In this talk, Zachary Helton will share the story behind his new novel, Metta Valley Gospel—what it is, where it came from, and why it feels urgently needed in this cultural moment. What happens when we retell the stories that formed us? What new possibilities emerge when compassion becomes the center of the narrative? Join … Continue reading Reimagining the Sacred: Metta Valley Gospel and the “Good News” We Need
What happens when the spirituality that once held your world together no longer fits? When the prayers stop working or the story simply can’t hold the weight of life anymore? This talk explores the grief of spiritual unraveling—the loss of what once gave us meaning—and honors the courage it takes to let go. It’s a … Continue reading When the Old Story Falls Apart
Liberal religion is at a crossroads. Many of the forms and habits that once gave our communities life are beginning to unravel, leaving us to wonder what will remain. This talk explores what our churches are becoming in this time of change—and what they may need to become if they are to truly live into … Continue reading What Are We Becoming? Faith Communities in a Time of Change
We talk a lot about being a “welcoming community”—welcoming the outsider, the stranger, even those we struggle to understand. But what if the first step toward that kind of welcome isn’t external? What if it starts with how we meet every part of ourselves? This talk will explore what happens when we stop pushing away … Continue reading The Art of Radical Welcome
Our minds work to pull us into roles: I am an employee… a parent… a partner… a voter. Each of these stories shapes our well-being. And while these roles matter, without perspective, they can seriously constrict our sense of self. This Sunday, we’ll explore what it means to zoom out from narrow, daily narratives and … Continue reading Rewriting the Self: Finding Freedom in Bigger Stories
What if one of the most important women in the Gospels was quietly edited out—and what if that edit changed the course of Christian history? In this talk, based on the work of Elizabeth Schrader and Diana Butler Bass, Zach Helton explores new scholarship on Mary Magdalene, revealing how her erasure shaped the church we … Continue reading The Tower and the Rock: Reclaiming Mary Magdalene and Rewriting the Stories That Built Patriarchy
As part of Escambia County’s Law Week, presenter Zachary Helton explores the spirituality behind our national motto, E Pluribus Unum—“Out of many, one.” More than a civic slogan, it points to a sacred truth: that wholeness comes not from sameness, but from honoring and connecting our differences. From the inner workings of the brain to … Continue reading The Spirituality Behind E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many, One
The Palm Sunday story has been told in many ways, often weighed down with religious baggage, but what if we understood it differently? What if we read the “Triumphal Entry” as a story of a bold political resistance and anti-imperial protest, leading into a week of courage, hope, and transformation through overwhelming odds? This talk … Continue reading Palm Sunday: A New Way to Read the Story
“Judgment” is often a bad word in liberal spiritual circles, but what if there were a healthier way to think about it? Not as shame or condemnation, but as a kind of karma—the natural consequences of our collective choices? Using Lenten passages from the Gospels, this talk explores how judgment, differently understood, could lead to … Continue reading Judgment, Karma, and the Work of Lent
In narrative theory, good antagonists aren’t just villains—they’re complex, relatable, and essential for growth. When we reframe the ‘bad guys’ in our experiences as real people in difficult situations, we open ourselves to empathy and transformation. This talk explores how the wisdom of narrative theory can help us live deeper, more compassionate, and more meaningful … Continue reading The Spiritual Wisdom of Narrative Theory: Beyond Villains and Heroes
