Vinings Lake Church: Recent Episodes
Vinings Lake Church
Messages from Vinings Lake Church in Mableton, Georgia. Vinings Lake is an ever-evolving spiritual collective waking up to beauty, truth, and goodness wherever it is found. [ Service at 11:00 ]
This is our final teaching in the book of Revelation. In this final section, John extends an invitation into the new city to all those who are thirsty. Who does John see inside this city? Who is left out? The gates remain open. This is the ultimate ending with a picture of universal restoration.
In the final chapter of Revelation, John takes us back to Genesis 3 with an image of the tree of life. People in the new city are recovering their original goodness. The leaves on this tree are for the healing of the nations. In this new city, John sees no more pain and hurt but healing of all the harms that have been done and received.
When John describes a new city of Jerusalem, it is important to remember that the old city of Jerusalem has been largely leveled and burned some years before. This vision he gives us is deeply personal and the details inside that city matter to him. One of those details is a city with no temple and bright lights. Revelation 22 today.
John moves from pulling back the curtain on the “Eternal City” of Rome and gives us an image of what could be with the “Holy City” of the New Jerusalem. This week we look at the images and words John uses to describe what could be.
At exactly the moment these first century Jesus followers were feeling utterly powerless to change their fate, John shows them a realm where wholeness, harmony, health, bliss, peace, joy, justice, healing, and universal flourishing become a reality. The old Eternal City of Rome has ended to give room to the new Holy City of Jerusalem that is emerging.
The image of a throne is explicitly political in Revelation. It reflects the Roman Imperial Court. The first century Jesus followers knew something about standing before this throne for not participating in emperor worship. John subverts the image and reverses the roles. He portrays a judgment without partiality. This time it is all about actions.
All Empires will come to an end. Rome is no exception. We come to the place where the Roman empire collapses. This collapse of the old way of arranging the world gives room for the rise of a new way of arranging the world. Something has to end for something new to begin.
This week we get all the way into the depths of the weird, gory, and violent wrath of God as John portrays it through the seven bowls of judgement. Is Armageddon coming? Is Jesus coming back on a white horse to kill all those who rejected him? Let's get into it.
How about another week on the second beast? This week, we will explore a brief history of the church as it relates to the merging of empire + religion. We look at Constantine and his use of Christianity in (306-337). What can we learn from our history and how John understood the repercussions of the Jesus movement intertwining with the empire?
This week we look at the second beast, or the beast of the land. John describes this beast as one that has the appearance of a lamb but the actions of the dragon. From the first century world to our American world, we will examine the rise of Christian Nationalism to see if there are any parallels.
Is The Anti-Christ coming? Is he already here? Is the mark of the beast coming? Is it already here? These questions have been speculated for thousands of years. Today, we look at Revelation 13, the primary source for much of these speculations. How would the first audience have understood this story?
Hail, fire, blood, scorched earth, scorpions, locusts with lions teeth, two-hundred million troops, plagues, serpents, falling stars, bottomless pit, mountains thrown into sea, Wormwood, eagles, fire breathing horses like lions, China, Russia, and India. We are into the thick of Revelation and it is NOT a prediction about what is to come.
As John breaks the seven seals, what He uncovers might surprise you. The empire is not as secure and stable as it might appear. John is intentionally shaking the foundation of our security. He is not trying to induce anxiety but he is inviting us to trust in the salvation of something greater.
The creative artist John sets up the reader with an expectation of a fierce, violent, and ferocious lion coming to save the day. Just when you think the warrior is arriving, John surprises us with an image of a slaughtered lamb coming to save the day. This is about deconstructing notions of power.
Let's talk about the rapture. A word or concept found nowhere in the Bible. Yet, many believe and wait for the moment when all christians will be caught up in the air to meet Jesus and leave behind all non-Christians. Which leads us to some questions, where did the concept come from? Does Revelation even hint at it? And who cares if people believe in a rapture? Why does it even matter?
This week we visit the spiritual collective @ Laodicea. You know the one? They are lukewarm and getting spewed out of God's mouth. Does that ring a bell? It is a strong image. But what is behind it? Turns out John is serious about those who have gotten too comfortable inside the empire. John calls them to open their blind eyes to the reality of the empire.
John begins his specific address to the seven spiritual collectives in Asia Minor. The collective at Ephesus is praised for their willingness to accept the cost of calling out those who have willingly aligned with the empire. But he also pleads with them to make sure their work of justice is centered and grounded in love.
To know what the text means you have to first know what the text meant. Let’s go deep into the historical context of Revelation. Then let's go deep into the literary context John is using. What do we discover? Not simply history but our own stories inside of this first century story.
Today we begin our series on Revelation with a simple yet profound truth.
Revelation is not a prediction about the end of the world. Revelation is about the uncovering of things that were hidden. Revelation is not written to us in 2025. Revelation was written to people in the first century living under the boot of the Roman Empire. It is in this context, we discover EVERYTHING REVEALED.
In Romans, Paul arms us with weapons of peace. He invites us to consider overcoming evil with good. The result? We will “heap burning coals on their heads.” What does that mean? I believe the answer can best be summed up in what Dr. King called, “A Double Victory.”
The Book of Romans has become a domesticated letter about individualistic salvation and personal righteousness. But Paul isn’t writing systematic theology here. Romans is indeed about salvation, but it is salvation from real forces of evil. Paul outlines very tangible ways that his community can be a peacemaker in the face of evil. What are we supposed to do with all this evil? What do I do when treated unjustly? How to behave in the face of injustice? How do we overcome evil?
Can conflict be healthy? Can conflict be a doorway to transformation? Today, we explore how the collective at Ephesus found themselves in some serious conflict which leads to a major disruption. But it’s in the midst of the conflict and disruption that something is birthed. The author calls it, ONE NEW HUMANITY.
Central to the human experience is pain and suffering. Last week we explored the question of WHY THIS? This week we will explore the question, WHAT NOW? What do you do when you are inside the pain? Is there a distinction between pain and suffering? Is suffering inevitable? How can we go through pain without being overcome by it?
Why? That is the question. Why is there pain and suffering in the world? Where is the Divine? And what about all those clutches like “God is still on the throne” “God is in control” “Everything happens for a reason” and “His ways are not our ways.” Today we talk about pain and suffering.
There are 8.2 billion humans in the world. There are 345 million humans in the United States. That is a lot of diversity, beliefs, prejudices, convictions, worldviews, values, and agendas. How are we ever going to live together? How will we ever organize ourselves? Today, we talk about politics, tension, and a new way to be human.
Dr Susan David said, “We don’t experience emotions about things we don’t care about.” If this is true, then it leads to a question, what could our emotions be communicating to us? Could that answer tell us something about our purpose and meaning in the world? Today, we will explore emotions as a language of the soul.
Are feelings reliable? Do they always tell the truth? Can our emotions be trusted? Can we experience emotions without being controlled by them? Perhaps so, IF we recognize the space between who we are and what we feel. Today, we talk about emotional maturity.
We don't have to be afraid to feel. We do not have to ignore emotions. We do not have to bottle emotions. We do not have to numb emotions. We do not have to minimize emotions. We do not have to deny emotions. We don’t have to apologize for our emotions. To feel is to be human.
If I am not what I have, what I do, or what I think, then the question remains, Who am I? To get at this question, we must ask ourselves who is asking the question. Because whoever is asking, might very well be the answer to the question. Today, we will explore what has been called the true self, awareness, consciousness, the DEEP I, soul, pure being, essence, or the eternal you. This awareness has been overlooked not because it is inaccessible but because it is so intimate we hardly recognize it.
There is a monumental shift taking place in our time in regard to what it means to be human. This Copernicus like shift has the potential to move the human species into new levels of consciousness. What is that shift? It is an awareness and awakening to the “I” behind the question, Who am I? Because it turns out, I am not who I THINK I am.
This is the first time being you, first time being me, and our first time being human. If that isn’t confusing enough, we arrived here with no manual to be human. Which leads to some questions? How do we know how to be human? What does it mean to be human? As we begin this new series, today we start with a simple yet profound and largely forgotten truth; it is good to be human.
Our experience of LOVE, as amazing as it is, is incomplete. But soon, we will experience perfect love fully. Eugene Peterson writes it this way, “We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines brightly.” Until that day, Paul implores this collective to pursue love.
Love is eternal. It was the energy present at the Big bang, it is the source and sustainer of all that is, and it will be present when everything else fades. This is why, in the end, what matters most will be love. We will never regret choosing the path of love. So the question is, what are we giving our energies to? In the end, love will be all that remains.
Paul comes to his crescendo in 1 Corinthians 13 by using a rhythm, flow, and words with punch and power. Paul wants to set the house on fire with a closing description about love. What does he say? Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things! Paul wants this collective to know, the love he is writing about is tenacious. This love is strong.
