Vox Veniae Podcast

Out of Sight: Out of Mind?

On this Ascension Sunday, Rev. Jenna Sullivan ponders the strange story of Jesus' dramatic ascension back to heaven forty days after the resurrection. Jesus' last words evoke questions and disorientation for his disciples and they can do the same for us today. They can also inspire us to look for Jesus in new forms and get to work living out his teachings. This story gives us permission to ask Jesus hard questions, deal with the cloudy seasons of our own faith journeys, and recommit ourselves to receiving the gift and mission of the Holy Spirit. [Acts 1:6-14]

 

Reflection Questions:

1. How do we carry out the good news through the Holy Spirit without Jesus here on earth in bodily form? 
2. In what ways does Jesus' alleged departure awaken our own responsibility to bring heaven to earth? How do you feel after hearing Jesus' last words? 
3. What cloudy seasons have you faced in your own life and faith that have shaped you in important ways?

The Good News

Nic Acosta contrasts the temptation of creating god in our own image with the God revealed in Christ and proclaimed in scriptures. We are challenged to live into God’s Story rather than trying to live life the other way around. [Acts 17:22-32]

 

Reflection Questions:

1. When in our lives have we felt the warmth and love of God, whether or not we recognized it at the time?
2. How might someone in my life circumstances be tempted to imagine God in self-serving ways? What are some difficult truths of the Gospel that might push against that image?
3. What might I need to let go of in order to be able to fully accept Jesus's invitation to join in God's story of redemption?

Tags: Spiritual Growth, Progressive Church, Good News, Love, Tempted, Self-Serving, Gospel, Story, Redemption, Idols

Glimpsing the Heavens, Resisting on Earth

Christopher Mack explores how Stephen’s life of re-telling God’s Story stripped from our lens of the myth of redemptive violence allows us to behold Divine Love and resist the real world oppression of death-dealing forces and their stories. [Acts 7:54-60]

 

Reflection Questions:Glimpsing the Heavens, Resisting on Earth

1. What’s a realistic way for you to practice the presence of God this week?
2. How do you respond to the invitation to love ourselves and others, by practicing self-reflection, self-control, self-development, self-care, and self-giving rather than self-indulgence?
3. Where in your life have you been tempted to imitate the violence of someone who has wronged you, rather than imitate and reflect God’s generative Love?

Resources

1. Raising Abel: The Recovery of the Eschatological Imagination by James Alison 

Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin Edited by Bayard Rustin

Rising Complexities: Community

Eric Robinson examines M Scott Peck’s non-linear stages of pseudo-community, chaos, emptiness, and true community through the lens of the early church in Acts. He wonders what it would look like if we were okay with seasons of necessary chaos and intentional emptying to experience true community. [Acts 2]

 

Reflection Questions:

1. What communities in your life are in chaos right now?
2. Where might God be inviting you to emptying?
3. How might we be one another to each other this season?

 

Resources

1. The Different Drum: Community and Peacemaking by M. Scott Peck
2. Acts: Belief Theological Commentary by Willie James Jennings
3. Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology by Patrick Cheng

Rising Complexities: An Ever-Evolving Landscape

Vanessa Maleare explores the diverse terrain of our souls, and the friction and invitation to flourishing we experience in community. [John 20:24-27]

 

 

Reflection Questions:

1. What is the complex landscape of your soul at this moment?
2. What is needed for your soul’s continued flourishing?
3. Is it challenging to imagine yourself evolving alongside others in our individualistic society?

Rising Complexities: Wavering Devotion

Christopher Mack acknowledges the Jesus Movement has given us many reasons to leave, while encouraging curiosity around reasons we might choose to stay, and ultimately invites us to include and transcend the different stages of faith we have experienced as we participate in Jesus’ calling to love neighbor and love God by forming Beloved Community.

 

 

 

Reflection Questions:

1. Where does your heart explode with hope, joy, and love at the Jesus movement?
2. Where does your heart sink with frustration, disappointment, and disgust at the Jesus movement?
3. What if your real desire is not simply a way to stay Christian or put Christianity behind you but a way to be more fully and maturely human?

Rising Complexities: Full of the Blues, Holy Water Too

On Easter Sunday, Christopher Mack contrasts the fear that caused the agents of empire to fall like dead men to the fear and great joy of the women at the tomb who go forward to tell of the vindication of the Jesus Way over the way of empire’s death dealing destruction. We are encouraged to listen to the conversation resurrection life is having with our own, listening to our sorrows, while we sing with sacred joy!

 

 

Reflection Questions:

1. What has shaken your world to its core? 
2. Where are you invited to revisit death’s door? 
3. How is new life coming home to you?  

Belonging in the Wilderness: I Didn't Get My Wish!

