Category: pastor’s notes

Pastor’s Notes 11/10/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.  – Hebrews 12:1-2

Last Sunday we thought about the important role being a community plays in curbing the loneliness we feel. A recent Meta-Gallup survey revealed that 1 in 4 adults worldwide experience feeling very or fairly lonely. Based upon what we know of ourselves already, it makes sense that one of reasons why we exist as a community of faith may be to help folks fend off loneliness.

As followers of Jesus, we are a people of hope. We believe that the presence of the Holy is with us in our earthly lives as well as for eternity. We trust in light outshining the darkness and the good days outweighing the bad. Though it can be easy to forget, loneliness is temporary, and we are never permanently alone.

The Holy Spirit is with us. The realm beyond what we physically see is infinite and this verse from Hebrews reminds us that the Spiritual presence, memory, and impact of our loved ones and ancestors keeps us from being alone.

We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…

This is a Godly promise that keeps us going and serving together. On Sunday November 12th, we will celebrate All Saints Sunday. Marilyn Fidmont with the Christian Church Foundation will be with us as we remember the legacy of those who have gone on before us and to share with us the possibilities for continuing the financial viability that has maintained our church for 50 years.

In your prayers, please lift these beloved members and spouses of our faith community whom God received into eternal life since last November. We will honor them in worship on Sunday. Any omission to this list is not intentional. Please let me know if there are any names that have been overlooked.

We remember:

Carsten Carlson
James D’Avanzo
LaMaryl Shipp
Larry Wilber
Kurt Wolfram

I look forward to worshipping with you and honoring our saints on Sunday! Also, please be aware that members of our faith community, who were present at church on Sunday have tested positive or been exposed to Covid. 

Brett

Pastor’s Notes: 11/3/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…
(Isaiah 61:1-2a)

Last Sunday we learned about the year of Jubilee in the book of Leviticus. It was already to be the practice that every 7 years, the land was to have a year of sabbath rest. Then after the 7th sabbath year was to be a year of Jubilee. Every 50 years was to be a celebration of release from sin, a restoration with God, and a reset for and with all of creation.

In a poem from “Dreaming Anew,” Jubilee is described as:

In the day of Jubilee,
the Holy One brings justice to the oppressed
and food to the hungry.

In the day of Jubilee,
the Holy One sets the prisoners free
and opens the eyes of the blind.

In the day of Jubilee,
the Holy One lifts up those who are bowed down
and watches over strangers and widows and orphans.

In the day of Jubilee,
all creation reaps a rich harvest of peace.

This Sunday we will sit with the idea of Jubilee once more (Luke 4:16-21), but from the words of Jesus as he reads the scroll from Isaiah 61. Something interesting happens here and perhaps with it a sense of clarity. Jesus proclaims that he is the one to bring justice and release. That the “year of the Lord’s favor” would be found in him. Jesus would make every year a Jubilee.

With Christ, every day should be a day to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, and a proclamation that God is with us. This is who he was and what we are called to do in the world as a community of those who follows Jesus.

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” Jesus said as rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The laws of Israelites and the prophecy of Isaiah has been and continues to be fulfilled says Jesus.

So, for us, 2024 will be an ideal opportunity to remind ourselves of this calling and purpose. We are the body of Christ and we have been called to great things. For 50 years the saints who have gone on before us lived faithfully and established this wonderful space, tradition, and mission for us as Sun City Christian Church. It will be the perfect opportunity to release, restore and reset as a faithful community.

As followers of Jesus, we have much to celebrate and even more to look forward to as we grow the Kindom of God in this place. I look forward to worshipping we you on Sunday!

In your prayers, continue to lift up Joe Emmerson and add the health of Burnell Babcock as their return to Arizona has been delayed until after January.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 10/27/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you: you shall not sow or reap the aftergrowth or harvest the unpruned vines. For it is a Jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat only what the field itself produces.
Leviticus 25:11-12

As we continue our worship focus around the practice of Sabbath, we will turn to Leviticus 25:1-12 and find the first scriptural reference to Jubilee. In the law handed down from Yahweh to the Israelites, a land Sabbath year was to take place every seventh year. Consequently, after the seventh Sabbath year or once every 50 years, a time of rest was to take on even greater significance known as the year of Jubilee.

As scholar Melody Murton teaches, Jubilee is an economic, cultural, environmental, and communal reset. Biblically it was to be a time when the land and people rest, and all those who are in slavery are set free to return to their communities. The Jubilee laws are essentially concerned with social relationships, economic security, stability, and the wellbeing of the community. They seek to ensure that people live in ways that reflect good relationships with God, with each other, and with creation.

I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday as we will kick-off what will be a special year of celebration as we head into a modern year of Jubilee! In 2024, Sun City Christian Church will celebrate our 50th anniversary as a congregation.