In 1943, an American psychologist named Abraham Maslow published a paper in an academic journal that attempted to describe the universal pattern of human motivations. He essentially ranked the most fundamental human needs and ordered them into a pyramid that has become famously known as “Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.” Maslow observed that the human need for belonging ranked third, just under survival and safety. What does it mean to belong? And what does it look like for spiritual collectives to become a place of belonging?
Ever heard this phrase? “I’m just speaking the truth in love.” How about this one? “Love without truth affirms us but denies our flaws. Truth without love has no compassion for the person's flaws.” Today, we talk about the relationship between truth + love. Is there a difference? Is love opposed to truth? Is love an enemy to truth? What if there is no tension between truth and love? What if love is the highest form of truth?
Do you know someone who every time a name is mentioned it is followed by what wrongs that person did? Imagine being reminded of your worst moment again and again and again. Why do we do this? Many reasons, but one reason might be because we are operating in a wounded framework. Paul reminds us, love doesn’t keep score. Love is not playing that game. You don’t have to either. Liberation awaits.
Love does not insist on its own way. These words are what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 about his experience with love. In context, this “insisting on its own way” has to do with a specific issue in the Corinth collective. While some insisted their way was the only way, Paul reminds them, love is not selfish, but is concerned about the wellbeing and flourishing of others. Perhaps the question for us is, how much of our lives do we spend working for the flourishing and wellbeing of others?
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul uses fifteen verbs to describe LOVE. Of those fifteen, seven are used to describe what love is not. Today, we explore how love is not envious, arrogant, boastful, or rude. These behaviors are the opposite of what love is. They also happen to be the characteristics of this Corinthian community. What do we do when our actions are not displaying love? Perhaps the answer is in fact, LOVE.
In an age when vitriol, slander, and meanness are the standard for what it means to be human, we must ask, where is the kindness? And why does it seem those who profess to be the most spiritual, are often the most unkind? Today, we look at another profound descriptor Paul gives to love; love is kind. This kindness is present even in our unkindness. This kindness embraces us exactly as we are. This kindness slowly transforms our unkindness and shows us a new path forward that can lead to universal human flourishing.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul describes LOVE with 15 verbs. Some are positive and others are negative. Today we will look at his first descriptor; Love is patient. In a culture where we are conditioned to be hurried, frantic, and anxious about life, love beckons us to a new dimension that is outside of the space time continuum. A place of peace and presence. Love is never rushed. Love is never late. Love is present with us always.
How do you define love? Most people define love in the traditional ways they have experienced love. Love is understood to be an emotion, infatuation, or an intense feeling of deep affection. These understandings are all transformative in and of themselves. But what if there was a LOVE behind these experiences of love? What if these experiences of love emanate from a deep source of LOVE. Today, we will take a step closer to the Love behind the Love.
What does spiritual health and maturity look like? How can you measure your own spiritual depth? Is it by how often we attend a spiritual collective? How often do we read the Bible, pray, or discuss our beliefs? Today, we began our walk through 1 Corinthians 13. Paul opens this profound chapter by giving us a new metric. The essence of a healthy and mature spirituality is how well we love.
John 14:6 has become a prooftext for many to exclude any religion that isn't Christianity. Is Jesus the only way to God? What does that mean? Can other religions lead to the Divine? What did Jesus mean when he said, I am the way? Last week we set the context. This week we get into the words.
Can one know the way, the truth, and the life apart from Jesus? Are there many ways to God? Can other religions lead to the Divine? Is Jesus the only way? And the way to what? John 14:6 is the answer to all these questions for many. Today, we will get into this infamous verse. Could this prooftext for exclusivity, actually be about inclusivity?
Matthew 28 has become known as the impetus for the expansion of Christianity. But what did Matthew have in mind when he was writing this? This week, we will walk through these final words of Jesus and explore what they could mean for us. What if the Great Commission is not about expanding Christianity? What if power, domination, and proselytizing is not what Jesus had in mind? What if we have been reading this commission through the lens of the empire? What if the Great commission is about resistance to the Empire?
In 2018, American evangelical Christian missionary, John Allen Chau was killed by the Sentinelese after illegally traveling to their isolated island to convert this indigenous group to Christianity. Chau, like many evangelicals, received his missionary calling from what has been called, the Great Commission, in Matthew 28. But is this what Jesus had in mind? Is this what Matthew had in mind? Is the Great Commission a call to colonization? What is the difference? Let’s talk about it.
Bar Mitzvahs, graduations, weddings, and funerals all mark a significant stage in someone’s life. But what about Baptism? This ancient rite of passage has been given many meanings over the years. This week, we will look at some of those meanings. Can baptism still be a meaningful ritual for us today? What might it mean for us today?
If you grew up evangelical, you know about, “The Sinner's Prayer.” Romans 9:10-11 is usually the prooftext for this prayer. Today, we are exploring this passage in its larger context of Paul's extended riff (9-11). It turns out, the very thing Paul is arguing for, salvation by faith not works, is the very thing the sinners prayer has become, a work. The good news is that there are no requirements to be a child of God. To emphasize this full inclusion, Paul closes his argument with a hymn of euphoric praise, “For from him and through him and to him are ALL things.”
Today we take a deep dive into one of the prooftext for original sin, Genesis 3. This story is typically described as a falling down but perhaps it can be better understood as a waking up. Just as the eyes of Adam and Eve are opened, so our eyes will be opened to the good news that lies at the heart of this story.
Central to the evangelical notion of salvation is original sin. The belief that humans are born broken, flawed, and separated from God. One prooftext is Genesis 3. Turns out, just as Adam and Eve were lied to in the story, we were lied to about the story. Original sin is nowhere to be found. What can be found? The fundamental truth that the core of our being is not opposed to God but made in the image of God.
We are given three images in the Old Testament of salvation. The first is in Exodus. Here, Salvation is about liberation. The second is in Isaiah. Here, salvation is about return from exile. Third is in Psalms. Here, salvation is about enemies. All of these are about something concrete, real, literal, present, here and now. What does this mean for us? James Cone said it best, “To see the salvation of God is to see this people rise up against its oppressors, demanding that justice become a reality now, not tomorrow.”
Have you been saved? Have you accepted Jesus into your heart? Have you trusted Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? If you grew up evangelical, you know these were the most important questions you could ever ask. So much so, that many people spent their days obsessively, anxiously, and frequently reciting a sinner's prayer to be sure they were saved. We now know this is called scrupulosity. Today, we will talk about this religious OCD and how to begin the process of healing.
We sit down with author and speaker Felicia Murrell to discuss her new book, AND: The Restorative Power of Love in an Either/Or World. IN an election year where sides are being demanded, Felicia offers a third way. She proposes the way of Love that shatters all categories of left and right. Is it any wonder, Jesus said, narrow is the way that leads to life? You can purchase Felicia’s new book anywhere books are sold.
Ever heard the phrase, “Thoughts and Prayers?” Do you cringe at the sound of it? I am almost certain this expression began from a sincere place of sympathy.
But overtime, it has become a trite, empty, and meaningless cliché. Why? Because it has become a substitute for responsibility.
Today, we talk about prayer not as a substitute for responsibility, but an invitation into responsibility.
Our friend Shane Claiborne sums it up best, “If we ask God to move a mountain, God often gives us a shovel.”
It’s easy to lose connection to the sacredness, depth, vitality, wonder, and meaning of life. Many of us unconsciously get caught up with everyday demands and lose sight of the magic and point of it all. But what if we could pull ourselves out of ourselves from time to time? What if we could regularly reconnect with source, sacredness, depth, and meaning? Today, I want to show you how to do that. Today, we will talk about prayer as a practice of grounding.
What would it look like to think about prayer as a kind of listening, to the world, to one another, to the Divine? How can we let go of our small agendas and listen for a bigger story, what Thomas Merton calls the "general dance?" How can we learn to pay attention, as an act of prayer, rather than just thinking about prayer as using words to address God?
Everything is energy. All energy creates vibrations at different frequencies. When we speak a word, it vibrates at a certain frequency. This is not psychology but physics. Now, what if prayer was no exception to this reality. What if prayer is not just about the horizontal but the vertical? What if our praying has been facing one direction for too long? What if prayer is more about sending and receiving energies with others and not trying to persuade or manipulate the Divine? What if we all had more power than we realize?
What if prayer could be a practice of lament? An intentional time of ripping our heart open and giving language to that which lurks inside your internal universe. What if prayer could be naming the anger, rage, joy, and pain within you. Perhaps this type of expression could get us one step closer to finding release. This week we examine the most common type of Psalm from ancient Israel, the Lament Psalms. Perhaps it leads us to our own practice of lament.
