you were asked or forced to conform to structures that harmed you, and you didn’t have power to protect, adaptations became beliefs about who you really were.”

“The shadow includes contents known and unknown about your inner being. Some shadows may have been formed by all that was not allowed to be in early childhood, or that was deemed wrong or unsuitable by caregivers, parents, or peers.  You expertly created a version of yourself that you thought would get you the love and care you needed most.” - Pixie Lighthorse

-

“There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist most easily succumbs: activism and overwork. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence. The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. It destroys our own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.”
-Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander

Closing Questions:
What story is your being aligned to?
What would an ideal nest look like?
What do you shadows need to hear?

———

Resources for “Shadow work”

-https://cac.org/themes/shadow-work/

--Goldmining the Shadows, Pixie Lighthorse 

-Richard Rohr, Falling Upwards
-Toko-pa Turner, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home
-Tara Brach, Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN
-Ann Belford Ulanov, “Where to Put the Bad? Where to Put the Feminine?,” in The Living God and Our Living Psyche: What Christians Can Learn from Carl Jung, Ann Belford Ulanov and Alvin Dueck

Oak Life Mental Health Project
-oaklifechurch.com/mentalhealth

Shadowlands: Learning to befriend our whole selves
Sunday July 16th, 2023

Pslam 139: 7-12

“Where can I go from your spirit?

    Or where can I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there;

    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

If I take the wings of the morning

    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

    and your right hand shall hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

    and the light around me become night,”

even the darkness is not dark to you;

    the night is as bright as the day,

    for darkness is as light to you.”

———

Book: Goldminding the Shadows by Pixie Lighthorse

Shadow work as defined by Pixie Lighthorse:

“Tending, befriending, and integrating shadow is a great work of our times.  We are living under historical and individual shadows which circle the globe”

“Shadow has become a buzzword meaning everything bad about you.  This is not so.  Although your entry point to real shadow work may be looking at your character flaws or areas where you need to grow, the nitty gritty work of shadow is unearthing and discovering what is non-conscious… “

“The point is to heal our lineages and be capable of reparations both big and small, individual and collective. Learning to hold the contradictions of our own shadow, wrestle and be with them is how we ripen.  This seasoning eventually becomes wisdom.  You are born to do this work.”

——-

“God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall.”
-Julien of Norwich

——

Takeaways:

1) Notice your “Shadow self” and how you relate to it.  You don’t have to open it up to much if you’re not ready.  Just acknowledge it’s there with a sense of gratitude, curiosity, and love.  Begin to sense what your shadow side is AND how you’re body/mind/soul respond to it.

2) Explore resources for “Shadow work”

-https://cac.org/themes/shadow-work/

--Goldmining the Shadows, Pixie Lighthorse 

-Richard Rohr, Falling Upwards
-Toko-pa Turner, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home
-Tara Brach, Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN
-Ann Belford Ulanov, “Where to Put the Bad? Where to Put the Feminine?,” in The Living God and Our Living Psyche: What Christians Can Learn from Carl Jung, Ann Belford Ulanov and Alvin Dueck

3) Help curate resources for others
-oaklifechurch.com/mentalhealth
-Be a safe person for others

4) Begin to remember God’s “already love” for you.
-How can you remind yourself of God’s love?  What intentionality do you need in your life to remember who you are? Notes?  Practices? People?

———-

Sunday July 9th, 2023

Matthew 22:34-40

34 Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. 35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength.

6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7 and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up. 8 You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead. 9 Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates.

Heart (“lebab”, lay-bawb’) inner person, mind, will, heart

Soul (”nephesh” neh'-fesh) a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

Might (”meod” meh-ode’) muchness, force, abundance

John 14:15-24

15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. 16 Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept because it does not see him or know him. But you know him because he resides with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you. 19 In a little while the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too. 20 You will know at that time that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. 21 The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”

22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. 24 The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

——

Sunday June 25th, 2023

Song Lyrics

Verse 1

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so so kind to me

Chorus

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the 99
We couldn't earn it
We don't deserve it, still You give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Verse 2

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me

Bridge

There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me

THE GREATEST OF THE INSTRUCTIONS (Matthew 22:34-39)

When the Separated Ones (Pharisees) heard how he silenced the Upright Ones (Sadducees), they put their heads together and came up with a plan. One of them, who was an expert in tribal law, would put him to the test.

