Views from The Ridge 07.17.2024
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This Week
Sunday, July 21
9am Worship in the Sanctuary (Riley Stirman preaching: Ephesians 2:11-22)
10:15am Formation time for all ages
Adult class series: Practicing The Way
Teen formation: The Chosen
Children’s formation: Godly Play
11am Worship in the Chapel (Scott Heare preaching: Mark 6:30-34, Mark 6:53-56)
Upcoming
July 22-25 Bear Week Youth Service Week (open to 6th-12th graders) Contact Chelsea to sign up.
Tuesday, July 23, 9:30am Storytime on the lawn
Wednesday, July 24, 11am Open court
Please note Women’s Wednesday Fellowship will not meet in July.
Around Our Community
Our friends over at Camelot Elementary are in need of some help as the school year begins. As you know, we partner with Camelot to provide Snack Paks for children who struggle with food insecurity, affordable Christmas gifts for Camelot families, teacher appreciation, and more throughout the school year. Camelot’s Family Specialist Landy has asked for the following help:
“Next year, the community partner that has traditionally provided us with brand-new uniforms will now only be able to supply polos. As a result, we are seeking additional support to meet our needs. The Amazon wish list has only uniforms listed, and the Target wish list has uniforms and school supplies listed. We gratefully welcome and appreciate any contributions, even if they are not listed on the wish lists.
Thank you so much for all your support and everything you do for our school.”
Window Washing
Riley Stirman, Preaching Minister, Sunset Ridge Church
This Sunday, I preached about the glory of God. And I have to admit it was a challenge. How do you preach on something that you don't really understand and that all of Christian history agrees you can't really give words to? Answer: you shouldn't. But here we are.
I believe that one of the things Paul is trying to do in the book of Ephesians is help his readers understand that the primary purpose of the church is to manifest God's glory in the world. To put it another way, Christ wants his followers to live in such a manner that when the world sees them, they have no choice but to conclude that there must be a good and loving God.
This is a sobering call to action. One that I'm not sure I have the faintest clue how to put into practice. But a metaphor from a sixteenth-century monk might help.
St. John of the Cross invites us to consider a window, smudged and stained, with clouded glass. The dirtier the glass is, the less of the sun's rays we can see coming through the window. But if we take the time to clean the glass and clear it of its imperfections and impurities, we allow the light to pour out in full force through it.
This is how it is with the spiritual transformation of the Christian believer. We were made in the image of God, with the purpose of reflecting that image out to the rest of Creation. We are meant to have the divine light shining out from our very selves. The problem is that our thoughts and our speech and our actions tend to cloud that light. We reflect our own distinct humanness and sinfulness rather than God's image.
But through the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and through our faithful and obedient participation, we are made clean. Little by little, the spots and the smudges disappear and the light of Christ shines from us just a little bit brighter.
This is, I think, a bit of what John the Baptist meant when he said that "Christ must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). The singular challenge facing us in our spiritual journey is just getting out of our own way. To let the glory of God shine is just to concentrate on not trying so hard to let the glory of Riley shine.
This week, let's try to squeegee a little bit of our windows. Let's make the effort to get out of our own way and rely on the presence of the Holy Spirit in and among us. Let's allow ourselves to be led by the divine light that fills us. And let's work to bring honor and glory to the God who created us.
Praises and Prayers
Glennie Scalercio is now home and doing well.
Note Received:
Thank you to my dear church family for all the prayers and cards while I await surgery to set my leg. Due to the potential for infection, the surgery cannot take place until the wound from the fall has completely healed. So your continued prayers are appreciated. With love, Meta
Congratulations to Holly Glasgow, who was named an assistant principal at Johnson High School.
Liturgy for a peaceful day or night
Adapted from The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler & Jessica Richie
Oh peace, you are the mountain
We glimpse from afar.
The height and depth of our needs.
We chart our way to you by starlight
Through paths overgrown
With wrongs we ourselves have seeded,
Then left to grow unchecked.
It’s a long way we travel, but a good one.
Light the way, God.
Bring us to that place of rest.
Bring us peace, God,
Enough for this moment.
Enough to quiet the questions with no answers.
And while you’re at it.
Pencil us in for tomorrow, too.
Amen