On Palm Sunday, Vanessa Maleare confronts the feelings of sadness, disappointment, and frustration we experience when something is different than we anticipated. Jesus didn’t act like the violent warrior king many of the people anticipated. What do you do when you face unmet expectations? Vanessa invites us to choose how we respond by realizing that “I can change what I do next.”

 

Belonging in the Wilderness lays bare the tension between our vulnerable humanity… our desire to simply be, without hustling for worthiness or trying to fit in… and our longing for Beloved Community with our friends, family, neighbors, enemies, creation, and our Creator. The wilderness is an unavoidable part of this journey. It is where we abandon the game of dressing up like our mythical heroes and begin to uncover the mystery of our one wild and true self.  A life so rooted in Divine Love, we find ourselves simultaneously set apart and intimately connected to God’s global family. We rarely choose to go to the wilderness, where all our distractions and pretense evaporate. Yet the wilderness invites us to live together for what really matters, because here there is energy for little else. There are no shortcuts in the wilderness. It is a solitary journey, which we cannot walk alone.  

 

Reflection Questions:

• Have I been radically disappointed lately? 
• I can’t change the past, but what will I do next? 
• What this week, imagine yourself saving your own “Hosannas,” “Save me from injustice,” or “Save me from this toxic relationship [with cookie dough].” 

Belonging in the Wilderness: The Ritual of Bone Dried Grief

On the fifth Sunday of Lent, Christopher Mack acknowledges we live in times where nerves can easily get fried and hope can seem in short supply. Everywhere we turn, it seems the world is on fire. The Hebrew people also wondered if the chaos engulfing their world would ever relent and give way to new life. A valley of dry bones seemed to offer evidence of a sealed and gruesome fate. Yet for Ezekiel, these beyond dead bones, were the perfect canvas for a community to believe they could begin again.

Belonging in the Wilderness lays bare the tension between our vulnerable humanity… our desire to simply be, without hustling for worthiness or trying to fit in… and our longing for Beloved Community with our friends, family, neighbors, enemies, creation, and our Creator. The wilderness is an unavoidable part of this journey. It is where we abandon the game of dressing up like our mythical heroes and begin to uncover the mystery of our one wild and true self.  A life so rooted in Divine Love, we find ourselves simultaneously set apart and intimately connected to God’s global family. We rarely choose to go to the wilderness, where all our distractions and pretense evaporate. Yet the wilderness invites us to live together for what really matters, because here there is energy for little else. There are no shortcuts in the wilderness. It is a solitary journey, which we cannot walk alone.  

Reflection Questions:

1. Can you acknowledge to yourself and to God where you feel bone tired, sapped of hor or where your well has run dry? 
2. Which stage of grief resonates most with you? 
3. What is one step you can take toward wholeheartedness? 

Belonging in the Wilderness: The Wild Bone Dried

Belonging in the Wilderness: The Wild Bone Dried

On the fifth Sunday of Lent, Christopher Mack acknowledges we live in times where nerves can easily get fried and hope can seem in short supply. Everywhere we turn, it seems the world is on fire. The Hebrew people also wondered if the chaos engulfing their world would ever relent and give way to new life. A valley of dry bones seemed to offer evidence of a sealed and gruesome fate. Yet for Ezekiel, these beyond-dead bones were the perfect canvas for a community to believe they could begin again.

 

Belonging in the Wilderness lays bare the tension between our vulnerable humanity… our desire to simply be, without hustling for worthiness or trying to fit in… and our longing for Beloved Community with our friends, family, neighbors, enemies, creation, and our Creator. The wilderness is an unavoidable part of this journey. It is where we abandon the game of dressing up like our mythical heroes and begin to uncover the mystery of our one wild and true self.  A life so rooted in Divine Love, we find ourselves simultaneously set apart and intimately connected to God’s global family. We rarely choose to go to the wilderness, where all our distractions and pretense evaporate. Yet the wilderness invites us to live together for what really matters, because here there is energy for little else. There are no shortcuts in the wilderness. It is a solitary journey, which we cannot walk alone.  

Reflection Questions:

1. Where can you acknowledge to yourself and to God where you feel bone tired, sapped of hope, or where your well has run dry? 
2. Which of Brené Brown’s Guideposts resonates most with you? 
3. What is one step you can take toward wholeheartedness? 

Belonging in the Wilderness: Called to the Wilderness

On this third Sunday of Lent, Eric Robinson roots us in a spirituality of the wilderness. Eric reminds us of how anxiety spreads through systems and communities to scapegoat either one of the most powerful people in the group or the least powerful. He encourages us to resist the temptation to emotionally fuse with anxiety or to cut ourselves off, but to instead self-differentiate. We are encouraged to look at the Triune God and imitate being separate-together. 