The expert came to him. “Wisdomkeeper,” he asked, “which instruction in our tribal law stands first?”

Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered him, “‘You must love the Great Spirit from deep within, with the strength of your arms, the thoughts of your mind, and the courage of your heart.’ This is the first and greatest instruction.

“The second is like the first,” he added. “‘You must love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves.’ The Law and the words of the prophets all find their full meaning in these two instructions.”

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES (Matthew 5:43-48)

“You have been told to love only your own people and to despise others as your enemy. But I tell you, treat your enemies with love and respect, and send up good prayers for the ones who make trouble for you and bring you pain. This will show that you are mature children of your Father from above, who sends his blessing of rain on the ones who do right and the ones who do wrong.

“If you love and show respect only to the ones who do the same, how does that bring honor to you? Even tribal tax collectors do these things. If you welcome only friends, how are you different from others? Even outsiders from other nations do these things.

“By loving and blessing all people, you will be walking in the footsteps of your Father from the spirit-world above, who is perfect in all his ways.

QUESTIONS:

1. Share your name and which of the first three (God, Self, Others) do you find least challenging to love?

2. Which of the three (God, Self, Others) do you find most challenging to love, and why?

3. How do you understand the ‘Love Your Enemies’ passage? Is it important? and if so, why is it important?

——

Sunday June 18th, 2023

Matthew 22:34-40

34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Genesis 1: 26-30 

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

Quotes:

“If humankind could pattern its relationship to the created order in the way the Creator is related to creation, humankind could be cocreators with God in God’s world. God-likeness would generate harmony and order rather than dominion and subjugation.” 

Rosemary McCombs Maxey

“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.”

Alice Walker

“Merely by falling in love with the world, you begin to make it better. Human beings will work to their dying breath to save something they love. Fall in love with the wild world, and you are taking the first step toward saving it.”

Margaret Renkl

Sunday June 4th, 2023

Matthew 22:34-40

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[b] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

——-

“Love is the will to extend one's self for the the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.”

“Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust.”

-Bell Hooks

——-

A Western & an Eastern model of love:

-A Western model - Four Loves (a classical way to parse this out)
-Eros - ἔρως - love, mostly of the sexual passion.

-Phila - φιλία - affectionate regard, friendship", usually "between equals

-Storge - στοργή - love, affection" and "especially of parents and children

-Agape - ἀγάπη - love: esp. charity; the love of God for the world”

But how many have heard this?  I find it interesting because there are so many ways to talk about love!  And we tend to focus on a western way… Even as Christians we love these, but they actually come from Pagan culture!  So for some more defining - here is an another way
————

Here is an Eastern model which defines it more in terms of process from Thich Nhat Hanh

-Matiri - मैत्री - Loving Kindness - just being good

-Karuna - करुणा -  Compassion (co-feeling the pain with others)

-Mudita - मुदिता -  joy and pleasures in things for what they are (maybe like gratitude)

-Upeksha - उपेक्षा - Loving things and letting them be free - the opposite of controlling and helping them find liberation.  If you love them you’ll combat the systems that oppress them or keep them from being free.
———-

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13

31 Now I will show you the most beautiful path of all.

1I may have the gift of speaking in both the languages of human beings and of spirit-messengers, but if I fail to love, my words become like the screech of a cat or the yelping of a wild dog.36 2I may have prophetic powers and the ability to see into sacred mysteries and understand all things. I might even have faith strong enough to make mountains move. But if I fail to love, I am nothing. 3I may give all my possessions to the poor and give my body to be burned as a sacrifice, but if I fail to love, I have gained no honor.

4Love is patient and kind. Love is never jealous. It does not brag or boast. It is not puffed up or big-headed. 5Love does not act in shameful ways, nor does it care only about itself. It is not hot-headed, nor does it keep track of wrongs done to it. 6Love is not happy with lies and injustice, but truth makes its heart glad. 7Love keeps walking even when carrying a heavy load. Love keeps trusting, never loses hope, and stands firm in hard times. 8The road of love has no end. The time will come when prophets are no longer needed, when people will stop speaking in unknown languages, and when the need for knowledge will fade away. 9For we only know some of the story and can only prophesy small parts of it, 10but the time is coming when we will know the whole story from beginning to end.

