Orchard Conversations

HERE TO CREATE || WEEK 3 Get ready for a captivating conversation as Anna and Benjamin delve into the spiritual side of creativity with Danielle Casali, a celebrated mosaic muralist in the Aurora, Illinois area, whose art inspires and unites communities. ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: What are one or two ideas or themes that stick out to you from today’s conversation with Danielle? How has opening yourself to authenticity and vulnerability helped you to grow? What habits, rituals, or spiritual practices might help you connect with stillness, be centered, and access creativity? ••• Things mentioned in this week's episode: Danielle's website Dekalb City Hall Mural "The Gifts of Inperfection" - Brene Brown (book) Lake Shore Drive Mural Nikki Walton “New Growth Now” podcast Enneagram RHETI test St. Charles Library Moth Sculpture ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

HERE TO CREATE || WEEK 2 We dive into our series "Here to Create" with a conversation between Lead Pastor Scott Hodge and friend of the Orchard, Dave Gibbons. Dave is a creative pastor, futurist, activist, and steadfast advocate for the 'misfits' in our society. In today's conversation he gives invaluable insight into how we can reframe the challenges we face and turn them into creative opportunities. ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: What are one or two ideas or themes that stick out to you or resonate w/ you from today’s conversation with Dave? What are 1 or 2 things that “kill” or get in the way of you living a creative life? What are 2-3 things that FUEL your creativity? How has reframing a challenge or difficulty enabled you to use that challenge as a creative opportunity? Is there some “reframing” you need to do around a particular challenge, stressor or difficulty that could potentially turn it into a catalyst for something new, good and creative? ••• Things mentioned in this week's episode: XEALOTS: Defying the Gravity of Normality - Dave Gibbons (book) Monkey and the Fish - Dave Gibbons (book) https://www.davegibbons.org ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

We're kicking off our new series, "Here to Create", celebrating creativity as spiritual practice, as Lead Pastor Scott Hodge shares some thoughts about creativity and how it manifests in all of us. Throughout this series, we look forward to conversations with different creative individuals, from musicians and visual artists to entrepreneurs and innovators. "Here to Create" will seek to inspire, challenge, and affirm everyone in their own creative journey. We're glad you've joined us and hope to have you with us in the coming weeks! ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: Who in your life has embodied creative living and had an impact on you? How have they inspired you to embrace your own creativity? What does 'living with eyes wide open' mean to you in the context of your own life? Can you share a time when your sensitivity to your surroundings led to a new understanding or action? ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week, as we conclude our “Rethinking The Bible” series, we take a little extra time to respond to a question about how to engage in healthy conversations about the Bible with the people around us.  ••• Things mentioned in this week's episode: ”Reading the Bible Right” -  Brian Zahn (poem/quote) ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week we conclude our series, “Rethinking The Bible” by responding to a few final questions and reflecting on how we’ve all grown and been shaped by this journey together. ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: What have been helpful rhythms for you to engage with the Bible on a regular basis? Are there certain books, translations or reading plans that you have found helpful? What has been your experience teaching children and young people to engage with the Bible and conversations about spirituality? How have you been impacted by the conversations we’ve had the past 10 weeks? Where were you challenged? What new perspectives may have even shifted your thinking? What are you taking away from all this? ••• Things mentioned in this week's episode: We Make The Road While Walking - Brian McLaren (book) The Divine Hours - Phyllis Tickle (book) A Year With Thomas Merton  - Daily Meditations from His Journals (book) Things Hidden - Richard Rohr (book) Center for Action and Contemplation Daily Meditations ”Reading the Bible Right” -  Brian Zahn (poem/quote) Our Bible App ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

We’ve opened our virtual mail bag again to respond to questions that have come in during our “Rethinking the Bible” series. This week, a burning question: What does the Bible say about HELL?  ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: How has your understanding of hell changed over the course of your life? What has impacted that? (You might consider your faith background, your experiences and relationships, and cultural touchstones from classics like Dante’s Inferno to modern ones like the Left Behind book series or the sitcom, The Good Place.) How do your thoughts, ideas, and beliefs about hell shape your actions, consciously or unconsciously?  If you personally are struggling or have struggled with the idea of hell, what do you wish someone—a mentor, elder or spiritual leader in your community—would say to you? ••• Things mentioned in this week's episode: Love Wins - Rob Bell (book) Quote from Rob Bell ("Does God get what he wants?...") Razing Hell - Sharon L. Baker (book) ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

Over the next couple weeks we’ll be opening up our virtual mail bag and pulling out some questions that have come in during our series “Rethinking the Bible”. This week we respond to  a question that brings up a conversation about  religious pluralism, inclusivity and the concept of “salvation”. ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: What thoughts, feelings or ideas did this conversation bring up for you today? For those of you who grew up in the Christian faith, when did you first become aware of other religious or spiritual paths distinct from Christianity? How has that awareness influenced your faith journey? In his writings (see quote included below), C.S. Lewis hinted at a more inclusive understanding of salvation in some of his writings. What are your thoughts on his perspective? Could this inclusivity apply to people of other faiths, or those who don't identify with any religion? ••• Things mentioned in this week's episode: One River, Many Wells - Matthew Fox (Book) A Generous Orthodoxy - Brian D. McLaren (Book) "There are people who do not accept the full Christian doctrine about Christ but who are so strongly attracted by Him that they are His in a much deeper sense than they themselves understand. There are people in other religions who are being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it." - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

As we continue our "Rethinking the Bible" series, we take some time to engage with the scriptures through the sacred practice of Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina is a contemplative way of reading the Bible that encourages us to read with our whole self, including thoughts, feelings, experiences, and hopes. This practice is a way of listening to God's voice through the words of the Bible, and it can be a meaningful way to connect with scripture. ••• Things mentioned in this week's episode: Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom - John O'Donohue (Book) ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

