Tag: Jesus

Pastor’s Notes 4/3/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” –Matthew 28:7

As we arrive at Easter Sunday, we come to the joyful culmination of our Lenten journey, Tell Me Something Good.

Together, we have remembered that good news is ours… and all are invited. We have seen how good news can catch us by surprise. We have named it as great love for God and neighbor, and discovered that together, the impossible becomes possible. We have recognized that good news looks like protection and care for the vulnerable, and that it is rooted deeply in justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Again and again, we have seen that the good news is not passive and it is inspiring us to act.

And now, on this Easter day of resurrection and God’s eternal promise, we celebrate this truth: the good news is alive in the world.

New life emerges. Small resurrections unfold every day. Even amid life’s struggles like grief, illness, uncertainty, and pain, God is present. There is still blessing. There is still goodness. Jesus’ life and death journey reminds us of this truth.

During worship, we will share the “good news” Post-It note reflections written by you throughout Lent. These simple words have become a powerful testimony: the Good News story is still being written throughout our lives.

The invitation to “tell something good” will continue beyond Easter. Throughout the coming year, we will keep listening, sharing, and bearing witness to the good news alive in our midst. Each week, you’ll be given a simple prompt… a chance to reflect and to name where you see life, hope, and resurrection.

This week’s prompt:
Tell about your Easter memories. Was there a tradition, an Easter outfit, or practice that comes to mind? Maybe a special occasion, a meaningful gift, or a memorable worship experience? What did your family always do?

I look forward to worshipping with you this Holy Weekend.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 3/27/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna!
    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!       –Mark 11:9

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and our theme is: “The Good News… is inspiring us to act.”Our scripture comes from Gospel of Mark 11:1–11. It is the familiar story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

In Bible study this week, we discussed the possibility that there may have been two processions entering Jerusalem around the same time.

New Testament scholars like Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan teach that from the west, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate would have entered the city with a show of imperial force by parading into Jerusalem behind the government’s finest soldiers, horses, armor, and banners. This was Rome’s way of reminding the people who was in charge, especially during Passover, a festival that celebrated liberation.

From the east, Jesus enters, on a borrowed colt, surrounded not by soldiers but by ordinary people. No weapons. No armor. Just cloaks on the road, branches in the air, and voices crying out.

The contrast is striking. One procession proclaims power through domination. The other embodies power through humility, peace, and justice.

As the crowd shouts “Hosanna,” they are not simply offering praise. As in translated from Psalm 118:25, the word “Hosanna” comes from the Hebrew phrase hoshi‘a na, meaning “save us.” It is both a prayer and a cry for deliverance rising from people who know what it is to live under the weight of empire.

And the crowd doesn’t just watch this parade, they participate. The good news is… the people act. They lay down their cloaks. They raise their voices. They dare to hope out loud.

This Sunday, we will wonder together: Where is the good news inspiring us to act?
What are the “Hosannas” of our time? And how might we join in Christ’s way of humble, courageous, hope-filled witness?

I look forward to worshiping with you in person or on YouTube as we enter this sacred week together.     

Pastor’s Notes 3/20/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 2:6-7

It is gut-wrenching to disappoint someone.

Disappointment can cut deeper than anger, frustration, or irritation. There is a trust that gets crossed when disappointment settles in, something unspoken but deeply felt. I wonder if that is part of what is happening in this week’s story.

In John 8:2–11, a woman is dragged into public view, her life reduced to an accusation, her dignity stripped away for the sake of a test. The religious leaders stand ready, not just to condemn her, but to trap Jesus. It is a moment thick with tension, judgment, and hypocrisy.

And what does Jesus do? He bends down and writes in the dust.

We will never know what he wrote. But perhaps that’s not the point. Maybe what matters most is that he looks away. He turns his gaze from both the accusers and the accused. There is something in that posture of Jesus that is quiet and unsettling. It isn’t condemnation or rage but a kind of holy grief.

It feels almost like disappointment.

Then Jesus speaks words that echo through time: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” And after that, he bends down again! He lets the silence do its work. He lets them sit with themselves. He does not argue, he does not chase, he does not force. He simply creates space for truth to rise.

One by one, they leave. And there, in the aftermath, we see the good news. On Sunday we will explore together what they see, the hope we too are left with. We will claim the mercy and kindness God expresses to all of us, even when we may feel unworthy to receive it.

The good news is… rooted in justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

I look forward to worshipping with you on YouTube or in person on Sunday.

Pastor’s Notes 3/6/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Then children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them,  but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.”  –Matt. 19:13-15

Tell me something good…

Have you noticed the century plant blooming in our prayer garden?

