Apr 28, 2024
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Any depressed philosophers out there? Have I got a book for you! Anybody facing a bit
of an existential crisis? You are not alone. Ever feel like life isn’t as clear cut and how you’d like
it to be? Keep reading!
Human beings have long searched for meaning in life—answers to some of our deepest
questions: What constitutes a ‘good’ life? What will truly satisfy and provide meaning to my
life? Why does there seem to be such a random nature to things? What is the purpose of life if
we’re all going to die anyway? And what role (if any) does God have in this? These questions
aren’t just for the tortured poets of our society (I see you, Swifties!). They’re for every human
being—from the first-year college student at the start of her career, to the professional facing a
mid-life crisis, to the elderly widow adjusting to the physical limitations of her age. Wouldn’t it
be great if we could hear from someone who had the answers to these questions?
We can! The Book of Ecclesiastes, in the Old Testament, may be an ancient book, but
the truths are timeless. In it, our Teacher—also known as The Critic—shares insights from his
own quest after quest for meaning: the pursuit of wisdom, pleasures—wine, women, and
wealth—a successful career and status, and youth and physical health. In the end, he concludes
that every one of these comes up short…a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes is a poignant and
persuasive deconstruction of what doesn’t satisfy.
And yet, contrary to how many people have understood the book, this doesn’t mean
that life has no meaning. The initial cry, ““Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless”
(1:1, NIV) is a bit misleading; “mere breath, a mere breath” is more accurate. Life is fleeting.
Depending on what we’re chasing, it might even be futile. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, The
Critic would say it is only by seeing each potential substance of fulfillment for what it truly is—a
gift from God that has its limits—that we can truly find the joy and meaning we deeply yearn
for. In fact, once we embrace the cold hard truth about life, life explodes with meaning and we
can truly, “Eat, drink, and be merry” (2:24).
So if a little meaning or merry sounds like something you’d like, if you’re tired of empty
clichés and unsatisfying answers, join us the week after Easter Sunday for our series What Was I
Made For? We will explore some of the greatest teaching from the Bible on a life well lived. My
hope is that you, too, will find The Critic’s voice an indispensable—even if unpopular—one.
Because in the end, once all is set within its proper context and limits, we will see just why
everything matters!
Apr 28, 2024
Apr 21, 2024
Apr 14, 2024
Apr 07, 2024
The book of Jonah speaks powerfully to us about the largeness of the heart of God, so that our own hearts might be enlarged to care more deeply about people and make Him and His salvation known to others. No one can read about Jonah without being gripped by the fact that lost people matter to God. The story challenges us to respond in greater measure to the depth of human need that surrounds us.
If we could enlarge the graphic for the series (designed by Pastor Devin), we would see it’s a map of our area. It represents a primary area that God calls us to serve.
The book of Jonah opens with God’s call to the prophet: “Go to the great city…” (1:2). The book ends with the Lord asking Jonah, “Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (4:11).
In a similar way, the Lord is calling us to care more deeply for our immediate city. Let’s be praying for an enlarged heart for our neighbors, coworkers, and student friends and that God would use us to serve them in the name of Christ!
Mar 12, 2023
Mar 05, 2023
Aug 29, 2021
The songs we sing form and shape our understanding of God. Tune in to hear a short podcast about 1 favorite worship song each week.
May 30, 2020
It’s disappointing to learn our heroes have feet of clay. David, considered to be Israel’s greatest king, was no exception. Identified as the nation’s future king when he was a boy of ten or eleven, he quickly demonstrated competence, character, and devotion to God until, after twenty years of waiting, he finally got his shot.
After Saul’s final failure as Israel’s first king, David was then made king, but of just half the nation. For the next seven years, he reluctantly fought a civil war against forces loyal to Saul.
When the rebel forces collapsed, David was made
Now a man in his early fifties, David then stumbled into his greatest personal and professional failure; an abuse of power so egregious that we cannot think of him without recalling his sexual assault of a beautiful young woman, and the subsequent murder of her loyal husband. As great as David is, this episode remains a stain on his reputation, the consequences of which plagued him for the remainder of his life.
This makes David a complicated figure. Revered by later generations for his competence and piety, he was also a man with great flaws. But before we point fingers and throw stones, are we not also equal parts virtue and vice?
During the next few weeks, we will look at this part of David’s biography, learning what we can from his virtues and how to avoid repeating his failures.
John Sommerville - City Church senior pastor
Jul 28, 2019
Jul 21, 2019