Everyone would like to be a hospitable person. The problem is we live in a consumeristic world where if we can't even afford more and more material possessions, our smart phones are still consuming our time, attention, and energy. Genuine hospitality cannot come unless we center ourselves in abundance and gratitude, values that are antithetical to consumerism.

Gratitude may seem like a value we try to instill in our kids and don't realize the radical effect it can have in our lives. Our conversation today is centered in the idea that people genuinely have enough, but we live in such a consumerist time that we are tricked into believing we don't have all we need. Gratitude is that value that helps us remember each day that we have enough so then we can then be the hands of justice for those around us.

God has created life and instilled a theology of Abundance. Think of the manna in the desert, the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, the feeding of the 5,000, the pooling of resources and distribution as there was need. Yet, we have a created a society, not just of scarcity, but one that benefits off of scarcity, and thus, will inherently oppose abundance. But if God calls us to something different, perhaps the best place to start is a small, neighborhood, church community.

I have to apologize, we've had technical difficulties with our last two episodes and they weren't recorded. It's been an amazing series and we have our newest episode on Sabbath. One of the most radical notions in the Bible, and yet, because of our values as Americans, we've completely sanitized it. We discuss the radical nature of Sabbath in this episode and try to consider how Sabbath can offer us a response to such a fast-paced, consumerist world.

We continue our series on Slow Church, which is a response to the consumerist model of church that has developed in America over the last century. Today's conversation focuses on the ethical value of stability. To think of it better, stability is experienced when a person or a church establish roots and are able to experience the rhythms of the neighborhood in which they're in. To do this one must be open to both the environmental and cultural rhythms that are present, both something that consumerist church rejects.

We're starting a new series on a concept called Slow Church. It is a response to the consumerist, individualistic life of America in general, and the replicable, consumerist, American Church in particular. Slow Church calls us to understand the unique characteristics of the neighborhood in which our church is a part of and try to respond in that neighborhood primarily through love, service, and joy, as a opposed to works that almost solely focus on butts in pews and more dollars in offering plates.

Most of us grew up in the church being told to do what we're supposed to as Christians, without a second thought, almost as though the Church was banking on us not questioning who was telling us what the Bible said. Today we're going to ask the question, Why?, and ask it authentically.

Communal Intimacy is a phrase that is among the most oxymoronic with regard to the White American identity. As Americans we praise our individualism and encourage people to learn how to take care of themselves. However, research is pointing to the devastating affects this has on the human brain and psyche. Today's readings point at communal intimacy not only as a response to our rugged individualism, but as the norm for the Jesus movement--a way to participate in life that Jesus calls Heaven.

Christianity is not, and has never been, a religion centered in worship or a personal self-help guide. Today we hear a parable from Jesus directed at the Temple leaders for neglecting their responsibilities and the harsh consequences of that neglect. Ultimately, this points the finger at us and all Christianity today. Our conversation is centered in the implications of this parable both theologically and politically.

As Americans, many of us have been raised with the frame of mind that Christianity has an inward focus. It's about becoming personally okay with God so that I can go to heaven after I die. This mirrors the values we were raised with as Americans. Our readings today will not only challenge this notion, but point us to a simple, yet difficult frame of mind that ultimately would be the best thing for us individually.