Author: Wende Gonzales

Our very first Blessing of the Animals this Sunday!

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’ So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel;
–Genesis 28:16-19

We crushed our Regional Assembly sign-up goals! We have 30 people registered, and every volunteer position we asked for has been filled! That is something worth celebrating. Thank you for your willingness to show up, lend a hand, and help us welcome our sister churches to our campus later this month. I am grateful for each of you and excited about what we will share together!

This Sunday, October 4, is the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, a beloved figure in the Christian tradition known for his deep love of all creation. Francis saw animals and the natural world as fellow creatures of God, often speaking of them as brothers and sisters. Over the centuries, churches have celebrated his legacy with a Blessing of the Animals, giving thanks for the creatures who share our lives and reminding us of our responsibility to care for all creation.

And this year, we are joining in that tradition for the first time as a congregation!

Around noon, following our fellowship time, you are invited to run home, grab your furry friends, and bring them back to the church for a special blessing (if they aren’t already relaxing in a pet carrier with you!)

Our pets are so much more than animals who live in our homes. They are family. They greet us with excitement, offer comfort on difficult days, keep us company when the house feels quiet, and bring laughter and love into our lives. For many of us, they help ease loneliness and remind us of the simple, faithful gift of being loved. That kind of companionship is worth celebrating and blessing!

Bring your furry family members and join us for this new tradition. We look forward to blessing them and giving thanks for the joy they bring into our lives.

This Sunday, October 4, our scripture reading is Genesis 28:10–19, the story of Jacob’s dream at Bethel. Along his journey, Jacob encounters God in unexpected places and experiences moments that shape and change his life. Again and again, he marks these experiences by naming places, building altars, or dedicating spaces as reminders of what happened there. These places become part of his story, helping him remember God’s presence and recognize the sacredness of those encounters.

Question of the Day: Where is a place you have journeyed to that feels special or sacred to you?

I look forward to worshiping with you in person or on YouTube!

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 9/25/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”
–Genesis 12:1

I am delighted by your ongoing responses to the “question of the day” that we highlight in the bulletin each Sunday. Each question is intended to reflect the theme or scripture for that Sunday in some form or fashion.

The hope for these questions is that they become conversation starters during fellowship time. And when your signed and answered forms make their way to the office, whether through the offering plate, left in the pews or at the back of the sanctuary, or handed to me or one of our elders, they will be added to your file.

This week’s question is this: Abraham was called by God to “go.” Recall a time when you took someone’s advice to “go.”

The possible directions this question can lead are limitless. It might have been someone’s encouragement to continue your education, get married, break free from a toxic relationship, start a new adventure, take a chance on something new, or finally follow through with something you had been putting off.

Sometimes “go” is a word of adventure. Sometimes it is a word of courage. Sometimes it is simply the nudge we need when we have become too comfortable where we are.

That is certainly true for Abraham. In Genesis 12, God does not give Abram a detailed map or a complete itinerary. God simply says, “Go…to the land that I will show you.” Abram is asked to take the first step before he knows exactly where the journey will lead.

That may be one of the most faithful things about Abraham’s story, and what makes him an “unlikely hero”. He was not chosen because he had everything figured out. He was not given all the answers before he began. He was simply willing to trust the voice calling him forward.

God rarely calls us to a life where we know exactly what comes next. More often, faith asks us to take the next step, trusting that God will meet us along the way. So, as you think about this week’s question, I invite you to remember one of those moments when someone told you to “go.”

I look forward to worshipping with you in the chapel or on YouTube. Don’t forget to sign up for regional assembly and volunteering needs. We have done an amazing job of signing up so far, let’s keep it up!

Brett

Medicare Changes Are Coming. Are You Ready?

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Wednesday, October 7 at 12:00 PM in Cobbs Hall

Join us for an informative presentation with James Shoffer of HealthMarkets in Sun City.

James will break down the upcoming 2027 Medicare and Medicare Supplement changes, explain the differences between supplemental plan options, and help you understand how to choose coverage that fits your healthcare needs and budget.

Whether you’re currently enrolled in Medicare, approaching eligibility, or simply want to stay informed, this session will provide valuable information and answers to your questions.

A light lunch will be provided. Suggested donation: $3 per person.

Bring a friend!

For more information, contact the church office at office@docsuncityaz.org or call 623-972-6179.

Pastor’s Notes 9/18/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.'”
Genesis 9:12,13

We are just over a month away from hosting our Regional Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona, on October 23-24! The final preparations are kicking into full gear, and I am so excited for our greater church family to come and see how God is moving among us. The care and love we show to one another is the same hospitality we are preparing to extend to 200+ fellow disciples!

