Redemption Church KC Sermon podcast

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Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Epiphany 07: Sermon On the Plain Part 1

for 9 dage siden

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1) In today ’s se rmon, Tim told a story originally told by Douglas Rushkoff about a group of billionaires seeking wisdom about how to prevent problems after what they called “the event,”basically the apocalypse. When you’re in a place of fear, and considering worst case scenarios, what is “the event“ for you? Why do you think that is? What kinds of plans do you tend to make in your mind should “the event” come to pass? 2) Tim shared a slide that started with the question, “what makes us safe in this world?”He then listed the six most common types of answers we come up with to that question. They are below. Which of these do you tend to gravitate to First? Are there a couple that seem most right to you or are your defaults? Which are at the bottom of your list? If you’re among those that have been stressed and fearful lately, it might help to consider the types of solutions you’ve imagined for the problems you are seeing. 3) Toward the end of his sermon, Tim stated “when the church loves like Jesus did, the kingdom of the world cannot stand against us“. He then prayed that we would have “the courage to try to stay committed to love.” What does that look like in the practical? In your daily life? In places where you may be actively resisting troubling things happening around you?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Epiphany 06: Great Reversal - Blessings and Woes

for 16 dage siden

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1. When you think of Jesus, what descriptive words come to mind? If someone asked you, “what is Jesus like?,” what would be some of the things you’d say? Then take a moment to revisit the scriptures Mandy preached over today , Luk e 6:17-26. How do his words come across to you? How, as you absorb Jesus’ teaching, would you describe Jesus in this moment, as he confronts the crowd with proclamations of the Kingdom that are very counter to what they might have hoped or expected to hear (& may be counter to what we hope and expect to hear)? To what extent does the Jesus of this moment align with the descriptive words you listed initially? What do you make of the similarity or dissimilarity you find between your general description of Jesus and Jesus as he shows up in this passage in Luke? 2. In her sermon, Mandy pointed out that Jesus isn’t good news for people who want to avoid disruption. How do you see yourself in this paradigm? What’s your general orientation toward disruption? What emotions does the word “disruption” elicit for you? How do you feel about characterizing Jesus as a disruptor? Do you see yourself as disruptive in any contexts or ways? How do you feel about your answer? 3. Toward the end of her sermon, Mandy said, “when you embrace the idea of Jesus becoming the lowest of the low, it changes everything.” How do you feel about this characterization of Jesus? Do you feel the desire to add qualifiers or explanatory notes to the idea of Jesus being the lowest of the low? How do you respond to the totality of Mandy’s statement? To what extent do you think that you “embrace the idea of Jesus becoming the lowest of the low?” How, if at all, has that changed things for you? How, if it has, has it changed you?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Epiphany 05: Into the Deep Waters

