How can we find and feel joy in a season when cynicism and frustration are an easier default setting?

Luke’s gospel pinpoints the birth of Christ and the message of John the Baptist in a particular point in history. The political, economic, social, and religious situation was one when many found themselves sitting within the darkness of the shadows of death. What did the incarnation of God coming to earth as a baby mean for that point in history? What does it mean for us now, in our context?

What does it mean to truly have deep hope in Advent? How can we be on guard in these times to find light and get into good trouble? What would something completely new look like in our lives?

Before we transition to following the lectionary for several months, we take time to reflect on where and how we locate ourselves spiritually. Our hope is that we become a community where time itself becomes an anchor in the life of Jesus.

The Book of Ruth is situated “in the days when the judges ruled” and presents an alternative narrative to the stories we read in our Judges study.

How can we allow dark stories to haunt us? Where are we contributing to the darkness of our world? How do we tell stories that transcend and shed light on the brokenness to bring healing?

What do we do when the things done in the name of religion are absurdly hilarious but practically unfunny? What keeps connected to God and others when the world around us is so dark?

How do we experience faith in the ambiguous? What do we do when we feel like God has let us down? How can we be sure that our ideas about God are the same thing as God, and how do we wrestle through this?

Judges 10-12 is a sad story. Sometimes we need help letting sad stories in our sacred text remain as sad stories. Ultimately our question this week is about who suffers and who is sacrificed in the process of religious and institutional battles?

Where is God's justice in the world and how do we account for the perceived lack of it? How can we view God without ascribing to God the same kinds of power we see in our world? How can we play our part in the world without seeking control and power?