Justice

June 2 Gathering: Active Nonviolence (or “War: What is it Good For?)

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If there is anything constant in this world, it’s that human beings seem trapped in a cycle of violence. Disagreement leads to conflict, and conflict leads to violence. Despite our best efforts to strive for peace, we eventually resort to violence as a means to either get our way or defend ourselves.

But we’ve been given glimmers of hope. Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, St. Francis, and a Jewish carpenter’s son named Yeshua bar Joseph have shown what an alternative to embracing violence, even as a last resort, could look like.

This Sunday at New Wineskins, we’ll take a look at MLK Jr.’s six principles of non-violence. They were the core of his work for justice and the basis for training participants in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. We’ll discuss whether it’s actually possible to embrace an ethic of non-violence and what it might look like if we did.

Please join us this Sunday, June 2, in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company for a conversation around how King’s principles of non-violence might reshape our own lives and world.

Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm

Food service & Conversation Begins: 7:00pm

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July 29 Gathering: “Burn Down the Mission”

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food donations

“Burn down the mission Lord
If we’re gonna stay alive
It’s our only chance of living
Take all you need to live inside”

-Elton John, “Burn Down the Mission”
Tumbleweed Connection, 1970

Sir Elton John’s performance of songwriter Bernie Taupin’s brilliant lyrics notwithstanding, “mission” has always been at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

But what exactly is “mission?” Is it something we do, or someone we are? Is it something we do across the world or across the street? Has Christian mission always been a positive influence in the world? Or is there a dark side, one we need to figuratively burn down, in order to recapture our call to the missio dei, God’s mission for God’s world?

This week at New Wineskins we’ll pick up where we left off in our last conversation about worship and how worship and mission can–or must–coexist.

Join us this Sunday, July 29, in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company to share your experiences with mission, whether local or international, and explore what a theology of mission looks like as we reimagine church.

Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm

Conversation Begins: 7:00pm

Sept. 10 Gathering: “Peace on Earth”

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Peace and Multiracial concept

It’s something we sing about in Advent and Christmas. We call Jesus the Prince of it. We pass it to one another on Sunday mornings in church.

But what do we really mean when we talk about peace? Specifically, “Peace on Earth?” Is it just an absence of conflict? Or is there something more, something deeper, that we’re called to strive toward?

To be honest, “Peace on Earth” seems like a concept way too big for us to do anything about. Sort of like global warming or education reform.

But what if there actually is a path forward? How might we find it? Beyond cheap platitudes and religious-speak, is there really a way peace on earth could actually be realized?

This week at New Wineskins, we’ll try to unpack exactly what “Peace on Earth” means and what it might look like if it could actually be achieved. Rather than focusing on barriers, our dialogue will be more solution-oriented. So come with all your hard questions and crazy ideas!

Join us Sunday, Sept. 10, in the 167 Side Room of the  Marietta Brewing Company to add your voice to the conversation!

Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm

Conversation Begins: 7:00pm

July 2 Gathering: What brings you here?

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cropped-wineskinphoto.jpg

As churches everywhere struggle to attract and retain people, one of the questions we’re eventually forced to ask is what makes people want to come in the first place.

Now a little over 3 years into what started as an experiment to create a “third space” for people who were interested in Jesus but maybe didn’t trust the church, it’s a good time for the New Wineskins community to ask itself that same question. Why are we here? What keeps us coming back? What compels us to invite others? What kind of community are we creating?

Introspection is good for the soul. And for the community. This Sunday we will reflect on where we’ve been, why we come, and where God may be taking us.

Join us Sunday, July 2, in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company to talk about why you attend New Wineskins, hear from others, and share ideas for our future!

Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm

Conversation Begins: 7:00pm

June 18 Gathering: God as Father? (a Fathers Day conversation)

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medieval-stained-glass-god

Referring to God in masculine terms has drawn plenty of examination in recent years. And it’s certainly clear that the creator of humanity transcends gender.

But much debate exists as to whether it’s appropriate to refer to God–or at least the first person of the Trinity–as “Father.” We have to ask ourselves whether such identity is harmless, or if it may actually make God less accessible, especially for people for whom their families of origin have left less than favorable impressions of what a father is.

This Sunday at New Wineskins we’ll talk about why we identify God in masculine terms, what our alternatives might be, and why it may or may not matter.

Join us Sunday, June 18, in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company for what promises to be a fascinating Father’s Day conversation!

Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm

Conversation Begins: 7:00pm

April 23 Gathering: What difference does Resurrection make?

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place of the resurrection of Jesus Christ

The resurrection of Jesus is a central point of Christian doctrine. It’s been said that without Easter, Christmas is just another prophet’s birthday.

But while it might seem like one of the more far-fetched claims Christianity makes, the idea of a resurrected leader was not all that unusual in the ancient world. Which leaves us asking, did it really happen? What if it didn’t? And, ultimately, what’s the difference?

So what do we really know about the Resurrection? What did it mean to the first followers of Jesus, and how does that impact our lives today? Does it matter whether it was an actual, historical event, or just a myth of the early church?

This Sunday at New Wineskins we’ll talk about the concept of resurrection, what we believe about it, and what we might be missing in the larger narrative of the cross and the empty tomb.

We hope you’ll join us this Sunday, April 23, in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company for what promises to be an interesting and lively conversation!

Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm

Conversation Begins: 7:00pm

March 26 Gathering: Stories of Forgiveness

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“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” –Matt. 6:14-15 (ESV)

Forgiveness may be one of the most difficult concepts for us to understand.

Part of the reason may be that we get forgiveness tangled up with forgetting. We think forgiving someone who has wronged us means condoning their behavior or allowing them to continue to do us harm.

But what if forgiveness is actually a way of making us more free? What if it’s a key that unlocks something remarkable in us, that allows us to take relationships even deeper?

What if we began to see forgiveness as the ultimate expression of love?

This week at New Wineskins, we’ll talk about what forgiveness means for us in different contexts, why it’s so hard, and what real forgiveness really looks like. We’ll share stories of how forgiveness works in our lives, what it means, and how to walk that difficult road.

Join us this Sunday, March 26 in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company and bring your stories about forgiving and being forgiven into our conversation!

Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm

Conversation Begins: 7:00pm