Sterling Severns Devotionals, Life of the Community, Rule of Life, Rule of Life Together, The Right Next Step

Sacred Pause & the Path to Freedom

The past few days have felt heavy. Between the news cycle and the looming presidential debate, it’s hard to ignore the way tension creeps into our hearts. There’s a pressure that builds, a simmering frustration, and it doesn’t take much—a comment from a family member, a dismissive remark in a conversation—for that tension to spill over. I’ve felt it myself. It’s easy to snap back, shut down, or get defensive. These knee-jerk reactions often define us in ways we don’t intend—people may no longer see us as someone willing to listen or seek understanding. When our righteous anger shifts into self-righteousness, we can lose sight of the healing God is calling us to offer the world. But that doesn’t mean we’ve missed our chance. God’s grace meets us, not in perfection but in our efforts to return, pause, and try again. Each pause, no matter how difficult, is an invitation to step back into the work of healing—work we’re never disqualified from, no matter how many times we need to begin again.

This past Sunday, just before the benediction, I encouraged you to join me in practicing the Sacred Pause. It’s the space between what happens to us and how we respond. Lately, I find myself leaning into that space and discovering surprising freedom. When life throws us off balance, the Sacred Pause helps us stop reacting and start responding. As I mentioned, “Sometimes, after the pause, the response might be exactly what you originally wanted to say or do. The difference is that now your response comes from a place of peace and thoughtfulness, not frustration.” In that brief pause, we rediscover the freedom Christ offers us—not just from unhealthy reactions, but from the need to respond impulsively to every situation with anger or fear. Click here to learn how to practice the Sacred Pause.

Many great religious traditions embrace the importance of creating space between action and reaction. In moments when we feel overwhelmed by emotions, finding that space is critical to breaking the cycle of impulsive reactions. This pause allows us to reconnect with God and listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I’ve been inspired by the broader wisdom found in the work of Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, whose profound reflections on human resilience and choice offer insight for anyone navigating difficult emotional experiences. Frankl wrote:

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Viktor Frankl

Frankl’s words resonate deeply with the Christian practice of the Sacred Pause. It’s in that pause that we make room for the Holy Spirit to guide us, allowing God’s voice to rise above the noise of our emotions. When we slow down and invite God into that space, we can respond not from fear or anger, but from a place centered in love, grace, and wisdom.

This practice reflects the liberation Paul speaks of in his letter to the Romans, where he encourages the early church to live in the freedom of Christ’s love rather than remain bound by division and conflict. And, in those moments where we struggle or fall short, we remember that God’s grace is always present, drawing us back into that space of transformation. Explore how you can incorporate the Sacred Pause into your daily life.

Returning to the World’s Tension

We live in a world brimming with tension, frustration, and conflict. In our own church life, we’ve felt it too—whether it’s during a difficult conversation in a business meeting or while serving in Community Ministry when impatience gets the better of someone. Perhaps you’ve encountered it on the road, stuck behind the guy with the offensive bumper sticker, or while watching a political talk show where contempt seems to be the driving force. These moments test our capacity to live out the love and grace we’re called to embody.

But here’s the good news: we’re growing together. Every time we lean into the Sacred Pause, we take one step closer to healing ourselves and the world around us. The Sacred Pause begins with us—giving God the space to transform our hearts. In that pause, we not only stop our own unhealthy reactions but also make room for others to be seen, heard, and transformed. When people feel understood, they too are invited into their own pause, to reconsider, and begin again. We may not always get it right the first time or even the second, but the love of God, always present and always at work, gives us the space to try again. And as we grow together in our faith, we get to participate in God’s healing project—a project that is grounded in love, grace, and reconciliation.

Together, as a church community, we have the privilege of being instruments of healing in a world that so desperately needs it. Let’s keep growing, keep pausing, and keep discovering the ways God is leading us to love more deeply, to listen more closely, and to heal more faithfully.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Sterling W. Severns, Pastor

Going Deeper:

God has used many voices to help me grow in my faith, and Arthur Brooks has been one of them. If you’re interested in exploring more about the power of the pause, I encourage you to watch or listen to the conversation between Simon Sinek and Arthur Brooks at the 92nd Street Y, where they discuss the importance of pausing before reacting. You can find the interview here or listen to the podcast here.

John Gottman’s Four Horsemen—criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling—are harmful patterns that damage relationships, often arising when we react out of intense emotions. You can learn more about these patterns here.

Sterling Severns Life of the Community, Rule of Life, Rule of Life Together, Spiritual Disciplines, The Right Next Step

Spiritual Discipline: The Sacred Pause

Morning Reflection: Rediscovering the Freedom to Choose

As described in the article, “Sacred Pause & the Path to Freedom”, the Sacred Pause offers us the freedom that Christ gives—not just from unhealthy reactions, but from the need to respond impulsively in anger or fear. Begin your day by reflecting on the freedom found in Christ’s love and the grace available when we pause, listen, and invite God into our responses.

