Views from The Ridge 2.18.26
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This Week’s Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1-11
Wednesdays
You’re invited to a contemplative Ash Wednesday service this evening, February 18, from 6:30 - 7:30 PM in the Chapel. This quiet, reflective gathering will include Scripture, prayer, worship, and the imposition of ashes as we begin the season of Lent together. Childcare will be provided. All are welcome.
Please note that there will be no Wednesday supper, Scripture study, or BLESSING Group tonight. Our regular Wednesday night programming will resume next week, beginning with supper at 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall.
Sundays
Worship
9 AM, Chapel, Acapella
11 AM, Sanctuary, Instrumental
10:15 AM, Bible Class & Discipleship for All Ages
Fellowship Hall
Between the Words: A gathering between our community’s two worship times where we unfold the facets of weekly Scripture together. Join us from 10:15 - 10:45 each Sunday in the Fellowship Hall. Each week stands on its own; come as you’re able. Adults and teens welcome.
BEMA Podcast Discussion group
Chapel Classroom
Preparing for Rest: A free, optional pre-retreat class exploring different kinds of rest, connected to our upcoming women’s retreat. No registration required. Sundays through February 22. You’re welcome to attend the class, the retreat, or both.
Room 220
BOYS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Bryan Wolfe
GIRLS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Den Slater
Roots: Children’s Discipleship through Godly Play
Bible Story Focus this Week: Jesus's Birth and Growth
Key Verse: Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:1-7
Room 102, PreK - Kindergarten
Room 122, 1st - 2nd Grade
Room 209, 3rd - 4th Grade
Community Connections
Caring for Charis Park
This morning, a new live oak was planted in Charis Park, replacing the red oak that had previously died. While we grieved the loss of the original tree, this new planting is a sign of renewal and our continued commitment to tending the spaces we share with our neighbors. Caring for Charis Park is one meaningful expression of our church’s outreach in the community. If you’d like to be part of that work, join us for our Community Garden Work Day on Saturday, February 21st, from 9 AM - 1 PM in Charis Park as we continue cultivating this space together. You can also support the ongoing care and growth of the park by becoming a member of Friends of Charis Park.
Upcoming Community Events
Every Saturday, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
Sundays through February 22, 10:15 AM, Preparing for Rest Class, Chapel Classroom
Saturday, February 21, 9 AM - 1 PM, Community Garden Work Day, Charis Park
Friday, February 27 - Sunday, March 1, Sunset Ridge Women’s Retreat, Mo-Ranch
Beyond Sunday
On the Road to Forgiveness
Dick Ihfe, Trustee, Sunset Ridge Church
When I was 12 years old we lived in Waynesville, Missouri, just outside Fort Leonard Wood, a huge Army post. I loved baseball, and Stan Musial, an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, was my favorite player. I wanted to try out for catcher on the junior high school baseball team but I didn’t have baseball cleats or a catcher’s mitt.
I asked my Dad if he could get me cleats and a glove. He said he would go to the R&R facility on post to get me the equipment. He got me cleats, but instead of a catcher’s mitt, he got one of those old-time baseball gloves with five fingers that looked like a giant hand. I was disappointed in the glove, but overjoyed that I would be able to try out for the team. I called my friend Donnie and we agreed to try out together.
There was a weight limit of 150 pounds for boys trying out for the team. I told Donnie I weighed 154 and asked him to keep it a secret. He told me he would. After tryouts I was told by the coach I did not make the team because I was over the weight limit. The coach said one of the players told him I weighed 154. He asked me if that was true and I said yes. My junior high baseball career ended in less than 24 hours, as did my friendship with Donnie. Ironically, Donnie did not make the team, either.
It is hard to describe how I felt other than my world was shattered and I was filled with anger and rage at Donnie. My Dad sort of blew the betrayal off and told me to concentrate on football, which was more suited to my abilities. My Mom consoled me and said I needed to forgive Donnie to save our friendship. Each time I saw Donnie I would become so angry I could barely speak. Forgive him? Never. He betrayed me!
The brokenness between us was still there when school let out that summer, yet I kept hoping he would come to me and apologize. I knew in my heart that God wanted me to forgive him. As time passed, the rawness of the betrayal eased and I decided to approach him and try to rekindle our friendship. Such was not to be. When I told him how he had betrayed me, his response was, “I don’t owe you any apology. Yeah, I told the coach, but you were too fat for the team anyway.”
I never got an apology, but a strange thing happened to me as time passed. I was still hurting and disappointed, but the anger slowly seemed to lift and lose its intensity. I walked away from that relationship with an experience of God that has stayed with me for over 65 years. Donnie never apologized, but my young heart healed as I felt the power of forgiveness through the Holy Spirit lessen my hurt, remove my desire for vengeance, and release me from the bitterness of betrayal.
Healing begins with honesty. As time passed, I heard God reminding me I had to admit my part in the situation with Donnie. I wasn’t upfront with the coach and had asked Donnie to hide my deceit. How could I hold Donnie to a standard that I failed to meet? It took me until high school to acknowledge that the root of this distress was lying at my feet. It was a painful but valuable lesson. Donnie is gone but I know I owe him an apology.
The writer of Ephesians reminds us again of the significance of forgiveness when he says “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger… Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32). Forgiveness is a reciprocal practice. We are commanded to forgive because we have been forgiven by God.
Forgiveness is one of the most powerful and transformative acts we can experience. Yet, it is often one of the hardest things to do, especially when the pain runs deep. Whether you have been hurt by a loved one, betrayed by a friend, or are struggling to forgive yourself, the process of releasing resentment can feel impossible.
Forgiveness is not about forgetting what happened or pretending it didn’t hurt. God calls us to forgive not because the offense was small, but because He knows holding on to unforgiveness harms us more than anyone else. Resentment poisons the soul; forgiveness purifies it. It is a divine exchange, our pain for His peace. Beloved, it is about allowing God through the Holy Spirit to heal your wounded heart from bitterness so you can experience the peace of Christ.
When we forgive, something profound and extraordinary happens inside us. The chains of anger and pain begin to fall away, and we make space for God’s peace to take root in our lives. Forgiveness reconnects us with God’s grace and restores emotional and spiritual harmony. Then we can find we are able to rest in God’s love and trust His justice.
