Enter Hope
It is Easter evening - (Resurrection Day evening)... Today in our gatherings we started a new series called "Enter Hope". The series will be going through various ways the resurrection of Jesus gives us hope.
This is our 5th Easter Sunday as a church - as we planted Vintage Faith Church in February 2004. 
Time flies so fast, I can't believe we planted Vintage Faith 4 years ago already and this is our 5th Easter together.
Near the end of the gathering, we had rubber stamps and ink pads that were passed around that had the word "hope" on it. People then stamped there hand and we stressed to remember all day long about the reality of the truth and hope that the resurrection brings.
This morning we started with walking through a section from 1 Corinthians 15. We talked about the way the death and resurrection of Jesus occurred "according to the Scriptures" (v.3-4) and the confidence we can have in the Scriptures. Then talked about the resurrection itself. We tried to communicate hope and also set up the series we will be teaching through the lens of the resurrection.
It was one of those preaching times, where I struggled during the first gathering. I didn't feel I was too focused a few times with clarity of points, but after that gathering the next felt better and more focused. Preaching is an odd thing sometimes.
It was a good day, it is always a joy to see children in the gathering and there as a group who sang at each one. Josh had picked out a song and then gives the CD to parents and Katie and Claire have been singing "Every Step I Take" or whatever that song is. Not The Police "Every Move You Make" song but a worship sing with a lot of happy "na na na's" in it that children love to sing. I am kind of glad it is over as I have heard that song dozens of times the past few weeks. But it is so cool seeing kids involved like that in the worship gathering.
We had the video overflow happening in the coffee house during the gatherings. We have been doing that for a while in the evening gathering due to lack of space but haven't had the need in the morning, but did because of Easter. I am so torn about video venues and overflow. I can understand overlfow like we do when you run out of seats - so it is an overflow. But launching video venues off-site is a diffent thing and I am always thinking of how they shape one's ecclesiology. The medium does (in my opinion) make a difference in the message. But that is a whole other discussion and I am tired right now and may try to sleep.
Easter Sunday - Resurrection Sunday... "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
