Missiongathering Issaquah

Many of us were handed an Easter story that begins with separation: You're a sinner. God is angry. Blood must be spilled before you can be loved. But… what if that's not the real story? What if resurrection isn't about blood payment—but about re-membering what we've forgotten? That nothing can separate you from the love of God. That you've always belonged. You've always been beloved. Resurrection invites us to reconnect—to our God-created selves, to one another, to the earth, to the cosmos. To piece back together what's been fragmented. To rise.

Kate - a seminary-trained mental health therapist - unpacks one of the Bible's most mysterious and misunderstood stories—the Witch of Endor. For centuries, women labeled as “witches” have embodied resistance, resilience, and a power that defies control. What if this ancient tale isn't about sorcery but survival, truth-telling, and divine defiance?

White Christian Nationalism is a movement of American Christians who are fighting for conservative Christians to hold power in family, religion, education, media, arts and entertainment, business, and government. Is this what Jesus taught in the gospels? How do we reconcile this movement with the teachings of Jesus? How do we respond when Christians use scripture to justify policies that harm and marginalize vulnerable communities?

Is it possible the church and America has whitewashed the complexities and realities of racism, the teachings of Jesus, and the fight for equity and liberation?

Happy Easter & Happy Trans Day of Visibility! by Devin Wright

The only constant is change. Change is built into the universe and life on earth has survived by adapting to those changes. Yet, we are so afraid of change! Religions across the world, older than Christianity, have taught how to process change. How do we adapt to change in a way that makes our lives and the world more healed and whole?

The images of death and destruction in the conflict have been unbearable. How do we make sense of the horror? Did you know white American evangelicals support the Israeli leaders' response to Palestine more than any other group? Why? It has to do with the end of the world. Let's talk about some of the history of the conflict, its connections to American Christianity, and how to seek a compassionate response.

Fall and the Autumn Equinox has had a profound impact on human cultures for thousands of years. What we can learn about the spirituality of Autumn and how to find balance in our lives?

I grew up with a view of faith that was tied to believing in God, reading my Bible, and believing the correct theology about God and the Bible. What if Jesus' view of faith and belief are different?

In June we celebrated LGBTQ Pride. In July, Americans celebrate USA Pride. On the final day of Pride month in June, the Supreme Court ruled that businesses could discriminate against a person based on their sexuality in the defense of religious beliefs. What happens when we value our own religious freedom above the humanity of others? Jesus placed people above theology and his actions were considered "sinful" by the religious elite.

We believe all trans people are beloved and that God is nonbinary! Hear Riley Aliamus share his journey toward discovering his true self along with practical ways to support the trans community. Riley's GoFundMe Page: https://gofund.me/ac22a98e

Matthew 10:35 "I have a come to turn a son against his father." - Jesus. Happy Father's Day! "Traditional family values" have long been a cry of Christianity in America, but what if Jesus' sayings about the family actually challenge traditional family values? Maybe that's a good thing.

*Content Awareness: Discussion of suicide and eating disorders.* Missiongathering's Kevin Criswell shares his personal mental health journey that partly led him to a career in psychology, helping people develop the tools to cope with mental health challenges. Kevin's honesty and vulnerability in sharing his story is inspiring and hopeful for all of us who struggle with mental health. *He was not able to share this during the talk, but Kevin wants listeners to know that he advocates for the use of medication to help with mental health problems as it was beneficial for him as a bridge out of depression. Medication is not a replacement for good social relationships and therapy/counseling, but it can make a difference for some.

The record breaking anti-LGBTQ legislation happening in the U.S. is partly the result of people's interpretation of the Bible and their view that God created and approved of only two genders - straight male and straight female. But, did you know the biblical tradition of Jesus and ancient Judaism recognized four genders beyond male and female? What if the larger story of the biblical tradition is one that points to love and inclusion?