During our year of celebration, we will focus our energies on the ways in which we are stewards of our resources, time, and talents to build up the kindom of God. We will seek to live in ways that reflect the faithful relationships, as followers of Jesus, we wish to share with one another and our community. We will commemorate our achievements and begin plans for our next 50 years of ministry.

See you Sunday!

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 10/20/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

On the sixth day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation
–Gen 2:2-3

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
–John 15:9-11

God rested.

Possibly the most affirming words in all of scripture. Only to be outdone by the fact that God created, rested, and then looked around and declared it good. In the act of rest, God appreciated creation. And in so doing, eliminated any question as to why “remembering the sabbath and keeping it holy” is one of God’s holy commandments.

When we make time in our lives and schedules to enjoy and appreciate God’s creation, we honor the sabbath and engage with God in life giving ways. Appreciation is an act of praise. There is joy to be found in noticing God’s handiwork when we allow ourselves to be awed by mountain views, glorious sunsets, and a sky filled with stars.

We are actively in relationship with God when tears flow as our newest grandchild curls their hand around our finger, we rest in God’s promise.

When the smile from a stranger alters the course of our day, we rest in God’s promise.

When we see an animal in its habitat and all we want to do is observe it for a minute more, we rest in God’s promise.

When we step aside from the toil of labor of our daily commitments and permit ourselves to find joy in and with the blessings of creation that God has surrounded us with, we rest in God’s promise.

I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday as the words from Genesis 2:1-3 and John 15:9-15 remind us of who we are and whose we are. We will find joy together as we abide in the presence of the holy. God created it all and took time to rest and enjoy. May we create a moment this weekend to do the same.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 10/13/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
–Matthew 11:28-30

Outside of Trish bringing home the unwanted souvenir of Covid from our vacation, we had an amazing trip to Alaska. It was a perfect time of rest, renewal, and experiencing the wonder of God in creation. We observed the northern lights in all their glory, got up close with reindeer, and saw both black and grizzly bears in the wild for the first time.

Our guide for our bear watching excursion encouraged us to buddy up. “On three, pick someone you think you are faster than.” The old joke being, you only need to be faster than one person when being chased by a bear! I had several offers to be hiking partners (good to feel loved).

“Take my yoke upon you,” Jesus said. “Buddy up with me.” He promised to be with us in and through anything. Connecting with Jesus will give us the tools necessary to live and love in the world. Two oxen can pull more than one, thereby making the plow easier to move. But also, when they are yoked together, they will pull together. The yoke keeps them in sync with each other so that one does not fall behind the other.

On Sunday we will explore further, the ways in which being yoked to Christ can lighten our load and help us to find rest for our souls. 

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 10/6/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.”  –Exodus 20:8

It is so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and the rhythm of our work. We busy ourselves with doing and easily forget to make time to just be. Taking rest is an imperative spelled out in the Bible, and yet we brush off any such thought as crazy talk.

Sabbath.

God commands us to rest. It is right there in the big 10 that were etched in stone so Moses wouldn’t forget to share it with the people when he came back down the mountain after being in the shining glow of God’s presence.

Of all the commandments mentioned in Exodus 20, more detail is put into honoring sabbath. It is the longest entry in this section, perhaps as some of the other laws of God are pretty obvious: don’t kill, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t covet what your neighbors have and honor the authority of your parents. But taking time to rest is a nebulous concept that we often fail to deem as a holy commandment.

Exodus 20:8-10 says this, “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.”

Sabbath, or shabbat in Hebrew, means to cease, to end, to rest. It is a valuable gift from God that we often fail to put into practice. So, over the next few Sundays we will remind ourselves of the commandment to rest, refuel, and to sit with God in life giving ways.

It is good to be home after a most wonderful vacation (indeed, having taken sabbath rest, I am reminded of the value and importance). I am rejuvenated and ready to creatively lead Sun City Christian Church into the next chapter of our ministry together! See you Sunday. 

Rev. Brett

Pastor’s Notes 9/1/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  
–Ephesians 6:10-12

In her commentary for this series, Mary Hinkle Shore tells us:

The last reading in our series (Ephesians 6:10-20) gives voice to our sense that many of the problems our neighborhood, our world, and we ourselves face are beyond our capacity just to roll up our sleeves and muscle our way to a solution. Throughout Paul’s letters, sin is a power rather than a type of human action, and Ephesians continues this idea: “Our battle is not against enemies of blood and flesh…” (6:12). Christian life, individually or collectively, means persevering in the still-contested arena of human life, standing when we would prefer to fold, or fight, or flee.

