The Gathering

Jesus had a way of saying so much in a story—so much about the human condition, about our condition, that we probably could never be told directly.At this past Gathering, a parable of Jesus was considered that reveals all of our best excuses in life for exactly what they are.The band performed songs by U2, Ryan Adams, Joel Houston, and more.

This past Sunday was Father's Day, and whether you celebrate or mourn this day, it is always good to be together. We looked at a story that Jesus tells that demonstrates how well he knows and understands us.The band performed songs by Crosby, Stills and Nash, Brandon Lake, Ellie Holcomb, Ben Riedel, and more.

We live in a world of credentials and qualifications, where everyone expects everyone else to have the right skills, abilities, and even perspectives. Is that how God is?At this past Gathering, we considered what Jesus thinks qualifies us for life.The band performed songs by Radiohead, Coldplay, Tom Odell, and Will Reagan.

Big life events are a cause for celebration. At this past Gathering, graduating seniors were celebrated while considering what Jesus has to say about living life abundantly.The band performed songs by Kelly Clarkson, Corinne Bailey Rae, Miley Cyrus, and Hollow Coves.

So many of Jesus' stories are centered around agriculture. Maybe He is trying to tell us something about life, and how it comes to us and through us. At this past Sunday's Storyline's Gathering, another of Jesus' parables about growing, changing, and flourishing was considered.The band performed songs by Kacey Musgraves, Fleetwood Mac, Alabama Shakes and more.

Sunday was Mother's Day; a special day to honor and celebrate the very special kind of love they give their children. At this past Storyline's Gathering, we explored the way God's grace and a mother's love can change who we are. The band performed songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fleetwood Mac, Rich Mullins, and Brandon Lake.

Did you know storytelling is considered the world's oldest art form? Jesus used them to invite his listeners into another way of seeing and living life.This past Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, we considered the very first parable of Jesus.The band performed songs by Death Cab for Cutie, Harry Styles, Kings of Leon, and Bethel Music.

This past Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, a new series about the stories Jesus told began. The exploration focused on why He told stories, what stories He shared, and what we could learn about God, life, and ourselves.The band performed songs by Demi Lovato, Morgan Harper Nichols, Maverick City, and more.

Easter, regardless of what anyone personally believes about it, represented the most pivotal day in human history. Everything about the world changed that day. Could that also be true for us?This past Sunday, we considered how Easter can change how we live our real, everyday lives.Mike Koch and the band performed songs by Sting, Houndmouth, Jon Guerra, and Bethel Music.

We all want the best for ourselves and for each other. But what happens when reality doesn't match up with our expectations? What do we do then? In the recent Gathering, we explored expectations, hope, and what God has to say about the role each can have in our lives.The band performed songs by Tracy Chapman, Lorde, Radiohead, and Saving Jane.

This past Sunday, we wrapped up our series on the Beattitudes (the beginning of the beginning of Jesus' first sermon). How did Jesus wrap up this list? We looked at his most controversial statements about persecution and joy.It seems obvious which one you should avoid and which we want more of. But, like so many of the Beatitudes... there is always a surprise!The band performed songs by The Beatles, R E M, Noah Gunderson, and Drew & Ellie Holcomb.

There is a lot that our current world lacks, but peace may be at the top of that list. Jesus held it in such high regard that he actually said, peacemakers will be called children of God. This past Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, we wondered together what He meant by that.The band performed songs by The Eagles, Bruce Hornsby, Rob Thomas, and Sara Bareilles.

We've been exploring the first public words of Jesus over the past few months to consider what He invites us into. Recently at Storyline's Gathering, we continued looking at the Beatitudes and what Jesus suggests about how we see God.The band performed songs by U2, Michael Kiwanuka, Wilderado, and more.

What if what we need most will always somehow escape us if we are not willing to share it? This past Sunday, we explored the Beatitudes of Jesus, where He suggests just this.The band performed songs by Shaboozey, The Avett Brothers, TAYA, and more.

We have spent the past few weeks diving deeper into Jesus's promise of hungering and thirsting for righteousness. This past Gathering, we wrapped up our series within a series on consumerism by looking at the temptation that advertising offers regarding our personal happiness.The band performed songs by Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, Maggie Rogers, and The Turtles.