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! A recent Census Bureau report found that 1/3 of all adults and half of adults 18-24 struggle anxiety and depression, yet around half of U.S. churches rarely or have never talked about mental health. What can Jesus tell us about mental health? 15:30 Loving-Kindness Meditation

What if Easter points to something true in both science and spirituality? What if life, death, and transformation can help us live more meaningfully and bring hope to the world? Listen to our Easter message online from Sunday, Apr 9!

"As a therapist one of my tasks is to listen to the undercurrent of the story someone is telling. What's being said and what isn't? I've started to do that with the stories I grew up with. When I think back to how women in the Bible were presented to me as a kid, so many of the stories were told in a way to show off their quiet grace and servitude, thoroughly stripping them of the rage or other big emotions any other human would feel in their place. We'll take a closer look at some of those stories and what it means to more fully express parts of who we are." - Kate Creech, MACP, LMHCA

Lent is a season of reflection, change, and growth, but guilt and fear have been used by Christianity to "change" people for over 1500 years. True, real change begins, not with guilt and fear, but with radical self-acceptance.

The birth of Jesus can feel like a cozy Christmas story, but 2,000 years ago the story was deeply political and provocative. What can this story tell us about creating peace, joy, hope, and love in our world? Our message is followed by a brief spiritual practice and guided meditation to help us cultivate joy.

What if the Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love of Advent only emerge out of gratitude? What can psychology teach us about the spirituality of gratitude as a way of Jesus?

What can Halloween and Dia de los Muertos teach us how to process the spirituality of death?

How do we have healthy conversations with people we disagree with around gender, sexuality, religion, or politics? What can Jesus teach us about how to influence others in ways that build trust and lead to growth? At the end of the message, hear Creative Lead, Jake Haber, share how Missiongathering has led to his next journey in progressive Christian ministry.

Back to School!! We're in the season of learning, but even more important and more difficult is the practice of unlearning. How do we unlearn and become open to new ideas as a sacred practice? How do we overcome our own bias?

A Missiongathering member offers a path toward healing from fundamentalist Christianity by naming the challenge of biblical interpretation, our cultural lenses, and steps to reframe the harmful message we tell about ourselves.

For those who live in the suburbs, how do we address social justice? Kyle Reynolds pulls from his doctoral research on cross-cultural engagement and his experience managing a non-profit food bank to talk about how we can lovingly move from pity to compassion.

Heart Scan Meditation: 0:00 - 3:50 Message: 3:50-19:37 In the face of tragedy we so often hear "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims." The Bible has a harsh and uncomfortable message for those of us who offer prayers without stopping violence and oppression. As we close out Mental Health Awareness month, how do we address our anxieties and fears in the face of injustice? Mental Health Resources: nami.org

Hear the powerful story of a Missiongathering community member who is intersex. They share their experience of being Christian and intersex and offer hope and encouragement by helping us see how the life of Jesus honored and valued nonbinary experiences. Through the church has caused much harm to those who are nonbinary, this story shares this person's own personal journey of healing and hope. **NOTE: At the request of the speaker, the audio has been edited to respect the speaker's anonymity and privacy**

Rev Kate Kilroy, is a church innovator, a foster child turned foster parent, a labor and delivery specialist, and a treky. She is queer, a parent to 5 kids, four of which are teenagers, a trauma survivor, and still doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up but is loving the journey. She joins us to share the work she does with Uniting Stories, a community wellness coalition with a focus on health & wellbeing. She offers encouragement by reminding us of the very real impact that hope has in our communities.

We are joined by founder of Missiongathering, Rev. Rich McCullen. Listen to his story of how overcoming abuse and exclusion as a child and as a gay man inspired the creation of an inclusive faith community. Our stories are part of God's larger story of creating wholeness in our fragmented world.

How can Halloween help us see the importance of everyday rituals in our lives? How can our everyday practices help us deal with grief and loss? Kate Creech, MACP, helps us reimagine how rituals can be deeply spiritual and meaningful for our lives.

What do we do after we deconstruct our faith? How do we process faith deconstruction in a healthy way? We're learning from Brian McLaren's new book as we learn ways doubt can be a doorway into a bigger, better, more loving spirituality and way of being.

