Commons Church Podcast

We’ve talked about ritual before—the rhythms of life, and faith, and practice that ground us in the Christian tradition.And one of the reasons we keep coming back to these conversations is because— well—that’s what ritual requires of us. We don’t ever outgrow the need for persistent daily patterns.We don’t ever get beyond having to build better habits for our good.We don’t ever discover the best of rituals by neglecting the care they require.So, we’re excited for how a return to old ideas and familiar practices might inspire us. Exploring how our struggle to sustain spiritual practices might be a symptom of our efforts to self-improve, to self-support, and self-sustain.Finding that—in looking at the scriptures, and the life and teachings of Jesus—the power of ritual might lie in the ways it pulls us beyond and outside ourselves. ★ Support this podcast ★

We’ve talked about ritual before—the rhythms of life, and faith, and practice that ground us in the Christian tradition.And one of the reasons we keep coming back to these conversations is because— well—that’s what ritual requires of us. We don’t ever outgrow the need for persistent daily patterns.We don’t ever get beyond having to build better habits for our good.We don’t ever discover the best of rituals by neglecting the care they require.So, we’re excited for how a return to old ideas and familiar practices might inspire us. Exploring how our struggle to sustain spiritual practices might be a symptom of our efforts to self-improve, to self-support, and self-sustain.Finding that—in looking at the scriptures, and the life and teachings of Jesus—the power of ritual might lie in the ways it pulls us beyond and outside ourselves. ★ Support this podcast ★

There’s no way around the challenging work of rebuilding and reconstructing relationships. Because most of us have been there— Needing to forgive.Wanting to lash out.Caught in the awkward middle ground of owning what’s happened and trying to move forward. Which is why—over the next few weeks—we want to reorient ourselves in this work. To consider the ways our broken hearts can be comforted. How broken connections are restored. But also, how the way of Jesus leads us into health in unexpected ways. Where we start to imagine that God’s renewal of all things might even include our friendships, families, and most intimate relationships. ***January 3: What’s ForgivenessJanuary 10: Practicing Forgiveness January 17: The Myth of Revenge January 24: Boundary Setting ★ Support this podcast ★

There’s no way around the challenging work of rebuilding and reconstructing relationships. Because most of us have been there— Needing to forgive.Wanting to lash out.Caught in the awkward middle ground of owning what’s happened and trying to move forward. Which is why—over the next few weeks—we want to reorient ourselves in this work. To consider the ways our broken hearts can be comforted. How broken connections are restored. But also, how the way of Jesus leads us into health in unexpected ways. Where we start to imagine that God’s renewal of all things might even include our friendships, families, and most intimate relationships. ***January 3: What’s ForgivenessJanuary 10: Practicing Forgiveness January 17: The Myth of Revenge January 24: Boundary Setting ★ Support this podcast ★

There’s no way around the challenging work of rebuilding and reconstructing relationships. Because most of us have been there— Needing to forgive.Wanting to lash out.Caught in the awkward middle ground of owning what’s happened and trying to move forward. Which is why—over the next few weeks—we want to reorient ourselves in this work. To consider the ways our broken hearts can be comforted. How broken connections are restored. But also, how the way of Jesus leads us into health in unexpected ways. Where we start to imagine that God’s renewal of all things might even include our friendships, families, and most intimate relationships. ***January 3: What’s ForgivenessJanuary 10: Practicing Forgiveness January 17: The Myth of RevengeJanuary 24: Boundary Setting ★ Support this podcast ★

There’s no way around the challenging work of rebuilding and reconstructing relationships. Because most of us have been there— Needing to forgive.Wanting to lash out.Caught in the awkward middle ground of owning what’s happened and trying to move forward. Which is why—over the next few weeks—we want to reorient ourselves in this work. To consider the ways our broken hearts can be comforted. How broken connections are restored. But also, how the way of Jesus leads us into health in unexpected ways. Where we start to imagine that God’s renewal of all things might even include our friendships, families, and most intimate relationships. ***January 3: What’s ForgivenessJanuary 10: Forgiving January 17: RevengingJanuary 24: Boundary Setting ★ Support this podcast ★

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weightof them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough. ★ Support this podcast ★

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weightof them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough. ★ Support this podcast ★

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weightof them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough. ★ Support this podcast ★

1. Don't try to stay busy2. Feel what you feel3. Don't be afriad ★ Support this podcast ★

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weightof them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough. ★ Support this podcast ★

Preparing for Christmas is often all about excess.Getting the Christmas presents. Preparing the splendid meals. Packing the tree with so many ornaments that the branches bend under the weightof them all. Excess can be beautiful. Party-worthy, even. But what about the years when you can’t afford Christmas extravagance? What if you just don’t have the energy for it all? What about the years when you don’t have enough?The cast of characters in the Christmas story invites us to see that God works with limitations. In fact, it seems to be God’s preferred way. Mary was not wealthy enough to be the Mother of God. Joseph was not informed enough to be the father who would raise this boy. The shepherds are not respected enough to be visited by angels. The Magi are not in the know enough to understand the gift this Messiah brings.And still, this is the season where we welcome limitation. Where enough sometimes really is enough. ★ Support this podcast ★

Originally part of an online interactive lecture. ★ Support this podcast ★

We believe in a God who wants us to know that we are welcome. The narrative arc of the gospel—from creation to a restored earth—keeps expanding to include individuals, families, tribes, kingdoms, and finally, the multitudes of nations. God never stops making more room. Last year we talked about different ways our hospitality reflects our room— making God. This year we want to build on that conversation and explore God’s vision for what we create as we gather. How we move from isolation into connectedness, from caring for some to caring for the whole. Peter Block writes that the hard part of building community is that it is always a custom job. It is born of local people, with unique gifts, deciding what to create together. How do we show up for each other, you and I? How do we build relatedness one room at a time? God, how can I make a bit more room? ★ Support this podcast ★

As I see it there are a number of options within Christianity:1. some people go to heaven, some people go to hell2. some people go to heaven, some people go to the grave3. some people go to heaven, some people go through hell0:00 Introduction07:10 Biblical Arguments for Universalism14:41 Biblical passages for Hell19:46 Theological Arguments for Universalism21:35 Theological Arguments Against Universalism25:25 Theological Arguments Against Hell29:02 Who is Most Moral? ★ Support this podcast ★

We believe in a God who wants us to know that we are welcome.The narrative arc of the gospel—from creation to a restored earth—keeps expanding to include individuals, families, tribes, kingdoms, and finally, the multitudes of nations. God never stops making more room. Last year we talked about different ways our hospitality reflects our room— making God. This year we want to build on that conversation and explore God’s vision for what we create as we gather. How we move from isolation into connectedness, from caring for some to caring for the whole. Peter Block writes that the hard part of building community is that it is always a custom job. It is born of local people, with unique gifts, deciding what to create together. How do we show up for each other, you and I? How do we build relatedness one room at a time? God, how can I make a bit more room? ★ Support this podcast ★

We believe in a God who wants us to know that we are welcome. The narrative arc of the gospel—from creation to a restored earth—keeps expanding to include individuals, families, tribes, kingdoms, and finally, the multitudes of nations. God never stops making more room. Last year we talked about different ways our hospitality reflects our room— making God. This year we want to build on that conversation and explore God’s vision for what we create as we gather. How we move from isolation into connectedness, from caring for some to caring for the whole. Peter Block writes that the hard part of building community is that it is always a custom job. It is born of local people, with unique gifts, deciding what to create together. How do we show up for each other, you and I? How do we build relatedness one room at a time? God, how can I make a bit more room? ★ Support this podcast ★

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene IonescoA good question is a superpower.So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,we might end far fewer sentences witha period—and more with a question mark.Jesus loved a good question.Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rather watch? Here's the youtube link https://youtu.be/3q_9qh0OV8I ★ Support this podcast ★

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene IonescoA good question is a superpower.So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,we might end far fewer sentences witha period—and more with a question mark.Jesus loved a good question.Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider. ★ Support this podcast ★

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene IonescoA good question is a superpower.So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,we might end far fewer sentences witha period—and more with a question mark.Jesus loved a good question.Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider. ★ Support this podcast ★

The church was vandalized a few weeks ago which was unfortunate but it did give us a good reason to talk about where our popular fascination with the number 666 comes from and why we should all stop worrying about the Antichrist. Revelation is not about the end times (it's about the end of time) and it is certainly not about anything as small as a one world government. If you want to read all of the footnotes head over to Academia.edu to read my work. Be warned it's kinda long and boring. https://www.academia.edu/36173393/A_GIRARDIAN_READING_OF_VIOLENT_IMAGERY_IN_REVELATION ★ Support this podcast ★