Do you ever get the feeling there is something bigger happening around you, but can't quite figure out where you fit? Have you ever felt like somehow, someway we're missing purpose or meaning? Have you ever wondered if there is something more you could do? This past week, we explored an old story about two brothers and wondered together about what role we play in the bigger story happening all around us.Mike Koch and the band played songs by Coldplay, Ethel Cain, John Mayer, and more.

This past Sunday, 120 million people tuned in to watch The Big Game, with 51 million of them rooting for the commercials. During our past Gathering, fellow Storyliners shared parts of their stories in conjunction with some of the most creative and inspiring commercials ever produced.

In the week prior at Storyline's Gathering, we looked at the fourth Beatitude in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." This past week, we dove deeper into that promise and explored how the things modern life tempts us with hungering and thirsting for can influence the life of faith.The band performed songs by City & Colour, Jewel, Broken Bells, and Leanna Crawford.

Last week, we explored Jesus' first public address, The Beatitudes, and how they resonate with his first recorded private words. The band performed songs by Adele, Alicia Keys, U2, Harry Styles, and more.

Most of the revolutionary leaders of history were counter-cultural. They fixed something most people knew was wrong. Jesus did something very different, and nothing illustrated that more than what was explored at Storyline's Gathering.The band performed songs by Phil Collins, Carly Simon, Ben Rector, and May Erlewine.

Jesus said a lot of things that didn't seem to make sense. This week, we looked at one of the most confusing... that becomes an absolute beauty when we realize what He was inviting us into.The band performed songs by Bruce Springsteen, Stephen Wilson Jr., David Ramirez, and more.

How we start something often determines our trajectory moving forward. Jesus seemed to be thinking about this as he began his public ministry. This past Sunday, we considered how Jesus started and what it means for us.The band performed songs by Adele, Florence and The Machine, and more.

Christmas promises one thing over and above everything else. What is it? Why did we need it? What was it for? These are the questions we explored together at Storyline's Gathering.The band performed songs by The Eagles, U2, Kacey Musgraves, Sia, Lauren Daigle, and more.

Many times receiving a gift is much more difficult than giving one. This past Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, they considered the gift of Christmas and how to receive it.The children sang some Christmas carols, and the band performed songs by Leon Bridges, Joan Osborne, and Aundrey Assad.

It's officially the Christmas season!This past Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, they explored why Christmas is the season of hope and what that could mean for our everyday lives.The band performed songs by Bob Dylan, Pink, James Bay, and more.

In the Sunday prior, we explored how Jesus' first public act speaks louder than words in revealing who God is and what He offers us. Now, we consider Jesus' second public act and what it signifies about who we are and what we need.The band performed songs by Shania Twain, Adele, Lauren Daigle, and more.

This Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, a new series began about the actions of Jesus and what they "say" about who God is.The band performed songs by Taylor Swift, Adele, Coldplay, John Legend, and more.

In a world full of questions, unmet expectations, and doubt, it's natural to seek answers. Many sought guidance toward a promised land where uncertainties fade away. However, if that desire is inherent, why did it often feel so elusive?In this episode, the band plays songs by Matisyahu, The Avett Brothers, Tenille Townes, and Will Reagan.

This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we wrapped up our series on Jesus and politics. The band performed songs by Joni Mitchell, Audrey Assad, Drew Holcomb and Mary Gauthier.

There have been many revolutions throughout history, but only one revolutionized revolutions. This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we continued our series on Jesus and Politics. The band performed songs by The Beatles, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, The Cranberries and more.

Jesus has been called many things - even a revolutionary. But, that isn't altogether fair, especially when you consider all He could have done, but didn't. When it came to politics Jesus revolutionized what it meant to be a revolutionary.This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we began a three part series on Jesus and politics. The band performed songs by Marvin Gaye, Stealers Wheel, a Michael Koch original and more.

This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we explored the term Christian; what it means, what it meant. What it could mean? The band performed songs by Coldplay, William Matthews, Bethel and more.

This past Sunday, we wanted to explore some of your favorite and least favorite things. We could have been fans of so many different ideas, people, flavors, teams, and music. If that was just the way the world worked, who were God's favorites?Who did he cheer for?The band performed songs by Randy Newman, Echosmith, Drew Holcomb, and more.

We wrapped up our series on "Questions God Asks Us" by looking at questions from Storyliners (shared during that week and shared during the Gathering - live, and anonymously) about God, faith, church, and Storyline.In addition, Mike Cook performed a couple songs for us.

