Views from The Ridge 01.10.2024

Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.

This Week

Sunday, January 14

9:15am Life Groups, children’s Roots gathering, teen gathering (see website for more info)

10:30am Worship in the Sanctuary (The Sermon on the Mount)
4:30pm Chapel worship
6-7pm Parent Group: Every Season Sacred
6-7pm Youth group gathering

Saturday, January 13 Second Saturday

9am Yoga in the fellowship hall ($10 donation)
10am Storytime & community craft

Upcoming…

January 15 Church campus closed (MLK Holiday)

The Kingdom Of Heaven

-Riley Stirman, Preaching Minister at Sunset Ridge Church

Matthew 4:17 says that Jesus began his ministry by preaching a very simple message: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Actually, if I'm being picky, I think I like the NRSV translation better: "The kingdom of heaven has come near." Jesus isn't giving a geography lesson that God's holy kingdom lies in one place and the kingdoms of the earth in another. Jesus is boldly proclaiming that the space that separates the two kingdoms has begun to shrink. The lines that divide us from God's reality are blurring, and a time is coming when there will be no division at all. The kingdom of heaven will come in its entirety upon us, where all things will be restored and where we will see the new heaven and new earth described in Revelation.

While the topics of his teaching ranged broadly, the central content that Jesus always concerned himself with was the implications of the kingdom drawing near to us. There's a reason that so many of his parables began with, "The kingdom of heaven is like . . . ." Jesus wanted us to begin to grasp what life in this new kingdom was like. And more importantly, he wanted us to begin to live as citizens of his royal kingdom.

This is the idea that is at the core of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7. New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine says, "These three chapters tell us that the kingdom of heaven is not some abstract place with pearly gates and golden slippers, harp music, and a bunch of angels flapping their wings. The kingdom of heaven occurs when people take the words of Jesus in these chapters to heart and live into them."

There's something challenging in this, but there's also something uplifting. Jesus's teachings describe a standard of living that's hard to imagine living up to. But if we begin living the Jesus way, we are told that we are bringing heaven down to earth.

This week, this month, this year, make yourself a goal to try the Jesus way. Even if it's just in one area of your life. Make yourself into the most truthful person you've ever met. Pursue reconciliation in every one of your relationships. Examine closely the judgments you make about other people. Make the conscious decision to try to trust God in the face of worry.

As citizens of heaven, we should look a little different than others in this world. In fact, we should bear the image of our king everywhere we go. Let's bring a little heaven down to earth this week.

Around Our Community

We are so grateful to worship together again in the sanctuary after several months in the chapel.

From Our Leaders

Check your inbox for the monthly trustee update letter that will be sent out via email this week.

Praises & Prayers

Kelly Alba's father, Jim Derickson, passed away on January 4th. Please keep the Alba, Lowry and Derickson families in your prayers.

For when you need a gentle day

Adapted from The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler & Jessica Richie

God, I need a gentle day,
a respite from the strident voices
and the attention economy,
problems I can’t solve.

I need a break.
God, shelter me awhile.

Blessed are we who come to you
just as we are,
asking to be gathered, hidden,
and held,
shielded for a time.

God, give us grace for one whole day
of gentle turning,
of turning away from worry
toward restful action.

Blessed are we,
when the unsolvable problem
comes to mind again,
to turn from it, just for now.

Turn us toward release,
toward gentle breathing,
toward letting ourselves be small enough
to be wrapped up into your arms.

Let stirrings of enoughness come,
and lend enough energy
to tend just to the little space
that is within reach today.

Amen.

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