This Advent season, Gayle Parker opened by inviting us to rethink where real life actually begins. John’s prologue reminds us that Jesus didn’t simply enter the world in Bethlehem—He is the eternal Word who was present before creation, the One through whom all things came into being. In a season when we’re tempted to believe life will start “once we get there”—once we succeed, once we have enough, once things finally feel stable—John confronts us with a different truth. Real life is found not in our future milestones but in the Light who is already shining.

Through Amber’s story, Gayle showed how easily we follow false saviors—external pressures, internal fears, or habits that promise life but slowly steal it. Yet John insists that darkness never gets the final word. The light of Christ keeps breaking in, illuminating our choices and calling us to draw near to Him. Our task isn’t to manufacture light on our own, but to stay close to the One who brings it, letting His presence shape the way we live right now.

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Imagine having a bank account that deposits 960 dollars every single day, but with one catch: you can't save any of it for tomorrow. Every night, your balance resets to zero. What would you do? You'd spend every dollar wisely, right? Well, we already have this bank—it's called time. Every morning we wake with 960 minutes, and every night they're gone forever. This powerful metaphor opens our exploration of Ecclesiastes 12, where the ancient teacher confronts us with life's most uncomfortable truth: time is the one resource we can never stockpile, slow down, or earn back. The passage urges us with stunning urgency to 'remember your creator in the days of your youth'—not as a religious obligation, but as the central organizing principle of a life worth living. Through vivid imagery of a decaying house representing our aging bodies, the teacher shows us that death itself becomes our greatest instructor, rattling its chains to wake us up to what truly matters now. The scripture reveals that over 90% of believers come to faith before age 30, underscoring that the spiritual path we pave in youth becomes the road we walk in age. We're challenged to stop measuring out our lives with coffee spoons, avoiding the deep questions, and instead to lose our lives in Christ so we can truly find them. The invitation is beautifully simple yet profoundly challenging: fear God, keep His commandments, and discover that what we surrender to Him is always returned as something infinitely better.

We are in week 8 of our exploration of Ecclesiastes, as reverend Jackie Parks draws us through chapter 9:13-18 and confronts us with one of life's most uncomfortable truths: wisdom doesn't always lead to worldly success. Jackie draws us in to encounter the story of a poor, wise man who saves an entire city from a powerful king, only to be forgotten and despised. It's the ultimate letdown for our success-driven hearts. We want the underdog story to end with fame, influence, and lasting recognition. Instead, we're left wrestling with the absurdity of a hero whose wisdom worked but whose name vanished into obscurity. This passage strips away our transactional view of God—the idea that if we follow His ways, we'll be rewarded with prosperity, recognition, and measurable success. It challenges us to ask: Are we pursuing wisdom because it 'works' in getting us what we want, or because it's the way God created us to flourish? The message points us toward Christ, the ultimate embodiment of wisdom who was despised and rejected, yet through whom true victory came. We're invited to embrace a radical reorientation: wisdom isn't about future success but present faithfulness. It's not about fame but fruit. Living wisely means becoming more fully human in Christ, cultivating joy and faithfulness regardless of circumstances, and trusting that God's ways are worth following even when the world around us seems to reward foolishness.

What does a truly successful life look like? This week, we explore Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and how it challenges our cultural definitions of success, inviting us into a radically different way of living. We're confronted with two sobering realities: first, that our lives are not ultimately in our own hands but in God's hands, and second, that death comes for us all regardless of our achievements or status. Rather than leading to despair, these truths become the foundation for profound joy and freedom. The passage reveals that only about 10% of our lives are actually within our control—the rest is determined by genetics and circumstances beyond us. This means we can stop frantically grasping and start gratefully receiving. The teacher's prescription is surprisingly celebratory: eat your bread with enjoyment, drink your wine with a merry heart, wear clean garments, care for your body, and deeply enjoy your relationships. These aren't escapes from reality but acts of worship that acknowledge God's goodness woven into creation itself. When we understand that our lives rest in the hands of a loving God, we're freed from the anxiety of trying to secure our own success. We can be present, savor small moments, and find that true spiritual maturity looks like unhurried joy in the everyday gifts around us—exactly as Jesus modeled in his own remarkably relaxed and interruptible life.

