by Erica Palmisano | Sep 9, 2018
A message from the series “Adventures in Happiness.” One way or another we are all seeking happiness. A sense of wellbeing and contentment is often the major driving force in our lives, whether we are always conscious of it or not. But happiness is also illusive. Many of the things that seem to promise happiness (like material wealth, popularity or status) often fail to deliver, and the resulting dissatisfaction can drive us to greater frustration as we seek those same things even harder. Jesus offers an alternative and opens up a way of living that moves us away from self-centered pursuits and set us on a journey of love for others as well as ourselves. Paradoxically, such a life requires us to take the risk of not putting our own needs or happiness first. But this is not a negative life of self-neglect. Rather as we give our lives away, we find them. In this new way of personal growth, authentic relationships and service to others, we find a deeper meaning and a greater purpose to life that brings happiness. Not a fleeting happiness that’s dependent on any given circumstance, but a deeper experience that transcends the ups and downs of life and might perhaps best be called joy.
As followers of Jesus at Cedar Ridge we encourage one another to take this risk and to set out on this adventure in happiness. In fact everything we do here is an invitation into this paradoxical journey. It’s an invitation to partner with God in bringing healing to a broken world, and to let that healing begin with us. It’s a higher calling to live a life of meaning, purpose and fulfillment. It’s a journey we walk together, and our church is a community where we can each make this our reality. So a commitment to our vision is a commitment to live this incredible adventure!
by Erica Palmisano | Sep 2, 2018
A message from the series “God in the Movies.” We live in a fractured world—divided by race, class, sexuality, age, gender and national borders—and polarized by politics. Jesus came into a deeply divided culture bringing a message love and reconciliation. His early followers represented very diverse backgrounds and sought to become a community that transcended their differences. But like us, they struggled!
First Corinthians is the first of two letters recorded in the Christian Scriptures from the Apostle Paul to the fledgling church he started in the prosperous Greek city of Corinth. This new community of followers of Jesus was a diverse, gifted and dynamic group who were courageously and creatively exploring what new life in the way of Jesus looked like in their pagan culture. This resulted in some beautiful, life-giving expressions of faith but also created numerous problems and disagreements that resulted in deep divisions within the community. In First Corinthians, Paul addresses many of these divisions and calls the church back to its single greatest foundational truth: Love as embodied in Christ. This love is expressed as humility, consideration of others, and deference to the needs of those around us. Paul makes the case that no matter how gifted, enlightened or empowered we may think we are, real wisdom is found in this way of love. He dares to dream that unity is possible, and envisions a community that transcends disagreement.
During this 5-week series, beginning on July 1, we will work our way through the letter, and explore the cultural context of the text to gain a deeper understanding of this way of love. We’ll also wrestle with how these ancient teachings apply today, and take up the challenge of Paul for our own lives personally, our lives together as a diverse community, and how we might share this in our world.
by Erica Palmisano | Aug 26, 2018
A message from the series “God in the Movies.” We live in a fractured world—divided by race, class, sexuality, age, gender and national borders—and polarized by politics. Jesus came into a deeply divided culture bringing a message love and reconciliation. His early followers represented very diverse backgrounds and sought to become a community that transcended their differences. But like us, they struggled!
First Corinthians is the first of two letters recorded in the Christian Scriptures from the Apostle Paul to the fledgling church he started in the prosperous Greek city of Corinth. This new community of followers of Jesus was a diverse, gifted and dynamic group who were courageously and creatively exploring what new life in the way of Jesus looked like in their pagan culture. This resulted in some beautiful, life-giving expressions of faith but also created numerous problems and disagreements that resulted in deep divisions within the community. In First Corinthians, Paul addresses many of these divisions and calls the church back to its single greatest foundational truth: Love as embodied in Christ. This love is expressed as humility, consideration of others, and deference to the needs of those around us. Paul makes the case that no matter how gifted, enlightened or empowered we may think we are, real wisdom is found in this way of love. He dares to dream that unity is possible, and envisions a community that transcends disagreement.
During this 5-week series, beginning on July 1, we will work our way through the letter, and explore the cultural context of the text to gain a deeper understanding of this way of love. We’ll also wrestle with how these ancient teachings apply today, and take up the challenge of Paul for our own lives personally, our lives together as a diverse community, and how we might share this in our world.
by Erica Palmisano | Aug 12, 2018
A message from the series “God in the Movies.” We live in a fractured world—divided by race, class, sexuality, age, gender and national borders—and polarized by politics. Jesus came into a deeply divided culture bringing a message love and reconciliation. His early followers represented very diverse backgrounds and sought to become a community that transcended their differences. But like us, they struggled!
First Corinthians is the first of two letters recorded in the Christian Scriptures from the Apostle Paul to the fledgling church he started in the prosperous Greek city of Corinth. This new community of followers of Jesus was a diverse, gifted and dynamic group who were courageously and creatively exploring what new life in the way of Jesus looked like in their pagan culture. This resulted in some beautiful, life-giving expressions of faith but also created numerous problems and disagreements that resulted in deep divisions within the community. In First Corinthians, Paul addresses many of these divisions and calls the church back to its single greatest foundational truth: Love as embodied in Christ. This love is expressed as humility, consideration of others, and deference to the needs of those around us. Paul makes the case that no matter how gifted, enlightened or empowered we may think we are, real wisdom is found in this way of love. He dares to dream that unity is possible, and envisions a community that transcends disagreement.
During this 5-week series, beginning on July 1, we will work our way through the letter, and explore the cultural context of the text to gain a deeper understanding of this way of love. We’ll also wrestle with how these ancient teachings apply today, and take up the challenge of Paul for our own lives personally, our lives together as a diverse community, and how we might share this in our world.
by Erica Palmisano | Aug 5, 2018
A message from the series “God in the Movies.” We live in a fractured world—divided by race, class, sexuality, age, gender and national borders—and polarized by politics. Jesus came into a deeply divided culture bringing a message love and reconciliation. His early followers represented very diverse backgrounds and sought to become a community that transcended their differences. But like us, they struggled!
First Corinthians is the first of two letters recorded in the Christian Scriptures from the Apostle Paul to the fledgling church he started in the prosperous Greek city of Corinth. This new community of followers of Jesus was a diverse, gifted and dynamic group who were courageously and creatively exploring what new life in the way of Jesus looked like in their pagan culture. This resulted in some beautiful, life-giving expressions of faith but also created numerous problems and disagreements that resulted in deep divisions within the community. In First Corinthians, Paul addresses many of these divisions and calls the church back to its single greatest foundational truth: Love as embodied in Christ. This love is expressed as humility, consideration of others, and deference to the needs of those around us. Paul makes the case that no matter how gifted, enlightened or empowered we may think we are, real wisdom is found in this way of love. He dares to dream that unity is possible, and envisions a community that transcends disagreement.
During this 5-week series, beginning on July 1, we will work our way through the letter, and explore the cultural context of the text to gain a deeper understanding of this way of love. We’ll also wrestle with how these ancient teachings apply today, and take up the challenge of Paul for our own lives personally, our lives together as a diverse community, and how we might share this in our world.