The century plant (agave) is extraordinary. For years or decades, it grows slowly and quietly, storing energy. And then, almost suddenly, it sends up a towering stalk that can rise ten to thirty feet into the air. It doesn’t bloom all at once. It unfolds in stages. And when it does, it becomes a feast for bees and birds and every pollinator nearby.

And then, after that magnificent bloom, the main plant dies. But the good new is that this isn’t the end of the story. Before it dies, the century plant sends up “pups” of small offshoots at its base. New life rising from the old.

I can’t help but see something holy in that rhythm.

Protection and care for the vulnerable is not accidental. Our texts for Sunday, Deuteronomy 24:17–22 and  Matthew 19:13–15 remind us of a need for intentionality . It is cultivated over time. It is rooted in memory… “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt,” Deuteronomy says. It grows quietly in the habits of a people who leave the edges of their fields unharvested. It blooms when a community refuses to push children aside. It feeds more than we realize.

And sometimes, the most beautiful acts of care create new life beyond us.

Like the agave sending up pups, protection of the vulnerable ensures that life continues. It says: there will be a next generation. There will be those who are sheltered, fed, welcomed, and blessed. There will be room at the edges.

I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday for “The good news is… protection and care for the vulnerable.” 

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 2/27/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
–Luke 7:50

Our Lenten theme this year is Tell Me Something Good. This Sunday, “The good news is… Great love for God and neighbor.” We’ll be holding together two powerful texts: Luke 7:36–50 and Matthew 25:35–40.

In Luke’s Gospel, a woman enters a Pharisee’s house because she knew Jesus would be there. She brings an alabaster jar. She weeps. She kneels. She anoints Jesus’ feet with extravagant love. The host, Simon, evaluates. Judges. Calculates. Jesus then tells a story about two debtors and then gently exposes the gap between minimal hospitality and abundant love.

Rev. Dr. Brian Blount, in the A Sanctified Art curriculum, reminds us that this story is more than just forgiveness, it is about love that refuses to stay small. He notes that the woman’s actions are not polite, restrained, or respectable. They are excessive. And in that excess, we glimpse the wideness of God’s mercy.

Her love is called “great” not because it is flashy, but because it flows from the deep knowledge of grace.

And then we turn to Matthew 25, where Jesus says that loving him looks like feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned. “Just as you did it to one of the least of these… you did it to me.” Love of God and love of neighbor are inseparable.

If this woman is to “go in peace,” it will require a community that practices Matthew 25 love: the kind of love that feeds, welcomes, and restores dignity. Peace is sustained when neighbors become participants in grace.

I look forward to worshiping with you Sunday on YouTube and in person as we explore what it means to love God and neighbor with a love that is generous, embodied, and brave.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 1/23/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” 1 Cor. 1:10 

What do you prefer:

  • Salty or sweet?
  • Do you drink coffee, tea or water?
  • Have you embraced the digital world are you still clinging to analog?
  • If there was one kind of food you could eat for every meal, what would it be?

Preferences are part of being human. They give us language for what we enjoy, what feels familiar, what has shaped us along the way. On their own, they aren’t harmful. But it doesn’t take much for preferences to harden into camps and for camps to quietly pull us apart.

This Sunday, we will listen to Paul’s words to the church in Corinth from 1 Corinthians 1:10–17, where he calls them back to what truly matters. Paul reminds them (and us) that when allegiance to personalities or positions becomes louder than purpose, the body begins to fracture.

Our theme for the day is “One Mind in Christ.” Partnership, as Paul imagines it, means moving toward the same horizon, even when we bring different perspectives, experiences, and voices with us. It is a shared orientation of heart and purpose, grounded not in who leads, but in why we are here.

So, we will figuratively lace up those old WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelets and remind ourselves of who we are and whose we are. Together we continue to thrive and live into the shared call Jesus has for us at Sun City Christian Church. I look forward to worshipping with you in person or on YouTube Sunday.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 12/19/2025

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
– Luke 2:16

This Sunday we will light the final candle of Advent, love. We will turn to Luke 2:15–20 and the timeless symbol of Christmas: the Nativity. In these final days before Christmas, our hearts center on the scene of Jesus’ birth. It is a scene that has shaped our imaginations, our worship, and our homes for generations.

Luke tells us that the shepherds, having heard the angels’ message, “went with haste” to find Mary, Joseph, and the newborn Christ lying in the manger. 

They encountered God in the most unexpected place, and left glorifying and praising God with full hearts and changed lives. Their story reminds us that God’s love does not wait for perfection but meets us in ordinary places. It is a love that dwells in humble spaces, and invites us to draw near.