What is prayer? What is the purpose of prayer? How does it work? Do you pray? What do you pray for? Can prayer change things? If not, why do we do it? Does prayer change Gods mind? Does God answer prayer sometimes but not all the time? Have you ever prayed for someone or something and it didn’t happen? Are miracles dependent on prayer? If so, what is the criteria? How sincere the prayer is? How often we pray? How many people we have praying? Is prayer about convincing, persuading, or manipulating God to do something? Is prayer an empty ritual that exist for a magical/mythical time of consciousness? Is there a way to approach prayer and talk about prayer differently than we have? Can prayer still be a meaning, helpful and transformative practice for us? Today we are simply opening the door to this complicated ancient practice called prayer.
Many of us grew up with a particliuar image of Mary. She appears docile, meek, mild mannered like she is posing for the cover of hearth & home as a voiceless virgin passively sitting amongst fluffy sheep. But this image is not the image we are given in the narrative. It appears we have Mary all wrong. Today we will begin the process of shattering the porcelain Mary we were handed. We will begin to discover a Mary who was in fact the mother of a revolution.
What were you taught about heaven? Many of us were taught that heaven is an ethereal, intangible, & immaterial place that sits somewhere above us. When we die a very small group of people will go there to live in their mansion forever. Once there, we will wear white robes, sit on clouds, play harps, and sing Chris Tomlin songs forever and ever. But these images are the opposite of what the Biblical writers portray to us. For them, heaven is not somewhere else. Heaven is among us, within us, around us, and a present reality.
Will there be a Judgement Day when we die? Will all the wrongs be made right? Will everything that was done in the darkness be brought into the light? There is a primal impulse within all of us for people to get what they deserve. But what about the litany of ways we have contributed to the heartbreak around us? Could the desire for judgement actually be a desire for justice? Could our understanding of justice be limited to a punitive understanding? To get at this we obviously need to talk about sheep and goats first.
Jesus once said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Is Jesus talking about eternal conscious torment? Did He talk more about hell than any other subject? And what do we do about the part of tearing are eye out? Is this hyperbole? Is this literal? Let's get into it.
The English word “hell” is used roughly twelve times in the New Testament. Almost all those occasions are exclusively by Jesus himself. In one place Jesus says, “If you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire” (Mark 9:47). What does Jesus mean by this? To get at it, we must know something about the valley of Hinnom. Never heard of it? Come find out all about it. Today, we talk about Hell + New Testament.
Is Hell in the Old Testament? Why do some translations have hell in the O.T. but others do not? What did the ancient Israelites believe about the afterlife? Were they concerned about life after death? Is there any evidence they believe in life after death? How did their Egyptians neighbors influence their understanding? This week we talk about Sheol, ancient Egyptian texts, King James, Jerome, and what ancient Israel believed about the afterlife.
Can a loving God send some to eternal torment? One response I’ve heard, “God doesn’t send anyone to hell, we send ourselves there.” Can you feel the strain in this response to absolve God of all responsibility. Why? Perhaps, it's because deep down in all of us, we intuitively know someone burning forever and ever in conscious torment is immoral no matter how evil they might be. Today we talk about the morality and ethics of everlasting torment. What does Hell say about character of God?
Vision is what you want to accomplish. Mission is how you will get there. Too many companies have vision but have no idea how to accomplish that vision. Today we will talk about how we intend to accomplish our ONE thing of creating a wake up space for the world. Join us for VL 17.0- How will we do this?
In the past, our collective stretched itself thin trying to conform to all the expectations of what VL should be doing. As a result, we were unremarkable at many things. Over the last year, we have gotten clear on who we are and why we are here. Today, we want to show and tell you this ONE THING. All our energies are dialed in and we are unapologetically focused on the work we are here to do. What is that work? Find out in today’s sermon, What are we doing here?
In Acts 21, Paul is asked, "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorist out into the wilderness some time ago?”
Paul’s response… um no, where did you hear that? How great is that story? Paul then goes on an extended riff about who he is. In today’s sermon, we cut through all the ambiguity and give you as much church clarity as we know. This is the final installment of question one- Who is VL?
The worlds largest religion is declining on an epic scale. Religious organizations are doing everything they can to keep it all alive. Clever marketing, compelling language, good music, great coffee, and top notch kids programs are an attempt to turn the tide. But many religious leaders feel as though they are doing hospice work for the church. Maybe they are on to something? Maybe it feels like a death, because it is a death? Maybe the work is to let it die? Today, we are talking about new wine + new wineskins.
In 1955, New Hope Baptist Church began on the outskirts of Atlanta.
In 2006, New Hope Baptist Church became Vinings Lake Baptist Church.
In 2008, Vinings Lake Baptist Church became Vinings Lake Church.
We were a traditional Baptist church
We were a contemporary Baptist church
We were a non-denominational church
We were a progressive christian church.
We are not who we were.
We are an ever-evolving spiritual collective.
Whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origins, or you have a curious skepticism about organized religion, you are welcome to join us as we hit the reset button yet again. Welcome to VL 17.0
Fear is the epicenter of the religious industrial complex. Remove fear and you bankrupt the business. Demolish many churches and you will discover it's built on the foundation of fear. Fear as a motivator is in more than just the religious realm. We see it in politics, click-bate tweets (now threads), and finance. Everyone knows the power of fear. But what does using fear as a weapon say about the message, person, or institution peddling the fear? It tells us how uninteresting the actual product, message, or person is. Is the reason we rely on fear is because we have forgotten about the intoxicating transforming power of love? Today we talk about a perfect love that cast out fear.
Fear is the epicenter of the religious industrial complex. Remove fear and you bankrupt the business. Demolish many churches and you will discover it's built on the foundation of fear. Fear as a motivator is in more than just the religious realm. We see it in politics, click-bate tweets (now threads), and finance. Everyone knows the power of fear. But what does using fear as a weapon say about the message, person, or institution peddling the fear? It tells us how uninteresting the actual product, message, or person is. Is the reason we rely on fear is because we have forgotten about the intoxicating transforming power of love? Today we talk about a perfect love that cast out fear.
Fear is the epicenter of the religious industrial complex. Remove fear and you bankrupt the business. Demolish many churches and you will discover it's built on the foundation of fear. Fear as a motivator is in more than just the religious realm. We see it in politics, click-bate tweets (now threads), and finance. Everyone knows the power of fear. But what does using fear as a weapon say about the message, person, or institution peddling the fear? It tells us how uninteresting the actual product, message, or person is. What is the reason we rely on fear is because we have forgotten about the intoxicating transforming power of love? Today we talk about a perfect love that cast out fear.
What is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in between.
What is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in between.
What is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in between.
What is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in between.
What is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in between.
What is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in between.
The first century writers use sacrificial language to give theological meaning to the death of Jesus. This week we are asking one question that requires contemplation: Outside of temple language like debt, atonement, sin, blood sacrifice, and forgiveness, what does Jesus’ death mean for us?
After Jesus was killed, his followers struggled to make sense of what just happened. Many in the first century began to make theological claims about the significance of Jesus’ death. One of those claims comes from a sermon found in Hebrews. The author writes, “Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice.” This week I want us to see how this revolutionary idea was a giant leap in human consciousness during this time.
What have you been taught about the death of Jesus? What were you told happened on that iconic cross? This week, we begin with the actual story of Jesus’ death. Before all the theological meanings there is the historical meaning. Why did Jesus die? Historical speaking, the cause of Jesus’ death is not a mystery. He did not die for sin, He died from sin.
The entire framework of waking up, growing up, and cleaning up is just an intentional way to become and remain a fully-integrated human. We practice these actions so that we will “show up” in all of our glory as a true emanation of the Divine Source. So that human flourishing will come to fruition in ourselves, our collective, and our world. This week, we end our series by SHOWING UP.
We live in two dimensions. Some call this, the upper and underworld, the vertical and horizontal plane, or the conscious and unconscious realm. I call it the external and internal universe. The external universe is what is happening around you. The internal universe is what is happening in you. This Sunday, I want to share about my trips to my internal universe. By doing so, I hope to inspire you to take your own journey. Maybe we will come to find the words of Jospeh Campbell to be true; “The very cave you are afraid to enter, turns out to be the source of what you are looking for.”
Swiss psychologist Carl Jung gave language to a part of our internal landscape he called “The Shadow.” Though this metaphor is contemporary, the concept behind it can be found in most wisdom traditions. Long before Jung, Jesus illustrated this very idea through Greco-Roman theatre and hyperbole. After his vivid presentation, he calls his audience into what can feel like a terrifying, ominous, and unknown task. He calls them to hunt for their own shadow.
Is there a difference between waking up and growing up? Is it possible to have seen the light yet remain spiritually undeveloped? Have you ever met an immature guru? In my experience, the greatest hinderance to our further growth can be our previous awakening. Said another way, waking up cannot substitute for growing up. This week we look at the second criteria for a fully integrated life, Growing Up.