During the Day: Practicing the Sacred Pause

When you feel emotional or overwhelmed, practice the Sacred Pause by following these steps:

  1. Notice the Moment: Acknowledge when strong emotions arise, without rushing to respond.
  2. Pause and Breathe: Take a few deep breaths, giving yourself time to pause. This space helps you avoid reacting impulsively and invites God’s guidance to work through you.
  3. Ask Self-Awareness Questions:
    • What am I feeling right now?
    • Why am I feeling this way? (Is this connected to something deeper, like past experiences or emotions?)
    • What is God trying to show me through this feeling?
    • Is this a moment where I should respond now, or is God calling me to wait?
    • How would God want to respond through me in this situation?
  4. Recognize the Need to Wait: Remember that the Sacred Pause might lead you to wait for the right time to respond. Sometimes, waiting is part of God’s wisdom, allowing you to reflect more deeply before acting. Trust that waiting is an active, spiritual practice that creates space for God to guide you.

Evening Reflection: Journaling and Sharing

At the end of the day, take a few moments to reflect on your experiences with the Sacred Pause and consider these questions:

  1. Did I create space today to pause and respond thoughtfully?
    How did the Sacred Pause free you from reacting impulsively or defensively, as described in the article, “Sacred Pause & the Path to Freedom”?
  2. Were there moments when I forgot to pause and reacted out of emotion?
    Reflect on specific moments when you acted without thinking. Was it with a family member, coworker, or someone else? Did your reaction create a chain reaction, escalating tension or misunderstanding? This connects to the article’s message about knee-jerk reactions and their consequences.
  3. How did the Sacred Pause help me rediscover my freedom?
    Did the pause help you break a cycle of frustration? Reflect on the freedom from emotional reactivity that Paul describes in Romans and how this practice brings you closer to that freedom.
  4. What deeper emotions or past experiences might have influenced my reactions?
    Think about moments where your reactions were stronger than expected. Could this be connected to something from your past? This ties into the article’s insight on how deeper emotional or historical baggage can influence our reactions.
  5. In what ways did I experience or offer God’s grace today?
    Reflect on how you received or extended grace during your day. Remember that even when we fail to pause, God’s grace meets us, offering us second chances to begin again.

Hopeful Word on Second Chances

As the article beautifully states, “God’s grace meets us, not in perfection but in our efforts to return, pause, and try again.” Every time we pause, whether we succeed or fall short, we are offered the chance to begin again. No impulsive reaction, no matter how intense, disqualifies us from God’s work of healing and transformation. Each new day, each new moment, is an opportunity to pause, respond, and grow.

Going Deeper

For more insights on the power of the Sacred Pause, you can explore these helpful resources:

Sacred Pause & the Path to Freedom”: Discover how the Sacred Pause can help us break free from impulsive reactions.

Arthur Brooks in Conversation with Simon Sinek at the 92nd Street Y: Brooks and Sinek discuss the importance of pausing before reacting and how this practice fosters empathy and understanding.

Viktor Frankl’s Reflections: Explore Frankl’s insight on the space between stimulus and response, where our growth and freedom lie.

John Gottman’s Four Horsemen: Learn more about the damaging patterns that arise from reactive, emotionally charged behavior.

Sterling Severns Bible Study, Rule of Life Together, Spiritual Disciplines

Brown Bag Bible Study – Tuesdays at Noon (EST) on Zoom

Kicking off a new season with a new format on September 24!

We’re excited to launch the fall season of Brown Bag Bible Study on Tuesday, September 24, and invite you to join us! Whether you’ve been a part of this group for years or are considering joining for the first time, now is a great time to jump in as we introduce a new format that expands our circle and keeps the conversation meaningful in a shorter time frame.


What to Expect
We meet every Tuesday at Noon (EST) via Zoom. The space opens at 11:30 a.m. for casual conversation, and our study begins promptly at 12:00 p.m., wrapping up by 1:00 p.m.—perfect for anyone’s lunch break! Bring your lunch (hence the name “Brown Bag”) and join the conversation.

Our focus is on reflecting together on the previous Sunday’s sermon. A brief summary and discussion questions will be available on our website beforehand, so you can come prepared if you like, but everyone is welcome to join whether or not you’ve had a chance to review. Pastor Sterling Severns will guide the conversation, but it’s a time for shared discussion, where everyone’s perspective is valued.

“Perhaps the secret of living well is not in having all the answers, but in pursuing unanswerable questions in good company.”

