Theodicy by Beauty
Mar
6
7:30 PM19:30

Theodicy by Beauty

The question of suffering is one of the central, aching questions of faith. Too often, we meet suffering with an argument for God's goodness, rather than an invitation to find and discover his goodness anew. Join me for an exploration of what it means to encounter and trust the beauty of God in our times of darkness, suffering, and pain. Drawing on my own story of mental illness and depression, I'll explore what it means to engage with God's goodness in a radically healing way, one that restores our capacity to imagine, hope, and create. We'll use literature, art, and poetry to discern the ways that God arrives in our darkness to heal us, and also to restore us as agents of his loveliness in the midst of a broken world. 

There will be a brief period of question and answer following the talk, and attendees can submit their questions in the 'Ask A Question' box at the bottom of the event page.

All registrants will receive a complimentary downloadable copy of 'Encountering Beauty', an arts-based reader's guide to Sarah's book on which this talk is based, This Beautiful Truth: How God's Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness.

The talk will be available as a video following the event so you can watch it any time even if you can't join live. 

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Novel Theology: Theodicy with Tolkien
Sep
30
8:00 PM20:00
Theodicy, Tolkien

Novel Theology: Theodicy with Tolkien

Join me for another session in Novel Theology as we explore Christian theology and doctrine through the lens of a rollicking good story. This time we'll be looking at theodicy in Tolkien. How do we hold fast to God as good and kind, present and powerful in the midst of a brutal and broken world? 

These are the questions asked by theodicy, a term that describes our attempts to understand God's presence in the midst of our suffering and sin. I think the deepest questions of theodicy - where is God in our pain? can we choose goodness? who will redeem us? - are some of the same ones driving the characters and narrative in Tolkien's magnificent story The Lord of the Rings. In this session of Novel Theology, we’ll consider different ideas of Christian theodicy and look specifically to Tolkien's story as a world that immerses us in what I believe is a redemptive and deeply biblical picture of theodicy. We’ll consider ideas like our capacity for agency and choice, the reality of evil, the battle between hope and despair, and the role that beauty plays in the healing of the world.

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Advent Retreat
Dec
1
9:00 PM21:00

Advent Retreat

Join me for an space of poetry, reflection, quiet prayer and deep wonder as we enter the Advent season in this wild and wondrous pandemic year. I'll be reflecting on four Advent themes; yearning, annunciation, preparation, and joy. Through poetry, story, and originally-composed Advent blessings, I'll consider how we can enter the hush and holiness of this season, allowing it to transform and renew even our most ordinary of moments. In addition to the actual event, all participants will receive a specially crafted booklet with Scripture, prayers, quotes, and guided questions for further reflection.

You can join the live event on Facebook Live, by clicking HERE to purchase a ticket.

Or, if you prefer not to go through Facebook, you can register through my website here, using Paypal to purchase a ticket that will give you access to the full video recording of the live event (available the day after the event), plus the Advent booklet for download. Click the link below to register for this option.

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