Exodus 5:1-5, 6:1-2

With all of the catastrophes happening in 2020, it feels like the apocalypse. However, all of the events that have occurred in 2020 are more like the Ten Plagues in the Book of Egypt. And despite what some good-natured Christian Americans may think, America is not God's chosen nation. In actuality, America is more like Egypt and the Great Plagues of 2020 are bringing upon a season of reckoning for this nation.

Mark 5:21-34

How has 2020 impacted your overall health? Your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. 2020 has proven to be a most difficult year for everyone. Several years from now, we may look back at this year and realize how lonely, anxious, or even depressed we were as a result of everything that’s happened so far. But the good news is, this is precisely why Jesus came into the world. Jesus came to heal you completely, not just cure one part of you. As my friend and colleague Bethany McKinney Fox once said, “Healing is not the same as curing.”

Genesis 1:1-27, Exodus 35:35, Ephesians 2:10

All human beings are created in God’s likeness. If God is the Great Creator, then every human is a creator. When we neglect our creativity, we suppress or ignore a deep part of our spirituality.

How are you taking care of yourself these days? Like REALLY taking care of yourself. Getting drunk, playing video games, and watching entertainment might be fun, but it’s not self-care. How are you taking care of your emotional and spiritual health? Lean in and listen as Al dialogues with his psychologist & therapist Dr. Carrie Ann Horn about the importance of loving yourself.

Psalm 42

Lament is a good and necessary emotion of love. Lamenting well is a lost spiritual practice in Western society, but why? There are some insidious ways we've been convinced by our culture that lamenting is a bad thing. But Jesus Christ knew how to lament well because He knew that lament was good for the soul. If we don't lament in healthy ways, it will come out in unhealthy ways like isolation, irritability, or violence. We are living in painful times right now and we need to lament well in order to get through difficulties better than before.

Matthew 14:22-33

Do you feel trapped on a little boat in the middle of the sea storm? This season of Covid, racial injustice, and economic collapse has made many people fearful for what's the come. But knowing that God is with us gives us a hope and assurance of the future despite the violent storm that surrounds us.

Micah 6:1-8

What does it mean to live justly? That's a harder question than you might think. Everyone wants justice, but the way people understand and define justice looks different. What's "just" for a White Supremest will look different from what's "just" for a BIPOC. But what does God have to say about justice? Because God cares deeply about justice, mercy, and humility, as we see in the ancient Book of Micah. And what God shared with the Israelites thousands of years ago is still very relevant for the American in June of 2020.

Luke 10:25-37

Proclaiming “Black Lives Matter” is good, but it’s not enough. Donating money to a cause is better, but it’s not justice fully realized. By looking at the example of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, we get a great example of what a 'neighbor of justice' looks like.

Various Passages

How has your relationship with your earthly dad impacted your view of God? For me, my dad was a disciplinarian, distant, and disinterested in my life unless I got in trouble, so that's how I viewed God. So the idea of God the Father was always difficult for me to embrace. That was until I realized that God was Father to the fatherless, God the Father is relational, and God the Father is present. In these chaotic and tumultuous times in our nation, God is the Father that this world so desperately needs.

Various Passages