In this episode, Christine Sine and Kendall Vanderslice explore the spiritual significance of bread making, discussing its biblical roots, the art of baking as a form of prayer, and the importance of community and tradition in the practice. They delve into the liturgical aspects of bread, seasonal recipes, and how bread making can be a meaningful Lenten practice. The discussion also touches on the science of sourdough, its digestibility, and the rich history behind traditional breads like hot cross buns, emphasizing the transformative power of incorporating bread making into our busy lives.
Takeaways
- Bread making can be a spiritual practice.
- The first mention of bread in the Bible is significant.
- Baking bread can be a form of prayer.
- Liturgy provides a structure for baking bread.
- Seasonal recipes connect us to the church calendar.
- Sourdough baking can be a Lenten practice.
- Bread symbolizes God’s provision and presence.
- Incorporating bread making into life can foster rest.
Professional baker and practical theologian Kendall Vanderslice has spent a lot of time reflecting on the connection between the dough that clung to her hands at work and the bread blessed and pressed into her palm at church, ultimately seeing that they both were tangible reminders that God was with her and that God cared. Her most recent book is Bake and Pray: Liturgies and practices for baking bread as a spiritual practice.
Kendall can be reached at:
facebook
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In this episode of the Liturgical Rebels podcast, Christine Sine interviews Greg Valerio, a pioneer in the fair trade jewelry movement. Valerio shares his unexpected journey into the world of fair trade gold, discussing the challenges and dangers he has faced while advocating for ethical practices in the jewelry industry. He emphasizes the importance of community engagement and the role of faith in driving social justice initiatives. The conversation also touches on the recognition Valerio has received for his work and the ongoing need for transparency and justice in the mining sector. In this conversation, Greg Valerio and Christine Sine explore the intersection of faith, wealth, and social enterprise, particularly through the lens of Peace Gold, a social enterprise aimed at transforming conflict gold into ethical jewelry. They discuss the challenges of wealth in relation to faith, the importance of community and artisan crafts, and the impact of faith-based initiatives. Additionally, they delve into Celtic spirituality and its relevance in today’s world, emphasizing the need to find Christ in the margins and the significance of indigenous expressions of faith.
Takeaways
- Greg Valerio is recognized as a leading figure in fair trade jewelry.
- His journey into jewelry was accidental and driven by faith.
- Community voices are essential in the fair trade movement.
- Valerio faced significant challenges and dangers in his work.
- Recognition like the MBE highlights the importance of the movement.
- Economic justice is a biblical mandate.
- Artisanal miners are often exploited in the jewelry industry.
- The conversation highlights the intersection of faith and social justice. Wealth can be seductive and often distorts faith.
- Peace Gold aims to transform conflict gold into ethical jewelry.
- Artisan jewelry making can revive local communities.
- Finding Christ in the margins is essential for true faith.
- Social entrepreneurs create pathways for others to follow.
- Understanding the land is crucial to faith and belonging.
Rooted in Christian beliefs in justice and peace for the common good, Greg Valerio describes his approach to campaigning, business and life as “faith in action.” He remains at the forefront of the ethical jewellery movement, challenging industry norms, pushing for greater accountability and urging jewellers to see themselves as stewards of both art and ethics. With plans to build an international network of ethical jewellers adopting PeaceGold for use in their jewellery creation and tell “the best gold story in the world,” he’s only just getting started.
In November 2024, Valerio unveiled the PeaceGold Ethical Jewellery House in Bishop Auckland; a retail space, inviting customers to learn directly from Valerio
about PeaceGold’s mission and social impact, shop jewellery from a curated selection of ethics-orientated jewellers, and learn the art of jewellery craftsmanship through in-house jewellery-making workshops with goldsmith Kate Seow. “PeaceGold is a community interest company on a mission to promote ethical jewellery practice and design, and to open up the genius and creativity of the jewellery trade to the wider public,” Valerio said on launch.
Greg Valerio can be found at:
- gregvalerio on Instagram, FB and LinkedIn
- peacegold.org
- peace-gold.com
Find out more about Christine Sine on
Walking In Wonder on Substack
and on her website Godspacelight
And on social media:
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As we race into the rapidly changing world of the 2030s and 2040s we are likely to encounter an increasingly challenging climate crisis in the United States that is already demanding our attention. For example, more Americans than ever are living in wildfire areas not just in L. A. The growth of local fires is a concerning challenge for people all over the US and they are playing a major role in growing disasters here.
“Fierce and months of drought set the conditions for the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles this month. But the growth of housing around in the city’s fire prone hills over the past few decades also played a major role. Most of the homes that have been damaged or destroyed so far were nestled in or near hillsides covered with highly flammablevegetation. Even dense neighborhoods like Altadena were vulnerable to embers blown from the burning hills nearby.
Across the country, including California, millions of Americans have been moving to places at risk of burning, particularly developments on the outskirts of cities that bump up against forests, grasslands and shrub lands … (This) has increased the odds of devastating blazes… and more intense wild fires across the west.”