Belonging in the Wilderness lays bare the tension between our vulnerable humanity… our desire to simply be, without hustling for worthiness or trying to fit in… and our longing for Beloved Community with our friends, family, neighbors, enemies, creation, and our Creator. The wilderness is an unavoidable part of this journey. It is where we abandon the game of dressing up like our mythical heroes and begin to uncover the mystery of our one wild and true self.  A life so rooted in Divine Love, we find ourselves simultaneously set apart and intimately connected to God’s global family. We rarely choose to go to the wilderness, where all our distractions and pretense evaporate. Yet the wilderness invites us to live together for what really matters, because here there is energy for little else. There are no shortcuts in the wilderness. It is a solitary journey, which we cannot walk alone.  

Reflection Questions:

1. What is a triangle you see in your own life?
2. Where might God be inviting you to more self-differentiation?
3. How might you be involved in changing societal systems that are triangulating? 

Belonging in the Wilderness: Called to the Wilderness

On the second Sunday of Lent, Lilly Louise Ettinger reminds us powerfully and poignantly that the wilderness is not always received as a gift. We often find it the last place we want to be. Yet we still often find ourselves in the middle of it. Lilly suggests prayer labyrinths, morning pages, and the power of presence as lodestars to guide us in the wilderness.

 

Belonging in the Wilderness lays bare the tension between our vulnerable humanity… our desire to simply be, without hustling for worthiness or trying to fit in… and our longing for Beloved Community with our friends, family, neighbors, enemies, creation, and our Creator. The wilderness is an unavoidable part of this journey. It is where we abandon the game of dressing up like our mythical heroes and begin to uncover the mystery of our one wild and true self.  A life so rooted in Divine Love, we find ourselves simultaneously set apart and intimately connected to God’s global family. We rarely choose to go to the wilderness, where all our distractions and pretense evaporate. Yet the wilderness invites us to live together for what really matters, because here there is energy for little else. There are no shortcuts in the wilderness. It is a solitary journey, which we cannot walk alone.  

Reflection Questions:

1. What brings you to the wilderness?
2. How do you feel invited to respond to God this week?
3. Where are you experiencing tension in your journey right now?

Belonging in the Wilderness: Shades of Belonging

On this first Sunday of Lent, Christopher Mack invites us to open ourselves to God’s Presence in the wilderness through Henri Nouwen’s suggested practices of contemplative prayer, forgiveness, and theological reflection.

Belonging in the Wilderness lays bare the tension between our vulnerable humanity… our desire to simply be, without hustling for worthiness or trying to fit in… and our longing for Beloved Community with our friends, family, neighbors, enemies, creation, and our Creator. The wilderness is an unavoidable part of this journey. It is where we abandon the game of dressing up like our mythical heroes and begin to uncover the mystery of our one wild and true self.  A life so rooted in Divine Love, we find ourselves simultaneously set apart and intimately connected to God’s global family. We rarely choose to go to the wilderness, where all our distractions and pretense evaporate. Yet the wilderness invites us to live together for what really matters, because here there is energy for little else. There are no shortcuts in the wilderness. It is a solitary journey, which we cannot walk alone.  

 

 

Come and See: Embodied Empathy

God’s Love is in plain sight all around us, yet it seems so obscure. We may feel orphaned from homes where we once experienced spiritual vitality. Coercion and condemnation have left us on the streets looking for a better way. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first words are, “What are you looking for?” and they’re followed by an invitation to “come and see.” We aren’t given certainty or a system to sell. We are invited to experience a common and awe-inspiring grace as we abide with Jesus. Where do people find transforming grace at Vox? What particular ways are we invited to embody Divine grace and invite others to experience this sustaining grace with us? 

In the final message of this series, Christopher Mack leans toward the interplay of transformative presence and incarnational empathy at the scene of deep grief and disappointment of the death of Lazarus and wonders how we might practice empathy across difference.

Reflection Questions:

1. Where do you find yourself resisting healthy empathy and vulnerability with others?
2. How do the relational dynamics impact your ability to care for yourself and someone else simultaneously?
3. Where are you sensing an invitation to create space to listen, feel, and be with someone, particularly across difference?

Come and See: Don't Look Away

God’s Love is in plain sight all around us, yet it seems so obscure. We may feel orphaned from homes where we once experienced spiritual vitality. Coercion and condemnation have left us on the streets looking for a better way. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first words are, “What are you looking for?” and they’re followed by an invitation to “come and see.” We aren’t given certainty or a system to sell. We are invited to experience a common and awe-inspiring grace as we abide with Jesus. Where do people find transforming grace at Vox? What particular ways are we invited to embody Divine grace and invite others to experience this sustaining grace with us? 