Old Testament prophets used the same armor metaphor to speak of how God would defend against injustice and evil (see, for example, Isaiah 59:15-17). In Ephesians, God’s own armor is available to believers; we have God’s own protection as we stand against the “powers of this present darkness” (6:12). The armor pieces are all defensive, with the exception of the side arm “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (6:17).

In conclusion in this text from Paul in his jail cell, he asks for prayer that he, an “ambassador in chains,” may speak freely. Like what we see at the end of Acts, Paul is proclaiming boldly the kingdom of God and the teachings of Jesus. Paul was constantly adapting to the movement of the Spirit. Lest we forget, at first Paul was a chief persecutor of Christianity. Plans change, and to withstand the evils of the world we must adapt and trust God to be present with us.

Before signing off for this week, I wish to thank Karol Priester for sharing her amazing gift of office coordination with us. Working with her for the past several months has been a delight and a gift as we settled in as congregation and pastor together. She and Mike are a wonderful blessing to Sun City Christian Church, and we are most grateful for all they have done.

Karol has been most helpful in training our new Office Coordinator, Michele Lundborg! Michele is a delight with experience and a true compassionate spirit that will serve us well going forward. Be sure to welcome Michele when you contact the office next. Her office hours will be on Monday and Tuesday.

Many blessings and I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday. 

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 8/25/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…
– Ephesians 4:1-3

Our sermon theme (Eph 4:1-16) for this Sunday is that the plan of God has implications not just for past estrangement but present and future growing up into Christ. The point being, we must choose to give of ourselves as Jesus did in servanthood to others. We must do it! Our initiative is the major implication of God’s plan: humanity will need to carry the load of loving like Christ in the world. The choice of how to live is ours to make. Are we making choices grounded in a Christ-like love and grace?

In her commentary for this series, Mary Hinkle Shore mentions that Ephesians is ostensibly written by an imprisoned apostle Paul, and here the prisoner in the Lord implores his readers to live worthily of their calling to life without dividing walls or prison bars. The center of the text, however, is not an imperative, but the story of Christ’s astonishing freedom and willingness to descend to earth with the gifts of heaven. We know this plot line from Philippians 2. He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. He emptied himself.

May we as a congregation continue to discover those ways in which we are willing to empty ourselves for the fulfillment of others.

See you Sunday and if you haven’t told me, texted me, called, or emailed the office to let me know you have been reading this weekly column, do so to receive a prize!

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 8/18/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.    –Ephesians 2:13-14

Sunday in worship we will continue our series on Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. Last week we explored the fullness of God’s plan that is mentioned in the first chapter of the letter to the Ephesians. As the Bible unfolds, we can interpret God’s plan to involve, creation, covenant, Christ, church and consummation.

We know that God’s plan is based upon a deep love that not only knows no boundaries but is never limited to a certain group or demographic of people. This week we will explore the fact that God’s plan is necessary.

The hope we find in Jesus’ ministry and mission was to bring a unifying understanding of God’s love intended for Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free. This was a part of God’s plan and the necessity for unity binding all people together in love is just as pertinent today as it was when the church first heard from Paul about it.

God’s intention is for peace and unity, not conflict and division. Together we will explore the role we can play as the body of Christ called to love and witness.

Our worship team seeks your assistance. We would like to hear which of your favorite hymns whose backstory you would like to learn more about. Please list them on the back of orange prayer sheets in the worship space and place them in the basket at the back of the chapel.

Also, we are desiring to have folks share a story in worship responding to the thought, “I am a disciple because __________.” Please let me know if you would be willing to participate in an upcoming worship service, we would love to hear from you!

Lastly, I am curious to know who has been reading these weekly updates. Anyone who can say to me, “Yes I read the email, may I please have a prize?” will receive one!

I look forward to worshipping and fellowshipping with you on Sunday!

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 8/11/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

God has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.  – Ephesians 1:9-10

I love a good plan!

All right, so if my wife were standing behind me as I type these words, she would be rolling her eyes at that comment. Rev. Trish is the planner in our family. She is a great researcher and can formulate on paper a concise course of action.  A person (like me) doesn’t necessarily need to be a good planner to appreciate a great plan.

The beautiful thing about plans is that they are intended to be fluid. Plans change, it is a simple fact of life. If we were asked to tell a story of a time when our plans changed, we could all come up with a full library of options. Plans are good and sometimes backup plans prove to be great.

This Sunday we will begin a sermon series around the Epistle to the church in Ephesus. As we dive into Chapter 1, we are reminded that we don’t know the answers to all of life’s questions. God, faith, and how we interact together is a mystery. But God makes known to us a will for good according to way of Jesus, as a plan for binding all things of God’s kindom of heaven and earth.

We will explore together how the stories of our faith found in the Bible defend Paul’s argument for God having a plan. I look forward to worshipping with you in our chapel this Sunday! 

Many blessings, Brett