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Christian topics. ChurchNext Online Christian Learning from expert teachers in Scripture, liturgy, and important Christian topics. Menu Home Our Story Guiding Principles Courses Free Courses Certification Programs Tracks Support Getting Started Toolkit Frequently Asked Questions Donate Post navigation ← Older posts Just Launched: The Book of Exodus, Part 1 with Vicki Garvey Posted on August 2, 2023 by Liz Brignac We just launched The Book of Exodus Long-Form Class with Vicki Garvey, Part 1 For Individuals and For Groups . A long-form class is, well, longer than our usual pre-recorded classes. The videos take longer to watch, and we include more discussion questions and other materials. The For Individuals course should take an average of two hours instead of forty-five minutes to take. The extra time allows us to take a more deep dive into the material than we can manage in a shorter class. This is the first of four long-form courses on Exodus we will be offering with Vicki Garvey. This one offers an overview of Exodus as a whole. The other three focus on specific sections within Exodus. The Book of Exodus is so long and so pivotal that most of us are familiar with the basics. The children of Israel start out as slaves in Egypt, but the God of Abraham has never left them. Moses leads them out of slavery across the Red Sea. They wander in the desert for forty years before entering Canaan. Somewhere in there, Moses receives the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. But even those basics aren’t correct in their details. The children of Israel start Exodus as wealthy and important people. (Their status doesn’t last long, but that’s how they start.) After they have been slaves for several hundred years, they have no idea who the God of Abraham is — to the point where God has to literally identify Godself and explain who God is to them. Then Moses (a very reluctant leader) leads the people (very reluctant followers) across the Sea of Reeds into the wilderness for the second act of the book, the entirety of which is devoted to transformation. It’s the process by which a bunch of people who were once defined as a subclass of Egyptian slaves are recreated into a community defined by its devotion to the God of Abraham. Scripture describes the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written as being inscribed on both sides, not just one (or possibly written so that they words went through the tablets, see Exodus 32:15). It doesn’t mention their being rounded at the top, even though that’s the image of the Ten Commandments we have held for centuries, and it never mentions their being joined together. Most of how we portray them comes from Christian tradition rather than scripture. What we think we know about Exodus often differs from what is written in the book itself. In this class, renowned scholar and teacher of scripture Vicki Garvey begins a series of four long-form courses examining the Book of Exodus. This course offers an introduction to some important aspects of Exodus as a whole. The next three courses examine specific sections of Exodus in detail. In her first lecture in Part 1, Vicki offers an overview about the date, authorship, and structure of the Book of Exodus. In her second lecture, she examines the major characters in Exodus and the journeys they take over the course of the book. In her third lecture, she discusses the Book of Exodus in the wider context of scripture. In the final lecture, Vicki examines major themes and terminology in the Book of Exodus. This course is ideal for anyone interested in learning more about a book of the Bible that, even more than many others, has influenced Christian thought. For a course preview, please click below. Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments Just Launched: Calming Your Inner Critic with Teri Racey Posted on June 13, 2023 by Liz Brignac We just launched Calming Your Inner Critic with Teri Racey For Individuals and For Groups . Jesus said we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Unless Jesus was suggesting we tear other people down, that direction suggests that Jesus wants us to love ourselves. But in our culture, harsh judgment — including harsh self judgment — is a common habit. Self-critique can even feel like a virtue, like keeping ourselves in line, in its cycles of rigid self-recrimination. Our inner critic — the self-talk narrative that runs through our minds and critiques our choices — can, therefore, be relentless for some people, and they may never recognize the damage it’s doing. And a harsh inner critic DOES damage us. First, we are prone to listen to it. If anyone tells us we are bad, stupid, ugly, etc. often enough, it makes an impression — even if we’re the ones saying it to ourselves, even in the privacy of our own minds. Second, if you have ever met a person who tends to judge people and experiences negatively, you have probably noticed they are often wrong. They see the world far more negatively than they need to. Likewise, an inner voice that makes a pattern of harsh self judgments is often wrong about the self it’s judging. Finally, people who judge themselves harshly often find themselves sharing that dubious gift with others. If you feel you never measure up as a parent or partner, for example, how are you likely to treat your kids or your spouse? The frustration inherent in being constantly judged and habit of judging build up and tend to affect others. In short, we really do tend to love others as we love ourselves — so treating ourselves with affection, compassion, and kindness is a good way to help ourselves love others. Which is all to the good, since God wants us to treat everyone with love. In this course, author and mindfulness coach Teri Racey examines what the inner critic is and how it can hold us back, as well as offering techniques for rebuilding our internal narrative in a spirit of compassion rather than harsh judgment. In addition, she offers the practice of mindfulness meditation as a tool to connect with our inner selves and with God’s loving voice. Through mindfuless meditation we can learn to calm our inner critics and create a more loving and nurturing relationship with ourselves — and therefore with our neighbors. This course is ideal for anyone struggling with a tendency toward self-criticism — which is most of us. Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged centering prayer , compassion , Episcopal , mindfulness , self care , spirituality | 2 Comments Just Launched: Introducing Mormonism with Jana Reiss Posted on May 23, 2023 by Liz Brignac We just launched Introducing Mormonism with Jana Reiss For Individuals and For Groups . Many people outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (usually called Mormons) have heard of Mormonism and know a little bit about it, but what is Mormonism really about? What is fact and what is fiction in terms of how the public understands Mormonism? How does Mormonism break down in terms of subcategories? What are the current challenges the Mormon church faces? Where and how is it looking to grow in the future? In this course, Jana Riess, a leading authority on Mormonism, brings her extensive understanding of this faith tradition to help us understand the basic principles of Mormonism, as well as how it differs from traditional Christianity, although it is a Christian faith. She takes us on a journey exploring the diverse beliefs and practices of Mormonism, and the vibrant cultural expressions that have emerged from its followers. Jana holds a Ph.D. in American religious history from Columbia University. She speaks often to media about issues pertaining to religion in America, and has been interviewed by the Associated Press, Time, Newsweek, People, The Boston Globe, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, and Newsday , among other print publications, as well as Voice of America, The Today Show, MSNBC , and NPR’s All Things Considered, Tell Me More, and Talk of the Nation. She is the author or co-author of many...