Have you ever had an awakening experience? How did it happen? Was it something you read, someone you met, somewhere you went? How would you describe this awakening? Was it disorienting, calming, affirming, terrifying? The very phrase “waking up" is a metaphor explaining something that has happened to us, in us, among us, through us. But what is it exactly? What does it mean to wake up? Wilber's first criteria to a fully integrated life: Waking Up.
Something new is being birthed in and through Matthew’s collective. We asked, what is the new thing that wants to come through our collective? Rest assured, with all new ideas, perspectives, and dreams there will be opposition. Someone (Herod/Empire) has a vested interest in keeping things just as they are. Matthew’s community knows this well, as they dodge the Imperial threats. But along the way, they are visited by the most unexpected people, Magi/Astrologers. These foreign religious astrologers surprise the family with GIFTS that ultimately fuel the new path they have set out for. May we all keep our eyes opened for our Magis as we continue to give birth to the new.
The image of Mary giving birth to Christ has captured our attention for a couple thousand years. The Divine is showing us He is at work in and through the human. For Matthew’s audience, this image would have taken on personal meaning. Births are messy, painful, and often involve stretching. His community knows this experience all too well. Like a birth doula, Joseph courageously agrees to assist. What is the new thing trying to come forth from the heart of our community? What if, like Joseph, we helped each other give birth to what is within us? Let’s do that.
Is the Bible true? Are the Genesis creation accounts true? What about Jonah? I suppose we would have to ask, what do we mean by true? Which leads us to another question, is there more than one kind of truth? This week we will explore how to read the Bible literately (not literally). Maybe these authors are more interested in us engaging their stories than believing them?
Every act of reading is an act of interpretation. Everyone interprets. No one interpretation is objective. Everyone interprets with opinions and bias. This is why some readings lead to life while others lead to death. The question we are asking is, Are we aware of our own social location when reading the scripture? Are we aware of what factors we rely on that lead to our interpretations? This week we will talk about the many sources that lead to our interpretations. Just in time for family thanksgiving!
I often hear Christians use the phrase “The Bible Says.” While this is a useful metaphor for some, it can also lead to problems. The Bible doesn’t say anything, it reads. And every act of reading is an act of interpreting. Somebody somewhere has to make decisions about its meaning. We all do it. There is no way around it. It’s why scripture has been used to heal and harm, liberate and oppress, and redeem and destroy. This week we will open the door to the art of interpretation.
In 2 Samuel 24:1, God tells David to count the people of Israel. That same story as recorded in 1 Chronicles 21, Satan tells David to count the people of Israel. Which one is it? This is one a hundreds of example of how messy the Bible is. I mean who actually killed Goliath? Turns out the Bible is not very clear. I know! This week we explore the grey letters of the Bible. What do we do with all the contradictions, inconsistencies, and tensions? And how can something this inconsistent be our guide? What does this say about the kind of Bible we have?
This week we’re asking the question: Is the Bible the Word of God? If so, then what do you do with all the parts of the Bible that are bad, wrong, and immoral? Are all the words of the Bible God’s words? If not, how do we decide what is God and what is not? Who gets to make those decisions? If not, then how is this book any different from any other book? And why for thousands of years do people keep encountering the Divine in this library?
This week we begin with the question of origin. Where did the Bible come from? Did it fall out of the sky on two tablets while various writers got possessed by the Spirit and translated these tablets into our Old and New Testament? Why do Catholics and Orthodox Bibles have more books than the Protestant Bible? Who decided which books made it in and which books did not? What is the cannon? Did God write the Bible or did humans write it? Did God command genocide or did a community say God commanded genocide?
I was taught I had to overcome my fears. I was taught I need to have no fear. But the more I tried to overcome it, the more paralyzed I became by it. What if there is another way to approach our fear? What if instead of overcoming our fear we learned to integrate fear? What if fear has a proper place with all of us? Perhaps that might calm those fears down and maybe even calm ourselves down.
Anxiety has become my greatest professor. Anxiety has transformed me. Anxiety is transforming me. It is removing my heart of stone. And giving me a heart of flesh. My experience is that great love and great suffering transforms us the most. What if instead of getting rid of our anxiety, we leaned in and listened to what it is showing us? What if we went on the journey with it? What would we learn?
From guarantees to Hail Marys, I tried anything to turn down my anxiety. Some were helpful others were not. I’ve concluded: There is no magic bullet for anxiety. In my experience, it takes hard work over time to get inside, underneath, and on top of anxiety. And this difficult work has changed the way I see anxiety. And how we see anxiety can greatly effect how we experience anxiety.
Anxiety has been a part of my life since my earliest memories. I have not always known this. But now that I do, it helps resolve some of the disorientation and shame I carried for years. This week I want to share my experience with anxiety, more specifically living life with a panic disorder. Why now? Because we are living in the age of debilitating anxiety. And because exposing and normalizing anxiety helps reduce its power. Plus, I’ve been collecting tools, wisdom, stories, and practices that might just help reduce the anxiety in you. It all begins in a 1979 red Corvette.
Do you ever feel the heaviness of how broken the world is? Have you ever felt stuck under that burden and weight? It begs the question, How did Jesus work for transformation within the heaviness of all the suffering, pain, and injustice yet not be overcome by the weight of it all? In Matthew, Jesus not only gives us insight into this lightness, He invites us into it. We can work WITHIN the heaviness yet FROM and IN and WITH a lightness. I can feel the weight being lifted already.
Paul makes one basic observation about how he understands the natural order of the universe: we reap what we sow. For some, this is understood as a threat. For Paul, it was understood as a hope. For all those who have grown weary, fatigued, depleted, and burnt-out working for beauty, truth, and goodness, do not give up! The process of cultivating a new earth is arduous at times, but it is not in vain. If we continue to sow love, joy, and peace, we will inevitably reap a world where universal flourishing is a reality.
The U.S. has averaged over eleven mass shootings per week in 2022. At least 344 people have been killed and almost 1,400 wounded. Is this the kind of world we want to live in? What if I told you we get to create the world we want to live in? Last week we looked at imagination. This week we move to integration. The prophet Micah uses the image of beating swords into plowshares to evoke the process of transformation. Instruments of death are transformed into instruments of life. Today we talk about guns + hearts.
What kind of a world do we want to live in? This is the crucial question of our time. Our world is not fixed, static, or finished. To the contrary, it is evolving, unfolding, and malleable. The point? We get to create the world we want to live in. In this series, I want to evoke a collective consciousness that transcends our status quo. I want us to propose a future that seems unthinkable to the dominant reality. My hope is that together we can nurture imagination and inspire integration for a new earth. My passion is that we get caught up in a vision of what could be.
Stephen is considered the first martyr of the early Jesus movement. His story is recorded in the book of Acts 6-7. Like the book of Acts, Stephen’s story is one of motion and progress. He is caught up in a movement that is expanding, growing, and stretching. Stephen finds himself challenging the status quo by critiquing the temple which he says, “Cannot contain the Divine.” But this message was too much for many. As a result, he is martyred for his efforts in the great expansion. His persecution becomes the very story that moves the early Jesus people away from Jerusalem and out to the ends of the earth.
Stephen is considered the first martyr of the early Jesus movement. His story is recorded in the book of Acts 6-7. Like the book of Acts, Stephen’s story is one of motion and progress. He is caught up in a movement that is expanding, growing, and stretching. Stephen finds himself challenging the status quo by critiquing the temple which he says, “Cannot contain the Divine.” But this message was too much for many. As a result, he is martyred for his efforts in the great expansion. His persecution becomes the very story that moves the early Jesus people away from Jerusalem and out to the ends of the earth.
Stephen is considered the first martyr of the early Jesus movement. His story is recorded in the book of Acts 6-7. Like the book of Acts, Stephen’s story is one of motion and progress. He is caught up in a movement that is expanding, growing, and stretching. Stephen finds himself challenging the status quo by critiquing the temple which he says, “Cannot contain the Divine.” But this message was too much for many. As a result, he is martyred for his efforts in the great expansion. His persecution becomes the very story that moves the early Jesus people away from Jerusalem and out to the ends of the earth.
Perpetua (182-203) is a twenty-one-year-old mother from the Roman city of Carthage. In The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas, we find a first-person diary from Perpetua herself that describes her arrest and life leading up to the day before her execution. In her diary, she transparently writes about her anxiety, grief, and joy that all sit side by side. At one point, in referencing her prison cell she writes, “The dungeon became to me as it were a palace, so that I preferred being there.” Her story is widespread has inspired and strengthened weary communities for centuries to continue to bear witness to the rule of God.
