A message from the series “We Can Work It Out.” Many of us are committed to doing the right thing as followers of Jesus. But every once in a while, we come up against an issue, and we’re not so sure about what to do. Join Bryan and his guest panelists as we explore how we can navigate these gray areas with love.
A message from the series “We Can Work It Out.” We live in a fractured world—divided by race, class, sexuality, age, gender and national borders—and polarized by politics. Jesus came into a deeply divided culture bringing a message love and reconciliation. His early followers represented very diverse backgrounds and sought to become a community that transcended their differences. But like us, they struggled!
First Corinthians is the first of two letters recorded in the Christian Scriptures from the Apostle Paul to the fledgling church he started in the prosperous Greek city of Corinth. This new community of followers of Jesus was a diverse, gifted and dynamic group who were courageously and creatively exploring what new life in the way of Jesus looked like in their pagan culture. This resulted in some beautiful, life-giving expressions of faith but also created numerous problems and disagreements that resulted in deep divisions within the community. In First Corinthians, Paul addresses many of these divisions and calls the church back to its single greatest foundational truth: Love as embodied in Christ. This love is expressed as humility, consideration of others, and deference to the needs of those around us. Paul makes the case that no matter how gifted, enlightened or empowered we may think we are, real wisdom is found in this way of love. He dares to dream that unity is possible, and envisions a community that transcends disagreement.
During this 5-week series, beginning on July 1, we will work our way through the letter, and explore the cultural context of the text to gain a deeper understanding of this way of love. We’ll also wrestle with how these ancient teachings apply today, and take up the challenge of Paul for our own lives personally, our lives together as a diverse community, and how we might share this in our world.
A message from the series “We Can Work It Out.” We live in a fractured world—divided by race, class, sexuality, age, gender and national borders—and polarized by politics. Jesus came into a deeply divided culture bringing a message love and reconciliation. His early followers represented very diverse backgrounds and sought to become a community that transcended their differences. But like us, they struggled!
First Corinthians is the first of two letters recorded in the Christian Scriptures from the Apostle Paul to the fledgling church he started in the prosperous Greek city of Corinth. This new community of followers of Jesus was a diverse, gifted and dynamic group who were courageously and creatively exploring what new life in the way of Jesus looked like in their pagan culture. This resulted in some beautiful, life-giving expressions of faith but also created numerous problems and disagreements that resulted in deep divisions within the community. In First Corinthians, Paul addresses many of these divisions and calls the church back to its single greatest foundational truth: Love as embodied in Christ. This love is expressed as humility, consideration of others, and deference to the needs of those around us. Paul makes the case that no matter how gifted, enlightened or empowered we may think we are, real wisdom is found in this way of love. He dares to dream that unity is possible, and envisions a community that transcends disagreement.
During this 5-week series, beginning on July 1, we will work our way through the letter, and explore the cultural context of the text to gain a deeper understanding of this way of love. We’ll also wrestle with how these ancient teachings apply today, and take up the challenge of Paul for our own lives personally, our lives together as a diverse community, and how we might share this in our world.
A message from the series “Finding Our Way.” Every one of us is on a spiritual journey, whether we know it or not. Throughout our lives, we make choices, have relationships, and form habits that will either draw us closer to our loving creator or nudge us further away. How do we know we are on the right path? How can we know God’s will for us? Where do we belong in God’s story? How can we find meaning and purpose in our lives? Such questions call for deep discernment, seeking the Holy Spirit in all things so that we can walk closely with Jesus and avoid being distracted or confused.
During this three-week series, we will look to beloved author, priest, and teacher Henri Nouwen to guide our conversations. His book Spiritual Direction will serve as a framework to help us “overcome our deafness and resistance… and hear God’s voice even when it calls us to unknown places.” Nouwen will lead us on a quest to recognize divine direction from within and increasingly see God in the world around us. We encourage you to buy a copy of the book so that you can go deeper as we explore three practices for discernment:
Through reflection and contemplative prayer, we learn to find God in our hearts and see our true selves through God’s eyes
Through meditative reading of scripture and other spiritual writings, we develop an “inner ear” that recognizes God in all things
Through community, past and present, we are better able to see clearly and connect our daily stories with the great story of God’s love and presence
A message from the series “Finding Our Way.” Every one of us is on a spiritual journey, whether we know it or not. Throughout our lives, we make choices, have relationships, and form habits that will either draw us closer to our loving creator or nudge us further away. How do we know we are on the right path? How can we know God’s will for us? Where do we belong in God’s story? How can we find meaning and purpose in our lives? Such questions call for deep discernment, seeking the Holy Spirit in all things so that we can walk closely with Jesus and avoid being distracted or confused.
During this three-week series, we will look to beloved author, priest, and teacher Henri Nouwen to guide our conversations. His book Spiritual Direction will serve as a framework to help us “overcome our deafness and resistance… and hear God’s voice even when it calls us to unknown places.” Nouwen will lead us on a quest to recognize divine direction from within and increasingly see God in the world around us. We encourage you to buy a copy of the book so that you can go deeper as we explore three practices for discernment:
Through reflection and contemplative prayer, we learn to find God in our hearts and see our true selves through God’s eyes
Through meditative reading of scripture and other spiritual writings, we develop an “inner ear” that recognizes God in all things
Through community, past and present, we are better able to see clearly and connect our daily stories with the great story of God’s love and presence