– Rachel Naomi Remen


Who’s Invited?
This study is open to everyone—and now more than ever, we hope to expand our community. It’s a multi-generational space where folks of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. Whether you’re local, out of state, or even abroad, feel free to invite friends, family, or co-workers to join this welcoming conversation.


How to Join
Visit www.tbcrichmond.org for the Zoom link, sermon summaries, and reflection questions. For any questions, feel free to reach out to Pastor Sterling at pastor@tbcrichmond.org.

Whether you’re joining from close by or far away, bring your curiosity and an open heart. We’re excited for this new season and we look forward to seeing you on Tuesdays at Noon!

Sterling Severns Devotional

If a Tree Falls in the Northside

I’ve always had a thing for trees. Ask me about the places I’ve lived, and eventually, I’ll tell you about a tree I loved. One tree, in particular, stood sentinel over the home where we raised our children on the northside of Richmond, Virginia. Perhaps it’s my favorite.

We welcomed the shade it provided over three-quarters of the house for three-quarters of almost every year we lived there. In autumn, it blazed a shade of yellow that I’ll struggle to describe for the rest of my days. That tree was a constant presence during a time when everything else in our lives spun in constant motion.

I remember a contractor once telling me that the tree’s canopy probably cut our electric bill in half. Our old house, with its century-old glass windows and lack of insulation, was far from energy efficient, and money was really tight back then. At the time, I was simply grateful for the way the tree’s shade eased some of the financial burden. These days, gratitude sparks more imagination. I place the tree in a circle, of innumerable angel investors, funding diapers-in-bulk, gymnastics classes, car repairs, Lego sets, rare getaways with Laura, and so much more.

So many of our children’s birthday parties took place under that tree. Candles on cakes marked another year around the sun, while tree rings recorded the passage of time. The vast majority of the first decade of sermons I preached were written and memorized beneath its branches. The pressure of weekly deadlines at the pulpit was difficult for me, an insecure writer. I suppose the sheer size and longevity of the tree helped put things into perspective.

And then there were those autumn days. The kids would disappear into gigantic piles we’d just raked together, emerging with pieces of leaves tangled in their hair. I love that tree for so many reasons.

The early diagnosis came as an afterthought from someone in passing, “Your tree looks like it’s struggling.” Soon thereafter the arborist delivered the blow, “Your tree is dead and needs to come down.” The second expert was more direct: “Take it down before it crushes your house or hurts a child.”

It took some time to absorb, and even more time to wrestle with the guilt. It took less than two hours to take down a tree that had taken 200 years to grow. Memories of it always evoke sadness and gratitude for me.

In the first half of my life, in those years we were raising our children, I would have attempted to deny or eradicate the sadness. But here’s the thing, I’m discovering the gift of embracing the hard stuff, because it appears that this is where we eventually find the best stuff.

It’s “joy coming in the morning”

It’s “Friday, but Sunday’s coming”

It’s “there’s a crack in everything, that’s where the light gets in”

It’s “inconsolable longing”

It’s “the worst thing is never the last thing”

It’s the wisdom of the every-day saints gone before us.

It’s the suffering servant walking beside us.

It’s the path to peace which, in the gift of time, transforms us into peacemakers.

The day the tree was felled, a clearing appeared in the very place the canopy once stood. I didn’t see it then. I see it now.

The rain came down, sunlight shone through, and the soil, nourished in the very place where that old tree, and the others before it, once towered over, absorbed the gift, and, in the gift of time, the seedling grew.

Lucy Maud Montgomery says, “I am sure I could not have been more than four years old when I first consciously took note of the trees that watched over me.”

Take note, friends. God watches over all of us. Yes, many of us knew it before but now, after what we’ve been through and what some are going through, we will know this gladness more fully and be grateful for it. For all of it.

May the peace of Christ be with you.

Rev. Sterling W. Severns

Pastor

Sterling Severns Church Business

What might God do with the dust of our fallen structures?

In light of last week’s headline, World Health Organization declaring an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A word of encouragement to those (re)building, (re)viving, (re)missioning, and (re)forming institutions

All humans long for stability. Throughout time, Societies have built structures to protect stability. Call it covid, call it chaos, there’s been a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on. Rigid structures don’t tend to fare well when the ground starts shaking. No structure is meant to last forever and yet when history circles back around we’re surprised by its arrival. Anything we carve or build out of rock, bricks, steel, or glass, eventually falls. Travel to Greece, Rome, the site of the former World Trade Center in NYC, or, (dare I say it) down a long stretch of Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va, historical structures eventually and always buckle under the pressure of the passage of time.

