Views from The Ridge 9.6.22
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This week…
Wednesday, September 7, from 7:30-9pm: Youth Group at the Stirmans’— Connect the Dots
Saturday, September 10, at 9:30am: Saturday Storytime & Family Morning
Sunday, September 11:
9:15am— Introduction to The Good And Beautiful Community Fall Life Group Study in the Fellowship Hall.
10:30am— Worship Service (location TBD - watch for an email later this week)
Sermon: “A Shot in the Dark”
Scripture: John 8:12-30
Special Contribution for C.A.M. (Christian Assistance Ministry)
Following Worship— Children’s Ministry Partners lunch & training session in the Fellowship Hall
4:30pm— Prayer Service of Peace & Remembrance in the Chapel
Upcoming…
Tuesday, September 13, at 9am: Children’s Storytime on the lawn
September 16-18: Youth Group Retreat
Sunday, September 18: Fall Life Groups resume
Sunday, October 2: Covenant Renewal Service
“Take A Breather”
Genesis 2 tells us that God fashioned Adam from the dust of the ground before any kind of plant or shrub was made for the earth. He needed someone to work the land that he had made, after all. But before he sent out his new creation, he breathed into Adam the breath of life, filling his lungs and turning him into a living creature.
Ezekiel 37 tells us the story of God taking the prophet Ezekiel to a valley filled with the dried bones of slain soldiers. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to them, and as he does, the bones begin to knit themselves back into human beings. But there was something wrong. There was no breath within them. So Ezekiel prophesies to gather the breath (or wind, or Spirit - depending on the translation) of God from the corners of the earth to fill the soldiers. The breath of God filled the soldiers, and they were made alive once more.
In Job 32 and 33, Elihu says that it is the breath of the Almighty that sustains life in people and allows for an understanding of the God that first gave them that breath.
The breath that fills our lungs an average of 20,000 times per day is a gift directly from God that inhabits our bodies. Every second, our bodies are filled with a tangible reminder of God's life-giving Spirit.
I was a sophomore in college when I first heard of breath prayers. These are short phrases that are meant to be prayed with the rhythm of your breathing as a reminder of God's presence in your life. As you inhale, you pray the first half of the line, then finish the line with your exhale. Most that I've heard are taken from scripture. For example, "The Lord is my shepherd / I shall not want," or "Your kingdom come / Your will be done."
Today, I invite you to practice a breath prayer, just for a minute. Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Feel the Spirit of God filling your lungs with each breath. Below are a few more suggestions for verses that can be used as breath prayers.
May you be renewed by the breath of God that fills you.
"Speak Lord / Your servant is listening." (I Samuel 3:9)
"When I am afraid / I trust in you." (Psalm 56:3)
"Holy, holy, holy / is the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 6:3)
"Peace / Be still." (Mark 4:39)
"If God is for us / who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)
Daily Bible Readings
Monday: Ezekiel 1:27-28
Tuesday: II Samuel 22:29
Wednesday: Matthew 5:14-16
Thursday: I John 1:5-7
Friday: I John 5:9-10
Saturday: Isaiah 43:9-10
Children’s Ministry Partners
Do you have a desire to join our Children’s Ministry Team? We invite you to come to a special one-hour session to get a taste of Roots and Godly Play. We’ll show you what we are doing and how you can get involved. Join us this Sunday, September 11, following morning worship in the Fellowship Hall. A light lunch will be provided. If you want to be a part of the team but cannot make it to the session, please contact Chelsea Stirman or Jonna Rosas. On-the-job training is available!
Special Contribution for CAM
In the last two years, the COVID outbreak, economic crisis, and exceptional heat have caused an increase in the number of people coming to the Christian Assistance Ministry for help with food, clothing and financial aid. The increase has been not only in the number of people seeking assistance, but in the amount of help each needs. There has also been a surge in the homeless population that CAM is serving. Right now, CAM is in dire need of additional funds. They have asked us and their other supporting churches to seek ways to make an additional contribution to help them in their crisis situation. On Sunday, September 11, we will take up a special contribution for CAM (cash or check payable to Sunset Ridge - write CAM on memo line). Please plan to worship with us on the 11th and be generous in your response to CAM’s plea.
Tacos for CAM resumes
For years, groups of people would stay after church on Sunday to make 240 breakfast tacos for CAM (Christian Assistance Ministry). Retired senior minister, John Harp, would deliver the tacos to CAM every Monday morning to serve the unsheltered people of downtown San Antonio. This stopped in 2020 with COVID and health restrictions, but we are so thrilled to share that we will once again start this simple ministry of love. Send us an email at hello@chariscollective.org if you are able to help and we’ll get you in touch with Maria Perry, our volunteer coordinator.
Life Groups reconvene
Please join us in the Fellowship Hall at 9:15 AM this Sunday, September 11, as Riley introduces our new fall Life Group study. Then beginning September 18, we will break into Life Groups as we delve into the book The Good And Beautiful Community by James Bryan Smith. Books are provided at no cost to participants and may be picked up on Sunday in the Fellowship Hall.
We welcome everyone to participate in this study which will help us learn more about living in relationship with others as apprentices of Jesus. If you are new to Life Groups, or if you have questions, please contact Randy Rutland.
Covenant Renewal
Reaffirming our commitments to each other, this community, and to God.
Covenant Renewal comes as a response to a season of transition and change that Sunset Ridge has gone through over the past several years. This process is a chance for all of us to take stock of where and who we are and to ask: Who is still a part of this community? How is each person doing? How can we better connect new and established people into the beautiful organism of this body? What do we hope to be in the future? Over the next several weeks our elders will continue to connect with you to ask these and other important questions, and to listen to whatever you’d like to share. We will also be highlighting our current ministries during services and here in the newsletter.
This past Sunday we heard about varied opportunities to serve in the worship service and were asked to prayerfully consider how we might serve in the future. We also learned how a newly formed Worship Revitalization team has begun to discern together how our services might continue to reflect the presence of God’s Spirit. Later, in our prayer time, we were invited to focus our individual prayers on our hopes for new life in our community as the Spirit guides us.
We invite each of you to join us in reaffirming your commitment to each other, to this community, and to God. On Sunday, October 2, we will have a service focused around re-commitment, with an opportunity to designate where you’d like to serve and be involved in the life of our church.
Care For Our People
We are putting together two teams to become more intentional about caring for people around us. If you’re interested in joining either of these teams, click the links to connect to the team coordinators.
A pastoral care team is being formed to address the needs of our church family. Perhaps you’re able to prepare a meal, provide transportation, make a phone call, send a card, or just sit and listen to someone. Our pastoral care team will become a reality as we step forward to reach people with His love. Contact Bill Wards or Patti Jennings.
A community care team will be outwardly-focused and concerned with needs in the Charis community. Maybe you feel called to support Camelot Elementary, to deliver Snack Paks on Thursday afternoons, or use your skills in the art of neighboring at community events - you’ll be radiating Jesus’ love outside our walls. Contact Jess Lowry.
Praises & Prayers
We would like to welcome Jane Henson-Martin to our Sunset Ridge Church family.
Congratulations to Ed & Kathy George who celebrated 62 years together on September 5th. We thank God for examples of strong marriages in our lives!
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
