The Book of Psalms is filled with laments and cries for justice; for the brokenness in our human systems of justice to be made right. Psalm 82 makes clear that justice includes relief for people who are poor, widows, orphans, those who are sick, and oppressed people. This psalm puts ancient "gods" on trial and has implications for the way we live today. How do our cries for justice today function as prayers that respond to God?

The Book of Psalms contain Israel's ancient poems and prayers. How do we allow the Psalms to speak to us and for us? How do we embrace a faith the spans the spectrum of human emotion and experience? How can we use the Psalms as a response to God in all of life's circumstances?

What does it mean that there are four distinct accounts of the same Resurrection event in the Gospels? Why does the lectionary offer us a choice between two of these accounts each year on Easter Sunday? How do we embrace the truth of Resurrection while embracing the diversity of details recorded in Scripture and our own unique experiences?

As we enter into one of the most important seasons of the year for the Church (Holy Week), how might our perspective of what it means to be "Christian" shift when we realize the crowds chose palm branches over Jesus? What do the symbols Jesus chose teach us about the kind of Kingdom God is bringing to earth?

How do we feel about a God who sometimes waits to bring life out of death? How do we approach death and suffering even if we believe that life is somehow on the other side?

John 9 describes how Jesus healed a man who was born blind. In this story, the characters all have different assumptions about who is to blame and how God's justice works (or doesn't) in the world. How do we avoid keeping this story at arm's length and risk asking ourselves about the confidence with which we view the world? What if seeing the Kingdom of God isn't about being certain but asking the question, "What might this be?" How can we acknowledge our own imperfect vision and humbly embrace curiosity?

What if we've been reading the story about Jesus and the Samaritan woman incorrectly? What if this story isn't about a sinful woman's past but an influential woman's ability to help bring about the reconciliation of different people groups? How can we take the risk of seeing past our narrow categories and enter into deep relationships with others that can lead to healing?

John 3 recounts the mysterious conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. How do we embrace the reality that all we know is not all there is? How can we become more comfortable in our lack of knowing things? What do we risk by being born anew?

This week begins the first Sunday of the Lenten season, the forty days leading up to Easter Sunday. It is a time for reflection, fasting, and renewal. This week, we begin by asking ourselves about what kind of story we have landed in. If we enter the season of Lent with the proper attitude, what are we willing to risk? Will we trust God to rule and heal the world? Will we trust God to reveal who we truly are? Will we trust God for our security? Or will we succumb to the temptations for power and control over ourselves and others? Join us as we being this Risky Lent.

How do we exist as a church during and after a pandemic, deconstruction, and negative experiences with faith communities? What would it mean if we embraced an identity as exiles and refugees? What can two soccer clubs teach us about ownership and building community from the ground up for the sake of the community?