(Mira Rojanaskul and Brad Plumer, Jan 15, 2025)
I urge Christian leaders to learn important new practices from urban planners:
- anticipate new housing challenges many of us are likely to encounter
- aggressively research creative ways to respond to these new challenges
- select the best responses for ourselves and for our neighbors
Our churches can be a resource for both our members and our neighbors, responding creatively to challenges in ways that are most promising for all of us and reflect the Ways of Jesus.
Please contact me if you would like to explore ways your community can learn to both anticipate and creatively respond to these rapidly changing times.
Dr. Tom Sine
twsine@gmail.com
In this episode, Christine Sine and Alan Hirsch discuss their long-standing friendship, Alan’s multicultural background, and the impact of his experiences in apartheid South Africa on his worldview and faith. They explore Alan’s spiritual transformation, his journey into writing, and the significance of his influential works, particularly in the context of the church’s current challenges. In this conversation, Alan Hirsch and Christine Sine explore the centrality of Jesus in the church, the importance of living out Jesus’ teachings, and the challenges faced by modern Christianity. They discuss the need for a reconstructive pathway in faith, emphasizing the significance of community and leadership in fostering spiritual growth. Hirsch shares insights from his book ‘The Forgotten Ways,’ highlighting the factors that contributed to the early church’s exponential growth and the importance of maintaining a Jesus-centered approach in contemporary faith practices.
Takeaways
- Experiences of apartheid deeply influenced personal beliefs.
- Authenticity in the church is crucial for relevance today.
- The Beatitudes offer a more relevant guidance than the Ten Commandments.
- Alan’s diverse background enriches his perspective on faith.
- The centrality of Jesus is crucial for the church.
- Jesus should define the character and content of the church.
- Gospel-centeredness can lead to a de-centering of Jesus.
- Reductionism in theology can lead to heresy.
- The early church grew without the structures we rely on today.
- A bigger understanding of Jesus which includes centering justice, compassion, and equality is necessary for growth.
- Deconstruction must lead to reconstruction in faith.
- Community and leadership are vital for spiritual growth.
Alan Hirsch is widely considered to be a global thought-leader on missional
movements and leadership. Hirsch is the author of numerous award winning books including The Forgotten Ways, The Shaping of Things to Come, 5Q, ReJesus , Reframation, Untamed, and The Permanent Revolution. He has worked with churches and organizations across the world, but mainly in North America, Europe, and Australia.
Alan is a founder of the Movement Leaders Collective, Forge Mission Training Network, and the 5Q Collective. He is movement mentor for NewThing International and is a consultant for Redeemer City To City among others. His experience includes leading a local church movement among the marginalized, developing training systems for innovative missional leadership, training leaders in movement dynamics, and heading up the mission and revitalization work of his denomination.
Alan Hirsch can be found at:
Author & Activist | alanhirsch.org
Founder & Co-Leader | movementleaderscollective.com
Founder & Coach. | 5QCentral.com
Founder & Advisor | Forge International
Movement Mentor | NewThing
Resident Consultant | Redeemer City To City
Leadership Developer | NOVO
It’s time to get ready for Lent and I don’t want you to miss this important season or the guidance that I will give you over the next couple of months.
This post isa reminder to let you know that I am no longer posting regularly on godspacelight. My posts are now being published on Substack and yesterday I published my first post related to Lent – Meditation Monday – getting Ready for Lent. Please consider becoming a subscriber to my Substack site so that you continue to receive reflections, new spiritual practices and poetry from me. You can become a free subscriber or if you are interested in helping support my ministry and the production of quality resources into the future, I would appreciate you becoming a paid subscriber.
In this episode, Christine and Sarah Augustine delve into the Doctrine of Discovery, its historical implications for Indigenous peoples, and the ongoing impact of colonial policies, particularly the ramifications of boarding schools. They discuss the deep-rooted effects of child removal and cultural erasure, while also exploring the intersection of faith and social justice. In this conversation, Christine Sine and Sarah Augustine explore the devastating impact of the damming of Celilo Falls on local Indigenous culture, and the need for a shift from charity to repair in supporting Indigenous communities. They discuss the importance of land back programs and how white people can effectively support Indigenous movements towards decolonization and environmental stewardship.
Sarah Augustine, who is a Pueblo (Tewa) descendant, is co- founder and Executive Director of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. She is also the co-founder of Suriname Indigenous Health Fund (SIHF), where she has worked in relationship with vulnerable Indigenous Peoples since 2005. She has represented the interests of Indigenous community partners to their own governments, the Inter-American development bank, the UN, the Organization of American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the WHO, and a host of other international actors including corporate interests. She is a columnist for Anabaptist World, and co-hosts the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery podcast with Sheri Hostetler. She has taught at Heritage University, CWU, and Goshen College. In Washington State she serves in a leadership role on multiple boards and commissions to enable vulnerable peoples to speak for themselves in advocating for structural change. She is author of the book The Land Is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery (Herald Press 2021), and co-author, with Sheri Hostetler, of So We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis (Herald Press 2023).
Sarah Augustine can be reached at:
- website: www.dismantlediscovery.org
- Facebook: @dismantlediscovery.org
- Instagram: @dismantlediscovery.org
- YouTube: @dismantlingthedoctrineofdi7536
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