This Sunday, we begin our new worship series, Being Human: A Series on the Book of Psalms. These days, being human is a pretty overwhelming gift. Fear, joy, loneliness, exhaustion, love, hope, suffering, trust, anger—in this strange season of exile from our “normal” lives, everything it is to be human is intensified. Fortunately, there is a witness in … Continue reading "Being Human // Spiritual Friendship // Kate Murphy and Eulando Henton"

“God helps those who help themselves.” Yeah—this week we’re going to talk about that one, and, spoiler alert: the Bible doesn’t say that. The Bible doesn’t say that because our God doesn’t operate that way. God clothes the lily of the valley and feeds the sparrow. God feeds disobedient, run-away prophets. God makes the rain fall and the sun … Continue reading "The Bible Doesn’t Say That // God Helps Those Who Help Themselves // Kate Murphy"

“God won’t give you more than you can handle.” How many times has somebody, trying to console, said that to you? How many times have you said it, seeking to comfort someone else?  Saints, it’s not true—so we need to quit saying it. The truth is, God does give us more than we can handle. And, actually, … Continue reading "The Bible Doesn’t Say That // God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Handle // Kate Murphy"

This week we are really excited to welcome, listen to, and learn from Rev. Cedric Lundy. A thought leader in Charlotte with a passion for Christ, people, justice, and reconciliation, Cedric is among the leaders of the “It Ends Now” movement, focused on leading Christians into increased action as anti-racists. In addition to having pastored … Continue reading "I’ve Been Here the Whole Time // Cedric Lundy"

Smetimes the things we think—about God, about ourselves, about the way the world works—harm us and cause us to harm others. But the reverse of this is also true: right thinking can leads to righteous action. Renewed minds heal wounded hearts.  This month we’ll be walking through a new “The Bible Doesn’t Say That” worship series … Continue reading "The Bible Doesn’t Say That // Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game // Kate Murphy"

We know that we — those of us worshiping at The Grove, those in our extended communities, our neighbors across the nation, and our brothers and sisters in the Church worldwide — are facing hard times. But Paul reminds us in his letter to the church gathered in Philippi that even in hard times, we … Continue reading "Finding Joy: a letter to Philippi // Rejoicing Is an Act of Faith // Kate Murphy"

This month we are gathering around Paul’s letter to the church he planted in Philippi. Like us, they were separated from one another. They had no idea when, or if, they would ever be able to see one another again. Paul wrote to his friends from prison, with no guarantee he’d ever be released or that the … Continue reading "Finding Joy: a Letter to Philippi // Rejoicing Is an Act of Resistance // Kate Murphy"

This Sunday, we launch a new worship series at The Grove on the book of Philippians. Back in January, we chose one theme to trace throughout this letter from Paul to the church: Joy. Now, in this season of loss, anxiety, suffering, and violence, joy doesn’t just seem elusive—it seems offensive. But, maybe that’s just because we’ve never … Continue reading "Finding Joy: a Letter to Philippi // Love Is a Powerful Motivator // Kate Murphy"

This Sunday is Pentecost, the day Christians remember and rejoice that Jesus kept his promise to us, pouring out his spirit—the Holy Spirit—on all of his people. When the Spirit was unleashed, the gospel of Jesus began to spread beyond the small group of his disciples. When the Spirit came, cowering Peter became a mighty evangelist. When … Continue reading "Pentecost // Breaking the Silence // Kate Murphy"

This week we gather together in worship centered around another one of Jesus’ more troubling parables. It’s the story of a beautiful party and all the reasons most of the guests missed it. They didn’t miss it because they were busy sinning, committing crimes, or hurting people. They missed it because they were prosperous and responsible … Continue reading "Parables of Jesus // Wedding Guests: Rethinking Who Is Beyond Reaching // Kate Murphy"