This song and this cover speaks to the fear of losing someone you love. I think maybe Jesus Christ as feeling this in the garden. It was a night of saying goodbye to friends—friends who laughed, cried, healed, shared meals and drank wine. Friends who journeyed together. Friends who would wind up at the foot of the cross. Matthew 26: 36-3936 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Geth...  Read More

The Funeral Procession by Ellis Wilson (1899-1977) was made popular when it appeared in the living room of The Cosby Show.What does community look like for you on your grief journeys? John 11: 17-3717 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was a little less than two miles from Jerusalem. 19 Many Jews had come to comfort Martha and Mary afte...  Read More

WelcomeI’ve got the joy joy joy joyDown in my heartWHERE?!?Down in my heartIf you weren’t already singing the Sunday School song about this week’s topic, well, you’re welcome. Joy, a seemingly simple emotion, can often be tricky to find and tough to hang onto. Religious types love to talk about how joy is more than just happiness. Joy carries a spiritual significance, and so, if we don’t have a to...  Read More

I firmly believe that the success of a church rests not just on the people who are reached and invited to know Jesus, but the leaders that are formed and sent out to multiply that work in the world. Two years ago, The Gathering felt a strong call to develop pastors who were interested in starting new churches. This led to the creation of our Church Planters Lab, and last year we welcomed our first...  Read More

Melancholy, a sculpture created by Albert Gyorgy, portrays the void that grief leaves us with. The sculpture depicts a figure made of copper sitting on a bench slumped over, with a giant hole in the center of it. This hole represents the massive void that we all feel when we lose someone dear to us, and many people have expressed their appreciation for this sculpture for it portraying the exact em...  Read More

In November of 2022 we lost our oldest son Jakob at the young age of 28. He was a beautiful light in this world. He had disabilities and despite that was the happiest kid! When he died, I knew that I wanted to honor him with a tattoo. This is so special to me because I believe that butterflies and cardinals signify that your loved one is near. Jakob’s siblings, Emily & Lukas wanted the song “I Mus...  Read More