Tradition and ritual is a very important part of every culture. They are easy to take for granted, dismiss or even resent. Jesus had a very interesting relationship with tradition and ritual - he transformed them.
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright looked at one of the oldest traditions in the western civilization and how Jesus changed it and, if we'll allow, us.
COME HOME
As we consider what it means to be free, what we are free from and what we are free for, is there a role that we in fact play in our own freedom? Is our freedom a gift or an opportunity? Or could it be both...
This week at the Gathering, Paul Knapp explored these questions and considered what it truly means to be free to choose our path.
FREEDOM FOR
In the film, Braveheart, Mel Gibson plays Willliam Wallace, the 13th century Scottish freedom fighter. In one scene Wallace tries to inspire his men before a battle with English army by asking them this question, "what will you do without freedom?" It is a good question - but an even better one may be, "what will you do WITH freedom?"
Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright continued our exploration of - Freedom. What is it? And most importantly, what is freedom for?
FREEDOM FROM
This weekend our nation celebrates 240 years of freedom. All these years later freedom seems to still be a very hot commodity; new cars promise it, so do divorce lawyers.
Many people around the world fight for it, we spend billions of dollars every year as a nation to defend it.
But what is "freedom" exactly? And maybe even more important - what is it for? These are the questions Mike Gathright explored this Sunday at Storyline's Gathering.
HAUNTED OR ENCHANTED
Children have a very different way of viewing life. They seem to inhabit a world we can barely remember, if at all. You can see it when they play - their world is still enchanted. As adults all too often our lives are disenchanted at best, and possibly even haunted with the regret of woulda, coulda, shoulda.
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright considered why we are so often haunted and the key to re-enchanting our lives.
NOT BLACK AND WHITE
Someone once said of fatherhood, "It is the most important thing I'll ever fail at." There is a lot to that, isn't there? Being a good father is SO important, so critical - and so hard!
This Father's Day morning at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright explored why fathers are so important in our lives and how Jesus can empower men to be better dads.
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...
VOICE & VISION
It is graduation season. Lots of young people graduating from high school and college... congratulations to all! The graduation ceremony is called a "commencement" - it means, to begin. But to begin, what?
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright explored that question and the possibility that our answer may have more to do with how we see ourselves than it does how we see the world.
THE ANTI-VACCINE
Some work, some don't, but all slogans and mottos are our best attempt to summarize something big and important into something small and memorable. This Sunday morning at our Gathering Mike Gathright continued our series exploring the mottos of Storyline.
SUNKEN SHIPS
It seems like every time we turn around, there is another tragedy... Another friend passes, another bomb drops, another wall is built. How are we supposed to respond? Is there any good that can come from this at all? is there any hope left?
This week at the Gathering, Paul Knapp explored these questions and looked at suffering, pain and adversity from a different angle.
BROKEN HEARTED & BRAVE
Adversity, pain and hardship are heartbreaking. They truly break our heart in different ways. one of the most important question when this happens, is “what now?” Taking a look at how the heartbreak of life’s adversities, great and small, and how they cause hurt, pain and suffering. What do we do when this happens? We celebrate Mother’s Day by trying to take a perspective that we often see from mom’s…
THE END OF RELIGION
Throughout history some very important and influential people have leveled very serious accusations at religion; Freud, Marx and Nietzsche just to name a few. And we can add Jesus to this list as well! If, as we say at Storyline, Jesus came to end religion - what did He come to start? This is the question Mike Gathright considered this Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering.
THE NATURE OF JOY
Recently a leading scientist estimated with the incredible advances in knowledge that humanity has made in the last 20 years, we now know almost 2% of all that there is to know. 2? Two! Wow, we may know less than we think we do...The bible, contrary to how it is presented some times, is NOT an answer key, it is a book of stories; very real stories - including part of God's.
Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright looked at part of God's story that can give us great comfort and courage as we face the 98% of life we just don't get.
IT BEGINS WITH BELONGING
Mottos, slogans, catch phrases. It seems every organization, brand and company has one; Jesus had several...Storyline does too. Sunday Mike Gathright, began a series of talks that will take a closer look at the catch phrases we hear at the Gathering.
Where do they come from?
What can they mean for us individually and as a community?
BULLHORNS, HICKORY TREES & REDBEAN STEW
Have you ever felt like there is something bigger happening in the world? Have you ever felt like somehow, someway we're missing the point? Have you ever wondered if there is something you could do about it? This week at the Gathering, Paul Knapp explored the answers to these questions and what role we as humans play in the bigger story that is happening all around us.