In a jumble of plenty of negative experiences with church, there has been a noteworthy thread through Kyle's life of experiences of feeling unconditional loved by something outside of himself. What has that taught him? What can that teach us?
Read MoreIn our experience, setting aside questions of IN vs. OUT doesn't make following Jesus matter less, it makes following Jesus matter more. We are freed up to focus on what life is truly about, like our topic this week: growing up, not just old -- becoming mature, grounded people who healthily process their stresses and pains, rather than pass them on to others.
Read MoreIn our experience, setting aside questions of "In vs. Out" doesn't make faith matter less, it makes faith matter more -- it frees our faith to become about the things that really matter most in life, like our topic this week: justice. How does Jesus lead us into participating in justice? By pursuing equity (rather than equality) and by giving dignity (never taking it away).
Read MoreConnection with people different from us is something we think matters immensely if we want the deep, full life Jesus modeled and taught. But how is that is even possible in today's world without ending up "standing for nothing"? We think it's by standing for the Respectful Conversation.
Read MoreThe focus of this church is not a matter of "In vs. Out". Does that then mean the stakes are pretty low here and nothing really matters and everything is the same? We don't think so! We think the stakes of following Jesus and pursuing community the way we do here are very high, because in our experience it's the difference between loneliness and connection.
Read MoreJesus doesn’t give cheap words about life; he speaks about actual life, which we all know is not always easy. None of us need some pseudo-religious authority-figure claiming that we can find perfect pleasure and wealth and be forever free of suffering if we just do x, y, or z. In fact, a life following Jesus can include more hard things than most lives, but perhaps that's a good thing. Because Jesus encourages us to face hard truth and not run from it, to embrace it and let it shape us into someone better.
Read MoreJesus has some hard, countercultural-feeling encouragements for people, like "give to anyone who asks" or "give up your status". Should we follow Jesus out of duty or courage? Or, as Jesus himself instructs, should we follow him because he has our good health in mind? Isn't that a bit self-interested, Jesus? Maybe not...
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 MoreGenerally when people talk about faith or God, it divides people - along religious, cultural, or social lines. Obviously, any of us, if asked about this church, would want to avoid that pitfall and say something sensible and helpful that represents this church well. But how? A parable from Jesus about wheat and weeds and thinking about the difference between a circle and a dot can help...
Read MoreThe Bible was written by and for oppressed minorities. People of privilege can miss this and therefore miss a great deal of the meaning behind the Bible's many writings. In light of the white supremacy, hate, and prejudice we have witnessed in our country this past month, we need just such an oppressed-minority voice to guide us.
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