We continue to celebrate the joy of Easter, new creation and life bursting into our lives and our community. For we truly believe that God has a big, beautiful Dream to bring shalom, justice and love to our neighborhoods, and that we are to be a part of it!
And as we talked about last Sunday, if our WHY as The Practicing Church is this Dream of God, the renewal of all things, then our HOW is the stunning work of the Holy Spirit present and active among us.
I'm very excited for this Sunday as Rose Swetman will be with us speaking about the very real and active presence of the Holy Spirit among us. For we want to be a people of God's presence, filled with the power of the Spirit. This same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. [For a deeper dive, check out these short videos from Vineyard USA about the Holy Spirit.]
And while we love the Spirit of God, the work and the empowerment of the Divine in our midst, we know we are to live this out in an embodied way. We see this model beautifully in the life of Jesus. We want to be a people grounded in the love of God and love of neighbor. And we will hold fiercely to the tension of being a people of God's presence and power while being rooted and grounded in love in an embodied way in our neighborhoods.
Here is a beautiful story of presence and place from some folks in our Vineyard family in Campbellsville, KY.
Coffee That Cultivates Community
And as we talked about last Sunday, if our WHY as The Practicing Church is this Dream of God, the renewal of all things, then our HOW is the stunning work of the Holy Spirit present and active among us.
I'm very excited for this Sunday as Rose Swetman will be with us speaking about the very real and active presence of the Holy Spirit among us. For we want to be a people of God's presence, filled with the power of the Spirit. This same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. [For a deeper dive, check out these short videos from Vineyard USA about the Holy Spirit.]
And while we love the Spirit of God, the work and the empowerment of the Divine in our midst, we know we are to live this out in an embodied way. We see this model beautifully in the life of Jesus. We want to be a people grounded in the love of God and love of neighbor. And we will hold fiercely to the tension of being a people of God's presence and power while being rooted and grounded in love in an embodied way in our neighborhoods.
Here is a beautiful story of presence and place from some folks in our Vineyard family in Campbellsville, KY.
Coffee That Cultivates Community
For what happens when we combine the divine resolve and power with human, embodied agency? Walter Brueggemann would say, "The outcome is a human agent who can act and dream outside imperial reality. And dreaming outside imperial reality, that human agent can begin the daring extrication of this people from the imperial system."
Agency Plus Resolve, Walter Brueggemann, Journey to the Common Good
In other words, freedom, shalom, and renewal happens. Resurrection happens. And we see the movement of the gospel story, of Exodus, of a people leaving empire and slavery to step into human agency as people of God's presence. God's dream is realized when we join God's plan, purposes and presence with our human embodiment to be the hands and feet of Jesus here on the earth. Here in our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools and our work places.
My prayer for you this week is that you would be filled with the presence of the Spirit everywhere your feet walk this blessed earth and every time your hands touch the stranger, your neighbor and those you love. May you feel the life-giving, creative breath of God bringing you and your neighbor to life, awakening dreams and desires, and renewing and redeeming everything and everyone.
Be filled with the Divine Spirit and be embodied and present in your places!
by Jessica Ketola
Agency Plus Resolve, Walter Brueggemann, Journey to the Common Good
In other words, freedom, shalom, and renewal happens. Resurrection happens. And we see the movement of the gospel story, of Exodus, of a people leaving empire and slavery to step into human agency as people of God's presence. God's dream is realized when we join God's plan, purposes and presence with our human embodiment to be the hands and feet of Jesus here on the earth. Here in our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools and our work places.
My prayer for you this week is that you would be filled with the presence of the Spirit everywhere your feet walk this blessed earth and every time your hands touch the stranger, your neighbor and those you love. May you feel the life-giving, creative breath of God bringing you and your neighbor to life, awakening dreams and desires, and renewing and redeeming everything and everyone.
Be filled with the Divine Spirit and be embodied and present in your places!
by Jessica Ketola
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