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
BRICKS
Greatness... It's a word that comes with so many implications. It suggests success and triumph and legacy. It instills images of winning a race or conquering a fear. You may think of great moments in history like landing on the moon, The 1980 Miracle on Ice, the crumbling of the Berlin Wall. But what did Jesus think of greatness? How would he have defined it?
This week at the Gathering, Paul Knapp ask that and explored what greatness might mean when it comes to living the life of faith.
REVOLUTIONARY BATTLE
When really bad things happen we want to know why. It is a normal and natural response to suffering, tragedy and the evil in the world. Yet Jesus wants to lead us forward by encouraging us to ask another question as well - "what now?"
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright considered the unique and surprising path Jesus offers us in the face of life's most difficult realities.
REVOLUTIONARY REVOLUTION
WWJVF? Have you seen these bracelets? Me neither. But maybe you have wondered, "who would Jesus vote for?"
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright continued our discussion of religion and politics and the amazing revolution Jesus has unleashed and invited us into.
REVOLUTIONARY REVOLUTIONARY
It is an election year! (Ugh.) For most of us we either roll our eyes, sigh with disgust or even worse when we think about politics.
Jesus seemed to be able to relate - yet, he had a brand new, never seen or even considered approach to politics and how to make the world a better place.
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright looked at the totally unique and revolutionary way Jesus approached politics.
STORY SUNDAY
"But in order to make you understand, to give you my life, I must tell you a story."
-Virginia Woolf
Stories help us understand who we are and who God is.
This week at the Gathering was Story Sunday.
Join us as some Storyliner's shared some of their stories.
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?
We all have comfort zones; these spaces that we create and attempt to live life within. These zones are spaces of certainty and satisfaction... they are filled with what we know, which is why they are comfortable to us. But what happens when the life of faith calls us to step out of comfort zone?
This week at the Gathering, Paul Knapp explore why it is that we create comfort zones and ponder why certainty and satisfaction may actually be taking us in the wrong direction.
TARZAN
Cars run on gas. Horse on hay. What makes people go? It is stories. We all have a story we are telling and living. These stories, the way we frame ourselves and our purpose are what create the life we are living.
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering, Mike Gathright encouraged us to reconsider our story and explore how followers of Jesus have reframed and retold the story of God over and over again throughout history. Is it time to do it again?
SOMETHING IN THE WATER
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.