Vox Veniae Podcast

Homily: The Good Work What stories and beliefs did you inherit about sexuality? On this second Sunday after Epiphany, Kimberly Culbertson invites us to question and explore our inherited beliefs and practice, in light of Paul’s paradigm of the good and beneficial.  [1 Corinthians 6:12-13]   Reflection As you consider the work of being human, can you begin to prayerfully ask God, “Is this beneficial? Or is this destructive in some way?”  How can you lean into community as you discern right actions for your life?   We are members of one another. How is your life helping your communities to thrive

Can you recall a life realization that in retrospect appeared glaringly obvious? On this first Sunday after Epiphany, Lilly Ettinger invites us to wonder at God’s radical inclusion and how it invites the formation of a Beloved Community experiencing rescue and restoration.  [Isaiah 60:1-6] Reflection Where might you “lift your eyes” and see the world around you? Is there a place where you once felt like you didn’t belong but now do?  What changed? What needs to change?  

Who do you know that gives really good hugs? On this Fifth Sunday, Vanessa Maleare leads the Wonder Moment for our New Year’s Eve liturgy and brunch. She invites children of all ages to remember and reside in our beloved belonging. [Galatians 4:4-7]

What are the glimpses of hope, peace, joy, and love that we are invited to notice and hold with us? On the Friday before Christmas, Weylin Lee looks back on our year through both a global and local lens, before inviting us to practice sacred reading or lectio divina to glimpse grace in our own lives. [Luke 2:13-20] Resource Practice: Vox Lectio Divina Guide  https://voxveniae.com/lectio-divina/

Explore the surprising joys found in challenging times as personal stories reveal the transformative power of gratitude and kindness. Dive into the biblical tales of Mary and Elizabeth, reflecting on how to cultivate community and solidarity. Laugh along with discussions about supervillains and everyday mischief while contrasting disbelief and acceptance in unexpected life changes. Embrace the balance of joy and struggle, and discover how collective action can lead to empowerment and justice during the complicated holiday season.

How are we preparing to embody the peace of Christ and live as peacemakers? On the second Sunday of Advent, Weylin Lee connects peacemaking to the practices of rehumanizing others,   Being present to decentered places, and adopting a posture of consent. [Mark 1:1-8]   Reflection How is love helping me hold on? Which parts of life feel like caterpillar soup? How am I inviting my community to come near?  Resources Article: Welcoming Prayer  by Contemplative Outreach  https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/welcoming-prayer-method/ Poem: Shalom, Her Magnetic Heart Than by Kaitlin Curtice https://www.kaitlincurtice.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Curtice_poems.pdf

What helps you hold on? On the first Sunday of Advent, Gena St. David wades into the wilderness to grasp onto hope in these challenging times. [1 Corinthians 1:3-7] Reflection How is love helping me hold on? Which parts of life feel like caterpillar soup? How am I inviting my community to come near?  Resources Instagram: @blackliturgies by Cole Arthur Riley Article: The Three Elements of Self Compassion by Kristin Neff https://self-compassion.org/the-three-elements-of-self-compassion-2/   Podcast: Swearing Is More Important Than You Think by Freakonomics https://freakonomics.com/podcast/swearing-is-more-important-than-you-think/

How might we re-imagine God’s justice in a restorative framework rather than a primarily punitive one? On Christ the King Sunday, Christopher Mack reexamines scriptures on God’s justice and judgment through a lens of nonviolent theology and restorative justice. [Matthew 25:31-40] Reflection Where are you struggling to see God at work in our divisive, violent, over-consumptive, and destructive world? When you long for God to be at work in the world, what values or actions do you hope for? How might our hunger for justice reshape our baggage of images of God’s judgment? Resources Book: Raising Abel: The Recovery of the Eschatological Imagination by James Alison

Finding Wisdom What does wisdom mean to you? Gena St. David glimpses the wisdom of nature as shared through life, trees, and rain. We are invited to consider how we might find spiritual wisdom in the cycle of connection, disconnection, and reconnection embodied in nature and the life of Jesus. [Proverbs 3:13-20] Reflection What wisdom have you learned by observing patterns in nature? Where am I currently working against the wisdom of nature? What does nature teach me about the wisdom of Love? Resources Book: On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old by Parker Palmer Meditation: “Personal Weather Report” from Sitting Still Like a Frog by Eline Snell

Let’s Not Do This When you think about your story of faith, is there a season where you felt especially burdened by the teachings and ideas around you? Kimberly Culbertson follows up her October 1st message, “Rethinking Priesthood” with a reminder of three areas, Problematic Sexual Ethic, Religious Responsibility, and Disregard for Self, where we should reconsider how religious leaders have set limitations to reinforce their own power instead of offering mercy to the marginalized. [Matthew 23:1-5] Reflection What burden might God be trying to lift from your shoulders this morning? What burdensome expectation for others might God be calling you to release? How might you lean into the “rest for your soul” that Jesus promises?