Vox Veniae Podcast

How do we practice radical welcome? Gena St. David explores how inside each of us exists a wanderer, skeptic, and believer as we conclude our fall series “Who is Vox?” She uses the practice of walking a prayer labyrinth to help us recognize vulnerability, value the winding path, and practice small experiments. [John 3:3-8]   Reflection What does the wanderer inside you want from Vox? Who at Vox do you trust with your inner skeptic? How does the believer inside you wish to participate in Vox?

What is Vox’s invitation and practice of pursuing justice as a spiritual community that seeks to embody Christ? Weylin Lee considers our hospitality to the vulnerable, embodied presence for solidarity, and nonviolent resistance for flourishing in our fall series “Who is Vox?” [Matthew 5:3-6, 10]   Reflection Where are the places we can practice hospitality as an act of justice? What are some practical ways you can meet physical needs of the vulnerable? How might our nonviolent resistance be needed for restorative justice?

Do you have fear around showing up in church spaces? Kimberly Culbertson invites us to embody Jesus together by becoming a community of repair and wholeness in our fall series “Who is Vox?” [John 14:18-19, 25-27]   Reflection Thank you for being part of my healing. Love, Kimberly. How might God be healing you in this season, both through and for deeper community? Who is God asking you to see or champion or smile on in this season?

What is an indicator of a healthy spiritual community? Christopher Mack focuses our fall series “Who is Vox?” on the centrality of community as a rhythm that forms us in the Jesus Way of living, dying, and rising. [John 13:1, 35-38]   Reflection What wisdom could we learn if we explored the broader history of the church with humility and curiosity? Are there areas of Christian tradition that are unhelpful to our growth, and what would it look like to let go of them and explore other areas? What are some ways we might embrace our collective imperfection as a community?

Nic Acosta continues our fall series “Who Is Vox?” by connecting us to being the Body of Christ by delving into what it might mean to embrace both our  Christian pluralism and our collective imperfection. [Colossians 1:15-23]   Reflection What wisdom could we learn if we explored the broader history of the church with humility and curiosity? Are there areas of Christian tradition that are unhelpful to our growth, and what would it look like to let go of them and explore other areas? What are some ways we might embrace our collective imperfection as a community?

What’s your reason for getting out of bed? Vanessa Maleare begins our fall series “Who Is Vox?” by introducing our communally crafted purpose statement: Vox Veniae (Voice of Grace) is a spiritual community that seeks to embody Christ by fostering collective healing, pursuing justice, and welcoming wanderers, skeptics, and believers.   Reflection How have I defined my personal purpose in the past? How do I define my personal purpose now? What is Vox doing right now that excites me?

What are ways you know you are loved? On the eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Brittany Graves connects our spiritual journey, which starts out  the size of a mustard seed to seasons of growth and embracing shifts, while nourishing ourselves in Divine Love. [Mark 4:26-34]   Reflection When hearing the text for today, what stands out to you in the parable of the growing seed? What spiritual practices are grounding for you? What are ways that you know you are loved or you witness the kingdom of God surrounding you?

Where might we compassionately reconsider the messages we are embodying and passing on? On the seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Christopher Mack wonders how we might learn to use our words to build a more compassionate world for ourselves and others. [James 3]   Reflection Are there words of wisdom you can immerse yourself in over the coming weeks? Who is someone whose wise presence you might seek out and from whose practice you might learn? How might you choose life giving words for family, friends, and social media this season?

What excites you about what Vox is (or could be) creating?  On the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Kimberly Culbertson propels us into creative tension as we consider our communal gait. [Matthew 13:31-34]   Reflection How often have you seen yourself as a vital part of the church body versus as a recipient of church services? How does the concept of tensegrity shift the way you think about the Vox value of participation? Do you see Vox as part of a new imagination or new movement of the church? And if so, what does this energize you toward?

If our practice of faith is to be aligned with the way of Christ, what are we invited to embody? practice? On the fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Weylin Lee grounds us in a nonreactive posture of engaging with presence and intention toward others. [James 1:22-27] Reflection How might our posture of listening facilitate a healthier practice of faith? What does a more freeing and sustainable practice of faith look like for us? How is our practice of faith being guided by the most vulnerable around us? Resources Book: This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley