Category: pastor’s notes

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

Pastor’s Notes: 7/30/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

“Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Luke 17:20-21.

This weekend begins the General Assembly for our denomination. It is the first time the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has gathered together in person in 4 years. 

Over the last several weeks we have studied together the theme, “Kindom of God: within us, among us.” We are not alone in our faithful pursuits. God is present in so many relevant and revealed ways. It is always good to remind ourselves that we are a part of something more than our personal pursuits. (Please welcome Rev. Dr. Bob Howard as he will remind us of this simple truth from the pulpit this Sunday.)

The reign of God is revealed within our communities. For nearly 50 years we have thrived as the body of Christ in Sun City. Because of our denominational identity as ‘people of the chalice’

And the vision of the region to expand our  witness, we were born. 

As Luke wrote, “the kingdom of God is in our midst.” God is here and is using us to be an extension of love, grace, justice, and peace. We are the embodiment of all Jesus came to be and his hope lives on through us.

I invite you to join our greater collective for online worship together as a church. We are a part of something significant and life giving. May the Holy Spirit bind and remind us of this truth as we prayerfully welcome our inclusion together as a Church.

The link to worship is found at this link.

Nightly Schedule:

SATURDAY, JULY 29
Preacher: Cha. Maj. Owen Chandler
Offering: Pension Fund’s 13th Check 

SUNDAY, JULY 30
Preacher: Rev. Yolanda Norton
Offering: Reconciliation Ministry

MONDAY, JULY 31
Preacher: Rev. Dr. David Anderson Hooker
Offering: Week of Compassion 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1
Preacher: Rev. Terri Hord Owens
Offering: Disciples Mission Fund

Pastor’s Notes: 7/23/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Hymn: A poem praising God, typically sung.

Hymnody has been, for centuries, the collective response to relationship with a living and present God. Our modern word hymn is derived from the Greek”Hymnos” meaning songs of praise.

Hymns have been a “modern” expression of faith across every generation.  

Scholars note that until the 18th century, most hymnody in churches consisted of singing of the inspired Psalms. During the Protestant Reformation, some reformers, like Martin Luther, began to include hymns. The British hymnodist Isaac Watts has been called the “the liberator of the English hymn” for helping to move from exclusive psalm-singing to hymns. 

According to Christianity Today, Charles Wesley wrote 8,989 hymns (at least three times the output of poet William Wordsworth). Dr. Frank Baker calculated that Charles Wesley wrote an average of 10 lines of verse every day for 50 years! He completed an extant poem every other day.

“Amazing Grace”—Americans’ favorite hymn according to the Gallup Poll—was written by the former captain of a slave ship. That “wretch,” John Newton, eventually became an Anglican minister and worked to abolish the slave trade.

On Sunday we will hear these stories and more as we celebrate the importance of the stories behind the hymns that are enlightening our faith. Our worship team has crafted a beautiful service of music and story. Don’t forget that summer worship will happen in the chapel. As I am out of town the next couple of weeks, please contact the church office or elders with any pastoral needs or concerns.

Many blessings, Brett

Pastor’s Notes: 7/7/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

This Sunday, July 9th, we will begin a new chapter in our worship life together. The location for our weekly worship (still at 9:30am) will now be our beautiful chapel for the duration of the summer. Come and join us for an intimate and casual worship experience. The space is more cost-efficient to cool and since Covid is mostly behind us, being in closer proximity together is less of an issue. Many of you have expressed a desire to utilize this amazing space of ours even more, so here is the perfect opportunity.

According to the memorial pamphlet, The Elsie (Peg) Laybourn Memorial Chapel was dedicated in April of 1987 in loving memory of Peg Laybourn who was a faithful member of our congregation when she died in 1983. Peg had a degree in education and faithfully she had a deep commitment to Biblical Study. She had taken part in and taught the ecumenical, Menninger Bible Course (which is now in its 122nd year of existence). Over 14 years, 321 students learned from her. It was her practice to make this statement to each new class she taught.

“This course is designed to make the Bible its own interpreter, to deal with the Biblical facts and not assumptions. Begin with an open mind- be ready to do away with preconceived ideas about what the text says. When you study- read it as if you had never read it before and most of all prayerfully. And early church leader, Alexander Campbell, said it best: ‘Where the Scriptures speak, we speak and where the Scripture is silent, we are silent.’’

Peg Laybourn was a faithful Disciples of Christ leader, and we look forward to spending time together, worshipping God in the sacred space that was dedicated in her memory. This Sunday we will continue to explore the theme “Kin-dom of God: Within Us, Among Us.” The sermon text is Genesis 11:1-9:

The Tower of Babel

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, ‘Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.’ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Many blessings and I look forward to worshipping with you in Laybourn Chapel throughout the summer.  The chapel is located in the wing closest to Palmeras Drive so parking under the shade in the back, entering through the library door is convenient. We will continue our wonderful fellowship time in Cobbs Hall following worship. 

Brett

Click here to view this Sunday’s bulletin.

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

Pastor’s Notes: 1/6/2023

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

I am so excited about our upcoming worship together this Sunday, January 8th. Rev. Dr. Jay R. Hartley will be with us to share the good news and officially install me as Minister! It will be a true day of celebration as we burst into 2023 together.

The focus scripture for the morning comes from Matthew 2:1-23, the story of the Magi. According to the authors of our Generation to Generation worship material: “the Magi were seekers. They sought wisdom, they sought the divine, they sought fortunes to tell the future. Their seeking leads them to Jesus, the newborn king of another culture and religion. And yet, their seeking is also what protects them from Herod’s deception and harm.

After the Magi go home by another way, Joseph is visited again by an angel in his dream. This time, the angel brings a warning, and like before, Joseph heeds the message. Fleeing from Herod’s massacre, Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus seek refuge in Egypt; they remain there, living as immigrants, until Herod dies.

Like the Magi, may we seek the divine and be willing to journey closer to God. Like the Holy Family, may we seek safety for all families who are under threat. This new year and every year to come, let us keep seeking— wisdom, justice, and a better world.”

I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday!

Brett