On Sunday we will reflect on the Nativity as a symbol of God’s love made visible. Few images speak more deeply to our understanding of Christmas than figures gathered around the manger, the world hushed in wonder, heaven touching earth through a child born for us. We place nativity sets in our homes, we light up lawns with the holy family, and we reenact this story year after year in pageants because it tells us who God is: love embodied, hope revealed, peace born small and vulnerable, and joy shared with the world.

Come to worship on YouTube or in person, ready to stand with the shepherds, to gaze once more into the manger, and to share in the love God has placed at the center of our world. Advent grows short, Christmas draws near, and may Christ’s love find us all.       

Brett

One of the most visible expressions of our faith: serving

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;”
–Matthew 25:34b

Church family, let me begin with gratitude!

Thank you so much for the clergy appreciation gifts. Your kind words in the card touched me. The love gift is amazing and totally unexpected, and the T-shirt captured my thoughts perfectly! I am the pastor of an awesome congregation, and I can’t wait to see how we put our faith into action next.

This Sunday, we continue our worship series, “Living Our Verbs,” by focusing on one of the most visible expressions of our faith, serving.

It’s fitting that this focus falls on All Saints Sunday, a day when we remember those who have served Christ faithfully before us. There are saints we remember and some we have never known who shaped our congregation and strengthened this church through quiet acts of love and care.

Our scripture comes from Matthew 25:31–40, the separation of the sheep and the goats and more importantly, the compassion that will lead us through the gates one day.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

In this parable, Christ identifies himself with those in need. To serve others is to serve Christ himself. It is a reminder that sainthood isn’t reserved for the few; it’s lived out daily by those who see Christ in the face of another.

On Sunday, we’ll give thanks for the saints who have gone before us, those whose service continues to echo through this community. We’ll also reflect on how we, in our time, can live as saints-in-progress: serving God and others, not for recognition, but out of love.

Brett

Moving from commandment to calling to embodiment

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Jesus said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
–Matthew 22:37-40

Many thanks for your participation last Sunday in working with our Thriving Team to identify the verbs that represent who we are as the living body of Christ. The catered meal was great, and the conversations were thoughtful. All the ideas collected will be used by the Thriving team in the finalizing of our current identity statement, mission, and congregational vision.

I was moved by the blessings you wrote during our final activity. Your words were beautiful and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Not only will they influence the work of the Thriving Team, but we will share them together as spoken benedictions to end our upcoming worship services.

For the next several Sundays we will continue our work of “Living Our Verbs” by highlighting the words that appear most representative of who God is calling us to be right now. This Sunday will center ourselves around loving. Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 22:37-40, and John 13:34-35 will remind us how we are to love.

In Deuteronomy, we are commanded to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.” Jesus later lifts up that same commandment, adding that we are also to love our neighbor as ourselves, declaring that all of God’s law and purpose hang on this. And then, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus takes love one step further: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Through these three texts, we move from commandment to calling to embodiment. Love begins in God, is expressed through us, and becomes visible in our relationships and actions.

As we gather this Sunday, we’ll reflect on how love isn’t just a feeling or a virtue, it is an action that defines who we are and how we live. I look forward to worshipping with you in the sanctuary or on YouTube!  

Brett

Our shared meal becomes a mission of love

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’  – Luke 14:12-14

Last Sunday, we gathered around the Lord’s Table in the spirit of World Communion Sunday. We are reminded that Christians everywhere, in all times and places, share one bread and one cup. But if we take that moment seriously, it calls us to something even deeper: to live communion, not just receive it.

This week’s scripture from Luke 14:12–24 is one of Jesus’ parables about a great banquet. This feast table imagery mirrors the communion table we gather around each week. In the story, those who were first invited make excuses as to why they cannot attend, so the host sends servants out into the streets to bring in the poor, the blind, the lame, and the forgotten. The table becomes a place of radical welcome, widened again and again until every seat is filled.

It is a reminder that the blessing found at the Communion Table doesn’t end when the worship service does. Every act of kindness, every moment of forgiveness, every time we make space for another, that is communion, too. The Holy Spirit empowers us to keep communion a verb, an act we repeat throughout our week by doing as Jesus would.

This Sunday, we’ll continue reflecting on what it means to live as the body of Christ in daily life. We will explore how our shared meal becomes a mission of love that continues long after the bread and cup are passed.

Come ready to gather, to grow, and to go forth in service together! I look forward to worshipping with you on YouTube or in our sanctuary!  

Brett