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene IonescoA good question is a superpower.So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,we might end far fewer sentences witha period—and more with a question mark.Jesus loved a good question.Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider. ★ Support this podcast ★

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene IonescoA good question is a superpower.So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,we might end far fewer sentences witha period—and more with a question mark.Jesus loved a good question.Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find a way to open up new unexplored avenues to consider. ★ Support this podcast ★

The gospels contain a few uncomfortable stories of demon possession. How do we read these stories as modern audiences? Should we accept them at a surface level? Do we chalk them up to ancient misunderstandings of mental health issues? Or can we explore to uncover the sophistication of ancient storytelling and look for the parables hidden in these texts? ★ Support this podcast ★

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene IonescoA good question is a superpower.So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,we might end far fewer sentences witha period—and more with a question mark.Jesus loved a good question.Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find away to open up new unexplored avenues to consider. ★ Support this podcast ★

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene IonescoA good question is a superpower.So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,we might end far fewer sentences witha period—and more with a question mark.Jesus loved a good question.Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find away to open up new unexplored avenues to consider. ★ Support this podcast ★

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene IonescoA good question is a superpower.So why don’t we ask more questions? Maybe we are a bit egocentric—eager to impress with our own thoughts and stories. Perhaps we are apathetic— thinking we might be bored by the response. Or perhaps we just worry that we’ll ask the wrong question and be viewed as rude or incompetent.But often the biggest challenge is that we simply don’t understand how beneficial good questioning can be. If we did,we might end far fewer sentences witha period—and more with a question mark.Jesus loved a good question.Sometimes they seemed pretty straightforward. Sometimes they seemed to come straight out of left field. But Jesus’ questions always seemed to find away to open up new unexplored avenues to consider. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the Genesis poem of creation, God makes the world with words. God says light, night, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And it is all so good.Every day we make our world with words, too. Happy, sad, afraid, want, listen, hope, stop, heal. What we speak, we understand. What we want, we name. What we hope for, we shape with consonants and vowels. Words are powerful things.Faith is built with words, too. And if you have been a person of faith most of your life, you’ve spoken the language of faith, well, for what seems like forever. And maybe some of the faith vocabulary has become numb for you.But if you’re new to this Jesus story, maybe words get spoken around you and you find them strange, hollow, and opaque. So maybe you don’t feel numbness, just confusion.Let’s have a common conversation about the words of faith. Let’s speak Sunday all over again. ★ Support this podcast ★

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.–2 Timothy 3:16–17We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves. ★ Support this podcast ★

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.–2 Timothy 3:16–17We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves. ★ Support this podcast ★

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.–2 Timothy 3:16–17We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves. ★ Support this podcast ★

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.–2 Timothy 3:16–17We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves. ★ Support this podcast ★

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.–2 Timothy 3:16–17We all know the Scriptures are “inspired” but what exactly does that mean?We know they are infused with beauty and we sense the divine in and through them in moments as we read. But at other times they all seem so... human. And maybe this paradox is at heart what it means to be inspired. The meeting of the Divine and the human, the nexus of Creator and creativity, the space where all of our self is brought before God and blessed and made new.In this series we want to talk about scripture and creativity. About gifting and community. About the Spirit of God that helps us become more ourselves. ★ Support this podcast ★

Take a moment to remember how many times you’ve been angry or irritated this week. No really, check in with yourself. Were you angry once, twice, two hundred times?Maybe something tiny triggered you. Maybe something massive enraged you. Maybe your anger feels so constant you don’t know life without it. The scriptures honour all of these layers, and when we lean in to listen to their words, we will find wisdom for all our anger.Like, there’s a way to be angry that gets to the heart of the matter. And there’sa creative force to our anger that can address injustice. And there is a need - yes, a need - to feel our anger all the way through so that it doesn’t become our worst enemy.So let’s not be afraid to tackle anger in this series. Let’s sit quietly enough to listen to what’s going on inside of us and imagine a world where anger doesn’t need to be hidden but can be harnessed to bring about the renewal of all things. ★ Support this podcast ★

