Awaken Community

Awaken's Director of Spiritual Formation, Cathy Solomon, delivers a refreshing exploration of the ways comfort has been used within white evangelical religious spaces as a means of avoidance. What does it look like to enter into discomfort for the sake of spiritual growth and connectedness to ourselves and our neighbors?

Pastor Micah unpacks the consequences of American Exceptionalism and Colonialism embedded within the Christian church. What does it look like to unearth, address, and let go of colonialism within our religious context?

Pastor Micah discusses yet another major belief in modern western christianity, the rapture. He unpacks what it is, where it's found in scripture (if at all), and how it gained such a significant following. By looking at the real world implications of such a belief, Micah encourages us to let go of escapism and be reminded of partnering with God on this earth here and now.

Pastor Jenna and Micah are co-teaching for the first time in Awaken's history on the impact of purity culture in the evangelical landscape. They unpack the shame and guilt that came with viewing our bodies as sinful first, while inviting us to consider what it would look like to let go of the binaries that exist within that framework.

A Lenten reflection on releasing burdensome approaches to sharing faith. Discussion covers rethinking certainty-driven evangelism, the weight of personal responsibility for others, and reclaiming witness as humble action. Listeners are invited to prioritize healing, hospitality, and present-day kingdom work while letting go of guilt-based pressure.

A reflection on day seven as the first human day of rest, exploring completion, celebration, and renewal. Listens to the creation poem together and considers Sabbath as a holy rhythm and generous gift. Mixes theology, personal stories, practical steps for keeping Sabbath, and a call to step off life’s treadmill and receive rest.

A reflection on day six of Genesis that focuses on relationships between humans, animals, and the rest of creation. The talk explores what the plural language in Genesis suggests about God's communal nature. It challenges gendered images of the divine and examines how those images affect power and harm. Listeners are invited to embrace stewardship and remember humanity’s purpose in relation to creation.

A theological dive into Genesis 1:20–23 exploring birds, fish, and the Hebrew tanin motif. Discussion links creation imagery to creativity, movement, and abundance. A reflective thread examines spiritual 'monsters' in personal and communal life through David’s story. The talk invites naming struggles and joining others in courageous, mutual support.

Steph Spencer, co-leader at 40 Orchards and pastoral mentor, explores Genesis day four and the creation of sacred time. She explains the Hebrew moedim and how sun, moon, and stars mark festival rhythms. Conversations cover Sabbath as liberation, Jubilee and structural justice, inclusion through gleaning and Ruth, and grounding spiritual practice before collective action.

A lively look at day three of creation, focusing on waters being gathered to make room for life and the hopeful act of preparing space. Explores Hebrew meanings of kavah and the image of seeds, tender green, and embedded gifts as generative goodness. Contrasts violent domination with life-giving resilience, uses dandelions and sourdough as metaphors for quiet, multiplying care, and calls for neighborly organizing.