This guided practice is a part of our Advent journey in 2023. We are seeking to consider, welcome, and hold our longings as we anticipate the coming of Jesus. We hope for his presence with us today, and we look forward to the day of his return when everything sad will become untrue.
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Advent is a season of waiting and longing. Through history, the church has identified the weeks leading up to Christmas as a time of preparation, a season to notice our deep and innate longing for Jesus. We anticipate the coming of the Christ child and his presence with us today, and we wait in hope-filled longing for the day when he will come again.
As we journey together through Advent this year, we will seek to consider, welcome, and hold our longings as we anticipate the coming of Jesus. We hope for his presence with us today, and we look forward to the day of his return when everything sad will become untrue.
This week, we identified our longing in this season and sought to welcome and hold it in hope-filled expectation for the coming of Christ.
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In the Gospels, Jesus shows great affection towards children. In Matthew, he says “unless you turn from your sins and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom.” In her wonderful book, Faith Like a Child, our friend Lacy Borgo writes, “Our first and most natural inclination as children is to connect with God in deeply uniting and often ordinary ways.” In this series, we are asking how have we left these childhood aspects of ourselves behind. And more importantly, how can we get them back so we might once again attach to God with faith like a child?
This week, Kirsten Hitchcock gtaught us about the formational role of childlike play. Play ushers us into the freedom of Christ and invites us to be with Jesus.
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In the Gospels, Jesus shows great affection towards children. In Matthew, he says “unless you turn from your sins and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom.” In her wonderful book, Faith Like a Child, our friend Lacy Borgo writes, “Our first and most natural inclination as children is to connect with God in deeply uniting and often ordinary ways.” In this series, we are asking how have we left these childhood aspects of ourselves behind. And more importantly, how can we get them back so we might once again attach to God with faith like a child?
This week, Caiden and Jason invited us to consider the role curiosity plays in our childlike faith. Curiosity invites us into deeper relationship and encourages us to live in the freedom of not having everything figured out.
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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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
In the Gospels, Jesus shows great affection towards children. In Matthew, he says “unless you turn from your sins and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom.” In her wonderful book, Faith Like a Child, our friend Lacy Borgo writes, “Our first and most natural inclination as children is to connect with God in deeply uniting and often ordinary ways.” In this series, we are asking how have we left these childhood aspects of ourselves behind. And more importantly, how can we get them back so we might once again attach to God with faith like a child?
This week, Lacy Borgo was here to guide us in considering our image of God including the wonder and wound of our childhood. As we seek to deepen our attachment to God, Lacy invites us into a three step practice: notice, run to Jesus, and look around.
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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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
Our formation is never for our own benefit alone. It is always for the sake of the world. Trevor Hudson has said, “The kingdom of God is creation healed.” This month we ask how is each of us being invited to partner with God in that healing. Whether we know exactly where God is inviting us or we have no idea at all, it is our hope this experiment will help us gain clarity on how our formation is leading us to partner with God for the sake of the world.
This week, Andy King from the Dream Center Peoria will share about their ministry to unhoused women and children and encourage us to consider how we might listen to those impacted by the groans of creation we have identified.
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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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
Our formation is never for our own benefit alone. It is always for the sake of the world. Trevor Hudson has said, “The kingdom of God is creation healed.” This month we ask how is each of us being invited to partner with God in that healing. Whether we know exactly where God is inviting us or we have no idea at all, it is our hope this experiment will help us gain clarity on how our formation is leading us to partner with God for the sake of the world.
This week, Troy Jackson from the ministry Undivided invited us to consider how we might open ourselves to allow the groans of creation to move from our heads to our heart and into our gut. (A note about the practice: this was a communal practice that does not translate well to a podcast, but we would strongly encourage you to find a way to practice it with someone. It was a deeply meaningful practice.)
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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
Our formation is never for our own benefit alone. It is always for the sake of the world. Trevor Hudson has said, “The kingdom of God is creation healed.” This month we ask how is each of us being invited to partner with God in that healing. Whether we know exactly where God is inviting us or we have no idea at all, it is our hope this experiment will help us gain clarity on how our formation is leading us to partner with God for the sake of the world.