When we mentioned the “unfolding” story of the Bible, we didn’t mean an actual sheet unfolding. But now that you mention it …  This week, Anna, Scott and Benjamin consider the story of Peter’s disruptive vision about a sheet of animals and what it means to “change the rules” in Acts 10. How can we navigate the space between what ancient scripture says and humankind’s growing, evolving understandings of God, people, and the world? ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: What do you want to remember and consider about the conversation today? If you think back over your life, what are the disruptions that have expanded your faith journey? What are some principles or practices that have helped you – or might help you – remember that your roots are in Christ during seasons of disruption? ••• Things mentioned in this week's episode: Read the full story of Peter’s trance and transformation in Acts. Our Tricycle for Forward Movement - Richard Rohr (Article) “It’s possible to resist the very growth and change and expanding consciousness that God desires for you by appealing to your religious convictions.” - Rob Bell in What is the Bible? (Book) The Wisdom Jesus - Cynthia Bourgeault (Book) A People’s History of Christianity - Diana Butler Bass (Book) Anna's benediction from Ephesians 3 ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

In our on-going series, "Rethinking the Bible", Scott, Benjamin, and Anna have a conversation about reading the Bible with an understanding of the complexities of the people who wrote it and the complexities of the people who read it. With that understanding in mind, they also look at how Jesus' countercultural nature changes everything. ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: What are some of the ways you see the Bible mirroring the complexities and ups and downs of our own human journey? When in your life have you experienced a spiritual breakthrough or growth while in the midst of a mistake or failure? ••• Scripture passages mentioned in this week's podcast: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, The Woman Caught in Adultery, Parable of Good Samaritan, The Incarnation What question do you have about the Bible? Email us at info@theorchardcommunity.com ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

What do we do with one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament? The story of Abraham and Isaac is deeply troubling. This week, join Benjamin, Scott, and Anna for a conversation about the ways we’re rethinking this hard-to-read part of the Bible. ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: What stuck out to you in the story we explored today? What “earlier parts” of your life have yet to be accepted and integrated? What are some ways you can trust God to help you see and understand those parts in light of where your story is headed?  Reading from a literary perspective, taking into account the real people and real setting this text was written for, are there any themes sticking out to you today? What does this story say to you about… “Blind obedience” vs. questioning authority? Divine intervention? Our perception of the nature of God? How does this story speak to you about the countless difficult decisions we need to make on a regular basis? ••• Mentioned in this week's podcast: Read Genesis 22:1-19 What question do you have about the Bible? Email us at info@theorchardcommunity.com ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week we continue our series, "Rethinking the Bible," by taking some time to consider how we approach and engage with the Bible in a healthy, responsible, and curious way. ••• Things mentioned in this week's episode: Read Genesis 22:1-19 ••• What question do you have about the Bible? Email us at info@theorchardcommunity.com To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week, as we continue our conversation series called “Rethinking the Bible”, Scott Hodge and Anna Hammond are joined by friend of The Orchard, Samuel Marks, to discuss how the Bible is a community library of scripture written and edited by different people in different places at different times. With that said, we ask ourselves how can we understand more about the divine by reading words written by humans, and what does that mean for how we approach the Bible?   What question do you have about the Bible? Email us at info@theorchardcommunity.com ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: How has your understanding of how the Bible came to be changed as you've grown? How does remembering that the Bible is a library of scripture written and edited by different people in different places at different times affect the way you approach it? What are some ways we can shift our thinking from “The Bible says to me...” to “The scriptures teach us...”? ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week, as we begin a new conversation series called “Rethinking the Bible”, we discuss the role the Bible has played in our lives. We reflect on the gift it has been to us and also the difficulties we've faced with it, including the Bible’s contradictions, violence, and its use as a weapon. What question do you have about the Bible? Email us at info@theorchardcommunity.com ••• Questions for contemplation and conversation: What has your personal experience been with the Bible? In what ways has the Bible challenged you? Or, what challenges have you had engaging with the Bible? What would you love to hear some conversation around when it comes to the Bible? Is there a specific topic, passage, story, book of the Bible you would like to hear some conversation around? ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

Lead Pastor Scott Hodge reminds us that death is a part of new life and as Resurrection people, we find that new life through Jesus Christ. 

Lead Pastor Scott Hodge and the Orchard Leadership Team have a conversation as this chapter in the Orchard's story comes to a close.

Our Lenten journey continues with Anna Hammond inviting us to reflect on the story of the Prodigal Son. We are reminded that our journey toward wholeness is not a straight line and it's never too late to rediscover the lost things in our lives.  ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

What if Lent isn’t about striving, but about trusting that new life is still possible? Join us online this Third Sunday of Lent as Scott Hodge unpacks Jesus’ parable of the fig tree—a story about patience, hope, and a God who refuses to give up on us.  ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

Our Lenten journey continues with Lead Pastor Scott Hodge reminding us how we can return to God's loving embrace and turn from the fears and distractions that keep us from hearing God's call. ••• QUESTIONS FOR CONTEMPLATION AND CONVERSATION: Where in your life do you sense God longing to gather you — to hold you, love you, remind you that you belong? What would it look like to stop running and let yourself be gathered? And what’s one small way you can say “yes” to that invitation this week? What are the “foxes” in your life right now — the fears, distractions, or voices that keep you from trusting God’s love? What do those voices sound like, and where do they show up? And how might you gently turn toward God’s voice of love instead? What helps you hear that voice? ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

We begin our journey through Lent with Lead Pastor Scott Hodge taking us through the gospel reading for this week, in which Jesus is tempted by the devil in the desert. ••• To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com