Throughout time, the mysterious and monstrous has been a source of angst for the people of God. The natural response is to feel alone in our own fears, get ourselves out of the situation, or even feed that which frightens us in our own selves. Taking note of who we have met along the journey, we now survey the Old Testament, locating ourselves along the trajectory of the story of God. It is a story that makes room for mystery and monsters - allowing us to make a home for that which causes discomfort, making friends with and turning fear into wonder, and accessing what was previously inaccessible, as we journey into the great unknown. 

*Play on bad VBS titles.: This year we embark on a journey. We have spent considerable time in the last several years working through our own healing journeys that have included stepping into lament and celebration and this year the Spirit seems to be taking us on a trip together again. We imagine ourselves preparing for a long hike, think Pacific Crest or Appalachian Trail. Hikes that a number of people have written and told stories about, often highlighting the ways the journey allowed them to reclaim themselves in some ways and discover themselves in other ways. Y’all know we love a good title for our sermon series and we decided to lean into the idea of reclaiming a part of our stories that seemed lost when we had to throw out theology that caused us harm. We’re going back to Vacation Bible School this year! We hope that the series titles offer opportunities for us all to joyfully “repack our bags”.