Our pastor reflects upon the life of one of his mentors, a former staff member. God has an extraordinary knack for bringing all of life around, all of us around, full circle.
Going Deeper: Communal Grief Part 1
Rev. Jacque Green reflects on communal grief in light of a world dealing with Covid-19.
Articles and Books Mentioned in this Podcast:
- Doehring, Carrie. (2019). Searching for Wholeness Amidst Traumatic Grief: The Role of Spiritual Practices that Reveal Compassion in Embodied, Relational, and Transcendent Ways. Pastoral Psychology. 68.
- Healing Our Hurts: Coping with Difficult Emotions, Daniel G. Bagby, 2013
- Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, David Kessler, 2019
Scripture References
- When worried: Is 43:1–13; Mt 6:25–34; Php 4:4–7; 1 Pe 5:7
- When lonely: Ps 73:23–24; Is 41:10; Is 49:14–16; Jn 14:15–21
- When tired or weary: Is 40:28–31; Mt 11:28–30; 2 Co 4:16–18; Php 4:12–13
- When discouraged: Ps 34:18; Ps 42:5; La 3:20–23; Ro 8:28–39
Spiritual Practices (not mentioned)
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us. Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, 2015
Return of the Prodigal, “George”
Our Pastor shares a reflection about the gift of meeting God in the alleyway of the church and welcoming “George” back to the place he calls home.
Pastoral Reflection: Bread for the Journey
Pastor Sterling Severns reflects on his experience coming to the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and his experiences as a young pastor in the Richmond area.
When has God transformed what felt like a mistake in your life into part of your call or journey through faith?
Going Deeper: The Future Church
Associate Pastor Meg Lacy Vega and Pastoral Intern Spencer Law discuss the “future church” and how God is guiding us through our discernment process to see beyond what the church once was and currently is. This podcast is a supplement to Tabernacle’s ongoing discernment dialogue, exploring what God has in store for the little church at Grove and Meadow and also the universal Church.
What do you think the “future church” looks like?
How can you bring your gifts and skills to the church as it changes?
What are ways the church can transform for the better?
What are essential elements of the church, and what is subject to change?
Where do we see hints of the “future church” in our little church at Grove and Meadow?
Comment below or add your thoughts to the Communal Journal.
Going Deeper: The Change Cycle
Christy Foldenauer talks to us today about the change cycle, and how we process change, from loss to integration. This podcast is a supplement to Tabernacle’s ongoing discernment dialogue, exploring what God has in store for the little church at Grove and Meadow and also the universal Church.
What do you think?
How does understanding this change model understand yourself and others?
What part does discipleship play in helping the congregation work through this cycle?
Where are you prone to get stuck in this cycle?
If this cycle is a map, where are you right now?
Comment below or add your thoughts to the Communal Journal.
Pastoral Reflection: Erroneous Assumptions
This word from our pastor, Rev. Sterling Severns, was originally published on June 11, 2020.
Going Deeper: Life Cycles of a Congregation
Where do you think our little church falls on the life cycle?
We all know that churches tend to move through cycles, inevitable and natural for us to do so. Our willingness to look into the mirror and share what we’re seeing is important. Are we all seeing the same image of our little church when we look into the mirror? We are indebted to Dr. Tracy Hartman, one of our beloved members, for introducing us to “Life Cycles of a Congregation”
Tracy-Hartman-lifecycles-“Savy churches will constantly engage in the ongoing work of renewal….. and move with courage into the risks involved in living into. “
-Dr Tracy Hartman
Comment below or add your thoughts to our Communal Journal.
Pastoral Reflection: The Right People
Pastor Sterling Severns tells the story of a pastor modeling sacrificial love, and talks about God sending us just the right people at just the right time.
Who has come into your life at just the right time? How have you seen God in the people around you?
Does Church Size Matter?
Pastor Meg Lacy Vega talks to us about how congregations function differently depending on their size.
This podcast is a supplement to our ongoing discernment dialogue as we explore what God has in store for our congregation and the universal church. We invite you to listen each week as we share thoughts, articles, questions, and ideas about our discernment process.
You can read more about church size dynamics in the article Leadership and Church Size Dynamics: How Strategy Changes with Growth by Time Keller.