11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, and I saw through the eyes of a child. But when I became fully grown, I put my childish ways behind me. 12For now, it is as if we are looking at a poor reflection in muddy water, but then we will see face to face. For now, my knowledge is full of holes, but when that time comes, I will know the Great Spirit as well as I am known by him.

13But until then, these three remain—faith, hope, and love—and love is the greatest!

(M. Wildman, Terry. First Nations Version (p. 317). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition. )

——-

Rumi on Love:

The Meaning of Love

Both light and shadow

are the dance of Love.

Love has no cause;

it is the astrolabe of God’s secrets.

Lover and Loving are inseparable

and timeless.

Although I may try to describe Love

when I experience it I am speechless.

Although I may try to write about Love

I am rendered helpless;

my pen breaks and the paper slips away

at the ineffable place

where Lover, Loving and Loved are one.

Every moment is made glorious

by the light of Love.
———

7 Points on Love

Closing Questions:

-Where do you long for love? Maybe today receive God’s love.  Just let it in.

-Where can you offer love into the world?

-How can I be a student of love?

Sunday May 21st, 2023

Sun Still Rises // Miracles, Confusion & Wonder

Acts 12:6-18
6 The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 Peter[a] went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. 11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

12 As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying. 13 When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. 14 On recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.” 16 Meanwhile Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the gate they saw him and were amazed. 17 He motioned to them with his hand to be silent and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he added, “Tell this to James and to the brothers and sisters.” Then he left and went to another place.

18 When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.

——-

Physicist  Marcelo Gleiser    says in an article for Scientific American entitled “The More we Know, the More Mystery there is”

“To appreciate the beauty of science, it is essential to understand how science operates and why it has limits. It is a human creation, after all. We measure natural phenomena with instruments of all sorts, and they all have precision limits and ranges. We can’t see what’s beyond, and even if we improve their precision constantly, there is always a little more to go.”

——-

-What is the balance of awe for the spiritual, and awareness of it’s complexity like in your faith?
-Are your practices/understandings deepening your alignment towards love? (That’s the goal)
-How might you begin to notice the miraculous all around more?
-How might we become the miracles the world is longing for?

———

Sunday May 14th, 2023

Sun Still Rises // Wake up and Go!

Acts 8:26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south[g] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
    and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
        so he does not open his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
    Who can describe his generation?
        For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”[h] 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip[i] baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

———-
Main Points:
-Sometimes God wakes us up to “go”
-The spirit of Jesus is bigger than the western church
-Putting words to our spiritual experience/truths can be helpful
-God centers, includes, and moves through non-normative stories/people
-Rituals like Baptism are powerful

——-

Article on the subversive inclusion of the Ethiopian Eunuch entitled “Inclusion of a Sexual Minority in the Family of God”

———
Closing Reflections/Questions
-What is the spirit waking you up to?
-What words/images/stories are giving you life?
-How can our faith & faith communities be even more inclusive?

——

Sunday May 7th, 2023

Sun Still Rises // Being Loud in the Morning

——-

Acts 5:17-33
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.

25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 
———

“The core of liberation theology is profoundly "theological" - that is, rooted in the very nature of God. You see, there's an immediate relationship between God, oppression, liberation: God is in the poor who cry out. And God is the one who listens to the cry and liberates, so that the poor no longer need to cry out.
-Mev Puleo

———-

Reflection Questions:

Where are you called to disrupt the status quo?

Where are you sensitive to people disrupting your status quo?

What doors are opening for you to step through?

What do you need to take those first steps?

————

Sunday April 30th, 2023

Sun Still Rises // Waiting for Morning

Acts 4:1-7
1As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, 2 being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening. 4 But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest. 7 When they had stood Peter and John in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

——

Micah 7:7 “But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”

Psalms 27:13-14   I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Isaiah 30:18   Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

Isaiah 40:31   but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Lamentations 3:25   The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Acts 1:4   And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father

——-
Closing Reflection Questions:

What are you waiting for?

Who are you waiting with?

Where are you done waiting?

———

Sunday April 23rd 2023

Sun Still Rises // Getting Drunk in the Morning

Acts 2:1-21

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews[a] and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
    and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams.

18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit,
        and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
    and signs on the earth below,
        blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood,
        before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

———

Research Article:

I asked people why they’re leaving Christianity, and here’s what I heard

link

Quote:

“When it comes to the moment people first began doubting their faith, LGBTQ acceptance is the most common reason, followed by the behavior of Christians, and then things not making sense on an intellectual level (an example of this would be: I couldn’t reconcile how there can be an all-powerful God and evil).

