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Urgency is a tyrant. When something is big, spectacular, disastrous, when the clock is ticking - we just have to deal with it. There isn't a lot we can do about that, unfortunately, the urgent usually takes our attention from the important.
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright considered what might be the most urgent question, is God real, in the hope of turning our attention to one that is most important, is God good?
We just finished a series of Gatherings asking some big questions about Storyline and life. Among other things we discovered the most important issue before all of us is the question - is God good? Now we are going to take on the first question...Is God real?
This is an issue more and more people struggle with now so Mike Gathright is going to explore the plausibility of the existence of God.
Little kids are always asking the same question - why? Over and over again. Why is the sky blue? Why do monkeys climb trees? Clean your room. Why? There is something very elemental about why? So here's a question...why?
Why is why such a critical question for us?
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright concluded our series about Storyline by circling back to the most basic, most fundamental question of all - why.
What words come to mind when you hear the word, "The Bible."
Beautiful, Inspired, Super-natural, Tired, Irrelevant, Tragic, Abusive, Holy, Purposeful. Boring...?
This week at the Gathering, Paul Knapp asked the question "What does the book mean to us and for us in 2017?" "Does it still matter?"
In a world enamored with style, glitz, technique and image we sometimes forget to ask about the "why" behind it all.
The last two weeks at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright has been exploring the "why" of Storyline. This Sunday, we considered how we do church.
"The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat." Lily Tomlin.
So, how do we avoid that...personally and professionally? How do we make sure it doesn't happen with Storyline? Well, every once in a while we have to take a minute to figure out where we're at, where we're going - and why. Last week Mike Gathright began a series of talks addressing the basics of Storyline, and this Sunday he continued by considering our historical context; where are we and more importantly, when are we?
"I don't get it...what is it? What is Storyline?"
You've probably heard that before. And then had NO idea how to answer.
Last Sunday, Mike Gathright began a series exploring why Storyline looks like it does, what we do (and don't do) - and why.
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!
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.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said, "the most deadly disease in American today is isolation." We have never been more connected - and never been more alone.
This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright explored this issue and the way Jesus and his first followers moved beyond loneliness into true community.
Life can be complicated and painful. You'd think that would keep us from doing difficult, challenging things. But it doesn't. Most of us take on and find great meaning in life through challenges. Why? This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering Wes Rieth explored what we can learn about ourselves, life and God by reflecting on why we do difficult things.
"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.
Of all the things we struggle with - the difficulties, the complexities of life - there is only one that is a result of us being made in the image of God...this Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright considered the one incredible way God has provided for us to remedy it.
From Verizon's, "Can you hear me now?" to Nike's "Just Do It," it seems that every product, organization, and even schools have a tagline nowadays. But this isn't a recent development. The early followers of Jesus had a tagline too; "Repent, Believe and Baptized." Unfortunately, today all three words seem, out of place, overly religious and unnecessary.
This Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering Mike Gathright explored the historical meaning behind this original tagline and how it just might be the opposite of outdated and religious - maybe it isn't about the past as much as it is the present and the future.
Idolatry... Repentance... now what?
The last two weeks Mike Gathright with the help of our friends, Abby Austin and Rebecca Bard, helped us put language to some of the deepest questions about life, grace, and the Gospel. They discussed what it might look like to be free and what is holding us back.
This week at the Gathering, Paul Knapp explored what it might look like to take the next step into the life of faith. What does it look like to truly let go of our idols and step into the "water."