In this Jesus story he talks to his disciples about tolerance, inclusion, hell, and salt. How do we become more open to people and ideas we don't understand?

The age-old argument about women's roles has largely been controlled by men who have misused and abused bible passages like Proverbs 31 to control women. Let's look at a better way to read the passage that honors and elevates women.

Labor day began, not as a fun day off of work, but as a demand for justice in the face of oppression and labor abuses. The story of labor day connects with a letter the brother of Jesus wrote to early followers of Jesus that reminds us that our faith must be expressed through caring for people, otherwise our faith is worthless.

There is a weird story of Jesus in Mark 6 where he tries to do miracles, but can't because the people weren't willing to see the sacred in the mundane. I thought Jesus could do anything? What does this story say about how God works in the world? What if faith is not about belief, but about being open to the divine in all things? Where do you find God, hope, beauty, love beyond the walls of a church? Where do you find community to share those experiences?

Kyle Reynolds, a doctoral student in multi-cultural engagement, discusses with honesty and vulnerability what it means to step forward on the path to wholeness.

How do we move forward when our spirit seems crushed? What are some contemplative practices to use to help us connect deeply with God, ourselves, and the world when we feel down and lost?

The biblical command to rule the Earth has been misused and abused by Christians leading to colonialism. What if we've misinterpreted scripture? What would the world be like if we loved the Earth as we loved ourselves?

The Palm Sunday Jesus story has been told for thousands of years with services of praise and waving palm branches, but the deeper meaning of this politically provocative act of Jesus has a lot to teach us. And, we can't understand Palm Sunday without Hanukkah!

Jesus says blessed are the peacemaker for they will be children of God. Peace is not the absence of conflict, nor is it avoiding conflict. Peacemaking requires a third way. A way of bringing wholeness and healing without using hate and violence.

The idea that a God would become a human was a ridiculous and offensive idea in the ancient Greco-Roman world, yet this is exactly what the followers of Jesus claimed. That God would want to become like us, to be with us, to love us, and to show us that humanity is good and loved.

God entered our world through vulnerable humanity and God is still entering our lives in the most vulnerable and difficult places. How do we live out of the Holy power of vulnerability? Speaker: Missiongathering Charlotte pastor Andrew Shipley

What if gratitude is not a response to a circumstance, but a grounded way of being in the world? Hear therapist Kate Creech discuss how to move toward a grounded gratitude!

In the midst of our chaotic lives and world, how can we look to the values of the early followers of Jesus to help us live more meaningful and engaged lives? This week we're looking at Rule #2 and the importance of living simply, resisting greed and consumerism, and living generous lives.

In the 5th century as Rome fell, St. Benedict fled to the countryside to discover a way of following Jesus that led to a more harmonious, peaceful life in the midst of chaos. What are these rules of life that can help guide us today?

If you could change anything about church or Christianity, what would it be? We're beginning a new series on the future of church and how to live the Way of Jesus today.

Dr. Frank Rogers Jr. is the co-director of the Center for Engaged Compassion, professor of Spiritual Formation at Claremont School of Theology, and author of Compassion in Practice: The Way of Jesus. Dr. Rogers shares with us a way to cultivate compassion in the midst of injustice.

Lisa van Leeuwen shares her story of growing up in a religious cult and how the views of God given to her impacted her self-image, leading to an eating disorder. She shares practical steps on how to recognize our true worth and how to cultivate compassion for yourself.

How do we move from pity to compassion? How can setting boundaries actually be compassionate for yourself and others? Kyle Reynolds is a Doctorate of Cross-cultural Engagement, small business owner, and a former pastor and nonprofit worker.

During this time of political and racial unrest, how do we move forward with compassion for ourselves and those with whom we disagree? Jesus taught us to love our neighbors and enemies as ourselves, but what does it look like to have compassion for ourselves?

The word "progressive" carries a lot of connotations in our politically polarized world. Some Christians call "Progressive Christians" dangerous. What does it mean to be a "progressive" Christian and church?