Downtown: Matthew 10:5–42—Instructions for the Mission

We are in Part IV of our ongoing series in the book of Matthew. In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus is inviting us into a whole new way of life with a new set of values and a new type of community. Really, it’s a whole new Kingdom that is being established right here and right now in the middle of this world. And compared to some of the prevailing values of our culture, it’s a bit of an “upside down Kingdom.” It’s a Kingdom where the outcasts are welcomed, the humble are honored, enemies are loved, the poor are esteemed, strangers are befriended, and the guilty are forgiven. It’s a Kingdom where the King is enthroned on a cross, His victory comes through His death, and His death gives life to the world.

 

Highlands: Matthew 10:5–42—Instructions for the Mission

We are in Part IV of our ongoing series in the book of Matthew. In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus is inviting us into a whole new way of life with a new set of values and a new type of community. Really, it’s a whole new Kingdom that is being established right here and right now in the middle of this world. And compared to some of the prevailing values of our culture, it’s a bit of an “upside down Kingdom.” It’s a Kingdom where the outcasts are welcomed, the humble are honored, enemies are loved, the poor are esteemed, strangers are befriended, and the guilty are forgiven. It’s a Kingdom where the King is enthroned on a cross, His victory comes through His death, and His death gives life to the world.

 

Downtown: On Mission Together

Each fall we take time to recenter around our mission as a church: to make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all people. This year, over the course of three Sundays, we’re going to focus on what it means to follow Jesus together. After 18 months of being scattered and separated in varying degrees, we want to remind ourselves that we weren’t at all meant to follow Jesus in isolation, but together with His people.

 

Highlands: On Mission Together

Each fall we take time to recenter around our mission as a church: to make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all people. This year, over the course of three Sundays, we’re going to focus on what it means to follow Jesus together. After 18 months of being scattered and separated in varying degrees, we want to remind ourselves that we weren’t at all meant to follow Jesus in isolation, but together with His people.

 

Downtown: Build Community Together

Each fall we take time to recenter around our mission as a church: to make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all people. This year, over the course of three Sundays, we’re going to focus on what it means to follow Jesus together. After 18 months of being scattered and separated in varying degrees, we want to remind ourselves that we weren’t at all meant to follow Jesus in isolation, but together with His people.

 

Highlands: Build Community Together

Each fall we take time to recenter around our mission as a church: to make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all people. This year, over the course of three Sundays, we’re going to focus on what it means to follow Jesus together. After 18 months of being scattered and separated in varying degrees, we want to remind ourselves that we weren’t at all meant to follow Jesus in isolation, but together with His people.

 

Downtown: Worship God Together

Each fall we take time to recenter around our mission as a church: to make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all people. This year, over the course of three Sundays, we’re going to focus on what it means to follow Jesus together. After 18 months of being scattered and separated in varying degrees, we want to remind ourselves that we weren’t at all meant to follow Jesus in isolation, but together with His people.

 

Highlands: Worship God Together

Each fall we take time to recenter around our mission as a church: to make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all people. This year, over the course of three Sundays, we’re going to focus on what it means to follow Jesus together. After 18 months of being scattered and separated in varying degrees, we want to remind ourselves that we weren’t at all meant to follow Jesus in isolation, but together with His people.

 

Downtown: Psalm 119, Part 3—God’s Word To Us

This Sunday is week 13 of Christ in the Psalms at Park Church Downtown and we’re in Psalm 119. Instead of taking Psalm 119 section-by-section, we’re addressing it topically over the course of three weeks. In this third and final, week, the topic is “God’s Word To Us.”

 

Psalm 119, Part 3—Artwork

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: James Stukenberg

James Stukenberg is a photographer based in Denver. Since relocating to Colorado from Wisconsin in 2018 he has freelanced, photographing editorial and commercial assignments. He and his wife, Anne, have a daughter, Henrietta, and are expecting another child in December.

Piece: Photography

Upon first look, Psalm 119 may simply read as a straightforward declaration of the beauty and truth of the Word of God—an unwavering devotion from someone brimming with confidence in their Creator. But these praises aren’t offered lightly by someone who has been handed a life of ease. The psalmist is enveloped in struggle—struggle with his own brokenness and struggle with the brokenness of the world that surrounds him. He senses the threat of succumbing to these forces.

I’m drawn to the tension between the psalmist’s firm belief in God’s goodness towards him and his broken-life experience that causes him to approach God in vulnerability, crying out “Do not utterly forsake me!” I identify with the position of the psalmist as I wade through my own season of struggle—questioning my purpose and identity, feeling isolated and unknown, longing for a sense of home and wholeness. Engaging with the corresponding darker emotions with a raw honesty towards self and God is the first step toward hope and healing.

The process of making these photos was reflective and instinctive—as I read and considered Psalm 119, I let it inform my thinking and seeing, intuitively making images that resonate with this emotional state shared with the psalmist. This short series overlaps with a larger ongoing body of work, visible at the link below.

See complete series