for 23 dage siden

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1. Tim talked about Peter’s response to Jesus after, heeding Jesus’ illogical directives, he and his partners catch literally more fish than their nets and boats can hold. For this first question, you’re invited to take the time as a group to imagine a personalized scenario similar to that in to day’s passage. It may take some time, and you may need to encourage each other if you’re struggling to come up with ideas or if some are feeling self-conscious. This is just an exer cise and an experiment for all of us. Help each other where needed. Have fun with it! (And if it flops, thanks for trying! 🙃 I’d appreciate your feedback either way!) First, take a few moments for each of you to think of an area of your life in which you have some level of credible knowledge or expertise. It can be anything! Do you know a lot about how to bake cookies? To prepare to give a sales pitch? To train a dog to sit? To learn a new song on an instrument ? To ma ke a pizza? To clean a kitchen? To balance a budget? To lead a team-building event? To design a workshop? To throw a party? To lead a staff meeting? Mop a floor? Give a manicure? Teach a game? Format a report in Excel? Teach a new skill to a child? Again, it can be anything!! Try to imagine a situation within that area in which you put in efforts that you and others have learned are best practices, in order to achieve a desired, but not guaranteed return. That return can be physical, financial, emotional, or otherwise. It might be helpful to imagine a scenario in which , for w hatever reason, others are also present. If needed, help each other come up with reasonable scenarios that might make sense in their own lives. Once everybody has an idea for this experiment, take some time for each of you to imagine a scene in which you’re at work on this specific task. Imagine Jesus approaching. Imagine him entering into the scenario, greeting you and others, etc. Then imagine Jesus gives you instructions that go direct ly coun ter to what you know to be good advice on this subject. Realism and scale are unimportant! As you imagine the moment, get specific in your mind about what exactly he’s telling you. Imagine how you might feel hearing it. Give room to your skepticism, defensiveness, or whatever else might surface. Think about what facial expressions you might make, or you might see from others nearby. Wh at faci al expressions is Jesus making? Pay attention to how you’re feeling and what silent thoughts you might have in that moment. In the scene, agree to go along with Jesus’ guidance. What worlds would you use? How might your voice sound? Do you make eye contact with Jesus? Do you convey your skepticism in an y way? Would it matter if others w/similar expertise are nearby? What could you notice about the others observing this moment ? How do you feel about their opinions in this second? Let the scene play out with as much detail as you can. Next, visualize yourself going through the steps Jesus prescribes. Depending on your scenario, this may be a quick moment or a longer one. Then, imagine a shockingly unexpected outcome. This doesn’t have to be realistic - and probably won’t be!! Imagine the specific nature of a positive and ou trageou sly abundant return. In that moment, pay close attention to yourself. What are you doing with your physical body as the outcome is happe ning? A re you just watching it happen? Looking around in disbelief? What’s your emotional response? Do you look at Jesus? If so, what expression is on his face? What are his eyes communicating to you? What expression is on your face? How are others around you reacting? What are they doing or saying? Finally, let the moment fill your awareness, and turn your full attention to Jesus. How do you r espon d to him? What do you say? What do you do? How are you feeling inside yourself in this instant? What, if anything, is Jesus doing? Does he respond to you in some way? Is there a larger message for you in this moment? If so, what might it be? Take a moment to really sit in this final imaginary moment of communication with Jesus, noticing your feelings and body sensations as you do. When all are finished, share with each other about what this experiment was like, what you noticed and felt. Was there anything that left you with new ideas, new questions, new sensations? What, if anything, surprised you? 2. As Tim taught, Jesus’ instruction to Peter included him taking his boat an d crew out into the deep waters, the place in which Jew & Gentile intermingled on the lake. Tim’s accompanying slide read, “the Jewish people couldn’t become fully Jewish without the Gentiles, blessing them was their ul timate mi ssion.” In what ways does this idea apply to us today ? As Christians generally and/or as Redemption Church? Where does it challenge you to consider the “others” as the very people you’re meant to bless? How does it feel to consider not only those on the margins, but also those who are opposing the work we , as Ch ristians, might see as our core calling? What do you think of the idea that loving and blessing both of those groups, as well as more, is part of our mission? How do you respond to the suggestion that we cannot become fully who we’re meant to be without those people we’d rather exclude, ignore, or condemn? 3. Shared on one of Tim’s slides, Dallas Willard said, “a disciple is one who is with Jesus, learning to be like him, so that I react to my world the way Jesus would if he were in my shoes.” In what ways have you felt stressed, frustrated, violent, outraged, offended, or tried in recent weeks ? Are t here specific instances or circumstances that come to mind? How do you think Jesus would react in some of the specific circumstances that you’ve thought of? Are there ways in which your own reacti ons could be shifted to better mimic his example? What do you think about the idea of trying to mimic Jesus in some of these moments? What about it feels most difficult and why?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Epiphany 04: Solidarity

for 29 dage siden

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1. In Luke 4:21, Jesus says that the Isaiah 61 scripture from which he read was fulfilled “ today ” for his listeners, in their hearing. Cole pointed out that he says “ today ,” rather than tomorrow , or at the cross, or at the time of the resurrection. What do you make of that “ today ?” If we’re taking Jesus at his word, how do you understand that idea? What was going on that day that was fulfilling the proclamation of liberty and Jubilee? And what do you make of the fact that he didn’t indicate the fulfillment of the passage would be coming at the cross or the resurrection? What previously held ideas might that moment challenge? 2. Cole also posited that when the crowd responds favorably to Jesus, but immediately also asks, “isn’t this Joseph’s son?,” that perhaps after they see Jesus’ demonstration of power, they’re reassuring themselves that, as Joseph's son, Jesus is one of their own. And that, by extension, they can exercise some sort of control over him and feel safe from his action and activity. But, of course, they find that Jesus is on a mission of his own, and they cannot make him be who they’d like or act as they'd demand. In response, they turn on him completely. Where do you see this same inclination in yourself? Where does Jesus demand from you something beyond what you’d like to give? Where do you find yourself tempted to jettison Jesus, even just a bit, when his way of being in the world is a challenge to something to which you’d rather cling? 3. Cole talked about the Transactional Belonging inherent in empire, and which is prevalent in our society today . He compared it to the only other type of system that Israel could imagine: a purity movement and a system of Obedient Belonging. But, Cole taught, both of these systems end in violence, and that Jesus’ model of belonging was wholly other and centered on solidarity. He provided a working definition of solidarity: “a way of being together where even our differences are evidence of our shared faithfulness, hope, and love.” Spend some time as a group talking about each of these three types of belonging. Do you have places where you’ve seen or imagined the existence of one or another in action? What does it look like to participate in a transactional system of belonging? An obedience system? Where and how can you see these systems ending in violence? When you imagine a solidarity system of belonging, what are the features you think of? What does it look like at its core? How does it operate? What is your part in enacting that system?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Epiphany 03: Jubilee

