Confidence to be ourselves. Together.We forget how diverse the first Christian communities were. Maybe it’s because we’re from a long line of “if you don’t agree, go somewhere else.” Or we’re used to finding people like us at church, not people different from us. Or we think similarity is what the healthy body of Christ looks like. The groups of people in churches like the one Paul started in Corinth would have found each other strange. Paul gets that, and still, in the face of conflict he keeps saying, “Draw closer. Draw closer to each other. It’s your difference that makes you beautiful.” Series text: second half of 1 Corinthians. ★ Support this podcast ★

Confidence to be ourselves. Together.We forget how diverse the first Christian communities were. Maybe it’s because we’re from a long line of “if you don’t agree, go somewhere else.” Or we’re used to finding people like us at church, not people different from us. Or we think similarity is what the healthy body of Christ looks like. The groups of people in churches like the one Paul started in Corinth would have found each other strange. Paul gets that, and still, in the face of conflict he keeps saying, “Draw closer. Draw closer to each other. It’s your difference that makes you beautiful.” Series text: second half of 1 Corinthians. ★ Support this podcast ★

PART TWO: Opinions have a way, over time, of being fossilized, and that's a real danger as we enter into a new year, imagining all of the possibilities for change and growth. When your opinions get stuck, they become narratives, no longer just statements about how we view the world, but now stories that tell us how we must view the world. And this is why the practice of continually letting go is far more difficult and, to be honest, I think, far more important than we often realize, because sometimes we're not just letting go of unhealthy practices or even unhelpful ideas or just old hurts. We're letting go of all the stories that we have allowed to define us, opinions that have become fossilized and fixed. And often letting go of that is the prerequisite for all of the change that we hope to actually see in ourselves. ★ Support this podcast ★

PART ONE: Letting GoOpinions have a way, over time, of being fossilized, and that's a real danger as we enter into a new year, imagining all of the possibilities for change and growth. When your opinions get stuck, they become narratives, no longer just statements about how we view the world, but now stories that tell us how we must view the world. And this is why the practice of continually letting go is far more difficult and, to be honest, I think, far more important than we often realize, because sometimes we're not just letting go of unhealthy practices or even unhelpful ideas or just old hurts. We're letting go of all the stories that we have allowed to define us, opinions that have become fossilized and fixed. And often letting go of that is the prerequisite for all of the change that we hope to actually see in ourselves. ★ Support this podcast ★

At its heart, this season holds the mystery of how God became human. And if it’s true, the story of Christmas celebrates the full extent of divine fragility. If it’s true, it asserts a bold claim: that God stands in solidarity with our shared experience. This is a solidarity for life’s deepest valleys and soaring heights. For its lush and flourishing places and also those dry and forgotten places in our hearts.This Advent, we trace the landscapes of our lives in search of the path God takes toward us. ★ Support this podcast ★

At its heart, this season holds the mystery of how God became human. And if it’s true, the story of Christmas celebrates the full extent of divine fragility. If it’s true, it asserts a bold claim: that God stands in solidarity with our shared experience. This is a solidarity for life’s deepest valleys and soaring heights. For its lush and flourishing places and also those dry and forgotten places in our hearts.This Advent, we trace the landscapes of our lives in search of the path God takes toward us. ★ Support this podcast ★

At its heart, this season holds the mystery of how God became human. And if it’s true, the story of Christmas celebrates the full extent of divine fragility. If it’s true, it asserts a bold claim: that God stands in solidarity with our shared experience. This is a solidarity for life’s deepest valleys and soaring heights. For its lush and flourishing places and also those dry and forgotten places in our hearts.This Advent, we trace the landscapes of our lives in search of the path God takes toward us. ★ Support this podcast ★

At its heart, this season holds the mystery of how God became human. And if it’s true, the story of Christmas celebrates the full extent of divine fragility. If it’s true, it asserts a bold claim: that God stands in solidarity with our shared experience. This is a solidarity for life’s deepest valleys and soaring heights. For its lush and flourishing places and also those dry and forgotten places in our hearts.This Advent, we trace the landscapes of our lives in search of the path God takes toward us. ★ Support this podcast ★