Most any group of people that find themselves finally tasting the “good life” naturally want to build a structure that can maintain, expand, and protect that way of life (aka stability). Think about the destructive cycles that spin chaos into the world from there. If building, maintaining, expanding, and protecting our “good life” requires the diminishing, disqualifying or destruction of the lives of others, expect chaos and prepare to choke on the dust of fallen idols, fortresses, and structures.

I believe God is refashioning us, not only out of the dust of our fallen idols, fortresses, and structures, but also out of the dust being stirred up by the beautiful feet of those walking beside “God with Us”

There’s a moment in the Bible when the disciples of Jesus find themselves awestruck by the Temple structure,“Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what a wonderful structure!” Jesus responds, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” The temple is supposed to be the most stable place on earth, the one place where God’s finger touches the world, therefore the one place chaos can’t possibly exist.

Later in the story, those that arrested Jesus justify their actions based on the audacity of Jesus bringing chaos, the equivalent of kryptonite, into the temple. He doesn’t help his case when he predicts the temple’s destruction or in claiming he will rebuild the temple in three days. To add insult to injury, he claims the new Temple won’t be confined by geography or any other lines we might draw in the sand. No-one-corner of the world will be able to claim this One as their own. This One, is meant to travel. This One is a throwback to the original design. Anyone with institutional memory might call him “Tabernacle”, but most of his followers call him Savior.

Church, I know we’re all longing for stability, it’s natural to do so, especially in our grieving. I want you to know that I join you in deep grieving. So much more, I want you to know that we worship a God that brings order out of Chaos.

Any version of life, built upon a structure that diminishes the potential for thriving in the lives of others, cannot be attributed to the goodness of God.

YHWH didn’t fashion us out of metaphorical dust, breathe air into our lungs, and put us on our feet, only for us to create our own versions of the “good life”. Any version of life, built upon a structure that diminishes the potential for thriving in the lives of others, cannot be attributed to the goodness of God. Any version of the “good life” that leads someone into isolation, separation, or even relational annihilation is a cheap counterfeit. God is good…all of the time. The good life Christ offers is the real deal….the Way, the Truth, and The Life. Walk in the knowledge that we follow a Savior that can take all of the fallenness, brokenness, and complexities of the stories of the past and present, all of the unintentional chaos we’ve unleashed into the world, and somehow bring profound goodness through it. Know that God can, and will, make ALL things for good.

As we move out of this global pandemic, it will be critical for us to understand that it’s not our job to rebuild our temples. God already did that, three days after his son was crucified. The news gets even better. The resurrected Savior is inviting us to tabernacle with him right smack into the middle of the chaos. He’s inviting us to join the search party for those who have stumbled into, or were pushed into, lostness and loneliness. He’s inviting us to join him in the reclamation of the abandoned, to participate in the healing of the brokenhearted, and even in the resuscitation of the hearts of the presumed “righteous”.

In this very moment, I believe God is refashioning us, not only out of the dust of our fallen idols, fortresses, and structures, but also out of the dust being stirred up by the beautiful feet of those walking beside “God with Us”. It’s an invitation to breathe again. It’s an invitation to life again. It’s the invitation of a lifetime!

Rev. Sterling W. Severns, Pastor

  • This is an adaptation of something first written in January 2022.

Sterling Severns Church Business

A Word From Our Pastor……..

Good news. Challenging News. Great News. 

Earlier this fall the youth group kicked off a new weekly program with high aspirations and minimal fuel to make the engine “go”.  Long story short, after a couple of weeks of experimentation, it became pretty clear the most recent reboot of our youth program isn’t sufficient.  

WE MAKE THE ROAD BY WALKING.

Good News: 

God is doing something exciting in our experimentation and intentionality. We’re feeling encouraged to see our students integrating into the specific spaces of belonging we’re building for intergenerational Discipleship. We’re seeing God at work in and through the lives of those participating in Community Ministry (Saturdays), Dinner Church (Wednesday evenings), and Woven (Sunday mornings). God is bearing fruit in the deliberateness of our relationship building, through the continuity and deliberateness in our holy conversations. 

Challenging News: 

1) The identified need and desires we’re seeing in our younger youth are radically different from what we’re seeing and hearing from our older youth. This has always been true AND there is a palpable and definitive tension unique to the moment. 

2) The vast majority of the adults in our congregation, including many parents of our children and youth, do not express feeling called or remotely equipped to disciple children, youth, or adults. 

3) We have not been able to identify a core group of adults to make a weekly investment in the intentional discipleship of children and youth. Yes, there are individuals but no core groups of adults. We have no reason to believe this will change anytime soon. 

4) Families with children/youth are in constant motion. It was true long before the pandemic began and it’s even more true now. We have no reason to believe the pace of life is going to slow down anytime soon. We have no reason to believe that “church” will ever be the center of family life again nor should we assume the church should be the center of family life again.  The road ahead doesn’t resemble the place we’ve come from. 

