VINTAGE READINGS FOR FRIENDS

Readings from the Vintage Lunch Series

Join us as we look at the lives of “Vintage” Christians throughout the centuries, enter into their stories, read their words and seek to understand what they experienced.  Discover how they encountered God in their doubts, joys, conflicts, questions, and pleasures.  What elements of the Vintage Life are fruitful for us today?

The readings have been posted here in pdf form, so if you live too far away to join us at the Bonhoeffer House, you can still take part.

As always, please remember that these were created exclusively for Vintage and Theological Horizons members and are not for further publication. While we offer these resources free, please consider donating to support our continued work to provide theological reflection to all.


FALL 2023: CULTIVATING CONVERSATIONS

Wahoo Welcome Lunch (12-2pm) It’s a drop in social thing. Come one, come all!
Conversation 101: It Begins with Listening | Karen Marsh
Conversations with God: Amanda Berry Smith | Karen Marsh
Questions that Connect: Augustine | Karen Marsh
Telling Our Stories: PhotoVoice Experience | Mary-Dryden Maio
Speaking Up, Speaking Out: Sophie Scholl | Karen Marsh
Talking to Strangers: CS Lewis | Karen Marsh
Conversation in the Bible| Heather Warren (Listen Here)
Conflict & Conversation | Toby Jenkins (Listen Here)
Complicated Conversations in Hollywood | Jocelyn Diaz & Raed Gilliam
Conversations to Strengthen Trust: Aelred of Riveaulx | Karen Marsh
Art, Creativity & Conversation: Lilias Trotter | Karen Marsh
Towards Forgiveness | Nathan Walton
GAME DAY: We're Not Really Strangers

SPRING 2023: BEING & BELONGING

Welcome Back Lunch (12-2pm)
Karen: Everyday Spirituality: a toolbox of practices to try on | the reading
Dr. Jessica Young Brown on Mental Health & College
Karen: Aelred on Navigating Relationships | the reading
Karen: Carter G. Woodson & Olaudah Equiano on Telling Your Story | the reading
Karen: Ignatius of Loyola on Making Decisions (Jonathan Wood Personal Finance workshop 2-5pm) | the reading & Scriptures
Karen: Pandita Ramabai on Finding Your People | the reading
Karen: Patrick of Ireland on Loving Mercy | the reading
Karen: Bryan Stevenson on Acting Justly
Christy & Mary-Dryden: Dorothy Day on Restoring Your Soul | the reading
Jerry Maynard: Lament for Good Friday | the reading
Eddie Howard: The Soul of Restorative Justice | the reading
Kayla Allen & guests: Hearing God Together on Spiritual Direction | the reading
Christy: Play, Creativity & Trust: An experimental art workshop
FINAL SEND OFF

FALL 2022: BEING & BELONGING

BELONGING: Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the Wisdom of Community | the reading
Dave Zahl on his new book, Low Anthropology
Angel Parham on the Black Intellectual tradition
BEING: Wander Towards God: Margery Kempe| the reading
BELONGING: Friends Among Strangers:Thomas Merton | the reading
BEING: Listen to Your Life: Frederick Buechner | the reading
BELONGING: Leadership Lessons: Mabel Ping-hua Lee | the reading
BEING: Dearly Beloved: Julian of Norwich | the reading
BELONGING: Finding New Belonging: Pandita Ramabai | the reading | more to read
BEING: Practice the Pause: Howard Thurman | reading
BEING: Asking Advice: Francois Fenelon | reading
BELONGING: Grieving & Self Care with Mary-Dryden Maio ‘23
BELONGING: Lessons from Indigenous People with Brendan Jamieson | the reading
Festive Reading Day S’mores & Bonfires

SPRING 2022: UNEXPECTED SAINTS

Feb. 4: Amanda Berry Smith on Catching the Vision | the reading
Howard Thurman on Seeing the Beauty at Hand | the reading | the video
Everyday Mental Health with therapist Mary Brissett | the video
C.S. Lewis on Reluctant Conversion | the reading | the video
Mother Teresa on Transforming the World | the reading
Martin Luther & Katarina von Bora on Relationships | the reading
John Baillie on Sleep | the reading
Kate Bowler on Being Human | the reading
Guest speaker Dr. Chris Holstege, director of UVA Student Health
Good Friday poetry, Scripture and prayer | the reading
Francois Fenelon on Having Better Conversations | the reading
Spring Art Day: painting, prayer and poetry!
READING DAY PICNIC at the Bonhoeffer House, 1841 University Circle

