Orchard Conversations

This weekend we mark the beginning of the Advent season with a teaching by Scott Hodge. Advent is a time of waiting, anticipation, and preparation—setting the stage for a deeper connection with the sacred and the present moment. As we journey together through this season, we’ll reflect on themes of hope, renewal, and what it means to wait with intention. Join us as we step into Advent with open hearts, ready to embrace the beauty of this time.
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To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com
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This week marks our annual “Thadvent” liturgy (yes, our playful merging of Thanksgiving and Advent)! Join us as Scott, Anna, and Benjamin reflect on what we’re grateful for and share simple, practical tips for showing up as our full selves around the Thanksgiving table with our families this year.
Benjamin Jay Thomas will also debut his brand-new mantrasong, “Older Than Time.” 
We also invite you to share in this Thanksgiving Table Liturgy with your family - theorchardcommunity.com/thanksgiving
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Question for contemplation and conversation:
What are some practical ways you've used to bring peace or positivity to challenging family gatherings
In this season of gratitude, who is someone you can reach out to with a word of encouragement or appreciation? How could a small gesture of gratitude become a gift for them and for you?
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To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com
Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week we invite you to join us as our team engages in a conversation about the Beatitudes series we just wrapped up, noting the impact these teachings have had on us personally, as well as some observations about what they could mean for us collectively if we fully embraced them.
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Question for contemplation and conversation:
Reflecting on our journey through the beatitudes, which of these teachings has made the deepest personal impact on you, and how has it shifted your perspective or actions in daily life?
If we truly, wholeheartedly embraced the beatitudes—not just as ideas, but as daily lived realities—what do you imagine would change in our own lives? What might we need to let go of to make space for that transformation?
What is one action—perhaps even a bold one—that each of us could take if we fully trusted the values of the beatitudes? How can we support each other in stepping into this kind of courageous, love-centered way of living?
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To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com
Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week, we continue in the Gospel of Matthew and read beyond the Beatitudes, looking at more wisdom from Jesus spoken in his famous "Sermon on the Mount", starting with "You are the salt of the earth." With these verses in mind, Lead Pastor Scott Hodge tactfully questions how we can move forward as individuals and as a community in the wake of a divisive election and rising tension.
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Question for contemplation and conversation:
How are you feeling after this election?
How can you show love and compassion toward those who may be experiencing different emotions than you?
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To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com
Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week, we conclude our series, The Jesus Sermon, by diving into the final beatitude, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Together, we’ll explore the deep wisdom in Jesus’ words about resilience and hope in the face of adversity. Join us as we reflect on what it means to live with courage and compassion, even when challenged.
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Question for contemplation and conversation:
Where do you fall when it comes to your politics? What values do you want to nurture in your community?
How can we be people who seed the human community with grace, who see others in need and respond with love?
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To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com
Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week Lead Pastor Scott Hodge guides us as we look at the seventh and penultimate Beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Scott reminds us of the pragmatic steps we can take to become better peacemakers in our lives in both big and small ways. 
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Question for contemplation and conversation:
How do you currently approach conflict in your life? Consider the six practices of peacemaking (listening to understand, holding competing perspectives, owning agency, centering marginalized voices, self-interrogation, and advocacy). Which of these practices comes naturally to you, and which do you find most challenging? Why do you think that is?
Think about a recent disagreement or conflict you've experienced. How might holding competing perspectives in tension have helped you approach that situation differently? What steps could you take to better understand the other person’s point of view, even if you don’t agree with it?
Peacemaking involves not just resolving big conflicts but making daily choices to seek justice and reconciliation. How might you integrate advocacy for others in your daily life, even in small ways? What’s one concrete action you could take this week to be a peacemaker in your community?
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To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com
Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week Benjamin Jay Thomas takes us into the sixth Beatitude, "Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God." Benjamin asks us to consider what parts of ourselves we find unlovable and how practicing self-compassion can help us see God.
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Question for contemplation and conversation:
What parts of yourself have you hidden away because you felt they were unlovable or unacceptable?
When was the last time you felt triggered? What might that experience have been trying to show you about yourself?
How can you practice self-compassion as you face these shadows?
How does the idea of failure as a gift resonate with you? Can you think of a time when failure helped you realign with your true self?
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To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com
Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com

This week Anna Hammond takes us into the fifth Beatitude, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." In this passage we find reminders that mercy is more than just compassion and forgiveness and that mercy is at the very root of God's being.
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Question for contemplation and conversation:
Where in your life do you need to be shown mercy?
Who do you struggle to show mercy towards?
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To learn more about The Orchard Community visit theorchardcommunity.com
Subscribe to Orchard Conversations in your favorite podcast app or at orchardconversations.com