5) We can’t seem to put down the baggage of the past (discipleship as a program) which gives us little or no capacity in the embracing of discipleship as a deliberate form of relationship building with Christ at the center. 

6) The Church is adrift. We have not come together to identify our priorities and we can’t make critical decisions together until we discern our priorities together. 

None of us, myself included, saw the missional drifting when it first began; we can’t identify when it  actually began. We certainly didn’t make a conscious decision to drift. Let’s be clear, no parent, leader, partner, community or organization drifts away from purpose….. on purpose. When we drift, and all of us do, we don’t usually know it’s happening. Maybe it begins when we get ahead of ourselves or a little full of ourselves? Maybe it happens when the tired sets in?  Maybe it happens when we get scared or overwhelmed? Maybe it happens when grief claims our focus? For whatever reason, we’re all prone to gently drift asleep at the wheel. If only the awakening would be so gentle. 

For the record, we have not come together to make a collective decision to radically change course and nobody has deliberately sabotaged our vessel.  We fell asleep at the helm and we’ve been awakened by a crisis. 

1) We didn’t see the need to recommit to our priorities, or discern new priorities during our chapters of thriving. 

2) The lack of seeing the need to clarify our priorities gave each of us, individually and as little groups, silent permission to determine our own priorities. 

3) A church full of individuals, boards, official and unofficial committees, each determining their own priorities, is a church adrift.

4) The wake-up call continues to be painful. 

The most obvious proof of our missional drift is our lack deliberate walking with children, youth, and their families. Judy, April, a couple of lay leaders, and myself are not able to do this on the church’s behalf. As it relates to ministry with children, youth, and their families, we must clarify what we’re trying to accomplish. We must receive the resources God is providing for the purpose of equipping. We must embrace our commission to make Disciples.  

Great news:

1) The leaders of the church are actively creating a plan to bring all of us together so that we can actively discern what God wants us to prioritize. Your voice is needed. More importantly, your listening heart and ears are needed!  Mark your calendars for a church-wide spiritual renewal weekend, January 13-15, 2023  and pray for our leaders as they help prepare the soil. 

2) In the meantime, as it relates to children, youth, and their families, we’re creating new spaces for you to make an immediate investment. The table you choose to sit at, the attitude you arrive with, your motive for participating, the risk you take in sharing, your gentle listening, makes more difference than you know. 

3) We don’t have to succumb to either/or thinking.  It is entirely possible to remain a committed member of a class/group AND also participate in intergenerational spaces of belonging.  Venturing out of your regular class/group, once a month, is healthy and undergirds the priesthood of all believers. What a gift it will be to return to your group the following week, to testify in what God is doing in the life of your church.  We urge you to carve out time, at least once a month, to participate in in one of our new spaces of belonging (Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings, and/or Saturdays)

3) Whoever said that what God wants is for any of us to put church at the center of our lives? Jesus certainly never said that. He speaks of himself as God’s Temple, continually moving in the neighborhood.  God wants us to put Christ at the center of our the totality of our lives. What a tremendous opportunity we’ve been given to help families learn to disciple one another so they might share God’s love with those they are actually “doing life with”… on the sidelines of sports fields, on field trips, at work, and all of the gazillion places they find themselves on any given day.

5) And then there’s this…… best news ever…..God is with us AND for us. Drift is inevitable AND God is faithful.  We may have wandered but the Spirit guides. The crisis we’ve brought on ourselves in missional drift brings opportunity for Jesus to help us find our way again.  Our intentional walking in these last two months of the calendar year could very well determine whether or not we thrive in the year that follows. 

We have some amazing kids in the life of this church. Their parents, surrogate parents, and grandparents are also pretty amazing. Don’t even get me started on the newcomers that have only recently found an home in our little corner of the world. Each and every one of us, a child of God, full of holy potential, yet-to-be-discovered wonder, and renewed purpose. Each and every one of us with a part to play.  

We make the road by walking.

Yours in Christ, 
Sterling
Sterling W. Severns, Pastor

Sterling Severns Church Business

Leadership (2022): Invitation and Challenge

Over the next couple of weeks, the congregation will receive two ballots and 2-3 specific presentations:

BALLOTS = votes on leadership for 2022 and budget for the first half of 2022.

PRESENTATIONS = exploration of the role of Deacon Ministry, exploration of staff structure and possibly a third presentation from building and grounds.

This video provides a helpful primer for discernment.

Sterling Severns Church Business

COME AND SEE: Last Program has concluded. If you missed the programs or want to watch again, please click the links below for the recordings.

