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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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?
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.
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.
“Finding Sanctuary” – Jess does some summing up of our “Roots of Resilience” theme with this talk about the ways in which we can be a “safe haven” or sanctuary for each other.
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.
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.
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.
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.