We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity. This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. If you were not with us last week, we invite you to make some time this week to listen to the teaching of Mandy Smith and craft an experiment.
This week, we looked at our tendency to grasp for control with ourselves. We asked what it might look like for us to surrender ourselves as living sacrifices, to lay down our lives for our friends, to love God and neighbor. How might we, as Jesus promised, lose our lives in order to find them?
The form for letting us know if you have organized a group or would like help getting connected can be found at https://forms.gle/RbWoDqxcRDAS5rdM6
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity. This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. If you were not with us last week, we invite you to make some time this week to listen to the teaching of Mandy Smith and craft an experiment.
This week, we looked at our tendency to grasp for control with our resources. We considered how we might control with subtle manipulation of someone's actions or trying to control their emotions. We also asked how our desiring the best for someone we love might lead to a disordered relationship with control. In our practice, we continued to surrender our grasping and clinging, so we might release and surrender to hold the truth that "all shall be well."
The form for letting us know if you have organized a group or would like help getting connected can be found at https://forms.gle/RbWoDqxcRDAS5rdM6
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity. This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. If you were not with us last week, we invite you to make some time this week to listen to the teaching of Mandy Smith and craft an experiment.
This week, we looked at our tendency to grasp for control with our resources. We considered knowledge and information, our reputation, finances and possessions, and achievements at work and school. We considered how we might respond differently when life feels out of control. Instead of grasping and clinging, what if we release and surrender so we can hold the truth that “all shall be well.”
The form for letting us know if you have organized a group or would like help getting connected can be found at https://forms.gle/RbWoDqxcRDAS5rdM6
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity.
This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. In this video, we begin with an interview with pastor and author Mandy Smith. Mandy is the author of a wonderful book, Unfettered that explores our obsession with power and paints a beautiful picture of a childlike faith. Then, we consider our relationship with control and begin the crafting of our experiments.
The handout for crafting an experiment can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g3E6vILmYsBy8sjQX400xa_y1dUb2fvR/view?usp=share_link
The form for letting us know if you have organized a group or would like help getting connected can be found at https://forms.gle/RbWoDqxcRDAS5rdM6
The guided practice resources mentioned are the apps Pause, Lectio365, and Pray as You Go, as well as the guided daily office.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
This is the start of a recurring series, in which we will be walking in the story of Scripture. As we slowly and reflectively walk through the story, we hope to experience scripture in a fresh way. We want to develop eyes to see the intricate work of God in creation and encounter our wonderful God as we walk with the story.
This week, we continued the thread Dr. Walton began with Genesis 1 and the continuation with Genesis 2 and 3. Nicole guided our exploration of Genesis 4-11 and helped us see the cyclical rhythms. All throughout this opening of our story, we see the themes of garden, choice, wild place, deliverance through the waters, and covenant promises, and these themes carry on in the whole story of scripture.
You can find the handout from this gathering here.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
This is the start of a recurring series, in which we will be walking in the story of Scripture. As we slowly and reflectively walk through the story, we hope to experience scripture in a fresh way. We want to develop eyes to see the intricate work of God in creation and encounter our wonderful God as we walk with the story.
This week, we continued the thread Dr. Walton began as we explored Genesis 2 and 3. We considered the choice before each of us to receive the gift of life and wisdom on God's terms or to take it on our own terms. Are we willing to trust God or will we depend control for ourselves? The story of Adam and Eve is one in which we see ourselves, but the incredible gift is even as we rebel by taking and grasping control, God continues to care and provide for us.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
This is the start of a recurring series, in which we will be walking in the story of Scripture. As we slowly and reflectively walk through the story, we hope to experience scripture in a fresh way. We want to develop eyes to see the intricate work of God in creation and encounter our wonderful God as we walk with the story.
This week, we start at the beginning in Genesis one. Dr. John Walton will help us reflect on the theme of order and disorder. This theme is carried all throughout scripture and is essential for us to understand.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
We don't often think of study as a spiritual practice, but it can be. Seeing study as a spiritual practice helps us to move beyond acquiring or accumulating knowledge so that what we learn leads us to wonder and worship. This week, our good friend, Carolyn Arends, encouraged us to see study and contemplation as 'fraternal twins.' Each is incredibly important, but they are much better together.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
We don't often think of study as a spiritual practice, but it can be. Seeing study as a spiritual practice helps us to move beyond acquiring or accumulating knowledge so that what we learn leads us to wonder and worship. This week, Eric Case encouraged us to recognize truth is not an axiom, but a person. How will we respond to truth, when Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
This week, we took time to explore the vision of The Practice Church. Many of us have been formed by our church expereinces to believe a vision should focus on big impact and influence, but what if God is inviting us to something simpler and much more important?