These days, so many of us find ourselves looking into the mirror with questions about about our identify, our allegiances, and our belief systems. We’re trying to figure out where we fit into the world and, how we’re supposed to guide the next generation in doing the same. Most of us are challenging the assumptions we’ve previously made of ourselves, the institutions we have called “home,” and oversimplified presumptions about the stories of those that have come before us.

A couple of Sundays ago, Braxton Kemp joined Sterling at the “pulpit,” to share a conversational sermon about blind spots and a mutual longing to see more clearly. 

What a gift it has been to discover something in the world that feels life-giving, as opposed to the familiar weariness and loneliness that so many of us have grown accustomed to in the pandemic.

Here is the recording from the first Come And See on October 20.

Here is the recording from the second Come And See on October 27.

Here is the recording from the third Come And See on November 3.

Here is the recording from the fourth and final Come And See on November 10.

Seeing (again) is life abundant (again).

In October 2021, a small handful of us began a holy conversation, some us physically present in sanctuary at Tabernacle Baptist Church in RVA and others by way of zoom.  As we’ve continued the conversation, some others have joined in and others have stepped out. Each week, those who make a conscious decision to show up continue the conversation and whoever shows up the following week does the same.

  • The conversation begins at at 7 p.m. sharp (EST) and concludes no later than 9 p.m. (EST).

 It’s a beautiful conversation.

It’s a difficult conversation.

It’s a life giving conversation.

If you are unable to attend in person, join us virtually on Zoom.

THE DETAILS. THE WARNING LABEL.

This isn’t a space for spectating.

This is an engaged space where sharing will be the norm. We don’t intend on asking for deep levels of vulnerable sharing in this space. Anyone looking for a more vulnerable space is encouraged to invite some folks to join you, informally, in the hours or days that follow. We’ll be more than happy to provide some helpful questions to go deeper together.

In turn, this isn’t a space for multi-tasking. 

Virtual and “In Person” participants are expected to be fully present from the moment they step into the space until the moment we say “amen” and step out of the space. If you don’t feel you can commit to full presence, we ask that you wait to join us until you can do so. The only devices that should be “on” during the conversation are those you are using to participate in the conversation. If you can’t make the commitment to fully engage, on any given Wednesday, it’s ok. Work and school deadlines happen. Stress at home happens. Surprises happen. Rest and retreat should happen. Whatever the reason for needing to step out of the conversation, do so with full blessing. Watch the recordings and jump back in when you are ready to be fully present in the space again.

******One caveat here: Some of us struggle with attention issues. If crocheting, knitting, or any form of quiet fidgeting helps you to focus…..by all means fidget away 🙂

This isn’t a space where weekly attendance is expected.

It’s ok if you join us one week and miss the next three. The recordings will be invaluable in preparing you to step back into the space the next go around.  

FYI: There are other spaces where smaller groups of 5-12 people, each with unique covenants, lean into vulnerable sharing and invited accountability. Weekly commitment is an expectation in these spaces as it’s critical in the building and keeping of trust. Should you find yourself looking for that kind of space, reach out to one of the leaders and we’ll go from there.

The conversation isn’t livestreamed but the recording is shared on the internet.

The invitation to be fully present doesn’t presume full disclosure. This is a public space by design. Please be mindful that anything you share in the conversation is shared on the internet. It’s really important for us to make this space hospitable and accessible to anyone that longs for connection. If you’re seeking to go deeper, share more vulnerably, or share more of the story, we will be more than happy to create a safe space for you to do so.

This as a space where simple answers to complex questions will be rejected.

You should expect to leave the space with some conviction. If we’re going to expect God to receive our honest questions, we should expect God to have some questions for us to consider. This is a space where all questions will be welcomed.

We’re going to lean into exploration of words that most of the western world have little or no use for.

Examples of these words might include: discipleship, mission, sin, evangelism, heaven, hell, etc. If you aren’t familiar with the host church, you might assume that you already know how we’re going define those words. We encourage you to join us in placing aside the assumptions about any one person or group represented in the room.

We will also explore phrases and words that tend to shut conversations down (e.g. white privilege, idolatry, pretty much any word that ends with “…..ism, etc.” If this is going to be an honest conversation, one that leans in holy wonder and expresses a deep longing for transformation, we need to be open to complexity and honest about our blind spots. In Christ, seeing (again) is life abundant (again). Limiting our vocabulary and arriving with preconceived assumptions, will only limit the potential for seeing differently.

This is a space hosted by a local church but created for the Universal Church. 

Whereas, Tabernacle Baptist Church is hosting the space, the conversation is so much bigger than the small congregation that has made a home at the corner Grove and Meadow in Richmond, Virginia. God is guiding all of us to make a road by walking together. Conversational leaders, and conversational partners (FYI – that’s you), will come from multiple contexts, all with unique world views and life experiences. Long story short, the invitation to participate in the conversation goes well beyond any one local church and we’re going to prioritize the inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives in this space. 

