How many of us will tell the real story of Christmas this year? Not the one with the pastoral imagery of white-washed Nativities, but the one about the unlikely delivery of a child to an unwed couple in a filthy stable in a backwater town in a two-bit corner of the Roman empire?
Tag: inclusive
Oct. 16 Gathering: “The Dreams You Encourage Them to Have”
What might it look like for us to seek the best for our political opponents? How can we imagine prospering under leadership we so deeply disrespect?
May 15 Gathering: Pentecost
How do we know the Spirit is with us? How can we be sure that the Spirit is acting? Is it just a feeling, like a gut instinct that something other than ourselves is in control? Or is it something else altogether?
March 13 Gathering: Open Forum / Q&A
Despite the claims of some, the Bible is anything but clear in regard to any number of issues.
Dec. 6 Gathering: Reading the Bible through the lens of oppression
Does the 21st Century American church read the bible through the lens of the heroes or the victims? How might our understanding of the world change if we chose the right perspective?
July 26 Gathering: What are we afraid of?
How has fear gone from something explicitly commanded against to our primary motivation for our words and actions?
June 14 Gathering: “Way, Truth, Life”
Exclusive claim or inclusive call? What do Jesus' words to his disciple Thomas in the run-up to the crucifixion really mean in an age of distrust and cynicism?
March 8 Gathering: Open Forum
It's Open Forum week at New Wineskins! Our March 8 gathering will be open to whatever topics you'd like to discuss. So what's on your mind? What questions are you struggling to answer? What issues need deeper conversation? Where do you need hope? Where do you see hope happening? As always, the only ground rule … Continue reading March 8 Gathering: Open Forum
Feb. 8 Gathering: Enslaved by Freedom?
As Americans, we enjoy the idea that we have broad guarantees to wide-ranging personal freedoms. In fact, there's little we can imagine doing that we can't do. Our individual rights are deeply ingrained in our psyches and our culture. But is it possible that our very freedoms are actually enslaving us? Is a social ethic … Continue reading Feb. 8 Gathering: Enslaved by Freedom?
January 11 Gathering: Religion vs. Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY A generation ago, only a very few people might have suggested that there might be a difference between being a follower of the Christian religion and being a follower of Jesus himself. But today, it's one of the central questions of our faith, and perhaps one of the most divisive. It's been two years since spoken … Continue reading January 11 Gathering: Religion vs. Jesus
