Heroes & Heretics: Flannery O'Connor

Kidsrock will Teach Children about Jesus (Matthew 19:13-15)

This week's lie is a sneaky lie - as lies go. It implies that the only place children can or will learn about God is in Sunday School - which we call Kidsrock here at Highrock.   Instead, we believe teaching children about Jesus is the responsibility of every adult in church. We don’t get a mulligan on this - the faith of the children within our community is impacted by each and every one of us, for better or for worse.

Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-3:6)

The supporters of Herod were friendly with the Romans and politically connected.  They took little interest in the Pharisees religious concerns, but managed to find a common enemy in Jesus.  So what exactly did Jesus say or do to make both the religious establishment and political powers of his day riled up enough to plot his death?

Fish Belly (Jonah 2)

In the next two weeks, we’ll see how the story wraps up.  But this week is about the middle part, the in-between part, the part where Jonah’s in trouble and as readers, we’re just not sure how he’s going to get out of it.

Heroes & Heretics: Donatus Magnus

This week, we’re going back to the fourth century to study a human who was given the label heretic.  His name is Donatus Magnus, and he was the leader of the movement that has been given the name “The Donatist Heresy.”   As I spent time with the story, it captivated me.  The Donatus story is a story of trauma, pain, bias, and politics.  At its core, the Donatist Heresy asks the question, “How far does forgiveness reach?  How far must we extend it?”

Heroes & Heretics: Flannery O'Connor

Flannery O’Connor had a lot of the acerbic wit of Twain, and certainly wrestled with some of the same fears about the future. Being a devout Catholic, this writer wouldn’t abide me calling her a saint, and being humble and self-aware she wouldn’t abide me calling her a hero. But she offered something to me and many others that most great American authors couldn’t offer, something that repositioned her whole view of humanity and existence.