Risk is an inevitable part of our quest for fulfillment. However, as Jesus and the Samaritan woman demonstrate, if we are to change our present circumstance we must not be daunted by fear of taking those risks. These two essays from Howard Thurman's Inward Journey will help inform our conversation on Sunday. Some questions that I would love for us to discuss during our gathering are: What are some of the fears that arise within you when you make the decision to act in ways that resist cultural norms? (i.e. attending a LBGTQ affirming church despite push back from family). How do you work through those fears and decide to act?

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In today's Loft Conversations episode, discuss the problem with the idea that life is supposed to be free of all types of suffering. Who thought of this idea and who had it benefited, who has it harmed? And then we end our conversation discussing what a realistic utopia would look like.

After his baptism, Jesus continues his Inward Journey in the wilderness. Wandering alone, he spent time in prayer in fasting as he sought clarity about what the next steps in his ministry should be. This time in the wilderness gave him the opportunity to discern what a meaningful life would be for him. The quest for a meaningful life is as old as humanity. From Adam and Eve to Jesus to today, all human beings embark upon this quest. In his essay "When the Knowledge Comes" Howard Thurman invites us to consider how this quest is a perpetual journey from innocence to knowledge. As we continue our own inward journey during this season of Lent, we too should ask ourselves, what does a meaningful life look like for ourselves? When we quiet our minds to listen for and seek an answer, who are we listening to? How might we filter out the noise so that we can hear the prompting of the Spirit? www.TheLoftLA.org

It's the season of Lent, and in today's Loft Conversations episode, we discuss the importance of understanding Jesus the person by exploring the context of his community. How might his background as a poor Jewish subject of Roman colonial occupation have influenced his teachings? What does it mean to view Jesus as a religious subject vs. a religious object? And we end our conversation with a fascinating discussion on how class can inform our theology.

This Lenten season at The Loft will be a time of reflection and self-examination to prepare for the ministries that God has gifted and called us to live out, both as individuals and as a community. At its best, the spiritual path of Jesus is an Inward Journey that leads to profound transformation; his spiritual practices, boundary-crossing relationships, and social teachings reveal that his quest toward God set him on a path where he sought to liberate and heal his community from the trauma of empire. Where might this quest lead us today? This is the central question that will animate our conversations during this Lenten season. . The writings and teachings of Howard Thurman will help guide us on our Inward Journey. This Sunday's gathering will be informed by his essay "Jesus: An Interpretation" from Thurman's most popular book, Jesus and the Disinherited. The context surrounding Jesus' life was complicated by poverty and Roman colonial occupation. How might understanding his earthly background help us to recognize the importance of his baptism as a way to prepare for his time in the wilderness, his inward journey? www.TheLoftLA.org

In today's Loft Conversations episode, we discuss Rev. Dr. Carter's Black History and Theology sermon that he gave in The Sanctuary, Between The World & Me. We explore what it looks like for progressive Christians to take on the challenge that white supremacy poses to the religion of Jesus. We then discuss the conversations on art and theology that took place in The Loft. How does art help us connect to the Divine? Is all art inevitably theological or spiritual?

You can find the artwork of Liberty Worth at www.libertyworthart.com.

Today is Ash Wednesday, and it marks the beginning of Lent, a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation to sin - the temptation to love oneself more than your neighbor or God. This wilderness experience prepared him for his ministry. This podcast episode is an invitation for you to begin your Lenten journey by meditating on Jesus' time in the wilderness as a way of preparing us for our own Inward Journey during these weeks of Lent.

Given the history of racism and white supremacy within the Christian tradition and the rise of white Christian nationalism in our country, how and why do people of color even claim Christianity as their faith tradition? To be sure, many of us live with the awareness of a veil that exists between "us" and the world, and living with the awareness of this division is one of life's great challenges. The prophet Jeremiah tells us of the consequences of living behind a veil of ignorance, and the gospel of Jesus shows us what it requires of us to tear down the veil that divides us. www.TheLoftLA.org

For thousands of years, oral traditions and sacred texts were viewed as spiritual tools that helped individuals connect with the Divine and transcend themselves and their egos. And yet we know that "sacred" texts exist beyond our traditional religious texts and include literature, film, music and art. This Sunday we will explore the ways in which art can be a Divine expression. Kyle Abraham will be performing a dance and we will discuss the connection between dance and the sacred. Liberty Worth is a professional artist and we will be discussing her journey to seeing herself as an artist and the healing power of art. And lastly, Jay Worth works in the field of visual effects and his masters thesis focused on religion and art. Join us this Sunday for what will be an amazing worship experience. www.TheLoftLA.org

In today's Loft Conversations episode, we begin our conversation by discussing why we haven't been able to record for a few weeks - Rev. Dr. Carter has been traveling and traveling quite comfortably. After poking fun at Dr. Carter, we talk about the books, plays, musicals, films, and television shows that have deepened our notion of the Sacred.