January 20, 2023
Hello Radiant Community,
I am a big fan of libraries.
I enjoy the quiet, the aesthetics, the innumerable rows of old books. I even like the smell. Best of all, libraries usually provide books and media for free (of course, you have to return them). What a brilliant idea!
Libraries, however, are sometimes difficult to navigate. The Dewey Decimal System is still a mystery to me (can someone explain it to me?) and it always takes me awhile to find my bearings in a new library.
It is not until I orient myself in the layout of the library that I am able to find what I am looking for — or perhaps even discover something I didn’t know that I was looking for.
The point is this — the better our grasp of the sections the more precise and accurate our findings.
Sort of like the Bible.
The Bible is truly library of scriptures. This beautiful strange book was written over many centuries. Its authors deploy different literary styles, the historical and cultural context of the writing vary wildly, and the references are often missed by us.
So to read the Bible well — we would do well to orient ourselves!
That’s what this Sunday’s teaching is about. We are going to consider how to read the Bible literarily — with a conscious awareness of things like context and category.
This is not just some academic exercise. Rather, we believe that good, humble reading of God’s word will help us to enter into its deeps.
As we understand in more detail the different parts of the scripture, we do justice to the whole of God’s big story and most importantly, our part in it.
So DVR the 49ers game — and join us this Sunday at 5pm for part three of our “How to Read the Bible Series.”
CALENDAR (see below for details)
Ongoing — Home Churches
2/12 – Pre-game Worship Gathering – 1PM
3/12 – Second Sunday Supper
3/25 – Women’s Tea – details coming soon!
4/9 – Easter Brunch 10:30 AM and Worship 11:30 AM
4/21-23 – Men’s Weekend at Mission Springs (Registration now open)
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NEWS
We’ve got some great news. We’ve hired our own Gracie Crew to be our Children’s Ministry Coordinator! In this part time role Gracie is going to help coordinate and schedule teachers and assistants. She’ll also handle the administrative work that goes into keeping our Radcov kids ministry going and thriving. More than all that, Gracie is excited to continue to share the love of Jesus with kids by being present to them — helping them know that they are seen and loved by God!
HOME CHURCHES
Our Home Church groups are smaller communities that meet during the week where we learn to practice the simple way of Jesus. No experience required, all are welcome. We usually share a meal, read scripture, and consider what God is up to in and through our lives.
This is a great time to consider plugging into a home as we will restart groups in mid-January. If you are interested in learning about available groups and what group might be a good fit for you contact Zach at zach@radcov.org
PRE-GAME WORSHIP on 2/12
We are going to move our worship service on Super Bowl Sunday from 5pm to 1pm. This will be a one-off time change. Why do this? Well, we want people, disciples of Jesus, to be hanging out with friends and family during a ridiculously culturally significant event — which happens to start at 3:30pm. Our thought is this: instead of competing with the game, why don’t we use the day to have a special pre-game worship gathering where we consider the spirituality of sports in our culture? Or to consider how do we party like Jesus partied? We are going to make this day fun — we’ll move worship into the fellowship hall and do a Nacho bar. More details to follow. Btw – it will be the 49ers in the big game!
YOU’RE INVITED TO PRAY
Every Sunday a group of folks pray for the Radiant community from 4-4:30 in the ELC office. You’re invited to join. It is always a good time seeking the face and voice of God together. No need special skills or experience required. Just show up.
MEN’S WEEKEND (4/21-4/23) REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
The Men’s Weekend at Mission Springs will soon be here, April 21st-23rd, 2023. Early Bird Discount of $25 – register before February 15th!!!
We look forward to your joining us for a time of worship, fellowship and growing in your faith journey as we go ‘Back to Basics’. This is an event put on by our regional denominational conference. More information and registration can be found here.
Also — John Fowler has four spots at his private cabin in Mission Springs for those interested in going. This will reduce your registration costs. Contact John at 209.345.5854
BAND APP
One way to connect at Radiant is to join our BAND APP group. Think of this as a sort of Radiant message board — our own little social media space. People can extend invites, share about needs and resources. Please join us! https://band.us/n/adaa739aX4Rca
Grace and peace!
Zach