Yes, a good number of my respondents were queer, and not being accepted by their congregations was a critical motive for leaving. However, the majority of respondents were straight and cisgender, and they ultimately started doubting Christianity when they were told they couldn’t support their queer friends and family. Unable to rectify their love of LGBTQ people with the church, they chose LGBTQ acceptance. Some responses:

• “I couldn’t continue to ignore the treatment of LGBTQ and other marginalized people.”

• I started doubting because of “the way the church treated people of the LGBTQ community and anyone who didn’t dress/think/act/look like them.”

• “I couldn’t understand why God would create LGBTQ people in a form my church claimed he hated.”

• “The first thing that challenged my viewpoint directly was meeting LGBTQ people and seeing that they were kind, thoughtful and deserving of respect.”

• “The first thing was noticing how what Christians preached/practiced didn’t seem to align with that I knew to be the character of God, including views on the LGBTQ community, immigration, adoption, mental health issues, ‘mission work,’ and just general treatment of others.”

——-

Closing Experiments:

-Get up early in the morning to listen/meditate/pray
-Consider how you might “speak in other languages” (build bridges)
-Ask how have you been called to be “weird”?

——-

Church Calendar Year:

——-

Sunday April 9th 2023

Easter Sunday // The Sun Still Rises

Matthew 28:1-10

1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”

8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

——-
Quotes:

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” – Victor Hugo

——-
“Oh my God
With just one sunrise
My life, bumps & bruises
Battle scars had to prove my loyalty for my hood
These are better days
Voices from vices got me standing me here
Singing praises to Your name
For saving me from my yesterday
Second chances come with every sunrise”
-Snoop Dog and Sly Piper

——-
Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange

sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again

and fasten themselves to the high branches–
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands

of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails

for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it

the thorn
that is heavier than lead–
if it’s all you can do
to keep on trudging–

there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted–

each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,

whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.

“Morning Poem” by Mary Oliver

————

Closing Questions:

What grief, sadness, worry, pain do you carry from “yesterday”?

Where has new life, beauty, hope, confronted you along your way?

How can we re-orient our life around resurrection/new life?

—————
Sunday April 2nd 2023

Lent as Resistance // Fasting Tribalism

Matthew 10:34-39

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law —a person’s enemies will be the members of their own household.’

Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Luke 12:49-53

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

John 14:26-27

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Quotables:

Linked Article: The Costs and Benefits of Tribalism—A Roundtable

“Tribalism—or the natural human tendency to distinguish ingroup from outgroup and give preferential treatment to the former—contributes to some of our most destructive and regressive human behaviors. Many of the worst atrocities in human history can be attributed in part to tribalism. Violent conflicts between groups can lead to both sides feeling victimized, and therefore justified in escalating mutually ruinous violence.”

• Cory Clark is Director of the Adversarial Collaboration Project and a behavioral scientist at University of Pennsylvania.

“The opposite of tribalism is not universal love, it is perpetual solitude.”

• Bo Winegard is an essayist and holds a PhD in Social Psychology.

Hebrews 13:11-14

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

——

Sunday March 26th 2023

Lent as Resistance // Fasting Privilege

Phillipains 2:3-11

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,  assuming human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a human, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God exalted him even more highly and gave him the name that is above every other name,

10 so that at the name given to Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

—————

Privilege:

Opportunity, exposure, and access to resources, people, freedom,

supportive systems, etc. that are a consequence of factors beyond your

control (race, age, ability, gender, orientation, language, etc.) and, in

general, provide for more favorable circumstances and outcomes. Privilege

often disadvantages those who are excluded from it and in turn leads to an

uneven playing field.

———————

Sunday March 19th, 2023
Lent as Resistance  // Fasting our avoidance of the unsheltered

John 13: 4-17 (NLT)

4 So Jesus got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” 10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet,[c] to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

1 Corinthians 12: 22-26 (NLT)

22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Luke 9:58 (NLT)

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

——

Sunday March 12th, 2023
Lent as Resistance // Fasting Screens

1 Corinthians 10:23-33

23 “All things are permitted,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are permitted,” but not all things build up. 24 Do not seek your own advantage but that of the other. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, 26 for “the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.” 27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who informed you and for the sake of conscience— 29 I mean the other’s conscience, not your own. For why should my freedom be subject to the judgment of someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31 So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage but that of many, so that they may be saved.