The theme for the event is “Celebrating our Gifts.” From storytelling to worship and workshops we will have opportunities to celebrate and deeper explore what equips each of our congregations for ministry. Each congregation is unique and has found a niche and purpose. For us, it is reminding older adults of our value and purpose and that God continues to have need of us. We are a people with passion and skill, and we offer relationship and the living presence of Christ to everyone we encounter.

On Sunday we will take the time to register our congregation for the event. It is free of charge and even if we are just planning to volunteer for a specific task, we all need to sign up. Hard copy forms will be handed out if you prefer to write your information down and our fantastic office will finish the online registrations for us. We will also have digital stations available for those who wish to register online or with assistance on your cell phone.

Most importantly for our hosting responsibilities, sign-up sheets for all the volunteer needs will be available as well.

The event kicks off on Friday night with a time of music and storytelling. Our very own Ginger Lanier will be one of the storytellers! Erin Cash, the director of the Thriving Congregations project we have been participating with, will be the keynote presenter and will also preach during our regular 9:30 a.m. Sunday worship (a perk of being the host congregation)!

This Sunday we will also begin a new series called “Unlikely Heroes” which is fitting with the theme of celebrating our gifts. We will journey with Noah and his relationship with God and the story from flood to bow in the clouds. Genesis 9:8-17 will be the read text if you wanted to prepare in advance! I look forward to worshipping with you online or in person. Brett

P.S. If you wanted to register for assembly on your own, go here: https://azdisciples.org/regional-assembly/

Fall Craft Fair

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Saturday, November 7, 8 am – 1 pm
Sun City Christian Church
9745 W Palmeras Dr., Sun City AZ

Browse homemade items, pottery, glass, jewelry, holiday gifts, and baked goods!

There will be a raffle, too.

Stay for lunch from one of the onsite food trucks!

All are welcome!

Interested in reserving a vendor booth? Go to bit.ly/2026Craft for more information and to sign up!

Pastor’s Notes 9/12/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”
—Lord’s Prayer

“How many stars did it get?”

“What do the reviews say about it?”

Purchases don’t get made without doing some research these days. Which is easy to do because I don’t have to dig very deep online to find a review or survey response about a product’s value or worth.

I tend to pay a bit more attention to reviews that explain their rankings more than simply leaving a word like, “terrible” or “great”. Extol the virtues and tell me why this seemed to work so well. Leave a thoughtful testimonial to your experience and I will pay closer attention.

Testimonial.

That is the final instruction that Jesus’ leaves us when teaching us to pray. Not only are we to let God know how we have received blessings, but we must share our experiences of God with others.

These closing to our prayer calls us to recognize that God has been present in our past, is with us now and will guide our thoughts and actions in the days to come. God is good and worthy of my praise.

This is where our testimonial comes into play. Live and speak in ways that explain our experience with God. Don’t keep the goodness of God to ourselves. The more we express who God is and describe or exemplify our relationship with the Holy, the greater chance another person might take to experience God themselves. “I have seen God at work in my life, and I am proud to share my experience with you.”

On Sunday, we will remind ourselves of the ways God has been present with God’s faithful from the Old Testament to today. We will better understand what influenced the closing words to the Lord’s Prayer we pray every Sunday and get a better taste for what it means to be a witness to God’s love in the world… to offer our testimonial.

I look forward to worshipping with you online or in person! Our scripture verses for Sunday will include: Matthew 6:13, Exodus 15:1–2, 6, 13, I Chronicles 29:10-13.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 9/4/2026

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Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. –Psalm 103:1-5

Psalm 103 is a song of thanksgiving, traditionally attributed to David. It is not so much a prayer asking God for something as it is a reminder to the one praying of what God has already done. David begins by speaking to his own soul: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all God’s benefits.”

That phrase, “do not forget,” is important. David knows how easily we can receive God’s goodness without really noticing it. We enjoy the gifts of life, the people who surround us, and the moments of peace. We appreciate the food on our tables, the beauty of creation, and the countless ways we experience God’s presence. But it is easy to take our daily blessings for granted.

Thanksgiving is more than saying “thank you.” It is an intentional practice of remembering where our blessings come from and recognizing that God’s presence has been woven through our lives all along.

This Sunday we will gather around Psalm 103 and consider what it means to cultivate a grateful heart. As we worship, we will also dedicate and bless the new and gently used children’s books our congregation has been collecting for distribution at the Regional Disciples Women’s Retreat.

If you have a children’s book you would like to contribute, please bring it with you Sunday. These books will become gifts of love to children we may never meet, and we will take a moment to bless both the books and those who will receive them.

