Family Promise Build

This past Saturday about a dozen members from our church went to work at the Family Promise Emergency Shelter here in Scottsdale.

With the support of our Outreach Ministries Team our volunteers helped to complete a concrete pad that will serve as the foundation for a series of new storage sheds for Family Promise.

If you don't know about Family Promise (and the remarkable work they do to help homeless families in our area) then jump over to their website by clicking here and particularly here. If you do know Family Promise then won't you "like" them on Facebook by clicking here.

Here are some of the photos from the day. Thanks to all of our volunteers who helped make the project happen!

Carwash

Congratulations to the Youth Group for a successful Car Wash Fundraiser on Sunday.

They raised $543.43 for Camp Scholarships.

That brings the year's total for Camp Scholarships raised to $1455!

And I'm proud to report that we have EIGHT members of our youth group heading to camp this summer!

Whiteboard: My Shepherd

Two scripture passages this week, each one lifting up a familiar image: The Shepherd.

This Sunday we will talking about what it means to say "The Lord is my Shepherd" and to call Jesus "the Good Shepherd."

I'll see you Sunday.

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John 10:22-30 The Good Shepherd

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.’

Psalm 23 The Divine Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Newsbrief: 271

271.

I can’t believe it.

Look at that number again: 271!

That is how many items you all donated to Vista Del Camino last Sunday. What a blessing! What a gift!

Remember, all throughout the month of April every item that we donate to Vista Del Camino is matched with a $1 cash donation from the Finestein Foundation.

Which means that we really do need to look at that number again, but it also doubles as the amount of money that Vista Del Camino received in addition to your generous contributions. That is $271 that will help make a difference for the most vulnerable in our community.

AND, it doesn’t stop there. We have the entire month to continue collecting nonperishable food items for Vista Del Camino that will be matched with a financial gift from the Finestein Foundation. So that can of vegetables you donate will also bring in an extra dollar to Vista Del Camino. That box of cereal means an extra dollar. If you bring in a three cases of canned good (like one generous church member did) that is $36 for Vista Del Camino that is over and above the 36 cans that will go into the food pantry.

So keep those donations coming. You can find the Collection Bin in the Fellowship Hall and we’ll make sure it gets to Vista Del Camino before the end of the month so that your donation is eligible for the matching grant as well!

Yours in the Journey,

Rev. Brian

Whiteboard: What Peter Said

It is a familiar passage.

A resurrected Jesus approaches Peter and asks him "Do you love me?"

Peter responds, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Then Jesus says, "Feed my lambs." 

Jesus asks again, Peter responds again, and Jesus says, "Tend my sheep."

Jesus asks again, Peter responds again (agitated this time), and Jesus says, "Feed my sheep."

Now, what if I told you that familiar passage isn't about love.

And it isn't about going out in service.

And it isn't about...well, it isn't about sheep but you probably about got that!

It is about forgiveness. 

The resurrected Christ appears to Peter -- the same Peter who just a few short chapters ago denied Jesus three times -- and gives him the chance to affirm Christ three times. 

It is a powerful passage. Peter has been lost and adrift since denying Jesus. It appears that he's given up and simply gone back to his old ways. He's fishing again, after all. 

Yet he encounters the risen Christ and resurrection comes to Peter too.

We've been talking this Easter season about how resurrection is about new life; how resurrection takes all your pain, all your hurt, all your sins, all your fears and transforms them through the power of God's promises into something new, into a life worth living. And that's what happens to Peter. 

Peter is forgiven. Peter is commissioned. Peter goes forth to truly earn his name as the Rock on which the church was built. 

Thanks be to God for the gifts of forgiveness, resurrection, and new life.

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John 21:15-19 -- Jesus and Peter

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’

Whiteboard: Doubt

Isn't it funny that the first story we hear after Easter is about doubt?

We come down from this marvelous celebration of Christ's resurrection and the next Sunday what do we have...doubt.

Our questions linger. Our doubts pervade. Our fears sneak in and that little voice in the back of our brains starts talking down to us again.

So maybe it isn't funny that the story of Doubting Thomas and the Disbelieving Disciples is the first thing that greets us right after our Easter Sunday Celebration. Maybe it is exactly what we need to hear.

Oh, as for the picture I was going for a bit of a visual and verbal pun. I thought with a slight tweak I could change the familiar logo for Shout Stain Remover into a clever reference to this Sunday's sermon scripture about Doubting Thomas...but then I ended up having to explain what it was to most folks who looked at it, which usually means the reference didn't work! Anyway, join us this Sunday as we continue the Season of Easter with a resurrection appearance of Jesus to his disciples and help us to celebrate the gift of New Life!

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John 20:19-31

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Jesus and Thomas

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

The Purpose of This Book

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Whiteboard: Holy Week

Following a spectacular Palm/Passion Sunday, here is your Holy Week schedule at FCC Scottsdale:

Maundy Thursday 
Worship Service at 7PM in the Sanctuary
We will celebrate Christ instituting the Lord's Supper and will continue our worship with a candlelit service of the Last Words of Jesus.

Good Friday
Prayer and Meditation in the Sanctuary from 9AM until Noon
The Sanctuary will be open on Good Friday from 9AM until Noon for anyone who wishes to come and spend time in prayer. We will have devotionals and prayer resources available and Sandi will provide meditative music from the piano.

Easter Sunday
DWM Easter Breakfast at 8:30AM in the Fellowship Hall
The ladies of Disciples Women's Ministry will provide a delicious Easter Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall starting at 8:30 (so folks can still make it to Sunday School) and continuing throughout the morning.

Youth Easter Egg Hunt at 9AM on the Church Lawn
Our children and youth will have an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday morning before worship.