——-

“Rather than providing us with information to be downloaded, the Bible holds out for us an invitation to join an ancient, well-traveled, and sacred quest to know God, the world we live in, and our place in it. Not abstractly, but intimately and experientially.”
-Dr. Peter Enns, How the Bible Actually works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers—and Why That’s Great News

——-
“Love is the will to extend one's self for the the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.”

“Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust.”

-Bell Hooks

———-

“Indeed, the incarnation of Christ is perhaps the strongest affirmation of bodily life. God did not rescue us by vaporizing our troublesome corporeality so that our souls might enter the ethereal paradise of a disembodied existence. The salvation he brings, rather, is a bodily salvation through bodily means; the Word assumed flesh because God had determined that who we are in the flesh must be redeemed.”
-Andrew Byers (Theo Media: The Media of God in the Digital Age)

———

Embodiment —- Disembodinent

Truth —- Confusion

Light —- Dark

Healthy —- Unhealthy

Wise —- Unwise

——-

Challenge:
Find one way to fast screens/tech
Follow @thenapminstry

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Sunday March 5th, 2023
Lent as Resistance // Fasting Scarcity

Matthew 6:19-31
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
…..

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[e] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

———

“The man (person) who has God for his treasure has all things in One.  Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness.  Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things, he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight.  Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately, forever.”
-AW Tozer

——

“For we are so preciously loved by God that we cannot even comprehend it. No created being can ever know how much and how sweetly and tenderly God loves them. It is only with the help of his grace that we are able to persevere in spiritual contemplation with endless wonder at his high, surpassing, immeasurable love which our Lord in his goodness has for us.”
“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”
-Julian of Norwhich

——-

“All scarcity is manufactured. If we end systems of oppression, scarcity goes with them.”
-Jo Leuhman

————

MSG Matthew 11:28-30

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

——-
Closing invitations:

-Find one way to reverse fast generosity
-Look to nature
-Remember that you are enough



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Sunday February 26th, 2023
Lent as Resistance // An invitation to fast injustice

Matthew 4:1-11

“4 1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

    and they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”

———

Isaiah 58:3-7
“Why do we fast, but you do not see?
    Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day
    and oppress all your workers.

4 You fast only to quarrel and to fight
    and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
    will not make your voice heard on high.

5 Is such the fast that I choose,
    a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush
    and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of injustice,
    to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
———

“We must see now that the evils of racism, economic exploitation and militarism are all tied together. And you can't get rid of one without getting rid of the other.”-Dr King

——-

“Should disciples of Jesus love their nation, the one they claim and are claimed by?  This is the wrong question.  The question we are compelled to ask and answer by our lives is, How might we show the love of God for all peoples, a love that cannot be contained by any nation, a love that slices through borders and boundaries and reaches every people group, every clan, every tribe, and every family?”

-Dr. William James Jennings, Acts Commentary

————

—-

Sunday February 12th, 2023

Mark 16:17-18
”17And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Matthew 16:1-4
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus. So they asked him to show them a miraculous sign from heaven.

2 He responded to them, “In the evening you say that the weather will be fine because the sky is red. 3 And in the morning you say that there will be a storm today because the sky is red and overcast. You can forecast the weather by judging the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

4 “Evil and unfaithful people look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will be given is that of Jonah.”

Then he left them standing there and went away.

——-

———————

Sunday February 5th, 2023

Guest Speaker Aeryn Johnson

Revelation 21:22–22:5, CEB translation

21: 22 I didn’t see a temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. 23 The city doesn’t need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 27 Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is vile and deceitful, but only those who are registered in the Lamb’s scroll of life.

22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of life-giving water,[a] shining like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb 2 through the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life, which produces twelve crops of fruit, bearing its fruit each month. The tree’s leaves are for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will be no more. They won’t need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will shine on them, and they will rule forever and always.

———

Sunday January 29th, 2023

PSALM 13

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I bear pain[a] in my soul

    and have sorrow in my heart all day long?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!

    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,

and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”;

    my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

But I trusted in your steadfast love;

    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

 I will sing to the Lord

    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

——

Reflection Questions:
-How does your personal story connect to moments of injustice like those of recent days?
-How does faith connect with moments when there is pain in the world or in our lives?
-How can faith communities better respond to injustice?
-What are your hopes and dreams for the future of faith communities regarding our relationship to injustice?


