Tag: prayer

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  — Philippians 4:4–7

Remember Bobby McFerrin’s catchy song Don’t Worry, Be Happy? It is almost impossible to listen to this ditty without smiling. Every note of that tune, from the bass line to the whistling, was created using nothing but McFerrin’s own voice. It was the first a cappella song ever to reach number one on the charts, and it carried a simple message that people all over the world needed to hear: don’t let worry steal your joy.

Of course, “don’t worry” is easier said than done. Though it might not hurt to try, most of us can’t just sing our anxieties away. But the Apostle Paul gives us something deeper than a happy tune to hold onto. In Philippians 4  he writes: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Where McFerrin offers a melody, Paul offers a practice: prayer. Through prayer, we turn our worries into words shared with the God who loves us. Prayer keeps our hearts open and connected to the Holy. This connection brings peace beyond understanding and  also leads us to a deeper relationship with one another, as we lift each other in gratitude and care.

This Sunday we will live into our next verb to define Sun City Christian Church, which is pray. We’ll explore how prayer sustains our connection to God and one another. Come ready to rejoice, to pray, and sing songs of praise. I look forward to worshipping with you online or in the sanctuary on Sunday. 

Brett

Pastor’s Notes: 2/22/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

We are entering into the season of Lent. Lent is the 40 days, excluding Sundays, from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter. It is a time of preparation and an opportunity to deepen our relationship with God. It is a time for personal reflection that prepares people’s hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter.

Three important areas of practice for Christians during Lent are prayer, fasting, and giving.

Prayer during Lent focuses on our need for God’s forgiveness. It’s also about repenting or doing our best to not repeat the same sins over and over. In return we accept God’s mercy and love,  and are changed by it.

Fasting essentially means abstaining from the distractions and things that tend to distract our focus away from our relationship with God. Hence, many adopt a practice of giving up some regular practice in life in order to replace it with a practice that connects us with God more fully.

Giving money or doing something good for others is a way to respond to God’s grace, generosity and love. For example, some people spend time volunteering or donate money they would normally use to buy something, like their morning coffee.

Spending time during Lent praying, fasting and giving can make Jesus’ sacrifice and teachings that more meaningful to us as we approach Holy Week and Easter.

Pastor’s Notes: 2/3/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

The Gospel of Matthew will be our guide for the next several weeks in our sermons. Last Sunday we began the first of three lessons to come out of Jesus’ sermon on the mount which spans the chapters of 5-7. Last Sunday we covered the beatitudes and what it means to be salt and light. We skip ahead this week and pick up Jesus’ instructions on how to pray, Matthew 6:5-21.

I would encourage you to sit down and read what Matthew includes between what we are addressing in worship. Matthew 5:17-6:4 which includes Matthew’s various perceptions on the theme of righteousness as well as his understanding of Jesus’ view concerning a multitude of topics on what it means to love and be in covenant with our God.

In preparation for Sunday’s message, we notice that Matthew is being very intentional in pulling together the teachings of Jesus, by placing at the heart of this sermon a section concerning prayer. Prayer is the greatest connection humanity has with God on an ongoing basis. How to pray and where we direct our focus matters so this will be the focus for our time together Sunday. I look forward to worshipping with you!

Brett