Views from The Ridge 04.10.2024

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

This Week

Saturday, April 13 Second Saturday

9am Yoga
10:15am Storytime, crafts, and splashpad

Sunday, April 14

9am Worship in the Sanctuary (All in the Family - I John 3:1-7) (see website for more info)

10:15am Formation time (please check our website for a digital companion guide to our current class series, Practicing the Way)
11am Chapel worship

Upcoming

Sunday, April 21, 12-2pm Wedding Shower honoring Erin Webber & Jonathan Mallard in the Chapel Classroom (the community is gifting a money tree if you’d like to contribute!)

Interested in what’s scheduled for our campus at large? Please consider subscribing to Goodness Weekly.

Around Our Community

Kids’ Night Out last week was a blast. The kids played games, navigated an obstacle course, and watched Sing! Special thanks to Ellery, Riley, Lisa, and Debbie for helping out. We can’t wait for the summer KNO.

“Cosmic Christ”

-Riley Stirman, Preaching Minister, Sunset Ridge Church

This week we either did or didn't get raptured.

I'm writing this on Monday, just before our total solar eclipse begins. I don't know if you've seen this, but there are many believers out there who seem to think that this event is signaling the end of the world. I won't rule it out as a possibility, but given that we've had over a thousand of these since Jesus's resurrection, I'm not so sure we can bank on this one being the final one.

This all does, however, make me think of a different cosmic event. Mark 15 tells us that on the day of Jesus's crucifixion, darkness fell on the whole land for about three hours. Many people like to explain this away, saying it was probably a naturally-occurring eclipse; it was just a coincidence.

Maybe. Or maybe not. I think the point is that there are events in creation - even regularly- scheduled events! - that still point to the creative majesty of God. Because of the crucifixion and resurrection, Paul is able to say that Jesus is the firstborn over all creation, that in him all things in creation are held together, and through him God is reconciling to himself all things (Colossians 1:15-20).

Nature bears powerful witness to the works of God's hand. And nature has a way of helping us remember what a small place we occupy in such a vast universe.

So with this eclipse, I don't want us to be too quick to think that it means everything. But I also don't want us to think that it means nothing. At the very least, an eclipse is a powerful reminder of the immensity of God's reach. The same God who fashioned quarks and atoms and electrons also arranged the stars, planets, and galaxies at a mind-boggling scale.

Let's use this eclipse as a reminder to let ourselves experience wonder. Marvel at the movement of the solar system. Sit in awe of the night sky. Relish the vibrant greens of the grass or the trees. Sure, they all have a perfectly "rational" explanation of their origin. But they're here in the world that we occupy all the same. And I'd say they're worth delighting in. Because they also testify to a God who holds them in existence for the sheer joy of it.

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From Our Leaders

Save the Date: 75th Anniversary in Charis Park

We are excited to share a special invitation to our 75th Anniversary Picnic in Charis Park on Sunday, May 19th. You’ll notice many changes to the park, and we are pleased to announce that its completion is rapidly approaching. Today a special oak tree in memory of Janet Ihfe was planted at the park entrance. The meditation benches were installed near the labyrinth, and those interesting posts you’ll notice sticking up are bike racks. We will continue to actively fundraise for our beautiful park and encourage you to reach out to Taylor Bates or Jess Lowry for more information on how you can be a part of the creation of this historical place for generations to come.