Reflections
A Generous Heart
Jesus talked a great deal about money, possessions, generosity, and what we do with what God has placed in our hands. That should probably make most of us a little nervous. We would much rather hear a sermon about love, grace, or heaven than one suggesting that perhaps our bank account has something to do with our spiritual life.
Gathered Worship
When has gathered worship carried you on a day you had little to bring? I can tell you what that day looked like for me.
Still Saying Yes
Sixteen years ago, my young family walked into Sunset Ridge and found home. We had moved across the country for Nathan’s work, and this church welcomed us with a warmth that made us want to stay. We never left.
“...And Receive Joyfully”
The buzzer sounded. The Knicks were NBA champions. After blowing yet another considerable lead, the Spurs (and their fans) had finally been put out of their misery.
Sunset Ridge had hosted watch parties at Charis Park throughout the Finals, but now our neighbors were packing up and heading home. No honks or fanfare tonight.
I surveyed the equipment that needed to be broken down and stored. And then there was that enormous ladder I had no idea how to get back into the chapel by myself.
Methuselah’s Date
“Poor Methuselah will never have a date,” I told my biology class. I received the appropriate eye rolls for my corny joke. That was back in 2011, and at the time, I wasn't lying. As far as anyone knew, Methuselah was the only Judean date palm on the planet, and he had sprouted quite an interesting story all on his own.
Holy Ground
I was struck this past Sunday when Scott said in his sermon that our church is built on holy ground. Not simply because a church building can be a sacred space, but because long before our congregation was here, this prairie land had been blessed as holy ground by the Oblate Fathers who once owned it.