This space is designated as “Sanctuary” for all.

Sanctuary is a space where all are made welcome, where each and every one of God’s children come to understand that we are loved as we were made, in all of our beautiful messy complexity. Sanctuary is an active space of hospitality AND transformation alike. Transformation means, “come as you are with the assumption that Christ loves us too much to leave us as we are.”

Expect to be welcomed fully. Expect to be challenged fully.

This isn’t a space for children.

While all adults and youth are invited to join us, it doesn’t mean that everyone should join us. This is a space set aside for honest/messy story sharing, full expression of doubts, wide open questioning, and the testifying to revealed wonder along the way. We’re going to lean into the tension that surfaces and we’re going to encourage the embracing of holy mystery. Each of us will need to determine our level of comfort in stepping into this space and each parent needs to determine if their teenager is ready for a conversation with limited boundaries. 

Like us, you’re probably wondering about what needs to be made available for children and youth not-yet-ready for this kind of conversation. A group of leaders are actively engaged in discernment about the next right step in the spiritual and emotional formation of our children and youth. Expect news soon.  Remember, the first critical step in the formation of children and youth begins with the formation of the adults that will lead them.

So there you have it. You’ve been invited and warned 🙂

We really would love for any teenagers and/or adults to join us. It is really important that any and all conversational partners honor the intent of the space.

Our first weekly gathering will take place on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. We will start at 7 p.m. sharp and wrap up no later than 9 p.m.

Show up in person at 1925 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220 OR virtually.

If you’re driving, you can park for free in the pay lot on Meadow or park in the alley parking lot and/or blacktop behind the building.

www.tbcrichmond.org

Sterling Severns Church Business

A Word from our Pastor: Seeing Again

Jesus, through insight discovered in John’s Gospel, persistently challenges us to acknowledge our blindness but always with an invitation to see (again). If someone were to ask the author of John’s Gospel to define the word “sin”, the author would point to blindness. “Sin”, he might say, “is less about moral failure and more about refusing to see the gift of God’s revelation, standing right there beside you.”

Last Sunday, Braxton and I shared a conversational sermon based on John 9. The story begins with a portrait of one blind person, standing in a room full folks that all believe they possess 20/20 vision. In reality, every last one of them are afflicted with a form of blindness. By the time we reach the end of the story, one of many blind folks in the room receives tangible sight, others are brought to an awareness they are only beginning to see, and then there the others that refuse to acknowledge their affliction. (John 9)

As we continue to reflect and pray on what Jesus is revealing through his encounter with the man born blind and the religious “faithful” (Disciples of Jesus. Pharisees, etc.)

  • How would you know that Jesus is present with you? Do you “see” Jesus in your life? If so, would you feel comfortable sharing this with your small group, Sunday School Class, circle of trusted friends, etc? In a similar light (bad pun….sorry), what if you’re struggling to see Jesus? Would you feel comfortable sharing this with your small group, Sunday School Class, or circle of friends? What might happen if you took the risk in sharing? If you’re not comfortable talking about this with “your people”, what is it about the culture of your trusted circle that fuels the hesitancy to share?

  • Where are your spiritual blind spots? Can you name the source(s) of the blind spots? Is there a member of your faith community, or even a new friend, you might be willing to explore the topic with? What risks are involved in sharing? What is at risk in not taking this risk?

  • When/if we come to acknowledge our blindspots, however that happens, how do we push past the guilt and shame that so often surfaces in that process?

  • Is it possible that seeing Jesus first gives us the unique ability to see others through his eyes? If that’s possible, if we see people through the eyes of Jesus, how might this new way of seeing transform the destructive spiral we’re all experiencing in society as we know it? What’s at risk if we continue to walk in the blindness?

  • As you deliberately engage with strangers and friends alike, what is Jesus revealing to you….about yourself, about your assumptions of others, about the nature of our hope in God’s promise to bring the Kingdom of Heaven?

  • Is it worth the risk in sharing aloud what Jesus has revealed through newfound sight…..with a family member? with a co-worker? with a new friend? What is at risk in the refusal to share? What would the fruit of transformation look like, in your own life, if you leaned into a relationship based deliberately on spiritual sight/formation?

  • Can you think of someone that is clearly experiencing the presence of Christ in their lives? If so, is it worth the risk in setting up a time and asking them to share what they’re seeing?

May we have the courage and wisdom to ask for help in the discovery of our blind spots, and the wherewithal to forge relationships with others that long to see (again). May we take the risk in testifying with humility, “I don’t know…..but what I do know is this….I was blind but now I see“.

