Every community has distinctives...that is what makes a group a community. Jesus dismissed the distinctives of class, gender, race, ethnicity, nation, religion, and politics we use to form community and created something never seen before.
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright explored how Jesus created community and the enormous challenge and opportunity it for us.
THE BIG QUESTION OF XMAS
"What do you want?" That is the refrain of the season, right? And it is a great question - one that is often hard to answer. But, how about this one, "what does God want?"
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright will take a look at this question
and how Christmas might help us answer it.
STUCK, STRANDED & SURROUNDED
Charles Dickens wrote, "It is good to be children sometimes, never better than at Christmas, when its mighty founder was a child himself."
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright considered how community and Christmas and childhood can all work together.
GOOD & HAPPY - Beyond Happiness, part 3
We all want to be happy. Yet, statistics overwhelmingly show that Americans fall short of this goal. In a world where we have more money, comfort, and free-time than ever before, why are we as a society becoming less and less happy?
This Sunday at Storyline’s Gathering, Jill McNabnay continued our series of talks on “Beyond Happiness,” and will explore what does it take to make us happy.
IDENTITY, Part 3 - Ecclesia
Figuring out who we are, personally and communally, is not something we think about often. But life has a way of begging this question. What now? What next? Why? The answers to basic questions like these are grounded in our identity. Who we are.
This month at Storyline's Gathering we've been considering the topic of identity; Sunday Mike Gathright continued this discussion by revisiting Jesus's view of the identity of His community.
IDENTITY, Part 1 - The Missionary Encounter
In large part the identity of an object and even a person is wrapped up in its design - what it is for. Jesus seemed to think people and communities were designed on purpose - and FOR a purpose - that have a dramatic impact on our identity, how we see ourselves and one another.
This Sunday at the Gathering Mike Gathright looked at Storyline's design, and what we are for. If you have struggled to explain what Storyline is to some of the people in your life (and we all have!) - this Sunday helps to describe it.
STORY SUNDAY
Last Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright wrapped up our discussion about community. This Sunday, we had the opportunity to hear from some Storyline friends as they shared their personal stories about community and the way they've been impacted by the people in their lives.
It's was a special morning!
SEPTEMBER 10th PEOPLE
It is not good for us to be alone. Life is a team sport. We need a small boat. We've said it a number of different ways the last month - why it is that we need one another.
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright wrapped up our discussion about community with one last image - one that helps us to deal realistically with the struggle that life can be, yet remain not only hopeful, but optimistic about our future.
TEAM SPORT
"I'm spiritual but not religious." This is a very common way for people to describe themselves and Storyline is a community that resonates with this in many ways. Yet, Jesus invites to be together, to live together, to be a team. Is there a way to do that? To live that way, somehow avoid being religious and maintain our spirituality?
These are a few of the questions Mike Gathright explored Sunday at Storyline's Gathering.
THE WHOLE STORY
Families, schools, companies, organizations can sometimes look very different from one another. But sometimes they look very similar - but FEEL very different. Why do some groups, organizations, families and communities feel open, friendly, inclusive and others feel stiff, closed, exclusive and judgmental?
All kinds of people felt included, welcomed and loved by Jesus. How did he do it? And why do communities of faith in Him so often fail to "feel" like this?
These are the questions Mike Gathright explored Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering
SEPTEMBER 10th
We all remember where we were, what we were doing exactly 15 years ago when the planes hit the World Trade Center on 9/11. Since that day it seems as if the unthinkable all too often can become reality.
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright explored how we can thrive and live life to the fullest even in a world where anything can happen.
LIVE TOGETHER, DIE ALONE
The truth is the best thing about life, and the worst thing about life is often the same thing - people. Relationships are difficult, messy, unpredictable and.. absolutely necessary for our life to work. There are all kinds of reasons to avoid relationships, to keep a safe distance, to keep life simple - but at what cost?
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright considered the cost of living in community and the benefit of the living community God is inviting us to.
WHAT'S NEXT
What is it that brings us together?
What is it that pulls us apart?
Why can you meet someone for the first time, and in that same moment feel like you've known them forever?
Or why can we walk into a room full of people and feel utterly alone?
Is there something at the root of it all that is attempting to bring us together or tear us apart?
This week at the Gathering, Paul Knapp asked these questions and wondering what is more important...
What we do...or who we do it with...
BREAD & WINE
In a time where "capturing" comes at a much higher premium than "cherishing" what role does remembrance play in our day-to-day lives? What does it truly mean to come together and remember the good things in life that have been given to us?
This Sunday at the Gathering, Paul Knapp explored and unraveled one of the beautiful and mysterious practices that come with living a life of faith.
GARDEN CLUB AND THE NAVY SEALS
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
The time is right to count our blessings from last year and make plans for 2016. Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright did just that.