Kyle has often encouraged us toward embracing uncertainty (the wisdom of the Eastern Christian Tradition), but that begs a question: how does one pursue good or morality or righteousness or justice without certainty? Americans tend to rely on certainty to pursue these things, but there are other approaches that can help us feel more connected with God in the process, and, arguably, work better!
Read MoreTrue Peacemaking is accomplished through self-sacrifice, not protecting or preserving the status quo. Without attention to context, Jesus’ comment about bringing “not peace, but a sword” seems (at best) off-brand, and (at worst) became the rallying cry for the Crusades. But with some attention to Jesus’ context, we discover one of his most peacemaking and bridge building statements of all.
Read MoreBLV’s resident Spiritual Director gives us a crash course in hearing God’s voice by sharing from his life and unpacking three different historical perspectives on how to listen to God: Protestant, Catholic, and Charismatic.
Read MoreBrown Line Vineyard is crowd-funded. Our budget is not the work of a few major philanthropists or of grants from larger organizations. It is the work of dozens of people who call BLV home and feel passionate enough about what we do that they set aside money to give every month. We receive gifts anywhere from $20/month to $2,000/month. Join us!
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 MoreKyle — with help from an all-time great TED talk by educator Rita Pierson, and from his experience fighting for educational equity in nearby Evanston, Illinois — has personally discovered that Jesus’ strong words about those who put obstacles in the way of children are well-founded. So what are some ways we can be champions for the kids around us?
Read MoreHow is it that we can sometimes be surrounded by people and yet feel lonely? The fact is: connecting to others can be hard. That doesn’t make sense on paper, but feeling love or connection is not really explainable on paper, just like God isn’t really explainable on paper. And yet, Vince suggests, if we’re willing to consistently lean into the unexplainable-ness, we might find ourselves experiencing the connection with others we long for, and experiencing God’s Holy Spirit at the same time.
Read MoreWe all need to feel connection to other people. Even more than we need answers. Even more than we need resolutions to problems. But connecting can be hard. At BLV, a big way we try to help with that is through small groups. Learn about the small groups open for sign up during fall 2018, and let us help you connect!
Read MoreFrom the hero’s journey of Harry Potter to the natural world of seasons and plant life to how all people grow and experience life-change, the pattern of loss & renewal — or, on Jesus’ terms, death & resurrection — shows up again and again in life. Vince take us through examples from his own life, tells us about crying listening to a podcast about Harry Potter, and suggests ways we might find Jesus an incredible companion in the losses we’re experiencing right now.
Read MoreLife and the world is impossibly complex. It’s normal to try to simplify things to help ourselves feel less out of control. But that’s also how we get trite phrases like “every cloud has a silver lining”, which can often hurt people when thrown around without care or empathy. In religion, this is done to verses from the Bible all the time. But, as Kyle’s experience and learning has taught him, the Bible is actually quite the opposite of trite!
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