Category: pastor’s notes

Pastor’s Notes: 10/4/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Jesus prayed that… they all may be one.” – from the “Restoration” doors in Cobbs Hall

Over 500 years of church history is represented on the double door panels of Cobbs Halls. The carved portrait of Martin Luther the “Father of Protestantism (1483-1546), John Calvin (1509-1564) who was one of the founders of Presbyterians, and “Father of Methodism” John Wesley (1703-1791), grace three of the panels.

The upper right panel is of Alexander Campbell (1788-1866, one of the founders of our denomination. He embraced fully the desire for the unity of Christ’s Church.

John 17:20-21 was one of the most inspirational texts to Campbell’s calling. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

The unity Jesus prayed for could only be achieved by returning to the simplicity of the New Testament church—free of denominational labels, creeds, and hierarchical structures. Campbell saw this passage as a divine call for the church’s visible unity. He also helped us to claim the foundational thought that where the scripture speaks, we speak, and where the scriptures are silent, we are silent.

Being a united people in Christ was core belief to our restoration movement. Alexander’s father Thomas Campbell said, “The church of Jesus Christ on earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one.” Barton Stone said, “Let Christian unity be our polar star.”

On Sunday we will explore some ways that if Sun City Christian Church and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) were to fully embrace the message of John 17:20-21 today, we could profoundly impact both the church and the broader world.

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

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 9/27/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” 
John 10:11

This Sunday’s “Faith through our doors” offering will guide our attention to the Cobbs Hall entrance door we utilize every Sunday. The theme story we will spend the most time with, is the upper inside panel. It might just be the most comforting image in Scripture: Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

This powerful metaphor illustrates not only Jesus’ deep love and commitment but a desired fulfillment for his followers of knowing that we are never separated from the Divine.

Jesus knows each of us by name, guiding us through life’s valleys and celebrating with us on the mountaintops. His voice calls us to follow Him, offering direction in times of uncertainty and peace amidst chaos. Just as a shepherd tends to his flock, providing for their needs and protecting them from danger, Jesus nurtures our spiritual growth and safeguards our hearts.

In a world filled with distractions and challenges, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus leads us. We are a part of the flock, and as those connected with Sun City Christian Church, we know that the lost will be found. It is a Spiritual gift of our congregation, to be there for each other. The Holy Spirit is moving through us in ways that comfort, guide and support when it is needed most.  

On Sunday we will reflect on how we can listen more closely to His voice and follow Jesus’ example of love and service. As we gather for worship and fellowship, may we encourage one another to embody the characteristics of the Good Shepherd—compassion, care, and a willingness to lay down our own interests for the sake of others. Together, let us strive to be shepherds in our community, extending Christ’s love to those around us. 

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

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 9/20/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Study to show yourself approved unto God.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (translation on the outside panel of the office door)

Have you heard the one about the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer? No, this is not the set up to a joke but one could think so. Rather, it is essentially the mixed metaphor used by the apostle Paul in his second letter to his mentee, Timothy.

In 2 Timothy 2:1-15 Paul is attempting to illustrate for Timothy (and us), what it means to be a worker for God. He is painting the picture of personality traits that we might identify with as those who effectively serve with the Holy Spirit moving through us.

We become a model for others. The ways in which we share the love of Christ, also becomes a metaphor for how the church is called to be the living presence of the Holy for each other today. Verse 15 according to the NRSV says, “Do your best present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.”

On Sunday we will explore in greater detail why this verse is etched into our church office door and how we continue to be faithful examples as (Disciples of Christ). You do faithful work, and I would encourage you to think about your gifts, your passions and the ways in which you uniquely represent Jesus to those you encounter.

It is a constant privilege to serve alongside you and I look forward to worshipping together in person or on YouTube this Sunday.

Blessings. Brett

Pastor’s Notes: 8/30/2024

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

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.

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.” “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 person or on YouTube.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes: 8/23/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’  –Luke 11:1

There have been many wise people in my life who have demonstrated that we are never too old to learn. A clergy mentor of mine started painting amazing watercolor landscapes at 82. My father took swimming lessons in his 40’s. I hope to soon learn the craft of stain-glass window making from our very own Jan Kansorka (if you would like to learn also, please let me know, the more the merrier)!

