Tag: prayer

Pastor’s Notes 9/4/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

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 8/14/2026

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

“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