Awaken Bowness Podcast

Element: Fire

We have reflected on Body and Blood at Awaken this year, and now we are wrapping up these series at the Communion Table with a series called ELEMENTS where we will reflect on the four elements: earth, fire, water, air and how all of creation is gathered together at the table where we are nourished together on the body and blood of our Incarnate God. All of creation eagerly awaits the reconciliation of all things: element to elements.
 
Pastor Nikayla leads us in a reflection on fire in the bible focussing on Elisha and the showdown on mount Baal and the God who is fire (Hebrews 12:29 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”).

Element: Earth

We have reflected on Body and Blood at Awaken this year, and now we are bringing these ideas together at the Communion Table with a series called ELEMENTS where we will reflect on the four elements: earth, fire, water, air and how all of creation is gathered together at the table where we are nourished together on the body and blood of our Incarnate God. All of creation eagerly awaits the reconciliation of all things: element to elements.
 
Kara Boda Harvey leads us in a sermon on the earth and how we should learn to learn again from our ancient teachers. 

Blood: The Blood of Jesus

Kara Boda Harvey takes us into a deep dive celebrating the blood of Jesus. This is another take on the atonement and why the blood Jesus is significant. Enjoy! 
 
 

Blood of Atonement

Here Nikayla discusses a bit about the blood of atonement - we look at the sacrificial system in Leviticus and the day of atonement and reflect on what it means that Jesus satisfies the wrath of Jesus (or in other words, how God Godself satisfies the wrath of God).
 
What does it mean that God became the sacrifice on the altar to atone for the sins of the whole world, *while we were still sinners*?

Blood: Blood of New Life

Here Kara Boda Harvey leads us in a beautiful and thoughtful reflection on the blood of new birth - menstrual blood and post-partum blood. These blood sources are a big deal in the Old Testament and Kara connects it beautifully to the blood of Christ and the birth of the church. 
 
Questions for reflection:
Beginning again is sometimes painful - share a story about the pain of new beginnings

Blood of Liberation

The Exodus story is the only story and the entire bible is just telling that same story over and over and over - pain turns to speech, the heart of a God turns towards the cry, water turns to blood, blood turns to wine.

Blood of the Covenant

If you were to enter a blood oath with your child - would you let them walk through the parts? No, you'd insist they stay away. In the same way, God walks through the parts and Abram does not. God anticipates unfaithfulness and yet.... 
 
 

Blood: Life Cries Out from the Ground

This sermon is about the question God asks Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?" 
 
It kicks off our Lent series on BLOOD and it's a hopeful reflection on reconciliation and what it means to love your neighbour as yourself. 
 
One of our siblings wrote a lent devotional on this text which also fits with the theme of this sermon. You can find it here.  
 
Reflection: 
Who is your neighbour?
 
You might not think you have any 'enemies' but perhaps there are people in the world crying out for you to dismantle systems of oppression which you benefit from. Who might think of you as an enemy? 

Body: The Marriage of Heaven and Earth

There aren't any marriages celebrated in the New Testament except the great wedding day when the world to come overshadows this world. The New Jerusalem comes like a bride! Heaven and Earth become one flesh. 
This is the conclusion of the BODY sermon - salvation is about our whole body, not just the soul and it's about the present and not just the future and it's about the power of God not just to us and for us, but through us and for the neighbourhood. What is our hope and how that impact the way we treat our bodies and the bodies of this world that we all call home? 
 
On this Sunday we celebrated a bunch of people becoming members of the BODY that is Awaken Church! 

Body: Marriage- What’s it for? Who’s it for?

This week Jess Dell Andrews led us in an exploration of what the bible says about marriage. It's a complicated topic - the Old Testament conception around marriage was extremely different than the Western concept of romance and equality. The New Testament also doesn't talk about it much - the only married couple in the NT discussed in any detail is Annanias and Saphira and well..... that story doesn't end well. Both Paul and Jesus say that we should avoid marriage if we are able (so I guess God didn't design any of us to be a 'husband' or a 'wife') - marriage is an accommodation in the NT. And yet - marriage is good and beautiful and a powerful school to learn what it is to love your neighbour. 
 
Enjoy!