The Vine Church Podcast

This summer has brought a lot of changes to The Vine! As was reported in the previous podcast episode, The Vine Church in Temple, TX decided to move forward as a completely open and affirming church towards LGBTQ individuals. In the months since, a number of close friends have left to worship elsewhere, but The Vine has also welcomed many new individuals and families who had been looking for a church like The Vine. We are excited about what God has in store for The Vine Church. In this episode of the podcast, Warren and Jason talk about the less regular podcast schedule. There will still be the occasional episode, but listeners should not expect a regular schedule or predictable episodes. Warren and Jason also discuss what is coming this fall to The Vine, including Sunday morning classes and Wednesday evening activities.If you are interested in learning more about The Vine Church, please email Warren or subscribe to the weekly email newsletter. If you want to become a member or volunteer to serve at The Vine, you can do that on the website.

After a year of discussion, study, and discernment, The Vine Church on June 15, 2022 announced that it would be taking a completely open and affirming stance towards LGBTQ individuals. That means that such individuals will be welcomed as full members, able to engage in all activities and positions at The Vine, and they will be affirmed in their identity. As expected, the decision was not met with universal approval, and a number of members decided to amicably leave The Vine as a result. Nevertheless, those who remain believe this to be the right, Godly decision, as difficult as the process may have been.In this episode of the podcast, Warren and Jason discuss this new direction, what it means for the church, and why The Vine decided to take this controversial path.

In December 2019, The Vine Church had the pleasure to welcome Dr. Richard Beck to speak about how our identity as Christians can change the way we think about the self. Over the next three weeks, we will be reposting the three sessions on the podcast. This is the final of the three episodes.This session is the sermon he delivered on Sunday, December 8, 2019, bringing the ideas discussed on Saturday directly into how we respond to the grace and love of God. Part 3 of 3: Love StoriesFor a generation or more, our culture has told us that building a healthy self-esteem is the foundation of well-being and happiness. But look around: rates of depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicide are all sky-rocketing. What has gone wrong? Perhaps self-esteem isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and might actually be at the root of our problems. Is self-esteem a trap? In his talks fusing psychological science and spirituality, author and psychologist Richard Beck will point us beyond self-esteem toward a more secure and joy-filled life. Dr. Beck is an award-winning author, blogger, and professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University.

In December 2019, The Vine Church had the pleasure to welcome Dr. Richard Beck to speak about how our identity as Christians can change the way we think about the self. Over the next three weeks, we will be reposting the three sessions on the podcast. This is the second of the three episodes.This is Part 2 of 3: An Alternative PlanFor a generation or more, our culture has told us that building a healthy self-esteem is the foundation of well-being and happiness. But look around: rates of depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicide are all sky-rocketing. What has gone wrong? Perhaps self-esteem isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and might actually be at the root of our problems. Is self-esteem a trap? In his talks fusing psychological science and spirituality, author and psychologist Richard Beck will point us beyond self-esteem toward a more secure and joy-filled life. Dr. Beck is an award-winning author, blogger, and professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University.

In December 2019, The Vine Church had the pleasure to welcome Dr. Richard Beck to speak about how our identity as Christians can change the way we think about the self. Over the next three weeks, we will be reposting the three sessions on the podcast. This is the first of the three episodes.Part 1: The Self Esteem TrapFor a generation or more, our culture has told us that building a healthy self-esteem is the foundation of well-being and happiness. But look around: rates of depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicide are all sky-rocketing. What has gone wrong? Perhaps self-esteem isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and might actually be at the root of our problems. Is self-esteem a trap? In his talks fusing psychological science and spirituality, author and psychologist Richard Beck will point us beyond self-esteem toward a more secure and joy-filled life. Dr. Beck is an award-winning author, blogger, and professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University.

What was it like to actually BE there? That's a question we have all asked at one point or another. So many moments and events throughout history that we learn about and are amazed about what happened. But most of human history didn't have video cameras or instant replay. But what must it have been like to be there? In this week's podcast, Warren, Rachel, and Jason draft the top 5 moments in the New Testament that they would like to have witnessed. Some tragic, some joyful, all incredible and engrossing. How did they appear, sound, smell, or feel? We can only imagine, and this episode attempts to discuss the top moments the three would love to witness first-hand.

