The Practice Podcast

This guided practice was a part of a gathering all the way back in November of 2015 when Father Michael led an embodied examen. It might be a helpful practice for you as we consider together the role the body plays in our faith and formation. A tax-deductible gift can be given to The Practice Church at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/

We don't often think about the role our bodies play in our faith and formation, but scripture teaches that to be formed by Jesus to be like Jesus for the sake of the world must include our bodies. But what does this mean. How can our faith and formation include our bodies? This week, Jason asks us to consider how we can listen to our bodies and include them in our practices. For some additional resources, please visit our website. If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team. If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/

On Easter Sunday, we gathered to celebrate the risen Christ. Nicole Howe guided our time as we considered how Jesus stands as the connection point between heaven and earth. In Jesus, a new reality is introduced. Just as it did in the garden of Eden, heaven overlaps with earth, and in Christ, we are invited to participate in this new reality. If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team. If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/

We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity. This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. If you were not with us last week, we invite you to make some time this week to listen to the teaching of Mandy Smith and craft an experiment. This week, we looked at our tendency to grasp for control of God. What do we do when God doesn't behave the way we expect God to behave? The form for letting us know if you have organized a group or would like help getting connected can be found at https://forms.gle/RbWoDqxcRDAS5rdM6 For some additional resources, please visit our website. If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team. If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/

We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity. This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. If you were not with us last week, we invite you to make some time this week to listen to the teaching of Mandy Smith and craft an experiment. This week, we looked at our tendency to grasp for control with ourselves. We asked what it might look like for us to surrender ourselves as living sacrifices, to lay down our lives for our friends, to love God and neighbor. How might we, as Jesus promised, lose our lives in order to find them? The form for letting us know if you have organized a group or would like help getting connected can be found at https://forms.gle/RbWoDqxcRDAS5rdM6 For some additional resources, please visit our website. If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team. If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/

We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity. This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. If you were not with us last week, we invite you to make some time this week to listen to the teaching of Mandy Smith and craft an experiment. This week, we looked at our tendency to grasp for control with our resources. We considered how we might control with subtle manipulation of someone's actions or trying to control their emotions. We also asked how our desiring the best for someone we love might lead to a disordered relationship with control. In our practice, we continued to surrender our grasping and clinging, so we might release and surrender to hold the truth that "all shall be well." The form for letting us know if you have organized a group or would like help getting connected can be found at https://forms.gle/RbWoDqxcRDAS5rdM6 For some additional resources, please visit our website. If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team. If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/

We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity. This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. If you were not with us last week, we invite you to make some time this week to listen to the teaching of Mandy Smith and craft an experiment. This week, we looked at our tendency to grasp for control with our resources. We considered knowledge and information, our reputation, finances and possessions, and achievements at work and school. We considered how we might respond differently when life feels out of control. Instead of grasping and clinging, what if we release and surrender so we can hold the truth that "all shall be well." The form for letting us know if you have organized a group or would like help getting connected can be found at https://forms.gle/RbWoDqxcRDAS5rdM6 For some additional resources, please visit our website. If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team. If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/

We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity. This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. In this video, we begin with an interview with pastor and author Mandy Smith. Mandy is the author of a wonderful book, Unfettered that explores our obsession with power and paints a beautiful picture of a childlike faith. Then, we consider our relationship with control and begin the crafting of our experiments. The handout for crafting an experiment can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g3E6vILmYsBy8sjQX400xa_y1dUb2fvR/view?usp=share_link The form for letting us know if you have organized a group or would like help getting connected can be found at https://forms.gle/RbWoDqxcRDAS5rdM6 The guided practice resources mentioned are the apps Pause, Lectio365, and Pray as You Go, as well as the guided daily office. For some additional resources, please visit our website. If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team. If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/

This is the start of a recurring series, in which we will be walking in the story of Scripture. As we slowly and reflectively walk through the story, we hope to experience scripture in a fresh way. We want to develop eyes to see the intricate work of God in creation and encounter our wonderful God as we walk with the story. This week, we continued the thread Dr. Walton began with Genesis 1 and the continuation with Genesis 2 and 3. Nicole guided our exploration of Genesis 4-11 and helped us see the cyclical rhythms. All throughout this opening of our story, we see the themes of garden, choice, wild place, deliverance through the waters, and covenant promises, and these themes carry on in the whole story of scripture. You can find the handout from this gathering here. For some additional resources, please visit our website. If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team. If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/

This is the start of a recurring series, in which we will be walking in the story of Scripture. As we slowly and reflectively walk through the story, we hope to experience scripture in a fresh way. We want to develop eyes to see the intricate work of God in creation and encounter our wonderful God as we walk with the story. This week, we continued the thread Dr. Walton began as we explored Genesis 2 and 3. We considered the choice before each of us to receive the gift of life and wisdom on God's terms or to take it on our own terms. Are we willing to trust God or will we depend control for ourselves? The story of Adam and Eve is one in which we see ourselves, but the incredible gift is even as we rebel by taking and grasping control, God continues to care and provide for us. For some additional resources, please visit our website. If The Practice Church is your home community, please join the Core Team. If The Practice Church has been meaningful to your journey, would you consider a tax-deductible gift? You can give at https://www.practicetribe.com/give/