for 5 weeks siden

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1. In the system of the Jubilee year (also referred to as “the year of the Lord’s favor”), land, debts, and finances were to be redistributed back to an equitable baseline as orignally described in Torah. Tim taught that in inherent in this arrangement was the reality that, “nobody could ever become so rich that they could control the whole system, and make Israel serve their purposes.” We might be inclined to respond positively to the idea of everyone having enough and no one being able to become dominantly wealthy. However, the enactment of this arrangement on a global level would likely mean that many of us would be required to have less than what we have now. Less land, less home, less cash, less savings, less stuff, less advantage, less privilege, and etc etc. How do you feel about this idea at first blush? If you can, think of someone you know who may have noticeably less material wealth than you do. Imagine pooling your collective resources and then splitting them exactly 50/50. Maybe spend a moment picturing the process of taking inventory of all that is owned between the two of you. Now imagine ending the process with no less and no more than your counterpart, and much of what was once yours now belonging to them. What emotions and thoughts are surfacing for you? Where is resistance showing up? Where might your ideals and your priorities be in conflict within you? What does it look like to engage in those places of tension within yourself, and do so with curiosity and kindness? 2. Jesus was reordering the world not only to include, but also to center those who’d been excluded and pushed out of society up to that point. And as he lived out his ministry, his actions created and reflected this same type of Jubilee-esque restructuring. With your group, generate a list of people-groups who, in our world today , are often marginalized, excluded, and discriminated against. What does it look like for you and/other individuals to live lives that functionally demonstrate a Jesus-like priority on and intention toward this social reorganization? What does it look like for a church to excel at centering some of the various groups you came up with? What do we do with the reality that limits on our time, energy, and financial resources most likely preclude us from fully engaging in the Jubilee-like re-ordering Jesus describes? What thoughts and feelings surface as you consider that pragmatic idea? How would you suggest navigating that tension? 3. Tim shared a slide that read, “The church is meant to be the one place in the world where Jubilee is still the dominant reality.” Yet the actions of many churches don't reflect that same value and priority. How do we love and revere the church-at-large with so many opposing ideas in our world about what a church is meant to do, and how they’re supposed to function in relationship to the rest of the world? If you can, avoid veering into a “they’re wrong/we’re right” trap. How do you navigate the varied expressions of “Christianity” and church to which many lay claim? How do you understand it in your mind? Why are there such stark differences? How might you engage with someone whose experiences of church have left them disdainful of church in total?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Epiphany 02: Water into Wine

for 6 weeks siden

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1. Much of Tim’s sermon today talk ed about reframing the way we understand John’s presentation of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. What is it like for you to think about understanding the story, its symbols, and John’s presentation of the event in a new way? What had your understanding of that story been before this week’s sermon? How do you feel about the idea that a story as it’s written can remain static, but the understanding we have of it - either as a collective or as individuals can shift, sometimes dramatically? How does this interact with the way you understand the Bible, its stories, and our relationships to it? How do you feel about that dynamic as it’s played out/plays out in your own life? 2. Tim talked about the value of being a part of an interpretive community living in the way of Jesus. How much does this connect to your reasons for being a part of Redemption Church? With or without this exact idea in view, how would you describe the value of your own present day experiences in such a community (Redemption or otherwise)? How would you explain why you go to church, why you go to this church, and how it impacts who you are and how you live your life? 3. Mary instructs the servants at the wedding to “do whatever [Jesus] tells you to do.” In what areas of your life do you need to listen and hear “whatever he is telling you to do” so that you can have more awareness of and access to the true abundant nature of the Kingdom of God? What would that listening and hearing look like for you practically? Do you have any reasons you might hesitate to create that space and time for listening? Why or why not?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Epiphany 01: Religion and Spirituality