St. Polycarp (69-155) was a bishop of the city of Smyrna (modern day Turkey). Tradition tells us Polycarp refused to burn incense to Ceasar during a ceremony. After a series of bribes and threats by the empire, he simply replied, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” As a result, this eighty-six-year-old man was led into a stadium and martyred Saturday Feb 23, 155 AD. It is this story that strengthened and inspired weary communities to continue to bear witness to a new world.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a geographical structure. The book begins with John in the wilderness. It then portrays Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem. Eventually he arrives there, and in his final week he goes into the heart of the city. Why is Jerusalem so central? Perhaps it symbolizes the center of political power and religious piety. Perhaps the image is of Jesus going into the belly of the religious/military/economic power of his day. What does he say in there? What does he do in there? In this series, we will look through a historical and political lens of Jesus’ final days. What is portrayed and experienced is disruption, for both empire and the reader.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a geographical structure. The book begins with John in the wilderness. It then portrays Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem. Eventually he arrives there, and in his final week he goes into the heart of the city. Why is Jerusalem so central? Perhaps it symbolizes the center of political power and religious piety. Perhaps the image is of Jesus going into the belly of the religious/military/economic power of his day. What does he say in there? What does he do in there? In this series, we will look through a historical and political lens of Jesus’ final days. What is portrayed and experienced is disruption, for both empire and the reader.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a geographical structure. The book begins with John in the wilderness. It then portrays Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem. Eventually he arrives there, and in his final week he goes into the heart of the city. Why is Jerusalem so central? Perhaps it symbolizes the center of political power and religious piety. Perhaps the image is of Jesus going into the belly of the religious/military/economic power of his day. What does he say in there? What does he do in there? In this series, we will look through a historical and political lens of Jesus’ final days. What is portrayed and experienced is disruption, for both empire and the reader.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a geographical structure. The book begins with John in the wilderness. It then portrays Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem. Eventually he arrives there, and in his final week he goes into the heart of the city. Why is Jerusalem so central? Perhaps it symbolizes the center of political power and religious piety. Perhaps the image is of Jesus going into the belly of the religious/military/economic power of his day. What does he say in there? What does he do in there? In this series, we will look through a historical and political lens of Jesus’ final days. What is portrayed and experienced is disruption, for both empire and the reader.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a geographical structure. The book begins with John in the wilderness. It then portrays Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem. Eventually he arrives there, and in his final week he goes into the heart of the city. Why is Jerusalem so central? Perhaps it symbolizes the center of political power and religious piety. Perhaps the image is of Jesus going into the belly of the religious/military/economic power of his day. What does he say in there? What does he do in there? In this series, we will look through a historical and political lens of Jesus’ final days. What is portrayed and experienced is disruption, for both empire and the reader.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a geographical structure. The book begins with John in the wilderness. It then portrays Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem. Eventually he arrives there, and in his final week he goes into the heart of the city. Why is Jerusalem so central? Perhaps it symbolizes the center of political power and religious piety. Perhaps the image is of Jesus going into the belly of the religious/military/economic power of his day. What does he say in there? What does he do in there? In this series, we will look through a historical and political lens of Jesus’ final days. What is portrayed and experienced is disruption, for both empire and the reader.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a geographical structure. The book begins with John in the wilderness. It then portrays Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem. Eventually he arrives there, and in his final week he goes into the heart of the city. Why is Jerusalem so central? Perhaps it symbolizes the center of political power and religious piety. Perhaps the image is of Jesus going into the belly of the religious/military/economic power of his day. What does he say in there? What does he do in there? In this series, we will look through a historical and political lens of Jesus’ final days. What is portrayed and experienced is disruption, for both empire and the reader.
Today we're joined by good friend and special guest speaker, Daron Elam. Daron is the Clinical Director at Summit's Edge Counseling and Personal Development in Marietta, GA.
I have witnessed two ways of being, seeing, and living in the world: one of gratitude and one of entitlement. One holds a disposition that life is a gift. The other holds a disposition that life owes them a gift. In this series, we will uncover the framework behind these two perspectives, explore how we can cultivate a disposition of gratitude, and be introduced to a new robust understanding of gratitude — a gratitude that defies all circumstances — a gratitude we can firmly ground ourselves in — a gratitude that can change the way we see life and change the way we experience life. In the end, we will celebrate together as a collective with our first ever festival of gratitude. Join our collective as we all take a swim in an ocean of gratitude.
I have witnessed two ways of being, seeing, and living in the world: one of gratitude and one of entitlement. One holds a disposition that life is a gift. The other holds a disposition that life owes them a gift. In this series, we will uncover the framework behind these two perspectives, explore how we can cultivate a disposition of gratitude, and be introduced to a new robust understanding of gratitude — a gratitude that defies all circumstances — a gratitude we can firmly ground ourselves in — a gratitude that can change the way we see life and change the way we experience life. In the end, we will celebrate together as a collective with our first ever festival of gratitude. Join our collective as we all take a swim in an ocean of gratitude.
I have witnessed two ways of being, seeing, and living in the world: one of gratitude and one of entitlement. One holds a disposition that life is a gift. The other holds a disposition that life owes them a gift. In this series, we will uncover the framework behind these two perspectives, explore how we can cultivate a disposition of gratitude, and be introduced to a new robust understanding of gratitude — a gratitude that defies all circumstances — a gratitude we can firmly ground ourselves in — a gratitude that can change the way we see life and change the way we experience life. In the end, we will celebrate together as a collective with our first ever festival of gratitude. Join our collective as we all take a swim in an ocean of gratitude.
Let me introduce you to Qoheleth. Who is he? To some he’s a skeptic, cynic, pessimist, nihilist, existentialist, realist, or atheist. To others, he is a master teacher who is honestly and relentlessly trying to make sense of this life. In this series, we will explore his controversial journal that is often at odds with his mainstream religious tradition. We will consider his unorthodox views on mortality, afterlife, God, justice, and wisdom. In doing so, we will discover solidarity and permission (within our own tradition) to be honest about our disillusionment with life.
We're joined by special guest Derek Webb, American singer-songwriter from Nashville, TN. For 25+ years he has been giving language for our ever-evolving faith. He explores uncertainty, politics, grief, freedom, fear, and hope in his music. In doing so, he magically integrates both the head and the heart.
Let me introduce you to Qoheleth. Who is he? To some he’s a skeptic, cynic, pessimist, nihilist, existentialist, realist, or atheist. To others, he is a master teacher who is honestly and relentlessly trying to make sense of this life. In this series, we will explore his controversial journal that is often at odds with his mainstream religious tradition. We will consider his unorthodox views on mortality, afterlife, God, justice, and wisdom. In doing so, we will discover solidarity and permission (within our own tradition) to be honest about our disillusionment with life.
Let me introduce you to Qoheleth. Who is he? To some he’s a skeptic, cynic, pessimist, nihilist, existentialist, realist, or atheist. To others, he is a master teacher who is honestly and relentlessly trying to make sense of this life. In this series, we will explore his controversial journal that is often at odds with his mainstream religious tradition. We will consider his unorthodox views on mortality, afterlife, God, justice, and wisdom. In doing so, we will discover solidarity and permission (within our own tradition) to be honest about our disillusionment with life.
Let me introduce you to Qoheleth. Who is he? To some he’s a skeptic, cynic, pessimist, nihilist, existentialist, realist, or atheist. To others, he is a master teacher who is honestly and relentlessly trying to make sense of this life. In this series, we will explore his controversial journal that is often at odds with his mainstream religious tradition. We will consider his unorthodox views on mortality, afterlife, God, justice, and wisdom. In doing so, we will discover solidarity and permission (within our own tradition) to be honest about our disillusionment with life.
Let me introduce you to Qoheleth. Who is he? To some he’s a skeptic, cynic, pessimist, nihilist, existentialist, realist, or atheist. To others, he is a master teacher who is honestly and relentlessly trying to make sense of this life. In this series, we will explore his controversial journal that is often at odds with his mainstream religious tradition. We will consider his unorthodox views on mortality, afterlife, God, justice, and wisdom. In doing so, we will discover solidarity and permission (within our own tradition) to be honest about our disillusionment with life.
In a post-COVID society, life is different for everyone. VL is no exception and feels like a brand new church start in many ways. So whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origin, or you just have a curious skepticism, this series is for you. Who is Vinings Lake? What are we doing here? And how are we doing this? We will not only respond to your questions, but we will also be letting you do the speaking. In this series, you will have the opportunity to tell the world who Vinings Lake is and what this collective means to you. In addition, we will explore our history, reveal a brand-new identity, and show you what it means to belong to this collective.
In a post-COVID society, life is different for everyone. VL is no exception and feels like a brand new church start in many ways. So whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origin, or you just have a curious skepticism, this series is for you. Who is Vinings Lake? What are we doing here? And how are we doing this? We will not only respond to your questions, but we will also be letting you do the speaking. In this series, you will have the opportunity to tell the world who Vinings Lake is and what this collective means to you. In addition, we will explore our history, reveal a brand-new identity, and show you what it means to belong to this collective.