We live in a world that often feels spiritually disorienting, where what we believe about justice and goodness doesn't match what we experience daily. This exploration of Ecclesiastes 8:10-17 tackles what we might call 'spiritual motion sickness'—that nauseating disconnect between our expectations of how the world should work and the reality we encounter. Just as physical motion sickness occurs when our eyes and inner ear send conflicting signals to our brain, spiritual motion sickness happens when wicked people prosper while the righteous suffer. The passage confronts us with uncomfortable observations: hypocrites praised in religious spaces, evil deeds going unpunished, good people treated as if they were wicked. Our culture offers two inadequate responses—empty sentimentality that ignores real pain, or crushing cynicism that sees only darkness. But the Teacher in Ecclesiastes offers a third way: wisdom that looks up to the horizon of God's ultimate justice while still enjoying the gifts of life here and now. This isn't naive optimism; it's resurrection realism. We're reminded that in Christ, we have a horizon shaped like a cross, where God entered our suffering, defeated death, and initiated a kingdom where all things are being made new. The cure for our spiritual motion sickness isn't having all the answers—it's keeping our gaze fixed on the North Star of God's promises, trusting that the arc of the moral universe truly bends toward justice, even when we can't see it clearly in the darkness.

What if the very thing that makes us human—our ability to speak—is also our greatest vulnerability? This week, the teacher in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 challenges us to reconsider the power and danger of our words. We discover that humans are essentially 'living language,' created in the image of a God who spoke the universe into existence. Yet this divine gift has become corrupted; our words can build up or tear down, heal or wound, unite or divide. The teacher in Ecclesiastes offers us a radical prescription: simplicity. Say less, listen more, and let God be God. We're confronted with the uncomfortable truth that much of our prayer life and religious speech is actually about us—our performance, our image, our control. The passage exposes how we heap up empty phrases, thinking God will be impressed by our verbal gymnastics, when in reality He longs for humble, honest, simple connection. Jesus himself modeled this perfectly, knowing when to speak and when to remain silent, entrusting everything to the Father. The most profound insight? Silence is God's first language. When we create space to listen rather than constantly filling the air with our anxious words, we encounter the gentle whisper of divine presence. This isn't about praying less overall—it's about praying with integrity, where our words align with our hearts and actions. The transformation begins when we stop trying to be our own god and instead rest in the identity Christ has secured for us.

In our journey through Ecclesiastes, we're confronted with the stark reality of life's challenges and the seeming futility of our pursuits. The teacher reminds us that without God, our efforts are merely 'chasing after the wind.' But amidst this sobering message, we find a powerful truth: we're not meant to face life alone. The passage emphasizes that 'two are better than one,' highlighting the importance of community in our faith walk. This echoes throughout Scripture, with the concept of 'one another' appearing over 75 times. As we reflect on this, let's consider how we can deepen our connections within our church family, supporting each other through life's trials. Are we truly living out the radically social nature of Christianity, or are we trying to navigate our faith in isolation?

Ecclesiastes | The Illusion of (Our) Control - Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 - Clint Leavitt by Midtown Presbyterian Church

In our exploration of Ecclesiastes 2, we confront the futility of pursuing happiness and pleasure for their own sake. The Teacher's experiment with wealth, power, and indulgence reveals a profound truth: nothing 'under the sun' can truly satisfy the human soul. This passage challenges us to examine our own pursuits and ask whether we're chasing after vapor. Are we, like the Teacher, trying to fill an eternal void with temporal pleasures? The message reminds us that our hearts are restless until they find rest in God. It's a call to shift our focus from fleeting earthly delights to the enduring love of our Creator. As we reflect on this, we're invited to receive life as a gift from God, finding meaning not in grand achievements, but in the simple, present moments that point us to His love. This perspective can transform how we approach our daily lives, work, and relationships, allowing us to live with gratitude and contentment in God's presence.

This week we begin a 9 week exploration of the book of Ecclesiastes as Tom Parker invites us to consider our mortality and the wisdom of humility. As we read Ecclesiastes 1, we're challenged to confront the brevity and cyclical nature of life. The scripture paints a stark picture of existence as 'hevel,' 'vanity,' 'smoke' - fleeting as a breath. Yet, far from being pessimistic, this wisdom literature invites us to embrace reality and find meaning within life's limitations. We're reminded that while generations come and go, the earth remains, highlighting our small place in the grand scheme. This perspective shift can be liberating, freeing us from the illusion of control and opening our hearts to God's eternal presence. As we grapple with life's repetitive nature - from daily chores to life's big questions - we're called to find joy in simple pleasures and trust in God's overarching plan, even when it's not immediately apparent. This message resonates deeply with our modern lives and our cultural moment, encouraging us to live humbly and purposefully in light of our mortality.