SELAH Commonwealth

Spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others. Disciplines create the space for that formation to happen in and through us as we encounter the presence and power of God. Our All-Family Gatherings begin with a short workshop or story on missional living and/or microchurches. This week, we continue our series of workshops on spiritual formation a...

As we come to Acts 2, the small community of Jesus' disciples are in Jerusalem waiting for a promise to be fulfilled. Jesus left them saying that he would send the Holy Spirit who would fill and empower them to engage in the mission that he set before them.  In this passage, we learn that the Church must first wait on the Spirit, be filled by the Spirit, and then be propelled into the mission by t...

Spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others. Disciplines create the space for that formation to happen in and through us as we encounter the presence and power of God. Our All-Family Gatherings begin with a short workshop or interview on missional living and/or microchurches. This week, we introduce a new series of workshops on spiritual form...

Two thousand years ago, Jesus didn't give his followers the Church, he gave them a mission: "Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth." (Acts 1:8)  In the books of Acts, we see that the Church ends up being a natural product of a group of people living out that mission together. The problem is when we lose sight of the mission, we end up losing the Churc...

What makes the Church the Church? Throughout history, many have boiled the Church down to three essential rhythms - worship, community, and mission. Though these rhythms can take a wide variety of forms, almost every community of Jesus-followers across generations and traditions have incorporated these into the life of their community. Therefore, we use this as a framework for thinking about the l...

During the season of advent, we celebrate the fact that Jesus has come and the promise that he will one day come again. But it is also a time when we can celebrate and experience Jesus' presence with us right now! We invite you to take a moment to pause and listen to what Jesus might have to say to you in this season.

Daniel's final apocalyptic vision comes in Daniel 10-12. In this vision, he has a very personal and intimate interaction with the Son of Man. Ultimately, the Son of Man offers Daniel the greatest hope - one that can overcome even the greatest act of evil and destruction. This is the hope of resurrection.  

In Daniel 9, Daniel is faced with the reality that he may never return to his home in Jerusalem. He has spent his whole life as an exile in Babylon because of the actions and decisions of others. In this moment of revelation, Daniel does not give in to self-righteousness or self-pity. Instead, he comes before God with a display of radical humility. We get a unique look into the perspective on life...

In this episode, we hear from Brent Brewer, who is writing his doctoral dissertation on interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims. He is learning a lot from his studies that will be helpful for those of us who desire to build relationships across cultural and religious lines!

In Daniel 8, Daniel has a strange vision of two creatures—a ram and a goat—with the goat trampling the ram. These creatures represent human empires and illustrate one political reality giving way to another. With the shifting empires comes persecution for the people of God in the centuries leading up to the time of Jesus. The vision also implies an end to the persecution and God’s sovereignty over...

A short reflection on the 2024 presidential election.

In this episode, we get into part two of Daniel which is made up of a series of visions that Daniel receives while in exile. Daniel 7 is a particularly terrifying vision in which Daniel faces four monstrous beasts that represent human kingdoms that rule over the world. The fourth beast is particularly vicious and inhumane. The vision culminates with God defeating the beasts, and a character referr...

In Daniel 6, we are reminded of the nearness of God's Kingdom and that it can break through in the most unexpected times and places. Daniel spent decades living in exile, and a major question throughout the accounts of his life is: What kingdom is he living in? Is he living in Babylon or the Kingdom of God?  The answer is both. Yet, often times, the world around Daniel looks a lot more like Babylo...

In Daniel 4, we get a first-hand look at the destructiveness of pride.  In our pride, we elevate ourselves over others. We erode our capacity for gratitude and contentment because we believe that we always deserve more. We destroy our relationships because we place our own desires over the needs of others. But as we see in the life of King Nebuchadnezzar, the destructiveness of pride reaches to th...

In this episode, we hear from Marjorie Thigpen-Carter, who is the Lead Organizer of Justice Knox. Justice Knox is a collective of faith communities throughout Knoxville who work together to build power and fight for justice in our city. Listen in to see how you can get involved! 

Jesus' kingdom and the kingdoms of this world operate in altogether different ways. One accomplishes its will by force, coercion, and the taking of lives. The other accomplishes its purposes through love, sacrifice, and the laying down of one's life for others. Daniel's friends risked their lives in defiance of the first. Jesus laid down his life to show us the second. This is the way of the kingd...

Our All-Family Gatherings begin with a short training, interview, or story on microchurches and missional living followed by table discussions. In this episode, we hear from Jondra Brewer who is serving the Vestal neighborhood of Knoxville with BLOC Ministries!

Where do we find hope when the weight of the world is too heavy to bear? Where do we find hope when the currents of the culture seem too strong to overcome?  In Daniel 2, Daniel and his friends find themselves in another impossible situation. It seems as though there is very little hope for them in Babylon. However, just when things seem to be nearing an all-time low, they receive a message of hop...

We all have a story! Our story has the ability to connect with and inspire those around us. By learning how to share our stories in natural and meaningful ways, we are able to build relationships and point people to the greater story that God is writing through all of us.  Our All-Family Gatherings begin with a short training or interview on missional living and/or microchurches. This week, we hea...

How do we remain faithful to God in a world that is increasingly against God?  As the culture around us changes, this question becomes more and more important. Daniel 1 gives us a great picture of how to subversively engage the culture without separating from the culture or becoming a product of the culture.  Spoiler: It requires us to be deeply connected to the presence and guidance of God as we...

In this training, we conclude our exploration of the five gifts that Jesus has given his church. Every Christ-follower has specific gifts given to them by Jesus so that we might all become more like Jesus, experience the fullness of God's presence, and participate in his ongoing mission in the world together.

In week one of our series in Daniel we are introduced to a handful of Jewish teenagers who are forced into exile in Babylon. As we study their lives and the scriptures that formed them, we seek to answer timely questions for God's people in our current cultural moment: How are we to navigate our faith in a culture that is increasingly hostile towards it? What does faithfulness look like amidst mou...

In this training, we continue our exploration of the five gifts that Jesus has given his church. Every Christ-follower has specific gifts given to them by Jesus so that we might all become more like Jesus, experience the fullness of God's presence, and participate in his ongoing mission in the world together. This week we look at the fifth of these five gifts: teachers. Special thanks to Alan Hirs...

Scripture: Mark 1:14-15 "The time has come. The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the gospel!" The gospel is the core message of the Christian faith. How we understand and respond to the gospel means everything. But what did Jesus mean when he said gospel, and is it the same message that we think of when we hear the word?

In this training, we continue our exploration of the five gifts that Jesus has given his church. Every Christ-follower has specific gifts given to them by Jesus so that we might all become more like Jesus, experience the fullness of God's presence, and participate in his ongoing mission in the world together. This week we look at the fourth of these five gifts: shepherds. Special thanks to Alan Hi...