Sterling Severns Church Business

Finding the way…

We’re in John 14:2-6, the very beginning of Jesus’ farewell discourse. Jesus informs the Disciples that he’s leaving soon, to prepare a place for them. He promises to return so that he might travel with them back to that place. He wraps up the surprising news with a word of confidence, “It’s a good thing you all know how to get to the place where I’m going”.

“Um”, Thomas says, “I’m pretty sure that none of us know how to get to the place you’re talking about. How could we when you haven’t given us the address?” Thomas’ response reminds me of something Yogi Berra once said, “You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” Sounds about right.

About 15 years ago, a group of folks at Tabernacle were standing together around carousel #4, in the baggage claim area at RIC. Back in those days it wasn’t uncommon to find a group of us standing in that space, often well after midnight. The vast majority of us had only travelled the short distance from our front door to the Richmond airport. However, the familiy of five that we greeted on this particular evening travelled a much greater distance, first fleeing for their lives from the Burmese Army and more recently on a 72+ hour journey from Kuala Lumpur to Richmond, Virginia.

It took less than twenty seconds for the baggage handlers to place the family’s earthly possessions onto the carousel. Everything that family owned fit into one small suitcase and two plastic bags. Back in those days, there wasn’t a single identified interpreter in Richmond that could speak both English and Burmese. Fortunately, some of the members of our expanding greeting party included brothers and sisters from the Karen ethnic group. All of them were refugees and most of them had been greeted at the airport, only a few short weeks ago, by the very people they were now guiding in the welcoming of others.

Not even the case worker could understand the words that were exchanged and none of the greeters spoke enough English to interpret their own words back to us. It mattered not, the native English speakers didn’t need to understand the specific words in order to understand what was being conveyed. The visual expression on the exhausted faces of those two parents interpreted the message they had received: words of hope, words of comfort, words of welcome. The limitations of language cannot conceal a peace that surpasses all understanding. By the grace of God they had found the way and in the mysterious movement of the Spirit we were all being transformed.

Back in a different day, I used to read the 13th and 14th chapters of John‘s Gospel differently. When Jesus tells the Disciples that he is The Way, I made assumptions that haven’t stood the test of time. Back then, I was more of a literalist and believed that Jesus’ words validated a viewpoint of exclusivity. I used to interpret Jesus’ words, “you know the way to the place I am going” to validate assumptions that haven’t held true in the long journey of faith. Had GPS technology existed back in the day, I would likely have used it as a metaphor for a Biblical worldview, “The Bible provides the turn-by-turn directions anyone needs to find their way. It’s as simple as believing the literal words and genuinely praying for those that don’t have the wisdom to do the same.” Humility, ushered in through my failure along the way and the unmerited grace that has been offered, has changed my thinking.

In hindsight, as I look back to those midnight encounters in baggage claim, the focal point of the memories no longer center on a group of strangers creatively communicating “welcome” through smiles, hand gestures, and helpfulness. The great truth of the memories no longer resides with a group of refugees finding their way to a new home and a circle of strangers helping them make a place to call home. That interpretation of the story is oversimplified and hasn’t stood the test of time. Humility, gratitude, grief, and grace have changed my thinking. These days, as I look back and remember, the first thing I see is the face of Jesus, bringing a group of people together in the cover of darkness, ALL of them refugees, ALL of them needing to find their place again. Some of them were certainly more aware of the need than others. Regardless, he knew what we needed and he made a way. Was it messy? Absolutely. Were we pretty confused? Absolutely. Did scripture validate and educate us in how to walk differently? Absolutely. Did the Spirit continually surprise us as we walked with Jesus together? No doubt about it.

In these days of confusion, grief, and weariness, we’re finding hope in our remembering. We’re finding resilience in the sacred stories of our forebearers and even in the recollection of our sacred memories . We’re also really struggling with connection with one another and the world around us. I’m guessing that a lot of us find ourselves standing in the place where Thomas once stood. It’s a familiar place, this place of lostness. Disciples of Jesus are supposed to know the way but we can’t seem to find it.

With apologies to Yogi, you’ve got to be careful you don’t assume you know where you’re going, because you may actually get there….only to find it’s not the place you thought it would be. Your way, my way, our way, will never lead us to the place we long to be. The memories shared in scripture, and the sacred stories we’ve experienced in our own lives, all point to the place Jesus speaks of. He calls that place the Kingdom of God.

Our thoughts on exclusivity and certainty have not stood the test of time. However, the same can’t be said of our Savior. His nature is revealed in scripture. His love is evident in our messy stories and his Mission continues to unfold through the mysterious presence of the Holy Spirit.

What revelations await for the refugees, one and all? Will we find our place again? According to the Gospel of John…..there is one WAY to find out.