Views from The Ridge 7.12.23
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This Week…
Wednesday, July 12 no youth group
Sunday, July 16, 9:15 AM
Life groups, children’s Roots gathering, teen gathering (see website for more info)
10:30am Worship (A Bigger Table)
No chapel worship, join us for Sunset Worship on Wednesday!
Upcoming…
Wednesday, July 19 Story Swap, Sunset Worship & Teen Night
Saturday, July 22 Young Adult Night at Top Golf (RSVP to Melanie by July 13 - mfry@dykema.com)
August 2 Kids’ Night Out (sign up here!)
A Bigger Table
Riley Stirman
Our tables have gotten smaller.
When we moved last year to a bigger city like San Antonio, I slowly started to notice something strange. It seemed like every place we went, despite the immense crowds of people, the tables were always pretty small. Whether it was a coffee shop (Chelsea's idea) or Chick-Fil-A (my idea), it seemed like gone were the days of large groups of people sharing an experience together.
Instead, what you tend to see are people sitting alone, wrapped up in a book, listening to music, or working away at their laptop.
The irony of me writing these words alone at my laptop is not lost on me, but it does seem as if our culture is shifting steadily towards a place where it is far more common to sit at a table alone than it is to share it with someone.
But the parable of the wedding banquet paints a different picture of what God envisions for his kingdom. I don't think God sets up a great hall full of individual bistro tables so every invited guest can individually enjoy some good food. Forced to guess, I'd say God has a massive table with room to spare so that everyone can come together as equals and share in his goodness.
I don't have much of a touchpoint for what that might look like. Or I should say - I didn't have one. Not until last Tuesday.
For the 4th of July, one of our members, Bill Bradley, often invites the church's young families out to the celebration thrown by his community at the Dominion Country Club. It's a really lovely way that he chooses to serve his church family every year. But since he made me promise not to say too many nice things about him, let's just say that he might in fact, occasionally, be a dear, tender-hearted man. Just between you and me.
Bill was kind enough to extend the invitation to Chelsea and me as well. And it most certainly felt like what you might call a banquet. Tables of food prepared for hundreds of people, lots of music, a truck serving Italian ice, an outdoor laser tag course, face painting (for the kids, I was repeatedly told), and of course some incredible fireworks. This was a party that you could tell was thrown with intention and great care. And we just felt so lucky to be a part of it.
When we found Bill amidst the crowds, there was something on the table that caught my eye. There were several little place cards that all said the same thing:
"Bradley, party of 46."
As Bill said, the number just kept growing. People kept accepting the invitation. And the guest list didn't have to get cut shorter. The table just got bigger.
That night we ate good food together. We talked together. And we laughed together. All because a huge table had been prepared for us with love and intention.
This is what it's all about. God's goodness and love are like the biggest and best dinner party you could possibly imagine. And there's a seat just for you. No matter who you are, no matter where you find yourself, you made the list and God can't wait to share a meal with you. I'd say that's some pretty good news.
Around the Community
Second Saturday last weekend was so fun! We read a book about planting kindness and painted some beautiful pots for our coffee trailer.
We’re over halfway through the summer with our interns and they have done some amazing work! Our teen interns have worked on ways to build intergenerational relationships with our children and on community engagement through work with the Collective, and Riley has helped plan and lead our service week, formation times, and some of our upcoming activities. Each one has served this community in beautiful ways!
Prayers & Praises
Please keep our middle schoolers and youth leaders in your prayers as they spend this week at the ACU camp, MPulse.
Do you follow us on Instagram? Find our Daily Bible Readings in our stories, and updates throughout the week in our feed.
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