In a post-COVID society, life is different for everyone. VL is no exception and feels like a brand new church start in many ways. So whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origin, or you just have a curious skepticism, this series is for you. Who is Vinings Lake? What are we doing here? And how are we doing this? We will not only respond to your questions, but we will also be letting you do the speaking. In this series, you will have the opportunity to tell the world who Vinings Lake is and what this collective means to you. In addition, we will explore our history, reveal a brand-new identity, and show you what it means to belong to this collective.
In a post-COVID society, life is different for everyone. VL is no exception and feels like a brand new church start in many ways. So whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origin, or you just have a curious skepticism, this series is for you. Who is Vinings Lake? What are we doing here? And how are we doing this? We will not only respond to your questions, but we will also be letting you do the speaking. In this series, you will have the opportunity to tell the world who Vinings Lake is and what this collective means to you. In addition, we will explore our history, reveal a brand-new identity, and show you what it means to belong to this collective.
In a post-COVID society, life is different for everyone. VL is no exception and feels like a brand new church start in many ways. So whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origin, or you just have a curious skepticism, this series is for you. Who is Vinings Lake? What are we doing here? And how are we doing this? We will not only respond to your questions, but we will also be letting you do the speaking. In this series, you will have the opportunity to tell the world who Vinings Lake is and what this collective means to you. In addition, we will explore our history, reveal a brand-new identity, and show you what it means to belong to this collective.
In a post-COVID society, life is different for everyone. VL is no exception and feels like a brand new church start in many ways. So whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origin, or you just have a curious skepticism, this series is for you. Who is Vinings Lake? What are we doing here? And how are we doing this? We will not only respond to your questions, but we will also be letting you do the speaking. In this series, you will have the opportunity to tell the world who Vinings Lake is and what this collective means to you. In addition, we will explore our history, reveal a brand-new identity, and show you what it means to belong to this collective.
In a post-COVID society, life is different for everyone. VL is no exception and feels like a brand new church start in many ways. So whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origin, or you just have a curious skepticism, this series is for you. Who is Vinings Lake? What are we doing here? And how are we doing this? We will not only respond to your questions, but we will also be letting you do the speaking. In this series, you will have the opportunity to tell the world who Vinings Lake is and what this collective means to you. In addition, we will explore our history, reveal a brand-new identity, and show you what it means to belong to this collective.
In a post-COVID society, life is different for everyone. VL is no exception and feels like a brand new church start in many ways. So whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origin, or you just have a curious skepticism, this series is for you. Who is Vinings Lake? What are we doing here? And how are we doing this? We will not only respond to your questions, but we will also be letting you do the speaking. In this series, you will have the opportunity to tell the world who Vinings Lake is and what this collective means to you. In addition, we will explore our history, reveal a brand-new identity, and show you what it means to belong to this collective.
In a post-COVID society, life is different for everyone. VL is no exception and feels like a brand new church start in many ways. So whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since its origin, or you just have a curious skepticism, this series is for you. Who is Vinings Lake? What are we doing here? And how are we doing this? We will not only respond to your questions, but we will also be letting you do the speaking. In this series, you will have the opportunity to tell the world who Vinings Lake is and what this collective means to you. In addition, we will explore our history, reveal a brand-new identity, and show you what it means to belong to this collective.
Ever feel lost? Disoriented? Confused about who you are and where you are going? Ever feel like your GPS is recalculating? Ever have a sense there is more for you to create, attempt, and do, but you lack clarity? In this series, we will explore the voices, restlessness, stirrings, questions, curiosities, pulls, fear, doubts, anxieties, and intuitions that are within us and around us. We will practice the art of listening. We will engage with all that is calling out to us, from within and without. We will learn to connect with our heart, soul, spirit, and deepest self. We will wade through all the distortion, noises, and contradictions to discover the voice of the Spirit. We will be invited to listen, trust and follow our inner guide.
Ever feel lost? Disoriented? Confused about who you are and where you are going? Ever feel like your GPS is recalculating? Ever have a sense there is more for you to create, attempt, and do, but you lack clarity? In this series, we will explore the voices, restlessness, stirrings, questions, curiosities, pulls, fear, doubts, anxieties, and intuitions that are within us and around us. We will practice the art of listening. We will engage with all that is calling out to us, from within and without. We will learn to connect with our heart, soul, spirit, and deepest self. We will wade through all the distortion, noises, and contradictions to discover the voice of the Spirit. We will be invited to listen, trust and follow our inner guide.
Ever feel lost? Disoriented? Confused about who you are and where you are going? Ever feel like your GPS is recalculating? Ever have a sense there is more for you to create, attempt, and do, but you lack clarity? In this series, we will explore the voices, restlessness, stirrings, questions, curiosities, pulls, fear, doubts, anxieties, and intuitions that are within us and around us. We will practice the art of listening. We will engage with all that is calling out to us, from within and without. We will learn to connect with our heart, soul, spirit, and deepest self. We will wade through all the distortion, noises, and contradictions to discover the voice of the Spirit. We will be invited to listen, trust and follow our inner guide.
Author of "Parenting Forward" and special guest speaker Cindy Wang Brandt joins us for pt. 6 of Raising Humans: A Brief Guide to Parenting. We are all shaping the generation behind us. They are all watching and listening to everything we say and do. The question is, “How are we shaping them?” What are we passing off to them? For many, this reality creates enormous anxiety and worry. So we devour parenting books and podcasts looking for an owner’s manual. But the truth is there is no one right way to parent. In this series, we will sit down with actual parents and explore new, creative, and healthy ways to talk to our kids about God, religion, sex, gender, inclusion, death, justice, racism, money, boundaries, and discipline. We will learn how to worry well and not pass our own anxieties off to our kids. And we will explore how to raise humans to be who they are, not who we want them to be.
We are all shaping the generation behind us. They are all watching and listening to everything we say and do. The question is, “How are we shaping them?” What are we passing off to them? For many, this reality creates enormous anxiety and worry. So we devour parenting books and podcasts looking for an owner’s manual. But the truth is there is no one right way to parent. In this series, we will sit down with actual parents and explore new, creative, and healthy ways to talk to our kids about God, religion, sex, gender, inclusion, death, justice, racism, money, boundaries, and discipline. We will learn how to worry well and not pass our own anxieties off to our kids. And we will explore how to raise humans to be who they are, not who we want them to be.
We are all shaping the generation behind us. They are all watching and listening to everything we say and do. The question is, “How are we shaping them?” What are we passing off to them? For many, this reality creates enormous anxiety and worry. So we devour parenting books and podcasts looking for an owner’s manual. But the truth is there is no one right way to parent. In this series, we will sit down with actual parents and explore new, creative, and healthy ways to talk to our kids about God, religion, sex, gender, inclusion, death, justice, racism, money, boundaries, and discipline. We will learn how to worry well and not pass our own anxieties off to our kids. And we will explore how to raise humans to be who they are, not who we want them to be.
We are all shaping the generation behind us. They are all watching and listening to everything we say and do. The question is, “How are we shaping them?” What are we passing off to them? For many, this reality creates enormous anxiety and worry. So we devour parenting books and podcasts looking for an owner’s manual. But the truth is there is no one right way to parent. In this series, we will sit down with actual parents and explore new, creative, and healthy ways to talk to our kids about God, religion, sex, gender, inclusion, death, justice, racism, money, boundaries, and discipline. We will learn how to worry well and not pass our own anxieties off to our kids. And we will explore how to raise humans to be who they are, not who we want them to be.
We are all shaping the generation behind us. They are all watching and listening to everything we say and do. The question is, “How are we shaping them?” What are we passing off to them? For many, this reality creates enormous anxiety and worry. So we devour parenting books and podcasts looking for an owner’s manual. But the truth is there is no one right way to parent. In this series, we will sit down with actual parents and explore new, creative, and healthy ways to talk to our kids about God, religion, sex, gender, inclusion, death, justice, racism, money, boundaries, and discipline. We will learn how to worry well and not pass our own anxieties off to our kids. And we will explore how to raise humans to be who they are, not who we want them to be.
We are all shaping the generation behind us. They are all watching and listening to everything we say and do. The question is, “How are we shaping them?” What are we passing off to them? For many, this reality creates enormous anxiety and worry. So we devour parenting books and podcasts looking for an owner’s manual. But the truth is there is no one right way to parent. In this series, we will sit down with actual parents and explore new, creative, and healthy ways to talk to our kids about God, religion, sex, gender, inclusion, death, justice, racism, money, boundaries, and discipline. We will learn how to worry well and not pass our own anxieties off to our kids. And we will explore how to raise humans to be who they are, not who we want them to be.
Death and resurrection sit at the very center of the Christ story. The iconic image of a man on the cross has pierced our collective consciousness for thousands of years. What does it mean? What does it reveal? Did Jesus die for our sin? There seems to be a mystery at the heart of this provocative image. Mystery is not something you can’t understand. Mystery is a bottomless, limitless, and endless knowability. In this series, we will explore the metaphors, images, and ideas the early writers used to communicate meaning for this enigmatic event. We will stand with a long line of people across the ages in contemplating the significance of this Christ story. In doing so, we will be invited ourselves to discover ways in which this image might move us today.
