For some of us, religious language may have lost meaning over time, making well-intended words feel empty or harmful. What if we could reframe these words to bring about new meaning? This week Hayley and BLC’s Laura & Leicester Mitchell swap some examples.
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 MoreAmerican Christianity must use its influence to critique our country’s enabling of gun violence and injustice. Jesus received and critiqued the tradition he inherited, intentionally cutting ties with violence and tribalism, despite backlash, so he could pass on something more loving. How can we be encouraged to, despite backlash, continue to do the same?
Read MoreFor our online-only service the weekend of 4th of July, Vince reflects on three different imaginations of where God is when we pray (and recommends one of them)...
Read MoreRecent scholarship suggests powerful parallels between today's Pride Movements and the resistance of violence and domination and exclusion in 1st and 2nd century Imperial Rome by some early Jesus communities, namely how they both push the boundaries of gender.
Read MoreWhat does it mean to belong to ourselves and belong to one another? On the weekend of Juneteenth and Father's Day, we look to the words of writer Cole Arthur Riley as Hayley shares thoughts around being personally and communally well. (Image: cover art for “This Here Flesh” by Cole Arthur Riley)
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 MoreVince reflects on feeling cared for by community over the last month, and on 10 years of seeing a variety of different ways people experience healthy community, to encourage us toward a spacious model of community that is never one-size-fits-all.
Read MoreIn the wake of continued tragedies, judgment and shame around our own responses and the responses of others can arise. What if, instead, we allowed compassion to re-align our vision? Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan offers wisdom here...
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