Aspects of Psalms of Lament
Address
How you sense God at this time
(Creator, Friend, Almighty)

Lament
Honestly sharing your/our pain

Confession
Where we have missed the mark

Petition
Our request of God

Assurance
Our hope/comfort at this time

——————

Sunday January 22nd, 2023

Excerpts from Acts Chapter 10:

9 About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while it was being prepared he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 Then he heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” 15 The voice said to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven.

17 Now while Peter was greatly puzzled about what to make of the vision that he had seen, suddenly the men sent by Cornelius appeared.
…

27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled, 28 and he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is improper for a Jew to associate with or to visit an outsider, but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.
…
34 Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him.

———

Brian Mclaren’s Stages of Faith

Simplicity — You’re either for us or against us.  It’s all or nothing.

Complexity — There’s more than one way to do things.

Perplexity — Everyone has an opinion.  Who knows who is right?

Harmony/Humility— Seek first God’s Kingdom… love God, love neighbors… in essentials unity… focus on a few grand essentials.

————-

“I have no other reason to do anything except love of God and love of neighbor. And I don’t even need people to know this.  When I can say this I have total and full freedom. I can no longer be bought off! Finally I realize that my life is not about me. It’s about Love.”
-Franciscan Priest

———

Reflection questions:

Do we allow people to be in their faith stages?

How has your faith evolved? Do you sense the invitation for your faith to grow it’s capacity for love?

Have you seen people/communities in different stages?
What would it look like if all people could see the world through the lens of love and harmony?

Does your faith feel expansive enough to hold the messiness of the world in hope and love? 

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Sunday January 15th, 2023

Matthew 13

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

——-
“Acknowledging how little we know is, I think, at the core of mature faith. What we boast of as great faith may merely be a boatload of indoctrination and overconfidence.”

-Brian Mclaren
——-

“Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.
– Frederick Buechner”

————-

Doubt is the discrepancy between faith and belief, between what we are taught and what we experience; and emerges in the gap when belief systems do not line up with our reason or experience. Such doubt is not weakness but strength, the ability to claim our own authority and experience. For many, this is hard to do since traditional Christianity has knocked the self-esteem out of us with tales of our sin and corruption -- we have much re-learning to do.

Instead, we need to be open to life, new experiences and scholarship and to trust any doubts that arise when our experiences, reading and reason challenge theological givens.
-Dr. Val Webb

———

“Take faith, for example. For many people in our world, the opposite of faith is doubt. The goal, then, within this understanding, is to eliminate doubt. But faith and doubt aren't opposites. Doubt is often a sign that your faith has a pulse, that it's alive and well and exploring and searching. Faith and doubt aren't opposites, they are, it turns out, excellent dance partners.”
-Rob bell

——-

What metaphor might help your faith embrace doubts and questions as an opportunity for growth/healing/liberation/love?

—————-

Sunday January 8th, 2023

Matthew 17:14-20

14 When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 15 and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy and suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured from that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

——-
Quotes:

“Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.”
-Khalil Gibran

”Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the staircase”
- MLK Jr

“...faith isn't about having everything figured out ahead of time; faith is about following the quiet voice of God without having everything figured out ahead of time.”

― Rachel Held Evans, A Year of Biblical Womanhood

“...I had arrived at an understanding of faith that had far more to do with trust than with certainty. I trusted God to be God even if I could not say who God was for sure. I trusted God to sustain the world although I could not say for sure how that happened. I trusted God to hold me and those I loved, in life and in death, without giving me one shred of conclusive evidence that it was so.”

“I wanted to recover the kind of faith that has nothing to do with being sure what I believe and everything to do with trusting God to catch me though I am not sure of anything.”

― Barbara Brown Taylor, Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith
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Takeaways:

-Faith is an invitation towards the beautiful mystery that is existence

-Honesty with doubts and questions are a part of the faith journey

-Faith is about opening our souls towards loving curiosity rather than blind conformity

-The journey of faith is transformative

-Faith seems to be a universal

(What is our faith in?)

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Thursday December 22nd, 2022 - Christmas Service!!!

