There's a tension between a pursuit of joy and a pursuit of meaning behind the New Testament writings that formed the early Jesus movement after Jesus' death and resurrection. How might honoring that tension help us in our struggles today to hold to hope instead of cynicism?
Read MoreIs "experiencing God" only for certain people? The intuitive or contemplative? Or, alternatively, the super expressive? Or maybe only the most pious? Or those who know the most about the Bible? The Gospels' stories of encounters with the Risen Jesus (like Luke 24's "Road to Emmaus") encourage us beyond these limitations we may place on ourselves. (Art: "Grace" by Rhoda Nyberg, Eric Enstrom)
Read MoreHayley demystifies regular, active experience of God with a look at some of the Bible’s stories of people experiencing the Risen Jesus. (Art by @scottthepainter)
Read MoreIs there any hope? Or should we just "eat and drink, for tomorrow we die"? The 1st century Jewish version of the age-old struggle of hope vs. cynicism was the debate over whether to believe in "the resurrection of the dead." Can something from that debate then inspire us in our versions of the struggle today? (Art by Morgan Harper Nichols)
Read MoreOur hope is that this reflection can stand alone as a meaningful way to pray and slow yourself down today, BUT if you have been following along in our Lent Mealtime Readings & Prayers, this reflection will build upon the story we have been following there (and in particular the reading and prayer for Good Friday).
Read MoreIs God always angry? For Palm Sunday -- which begins Holy Week's march toward Good Friday -- we continue our differentiation from the American Christian legacy that we are "sinners in the hands of an angry God", with a focus on alternative ways to believe in the power of Jesus' crucifixion.
Read MoreUnfortunately, one of the most enduring legacies of American Christianity is a sermon from 1741: "Sinners in the hands of an Angry God". Few today know the sermon, but most know the belief behind it, as its influence over modern images of God and faith is immense. This week, we deconstruct the term “sinner” and unpack an alternative Christian belief: that the most true thing about you is that you are loved by God.
Read MoreHealth, wealth, and prosperity messaging is not just that of celebrity televangelists like Joel Osteen. More subtle examples are in nearly any church that teaches or models praying for others, and in secular settings like the self-help industry. What does it look like to give up those subtle messages and find the reassurance they promise in more reliable beliefs?
Read MoreThe cultural pictures we have inherited for imagining a powerful God are mostly “white, bearded, muscular, dispassionate God up in the sky, who can do anything” images. But, for the long-suffering, the image of a God who "can do anything but refuses to" is no comfort at all. Is there a better way to imagine a powerful God?
Read MoreSorting or categorizing the world into good-bad or in-out is a deeply ingrained human behavior, evolutionarily, meant for protection from danger. But this instinct can easily turn into scapegoating or exclusion. Is the religion of Jesus just another example of that? Or can living it out push us beyond the in-out mentality? (Art: book cover of Scapegoats, by Jennifer Garcia Bashaw)
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