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In difficult and stressful times, how can we carry our wounds and stay active in the situations that we’re in? Owen Lynch looks at some current financial and practical problems facing our church, and considers how Jesus demonstrated that new life even overcomes death. If Jesus calls us to take part in his new life together, how should we live, what should we expect, and what can we offer each other when we are wounded?
Read MoreWhat do we think Palm Sunday is all about? Owen Lynch shares about the difference between his understanding as a child and the difficult reality of the story of Jesus’ coming kingdom clashing with the established powers of his time. It was a struggle that would result in death. But if we were there, where would we have been looking for life?
Read MoreWhat nutrition do we need to be healthy, physically or spiritually? Owen Lynch looks at the role of what we feed on, and the surprising claim from Jesus that he is real food and drink for us. What does it mean to practise feeding on Jesus?
Read MoreWhat do we have to do to earn God’s acceptance? Owen Lynch looks at the difference between a religion driven by rules and regulations and the unconditional love of God demonstrated by Jesus and written about through much of the Bible. Jesus embraced groups who were on the fringes of society, including women, the poor and the unclean with apparently limitless love. Could we have been missing this love while distracted by other issues?
Read MoreHave you ever had an encounter with Christ Jesus in nature? Owen Lynch looks at how prominently nature featured in the Psalms and was woven into Jesus’ teaching as well as Old Testament stories. Do we tend to separate spiritual and physical things, or can we learn from looking for God’s nature in the world and universe around us? This talk concludes with a visual meditation on Psalm 104, and there’s a guide for how to take this further at the end.
Read MoreHow scary is it to launch into new things? Owen Lynch looks at how fear gripped some of God’s people when they saw a daunting job ahead of them. Church planting also feels difficult, but Severn Vineyard exists because some people moved from jobs and communities in Nottingham, and now Severn and Field Vineyards are planting Lighthouse Vineyard in Totterdown, Bristol. Owen talks with the leaders and a family who are moving from Severn to Lighthouse to help start this new church.
Read MoreHow and where can we encounter Christ? Owen Lynch looks at the story of Saul who had a famous roadside meeting with the risen Jesus but later wrote about how God revealed his son "in me". Taking on his new name, Paul asked others, "Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you?" Could the life, breath and word of God also be in you? How would it change our lives to believe that we are made in God's image and have never been separate from God?
Read MoreHow can we recognise God’s presence, and where can we find this? Owen Lynch looks at ways Israel learned to follow and enshrine the presence of God, but also recognise when it seemed to be absent. Was their longing for its return fulfilled in Christ? What would this mean for us if it was? And when the writers of the New Testament point to Christ’s involvement in all of creation, does this mean we can learn to see Christ in everyone and everything? This talk concludes with a time of contemplation for us to engage with these huge questions.
Read MoreHow important are rituals to you? Owen Lynch shares about his and the other rituals around us which seem to shape our sense of who we are as well as guiding what we do. Moses led Israel into adopting rituals like Passover which brought people into a shared sense of history, identity and purpose. As Jesus shared his last supper through a Passover meal, he fed his followers with a lasting way to remember who he was, and who they were as a result. Can we find a new sense of ourselves by looking at communion like this, and do we enjoy passing this on?
Read MoreWhat does it mean to meet with God outside of church? Owen Lynch shares about his experiences on sabbatical leave and looks at the story of Jacob, who had an intense encounter with God after fleeing his family. He’s also not the only person in the Old Testament to experience God’s presence far away from traditional places of worship. How do our encounters with God compare?
Read MoreWhen is it time to take time away? Owen Lynch shares some of his experience from sabbatical leave and looks at the story of Elijah, who was instructed by God to hide away for a few years. These situations are very different, but they both raise questions. Why do we often feel the need to stick around, no matter what? What would happen if we got a break and a new perspective? And could God guide us, from time to time, to retreat and reflect?
Read MoreJesus promised to come back, but what does this mean for us? Owen Lynch looks at the way Jesus’ followers experienced changes and challenges in their world and would have gained hope from believing that Jesus would end suffering and injustice soon. But the Bible also records how their views changed over time, how they dealt with mockery that nothing new was happening and how they came to realise that God’s timescale and plan were bigger than they expected. What kind of hope can we get today from believing that Jesus hasn’t just given us a way to live now, but a stake in eternity and a promise that we will meet Jesus again?
Read MoreHow do we form our sense of what to do, and what not to do? Owen Lynch looks at the way we make rules about this, and how Jesus made his from his Jewish heritage, his spiritual experiences and his own experience of social injustice. What does it mean for us to follow Jesus’ example, and what difference could this make in our society?
Read MoreHow can we make sense of Jesus offering himself as a sacrifice for us? Owen Lynch looks at the culture of Israel which showed the role of sacrifices, the importance of Passover celebrations and the vital part that the Temple played for people who wanted access to God. When we look at how Jesus subverted a traditional Passover meal, can we understand why Temple leaders didn't just disagree with him, but wanted to kill him? And when we follow what Jesus meant and did by dying and rising again, could this change everything we ever assumed about religion, God, and even life itself?
Read MoreWhat happened to Jesus after the cross? Owen Lynch looks at the difference between what his followers expected and what happened, and how the new life Jesus demonstrated was different from what anyone might expect. Is this what makes it possible for us to have firsthand encounters with Jesus today?
Read MoreWhat’s the difference between believing the idea of Jesus and experiencing Jesus firsthand? Owen Lynch looks at how our experiences make impressions and shape us, and what special, mountaintop experience had a massive impact on Jesus’ first followers. For them, it showed how Jesus was not just wise or blessed, but like God. How is it possible for us to share this experience?
Read MoreWhy was opposition to Jesus deadly? Owen Lynch looks at Jesus’ message clashed with the stories told by the Roman Empire, their Herodian supporters and others like the Pharisees who felt undermined by Jesus. Are there parallels we can see with other power clashes and tyranny in history, and even in Europe today? How might Jesus warn but still motivate and help us if we want to challenge injustice in our society?
Read MoreWas Jesus just a really good person? What would make us think he is any more than that? In this talk, Owen Lynch looks at some of the ways Jesus grabbed the attention of his first followers, raising their expectations but also terrifying them with displays of power. Jesus also talked about the different ways people respond to him and his message about new kingdom authority coming into the world. Can we expect to get our heads around this, or do we need to let faith grow in us, from tiny to surprisingly big?
Read MoreIs “religion” the best way to describe our journey with Jesus? In this talk, Owen Lynch looks at the baggage and burdens of expectation which come with the idea of religion, and how religious teachers of Jesus’ time failed to understand how Jesus could be living in accordance with God’s will. While the church may have taken on and spread many religious traditions and practices since then, how many of these are healthy and helpful? Could a fresh look at Jesus help us to unload some unhelpful religious baggage and find a more restful and wholesome way of life instead?
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