FALL 2021 SERIES: WISDOM LIVING

The Wisdom of Questioning with Augustine | the reading
The Wisdom of Creatures with Francis of Assisi | the reading
The Wisdom of 20somethings with psychologist Dr. Meg Jay | WATCH THE VIDEO
The Wisdom of Individuality with Martin de Porres & Juana Ines de la Cruz | the reading
The Wisdom of Routine with Benedict & Scholastica | the reading
Fall Break Kickoff Lunch | No livestreaming / small group conversations
The Wisdom of Disruption with Sophie Scholl and Mabel Ping-hua Lee | the reading
The Wisdom of Imagination with Ignatius of Loyola | the reading Families welcome!
The Wisdom of Community with Dietrich Bonhoeffer | the reading
The Wisdom of Leadership with author Natasha Sistrunk Robinson & Naval CDR LaDonna Simpson
The Wisdom of Silence & Solitude with Thomas Merton | the reading
The Wisdom of Gratitude w small groups | the reading/activities & more readings
The Wisdom of the Body with Hildegard von Bingen & Josephine Bahkita | the reading
Reading Day Christmas Party @ the Bonhoeffer House




GOD & the good life

Learning in Wartime: C.S. Lewis with Prof. Terry Lindvall

Click to download the reading from Lewis, “Learning in Wartime”

Read Noah Toly’s article in Comment, “Vocation in a Time of Unprecedented Uncertainty: If it’s worth doing at all, it’s worth doing now” and his followup piece, “Against Complacency (and a Few Subversive Recommendations).”

Learn more about our guest, author & professor Terry Lindvall

Will all, in fact, be well? Julian of Norwich

Click to download the reading from Julian of Norwich

On Race: Billy Graham with Dr. Bob Marsh

Click to download the reading from Billy Graham, Bob Marsh & John Perkins

Listen to the audio of the conversation on Soundcloud or watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/429291882

Theology for this Moment: Howard Thurman

Click to download the reading from Howard Thurman, Jesus & the Disinherited

Watch the entire documentary, “Backs Against the Wall: The Story of Howard Thurman”.

Listen the audio of this Virtual Vintage on Soundcloud or watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/427021001

Wonder Women: Pandita Ramabai & Amy Carmichael

Click to download the reading from Pandita Ramabai and Amy Carmichael

“Reading Amy Carmichael Today” by Katelyn Beaty

Listen to this Virtual Vintage conversation on Soundcloud or watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/424120240

Faith & Doubt: Flannery O’Connor

Click to download the reading from Flannery O’Connor

Read Karen Marsh’s essay in Christianity Today: "The Demanding Faith of Flannery O'Connor"

"The Passion of Flannery O'Connor: A prayer journal kept by the writer in her early 20s sheds new light on her biblical ironies." by James Parker in the Atlantic

"Flannery O'Connor Walks Among Us Still" by 14 artists in The Bitter Southerner

Listen to this Virtual Vintage here on soundcloud. Or watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/422483629

Don’t Call Me a Saint: Dorothy Day with Amanda Daloisio

Click to download the reading from Dorothy Day

Click to Listen to this Virtual Vintage conversation on Soundcloud or watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/419016653

Choosing the Good Life? Augustine’s Conflicted Soul

Click to download the reading: from Augustine’s Confessions

Listen to Karen’s conversation about Augustine on The Commons podcast.

Click to Listen to this Virtual Vintage conversation on Soundcloud or watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/416428867

Letters Between Friends: with Francois Fenelon, 17th century Relationship Expert

Click to download the reading: Francois Fenelon: Letters to Friends

Click to Listen to this Virtual Vintage conversation on Soundcloud or watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/414918809

An Invitation to pay MORE attention to your Anxiety

with special guests Tim Jones, director, and Ellen Foster, therapist, of New City Counseling, Charlottesville. Watch the video here or get it on Vimeo. Get more resources & recommendations & listen to the conversation as a podcast right here on our blog.

Healthy Living in Challenging Times: Hildegard von Bingen

Watch the video of our gathering below or find it on Vimeo here!

Click here to download the reading: God and the Good Life: Hildegard von Bingen on Health

Where is God in our fear? Good Friday with Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Watch the video of our gathering below or find it on Vimeo here!

Click to download 3 readings:

Bonhoeffer on Fear

Bonhoeffer’s sermon, “God is With Us”

Good Friday poems & Scripture

Where is God in disruption & disappointment? Words from Thomas Kelly

Did you miss it? Here’s the link to the video of Virtual Vintage

Click here to download the reading by Thomas Kelly.

