Hayley sets the table for our new series, "Texts of Terror", in which we hope to defang (and maybe even redeem) Biblical texts that have been used to terrorize people.
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Concluding our discussion of the modern experience of crushing, constant guilt, Hayley and Vince move us to the topic of grace: a close-relative of forgiveness, but also distinct in important ways.
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Hayley and Vince respond to feedback from our first two weeks discussing the constant, nagging “guilt before ourselves” that modern people experience.
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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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