When the writers of the Bible referred to “The Coming of the Lord” or “the Judgment at the end of time”, it was not a threat (“shape up, or you’ll be left behind by God!”), it was a word of comfort and promise: The injustices and senseless sufferings of your life and your world are NOT lost on God! He sees! He takes notice! And he will, in the end, right every wrong and wipe every tear from every eye. Vince takes us to the comforting words of James, the brother of Jesus.
Read MorePeople of privilege (like Vince: a white, straight, middle-class American male) need to be rattled to see that societal autopilot doesn’t just lead to the existential angst of “a meaningless life”, but, beyond that, it is a life and death matter for many! The New Testament book of James offers that needed rattling, and Vince leads us in asking how we can pursue our biggest values, even if that leaves us rattled.
Read MoreVince wants to rescue prayer from the “obligation zone” in people’s brains and put it in its right place in the “rest zone” in people’s brains. He shares from his own life a number of prayers that help him, and then Kyle shares why prayer is the key ingredient to this summer’s vision for BLV on being a “community of care”.
Read MoreVince shares how he learned to swear in his prayer life, and we further discuss the amazing connection between prayer and a community that feels caring — to the people in it, and to anyone such a community comes into contact with. Passionate about making BLV a place that cares for everyone? Consider joining our Pastoral Care Core!
Read MoreKyle and Vince share the beginnings of a vision for this summer at Brown Line Vineyard: leaning into one of our core values in particular — being a “community of care.” How? By creating more space for more people within the community to pray together for the needs of the church and people in the church. BLV is empowering a new level of leadership, a Pastoral Care Core. Hear how you can be a part of it!
Read MoreWhy is favoritism toward the rich and powerful so easy to fall into? Because we show favoritism toward what hold up as ideal. And the sneaky truth is that, setting our few more noble aspirations aside, we all still kind of think the good life is being rich and powerful. The book of James from the Bible has lots of help to break this tendency in us!
Read MoreWhat do you expect from God if you pray? Jesus’ take is that of course you should expect good gifts. Vince leads us in reflecting on what can make this hard for some of us to operate with this foundational assumption, and on the unique role fathers have in helping us form this foundation.
Read MoreA vision or message is nothing without people to carry it. With help from various Brown Line Vineyard team leaders, Vince leads us in saying thank you to all our volunteers, and reflects on the way this church’s vision has been influenced by St. Paul’s message about Jesus in Acts 17: born out of respect for wider culture, not being against wider culture.
Read MoreIt is remarkably easy to become “too much talk, not enough action” in 21st century America: we announce what we’re about with signs in our windows or yards, by “liking” good causes on Facebook, and by maintaining how we appear to others. In religious settings, this is reinforced all the more with a focus on holding the “right” beliefs and opinions. But, in our experience, life is really found in asking the hard question: what action do my beliefs and opinions produce? There’s actually a book in the Bible all about this human struggle to be “less talk, more action”: the book of James.
Read MoreBiblical and historical imagery of God as "a good mother" can powerfully connect us with the heart of Jesus. And so can our own experiences and memories with mothers or mother-figures. Kyle shares some of his own story along these lines.
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