I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge…
Psalm 17:6-7 (ESV)
8:00 || 9:30 || 11:15 starting this Sunday!
Dear Restoration,
We are so grateful for everyone’s flexibility as we move through our 3 month pilot of 3 Sunday services. One of the things that we have heard is that ’11:30′ feels like a late start and a late end. We want to be responsive to that concern. So we are making a “mid-pilot shift”.
Starting this Sunday, May 12th, we will shift our service times to 8, 9:30, and 11:15. We intend to have the 11:15 service end closer to 12:30 rather than 1:00. If you used to be an 11 o’clocker and changed to the 9:30, would you consider trying our new 11:15 time and see how that feels? Those of you who have been attending the 9:30 know that it is (quite) full! We had 415 people in that one service last Sunday! Perhaps this change will be a welcomed opportunity to try the (all-new, grand opening) 11:15.
Early in June, we will send out a congregational survey to get your feedback on our pilot. We look forward to hearing from you as we make plans for the fall. As a reminder, we will go back to just 2 services at 9:00 and 11:00, during the summer, from June 23rd until September 1. We anticipate that we will again offer 3 services on Sunday, starting September 8th. Your welcomed feedback is helping us determine the times that will work best for most! Thank you.
I’m really excited about the upcoming events that I describe below. The first is an evening conversation with distinguished law professor, John Inazu, on May 15th. The second is a live album debut from our own, Nathan Thompson. I love the way Resto people use their God-given gifts. It is such a joy to be a part of this community.
See you on Sunday at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:15, David
Restoration is hosting an evening conversation with John Inazu, distinguished professor of law and religion at Washington University in St. Louis, and friend to many folks in our church.
He has a new book called Learning to Disagree, in which he describes a path to navigating differences with empathy and respect. Bill Haley will be the moderator. In my zoom call with Bill and John last week, we discussed how important and practical this conversation will be as we think about navigating all the difficult conversations we anticipate having in 2024.
John’s anecdotes are full of humility and help for seeing the other person. We are so tempted to assume that we are right and so tempted to dismiss those with whom we disagree. I hope that this conversation encourages us to keep digging down for humble empathy as we walk in faith that He is just even as We extend love and grace to others.
We will have cake and seltzer right at 7pm. Would you take a moment to RSVP and let us know that you are coming? Restoration will not be providing childcare for this event. See you there!
I’m sure you have seen Nathan on the piano at Restoration as we raise our voices in musical worship on Sundays.
I love the way he uses the gifts that God has given him. It is a grace to our church. Nathan has been working on an album that tells a story. The record is two years in the making. It’s about the ways we find ourselves in low places–as we all eventually do–and it’s about how we get out. ‘The Valley’ was recorded with the intent to tell a complete narrative that would translate to live performance. This album release show is the culmination of that effort.
It’s going to be a wonderful night. I wanted you to have a chance to read a little preamble in which Nathan describes what is at the core of the album. I also included a song from the album. After you listen, grab some friends and tickets and go!
Thank you Nathan for all of the ways you enrich our community at Restoration!
A preamble, by Nathan Thompson
This is how you get out.
Eventually, you will find yourself in the valley. It is depression. It is addiction. It is unexpected loss. It is a relationship you’ve mangled. You can lie to yourself, of course. You can tell yourself that working or thinking harder will solve your problems. You can tell yourself that, when the time is right, then, you’ll attend to the grief, disappointment, anger, self-hatred, pain—buried in your soul. You can tell yourself that the levees you’ve built won’t break. But they will.
This is how you get out.
It is beyond our individual capacities to escape the valley. We are beckoned out. Called out. Carried out. In whatever form it takes, departure from the valley is a collective effort. We are loved despite our malice. We are embraced as we weep. We are forgiven for the wrongs we have visited on those we owed protection and care. So, we may be in the valley. But we don’t have to be there alone.
This is how you get out.
Change, like many things in life, is a choice. It is a choice to lift your eyes one degree up, and to take one more step forward. It is a choice to confess your wayward steps. It is a choice to allow yourself to receive love when you cannot imagine a world in which you deserve it. And when you make this choice every day—the hardest choice, to let others see you, love you, grieve with you, reprove you, carry you—you will find that there is healing in unexpected places. You will find that there is healing in the valley.
This is how you get out.
When I was last in the valley, I went looking for a different story than the one I had been living, and what I found changed me—because it’s how I got out.
It’s the story of The Valley, my debut album, which releases on May 24. I cannot wait to share it with you.