God and the Good Life: Power

Special guest Locke Ogens & Karen Marsh had a conversation about Power! There was no handout for this week.

God and the Good Life: Picking Up Crumbs with Macrina Wiederkehr

now saved on facebook/theologicalhorizons and on Vimeo.

Click here to download the reading by Macrina Wiederkehr.


SHEROES & HEROES

John Perkins with Christy Yates
Screening of the film 11AMFeb 8 Hildegard von Bingen with Karen Marsh 
Martin Luther & Katharina von Bora with Karen Marsh
Francois Fenelon with Winn Collier (author & pastor) 
Coretta Scott King with Maurice Wallace (English & African-American Studies) 
John Chrysostom with Karen Marsh 
Pandita Ramabai with Karen Marsh 
"Get Out & Play!" Field Day with Lakisha Lockhart (Virginia Union University)
Marian Wright Edelman with Patrice Grimes (Office of African American Affairs & Curry School) 
Heather Warren (Religious Studies)
Fleming Rutledge and Good Friday with Karen Wright Marsh 
Oscar Romero with Tony Lin (Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture) 









Your.One.Life.

God’s Will: What if You Get it Wrong?

My Calling: What if I Miss the Bus?

Here I Am: the Calling of Voices

Our Astonishing Freedom: Dallas Willard

My.Life.Story with Jim Avery, MD, CEO of Hospice of the Piedmont  LISTEN

God’s Will and God’s Call: John Perkins

My.Life.Story with Evan Edwards, VP & CoFounder, Kaleo Pharma  LISTEN

Come Alive and the video “Discerning God’s Call” with Jennifer Haworth

11 Steps for Making a Decision: Ignatian Method – Scriptures for 11 steps – Ignatius of Loyola & Francis de Sales on God’s Will

My.Life.Story with George Sanker, Headmaster, The Covenant School  LISTEN

My.Life.Story with Detective Blaine Cosgro, Charlottesville Police Department

My.Life.Story with Evan Hansen, Agent Keller Williams Realty & past campus minister

My.Life.Story with Kate Harris, past director, Washington Institute for  Faith, Vocation & Culture  LISTEN

Wrap Up Readings: Believe the Good News


Be-Loved

Learning God’s Love and “Love” by george herbert with commentary

Knowing God’s Acceptance

Accepting Yourself

Accepting One Another

Knowing God’s Forgiveness

Vulnerability and Compassion

Experiencing God’s Love in the Everyday

Forgiving ourselves and one another

Experiencing God’s Care

Caring For Yourself

Caring for Others

Gratitude and Gratitude is good for you

Advent: Expecting God’s Love







For further reading on “Your Life/ God’s Will” consider

Leading Lives That Matter, editors Mark R. Schweinn and Dorothy C. Bass
The Will of God as a Way of Life, Jerry Sittser,
Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer
Hearing God, Dallas Willard

Two Vintage “regulars” reflect on what they'VE learned

 “The topic of God’s will came at the right time in my life. There were so many decisions to be made this semester: what was my official major, where would I spending the summer, what would I be doing in the future.

Through Vintage I learned was that we are created to be individuals with passions that are unique to each of us. My favorite quote was by Frederick Buechner: “The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” In order to be in God’s will, I am free to embrace my own passions and use them to glorify the Lord.

My time at Vintage has helped me to place less pressure on my decisions. I’ve learned that finding God’s will is more of an attitude than a location. God’s will is bringing His kingdom to this earth.  I find God’s will as I surrender to the Lord and desire to walk with Him throughout each day, regardless of where I live or what job I choose.”

–Marisa Mahoney

 “I think I understand “God’s will” a lot more clearly—it’s actually a much easier thing to grasp than we make it out to be.  First and foremost, God wants us to love Him and to love people.  That is His greatest will.   He desires that we obey Him and live wholly for His glory.  We severely miss the sovereignty of God when we decide what we want to pursue without seeking His guidance–whether it’s a decision of major in school, a relationship decision, or a career decision;.  He delights in working in us and that should be comforting enough to make decisions easy.  

We worry about making a “bad decision”.  We put God in a box when we say, “I can only do God’s will if I make the right decision,” thinking that God can only work in some situations.   Fortunately, He gave us freedom through Christ so that we could have “mess ups”.  The cool thing is, “bad decisions” in our eyes are opportunities in God’s eyes.

It’s great knowing we don’t have to subscribe to any set of laws or rules in order to find God’s will for our lives.  We need only have faith that He has glorious things planned out for us and live in faith not fear that those things will be life-giving to us.”

- Anonymous