This week, Gabe Lerma invited us to consider how our stories tie into our experiments and how God might be stirring us to action this week.
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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
Our formation is never for our own benefit alone. It is always for the sake of the world. Trevor Hudson has said, “The kingdom of God is creation healed.” This month we ask how is each of us being invited to partner with God in that healing. Whether we know exactly where God is inviting us or we have no idea at all, it is our hope this experiment will help us gain clarity on how our formation is leading us to partner with God for the sake of the world.
This week, we considered which groans of creation echo most loudly in our lives. Where do we sense an invition to join God's work of restoration in the world. It may be a deep need in the world or a need close to home.
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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
In this recurring series, we are walking in the story of scripture, noticing the intricate way God’s story is woven together and shines a light on our own stories. After spending time earlier this year walking in the beginning (Genesis 1-11) and the blessing (Genesis 12-50), we turn our attention to Exodus.
This week, we reflected on the third movement of Exodus. The tabernacle calls to mind Eden over and over and invites us to feel the weight of Yahweh's promise to be with us.
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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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
In this recurring series, we are walking in the story of scripture, noticing the intricate way God’s story is woven together and shines a light on our own stories. After spending time earlier this year walking in the beginning (Genesis 1-11) and the blessing (Genesis 12-50), we turn our attention to Exodus.
This week, we reflected on the second movement of Exodus. Here Israel recieves Torah. Dr. Walton invited us to think differently about Torah. Rather than seeing it as a modern legal code, what if we saw it as an invitation to grow in wisdom? What if Torah offers us wisdom to understand the scope and range of holiness to guide us in forging an identity that correlates with the holy status we have been given as a new covenant people of God?
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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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
In this recurring series, we are walking in the story of scripture, noticing the intricate way God’s story is woven together and shines a light on our own stories. After spending time earlier this year walking in the beginning (Genesis 1-11) and the blessing (Genesis 12-50), we turn our attention to Exodus.
This week, we reflected on the first movement of Exodus and observed how Yahweh answers the central question of this foundational book, "Who is Yahweh?" We considered how Yahweh's deliverance of Israel demonstrates the character and identity of God.
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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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
On the church calendar, we are invited into days and seasons of fasting and feasting, but the majority of the calendar is considered 'Ordinary Time.' While there are times for celebration and times for lament, most of life is simply… ordinary. Yet, ordinary does not mean this time is empty of God’s presence and the chance to live with God. This summer, we are examining just a handful of the many opportunities we have to live with God in the ordinary spaces of our lives.
This week, Nicole invited us to see the table sacramentally. Feasting is a way we encounter the joy and love of God. "The table," Nicole said, "is an act of defiance in a world at war." PLEASE NOTE: Communion was a part of our practice in this gathering. We would encourage you to join us by gathering the elements to have ready as you join us in the practice.
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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://thepracticechurch.com/give/
On the church calendar, we are invited into days and seasons of fasting and feasting, but the majority of the calendar is considered 'Ordinary Time.' While there are times for celebration and times for lament, most of life is simply… ordinary. Yet, ordinary does not mean this time is empty of God’s presence and the chance to live with God. This summer, we are examining just a handful of the many opportunities we have to live with God in the ordinary spaces of our lives.
This week, Nick Benoit invited us to consider how we encounter God in story. Story invites us to lean in and search for what is true, and it asks that we walk together in community as we seek to make sense of our stories.
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/
On the church calendar, we are invited into days and seasons of fasting and feasting, but the majority of the calendar is considered 'Ordinary Time.' While there are times for celebration and times for lament, most of life is simply… ordinary. Yet, ordinary does not mean this time is empty of God’s presence and the chance to live with God. This summer, we are examining just a handful of the many opportunities we have to live with God in the ordinary spaces of our lives.
In the fourth week of our series, Julian Davis Reid guided our time as we considered how we might see music as an opportunity to encounter God. With 1 Samuel 16:14-23 as a foundation, Julian invited us to notice how "the goodness of God comes to us in music as both a balm and a charge."