It has been a real delight watching many of us try new skills like crocheting, tying blankets, and threading elastic into sewn fabric to construct colostomy bag covers for Hospice of the Valley. Each Sunday when we enter Cobbs Hall for fellowship time, different outreach projects and items for the bazaar we are hosting in December are placed in front of us to help finish them up.

Learning is a timeless practice and each of us has the capacity to be taught something more. In our scripture passage for Sunday from Luke 11:1-13 one of Jesus disciples asks, “Lord, teach us to pray…” Jesus’s response is one of the versions of the Lord’s prayer to come from scripture (the other being Matthew 6:5-14 which we will study next week).

Jesus also goes on to tell and explain a parable that speaks of our need for persistence in prayer as well as God’s persistent response. In worship on Sunday, we will explore the multiple ways we can engage prayerfully and in so doing better serve God and our community.

As fall approaches, keep your eye out for more “Wednesday Lunch and Learn” sessions in Cobbs Hall. A full calendar of events will come to you soon as well and as we celebrate 50 years of ministry. You are certain to learn something new about the church we love! I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday in person or on YouTube.

Pastor’s Notes 8/16/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Question of the day:

If a letter of reference was required to vouch for you as a person of faith, who would ask to write it?

Chances are good that it would be someone from church or the community that knows you well that you would ask to define your Christ-like nature. It is most likely someone who has served alongside you, mentored, taught or inspired you. It would also make sense to ask someone who could testify to the ways you shaped and impacted their personal walk with the Holy One. It would be good to ask someone who has witnessed the ways you serve like Christ to speak on your behalf.

The passage of scripture we will sit with on Sunday is Romans chapter 16. This text is a reference letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome. Paul is introducing these individuals as equals in the faith who should hold the respect and affirmation of leadership they were sent with. He requests the kind of hospitality from the church that welcomes and embraces as if they were welcoming Paul himself. Paul is credentialing them and acknowledging their gifts and calling and extending permission for the church to do the same.

Ten of the 29 persons mentioned by Paul that the Church should greet as holding authority in Paul’s absence are women. He trusts them with his life, and he knows them to have worked very hard. Phoebe specifically, most likely delivers this letter in oral form and she embodies the same Christ granted authority that Paul or any of the other male apostles carries.

Unlikely heroes are the ones that build, form, shape, inspire and keep the church vital in the world. Acknowledging the authority God has bestowed upon each within the body of Christ is life giving. Paul validates the credibility with which each of us is gifted by God. It is important to recognize the faithful and dedicated served by others in the faith community as well.

If you were to write a reference letter for a follower of Jesus who has influenced your life, who would it be and what would you say? Thank God for this person today and be sure to let them know how you cherish them. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday in person or on YouTube!

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 8/9/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.  – Acts 16:14-15

The journey of life has an interesting way of turning sometimes, whether we call it providence, serendipity, divine intervention, fate, fortune, or something else altogether. It is often in retrospect that we can see the whole picture and recognize God as having been present amid the unpredictable courses we find ourselves on sometimes.

The stories of the three unlikely heroes from the Bible we will engage with on Sunday appear in Acts 16. Paul led a small group of evangelists to Macedonia in response to a God inspired vision he had to go and offer help there. The unfolding of the events that happen with Paul in Philippi gives us a glimpse into the mysteriously connected ways the Holy Spirit can tend to work in the lives of Jesus’ followers that grows the kingdom on earth.

Interactions with Lydia, a slave-girl, and the jailer demonstrate how events in life can be chain reactions of faithful opportunity. Encounters that we could never predict or anticipate lead to a series of God revealing incidents and those involved can be identified as the unlikeliest of heroes.

The Holy Spirit continues to work through us at Sun City Christian Church. It would cover our skin in goosebumps if we were to fully know the ways our actions and faith have demonstrated to others that the living presence of Christ is moving among us. We too are unlikely heroes and even the seemingly small gestures of love we extend can have a lasting effect.

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

Brett  

Pastor’s Notes: 8/2/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

-Mark 15:40-41

The ministry of presence is an amazingly important gift. Having the willingness and desire to be there with awareness, compassion, empathy, and support is faithful. Being present is how unlikely heroes thrive in the world today and it is most definitely evident in the first followers of Christ.

