But the Christian faith also sees an pervasive disorder among societies and between races, fractures inside families and in our own lives, disaster, disease, famine, death--which do more than tell us that  the world is not the way it's supposed to be.  There is more: the loneliness, guilt and alienation humanity suffers are all consequences of turning away from God.  That, in short, is the bad news.

 

The gospel (literally 'good news') is the core message of Christianity.  The gospel says that through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection God is restoring the peace and wholeness of individuals, families, communities, and nations.  When we approach God on the basis of what He himself has provided --Jesus' life, death, resurrection and record, not our own--we are freed from guilt, despair, the bondage of an empty life, and all the other consequences of being apart from God.  We can experience the solid joy of living for what we deep down know we were created for: relationship with God. In his memoir, St. Augustine put it this way, "You have made us for yourself, O God; and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You." Jesus came to bring that rest.  This good news is the message that glows in all our gatherings.  The gospel is the catalyst for coming to be and growing as children of God.  All that we do at Knowlton is designed to promote the growth of the gospel in our lives and in our community (Col.1:5-7).

The good news of the gospel doesn't just create new people, it creates new communities as well; new "mini-cultures" really.   In this new community called the Church, we see people loving one another who could not have gotten along without the healing power of the grace of Jesus Christ, and in that way serve as signs of his coming kingdom.  Now it's true that you have to get past the lampooned images of church in the media, as well as the obvious hypocrisy and craziness that sometimes pass for Christianity but are not.  Come and investigate the truth claims seriously; don't settle for stereotypical answers.  Authentic Christian community are marked by joyfully invitations to faith in Jesus, but also committed sacrificial service to all our neighbors whether they believe or not.   The gospel produces communities of Chrisyians who use their gifts and resources to meet the needs of others, especially the poor, working for justice for the powerless, and more.  We organize ourselves in simple ways to develop and deepen real friendships in an atmosphere of honesty and grace.  In these growing groups of friends the word of God works through each of all to make all of us grow in ways we couldn't imagine before.

 

The good news of God's work through Jesus his Son has a deep, vital, and healthy impact on the arts, business, politics, media, and education of any society.  It's a message meant for everyone:  people are meant to glorify God by coming under his loving rule and joining him in the renewal of all culture across the world.  We are committed to engaging and creating culture by living with excellence, distinctiveness, and accountability as changed people in our families, schools, places of work and play.  The Bible tells us there are signals everywhere that point to the 'certain underlying order' Hawking wondered about (Ps.19:1-3).  These signals tell us the earth and its peoples exist and are meaningful because God made us.  Purposeful and rewarding work, refreshing rest, enjoying beauty, giving and receiving love of family and friends; these are all threads of the culture God created, and which in Jesus Christ is being restored.  Don't stay where you are; this can be the year it all changes for you.  We warmly invite you to come and see for yourself.