On the third Sunday of Advent, we look at the way Matthew's Christmas story (the one with the wise men following the star, and Mary, Joseph, and Jesus fleeing from Herod to Egypt) sets up Matthew's larger message about Jesus. Matthew is a subversive drama (think "Hamilton").
Read MoreVince introduces our theme for this year's Advent (Economic Justice and the Bible's two Christmas Stories) and how to participate.
Read MoreHayley and Vince continue this month's discussion of the modern experience of constant, nagging guilt, and in particular how healthy spirituality and community might help us address guilt in our relationships.
Read MoreFrom Kendrick Lamar to Counting Crows, from social media to sociology, Vince suggests a theory on why, in our culture, everyone seems to feel guilty all the time. Is the traditional religious discussion of guilt helpful to this predicament? Or is there something else we need?
Read MoreIt was so fun (and helpful!) doing a grab bag of religious phrases or words that have lost their meaning (along with the prompt, "keep it, change it, or toss it?") we've decided to do a second round!
Read MoreHayley begins our new series with a look at our community’s survey results on “religious language that has lost its meaning”, and a discussion of “God has a plan” language. (Image from Paul Sableman on Flickr)
Read MoreEveryone has biases. When confronted with our own, it's normal to feel embarrassed or defensive. But learning to embrace changing our minds is an essential life skill. Jesus' life and teachings have more to say on this than you might think...
Read MoreFor week 2 of our reflections on community, Vince feels like the default shape of community in modern American life leaves him missing a lot. He wonders what is different about a Jesus-shaped experience of community...
Read MoreHow can anyone believe in a loving and powerful God when there is so much evil and suffering in the world? If the common religious response that "it's all a part of God's plan" is not satisfying to you (or has hurt you personally), you are not alone. For week 1 of Lent, we experiment with an alternative way to believe in a loving and powerful God -- that doesn't bypass people's pain, that is consistent with Jesus' picture of God, and that invites intellectual curiosity rather than shuts it down.
Read MoreAs Jesus offered specific critique of the 1st century Roman Empire's so-called "peace", it feels important to us to offer specific critique of 21st century America's so-called "peace". Vince gives one more framing to our upcoming Lent 2022 experiment in giving up false beliefs.
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