In an episode that coincides with our current Sunday morning sermon series, Warren and Terry discuss authorship possibilities regarding Genesis and give some thoughts on the book's first chapter. Along the way they talk about reasons we conversations about authorship matter (and why to a certain extent they don't as it relates to our faith), the importance of being open-minded in our approach to Scripture, and more. In the episode, Warren references a more in-depth essay entitled “When Was Genesis Written And Why Does It Matter?” This essay, written by Pete Enns which suggests authorship other than solely Moses, can be read here.

This past Sunday, Warren concluded the "Standing Firm" sermon series, looking at the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:13-17, but there were a few pieces of the armor that were not addressed in the series. In this week's podcast, Warren, Rachel, and Jason discuss the meaning and implication of the shoes of readiness, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit.

There is great value in exploration, discovery and understanding something from someone else's perspective. These types of experiences can happen from the comforts of our own home or while riding a bus across Israel. In this episode Warren talks with Terry and Zoe Rascoe about their recent trip to Israel and Jordan, where they were able to explore and discover a part of the world they have read about in Scripture for decades. In talking about some of the places they were able to visit, the Rascoes share some of why the trip was personally meaningful for each of them. Over the course of the conversation Terry and Zoe talk about the impact of traversing the area's hilly and mountainous terrain, discovering one of Zoe's new favorite dessert, tensions in that part of the world, “Sabbath elevators,” and more.

We all have beliefs: religious beliefs, political beliefs, social beliefs, and many more. But we do not always examine why we believe what we believe. As we grow and learn more about ourselves, our beliefs may grow as well. But mindful are we about how our beliefs may change? How do we reckon with the ways our beliefs may impact others, often in ways we do not want? Dr. Jude Austin from UMHB and Vista Church joins Warren and Jason to talk about how we form beliefs, how those beliefs influence our actions, and how those actions may have negative impacts on others.

For many people, prayer is a very personal expression of faith. When we pray, we want to create our own statements and sentiments to take to God. For some of us, praying prayers that we have not come up with ourselves may feel inauthentic, as if we are committing spiritual plagiarism. But that denies the rich, ancient practice of praying the prayers of others. Even Jesus himself gives his followers a prayer that draws upon the Jewish tradition of liturgical prayer in ways that can surprise many modern Christians. In this week's podcast, Warren and Jason discuss the challenges and benefits of praying the prayers of others, not only the Lord's Prayer, and encourage listeners to embrace the practice to perhaps help address some of our modern barriers to prayer.

In a discussion that is in conjunction with our current Sunday morning sermon series entitled “Jesus & Prayer,” Warren, Rachel and Terry discuss the story of Jesus “clearing the Temple” in Mark 11. In commenting on this story, Matthew, Mark and Luke all quote Jesus as referring to the Temple as a “house of prayer.” In this episode we think about the imagery of “a house of prayer” while also looking at the broader picture of what Jesus seems to be doing in this story. How should we envision this “house of prayer” language in our context? Where might we be acting in self-seeking ways in our own lives? Does the setting of prayer matter? We explore these questions and more in this episode.