for 7 weeks siden

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1. In his sermon today , Tim shared a quote from Heraclitus: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Later, of this quote, Heraclitus also said, “not that all things are changing so that we cannot encounter them twice, but that some things stay the same only by changing.” Tim then said, “to be human is to be the kind of thing that can stay the same only by changing… to refuse to change and grow is to diminish our humanity.” Consider Heraclitus’ original quote. What does it speak to you? Does it resonate? If so, how? If not, why do you think that is? What does it mean to be the kind of thing “that can stay the same only by changing?” How does refusing to change and grow diminish our humanity? What experiences from your life bear witness to these truths? Where have you seen them in action? 2. Tim differentiated between religion and spirituality, sharing these definitions: Religion: submitting to a particular tradition for the purpose of human formation. Spirituality: the habits, rhythms, and practices that help us engage with God & our tradition He then taught that “Jesus’ spirituality led him to question & rethink his religion.” Think about each of these definitions. What stands out to you? Is it new to consider spirituality and religion as separate and distinct counterparts in your life of faith? What do you think about the idea that Jesus’ spirituality led him to question and rethink his religion? What might you imagine this looking like for Jesus internally? How does this connect to your own experience? Share about ways in which your spirituality has influenced your religion and vice versa. 3. One of Tim’s first slides read, “Christianity teaches that our emotional, spiritual, physical, and psychological well-being - as persons and communities - depend on our willingness to surrender and constantly update our working models of reality.” His final slide read, “we must all find a way to let our spirituality call our religion into question.” How comfortable to do you feel with the idea that disruption is essential to your well-being? How attached do you feel to the idea of keeping your perceptions of reality unruffled and unchallenged? What do you think about the idea of your spirituality calling your religion into question? What experience, if any, have you had of this dynamic? What emotions does it bring up for you? Do you feel places of resistance within yourself? Whether your answer is yes or no, why do you think that is?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Guest Speaker - Christmas 01: Bethleham

for 9 weeks siden

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1. Near the beginning of his sermon, Andy talked about the essential nature of setting in any story, and how our stories are inherently linked with their setting and context. Think a little bit about the stories of your own life that are either prominent right now or have been in the story arc of your life so far. Share a bit about the stories that come to mind and the ways in which the setting and context of the moment are/were crucial to the overall shape of the story. 2. Andy shared what he called a “mini sermon” in the middle of his sermon. That mini sermon was this: small is often the way of God. Spend some time reflecting on this statement. How does it strike you? In what was have you seen its truth (or not!) in your own life over time? How does reflection on this idea and its truthfulness affect you in this moment? How can you take this idea and apply its wisdom in the challenging and painful places in your own life today ? 3 . Andy reminded us that “Jesus wasn’t born into a sentimental and idealized version of life.” He went on to say, “the story of Bethlehem points us to the true essence of the Gospel! The ash heap of sorrow and grief can be turned into the birthplace of the Bread of Life.” What does it communicate to you to remember that Jesus did indeed come into a very real and messy version of reality? How does that thought make you feel? Now reflect on the idea of the ash heap becoming a birth place for the Bread of Life. Have you seen this truth in your own life? What do you think it means for the bread of Life to be born into the ash heaps and places of sorrow in your life? What does it look like? Is it possible to see that dawning of new life take place as it occurs, or only in retrospect? Would it be possible to miss it altogether? How might one recognize it?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Advent 04: The Prophet Mary

for 10 weeks siden

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Tim Suttle

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Advent 03: The Wilderness of Advent

for 11 weeks siden

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1. One of Tim’s slides in his sermon today read, “the trajectory of our lives will shape the way we react when Messiah shows up.” How do you understand what this means? How would you describe the trajectory of your own life, relative to this concept? What has it looked like or would it look like for you to orient or position your life on a trajectory that is or would be better able to receive Messiah when Messiah shows up? 2. Part of John the Baptist’s message to those who came to the wilderness to hear him was that they can’t rely on their status as part of the people of Israel to ensure their ability to receive Messiah and move toward the Kingdom. Reflect on the fact that this admonition also applies to us today . Consider that neither your status in church membership nor your embrace of Christian cultural traditions are reliable qualifications for your readiness to receive Messiah in your life. How do you feel as you sit in that idea for a moment? What questions arise for you? What ideas? 3. Whether you count yourself among their numbers or not, how does it feel to consider those who are in processes of deconstruction and reconstruction as people in the process of repentance? Tim called the undertaking brave and faithful. How does that tally with the ways in which you usually think about deconstruction and those in the process? Do you consider yourself as one of the people in the midst of deconstruction and reconstruction? How does it feel to consider yourself, in that context, as brave? As faithful? As repenting? Share about what this framework for deconstruction and reconstruction stirs in your thoughts and feelings, and how it relates to your own experience.…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Advent 02: Cultivating a Sensitivity to God

