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Speaker: Rev. Dr. Kit Schooley

What if everything you thought you knew about how the Bible came together was incomplete? The messy, human story behind Christianity's sacred text reveals a journey far more fascinating than most Sunday School lessons suggest.

The Bible didn't arrive as a pre-packaged collection of divine writings. Its formation followed no clear pattern, evolving through what one Methodist preacher called a "wild and woolly" process that "no one except maybe God could fully understand." This revelation forms the foundation of "Getting to 66," an exploration of how the 66 books that constitute our modern Bible came to be recognized as sacred scripture.

Perhaps most surprising is the timeline: Jesus died around 30 CE, but the first gospel wasn't written until 40 years later. None of the New Testament authors wrote with any expectation their works would become "scripture." The familiar gospels emerged gradually - Mark (70 CE), Matthew (90 CE), Luke (shortly after), and John (95-100 CE) - each reflecting different theological emphases and community needs. Meanwhile, approximately 50 other gospels circulated among early Christian communities, many now lost to history.

As Christianity spread beyond Jerusalem into the Greek-speaking world, particularly after Rome's destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the faith faced existential questions: How could diverse congregations scattered across the Mediterranean maintain unity without centralized leadership? What defined authentic Christian teaching? Was Jesus human, divine, or both? These questions sparked theological battles that would rage for centuries, particularly against movements like Gnosticism with its emphasis on secret knowledge and spiritual hierarchies.

The formation of the Bible wasn't merely a theological exercise but a deeply political 200-year process shaped by personalities, power struggles, and practical concerns. Understanding this human dimension doesn't diminish scripture's significance but invites us to approach it with greater humility and awareness of the complex journey that brought these ancient texts together.

What questions does this origin story raise about your own understanding of scripture? Join us next week as we continue exploring how these diverse texts were eventually wrangled into the canonical collection we know today.

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Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

Text: Luke 14:25-33

What does it really mean to follow Jesus? In Luke 14:25-33, Jesus delivers what might be considered the worst recruitment pitch ever: "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple." These jarring words launch us into an honest exploration of discipleship's true cost.

Far from advocating literal hatred of family, Jesus employs powerful hyperbole to emphasize a crucial truth: following him demands absolute priority in our lives. Like someone calculating whether they have resources to complete a tower or a king assessing if his army can defeat a larger force, would-be disciples must honestly count the cost before committing. Christianity isn't a hobby to enjoy or an identity to weaponize—it's a radical reorientation that challenges everything about how we live.

We explore this concept through our congregation's recent summer shelter project, which provided housing for homeless women for 90 days. This ministry required surrendering control, space, time, and comfort—exactly the kind of sacrifices Jesus describes. Yet through these very sacrifices came transformation, connection, and joy. This paradox sits at discipleship's heart: it's demanding yet liberating, costly yet fulfilling. When we say yes to God's call—swimming against cultural currents of convenience, individualism, and power—we discover what it means to truly follow Jesus. His invitation isn't easy, but it opens us to a life of purpose beyond what our consumer culture can provide. Are you ready to count the cost and follow?

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Preacher: Dylan Lewellyn

Texts: Lamentations 3 & John 14:1-17

Grief comes to us all, yet our society often teaches us to suppress it, push through it, or overcome it as quickly as possible. This powerful sermon challenges that narrative by diving deep into biblical perspectives on sorrow, particularly through the often-overlooked book of Lamentations.

The message begins with a profound observation: grief isn't limited to death but emerges from countless losses—relationships ending, physical abilities changing, possessions disappearing, or futures we planned suddenly vanishing. Through scriptural exploration, we discover something revolutionary—the Bible doesn't just acknowledge human grief but gives us permission to express it fully, even when that means directing our anger toward God. As the writer of Lamentations demonstrates, we can honestly accuse God of walling us in and breaking our bones when that's how grief feels, without fear of punishment or abandonment.

What makes this message particularly healing is its rejection of oversimplified models of grief. Rather than progressing neatly through stages toward a tidy resolution, grief moves circularly, returning unexpectedly years or decades later. The preacher shares touching personal examples—tears triggered by a Conway Twitty song ten years after an uncle's death, seminary classmates still overcome with emotion about losses from years past. But within this honest assessment comes the sermon's most beautiful insight: grief persists precisely because love persists. Our ongoing sadness testifies to the depth of our connections and the meaning we've experienced.

Have you felt shame about grief that lingers or returns? Has someone told you to "move on" or "get over it"? This message offers liberation from those harmful expectations. Christ himself wept, showing us that tears are sacred expressions of our humanity. When grief feels overwhelming, remember there's always a "but" or a "yet" moment coming—not to erase your pain, but to help you hold both sorrow and hope together in what one character calls "beautiful sadness." Listen, reflect, and discover how faith creates space for the full spectrum of human emotion.

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