Inspirations Blog
A multimedia collection of stories, learnings, reflections, and resources from the people and ministries of Juniper Formation.
The Lingering Implications of Christ's Birth: A Christmas Day Reflection
Our Christmas day reflection is offered by Minister Javon Bracy, Juniper Formation Leadership Team and Spiritual Well Ministry Team member. Minister Bracy reflects on the lingering implications of Christ's birth.
Support Prophetic, Transformative Ministry
I have cried so much this year. How about you? Not all my tears have been of frustration and grief. Some tears bear joyful witness to the movement of the Holy Spirit. Most recently, tears rolled down my cheek during our last monthly Leadership Team meeting as staff and leadership team members offered end-of-year blessings…
Joy & Faith: We're becoming a church!
This week’s Advent reflection is offered by Rev. Morgan Fletcher, Juniper Formation’s Leadership Team Chair. She reflects on the joy and faith of becoming a church.
Beholding Peace
Behold what’s written in the dirt,
The word out on the streets
The quiet, and the other, and the
Tattered mystery.
Strange and holy angels spreading Heaven with their feet
Behold these signs of [hope/peace/joy/love],
Don’t be afraid,
Behold; take heed.
Revealing Hope
Hope is a direction. It is the moment we see what is possible and what is probable. It is equal parts imagination, adventure, and determination. It is seeing a great light, but also following it.
Join Us for Advent
As the skies darken we might imagine ourselves in the growing space of the Creator’s womb, journeying alongside the birth of Jesus. Growing and preparing ourselves, with hope, faith and joy, love, and justice and peace.
There is so much that is possible if we are willing to listen for and follow the Holy Spirit in our lives, even during a holiday season that seems less festive, more isolating, and filled with more grieving than years past.
Jesus was capital "P" Political
The most Political aspect of Jesus' life and ministry is that people followed him in large numbers. The development of a powerful discipleship threatened the status quo.
Developing Sustainable and Relational Antiracism Practices (Part 1)
Let us not forget that we belong to one another, and “rekindle the gift of God that is within you…for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and love and of self discipline. (2 Timothy 1:6-7). After the murder of George Floyd…
Sunday Supremacy: The Devil is in the Details
Don't be afraid to ask for what you need—or even what you want.But when what you think you need and want come at the cost of others' lives, you are no longer acting in faith.
This is the evil of supremacy, lurking inside, convincing you that you are more important, worthy, and powerful than another child of God.
The Power of Naming Spiritual Gifts In One Another
"Understanding our spiritual gifts is about knowing and experiencing ourselves as sacred. We are active participants in relationship to our God who works with, through, and among us. It is a relationship of integration, not reprobation. We are insiders, not outsiders to the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts matter, because they are how we relate to God through one another."
What Does the Holy Spirit Feel Like?
...These are not textbook definitions of how the scripture or theologians describe the Holy Spirit, although they rightly could be. These are the real life experiences of the Holy Spirit from everyday Christians. The Creator’s Truth abiding in each one of them. This is the Holy Spirit alive in the progressive Church...
Confessional Relationship Blessed with Ash and Oil
...Christ invites us to journey through the ash together—not retain our sin or remain in our grief. This process of moving through the ash requires our small faith to grow larger, demands that we know and accept ourselves as sacred, and expects us to use our gifts and talents to be healers within our relationships to one another, and especially with the stranger...
A Lenten Relational Discernment Process
We start with the Ash Wednesday Service, this week on February 26th, at 7 pm, at Park Hill UCC in Denver, where we will engage one-to-one relational confession, imposition of ashes combined with anointing with Juniper Formation's Prophetic Renewal anointing oil. Together, we seek to respond to God's Call through drawing closer to God and one another, deepening our spiritual practices and awareness, and revitalizing the ministries of the Church.With support and permission from PHUCC, I'll be live blogging throughout the process. Our shared hope is that this will provide: 1) Ongoing reflection and engagement with the congregation, and inclusion for those who may not be able to be physically present for all parts of the process; and 2) An opportunity for a wider audience to learn more in depth about Juniper Formation's approach.
Sermon: Abiding in the Creator's Womb, Part 2
“God is calling the Church to do a new thing, to change, to life, and to prophetic ministry…God was not finished with Elijah. Even in Elijah’s exhaustion and resignation to death, God saw new life. And in the same way, God is not finished with the Church. Known as the teacher of prophets, Elijah would go on from this juniper tree encounter with God to do to even more prophetic ministry.In a similar manner, Juniper Formation will midwife the prophetic reimagining of the Church, by becoming a space and community for renewal, courage, and formation for prophetic ministry and action.”Reflections on John 6:51-58 and 1 Kings 19:1-10 and Juniper Formation’s mission of prophetically reimagining the Church.