Mark 5Buckle up for a metaphorical ride across Lake Kinneret, where we scrutinize Jesus' encounter with a man tormented by demons. This tale gets eerie, political, and ultimately heartfelt. As we delve into the metaphorical representation of possession, Jesus' role in pacifying the storm and emancipating the man from his demons becomes more apparent. When our narrative returns to the familiar side of the lake, you'll witness Jesus' interactions with a wealthy man and an unclean woman seeking healing. These accounts remind us of the boundless grace and lessons of love and inclusion that Jesus brings to our own communities. ★ Support this podcast ★

Mark We explore the contrasting approaches of Jesus and the Pharisees, as described in the second narrative package of Mark. In this section of Mark, Jesus begins to confront his religious critics, the Pharisees, who, despite their liberal ideologies, were often at odds with Jesus. We discuss an enlightening debate between Jesus and the Pharisees about prioritizing faith over tradition, a topic that unveils Jesus' remarkable ability to challenge and transform pre-existing notions.We also see Jesus' unique approach toward his religious critics and his ability to expand our imagination. We reflect upon an instance where Jesus questions the Pharisees on the Sabbath law, reminding them that rules are meant to aid, not control. Unpacking Jesus' teachings and his revolutionary message about the prioritization of life over law. ★ Support this podcast ★

MarkWe explore the contrasting approaches of Jesus and the Pharisees, as described in the second narrative package of Mark. In this section of Mark, Jesus begins to confront his religious critics, the Pharisees, who, despite their liberal ideologies, were often at odds with Jesus. We discuss an enlightening debate between Jesus and the Pharisees about prioritizing faith over tradition, a topic that unveils Jesus' remarkable ability to challenge and transform pre-existing notions.We also see Jesus' unique approach toward his religious critics and his ability to expand our imagination. We reflect upon an instance where Jesus questions the Pharisees on the Sabbath law, reminding them that rules are meant to aid, not control. Unpacking Jesus' teachings and his revolutionary message about the prioritization of life over law. ★ Support this podcast ★

Mark 2+3We explore the contrasting approaches of Jesus and the Pharisees, as described in the second narrative package of Mark. In this section of Mark, Jesus begins to confront his religious critics, the Pharisees, who, despite their liberal ideologies, were often at odds with Jesus. We discuss an enlightening debate between Jesus and the Pharisees about prioritizing faith over tradition, a topic that unveils Jesus' remarkable ability to challenge and transform pre-existing notions.We also see Jesus' unique approach toward his religious critics and his ability to expand our imagination. We reflect upon an instance where Jesus questions the Pharisees on the Sabbath law, reminding them that rules are meant to aid, not control. Unpacking Jesus' teachings and his revolutionary message about the prioritization of life over law. ★ Support this podcast ★

Mark is generally considered to be the earliest of the four gospels we have in our Bibles. In fact, the consensus is that Mark served as a reference for what Matthew and Luke would later write. Mark is fast-paced, moving quickly through Jesus’ life, probably offering our first look at the historical Jesus. And in that look, we see a Jesus who is focused on the practical concerns of those he serves. Economics, politics, pressures, these are the issues that shape Jesus’ teachings in Mark. He may have an eye toward heaven, but he is firmly rooted in the praxis of God’s kingdom here now in the Gospel of Mark. In this series, we will crack open this first Gospel and begin a two-part journey through Mark’s memory of Jesus. ★ Support this podcast ★

Mark is generally considered to be the earliest of the four gospels we have in our Bibles. In fact, the consensus is that Mark served as a reference for what Matthew and Luke would later write. Mark is fast-paced, moving quickly through Jesus’ life, probably offering our first look at the historical Jesus. And in that look, we see a Jesus who is focused on the practical concerns of those he serves. Economics, politics, pressures, these are the issues that shape Jesus’ teachings in Mark. He may have an eye toward heaven, but he is firmly rooted in the praxis of God’s kingdom here now in the Gospel of Mark. In this series, we will crack open this first Gospel and begin a two-part journey through Mark’s memory of Jesus. ★ Support this podcast ★

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do. ★ Support this podcast ★

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do. ★ Support this podcast ★

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do. ★ Support this podcast ★

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do. ★ Support this podcast ★

The start of season ten! Sometimes, I can hardly believe it’s been that long. And while we are still a year away from our tenth anniversary, it seems like a good time to go back and ground ourselves in some core ideas. For years now, we have included some of our foundational theological narrative on the first page of the journal. In this series, we will dive into each of the six statements that have kept us on course. And we will trust that God will help us journey even deeper into the Way of Jesus as we do. ★ Support this podcast ★