The female disciples of Jesus showed up. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, Salome, as well as “many other women” were there. These were women whose names don’t show up in the first church charter of 12 but were tirelessly present in ways that supported Jesus in his ministry.

The women supported Jesus financially and with food, lodging and other gestures of kindness for hospitality was an underrated skill of discipleship. They were with him in those most vulnerable moments like Jesus’ death and burial when it would have been easier and safer to keep distant (Matthew 28:1-8 is our text for Sunday).

In our worship we will explore some interesting questions about the relationship Jesus may have had with the disciples who followed him, as well as the way their mothers came together in ministry as well. We center our thoughts around the ways we are showing us as Christ’s living presence in the world and continue to encourage and support each other as we live into our calling and purpose to serve God and community.

I look forward to worshiping with you either in person or on YouTube this Sunday.

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 7/26/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Winter, spring, summer or fall,
all you have to do is call
and I’ll be there.
You’ve got a friend.

James Taylor

Being that friend who will stick with someone no matter what, might just be one of the greatest gifts we can offer one another human being. Forging a bond with another person whether related by birth or not, yet referring to them as family is a such a beautiful thing. Deep relationships ground and balance us. It is so meaningful to connect with that person we haven’t seen in months, yet we sink in right away as though they never left us.

Ruth and Naomi have one of those special relationships that transcend kinship through ancestry and fully embraces what it means to be family (Ruth 1:1-22). Naomi has lost all the men in her life, most recently her two sons have died and all she has left as family are her two daughters-in-law. After offering them release, and an opportunity to return to their roots, Ruth vows to stay with Naomi.

“Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you stay, I will stay…” proclaimed Ruth and together they left Ruth’s homeland of Moab and traveled the fifty miles to return to the homeland of Naomi’s deceased husband.

Ruth will marry her deceased husband’s kinsman and the family name will be restored. The major genealogical importance from this story is that Ruth and Boaz’s son Obed is the grandfather of David. Yup, King David. Ruth, who is not an Israelite, is named in Matthew’s genealogy connecting Jesus with the house of David.

On Sunday we will explore this story deeper as well as the powerful role relationships within our church family touch us in ways that we don’t always have the words. I look forward to worshipping with you in person or on YouTube (as we are back up and running) this Sunday. We are serving God and community!

Brett

Pastor’s Notes 7/19/2024

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Rizpah took funeral clothing and spread it out by herself on a rock. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until the rains poured down on the bodies from the sky, and she wouldn’t let any birds of prey land on the bodies during the day or let wild animals come at nighttime.   2 Samuel 21:10

God was moved.

Through our series of unlikely heroes, we have identified multiple instances where human response has affected God. In last week’s text, the daughters of Zelephehad changed God’s mind. In the story of Rizpah found in 2 Samuel 21:1-14 God’s heart is touched by an act of sincere devotion, love and faithfulness.’

As we will learn in greater detail on Sunday, David is ruler of Israel at the time of our story, and the land has experienced three hard years of drought. Frustrated by the notion of why, David confronts the Lord who reveals to him that it is because of former King Saul breaking covenant with the Gibeonites and putting them to death.

King David offers reparation, whether in a political gesture of good will, in pleading with God, unresolved anger towards Saul, or any other emotion that was possessing him in that moment. The request is that seven of Saul’s descendant be executed in the public square and left there, without proper burial or remembrances.

Two of the men were sons of Rizpah, who was a concubine of Saul. The most we know of her comes from her actions in this story. For several months she holds vigil by the deceased and holds all predators at bay. In this act of love, others took notice and sent word to King David about this woman’s fidelity to her children and her grief.

David has a change of heart and has the bodies of Saul, Jonathan and these 7 transferred to their family tomb and given proper burial. “After that,” reads the story, “God heeded supplications for the land.”

So… what can this mean for us today? When our hearts break, so does God’s. Honoring the dead and grieving properly is important for the people and for God. We also get a glimpse of just how strong the bond is that parents have with their children, and it brings a sense of purpose and obligation that never leaves.

God was moved. Kindness matters. The love and compassion we show to others is not only noticed, but it is infectious. I look forward to worshipping with you in person or on YouTube this Sunday!      

Brett