One of the ideas behind Momentum was exploring less familiar biblical stories to gain new insight to our faith. Throughout the year there are a number of familiar stories that when examined from a different angle offer a fresh set of insights. As we continue to explore our focus for February “Steadfast Resilience” we encounter a story that is used in the rotation of preaching texts regularly: “Jesus and the Syrophoenician Woman.” Often when preaching on this text pastors will focus on Jesus reaching out across barriers of race & creed to bring healing. That’s usually Pastor Chad’s take on this text as he encountered it many times in his 16 years of preaching. But using the lens of “Steadfast Resiliency” opened a whole new perspective on the story. The steadfast persistence of the woman models spiritual resiliency that helps us recognize the need for persistence in our daily lives as we encounter challenges to the idea of faith that have been ingrained in our understanding of how God works in this world.