If I were to be
bold enough to paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson, Junior I might offer: “Simplicity before complexity is worthless,
but simplicity on the other side of complexity is of extreme value.”[*] I guess I was
bold enough to paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson, Junior, right?
Following
Easter, we are going to offer a Sermon Series on Six Simple Truths of Life. I
could maybe offer elements from this series as maxims of life and while I pray they
might not be literally worthless, their real value will come from exploring
them, in community, deeper.
These are the Six Simple Truths we plan to explore:
- Truth #1 – The Golden Rule.
- Truth #2 – Six important words – Forgive as the Father Forgave You.
- Truth #3 – Life’s challenges are best dealt with if we are prepared.
- Truth #4 -- Our contentment lies within us.
- Truth #5 -- We stand on the shoulders of others.
- Truth #6 -- At the end of the game of life, all of it goes back in the box.
The series
will also pause and draw, deeply I hope, from the secular wells of Mother’s Day
and Memorial Day. We will also recognize
our graduates the last week of this time together. In addition, our various bell choirs will
lead us musically in worship once during this period.
This series
is about equipping and growing. It is
our intent to extend the right hand of hospitality and fellowship to new
visitors who might have experienced Hilltop for the first time during our
Easter worship. We believe we offer
spiritual growth, that is making an application between ancient words and daily
lives is a critical element of how we spiritually nourish and are
nourished. Growth and application are in
fact core parts of my credo (belief). I hope we might increase those foci (the plural of focus) a little and
offer life lessons to those who might not have a church family.
Share this
hope with others and invite them to experience The New Hilltop!
Selah,
Pastor Dennis
Version of April 22, 2014. This might be edited a little over time.
[*] Emerson wrote: “I would not
give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life
for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.”
