A star-studded sky seems to be designed to spark awe. But this particular night sky was especially exquisite because it had very little "civilized" light to compete with. We had a front-row seat to the usual constellations in all their stark splendor and backing them was a majestic band of starry haze that made up the disc of the Milky Way galaxy. It was just raw, galactic spectacle. But one of the onlookers said that even this couldn't rival the star-packed sky on the lower slopes of Mt. Everest in Nepal. The elevation and lack of artificial light there makes the sky blossom with clusters of celestial light. But I think stars aren't the only things that tend to hide behind the artificiality in our culture. I've been enjoying the rugged wilderness sights in Northern Idaho since I moved here. But I've also realized that I most often enjoy these sights from the insulated convenience of my car--still separated from the freshness of the outdoors by several inches of glass and aluminum. In a similar way, what if we removed some of the sanitized guardrails that our society has put up and really talked candidly about the big questions that cover topics like purpose, death, relationships, marriage, fear, failure, parenting, legacy, witnessing? As Christians, we can seek to make church a safe place for pondering these hefty questions and finding answers from God's Word. Isaiah 1:18 says, “’Come now, and let us reason together,’” says the Lord, “’Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’” It’s OK to come to God with big questions because he wants to show us the beautiful treasures of truth that are waiting for us in His Word. Looking forward to the journey!