Sorting or categorizing the world into good-bad or in-out is a deeply ingrained human behavior, evolutionarily, meant for protection from danger. But this instinct can easily turn into scapegoating or exclusion. Is the religion of Jesus just another example of that? Or can living it out push us beyond the in-out mentality? (Art: book cover of Scapegoats, by Jennifer Garcia Bashaw)
Read MoreHayley prepares us for our Lenten experiment of “giving up unhelpful beliefs” with a look at how healthy belief is an act of creative re-purposing. (Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash)
Read MoreVince continues our discussion of belonging, observing some of the things about modern life that leave us feeling less human, and casting a vision for a way churches (like BLC) can help us feel more human again through multi-generational community.
Read MoreHayley and Vince kick off our new series swapping stories of their worst and best experiences of trying to belong, and discussing the unique promises of belonging within Jesus-shaped community.
Read MoreConcluding our discussion of the modern experience of crushing, constant guilt, Hayley and Vince move us to the topic of grace: a close-relative of forgiveness, but also distinct in important ways.
Read MoreHayley begins our new series with a look at our community’s survey results on “religious language that has lost its meaning”, and a discussion of “God has a plan” language. (Image from Paul Sableman on Flickr)
Read MoreWhat does it mean to belong to ourselves and belong to one another? On the weekend of Juneteenth and Father's Day, we look to the words of writer Cole Arthur Riley as Hayley shares thoughts around being personally and communally well. (Image: cover art for “This Here Flesh” by Cole Arthur Riley)
Read MoreThe narrative of Mary Magdalene gives us a picture of Jesus meeting us within real and embodied pain. What can we learn by looking at the resurrection through the lens of those with a closer proximity to suffering? (Art by Kelly Latimore)
Read MoreFor our Easter reflection this year, Hayley is struck by the opening line from the Gospel of John's telling of Mary Magdalene's visit to Jesus' tomb on Easter morning: "While it was still dark..." (Art: "42. Resurrection" by He Qi)
Read More60% of American adults believe in the idea of soulmates, according to a recent YouGov poll. But romance can be a fickle, crappy, unforgiving thing to put one’s trust in. Unfortunately, much of American religion reinforces the belief that to be single is to be incomplete. How can a community like BLC counter such beliefs?
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