Zao Church Collective

From dust we came, and to dust we shall return...

 

This is the refrain of the season of Lent, when we remember the weeks and days leading up to Jesus's death and resurrection. The humble and holy beginnings of human beings reminds us of our limitations, but also our connectedness to God, all of creation, and one another.

Jesus loved to eat, drink and party, but those in power judged and criticized him for it. John rejected material pleasure and raged against sin, but the people in power hated that too. When it feels like we just can't win, what's really going on?

 

Jesus invites us to eat, drink, dance, abstain, weep, and wail, and all the while wonder: if the tone police will never be pleased, should we just stop playing their games?

God is making a way of abundance, but it looks different from the opulence of capitalist empire. What do the margins know about abundance that those in power are unwilling to hear?

 

God provides enough for all now, speaks through the wisdom of those creating out of scraps, and promises that in the end, there is enough for all - even if the mighty must be cast down from their thrones to get there.

 

God is described as a "sheltering God," offering protection from harm. The scriptures call God's people to follow in Her example by being "a shelter to the outcast."

 

With so many wounded by systemic oppression, church and religious abuse, childhood and relationship trauma, and more, we are instructed to cling to and protect one another in the name of our sheltering God.

What are you sheltering from? How can you be a shelter to vulnerable others?

"Jesus loves you" falls pretty flat when it's spoken with hate, judgment, and condemnation. Though hyper-conservative Christians are the ones most often throwing around the term "false teaching," the scriptures actually warn us that evil teachings will harm the church and the people "through the hypocrisy of liars."

 

We'll dig into these warnings, including one that explicitly cautions against teachers who "forbid marriage" and don't understand or teach that "everything created by God is good."

This is the time of year when we shout out our hope, our confidence, our faith that good things are coming to all creation. The birth of Jesus is both a gift and an announcement - God is at work, here with us, and inviting us into changing the world.

 

Welcome to Advent, the season of waiting and anticipating. Even as the nights grow longer, God promises that the darkness is fertile grounds for hope, joy, peace, and love. Enter into the cold of winter with the warmth of community and the promises of new life to come.

We're learning about trauma that gets passed through generations, but what about the good stuff? God's promises are generational, too - love, hope, healing, and new life.

 

Welcome to Advent, the season of waiting and anticipating. Even as the nights grow longer, God promises that the darkness is fertile grounds for hope, joy, peace, and love. Enter into the cold of winter with the warmth of community and the promises of new life to come.

As we enter the darkest season, God invites us into surrender. How do we trust in the abundance that will see us through to the other side?

 

Welcome to Advent, the season of waiting and anticipating. Even as the nights grow longer, God promises that the darkness is fertile grounds for hope, joy, peace, and love. Enter into the cold of winter with the warmth of community and the promises of new life to come.