Take a moment to remember how many times you’ve been angry or irritated this week. No really, check in with yourself. Were you angry once, twice, two hundred times?Maybe something tiny triggered you. Maybe something massive enraged you. Maybe your anger feels so constant you don’t know life without it. The scriptures honour all of these layers, and when we lean in to listen to their words, we will find wisdom for all our anger.Like, there’s a way to be angry that gets to the heart of the matter. And there’sa creative force to our anger that can address injustice. And there is a need - yes, a need - to feel our anger all the way through so that it doesn’t become our worst enemy.So let’s not be afraid to tackle anger in this series. Let’s sit quietly enough to listen to what’s going on inside of us and imagine a world where anger doesn’t need to be hidden but can be harnessed to bring about the renewal of all things. ★ Support this podcast ★

Take a moment to remember how many times you’ve been angry or irritated this week. No really, check in with yourself. Were you angry once, twice, two hundred times?Maybe something tiny triggered you. Maybe something massive enraged you. Maybe your anger feels so constant you don’t know life without it. The scriptures honour all of these layers, and when we lean in to listen to their words, we will find wisdom for all our anger.Like, there’s a way to be angry that gets to the heart of the matter. And there’sa creative force to our anger that can address injustice. And there is a need - yes, a need - to feel our anger all the way through so that it doesn’t become our worst enemy.So let’s not be afraid to tackle anger in this series. Let’s sit quietly enough to listen to what’s going on inside of us and imagine a world where anger doesn’t need to be hidden but can be harnessed to bring about the renewal of all things. ★ Support this podcast ★

It seems like we have a bit of a problem.St. James warned his friends that their words were like sparks that had the power to burn down a forest.The Jewish poets noted that while our mouths contain the power to bless and bring life, they also have the ability to destroy and harm.And the noted Persian mystic Rumi instructed his readers to shut up like an oyster shell because, well, their mouths were the enemies of their souls, he thought.Which just means that long before the internet gave us a place to record and play back EVERY SINGLE word, long before social media gave us the platform to spew anonymous hatred, and long before we coined terms like “over- sharing” to describe our inability to keep quiet, we’ve had issues with our mouths.So let’s open the text, and listen for a moment. ★ Support this podcast ★

It seems like we have a bit of a problem.St. James warned his friends that their words were like sparks that had the power to burn down a forest.The Jewish poets noted that while our mouths contain the power to bless and bring life, they also have the ability to destroy and harm.And the noted Persian mystic Rumi instructed his readers to shut up like an oyster shell because, well, their mouths were the enemies of their souls, he thought.Which just means that long before the internet gave us a place to record and play back EVERY SINGLE word, long before social media gave us the platform to spew anonymous hatred, and long before we coined terms like “over- sharing” to describe our inability to keep quiet, we’ve had issues with our mouths.So let’s open the text, and listen for a moment. ★ Support this podcast ★

It seems like we have a bit of a problem.St. James warned his friends that their words were like sparks that had the power to burn down a forest.The Jewish poets noted that while our mouths contain the power to bless and bring life, they also have the ability to destroy and harm.And the noted Persian mystic Rumi instructed his readers to shut up like an oyster shell because, well, their mouths were the enemies of their souls, he thought.Which just means that long before the internet gave us a place to record and play back EVERY SINGLE word, long before social media gave us the platform to spew anonymous hatred, and long before we coined terms like “over- sharing” to describe our inability to keep quiet, we’ve had issues with our mouths.So let’s open the text, and listen for a moment. ★ Support this podcast ★

It seems like we have a bit of a problem.St. James warned his friends that their words were like sparks that had the power to burn down a forest.The Jewish poets noted that while our mouths contain the power to bless and bring life, they also have the ability to destroy and harm.And the noted Persian mystic Rumi instructed his readers to shut up like an oyster shell because, well, their mouths were the enemies of their souls, he thought.Which just means that long before the internet gave us a place to record and play back EVERY SINGLE word, long before social media gave us the platform to spew anonymous hatred, and long before we coined terms like “over- sharing” to describe our inability to keep quiet, we’ve had issues with our mouths.So let’s open the text, and listen for a moment. ★ Support this podcast ★

We’re here! Easter is the festival of festivals! The Queen of Feasts! This is the day we wait for. This is the day of new life. And with all we celebrate today, Easter is the day that shapes every day to come. So hear, repeat, and return to this prayer in the Easter season. It’s a beauty and it’s a benediction.***Beyond Easter we go singing.Having been seizedby resurrectionwe are full of tears and laughter.The way ahead is unknown. It will always be like that.but having danced in the light we will look for glory everywhere.–Ruth Burgess,The Iona Community ★ Support this podcast ★