Views from The Ridge 5.30.23
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This summer, our sermon series will focus on Jesus's parables. We also want to practice looking at the world through the lens of story together as a church family. In the coming months, we'll be finding ways to share our stories so that we can remember how the kingdom of God has shaped us as a people.
This Week…
Tuesday, May 30, 6:30-7:45pm: Life Group - John & Linda Tuller (facilitators), meets in the Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, May 31:
10am— Women’s Wednesday Fellowship
Card ministry and prayer time in the Fellowship Hall
Lunch outing at Julian’s Italian Pizzeria & Kitchen (6462 N. New Braunfels Ave.)
7pm— Youth Summer Kick-off Picnic in the Chapel courtyard
All Youth (incoming 6th-12th grades) and their parents are invited
Games, music and sandwiches provided!
Saturday, June 3:
10am— Groundbreaking Celebration for Charis Park at Sunset Ridge (more details below)
11am— Second Saturday Storytime (this month our Second Saturday activities will immediately follow the Park Groundbreaking Ceremony)
8pm— Family Night at Toyota Field (5106 David Edwards Dr.)
Sunday, June 4:
9:15am— Roots Children’s Gathering and Life Groups (see hall signs for current offerings and meeting locations)
10:30am— Worship in the Sanctuary
Sermon: “Strange Stories”
Text: Matthew 13:10-17, 34-35
4:30pm— Supper Church
Upcoming…
Sunday, June 4 - Saturday, June 10: Youth and Youth Sponsors on Wilderness Trek in Glorieta, New Mexico
Tuesday, June 13: Our weekly Storytime on the lawn returns for the summer (Tuesday mornings at 9:30am)
June 25-28: Youth Group Work Week
The Way of the Heart
Riley Stirman
In his book on silent prayer, The Way of the Heart, Henri Nouwen describes the movement of the early Christians towards what we would call monasticism: a way of life that gives up the ways of the world in favor of spiritual practices. He mentions that as the Roman Empire's attitude toward Christianity changed, the Christians themselves had to evolve.
"Once the persecutions had ceased, it was no longer possible to witness for Christ by following him as a blood witness. Yet the end of the persecutions did not mean that the world had accepted the ideals of Christ and altered its ways; the world continued to prefer the darkness to the light (John 3:19). But if the world was no longer the enemy of the Christian, then the Christian had to become the enemy of the dark world. The flight to the desert was the way to escape a tempting conformity to the world."
The solution? Silence. Silence, for well over a thousand years, has been Christianity's strategy in the fight against conformity, against idolatry, and against all manner of temptations. The best way to look different from the world, and maybe the safest way to pursue the one true God, is to practice silence. A Christian writer named Arsenius, writing around the year 400, said "I have often repented of having spoken, but never of having remained silent." That just sounds like it was written for the age of social media, doesn't it?
I think silence is so scary because it is when we are least in control. We can't shape silence to fit our needs, and we can't fill it with things that comfort us. There is only a conscious decision to release all that we cling to. In the silence we make the decision to unclench our fists and open our hands to receive. We wait expectantly, not with an agenda or with expectations, but as one who trusts that their beloved will join them.
As I said in my sermon on Sunday, I encourage you to find a small part of your day today, tomorrow, and every day to waste a little time with the one whom your soul loves. This is how we swim upstream in today's frenetic, fast-paced world.
Daily Bible Readings
These passages supplement the upcoming Sunday sermon:
Monday: I Corinthians 2:7
Tuesday: I Kings 4:32
Wednesday: Ecclesiastes 12:9-10
Thursday: Psalm 107:1-2
Friday: Ephesians 6:19
Saturday: Mark 4:30
Prayers & Praises
Congratulations to Our Seniors from the Class of 2023:
Shelby Nyman, daughter of Mike & Alicia Nyman, who graduated from Great Hearts Northern Oaks on Saturday, May 27. Shelby will attend Texas State University in San Marcos, where she plans to study Business and/or Science.
Reese Stephens, daughter of Scott & Christa Stephens, who graduated from Reagan High School on Monday, May 29. Reese is the granddaughter of Anne & Jim Kiehle. Reese plans to study Foreign Languages and Cultures at Grinnell College in Iowa, where she has also committed to play Women’s Basketball.
Natalie Stone, daughter of Byron & Angie Stone, who graduated from Churchill High School on May 27. Natalie plans to attend The University of Texas at Austin where she has been accepted into the McCombs School of Business.
Earlier today we welcomed our Summer Family Ministry Intern, Riley Mankins. Besides working with our Youth and Children this summer, ‘Lil’ Riley’, as we’ll be referring to him around here, will be trying hard not to be mistaken for the preacher.
Please pray for our Youth and their adult sponsors who will be traveling to and experiencing Wilderness Trek in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico this coming week.
We want to wish Bettye Mack a very Happy Birthday! Our beloved Bettye is 98 years young today. Birthday Greetings may be mailed to: 2739 Cembalo Blvd. #309 San Antonio, TX 79230
God, we gather in gratitude, thankful for the ways you seek to revive us! Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts work together to praise you in this hour. Grant your Spirit to move our hearts and inspire each of us to share your steadfast love with all whom we encounter. Help us to join in giving only what is good, not only today, but every day. Amen
