In the face of hopelessness, is there only strength and weakness? Are values and virtue not worth standing for? Vince closes our effort to give up “giving up” (for Lent) with some encouragements beyond our modern pulls toward nihilism. (Art by Morgan Sorensen @see_machine)
Read MoreWhat do we do when we know we need communities and institutions to lean on, but they let us down? Hayley and Vince continue our Lenten tradition of giving up (for Lent) hidden beliefs that cause us to give up. (Art: Ethiopian Icon of Jesus washing disciples' feet)
Read MoreContinuing our Lenten tradition of giving up hidden beliefs that aren't serving us, Vince explores how basically all working people today end up believing "it all comes down to me", and offers the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert as inspiration to not give up. (Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash)
Read MoreThis week, for our Lenten tradition of giving up hidden beliefs that aren't serving us, we're finding language for our numbness in the book of Ecclesiastes, and finding help for our weary, modern "selves" in the stories of Jesus' healings.
Read MoreFor our BLC Lenten tradition, join us in giving up hidden beliefs we hold (religious and secular) that aren't serving us. This week: how the Hebrew Bible's Ecclesiastes captures our modern feelings of meaninglessness when we unconsciously believe everyone gets what they deserve.
Read MoreTo neighbor well (to love one's neighbor as yourself) requires a mature handling of personal responsibility, rather than hard and fast rules. Hayley and Vince share from their experiences and from the Christian tradition along these lines. (Photo: Derick Mckinney on Unsplash)
Read MoreVince & Hayley respond to a grab bag of questions about suffering and the tension of alleviating vs embracing. (Image from the Center for Action & Contemplation)
Read MoreLife is full of uncertainty, and we feel that all the more in the midst of a global pandemic. In our experience, spirituality helps with uncertainty in a profound way, but it isn’t by providing certainty in response. So how does it help? Vince and Kyle discuss…
Read MoreThis is one of the most true-feeling phrases we’ve come to discover in our experiences following Jesus and trying to put one foot in front of the other in life. Kyle shares about the life-change he’s experienced leaning into the way the Eastern Orthodox church has historically taught people how to pray and approach life, and how that’s different (in a good way) from what a Western American like him is used to.
Read MorePeople who try their hardest don't always get rewarded. And people who seem to cut corners or take advantage of others sometimes do get rewarded. Is life meaningless? Or do we need to double down and be perfect in order to succeed? The Wisdom writings of the Bible (particularly the books of Proverbs & Ecclesiastes) can offer us balance, nuance, and a starting point for meaningful experiences of prayer when we feel overwhelmed by such questions.
Read More
