Hayley 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.
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From 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?
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It 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!
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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.
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Hayley 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)
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Everyone 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...
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American 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?
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For 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)...
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Recent 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.
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What 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)
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