Easter Sunday Worship at 10:15AM in the Sanctuary
Come join us as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We will amazing music (including a mini-orchestra and singing of the Hallelujah Chorus), a children's sermon, and a joyful celebration of our risen savior!

Newsbrief: SNAP Challenge

I have been participating in the SNAP Challenge this week.

And I’ve gotta tell you, it is hard.

SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and it is more commonly known as “food stamps.”

The SNAP Challenge is a consciousness raising exercise, where for one whole week you have to live on the same food budget as those who receive SNAP Food Benefits. Which is to say, you are limited to a grand total of $29.43 per person to spend on food and beverages during the Challenge week. That translates to $4.20 per day, or $1.40 per meal if you avoid any snacks or extras (and you pretty much have to).

Like I said, it has been hard. It has also been eye opening.

The food I purchased for
the entire week of the SNAP Challenge.

I am fortunate that I have never had to worry about food. So it was a strange feeling to walk through the grocery store on Saturday evening buying my supplies for the week. For the first time in my life I was afraid I would not have enough food to eat.

In fact, shopping that evening was a startling experience. For one, it took me over an hour and a half to buy three small bags worth of groceries. It took so long because I had to walk up and down aisles pricing out different items before I could actually put anything in my grocery cart. I had to calculate “Do I have enough for fresh fruit and produce?” (yes, but not very much of them), “Can I afford a can of pinto beans or some yogurt to supplement my protein?” (no, I could not) and “How many meals can I get from a box of pasta?” (three, it turns out).

I also ended up having to purchase all sorts of items that I normally wouldn’t have bought simply because they were the least expensive items available. One of the reasons I am a vegetarian is because it forces me to be conscious of the food I eat and the things I put into my body. In general I try to avoid overly processed foods, particularly things with the dreaded “high-fructose corn syrup” in it. But not this week. Everything from a generic loaf of bread (marked down to $1), pasta sauce ($1.37), box of mac-n-cheese (69-cents), can of soup ($1.25), and even a can of peas (discounted to 59-cents) had high-fructose corn syrup added to it! Not only was I eating less food because of $29.43 limit (and I am, a lot less) but the food is significantly less nutritious as well.

My receipt. I intentionally left myself $3.50 for the week,
just in case I ran out of food and needed to
go back to the store for emergency supplies.

Oh, and many of our church members who are participating in the SNAP Challenge have jokingly mentioned to me that they are vegetarians this week…because they couldn’t afford to purchase any meat.

It is amazing to think of food as a luxury item. When I realized late last night that I had enough food to get me through the week I was honestly ecstatic. Now that will require making a third meal out of that box of pasta that I mixed with a jar tomato sauce and it will require me to continue eating some semblance of an egg sandwich every day, and hoping that the little bit of cantaloupe I have left doesn’t rot. I’m going to make it through this week, but I can’t imagine having to live this way. We have brothers and sisters who are hungry, who are hurting, and who aren’t living on $29.43 as a consciousness raising exercise…but rather because that is all they have.

Time and time again in the scriptures Christ Jesus asks us what we are doing for the hungry and the poor and as I’m finishing up the SNAP Challenge I am more convinced than ever that the answer is: Not enough.

Yours in the Journey,

Rev. Brian

3 Things from Administrative Council

Administrative Council had their regularly scheduled meeting on Sunday March 17, 2013 right after worship. Here are "The Three Things" you need to know from that meeting:

1. Board of Church Extension Loan Update
   As part of our Property Improvement Project the congregation approved pursuing a loan from the Board of Church Extension in the amount of $100,000 with the intention of repaying that loan in full over the course of two to three years. Well, here we are about a year later and I'm happy to report that we are WAY ahead of schedule. Presently the outstanding balance of the loan stands at $10,600, but we have $3,700 in PIP donations that we are holding in a savings account. Which means we really only have about $6,900 remaining on our loan! Keep those PIP pledges coming and we'll have this Property Improvement Program paid off in full in no time flat!
   
2. Cell Tower Update
   You'll remember from our Annual Congregational Meeting in December that Sprint ended their lease agreement with us regarding the cell tower site here on the church's campus. After pursuing some leads on our own, Administrative Council has signed a Marketing Agreement with TowerCo to help find a new tenet to move in to our cell tower site and provide supplemental income for the church.
   
3. New Pictorial Directory in November
   You'll be hearing a lot more about it in the coming months, but I want to get it on your radar: We'll be creating a new pictorial directory in November. Lifetouch (who did our previous Pictorial Directory in 2006) will be on the church campus on November 14-16 to take pictures of church members for new our directory. Watch for updates and invitations in the coming months!

Whiteboard: Palm/Passion Sunday

We'll begin our observance of Holy Week this Sunday with a Palm/Passion Sunday Worship Service.

Why the "/" in the middle of our liturgical title? Well, because if you just go from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday then it means you simply go from celebration to celebration -- The loud "Hosanna" of Palm Sunday followed immediately by the exultant "Hallelujah" of Easter -- which means we've completely skipped past an important part of the story. So we'll combine Palm Sunday and the story of Christ's Passion this week in worship.

We will begin the service with the story of Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem from Luke 19:30-40. There will be a palm procession, loud shouts of "Hosanna" and a victorious chorus from the Chancel Choir.

From there excerpts from the Passion Narrative have been woven into our regular order of worship. Throughout the service we will hear once more and all over again about Christ's betrayal by Judas, his restless night of the soul in Gethsemane, his sham of a trial, and his death on the cross...all with the promise that the story does not end here.

As a people of faith we know that death does not get the final word. We know that the joy of new life and the power Christ's resurrection is waiting just around the corner on Easter Sunday. But we also know that in order to get to Easter's joy we need to first follow Christ all the way to the cross. So on Palm/Passion Sunday we do just that.