Branches. Sunday.

Mike checks in amidst our coronavirus hiatus and gives some questions for all of us to ask and ponder amidst this season of confusion and disorder.

Coronavirus has ceased our gatherings. So instead, Mike and Emily sit down for a chat that they want to invite all of YOU into for next weeks podcast. You'll here more… You can also watch our virtual service from this past week on our facebook page, Branches Spokane.

We looked at pictures of newts, we had some announcements and we heard form a wide variety of voices as we melted the category of sermon and sermonizer! We couldn’t include all of it on the podcast for copyright reasons, but we made what we could available!

Lis gave an update on Twigs! Mark gave an update from the board about finances and Branches future, thanking everyone for their faithfulness to the Branches community. Mike kicked off our lent series called Melted: Thawing the category to discover the theme. Using Galatians, Mary Oliver, many perceptions of himself, John Muir and a reference to horseradish… he talked about how we all melt into the Divine when we learn to melt away labels that are used to limit the perception of such realities.

Mike wraps up the series on deep time to talk about the little games we play within a far bigger scope. And how we can't forget the vastness of the scope…

It was more a somber Sunday as the conversation about deep time turned itself toward the topic of death. Often in our deconstruction and reconstruction of faith, what happens when we die is a question we don’t totally know how to navigate that. Through personal experience, Mike talked through some thoughts and also invited everyone into a meditation around the song No Hard Feeling by The Avett Brothers.

Our series on deep time will be a balance between form and formlessness. Last week we zoomed out, this week we zoomed in. We discussed how we can positively impact this world. And we had some guests from Faith Action Network to help with the discussion. The video played at the beginning can be found here - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/opinion/church-forests-ethiopia.html

In our kickoff to our deep time series, Mike talks about the limited scope of humanity in the grand scope of earths existence. And what that might mean in tandem to some oft quoted passages of scripture.

Mike and others talk about what their hope and vision for Branches in 2020 is.

Mike talks about the magi, power as corrupter and wonders journey toward joy.

Janeen leads us through our second week of advent by talking about peace and how we give current meaning to an old idea.

Advent has begun! Mike talked about Christmas lights, the possibility for hope, it’s counterpart despair and how, in the reality of the spectrum of life, we can and should take the time to illuminate both (and everything in-between).

Steven and Mike continue the conversation from last week about what church is, what we project onto it and how to embody a reality rather than simply believe in one.

Mike talks about how it's up to us as individuals to manifest the passions we have. And how believing in Christ can be the very thing preventing us from manifesting Christ.

Wes, Taylor, Megan and Aaron talk about what the Branches five words mean to them!

Announcements included to keep everyone up to speed! Linda gives an update on finances. Mike talks on the dangers of elevated turkey, some quotes and what a conversation with his 91 year old grandfather made him realize.

Mike discusses some of the swirl of his current season and reflects on one thing those of us who talk about everything being spiritual often forget — ourselves.

Aaron talks a bit about Branches finances and where they stand at the moment. Mike shares a poem by Ross Gay and invites everyone to mingle in gratitude as a means of breaking our hearts open for others.

Meredith gives an update from the board about Mike's role. Mike talks about a couple golf balls he found along the Spokane river and what they point toward.

Mike talked about some chili dip he buried in the backyard of a house he lived in during his college years. And how that buried chili dip and its elusiveness is representative of our ever-increasing difficulty to hear and learn and be with people and places different than our own niche ideological camps. And how the role of a Christ centered community, especially in times of polarization, is to curate spaces for people of all walks of life to eat fish and bread together.