On this penultimate week of our series, Vanessa Maleare reminds us to bear witness to the good right where we are, making the most of opportunities before us to sing of the good news of justice, hope, and peace in and to our world.

Reflection Questions:

1. When are you tempted to “look away”?
2. What ways might you make a small difference this week?
3. What opportunities from your group are inspiring you? 

Resource:

1. Don’t Look Away PDF

Come and See: Posture of Grace

God’s Love is in plain sight all around us, yet it seems so obscure. We may feel orphaned from homes where we once experienced spiritual vitality. Coercion and condemnation have left us on the streets looking for a better way. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first words are, “What are you looking for?” and they’re followed by an invitation to “come and see.” We aren’t given certainty or a system to sell. We are invited to experience a common and awe-inspiring grace as we abide with Jesus. Where do people find transforming grace at Vox? What particular ways are we invited to embody Divine grace and invite others to experience this sustaining grace with us? 

On this fifth week of our series, Christopher Mack explores how we are invited to realize God is justice, rest in God’s Presence, and rise to see and serve God in our neighbor. This is a lifelong journey of living and learning, huddling together to guard our collective hope in God’s good future.

Reflection Questions:

1. What is the wisdom of your body telling you about this present moment?
2. Do you experience pressure for performative gestures, cynical critiques, or overwhelmed withdrawals?
3. How has Vox been a voice of grace in the face of injustice in the past, forming us today?

Come and See: Unbelievable Context

God’s Love is in plain sight all around us, yet it seems so obscure. We may feel orphaned from homes where we once experienced spiritual vitality. Coercion and condemnation have left us on the streets looking for a better way. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first words are, “What are you looking for?” and they’re followed by an invitation to “come and see.” We aren’t given certainty or a system to sell. We are invited to experience a common and awe-inspiring grace as we abide with Jesus. Where do people find transforming grace at Vox? What particular ways are we invited to embody Divine grace and invite others to experience this sustaining grace with us? 

On this third week of our series, Vanessa Maleare reflects on what makes invitations to grow and companion one another meaningful and transformative.

Reflection Questions:

1. Who has been a “friend to your heart”?
2. What are you seeking/looking for?
3. What do you need from your intimate connection with Jesus?

Come and See: You’re Invited

God’s Love is in plain sight all around us, yet it seems so obscure. We may feel orphaned from homes where we once experienced spiritual vitality. Coercion and condemnation have left us on the streets looking for a better way. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first words are, “What are you looking for?” and they’re followed by an invitation to “come and see.” We aren’t given certainty or a system to sell. We are invited to experience a common and awe-inspiring grace as we abide with Jesus. Where do people find transforming grace at Vox? What particular ways are we invited to embody Divine grace and invite others to experience this sustaining grace with us? 

On this third week of our series, Vanessa Maleare reflects on what makes invitations to grow and companion one another meaningful and transformative.

Reflection Questions:

1. Who has been a “friend to your heart”?
2. What are you seeking/looking for?
3. What do you need from your intimate connection with Jesus?

Come and See: Grace Bridging Cultural Division

God’s Love is in plain sight all around us, yet it seems so obscure. We may feel orphaned from homes where we once experienced spiritual vitality. Coercion and condemnation have left us on the streets looking for a better way. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first words are, “What are you looking for?” and they’re followed by an invitation to “come and see.”

We aren’t given certainty or a system to sell. We are invited to experience a common and awe-inspiring grace as we abide with Jesus. Where do people find transforming grace at Vox? What particular ways are we invited to embody Divine grace and invite others to experience this sustaining grace with us? 

In this second week of our series, Eric Robinson looks at how the early believers were scattered across the Mediterranean to different cultures and how God’s grace was powerfully present as they realized God was not static, but rather widening circles of mercy and belonging.

Reflection Questions:

1. What are the signs marking your journey?
2. Wher is the last time you saw one?
3. Who are the bicultural people in your life who might have seen the markers you missed?

Come and See: Experiential Grace

God’s Love is in plain sight all around us, yet it seems so obscure. We may feel orphaned from homes where we once experienced spiritual vitality. Coercion and condemnation have left us on the streets looking for a better way. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first words are, “What are you looking for?” and they’re followed by an invitation to “come and see.” We aren’t given certainty or a system to sell. We are invited to experience a common and awe-inspiring grace as we abide with Jesus. Where do people find transforming grace at Vox? What particular ways are we invited to embody Divine grace and invite others to experience this sustaining grace with us? 

In this first week of our new series, Christopher wonders what it means for each of us to experience Vox a voice of grace in our lives and world.

Reflection Questions:

1. When have you experienced grace in a startling and deeply needed way in your life?
2. Where in your life or in your world do you long to see grace upon grace embodied in the new year?
3. How are you being invited to see and participate in grace this new year?