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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/
On the church calendar, we are invited into days and seasons of fasting and feasting, but the majority of the calendar is considered 'Ordinary Time.' While there are times for celebration and times for lament, most of life is simply… ordinary. Yet, ordinary does not mean this time is empty of God’s presence and the chance to live with God. This summer, we are examining just a handful of the many opportunities we have to live with God in the ordinary spaces of our lives.
In the third week of our series, we considered how we might encounter God in those who typically find themselves on the margins. Christina Hite invited us to widen the circle of our families and encounter God as we practice a 'radical kinship' with our neighbors.
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/
On the church calendar, we are invited into days and seasons of fasting and feasting, but the majority of the calendar is considered 'Ordinary Time.' While there are times for celebration and times for lament, most of life is simply… ordinary. Yet, ordinary does not mean this time is empty of God’s presence and the chance to live with God. This summer, we are examining just a handful of the many opportunities we have to live with God in the ordinary spaces of our lives.
In the second week of our series, we considered how we might encounter God in our neighbors, but we don't just mean our actual neighbors or even just those with whom we have some relationship. We are including those we don't know and might only have an opportunity to interact with for a second or two. How might we see every one of these interactions as an opportunity to recognize God's presence and join God's work in the world?
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/
On the church calendar, we are invited into days and seasons of fasting and feasting, but the majority of the calendar is considered 'Ordinary Time.' While there are times for celebration and times for lament, most of life is simply… ordinary. Yet, ordinary does not mean this time is empty of God’s presence and the chance to live with God. This summer, we are examining just a handful of the many opportunities we have to live with God in the ordinary spaces of our lives.
This week we are joined by Father Albert Haase to consider how we might encounter God in the present moment.
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/
Earlier this year, we began a recurring series in which we will walk in the story of scripture. We began in Genesis 1-11, learning God's intention for creation and what went wrong. In Genesis 12-50 we experience the beginning of God's restorative plan, a plan to redeem and bless creation.
This week, Jason led us through the final movement of Genesis, the story of Jacob's children. Joseph's story both sums up the entire book of Genesis and points us forward in hopeful expectation for the coming restoration of all creation.
You can download the handout of themes from Genesis 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/
Earlier this year, we began a recurring series in which we will walk in the story of scripture. We began in Genesis 1-11, learning God's intention for creation and what went wrong. In Genesis 12-50 we experience the beginning of God's restorative plan, a plan to redeem and bless creation.
This week, Bill Donahue invited us to consider how we find ourselves in the blessing stories of Isaac and Jacob, and to turn outward as we consider how we too might extend blessing to those around 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/
Earlier this year, we began a recurring series in which we will walk in the story of scripture. We began in Genesis 1-11, learning God's intention for creation and what went wrong. In Genesis 12-50 we experience the beginning of God's restorative plan, a plan to redeem and bless creation.
This week, Amber Riggs led us through the story of Abraham and Sarah. Using the geography of their journey, she invited us to consider how their story intersects ours.
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/
Have you ever considered that celebration is actually a spiritual practice? In a culture overflowing with reasons for despair, what if the practice of celebration is essential to being formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world?
This week, Andy invited us to follow the lead of Mary in the ways of 'unseen celebration.' How can we recognize, treasure, and ponder the extravagant gifts of God's presence and love in our lives?
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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/
Have you ever considered that celebration is actually a spiritual practice? In a culture overflowing with reasons for despair, what if the practice of celebration is essential to being formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world?
This week, Erin invited us to consider that holy delight is possible even in moments of despair.
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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/
Have you ever considered that celebration is actually a spiritual practice? In a culture overflowing with reasons for despair, what if the practice of celebration is essential to being formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world?
This week, Jason offered three invitations with the practice of celebration. First, how can we more intentionally turn our attention to the presence of our Creator in our delight and celebration. Second, how can we be open to celebration in whatever form it takes in our lives, and finally, how can we be on the lookout for opportunities to celebrate in the simple ordinary moments of our day?
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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 about the role our bodies play in our faith and formation, but scripture teaches that to be formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world must include our bodies. But what does this mean. How can our faith and formation include our bodies?
This week, Chrissie Steyn helps us consider how the enemy inhibits our worship by tempting us to ignore our bodies. Full worship and formation is embodied and connected.
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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/