Bridgetown Video Podcast

Simplicity & Contentment

Part 7 of the series "Simplicity" as part of Practicing The Way. Every person will at one time or another be confronted with reconciling the ache, need, and desire to feel fulfilled within—to feel satisfied and happy with what we have and who we are. In order for us to practice Simplicity in our lives, we must first confront the soul ache within; to take notice of why we are driven to consume, and then to invite God to meet us there, allowing him to show us and teach us how to be satisfied in him. It is through the discipline and practice of contentment that we extinguish the fire of “more” in our lives and ultimately find freedom to live lives of simplicity.

Simplicity of Pleasure

Part 6 of the series "Simplicity" as part of Practicing The Way. God designed us to experience joy. He wired the complex chemical reactions of our brains to accommodate it. But we are broken. And so is the world. And so many corrupt the freedom of Jesus twisting and mangling it so that it becomes a license for excess. Simplicity of Pleasure declutters the mind and the soul so that we can become active channels of the Holy Spirit.

Simplicity of Stuff

Part 5 of the series "Simplicity" as part of Practicing The Way. After laying the groundwork for the practice of simplicity, we tackle materialism head on. A truth that cuts across the human condition is: the more you get, the more you want. Many of us live in a kind of captivity to the desire for more. How do we break free? In this teaching we examine 1 Timothy 6 and explore two practices from the way of Jesus that both fall under the rubric of simplicity: 1. Limit how much you own, and 2. Practice generosity. A life of freedom is waiting for us in the kingdom of God.

A Pastoral Word on our Cultural Moment

We are all reeling from the last few months of life in America. The partisan divide between Right and Left, and the level of anger and acrimony, is at an all-time high, into the global pandemic of COVID-19, into a global recession, which so many out of work, or living in fear of a layoff, into a tipping point in the outcry over systemic racism in our country after George Floyd’s murder set off a wave of protest unlike anything in our nation’s history, where for the first time, the vast majority of the population is ready to do whatever it takes to change, into rioting and violence – the cascade effect has felt like wave after wave.

An Interview with Richard Probasco

We are honored to have Richard Probasco, founding pastor of New Song Community Church, with us to tell the story of his life in Portland as a Black man, a musician, a pastor, and an adoptive father.

Race & Justice with Mark Strong

We want to stop and acknowledge the reality that our Black and Brown sisters and brothers experience in our country. We are honored to have Mark Strong, lead pastor of Life Change Church in North Portland, with us to share what the Gospel of Jesus has to say about race and justice. 

A Pastoral Word on Bridgetown & Racial Justice

As a church, a city, and a nation, we are angry and heartbroken over the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. And of the many Black men and women before them. We are in an historic moment. People are waking up. The majority culture can no longer ignore the reality of systemic racism that goes back for centuries. And we pray this is the tipping point in our nation. And in our church. Bridgetown repents for not doing more. We are sorry for not leading into what the Spirit of God is doing in our time. There is no short, easy fix to systemic racism. But we are committed to doing the work now and into the future. Discover ways to listen, learn, and give to our Black and Brown brothers and sisters as we go on the journey of racial reconciliation and healing.

 

http://bridgetown.church/racial-justice

Simplicity of Apparel

Part 4 of the series "Simplicity" as part of Practicing The Way. We humans have a surpassingly complex, emotional relationship to clothing. Behind the excess, waste, and vanity of modern fashion is an ancient biblical story in which clothing is a response to sin and shame. A strategy to mask our deepest fear - that we cannot be loved as we are. It comes as no surprise that the New Testament writers warn of the many ways that clothing can cause distraction and division in Jesus’ community of love, the church. In this teaching we go beyond minimalism to discover a deep internal freedom. 

Simplicity of Speech

Part 3 of the series "Simplicity" as part of Practicing The Way. We explore the ancient Christian practice of simplicity of speech, a disciplined attempt to talk like Jesus. And not talk like Jesus. To become aware of all the ways we utilize speech to manipulate people to do or think what we want them to do or think. By learning to embrace silence, we deepen our confidence in God.

Simplicity of Heart

Part 2 of the series "Simplicity" as part of Practicing The Way. We begin our exploration of the practice of simplicity with what previous followers of Jesus called “simplicity of heart.” It’s not enough to simplify our possessions, we must simplify around something (or someone). And what you center your life on will define who you become, for better or worse.