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
The season of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation. We prepare our lives to receive God: in the reality of the incarnation, in this present moment, and in the age to come. In our Advent series, we will explore how God comes into the lives of various people in the story, and we will prepare ourselves to encounter God in similar ways in our lives today. This week, we examined the shepherds and their experience of the extraordinary breaking into the ordinary in Luke 2.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
The season of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation. We prepare our lives to receive God: in the reality of the incarnation, in this present moment, and in the age to come. In our Advent series, we will explore how God comes into the lives of various people in the story, and we will prepare ourselves to encounter God in similar ways in our lives today. I am really excited about how this series has come together, and I cannot wait to engage this holy season with you. This week, Nicole helps us consider the role of Mary, and ask the important question, "What will we do when the story comes to us?
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
The season of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation. We prepare our lives to receive God: in the reality of the incarnation, in this present moment, and in the age to come. In our Advent series, we will explore how God comes into the lives of various people in the story, and we will prepare ourselves to encounter God in similar ways in our lives today. I am really excited about how this series has come together, and I cannot wait to engage this holy season with you. This week, Deirdré guided our exploration of Elizabeth's role in the story and invited us to encounter God's gaze of kindness in our shame.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
The season of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation. We prepare our lives to receive God: in the reality of the incarnation, in this present moment, and in the age to come. In our Advent series, we will explore how God comes into the lives of various people in the story, and we will prepare ourselves to encounter God in similar ways in our lives today. I am really excited about how this series has come together, and I cannot wait to engage this holy season with you. This week, Dan Crumrine guides our exploration of Isaiah and how we can prepare to encounter God in the waiting. Dan shared two important postures we learn from Isaiah, hopeful anticipation and preparation.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
You can share a story about how you are encountering God in this season at https://www.practicetribe.com/stories/
Join the Practice mailing list. http://eepurl.com/OSfCb
This guided practice was a part of our gathering on 11.20.22. In this gathering, we seek to cultuvate a conversational intimacy with God through silence and listening prayer.
A tax-deductible gift can be given to The Practice Church at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
Cultivating a conversational intimacy with Jesus is essential in our desire to be formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world. And yet, many in the church today are convinced that either God doesn't speak to them, or they cannot hear God. Our prayer for this series is for each of us to have a greater sense of how we most often hear God so we might grow into a deeper life with God. What if we cultivated a life in which we listened to God in the midst of our ordinary day so we might deepen our friendship with God?
This week, Alan Fadling encouraged us to slow down to hear God's voice. Slowing to the pace of prayer, grace, peace, and love cultivates the kind of unhurried life that allows us to deepen our conversational intimacy with God.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
You can share a story about how you are encountering God in this season at https://www.practicetribe.com/stories/
Join the Practice mailing list. http://eepurl.com/OSfCb
Cultivating a conversational intimacy with Jesus is essential in our desire to be formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world. And yet, many in the church today are convinced that either God doesn't speak to them, or they cannot hear God. Our prayer for this series is for each of us to have a greater sense of how we most often hear God so we might grow into a deeper life with God. What if we cultivated a life in which we listened to God in the midst of our ordinary day so we might deepen our friendship with God?
This week, Holly Bosier guided our contemplation on hearing God. We considered the gentle voice of love that comes from the Good Shepherd and the accusing voice of the enemy. As we cultivate a deeper bond with Jesus, we are able to stand against the words of the enemy to follow our Good Shepherd more closely.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
You can share a story about how you are encountering God in this season at https://www.practicetribe.com/stories/
Join the Practice mailing list. http://eepurl.com/OSfCb
This guided practice was a part of our gathering on 11.6.22. In this gathering, we seek to cultuvate a conversational intimacy with God through silence and listening prayer.
A tax-deductible gift can be given to The Practice Church at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
Cultivating a conversational intimacy with Jesus is essential in our desire to be formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world. And yet, many in the church today are convinced that either God doesn't speak to them, or they cannot hear God. Our prayer for this series is for each of us to have a greater sense of how we most often hear God so we might grow into a deeper life with God. What if we cultivated a life in which we listened to God in the midst of our ordinary day so we might deepen our friendship with God?
This week, we explored God's desire to partner with humanity and, as Dallas Willard wrote, "to live in a free-hearted collaboration with Jesus and his friends in the kingdom." This sort of conversational intimacy begins in friendship, and helps us to live with God more fully in the midst of our everyday lives.