Luke 2:1-20
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

——

“The incarnation is "a kind of vast joke whereby the Creator of the ends of the earth comes among us in diapers”
-Fredrich Beuchner

——-

“Uncertainty surrounded the birth of Jesus that first Christmas: it was uncertain until the very last moment whether there would be a place for Mary to give birth to her child; there was uncertainty about where Mary might lie him down to sleep until a manger, an animal trough, was found; there was uncertainty about whether Jesus would even survive King Herod’s anger at the news of his birth, or the subsequent journey Mary and Joseph had to make with him into temporary exile in Egypt.

Christianity was, quite literally, born in uncertainty and yet has survived to sustain and give meaning to the lives of millions of people over the centuries.

Amidst all our uncertainty this year, that is surely worth remembering”

-Reverend Simon Cowling

——-

———-
Sunday December 18th, 2022

Matthew 2:1-12 (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)

The Visit of the Magi

2 1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east[b] and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah[c] was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:

6 

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
    who is to shepherd[d] my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi[e] and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east,[f] until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped,[g] they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

——-

”The fullness of joy is to behold GOD in everything.

God is the ground, the substance,

the teaching, the teacher,

the purpose, and the reward for which every soul labors.”

JULIAN OF NORWICH, Meditations with Julian of Norwich

———

Matthew 10:16

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.

————

“Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

—————

Sunday December 11th, 2022

Luke 1

Dedication to Theophilus

1 Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I, too, decided, as one having a grasp of everything from the start,[a] to write a well-ordered account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may have a firm grasp of the words in which you have been instructed.

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

8 Once when he was serving as priest before God during his section’s turn of duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified, and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that this will happen? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” 19 The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”

21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering at his delay in the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was ended, he returned to his home.

24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25 “This is what the Lord has done for me in this time, when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[b] 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”[c] 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[d] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[e] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Mary’s Song of Praise

46 And Mary[f] said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
    Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name;
50 indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
    and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. 60 But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” 61 They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” 62 Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah’s Prophecy

67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has looked favorably on[g] his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior[h] for us
    in the house of his child David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71     that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors
    and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us 74     that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness
    in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
    the dawn from on high will break[i] upon[j] us,
79 to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

—

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Sunday December 4th, 2022

Matthew 3:1-6
1In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”[a] 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight.’ ”

4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.

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”So in his death, James Reeb says something to each of us, black and white alike—says that we must substitute courage for caution, says to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered him but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murder. His death says to us that we must work passionately, unrelentingly, to make the American dream a reality, so he did not die in vain.”

Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. at Reverend James Reeb’s funeral

———-

“My theory is that strong people don’t need strong leaders”

”“Oppressed people, whatever their level of formal education, have the ability to understand and interpret the world around them, to see the world for what it is, and move to transform it.”

“The struggle is eternal. The tribe increases. Somebody else carries on.”

“This may only be a dream of mine, but I think it can be made real.”

-Ella Baker

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Responses from the community to the question, where you do find hope?

“I am here which means I got through whatever it was that was before and will keep doing that”

“My sons laugh”

“Stevie wonder “Uptight all day”

“Photographing moments of light, and sometimes dark”

“The laughter of people even in difficult times.  Their spirits aren’t defeated”

“Children”

“My kids as a teacher my students high heart and capacity for love and resilience gives ne hope"

“Believing good comes after the storm”

“People that give back”

“When people are kind towards others”

“Seeing change in institutions brought by the people”

“When community comes together for folx”

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Sunday November 27th, 2022

Isaiah 2:1-5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths."For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
——

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tunes without the words , and never stops at all.” 

— Emily Dickinson

——-

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.”

———

“Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end.”

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

-Nelson Mandela

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“We live stitch by stitch, when we’re lucky. If you fixate on the big picture, the whole shebang, the overview, you miss the stitching. And maybe the stitching is crude, or it is unraveling, but if it were precise, we’d pretend that life was just fine and running like a Swiss watch. This is not helpful if on the inside our understanding is that life is more often a cuckoo clock with rusty gears.”

“In the aftermath of loss, we do what we’ve always done, although we are changed, maybe more afraid. We do what we can, as well as we can, stitch by stitch.”

— Anne Lamott

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Sunday November 20th, 2022

Esther 1:10-20

10On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown,b in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.

13Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king’s procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, 14the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom): 15“According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” 16Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17For the queen’s behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt,c since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s behavior will say the same to all the king’s officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. 19If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.” 