Death and resurrection sit at the very center of the Christ story. The iconic image of a man on the cross has pierced our collective consciousness for thousands of years. What does it mean? What does it reveal? Did Jesus die for our sin? There seems to be a mystery at the heart of this provocative image. Mystery is not something you can’t understand. Mystery is a bottomless, limitless, and endless knowability. In this series, we will explore the metaphors, images, and ideas the early writers used to communicate meaning for this enigmatic event. We will stand with a long line of people across the ages in contemplating the significance of this Christ story. In doing so, we will be invited ourselves to discover ways in which this image might move us today.
Death and resurrection sit at the very center of the Christ story. The iconic image of a man on the cross has pierced our collective consciousness for thousands of years. What does it mean? What does it reveal? Did Jesus die for our sin? There seems to be a mystery at the heart of this provocative image. Mystery is not something you can’t understand. Mystery is a bottomless, limitless, and endless knowability. In this series, we will explore the metaphors, images, and ideas the early writers used to communicate meaning for this enigmatic event. We will stand with a long line of people across the ages in contemplating the significance of this Christ story. In doing so, we will be invited ourselves to discover ways in which this image might move us today.
Death and resurrection sit at the very center of the Christ story. The iconic image of a man on the cross has pierced our collective consciousness for thousands of years. What does it mean? What does it reveal? Did Jesus die for our sin? There seems to be a mystery at the heart of this provocative image. Mystery is not something you can’t understand. Mystery is a bottomless, limitless, and endless knowability. In this series, we will explore the metaphors, images, and ideas the early writers used to communicate meaning for this enigmatic event. We will stand with a long line of people across the ages in contemplating the significance of this Christ story. In doing so, we will be invited ourselves to discover ways in which this image might move us today.
Rabbi Heschel said, “Awe is a sense for the transcendence, for the reference everywhere to mystery beyond all things.” As children, we have this primal sense of awe built into us. Back then, every moment is filled with anticipation, imagination, and astonishment. Then life happens. We grow up. Bills. Stress. Betrayal. Traffic. We get bored. Our heart hardens. We get cynical. And that unflinching awe ever so gradually grows dormant. In this series, we want to rediscover that awe. By lifting the veil on reality and gazing into absurdity, we will find an invitation to become awestruck. This astonishing phenomenon we call existence is full of magic, mystery, and astonishment. The question is, how aware of it are we?
Rabbi Heschel said, “Awe is a sense for the transcendence, for the reference everywhere to mystery beyond all things.” As children, we have this primal sense of awe built into us. Back then, every moment is filled with anticipation, imagination, and astonishment. Then life happens. We grow up. Bills. Stress. Betrayal. Traffic. We get bored. Our heart hardens. We get cynical. And that unflinching awe ever so gradually grows dormant. In this series, we want to rediscover that awe. By lifting the veil on reality and gazing into absurdity, we will find an invitation to become awestruck. This astonishing phenomenon we call existence is full of magic, mystery, and astonishment. The question is, how aware of it are we?
Rabbi Heschel said, “Awe is a sense for the transcendence, for the reference everywhere to mystery beyond all things.” As children, we have this primal sense of awe built into us. Back then, every moment is filled with anticipation, imagination, and astonishment. Then life happens. We grow up. Bills. Stress. Betrayal. Traffic. We get bored. Our heart hardens. We get cynical. And that unflinching awe ever so gradually grows dormant. In this series, we want to rediscover that awe. By lifting the veil on reality and gazing into absurdity, we will find an invitation to become awestruck. This astonishing phenomenon we call existence is full of magic, mystery, and astonishment. The question is, how aware of it are we?
Rabbi Heschel said, “Awe is a sense for the transcendence, for the reference everywhere to mystery beyond all things.” As children, we have this primal sense of awe built into us. Back then, every moment is filled with anticipation, imagination, and astonishment. Then life happens. We grow up. Bills. Stress. Betrayal. Traffic. We get bored. Our heart hardens. We get cynical. And that unflinching awe ever so gradually grows dormant. In this series, we want to rediscover that awe. By lifting the veil on reality and gazing into absurdity, we will find an invitation to become awestruck. This astonishing phenomenon we call existence is full of magic, mystery, and astonishment. The question is, how aware of it are we?
Rabbi Heschel said, “Awe is a sense for the transcendence, for the reference everywhere to mystery beyond all things.” As children, we have this primal sense of awe built into us. Back then, every moment is filled with anticipation, imagination, and astonishment. Then life happens. We grow up. Bills. Stress. Betrayal. Traffic. We get bored. Our heart hardens. We get cynical. And that unflinching awe ever so gradually grows dormant. In this series, we want to rediscover that awe. By lifting the veil on reality and gazing into absurdity, we will find an invitation to become awestruck. This astonishing phenomenon we call existence is full of magic, mystery, and astonishment. The question is, how aware of it are we?
Rabbi Heschel said, “Awe is a sense for the transcendence, for the reference everywhere to mystery beyond all things.” As children, we have this primal sense of awe built into us. Back then, every moment is filled with anticipation, imagination, and astonishment. Then life happens. We grow up. Bills. Stress. Betrayal. Traffic. We get bored. Our heart hardens. We get cynical. And that unflinching awe ever so gradually grows dormant. In this series, we want to rediscover that awe. By lifting the veil on reality and gazing into absurdity, we will find an invitation to become awestruck. This astonishing phenomenon we call existence is full of magic, mystery, and astonishment. The question is, how aware of it are we?
So you have dismantled your faith, now what? Is your only option nihilism, narcissism, cynicism, bitterness, or nothing? Where do you go from here? What was the purpose of all the deconstruction? I want to invite you to shift your attention to the new ideas, new perspectives, new possibilities, new awareness, and new conceptions that pushed out your old ones. Today I want to invite you to begin reconstructing.
So you have dismantled your faith, now what? Is your only option nihilism, narcissism, cynicism, bitterness, or nothing? Where do you go from here? What was the purpose of all the deconstruction? I want to invite you to shift your attention to the new ideas, new perspectives, new possibilities, new awareness, and new conceptions that pushed out your old ones. Today I want to invite you to begin reconstructing.
So you have dismantled your faith, now what? Is your only option nihilism, narcissism, cynicism, bitterness, or nothing? Where do you go from here? What was the purpose of all the deconstruction? I want to invite you to shift your attention to the new ideas, new perspectives, new possibilities, new awareness, and new conceptions that pushed out your old ones. Today I want to invite you to begin reconstructing.
Religious Abuse Recovery Specialist Connie A. Baker, MA LPC joins us again we we continue the Religious Trauma message series.
Religion both heals and hurts. At its best, it feeds, clothes, and comforts those in need. At its worst, it steals, kills, and destroys in the name of God. After centuries of internalizing damning messages, toxic theologies, and scriptural abuse, wounded bodies have walked away from religion altogether. Some became bitter, while others remained, confused, devastated, and skeptically unravelling any notion of God. With certified therapists as our guides, we will explore what trauma is, how to express and recover emotions, and how to rebuild and recover from its devastating effects. Join us as we walk the gentle path to recovery.
Today we are joined by Daron Elam, Owner and Clinical Director of Summit's Edge Counseling in Marietta, GA. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Counselor, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist.
Religion both heals and hurts. At its best, it feeds, clothes, and comforts those in need. At its worst, it steals, kills, and destroys in the name of God. After centuries of internalizing damning messages, toxic theologies, and scriptural abuse, wounded bodies have walked away from religion altogether. Some became bitter, while others remained, confused, devastated, and skeptically unravelling any notion of God. With certified therapists as our guides, we will explore what trauma is, how to express and recover emotions, and how to rebuild and recover from its devastating effects. Join us as we walk the gentle path to recovery.
Religion both heals and hurts. At its best, it feeds, clothes, and comforts those in need. At its worst, it steals, kills, and destroys in the name of God. After centuries of internalizing damning messages, toxic theologies, and scriptural abuse, wounded bodies have walked away from religion altogether. Some became bitter, while others remained, confused, devastated, and skeptically unravelling any notion of God. With certified therapists as our guides, we will explore what trauma is, how to express and recover emotions, and how to rebuild and recover from its devastating effects. Join us as we walk the gentle path to recovery.
Religion both heals and hurts. At its best, it feeds, clothes, and comforts those in need. At its worst, it steals, kills, and destroys in the name of God. After centuries of internalizing damning messages, toxic theologies, and scriptural abuse, wounded bodies have walked away from religion altogether. Some became bitter, while others remained, confused, devastated, and skeptically unravelling any notion of God. With certified therapists as our guides, we will explore what trauma is, how to express and recover emotions, and how to rebuild and recover from its devastating effects. Join us as we walk the gentle path to recovery.