After taking time off during the holidays, the podcast is back. Warren, Rachel, and Jason get the band back together to talk about how scripture guides our lives. If the Bible is God's Word, then we would be wise to understand and follow what it says, but as we all know, it isn't that simple. Different people from different walks of life read and understand it differently. The limitations of human perspective and understanding make agreement on scriptural hermeneutic challenging, but the group offers some metaphors and perspectives that help us make sense of such immense, diverse texts.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of LOVE, and today's scripture is John 1:1-17 read by Kaci Allen. We hope you are blessed. Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of LOVE, and today's scriptures are Micah 5:2-5 and Titus 2:11-14 read by Zeke Payne. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of LOVE, and today's scriptures are Matthew 1:18-24 and John 3:16-21 read by Kelsey Wilbanks. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of LOVE, and today's scripture is Luke 1:26-55 read by Regan Martin. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of LOVE, and today's scripture is Psalm 118 read by Dawnyell Jackson. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of LOVE, and today's scripture is I John 4:7-21 read by Jamie Huddleston. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of LOVE, and today's scriptures are Philippians 2:1-5 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 read by Eisley Gray. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of JOY, and today's scriptures are Isaiah 12:2-6 and Psalm 30 read by Bryan Parson. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of JOY, and today's scriptures are Psalm 146 and Luke 13:31-35 read by Kari Martin. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of JOY, and today's scriptures are Matthew 2:1-12 and Psalm 5:1-3, 11-12 read by Pam Greene. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of JOY, and today's scripture is Luke 2:1-20 read by Rod Backus. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of JOY, and today's scriptures are Psalm 126 and Philippians 4:1, 4-7 read by Jenni Nachtwey. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of JOY, and today's scriptures are Philippians 1:2-11 and 1 Thessalonians 3:8-13 read by Jason Martin. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of JOY, and today's scripture is Psalm 63 read by Shaiquan King. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of PEACE, and today's scripture is Psalm 29 read by Warren Gray. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of PEACE, and today's scriptures are 2 Peter 1:3-9 and Psalm 1 read by Aidan Martin. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of PEACE, and today's scriptures are Luke 3:1-6, 19-20 and Luke 7:18-23 read by Rachel Tate Yattor. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of PEACE, and today's scriptures are Malachi 3:1-4 and John 1:67-79 read by Zoe Rascoe. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of PEACE, and today's scripture is Luke 1:5-20, 57-66 read by Bridget Jarrett. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of PEACE, and today's scriptures are Psalm 18:25-33, Psalm 16:5-11, and Psalm 117 read by John Jarrett. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of PEACE, and today's scriptures are Psalm 122 and Psalm 148 read by Ashley Gray. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of HOPE, and today's scriptures are Romans 5:1-11 and Romans 13:8-14 read by Terry Rascoe. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of HOPE, and today's scripture is Psalm 33 read by Gillian Kinney. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of HOPE, and today's scriptures are Romans 8:1-4 and Romans 15-28 read by Yvonne Eele. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of HOPE, and today's scriptures are Isaiah 9:1-7 and Psalm 4:4-8 read by Thomas Nichols. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of HOPE, and today's scripture is 2 Peter 3 read by Theresa Whittington. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.The scriptures this week are on the theme of HOPE, and today's scripture is Psalm 25 read by Marcia Morehead. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

During this Advent season, the members and friends of The Vine church are pleased to provide thematic scripture readings, meant to help focus your mind on the coming Lord in the season. Every day will feature a different scripture read by a different individual. We encourage listeners to meditate on these scriptures and share them with friends and family throughout the season.After a brief introduction to the series by Warren Gray, Kevin Huddleston provides the first of the scriptures this week on the theme of HOPE. Today's scripture is Jeremiah 33:14-16 and Psalm 147:1-9. We hope you are blessed.Music is “Hope is Here” by John Hatfield, available on Bandcamp.

In today's episode Warren and Rachel give some final thoughts on our recent series covering the Ten Commandments, or “Ten Words.” They discuss some specifics of the final two commands before giving reflections, takeaways and concluding thoughts on the commandments and series as a whole. In the process they discuss how this series has been a reminder of the partnership aspect of covenants, the wisdom and relevance of Old Testament scriptures, and the intentionality that is required to pursue life in the Spirit.

Taking a break from the 'Ten Words' series, Warren is joined this week with friend and son of The Vine, Dr. David Kneip. David is a former member of The Vine and the son of former elder Bill & Cathy Kneip. He is also currently a professor and Associate Director of the Siburt Institute at Abilene Christian University. Warren and David discuss the literature of the Bible. Our Christian Bible is a collection of writings, letters, poetry and more — a collection that includes various genres of literature. So what genres do we find in our Bible? How does knowing more about the variety of literature we find in the Bible help us as we read and interact with Scripture? And how might we misread Scripture if we don't recognize the variety that we find within the Bible? These questions and more can help Christians learn how to be better readers of the Bible.