Together we will consider the goodness of God that surrounds us, often in ways we have simply stopped noticing. I look forward to worshipping with you in the Chapel or on YouTube.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 8/28/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
–Matthew 6:12-15

“Embedded Faith”

“Embedded faith” is a phrase the Tuesday Bible Study group is quite familiar with, because we reference it a great deal. The word embedded is an adjective meaning: fixed firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass; implanted. Faith is defined by Webster as a strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. So, when we put these words together, we find an embedded faith to be:

“A deeply rooted belief about God.”

Theologian David Hartkopf says embedded faith is simply the assumed components of Christian belief, concepts, and ideas that are taken as truth without thought on the part of the hearer. Often these are ideas and understandings we grew up with or learned along the way and they have taken hold as our core understanding.

You have also heard me talk before about our sources of authority.,

This rationale makes sense when we engage in dialogue about Matthew 6:5-15. What is the “proper” language to use when reciting the Lord’s prayer whether we prefer debts, trespasses or sins. We all have a preference, and it is often an embedded belief we pick up as we grow in faith. “It was how my grandma prayed it.” “The church I grew up in taught me.” “It is the language that makes the most sense to me as an adult and helps me understand with deeper meaning, the words I am confessing before God.”

As we can see in the italicized quote to introduce this message, both debts and trespasses appear in Matthew’s gospel account. If we were to summarize the concept even more, as some Biblical translations have, we can also trust that Jesus was addressing sin. Bottom line, there are many ways to find meaning in the Lord’s prayer and as a community of faith we make room to recite these faithful words as each person chooses (it is the closest the Disciples of Christ come to speaking in tongues)!

Our diversity in faith is truly a gift and Sunday we will focus our attention onto what draws followers of Jesus together through the Lord’s Prayer rather than that which divides us. I look forward to worshipping with you in the Chapel or on YouTube.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 8/21/2026

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Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10

“As it is.”

I first learned that phrase as a child, while looking over the “want ads” in our local newspaper. The “Giveaway Guide,” was my first stop every time I picked up the Globe Gazette. That is where I would find listings with language like, “Free bicycle. You haul. ‘As is.’”

I realized quickly that few things are truly free, there is always a catch. To work properly that bike could need a new tire tube or a chain fix or a cleaning and tune-up. “As it is” required some care and investment on my part to use and enjoy the bike.

Curious that when Jesus is teaching how to pray, he encourages us to acknowledge God with, “your will be done, on earth ‘as it is’ in heaven.”

“As it is.”

God in heaven, for your will to be done on earth, some care and investment on our part is required. We are the ones who are responsible for the “as it is”. For God’s love to be felt, we must share it. For the needs of God’s people to be met, we must acknowledge those needs.

This is the section of the Lord’s Prayer that requires heavy lifting. This is where we invest our energy. This is where we say, “God your people are hurting, the marginalized are overlooked, the sick need healing.” In essence what we mean then is, and for your love to be known on earth as it is in heaven, your faithful followers need to be invested.

The benefits of our relationship with the Holy are ours in eternity, but as is promised, we need not wait. God’s desire is for love, grace, mercy and blessing to be known in this earthly life and as followers of Jesus, we are the ones to make it so. We are the ones to make God’s will known.

I look forward to worshipping with you in the chapel or on YouTube!

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 8/14/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ‘Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. –Matthew 6:9

Last Sunday we concluded our series about the Fruit of the Spirit and focused on the gift of self-control.

What do we allow to receive our attention? What controls us? Is it the ‘stuff’ of this earthly walk and the temptations on our humanity or are we able to center ourselves on godly pursuits?

The more realistic question for us to ponder coming out of this series is, how do we return to our center and tap into that space in our core where God dwells? What practices help us regain our focus upon the holy?

The most accessible answer for returning to God is prayer. Over the next four weeks we will listen more intently to Jesus’ model for how to pray from Matthew 6:9-15. The Lord’s prayer is more than a litany we recite every Sunday. It is the template for expression. Prayer lays the groundwork for putting into words what we want God to know.

The first stop along this journey is to “name and proclaim” who God is. There is a lot that can be said by addressing who God is to us and why God is worthy of our attention. “Creator who breathed life into existence.” “Comforter to hold us when we are weak.” “God of yesterday, today and tomorrow.”

Making that first step and welcoming God back into the conversation is saying a mouthful. Simply naming and proclaiming who God is, opens the line of the communication. Getting started can be the hardest part. But once the invitation is extended the Holy Spirit can go to work through us and for us.

I look forward to exploring prayer with you in person or on YouTube.

Brett