Virtual Worship Service 10 AM Sunday on www.facebook.com/bethelbeaverton

Based on Brene Brown’s book: Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging. (Random House: 2017: New York), (Chapter 7)

• When did Jesus demonstrate his wild heart?

• Does strength come from fear or love?

• Why you want a soft front?

• How to build a strong back?

• What Buddhist teacher: Roshi Joan Halifax can teach Christians.

Scriptures – Genesis 32:22-31

Matthew 12:1-8 – Jesus demonstrated his wild heart when he risked breaking Sabbath law in order to serve a higher good (healing someone who needed it)

The heart of this chapter comes from a Buddhist teacher: Roshi Joan Halifax:

“All too often our so-called strength comes from fear, not love; instead of having a strong back, many of us have a defended front shielding a weak spine. In other words, we walk around brittle and defensive, trying to conceal our lack of confidence. If we strengthen our backs, metaphorically speaking, and develop a spine that’s flexible and sturdy, then we can risk having a front that’s soft and open…How can we give and accept the care with strong back, soft front compassion, moving past fear into a place of genuine tenderness?  I believe it comes about when we can be truly transparent, seeing the world clearly – and letting the world see into us.”

Music used, reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-723031.

Virtual Worship Service 10 AM Sunday on www.facebook.com/bethelbeaverton

Based on Brene Brown’s book: Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging. (Random House: 2017: New York), (Chapter 6)

• Where do you get strength to stand up for what you believe?

• What the heck is collective effervescence?

• When is the bond between us so real that differences of age, wealth, race, gender fade into the background?

• Why do we love to attend worship, protests, sporting events and concerts?

Scripture – Luke 19:29-40 (Jesus triumphant arrival in Jerusalem – Palm Sunday)

This chapter returns to the spiritual truth that we are all inextricably connected. Brene Brown distinguishes between the spiritual truth that we are all connected and our belief in the connection which is frequently tested and often broken.

“When our belief that there’s something greater than us, something rooted in love and compassion, breaks, we are more likely to retreat to our bunkers, to  hate from afar, tolerate BS, to dehumanize others, and ironically, to stay out of the wilderness.

Music used, reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-723031.

Virtual Worship Service 10 AM Sunday on www.facebook.com/bethelbeaverton

Based on Brene Brown’s book: Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging. (Random House: 2017: New York), (Chapter 5)

• Lying is the defiance of truth; BS is a wholesale dismissal of the truth.”

• What are we to do if we can’t understand our complex world?

• The right way to confront BS.

Scripture:  Luke 15:11-24 (Parable of the Prodigal Son)

The wisdom of this chapter is grounded in the work of Harry Frankfurt, retired professor of philosophy at Princeton.  Frankfurt’s research makes the point that “BS” compounds our disconnection and interferes with true connection because it’s based on a dismissal of the truth.  “BS” happens when we feel compelled to speak about things we don’t understand.

Music used, reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-723031.

Virtual Worship Service 10 AM Sunday on www.facebook.com/bethelbeaverton

Based on Brene Brown’s book: Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging. (Random House: 2017: New York), (Chapter 4)

• How hatred plays into our tendency to dehumanize

• Could zooming in be the key to connection?

• The man with “demons” … “messed up and crazy”

• How Republicans and Democrats see each other

Scriptures:  Jonah 3:10-4:5 (Jonah was furious with God because God forgave the Ninevites.  Jonah did not want to let go of his self-righteous judgment of a whole city of people and animals). Luke 8:26-39 – Jesus sees, meets and heals a man who had been possessed by demons and unable to connect with anyone.  The whole community was afraid of this man.  Jesus moved in.

We’ll explore the role of hatred and how it plays into our tendency to dehumanize people with whom we disagree.  Dehumanizing is what leads to a break in connection:  it short circuits what we know to be deeply true:  that we are all inextricably connected.

Music used, reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-723031.

Virtual Worship Service 10 AM Sunday on www.facebook.com/bethelbeaverton

Based on Brene Brown’s book: Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging. (Random House: 2017: New York), (Chapter 3)

• What drives and magnifies our compulsion to sort ourselves into factions?

• The sorting, the “bubbles”? What bubbles?

• Who broke through Jesus’ temptation to divide?

Scripture: Matthew 15: 21-28 (Jesus’ humanity on full display as he initially excludes the Gentile/Canaanite woman from his sphere of ministry: “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”)

We have become an increasingly “sorted” society. We seek out like-minded people in an effort to find support. However, this sorting has led to less exchange of ideas and more loneliness, isolation and polarization. We’ve created a “bunker” society.

Music used, reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-723031.

Virtual Worship Service 10 AM Sunday on www.facebook.com/bethelbeaverton

Based on Brene Brown’s book: Braving the Wilderness:
The Quest for True Belonging. (Random House: 2017: New York), Chapter 2 ·        

• What does true belonging mean?

• What makes it a spiritual Practice? ·        

• Is it hard to hate people close up? ·           ·        

• Why did Jesus befriend Zacchaeus?

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10 – Jesus and Zacchaeus    

“Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected with each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion.”  

“True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness.  True belonging does require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.”  Page 40 Rene Brown

Music used, reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-723031.

Virtual Worship Service 10 AM Sunday on www.facebook.com/bethelbeaverton

Based on Brene Brown’s book: Braving the Wilderness:
The Quest for True Belonging. (Random House: 2017: New York), Chapter 1 ·        

• What are the four spiritual practices necessary for achieving true belonging?

• What is the difference between fitting in and belonging?     

• Who did Jesus belong to? ·        

• Overview of Braving the Wilderness.

Brene Brown’s book was inspired by a quote from Maya Angelou: “You are only free when you realize you belong no place – you belong every place – no place at all.  The price is high.  The reward is great.”

Scriptures:  Ruth 1:16-17 (where you will go I will go, your people will be my people;

Luke 4:16-30 (Jesus begins his public ministry in his home town and is driven out)

Major themes

We long to belong but “fitting in” gets confused with true belonging (the paradox of being human)

We encounter the “wilderness” when we risk speaking and acting with personal authenticity and integrity despite uncertainty, criticism and vulnerability ·        

Jesus represents an archetype of one who can brave the wilderness.  One who knows true belonging because it is grounded in his relationship and dedication to God.  Jesus belongs to himself because he is profoundly bound to and aware of the Self  

The quest for true belonging is extremely difficult and at times deeply painful.  It requires 4 spiritual practices:

This sermon is part of a series based on Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging by Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW (Random House: 2017: New York).

Music used, reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-723031.