Praying can be an act of naming that invites us into creative responses of redistributive justice. Gina Bastone-Trevino wrestles with the Lord’s Prayer and a familiar parable in ways that stretch us during times of crisis. [Luke 11:1-10] Reflection What surprising strangeness can you find in re-reading the Lord’s prayer? What desire do you need to name to God, and […]
Stories tagged:
spiritual growth
Making the Invisible Visible
If we understand Jesus as making the invisible, visible, then how might that reshape our faith and lived experience? Gena St. David invites us into a conversation about how the incarnation impacts our own bodies and upsets patterns of retribution. [Colossians 1:15-20] Reflection What impact does reflecting on the incarnation have on your body? What qualities of God are reflected […]
Plummeting in God’s Love
This week’s Old Testament reading talks about setting a plumb line as a measurement against an unjust nation. Nicolas Acosta explores living a life rooted in prayer as a plumb line to anchor us in a chaotic world. [Amos 7:1-7] Reflection How can I find little moments to sink into God’s love live this week? How might God’s love anchor […]
What Gods We Trust
In a world enamored with violent power over others, ensuring security for only some, Christopher Mack shares an alternative empire defying wisdom from those on the margins. [2 Kings 5:1-14] Reflection Where might you glimpse God in the surprises, setbacks, and ordinary moments of your life? How might you listen to the wisdom of the marginalized this week? How can […]
The Face of Nonviolence
In a time of upheaval and in a culture of violence, Gena St.David guides us to consider how our spiritual community might become known for its immunity to violence through acts of creative confrontation, surprising defiance, and disruptive humor. [Luke 9:51-58]. Reflection What have we been taught about Jesus’ nonviolence? How does a passive understanding of “turn the other cheek” […]
Lamentations: An Act of Love + Liberation
On Juneteenth, Virginia Cumberbatch invites us into practices of acknowledgement, confession, and lament on our collective journey of liberation [Romans 5:1-5]. What might the church need to acknowledge before sojourning on its journey of reconciliation and justice? How might we individually and corporately consider lamenting racial injustice and collective harm? How can you lean into God’s definition of righteousness and […]
Bearing the Unbearable
This Trinity Sunday, Christopher Mack offers questions for reconsidering how the Triune Life of God invites us to strengthen our spirituality and our goodness toward others. [John 16:12-15]. Reflection As you prepare to approach the Table, where do you need grace to bear the seemingly unbearable? Where might God’s Triune Life guide you to trust your inner authority and discernment? […]