Life generates a lot of questions. Mystery and complications abound. But, it is not as if we weren't a part of all of that. We too, were complicated and even mysterious. And every once in a while, it was a good idea for us to allow God to ask us some questions.Last Sunday at Storyline's Gathering, we continued our series on the questions God asked us.The band performed songs by Tom Petty, Maggie Rogers, Nikka Costa, and Will Reagan.

It is not unusual for each of us to have questions about God and even questions for God. But did you know that God has questions for us?This past Sunday morning at Storyline's Gathering, we began a new series about the questions God asks us.The band performed songs by Post Malone and Lainey Wilson, Death Cab for Cutie, Fleetwood Mac, and more.

This Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we continued our tour through the Old Testament and the Grace of God. The band performed songs by Miley Cyrus, Gotye, Andra Day, and more.

This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we considered the surprising relationship between God's Grace and our grit as we continued our series on finding the Grace of God in the Old Testament. The band performed songs by Coldplay, Chris Stapleton, The Band Camino and The Pretenders.

It's easy to experience God's grace when life is good and everything is going as planned. But what about when things don't go how we want or expect them to? This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we took a look at how to find God in the midst of unexpected and unwelcome circumstances.The band performed songs by Fleetwood Mac, Peter Bradley Adams, City and Colour, and more.

What is life for? There is no bigger question. And no easy answers. But what if there is a direction? A path to follow?These are the questions we considered together, at Storyline's Gathering, this past Sunday. The band performed songs by The Steve Miller Band, Needtobreathe, Will Reagan and more.

This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we continued our search for the Grace of God in the hardest places by looking at Moses' farewell address to his people and the impact his legacy has had on history and our lives. The band performed songs by John Legend, Lady Gaga, Michael Koch and more.

To say we live in a time of change is to put it mildly - everything is changing and faster than ever. Yet, there are episodes in the bible that recount settings very similar to ours; enormous upheaval, dislocation and unclear paths forward. This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we continued our search for the Grace of God in the Old Testament in a book all about just such a time, whose title literally means, "The Wilderness." Sounds familiar.The band performed songs by Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Joy Oladukan and more.

All summer, we have been looking at ways to find the Grace of God in the most difficult parts of the Bible. This past Sunday, we continued to do the same by exploring how God's deliverance of the Israelite people could surprise us in ways we never expected. The band performed songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cat Stevens, Michael Koch, and more.

Sometimes it is very difficult to see the good, the benefit, the grace in the rules. We don't like 'em! But God sees it another way. Why? The answer might surprise you. This is what we considered, this past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering. The band performed songs by Johnny Cash, Dawes, Don Henley and more.

Finding the Grace of God in the hardest chapters of our life is what our summer series is all about. This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we considered one of the darkest times in the history of the Jewish people as an inspiring example.The band performed songs by Talking Heads, Lauren Daigle, Elton John, and more.

This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we kicked off our new series on Finding the Grace of God in the Bible, beginning with the beginning, the book of Genesis. The band performed songs by Queen, Phil Collins, Bill Withers, and more.

The world is pretty crazy right now, and it can be hard to find the grace of God in it some days. Fortunately, the bible is a deep and rich source for finding the grace of God in the most unexpected places. This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we began our new series for this summer, "Finding the Grace of God in the Bible." The band performed songs by Katy Perry, Brandi Carlile and Lauren Daigle.

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2024!! Graduating from high school is no small task, and we are so proud of our 2024 graduates. The moment of graduation is full of excitement, but it is also a gateway into a very daunting unknown. “What is going to happen next?” This past week, at the Gathering, we contemplated this question together and wondered what might be coming for all of us. The band performed songs by Gnarles Barkly, Leonard Cohen, John Mayer, and TAYA.

This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we wrapped up our series on the power of stories, by considering the story of God. The band performed songs by Harry Styles, Fleetwood Mac, Zedd, Maverick City, and more.

Sunday was Mother's Day! Yay! Moms are the best for so many reasons. This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we considered just one of the things our mom's know that we all need to remember!The band performed songs by The Rolling Stones, Brandi Carlile, Sam Cooke and more.

Stories have the power to shape our lives in many ways, which is why it's so critical for us to choose our stories wisely.This past Sunday, at Storyline's Gathering, we continued to look at one of the elements that make great stories, and the impact this has on our lives.The band performed songs by Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Jackson Browne, and Aimee Mann.