For some additional resources, please visit our website.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
You can share a story about how you are encountering God in this season at https://www.practicetribe.com/stories/
Join the Practice mailing list. http://eepurl.com/OSfCb
In a culture dominated by busyness, the Christian practice of Sabbath cultivates an important and counter-cultural rhythm orienting our whole lives around the presence and kingdom of God. A Sabbath rhythm is woven into the fabric of creation and creates space for connecting with God, ourselves, and one another. When we intentionally rest from work, productivity, and striving, we open ourselves to God’s profound and personal love. What if a regular rhythm of resting from all the ways we try to earn love is the best way to learn and know deep in our souls that God loves us?
This week, we considered how Sabbath serves to deepen our attachment with God.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
You can share a story about how you are encountering God in this season at https://www.practicetribe.com/stories/
Join the Practice mailing list. http://eepurl.com/OSfCb
In a culture dominated by busyness, the Christian practice of Sabbath cultivates an important and counter-cultural rhythm orienting our whole lives around the presence and kingdom of God. A Sabbath rhythm is woven into the fabric of creation and creates space for connecting with God, ourselves, and one another. When we intentionally rest from work, productivity, and striving, we open ourselves to God’s profound and personal love. What if a regular rhythm of resting from all the ways we try to earn love is the best way to learn and know deep in our souls that God loves us?
Last week we acknowledged Sabbath is a practice of both resting and engaging. This week, Keri Wyatt Kent will helps us look more closely at the practices and activities we engage on Sabbath.
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
You can share a story about how you are encountering God in this season at https://www.practicetribe.com/stories/
Join the Practice mailing list. http://eepurl.com/OSfCb
In a culture dominated by busyness, the Christian practice of Sabbath cultivates an important and counter-cultural rhythm orienting our whole lives around the presence and kingdom of God. A Sabbath rhythm is woven into the fabric of creation and creates space for connecting with God, ourselves, and one another. When we intentionally rest from work, productivity, and striving, we open ourselves to God's profound and personal love. What if a regular rhythm of resting from all the ways we try to earn love is the best way to learn and know deep in our souls that God loves us?
This week, we specifically considered the resting component of a Sabbath practice. (We'll talk about the connecting component next week.) How might our ceasing of work, productivity, and striving make space for us to know how deeply we are loved?
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
You can share a story about how you are encountering God in this season at https://www.practicetribe.com/stories/
Join the Practice mailing list. http://eepurl.com/OSfCb
In our culture, we are being shaped by our political engagement. We are tempted to find our identity in our political affiliation. We view those on the other side with contempt. We form opinions based on memes and talking heads rather than prayer and discernment. We give in to the way of power and control rather than the Christlike way of surrender and self-emptying love. But what if there is another way? This week, Nicole Howe helped us explore the counter-formational practice of scripture.
(A note about the practice: In this service, our practice was a reflection on scripture readings in community. The readings and short reflection are included, but the conversation is not.)
You can find our kingdom practice this week at https://www.practicetribe.com/scripture-in-community/
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
You can share a story about how you are encountering God in this season at https://www.practicetribe.com/stories/
Join the Practice mailing list. http://eepurl.com/OSfCb
In our culture, we are being shaped by our political engagement. We are tempted to find our identity in our political affiliation. We view those on the other side with contempt. We form opinions based on memes and talking heads rather than prayer and discernment. We give in to the way of power and control rather than the Christlike way of surrender and self-emptying love. But what if there is another way? This week, Jason Hitchcock helped us explore the counter-formational practice of community.
(A note about the practice: In this service, our practice was a discerning conversation about who we hope to be as a community. Included in the podcast is the framework for our practice and what we shared as a community.)
You can find our kingdom practice this week at https://www.practicetribe.com/an-invitation-to-listen/
If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/
You can share a story about how you are encountering God in this season at https://www.practicetribe.com/stories/
Join the Practice mailing list. http://eepurl.com/OSfCb
This guided practice was a part of our gathering on 9.4.22. In our culture, we are being shaped by our political engagement. We are tempted to find our identity in our political affiliation. We view those on the other side with contempt. We form opinions based on memes and talking heads rather than prayer and discernment. We give in to the way of power and control rather than the Christlike way of surrender and self-emptying love. But what if there is another way?
In this practice, we consider how we have been shaped by our culture of politics. We start with some reflective questions, then have a conversation with God about what we noticed, and finally we listen for how God might be inviting us to respond.
As you engage the practice, we encourage you to be honest. When it comes to political engagement, the stakes can feel big. It can be scary or shameful to consider how we have been shaped in ways that are not aligned with the kingdom of God. Be kind and gracious with yourself but to also be willing to be honest. Remember that God loves you more deeply than you can imagine. At the very core, your identity is that you are a beloved bearer of God’s image.
A tax-deductible gift can be given to The Practice Church athttps://www.practicetribe.com/give/