for 12 weeks siden

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1. When Tim reviewed the story of artist Phil Hansen, he said that a doctor advised Hansen to “embrace the shame… so he did.” Hansen’s story, when quickly summarized, boils down to a single sentence what was no doubt a drawn out time of harrowing struggle and evolution for Hansen, both professionally and personally. Yet, this is often how our own life’s stories are for others on the outside, and sometimes even for ourselves in retrospect. What we experience as a milestone period of extended struggle, crisis, or catastrophe can be told later in a simple few sentences in which it’s difficult to convey the profound and transformative nature of the time. What experiences in my your life have become, with time, short easily summarized stories? Are you facing circumstances now that you hope will someday also be able to be seen as shorter, more easily summarized journeys? And how do you feel contemplating the possibility? What might you hope that story could sound like someday? 2. In Tim’s sermon today , he said that “only those who’ve cultivated a sensitivity to God will encounter God’s presence in ordinary everyday things.” In contrast, many will need some sort of catastrophe or exile experience to get them to surrender their old dying world and ready to embrace what’s next. Do you tend to lean more toward sensitivity to God in everyday things or do you think you’re more likely to need a catastrophe to help you soften toward reshaping? Are there examples from your past that inform your thoughts on your tendencies? Are there different contexts in which you feel like your readiness for reformation may be more or less easy to access? 3. After saying, “some of what we think we are won’t survive [the process of reshaping prompted by catastrophe], but that’s okay, because it’s killing us,” Tim posed a question to us all: what are you hanging onto that you need to let go of? What crutch, pacifier, or way of being in the world might need to be released in order to allow you to embrace the experience of God that comes on the other side? After sharing your response to this question, reflect on practices you might undertake to help with the process of release and share with the group.…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Advent 01: The Bounds of Exile

for 13 weeks siden

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1. When telling the story of Phil Hansen’s learned wisdom and artistic process, Tim said, “his limitation fired his imagination.” What limitations have you experienced or are you experiencing in your life at present? Are any of these limits in areas in which you also feel like you could really benefit from some firing of your imagination? Have you seen ways in which your Christian faith (or that of another) has been well suited to these times of limitation or disorientation? How so? Have you had times or circumstances in your past in which a limitation has led you to creative thinking, problem solving, or innovation? To new imagination? If so, share about how that came about for you. 2. Within the limiting bounds of exile, Jeremiah advised Israel’s people to live fruitful lives in their new situation and station, and to seek the peace and prosperity of Babylon, as its prospering would translate to their own as well. Rather than fall into despair and hopelessness, Jeremiah seemed to embrace an idea articulated by Hansen: when faced with a limit, one ought to consider, “how will I find a new way to flourish within the bounds of this limit?” If these two ideas represent a spectrum of response to places of disorienting limitation, with despair and hopelessness on one end and curious exploration of new possibilities on the other, where do you tend to fall on this spectrum? Has that shifted over time for you? Are there different contexts in which one response is more likely than another for you? Think back to any present-day limitations you thought of in response to the first question. Where are you on that spectrum in regards to those circumstances? 3. Tim taught that as Empire desires to shape our lives, we can lean into the Christian practices that will help us to, instead, be formed into people of peace. He listed these practices for us to consider: Baptism & Eucharist Sabbath & tithing Weekly worship & daily prayer Community & solitude Peacemaking & solidarity with the outcast He then asked, “as you think about your decrescendo, what practices will you engage in during Advent to make space for the future of God to be born in you?” As you answer this question with your group, share about any barriers that may hinder your practice(s). What might you do to avoid being stalled by these barriers?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Saints 04: Perpetua & Felicitas

for 14 weeks siden

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1. What does it mean to be a witness? 2. Is there a space in my life where I feel challenged to go against culture to follow Christ? 3. Where does my story intersect with the story of Perpetua and Felicitas (social conventions, crossing lines, advocating for others, speaking up, resilience, hope in another kind of life, seeing suffering in a different light, telling my story)?…

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

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Saints 03: Julian of Norwich

for 14 weeks siden