Pod Be With You

It's been a minute. But we're back this week with a Bible Study about being lost and found, yearning after God, God yearning after us, and the places where we find love, divine and human. We'll explore a contemporary country music song, an ancient text about welcome, and the radical openness of God.

We're back after a two week hiatus to dive into the Book of Acts. This week, some stories about that fine line between doing the loving work of God in the world, and desiring to control what happens. Wisdom from the pages of the scripture that is as true today as it was 2000 years ago.

One half of the Indigo Girls and the Apostle Peter compose our power team this week, as we celebrate Pride Month by exploring the stories of same sex couples in our scriptures, and then dive headfirst into the wild, wonderful weirdness of the Book of Acts. From Ruth and Naomi to the strange, disturbing story of Ananias and Saphira, we cover a lot of ground this week.

It may not be OFFICIALLY summer yet, but we are kicking of our Summer Series' this week. For Aaron this looks like an exploration of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, a fascinating and important look at the origin of the Church, and the work of the Holy Spirit. For Paige, it's Summer Soundtrack, taking some of our favorite "non-church" songs as a lens through which to view the scriptures and our faith. Join us as we begin these journeys together!

Welcome to Pentecost - one of the most important days of the church year! (And one of the least celebrated, relegated as it is to late spring/early summer each year). We even make a (tenuous) argument that this is the moment it was all leading to: God with us at Christmas, Jesus faithful life and modeled ministry - all a way of calling all humanity into the work of God. Come and celebrate God's empowering, disrupting, guiding Spirit - and get inspired!

You can't have Pentecost until Jesus goes away...but what are we to make of this strange, shiny story about Christ being bodily taken up into heaven? On its face, it doesn't seem like there is much for us as 21st century Christians. But there is a tremendously practical level to this tale, where Jesus hands over the mission...and the authority...and the power...to his followers. Daunting, and exciting, and still a mystery as we work to do the work even today.

We're going to the Acts of the Apostles this week with the Apostle Paul, for one of the greatest sales pitches in all of history. Here we see an authentic, subtle, yet bold Paul making the claim that God is our source, our purpose, our goal, and our journey, all in one. It's a beautiful speech, with great ramifications for how we can be Christians in a multicultural, multireligious world.

The Realm of God is so expansive, and this passage is about that! (Among many other things.) Here we find Jesus saying "Goodbye" to the Disciples, reminding them they are not alone, or powerless, or lost, but rather that God resides in, among, and through them. A great collection of verses for any Sunday, but especially poignant on Confirmation, which many churches will be celebrating this Sunday.

One of the most enduring images of God in our scriptures is the image of God as our Shepherd...protecting us, nurturing us, guiding us, loving us. It is an image of relationship, of care, of familiarity. So this week, we dive into Psalm 23 and John 10:1-10 to explore that metaphor just a little bit, as we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday.

It's the second Sunday after Easter, and we are still exploring Resurrection Sunday with the story of Jesus joining the disciples on the road to Emmaus. We say it every week, but it is apt in this case...there's a lot going on here. From mystery, to the Holy Spirit, to the Law and the Prophets, to gathering around the Eucharistic Table, there are themes for days. Join us for a wide ranging discussion of liminality, life, death, and ministry.