Ephesians 2:8-10
Allegiance, Bitumen, and Beauty
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 & Zechariah 9:16-17
Resources:
Salvation by Allegiance Alone by Matthew Bates
The Day the Revolution Began by N.T. Wright
Falling Upward by Richard Rohr
beauty and the gospel: beautifully dirty feet
Isaiah 52:7
Additional resources:
The King Jesus Gospel by Scot McKnight
Episode 35 on the Gravity Leadership Podcast, with Brad Jersak on Learning to Trust that God is Love
A More Christlike God by Brad Jersak
A Place to Start
A Spectacularly Beautiful Apocalyptic Denouement: Aesthetic Musings on Streets of Gold
Revelation 21
Beauty and Worship: Jesus Juked or a Wind-breath Inspired People
Exodus 31
This text is important for understanding the relationship that the Creator seeks with creative and skilled people. The Lord created a beautiful and good world. God called people, gifted them, and filled them with the Spirit to participate in bringing beauty into the world as God continues to do in every generation. -James Bruckner
Other Resources:
Desiring the Kingdom by James KA Smith
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Messenger, a poem by Mary Oliver
The Enduring Beauty of Mud Pies
Leviticus 23:33-44
Good Fruit and the time Jesus got hangry
Mark 11:12-14; 20-24
Beauty and Ecclesiology
A Beautiful World
Genesis 1
Books to check out:
Grounded by Diana Butler Bass
Selected Writings on the Earth Community by Thomas Berry
Woman Who Glows in the Dark by Elena Avila
From Nature to Creation: A Christian Vision for Understanding and Loving our World by Norman Wirzba
God is Beauty
Psalm 27:4
What Are We Pursuing?
Joshua 1, Acts 13:16-23, Ephesians 1:11-12
Mentioned:
Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture by Michael Frost
In the Company of the Poor by Gutierrez and Farmer
Trinity's upcoming series on Beauty
Flight or Fight?
Numbers 13-14
Jesus: Manna in Law
Exodus 16 & 20
"I AM who I AM": God's name revealed
Exodus 3:13-15
Idolatrous Fashioning of a Messenger of God
Exodus 32:1-24
The Divine Message, a Tongue-tied Prophet, and his Second Mouth
Exodus 4:10-17
Making an Escape
Questions for reflection:
1. What are you/we/others trying to escape? The Israelites are running from the bondage of Egypt, is there something that is keeping you from your own freedom?
2. What is getting in the way? The risks the Israelites faced were real and dangerous and caused great fear. What are the risks you face as you seek liberation and what emotions do they bring about for you?
3. What are you going to do, this week, to work towards trusting God's plan for your liberation?
Naming the Pain: A Place of Healing
Suggested Resources for Prayer: Apps: Pray as You Go; Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals; Books: The Ignatian Adventure; Celtic Daily Prayer (by the Northumbria Community); Other ideas: Pray the psalms
Exodus 14
Exodus: Into the Wilderness
Series Discussion Prompts:
-How is the Exodus story speaking to you today?
-What do you/we need to be freed from in order to experience and know God more fully? Share with others how we can create space for healing and join in standing together when tempted to “run back.”
-In what ways have we created God in our own image? What idols need confronted?
-What might the Spirit be inviting you to in order to have solitude and create space to hear from God in new ways?
-The wilderness often reveals things we don’t like about ourselves. Sit with those things; allow yourself to be disoriented.
-What do you sense God moving you toward as you mature and grow as a follower of Jesus? Share more with your Trinity group or a trusted friend.
-With gratitude, name the ways you notice God with us and the provisions you notice God gracing you/us with on our journey as a community.
Series Resources:
-Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown
-Beauty Will Save the World by Brian Zahnd
-Check out Englewood Review of Books for a wide range of reading suggestions
-A Better Story podcast by Sam Altis