Religion both heals and hurts. At its best, it feeds, clothes, and comforts those in need. At its worst, it steals, kills, and destroys in the name of God. After centuries of internalizing damning messages, toxic theologies, and scriptural abuse, wounded bodies have walked away from religion altogether. Some became bitter, while others remained, confused, devastated, and skeptically unravelling any notion of God. With certified therapists as our guides, we will explore what trauma is, how to express and recover emotions, and how to rebuild and recover from its devastating effects. Join us as we walk the gentle path to recovery.
Religion both heals and hurts. At its best, it feeds, clothes, and comforts those in need. At its worst, it steals, kills, and destroys in the name of God. After centuries of internalizing damning messages, toxic theologies, and scriptural abuse, wounded bodies have walked away from religion altogether. Some became bitter, while others remained, confused, devastated, and skeptically unravelling any notion of God. With certified therapists as our guides, we will explore what trauma is, how to express and recover emotions, and how to rebuild and recover from its devastating effects. Join us as we walk the gentle path to recovery.
Religion both heals and hurts. At its best, it feeds, clothes, and comforts those in need. At its worst, it steals, kills, and destroys in the name of God. After centuries of internalizing damning messages, toxic theologies, and scriptural abuse, wounded bodies have walked away from religion altogether. Some became bitter, while others remained, confused, devastated, and skeptically unravelling any notion of God. With certified therapists as our guides, we will explore what trauma is, how to express and recover emotions, and how to rebuild and recover from its devastating effects. Join us as we walk the gentle path to recovery.
Religion both heals and hurts. At its best, it feeds, clothes, and comforts those in need. At its worst, it steals, kills, and destroys in the name of God. After centuries of internalizing damning messages, toxic theologies, and scriptural abuse, wounded bodies have walked away from religion altogether. Some became bitter, while others remained, confused, devastated, and skeptically unravelling any notion of God. With certified therapists as our guides, we will explore what trauma is, how to express and recover emotions, and how to rebuild and recover from its devastating effects. Join us as we walk the gentle path to recovery.
Our good friend, special guest, and author William Paul Young shares his story with the VL tribe.
How do we move beyond simplistic, convenient narratives and wrestle with complexity and nuance? Join Felicia + Austin as they get into what it means to “Trouble the Narrative” of white supremacy and anti-blackness.
How do we move beyond simplistic, convenient narratives and wrestle with complexity and nuance? Join Felicia + Austin as they get into what it means to “Trouble the Narrative” of white supremacy and anti-blackness.
Citlaly Serrano shares a timely message with the VL tribe. Citlaly and her family have been a deeply-rooted part of the Vinings Lake family for many years. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Emory in 2019, is currently the Children's Minister at Immanuel Korean United Methodist, and will soon begin work as a Chaplain for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
Special guest and VL Teaching Pastor Felicia Murrell joins Cody for a timely conversation.
Their eyes were opened. They are waking up and growing up. This is the birth of spiritual consciousness. But we can’t stay here forever. It’s time to leave Eden. But before you go, remember your starting place. Welcome to east of Eden.
For many in the western world, Genesis 3 has been known as the fall. We propose this enigmatic story is more of a rising than a falling. More of a waking up than falling down. From unconscious oneness to conscious oneness. This is the origin of waking up and growing up.
We have a longing for belonging.
We have a longing for community.
We have a longing for intimacy.
We have a longing to be known.
We have a longing to be loved.
We have a longing to be accepted exactly as we are.
But for many that longing is not being satisfied.
Our society finds itself in one of the greatest loneness epidemics in human history.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Loneliness is a burden you do not have to bear alone.
Brian McLaren joins us for a pointed conversation on ecology, apocalypse, and capitalism.
In the second Israelite creation narrative the Divine tells us who we are — made from the dust. Now the Divine tells us what to do — till it and keep it. Humankind is placed in the garden of Eden and given this vocation. But what does that mean? And how do we do this? And what is our current pandemic teaching us about our ecological crisis?
In great Hebrew poetry, the writers of Genesis 2 remind us of one truth - we are made from the dust. We are walking, talking, thinking, eating, feeling, loving, dirt animated by the Divine. Don't miss the miracle. This is a profound statement about the value and fragility of all humankind.
Our culture lives and moves at an unsustainable pace. The phrase "fast food" is simply a symptom of a great problem. But we don't have to live this way. Now more than ever the counter-cultural act of keeping a Sabbath is imperative.
Stopping - Resting - Being - Enjoying
This is not a luxury - it's a necessity.
In light of recent COVID-19 developments, Cody shares a message on managing disruption.
Subdue! Dominion!
These are the two words given to us in Genesis 1. These two words have been used for conquest, colonization, genocide, raping, and environmental degradation. But these words were never intended to be justification for anthropocentricity. These are words for responsibility. And it's more urgent now than ever. The future of the planet is at stake. How we exercise our power on this earth determines our future.
Special guest Norman Wirzba joins us at VL. He is an author, speaker, and Professor of Theology and Ecology at Duke Divinity School.
What does it mean to "subdue the earth" and "have dominion" over it? We can understand this as a license to exploit our world or an opportunity to heal our world. How will we use our power? How will we rule as “Image bearers of God"?
As the creation poem reaches its crescendo, the priestly writers make it a point to describe the essence of humankind. How do they do this? By borrowing a culturally familiar and loaded phrase from the Ancient Near East: "image of God". What does it mean to be made in the image of God?
The Divine is the source of ALL things, the energy behind ALL things, and the light within ALL things. Because of this, we discover that at the heart of the material is the spiritual. The natural is the supernatural. There is no separation.
“Then Elohim said.” In this one statement we have the word of God as the source, spark, and energy behind the evolutionary unfolding universe. This inevitably means Creation is the word of God. God reveals God's self through creation. The question is, "Are we aware of it?"
In Genesis 1, Elohim does not create something out of nothing. There is something already there. A pre-existing chaotic matter known as a formless void and a darkness that covers the face of the deep. Out of this chaos, Elohim brings forth order. Why does this matter? When you have been exiled to Babylon and torn from your people, land, and temple, knowing Elohim brings order out of chaos is deeply personal.
The two Genesis creation poems are not answering modern questions about how the earth was created but ancient questions about who we are and why we are here. These perennial questions have been asked for thousands of years. In this sermon, we examine these questions and discover how the ancient Israelites saw God, themselves, and the earth.
Connections Pastor and communicator Thomas Horton shares a message with the VL family to kick off the New Year.
As we come to the end of Ruth, we find the story coming full circle. Ruth the widow meets a husband. The childless Naomi finds new life in a baby born to Ruth. God takes the tragic, sorrowful, painful, the unjust and uses what would destroy you to transform you. All the loss, hurt, criticism, failure, mistakes, and bad choices that happened to us can be turned into something else, something new, something we never would have been able to create on our own.
Meeting at the city gate, Boaz and the next of kin make an economic transaction. Ruth experiences rejection from her next of kin. She is seen as a bad investment. But it is in that very moment that Boaz publicly accepts, affirms, and announces Ruth as his wife. This is a story about inclusion and exclusion. This is a story about welcoming the foreigner in your midst.
As both Naomi and Ruth remain alone, they propose a survival strategy for their future. At the climax of the story, Ruth risk her life by attempting a dangerous plan. She sneaks into Boaz’s room, uncovers his “feet”, and asks him to spread his cloak over her. She throws all of herself into this without knowing the outcome. Love is always risky. Will it be reciprocated? Boaz responds with an outpouring of acceptance, praise, and assurance for Ruth and her future.
Naomi is stripped of everything that gives her comfort and security. This unworkable tragedy leads her to doubt, disorientation, and deconstruction. It’s through this liminal space that her faith is broken and exposed. In that place, she experiences Hesed (extraordinary faithfulness and devotion).
Our friend and local pastor Ray Waters of The Village Church in Hapeville, GA joins us at Vinings Lake for a special message.
At their lowest point, Ruth and Naomi encounter a generous kinsman. Boaz practices radical generosity with his abundance. How do we care for those on the bottom? Does our economic system bend to provide for the powerless or the powerful?
Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi arrive at a crossroad. Which direction will they take? In an act of courage, Ruth stays true to her path. In doing so, she embodies 'hesed' love of the divine.
Naomi is stripped of everything that gives her life meaning and security. But she doesn't walk alone. Ruth and Orpah walk her home. We don't need solutions to our tragedies - we need solidarity.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
Cody and Katie Deese share a brief overview of the history of VL and how we got to where we are.
Progressive pastor, speaker, and thought leader Stan Mitchell joins us at Vinings Lake.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.
A Bible written by men in a patriarchal society gives way to women who are often overlooked or seen as a supporting role in a man’s story. In this series, we will meet confident, compassionate, daring, and fierce women of the Bible who move the entire thing forward. Let us be moved to follow in the footsteps of the sacred feminine.