Huge Problems, Vulnerable Love
On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, with the theme of Love, Walter emphasizes how strange it is that Vulnerable Love is God’s response to all the big problems in the world and the path that God invites us to follow.
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Suffering and Power, Nostalgia and Babies
This morning Mark Groleau compares four poems dedicated to four ancient babies: two by Virgil and two by Zechariah and Mary. The contrast points to two very different visions for the world, exposes our expectations around suffering and power, and challenges our Christmastime sense of nostalgia. Which is the way of true joy?
Hope for Humanity?
On the first Sunday of Advent, Jess offers some reflections on the lectionary passages and what they reveal about our humanity. She shares insights from contemporary voices who point us toward a hopeful perspective on human nature and our innate goodness.
What kind of king? (And so what?)
On Christ the King Sunday, Rachael and the gathered community wrestle together with the implications of the image of God as King, how Jesus’ life and death invite us to question and reimagine it, and what all of this means for the way we approach our own life and use of power.
Love & Lament
At Second Breakfast this week, Jess & Janell reflected on themes of Love & Lament, particularly in response to the the recent US election and the way it will impact our community and world. A time of vulnerable sharing opened up at the end of the service as we grappled with our grief and our desire to “take love seriously” in the days and months ahead.
God Is With You Wherever You Go
After five months, Walter offers a “Part 2” for his talk from last June by emphasizing that the kind of “secure base” that God provides goes with us wherever we go, allowing for multiple attachments that can naturally correct the inevitable distortions we might otherwise hold about God if we were to only rely on one community.
Rooted In Reality
Reflecting on today’s lectionary readings, Jess shares some thoughts on the importance of speaking the truth about our suffering as an essential component of our healing. She encourages us to remain rooted in reality as a form of resilience, and to acknowledge life as life is without denying the pain and injustices we face.
Rest
Marilyn followed up her talk on resilience by looking at the role of rest – with much interaction, she facilitated a discussion on Hebrews 4.
Can We Love the Bible (with Honesty and Compassion)?
In advance of a coming small group, Walter gets us thinking (and chatting) at our “2nd Breakfast” about the attitudes toward the Bible that we grew up with – some helpful and some not.
A Cure for Chaos
Mark Groleau takes us on a deep and wide journey through biblical theology that leads us to three encounters: a) Chaos (the Sea), b) Calming the Sea, c) the River of Life.
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