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Dearly Beloved,

I wonder what STUFFING is really like?

Thanksgiving is approaching, and many of our tables will feature something we call 'stuffing,' although my grandmother called it 'dressing.'

Somewhere in my childhood, I picked up the idea that I could never like stuffing. Perhaps I had a bite early on in life that I didn't like, or maybe it was just its appearance. Whatever it was, I was committed to the conviction that stuffing is bad. I nurtured this notion with the sight of it every Thanksgiving and Christmas for years. And while I fended off the attempts of many others to convince me otherwise, I found myself delighting in my anti-stuffing identity.

I have to admit, though, that as a late teen whose interest in all things culinary was growing, I was becoming a little curious about stuffing. Someone had patiently explained the concept to me — chunks of bread and a mix of other great ingredients slowly soaking up the turkey juices — and although outwardly I was still presenting as anti-stuffing, inwardly I was beginning to wonder, "What is stuffing really like?"

Although I couldn't seem to get over its disturbing appearance, I made a decision as a young adult that when I knew I had met the woman I would marry, I wouldn't turn down stuffing at her family's Thanksgiving table. And, you guessed it, my first Thanksgiving at Laura's parents' home is when I discovered "this IS good."

I became a believer.

We live in a world where many of your neighbours, coworkers, classmates, or people you know in our surrounding community are actually quietly wondering, "If there is a God, what is God really like?" For many people, something may have turned them off of the 'idea of God' somewhere earlier in life for some reason. Yet, they can't seem to escape wondering — and maybe even hoping for — what God is truly like.

This past Sunday, we were so very blessed to have Dr. Rikk Watts with us. He entertained the question, "What is God really like?" and journeyed through the background and context of the John 8 story of the woman caught in adultery to help us all arrive at the profound answer.

If you missed the message, I cannot urge you strongly enough to catch up and listen to it here! I don't think you want to miss the powerful way it speaks to YOUR life.

Most of your neighbours, coworkers, classmates, and people you know in our surrounding community need the opportunity to see that THIS is what God is actually like. They need the opportunity to EXPERIENCE Jesus for themselves too. This is why we want to bring the message and ministry of JESUS into everyday life!

While there is so much I could say to piggyback on the heart of what Rikk shared, I want to speak quickly to two things that were referred to on Sunday:

The importance of eating together.

  • Rikk unpacked the fascinating history of the Feast of Tabernacles and the immense way feasting together was profiled in this festival as a way to worship God and bear witness to His wonder. Rikk even challenged us to feast together more!
  • Once a year at our summer church camp in Courtenay, we do a large church-wide feast with a bounty of smoked meats and other fine foods we all share together. And while I'm sure it pales in comparison to the magnitude of "God's great BBQ" Rikk described at Tabernacles, it sure is a delicious opportunity for connection and celebration. This year we had close to 200 people and I hope you'll join us next year!
  • We did a series in May/June called "Everyone to the Table," inviting our church to consider the meal scenes of Jesus in Luke's gospel and to give greater priority to eating together with Christian friends and with people who don't know Jesus yet more often. It is the way of our Master!
  • I have heard many wonderful stories coming from times when people in our church open their homes and tables to others. Let's continue to do this this Fall and Christmas season. You will grow closer to one another in this "communion" and will find that people who don't know Jesus yet will have a great opportunity to experience what God is really like simply by being around a table with you.

The importance of connecting and growing in our faith together (in groups).

  • It is nearly impossible to find any kind of Biblical example of growing in one's faith independently. We grow as we connect in close community. This is why we make such a big deal out of "DNA Relationships" and inviting you to be part of a small group.
  • I think you should be part of a small group this Fall!
  • Following Thanksgiving Sunday, we will begin our main Fall Teaching Series (out of a pretty wild 'Old Testament' book!), and we are inviting all our small groups to journey and grow together through this series. This series and group experience will be 6 weeks + a group party (food!).
  • We will be opening several new small groups just for this series. This means there is room for you!
  • Please let us know if you are interested in joining a group this fall by clicking here.

What would journeying through our Fall series together with a small group REALLY be like?

Well, kind of like stuffing, you're going to just have to try it for yourself to find out!

Pastor Mike

PS—Please keep praying for my tomato drama situation ... the saga continues. I have now discovered it cannot be raccoons. I am fearing worse. Pray for me!