The Bible is everywhere in Western culture, in all of its beauty, and in all of its problematic imagery. Vince suggests some options for feeding life-giving applications of the Bible, and starving terrorizing applications of the Bible.
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Life is often found in tension -- holding together two things that seem opposed but actually need each other. This week, Kyle and Vince discuss the tension of pushing yourself AND giving yourself grace.
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Hayley Larson and Vince Brackett are suspicious of the way "power" is usually understood in religious settings. It can seem to evoke hierarchy, colonization, white supremacy, and a cold, removed God. But what is power if we start with the person and teaching of Jesus?
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For some of us, who grew up being taught "the Bible is without error", the violence attributed to God in the Bible presents major cognitive dissonance. For others of us, it doesn't feel quite so major, but it still doesn't make sense! If the Bible is a resource to the modern spiritual life and the pursuit of love and justice in the world (and we believe it is!), what on earth do we do with its violence?
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As we try to centralize the perspectives of oppressed voices on God and faith, part of what we must do is de-centralize the voices that have been dominant. Kyle, one of our pastors, shares some turning points in his life learning about God and faith, which each saw him leave behind a "God of the Powerful" and move closer to a "God of the Oppressed".
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Continuing our “God of the Oppressed” discussions, we learn from BLC's Linda Kim about seeing God from the perspective of a second-generation immigrant, formed by the overlap of family and environment.
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Kyle and Vince get excited when they discover that certain Biblical references may not be about what they’re popularly thought to be about in American culture. Because, despite all of the damage that is done when the Bible is misappropriated, it is (properly treated) a treasure trove!
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In our experience, the Bible is packed with relevancy and is an unmatched tool to help people connect with God. But, because it was written in a totally different time, culture, and context, its relevancy and helpfulness can often feel hard to access. We've found that our love for modern TV shows and movies (like, believe it or not, AMC's The Walking Dead) can help in this regard!
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Maybe the great gift of God is... well... God. Maybe experiencing God to be present with us and close to us -- whether in the midst of joys or pains -- is the greatest, most wonderful-feeling gift any of us could ever hope to receive.
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Who of us comes home from work after a day of petty and infuriating inconveniences involving other people and calls their friend or turns to their spouse and says: but, really, I was the one who made this day so hard for them? Probably none of us... But might we get more out of life learning to tell a more balanced story of ourselves and our lives? God inspired the Ancient Israelite authors of the Book of Exodus in just such a way...
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