As The Vine continues its deep dive into the Ten Words, we have consistently encountered novel and insightful understandings of commands that previously seemed so simple, and this week is no different. Warren, Rachel, and Jason address the 5th and 6th Commandments: "Honor your father and mother," and "Do not kill." While seemingly straightforward, these two present some challenging questions: How do we honor people who may not always be honorable? What is the difference between honor and obey? What, if anything, does the command not to kill tell us about the value of life? The answers to these and many other questions are addressed in this episode, each with an of the different ways that people will understand the role of these commends in our lives.

This week Warren and Rachel discuss Sabbath in another episode that coincides with our current “Ten Words” sermon series. There's much to talk about as it relates to the history, purpose and importance of Sabbath. So in this episode Warren and Rachel discuss more of the context of this command, Jewish thoughts and teachings about Sabbath and its physiological effects on our bodies, Jesus and the Sabbath, and more.

The entire Vine Church has been studying the "Ten Words" (aka Ten Commandments) for the last three weeks, and the past two weeks have been diving into the first two words, drawn from Exodus 20:3-4. While it may be easy to dismiss these words as mostly irrelevant to modern Christians, they may be the most relevant and most easily broken. We are consistently tempted to place other priorities (i.e. gods) before Yahweh; we often construct an image of God to fit our purposes, putting God in a box that cannot contain Yahweh. Warren, Rachel, and Jason discuss these Words and difficult aspects that challenge us to continue turning back to the One True God.

The podcast is back! This week's episode features some introductory topics connected to our new comprehensive Sunday morning series, “Ten Words.” This series began on Sunday, August 22, and you can listen to the introductory sermon as part of Sunday's service on our YouTube channel. But there's plenty of material to think about at the outset of this series, so in this episode Warren, Rachel, and Terry cover some things that weren't discussed on Sunday and also look ahead to the rest of the series. Topics include connections between “The Ten Commandments” and the creation narrative, covenantal language, the stone tablets that contained the “words” or commands and allusions to Jesus in Exodus and the rest of the Old Testament. In two weeks, we will return with a discussion of the first two of the ten commandments.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Beginning next week (Sunday, August 22, 2021), The Vine Church will resume live-streaming worship services on YouTube, and future services will be viewable there. This podcast will continue to post the midweek discussion, now to be about 2-3 episodes per month, but the Sunday morning worship will be exclusively on The Vine Church YouTube channel.As we begin to embark on a new school year, we think about wisdom and its pursuit. Drawing from Job 28, Rachel Tate Yattor, Family Life Resident at The Vine Church, this morning brings a message about the search for wisdom and pursuit of knowledge that is from God. What is the source? What does the pursuit look like for people? Real wisdom is not theoretical; it is actionable in daily life. It is a skill that must be practiced and may improve.

The mid-week podcast will be taking a short break and then returning with less frequent episodes.

At the beginning of Luke 18, Jesus tells his disciples a story about why "they should always pray and not give up.” The story he then tells is one about a widow who keeps “bothering” a judge until he finally gives in and sees that she gets justice. It's a story about persistence, but also a story that leads us to some questions. What does this story tell us about God? Where do we find him in a story about an unjust judge? And should we take this story to mean that God will give me anything I ask for if I simply keep bothering him? Or perhaps is there something deeper that Jesus wants us to learn about persistence, patience and justice?

Mental health is a topic that does not get much attention in churches. Spiritual health gets much attention, of course, and physical health is sometimes addressed, but churches and Christians have often been resistant to conversations about mental health, let alone advocating for mental health treatment. Some of this is attributed to the sometimes adversarial relationship that religion and science have had historically, but as we learn more about the integration of mind, body, and spirit, we're also learning that mental health care deserves the same attention in our churches.For this week's discussion, Warren and Jason welcome Dr. Daniel Morehead to talk about the unnecessary stigma around mental health. I addition to being a psychiatrist with Tufts University, Dr. Morehead is also the son of The Vine's own Dave and Marcia Morehead. He recently wrote the book, Science over Stigma: Education and Advocacy for Mental Health, defending mental health treatment for everyone, even Christians. The conversation further addresses some of the resources that God provides, such as psychiatry and counseling, which are as important to our mental health as vaccines and regular check-ups are to our physical health. Finally, they discuss how good mental health can benefit our spiritual practice and vice-versa and why working with mental health professionals can be beneficial for anyone.