"Young and old love stories. Literate and illiterate alike, tell and listen to stories. Neither stupidity nor sophistication puts us outside the magnetic field of story.
Story doesn't just tell us something and leave it there; story invites our participation. We feel the emotions, get caught up in the drama, identify with the characters, see into nooks and crannies of life that we had overlooked and realize there is more to being human that we have not yet explored."
Eugene Peterson
During this week's Gathering, we heard personal stories from a number of different Storyliner’s.
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.
FAIRY GODMOTHER
Do you know what it is like to get in your own way? Some of us do. No matter what we try we trip ourselves, time and time again.
his Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright looked at the topic Jesus spoke more about than any other and how it is the source of so much of our self-defeating behavior.
SHARING, SHAPING, SEEING
Do you know what you want? Do you know how to get it? Is everything you want working together to move you forward - or maybe not? Jesus was really interested in these questions and the real desires of his first followers.
Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright explored why that might be and how Jesus can help us move forward in a world that often confuses our desires.
CLEAN
Americans work more than any other people in the world! We take less vacation, retire later than any other first world country. Why? What are we after? Is it all about the $?
Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright considered what we get from our occupations beyond a pay check and how it can either enslave us or set us free.
ORIGINAL VALENTINE
The history of St. Valentine is truly remarkable...
a man who sacrificed everything for the sake of love.
Why did he do it?
Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright considered this question and how Valentine's Day is a reminder of a much larger sacrifice made in the name of love.
COMMERCIAL SUNDAY
The average American is exposed to roughly 5,000 forms of marketing every single day. That's 5,000 times that we get to make a decision of whether or not we're going to "buy in." Often times we brush off ads and ignore them, but hidden inside commercials and advertisements are messages, whether intentional or not, that could change the way we live our lives.
Sunday at Storyline Paul Knapp and other Storyliners, shared their stories and just some of the ways that you can find meaning and purpose inside of the very advertisements were exposed to everyday.
TRANSFORMATIONAL WORSHIP
Okay, so we are four weeks in to the new year... how are the resolutions going?
Why is that? Why is it SO hard to change?
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright considered the upside down way that Jesus believes real change happens in us.
LIFE ON THE RIVER
We used to live in a world that felt like a boating on a lake, it was peaceful and predictable, we could set our own course and see what was in front of us. Nowadays it feels more like riding a raft through rapids on a river. EVERYthing is changing all the time, we have little control and can't see what's around the next bend. How can we find peace and purpose in the rapids of life? This is the question Mike Gathright will considered Sunday at Storyline's Gathering.
ENOUGH
It’s that time of year again… Time to renew that gym membership or open a new savings account, or book those plane tickets to Fiji… Time to recognize the things in our life that require resolution. But what does God think about us? What resolutions would He make in our lives?
Sunday morning Paul Knapp asked these questions and more.
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.
HARD TO BUY FOR
The theme of SO many conversations right now is, "what do you want?" We are asking and being asked that question nearly every day. But have you ever wondered, "what does God want?"
You can tell a lot about a person by what they want. The same is true for God. This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright explored the amazing, surprising revolutionary thing God wants and what that means for us.
FIXER UPPER
How is the Christmas shopping going? Only two weeks to go! Do you worry more about the gift wrapping or the gift? What is on the inside is more important than the outside - we get that when it comes to Christmas presents, but how about for ourselves?
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Amy Marohn looked at the difference between the wrapping and the gift.
THE REMEDY - PART 2
The promise of peace is alluring - the reality is allusive... and religion seems to make it worse.
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright explored the life and message of Jesus as the remedy to religion and the holiday of Christmas as a great example of what it could look like to live out the remedy.
THE REMEDY
The Holiday Season is upon us already - buckle up! Why do we have such a love/hate relationship with this time of year? Could it be because of the gap between what we hope for and what we get?
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright considered the role religion plays in this frustration and how the way of Jesus could change everything.