——

“All too often women believe it is a sign of commitment, an expression of love, to endure unkindness or cruelty, to forgive and forget. In actuality, when we love rightly we know that the healthy, loving response to cruelty and abuse is putting ourselves out of harm’s way.”

-Bell Hooks

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Sunday November 13th, 2022

John 9:1-12
9 1As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 Wea must work the works of him who sent meb while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 

6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
——

John 15:12
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

———
'What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.'
-A.W. Tozer
——

“Who among those who have read the Gospels does not know that Christ makes all human suffering his own?
—Origen

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“It is at precisely this point that the suffering God and a suffering soul can meet. It is at this point that human suffering makes spiritual sense, not to the rational mind, the logical mind, or even the “just and fair” mind, but to the logic of the soul, which I would state in this way: Suffering people can love and trust a suffering God. Only a suffering God can “save” suffering people. Those who have passed across this chasm can and will save one another. Any other god becomes a guilty bystander, one that we will not deeply trust, much less love.” 
-Franciscian Monk

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Closing Questions:

Where might God be near to you in your suffering?

What suffering of the world might God be calling you to hold in love? (Solidarity, change, healing, hope,)
——

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Sunday November 6th, 2022

“Living life in touch with divine spirit lets us see the light of love in all living beings.”
-Bell Hooks, All About Love
—-
“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference”
-Elie Wiesel
—
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13

31 Now I will show you the most beautiful path of all.

1I may have the gift of speaking in both the languages of human beings and of spirit-messengers, but if I fail to love, my words become like the screech of a cat or the yelping of a wild dog.36 2I may have prophetic powers and the ability to see into sacred mysteries and understand all things. I might even have faith strong enough to make mountains move. But if I fail to love, I am nothing. 3I may give all my possessions to the poor and give my body to be burned as a sacrifice, but if I fail to love, I have gained no honor.

4Love is patient and kind. Love is never jealous. It does not brag or boast. It is not puffed up or big-headed. 5Love does not act in shameful ways, nor does it care only about itself. It is not hot-headed, nor does it keep track of wrongs done to it. 6Love is not happy with lies and injustice, but truth makes its heart glad. 7Love keeps walking even when carrying a heavy load. Love keeps trusting, never loses hope, and stands firm in hard times. 8The road of love has no end. The time will come when prophets are no longer needed, when people will stop speaking in unknown languages, and when the need for knowledge will fade away. 9For we only know some of the story and can only prophesy small parts of it, 10but the time is coming when we will know the whole story from beginning to end.

11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, and I saw through the eyes of a child. But when I became fully grown, I put my childish ways behind me. 12For now, it is as if we are looking at a poor reflection in muddy water, but then we will see face to face. For now, my knowledge is full of holes, but when that time comes, I will know the Great Spirit as well as I am known by him.

13But until then, these three remain—faith, hope, and love—and love is the greatest!

(M. Wildman, Terry. First Nations Version (p. 317). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition. )

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“Love is the will to extend one's self for the the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.”

“Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust.”

-Bell Hooks

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From Sunday October 30th:
————-

Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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“Grace means there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and nothing I can do to make God love me less. It means that I, even I who deserve the opposite, am invited to take my place at the table in God’s family.”
-Phillip Yancy
——

Galatians 3:28
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
——

Ephesians 2:13-18
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
——

"We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.”
James Baldwin / Robert Jones Jr.

Some ideas on Enemy Love:
-Find spaces where you are loved as a child of God
-Practice self love (healthy boundaries and awareness of capacity and appropriateness) “I don’t have to love every enemy right now”
-Seek healing where it’s needed
-Begin to see people on the other side as an extension of yourself rather than the enemy.
-Recognize that you are limited in your own understanding
-Notice your somatic response to the “other” and
- Be mindful of the ways capitalism exploits this
-Know that love isn’t passive or idle in the face of injustice
-Separate “powers and principalities” from the “imago dei”
-Ask lots of questions.
-Try not to speak hyperbolically in ways that vilify the other side.
-Find common ground
-Be quick to apologize and concede when necessary
-Don’t generalize entire groups of people
-Understand your position in the process of reconciliation
-Think about what your “telos” is (is it to convince the other person they are wrong, or to walk the path of love?  Be honest about this, but also willing to adjust depending on new information, relational capital, or a changed heart.)
-In short practice humility and curiosity
-What else?