Missiongathering Bellevue

The Bible was written in a patriarchal world and our world today still holds that patriarchy and oppression against women. How should we understand some of these passages in the Bible? The Bible holds patriarchal views, yet it also reveals the voices of women who speak out against the patriarchy. We, as the church, have much to repent of when it comes to the treatment of women.

What comes to mind when you hear the word, "Christian"? What if being a Christian has less to do with belief and more to do with following a way of life, the way of Jesus? What did this Way look like for early Christians and for Christ-followers today?

Part of the Missiongathering vision is to "seek justice for the good of our neighbors." What does justice mean? Fairness? Righting wrongs? Punishment? Many of us have been given a view of a God who is "just" and demands payment for sins. Jesus gives us a very different view of justice.

What does Groundhog Day have to do with Christians, Pagans, Candles, Christmas, Crepes, Tamales, and Faith? Part of Missiongathering's vision is to be a community of Christ followers growing in faith. What does it mean to, "have faith"? What if faith is not the absence of doubt? What if faith is more than belief?

Missiongathering Issaquah shares a vision with five Missiongatherings across the country. Who are we and how did we begin? How do we build a church on the radical inclusiveness of Jesus?

Mindfulness is all the rage, but how do we actually live it out day to day? Psychologist Kevin Criswell gives us practical steps to help process our emotions and thoughts and live more in the present. When we are fully present, we are aware of what God is doing all around us and able to have more compassion on ourselves and others.

1/12/2020 Empathy - Kyle Reynolds by Devin Wright

Today, in this special gathering of music and teachings, we light the 4th candle of Advent signifying Love. Christ is the embodiment of love and that love is in you. Christmas and the birth of Christ means God becomes what God loves. God in the flesh means God loves our humanness, our bodies, our emotions.

How do we find peace during the holidays when it's not the most wonderful time of the year? Today we learn the history of the famous carol, "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and what it can teach us about political division, personal tragedy, and finding peace in the chaos of life.

What is Advent and what does it mean for us? How do we live with hope in a world of violence and polarization?

The Thanksgiving table can be a little awkward with our differing political and religious views. Can gratefulness tear down the walls of religious and political division? What can a story of Jesus and the Lepers teach us about the power of gratitude to make us whole and heal our divisions?

Why has the Bible been used as a weapon against the LGBTQIA community and others? As early as the first church in Acts we see tension between religious people wanting to exclude and those who follow the call of Christ to include. Why haven't we continued that call?

The recent psychological research on power reveals similarities to Jesus' teachings on power. What does this mean for us? What can Harry Potter teach us about power and how to wield it?

We all carry scars, both physical and emotional. Our scars are reminders of deep pain and hurt, but they can also be symbols of healing, strength, and hope. What can Christ-followers learn from Harry Potter about trauma and scars?

Love and self-sacrifice is described as the most powerful and deepest form of magic in the world of Harry Potter. The person of Jesus shows us this is true in our own world. Love has the power to overcome injustice, oppression, and death itself.

Stories have the power to shape our view of ourselves and the world. Jesus didn't teach with lectures and theological sermons. He taught with stories. Many of the stories in our Bible were shaped and influenced by older stories. Join us in the coming weeks as we look at what the Harry Potter stories can teach us about love, suffering, and belonging.

What if the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man has nothing to do with asking Jesus in your heart, but everything to do with how we treat those whom society doesn't value? Wealth is often attributed to feelings of having more worth than others. Studies show people who feel in power are less able to show empathy and compassion. Is it possible society has a power problem, not a wealth problem? What wo...

Listen to Phillip Wright, pastor of The Venues church in Springfield, MO, tell about his journey from conservative Southern Baptist pastor to progressive, LGBT affirming pastor.

People are a source of meaning and happiness in our lives and a source of stress and conflict. How do we find happiness in our relationships with friends, family, or romantic partners? What does Jesus teach us about conflict?

Work takes up so much of our lives. In the midst of the stress, people, and deadlines, how do we find happiness on the job? What can Jesus teach us about happiness and work?

Your story has the power to change you, others, and our world.

How do we move beyond Us vs Them? How do we break down the walls that separate us? Let's look at story from the early church about weird food dreams that teaches us how to move beyond the walls of religion to love all people.

Our nation is polarized. How do we move forward? What can Jesus and the Jewish hope of Shalom teach us about suffering? How do we respond to suffering in our lives and world?

Does our past define us? The conversion of Paul is the most famous conversion story in the Bible. What does it mean to become a follower of Jesus? How do we use our past, both the good and bad, to help others?

Christianity has a reputation for being exclusive and judgmental. A story about Philip and an Ethiopian eunuch from Acts 8 paints a different picture of the early church. Is it possible followers of Jesus are called to widen the circle to invite everyone into God's family? Is it possible followers of Jesus are to be known, not for saying, "Go back where you came from," but as ones who say, "Welcom...