No man is an island. Intellectually, we assent to this statement by John Donne. So we talk about social responsibility, environmental accountability, and economic interdependency. But when it comes to spirituality, do we really need community? Isn’t our spiritual journey personal and individual? Come join us as we explore a new series looking at some of the paradoxes of Christianity. Presented by Jinha Kim
At first glance, God seems to do or say things that are contradictory, offensive, or unjust. For example, when a foreign woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter, Jesus seems to ignore and insult her. What is really going on? See with new eyes.
Download Discussion Questions here.
Beauty has had a controversial value across many cultures and generations. How does God value beauty? What about power, wealth, and other attributes that make us more attractive? Many Bible patriarchs were wealthy and many Bible matriarchs were beautiful. Yet there are also verses promoting the standards of modesty, simplicity, and austerity. How do we rightly understand this paradox?
Download the discussion Q here: 22.03.14 Exchange Qs Beauty and the Beast
Listen to the sermon here:
One of the most difficult things to do is to forgive. Yet it is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and others. Why and how do we forgive?
Listen to Roy’s sermon here.
Download the Discussion Questions: A Difficult Gift 15 March 2014
Judges 19 narrates a horrific story of violence that leaves us wondering, why is this story in the Bible? Some say the Bible is a sexist book downgrading women. But could it actually be the opposite?
Download the Discussion Questions: The Exchange Questions 08.03.14 The Worst Story in the Bible
Podcast link.
Roy’s sermon from 1 March “How to Grow Gracefully” is on podcast.
Download the discussion questions here: 1.3.14 How to grow gracefully
When it comes to choosing a career, partner, or even salvation, do we have a choice? What are the main Christian perspectives on free will and the implications of those views on our choices?
You can subscribe to our podcast here.
Download the Discussion Questions.
I hope everyone enjoyed the first Exchange of 2014 as much as I did!
It was great to meet new people and to talk about the topic of the day: failure. The full list of discussion questions are up: Discussion Q. My favorite questions were: “Do we risk normalising moral indiscretions by being open about failure (If everyone is messing up, then it’s not that big of a deal)?” and “How does humility fit into the idea of failure? How about humanity?” What questions grabbed your interest?
We’re working on getting these on podcasts and once we have funds to get a video camera, we will have video versions for you to download (thank you for your patience!).
I also thoroughly enjoyed our first children’s program – we sang songs (“If I were a butterfly..”) and listened to a story about Noah. 🙂
And who can resist free pasta? Thanks to Vapiano, we relished our dinner at The Exchange.
Check out the pictures from this Exchange on our Facebook page.