New Series: EMOTIONS
Aug 5, 2021 | by Brad Sumner
This August, we'll be launching a new teaching series on Sunday mornings called Emotions: Getting a Grip of Your Heart and Mind. Our emotions are “more than a feeling.” They are connected to our lived experiences and expectations. In this five-week series we will explore how our emotions such as anger, apathy, grief, and joy can work as barometers of health in our relationship with God. We'll be delving into the following topics:
- Aug 8 - Grief and Loss: We are coming out of an unprecedented season of grief and loss for many. As God's people, we are called to grieve with those who grieve and celebrate with those who celebrate. Too often we skip the former because it's uncomfortable or we simply don't know how and where to process our emotions of loss and grief. Together we want to enter this sacred space with the sharing of stories, singing, and practical ways to process our emotions of loss. Our hope and expectation is that in the safety of authentic community we will meet God together.
- Aug 15 - Anger - Christians have often been told or taught that anger is a sin. But what about anger against things like injustice? Is it possible to experience a kind of anger that is actually part of what makes us fully alive as humans?
- Aug 22 - Thankfulness and Delight - Religious people are known for being a bit stuffy. But what if we could learn to not take ourselves too seriously and to revel and delight in the goodness of God and God's good gifts to us?
- Aug 29 - Learning to Lament. The Biblical tradition and practice of lament is often misrepresented or misunderstood. Join Columbia Bible College professor Stacey Gleddiesmith as she walks us through the practice and why it is so vital to unlocking a deep and rich connection with God.
- Sept 5 - Celebration - We will wrap up the series on Sunday, Sept 5 with a focus on a Welcome Back Celebration. We'll be naming and thanking God for all of the big life events that we missed while we were apart and we'll be enjoying a meal together (our treat) by Memphis Mike's BBQ Food Truck. There will be a bouncy castle for kids and we'll be live streaming our live gathering for the first time! So join us for the celebration.
Our overall goal is this series is to help us remember that our emotions shouldn’t tell us where to go—Scripture does that—but they can help us understand where we are currently and realize where we need the transforming work of the Spirit in our lives moving forward.
- Pastor Brad