Views from The Ridge 9.13.22
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 14, from 7:30-9pm: Youth Group at the Stirmans’— Connect the Dots
September 16-18: Youth Group Retreat
Sunday, September 18:
9:15am— Fall Life Groups reconvene (The Good And Beautiful Community)
10:30am— Worship Service (location TBD - watch for an email later this week)
Sermon: “At All Costs”
Scripture: John 9:1-34
Tacos for CAM service opportunity in the kitchen following worship
4:30pm— Charis Worship & Liturgy in the Chapel
Upcoming…
Tuesday, September 20, at 9am: Children’s Storytime on the lawn
Friday, September 23 at 7:30pm: Outdoor Worship: Root Beer & Hymns
Saturday, October 8 at 9:30am: Saturday Storytime & Family Morning
Sunday, November 13: Covenant Renewal Service
“Lights On”
Riley Stirman
What does it mean to prefer the darkness over the light? What does it look like to just flat-out refuse the life, the joy, the brightness that comes from God alone?
I think no modern author wrote as compellingly about this light as C.S. Lewis did. The final book of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle, serves as a sort of allegory for the Christian understanding of what God will do in the final days of this earth. There is a great battle, and it seems to the protagonists as if all hope is lost, as if darkness has won, but something strange happens. They notice that any who travel through the door of a shoddy stable at the edge of the battle don't come back out. The enemies begin using this to their advantage, capturing their opponents and throwing them forcefully through the door.
But it's finally revealed that the inside of the stable isn't a stable at all. The door was a gateway between the land of Narnia and Aslan's country, a fabled land of light, joy, and abundance. And all who passed through the door were now changed. The blood and grime and sweat of battle had been cleared away, and they stood in regal clothes as if on their way to a great banquet. The aches and pains of everyday life faded into nothingness. They all felt youthful, renewed, and invigorated. They tasted the fruit growing on the trees - better and more substantial than any other food they had ever tasted - and they marveled at the great cliffs, the sparkling ocean, and the magnificent palace.
As they journey, though, they come upon a group of dwarfs that had fought in the battle for their own selfish interests. Instead of exploring the great country, as the protagonists were, they were seated in a circle facing each other complaining about the darkness of the stable. No matter what anyone says, they are unable to see that they are anywhere but on the inside of a dark, dingy, dirty stable. Someone invites one to smell the flowers, but the dwarf - revolted - complains that it's just a bunch of excrement. They gather food for the dwarfs to eat, but all they can taste are things that you might find on the floor of a stable - old turnips or pieces of hay.
Eventually Aslan himself, the king of this wonderful country, comes to speak with them. And he sadly tells those gathered that there are limits even to what he can do. He explains that because the dwarfs are so intent on seeing what they want to see, there is nothing he can do for them.
"'You see,' said Aslan, 'They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they can not be taken out.'"
Cunning over belief. This could be a catchphrase for modern America. We as a people are so concerned about being fooled or taken in. We desperately want to avoid being taken for a fool, and we want with nearly every fiber of our being to be proven right in every opinion we hold. But there is a danger to this, as Lewis is attempting to point out. The mind can only take us so far. And if we parcel the world into what can be understood and controlled by our thinking and reasoning, we will certainly miss the glorious things of God that are beyond all comprehension.
Books like The Last Battle are trying to stir our imagination of what lies ahead for us. The world as we know it is actively passing away, but the new Kingdom is nearly here. The sun is peeking up over the horizon, and day is beginning. Pockets of heaven are everywhere around us, growing bigger all the time. And we, as those who bear the image of Christ, are spreading this light slowly throughout all of creation.
Wouldn't it be a shame if we were so scared of being wrong or of looking foolish that we failed to grasp the goodness of what God is up to? I sure don't want to miss it. I suspect you don't either.
"'Have you not guessed?' said Aslan. 'The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.'"
Daily Bible Readings
Monday: Psalm 145:18-19
Tuesday: Isaiah 56:10-11
Wednesday: Jeremiah 13:15-16
Thursday: Revelation 3:17-18
Friday: II Peter 1:5-9
Saturday: I John 2:9-11
Life Groups reconvene on September 18
Our Life Groups will reconvene this Sunday with a new study of The Good And Beautiful Community by James Bryan Smith.
We welcome everyone to participate as we actively engage in learning how to live in relationship with others as apprentices of Jesus. Books are provided at no cost to participants and may be picked up in the Fellowship Hall.
If you are new to Life Groups, or if you have questions, please contact Randy Rutland.
Covenant Renewal / Focus On Outreach
Reaffirming our commitments to each other, this community, and to God.
On Sunday, November 13, 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.
This past Sunday we heard from Larry Bob Moore about opportunities to serve at Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM). CAM volunteers are able to share the love of Christ by providing immediate assistance and encouragement to people in crisis. We also took up a special contribution to help sustain the ongoing operations at CAM. If you would like to contribute, please send your donation to the church office (checks payable to Sunset Ridge Church of Christ, write “CAM” on the memo line). One easy way to share love with clients of CAM is by helping make CAM Tacos following morning worship. A sign-up sheet for volunteering is in the Fellowship Hall. You can learn more about CAM by clicking the link above.
Delivering Snack Packs 4Kids is another community outreach opportunity which was highlighted this past Sunday. On Thursday afternoons, volunteers from Sunset Ridge and the Charis Collective help to deliver these supplemental food packs into classrooms at our adopted school, Camelot Elementary. If you would like to get involved in this good work, please contact Kyle Fry who helps to coordinate this effort for us.
Praises & Prayers
Many neighborhood families joined us last Saturday for our first Storytime & Famly Morning, which included some fun water play!
Please pray for our Youth Group and their sponsors as they travel and retreat this weekend.
We pray for the Ihfe family as Janet is being evaluated today at MD Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston.
We pray for the Gerhardt family as well as Carol continues in her cancer treatment journey.
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
