Week of Compassion Minutes for Mission

Week of Compassion is February 21-28.

Through Week of Compassion we are able to work with communities to positively impact lives all over the world; to accompany people during the time of their greatest need; and to share good news with our sisters and brothers when hope is needed most. 

Below are two different "Minutes for Mission" that describe the ministries that your Week of Compassion dollars support. 

Minute for Mission 1 

Our Bible is filled with stories of journeys. From the chronicle of how God’s spirit moved across creation in search of a caretaker in Genesis, to Jesus’ call in the Great Commission – to go and make Disciples in all nations – the People of God have been on the move. 

Unfortunately, sometimes that movement reflects the last possible choice for families in crisis. War, disaster, a changing climate or devastated economy have forced millions over the years to seek safety as refugees. 

Since 1946, Church World Service, the relief, development and refugee assistance ministry of 37 member communions such as ours, has been called to resettle refugees, allowing them to escape warfare, civil strife, oppression and statelessness. Since the end of World War II, your mission partner, CWS, has offered life-giving resettlement to more than 800,000 persons. At every step of the way, there have been congregations like ours who have stepped forward to serve as co-sponsors, mentors and friends to newly arrived refugees on behalf of the Church. 

Today we celebrate that effort and recognize that the world is facing a refugee crisis we have not seen in generations. At this moment, there are more refugees in the world than at any time since World War II. Fighting rages in Syria, with families fleeing for safety. Sectarian violence has forced men, women and children from their homes in the Central African Republic on a scale that has not been seen in decades. Persecution of minority groups like Rohingya endures in Asia. 

The threat of violence forces parents to send their children away, unaccompanied, in Central and Latin America because for them, sending their children away, alone or in the care of strangers is an even safer option than staying put. Week of Compassion helps us to be there for them. 

The offering we make today is steeped in more than just decades of tradition. It is rooted in responding to Christ’s call to welcome the stranger. The Week of Compassion offering connects our church’s resources to others to provide help beyond just emergency food, water and shelter. Our offering will help people in need begin a new life free from violence, persecution, shifting climate -- a new life with hope for the future. 

From the journey of his Disciples in following Jesus in his ministry to John’s writing of the Book of Revelation, in exile, on the Isle of Patmos, the people of God have been on the move. We have the chance today to answer God’s call. Let us respond generously to help as one Church. As we offer our gifts, let us be mindful not only of the assistance for those forced to flee their homes. May we also recognize that in giving, we, too are moved in our journey to live ever more in Christ’s image. 

Minute for Mission 2 

Our faith calls us to respond to people in crisis. Sometimes crises occur from forces of nature and sometimes they are the result of violent acts of persecution: what we – human beings - do to each other. The gospel has much to say about this. It empowers us to respond in our own time, as we reflect upon the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. 

 The current conflict in Syria is the world’s single largest refugee crisis in nearly a quarter of a century. The four-year conflict has forced more than 9 million people from their homes. That’s more than 40 percent of the country’s pre-war population. Over 4 million Syrian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries, and an additional 7 million remain displaced inside Syria – in cities, towns and rural areas. 

Life for Syrians in exile is increasingly difficult. Most live below the poverty line and in sub-standard shelters. Hope of returning home diminishes each year the civil war continues. As the rate of poverty increases among refugees, practices such as child labor and child marriage are on the rise amongst families in the deepest crisis. In the already vulnerable surrounding countries, communities are straining to sustain support for refugees as competition for employment, land, housing, water and energy grows. 

We can respond to the crisis in Syria and to other tragedies across the globe. Donations to Week of Compassion not only sustain a response to issues of global refugee displacement and war, they go to support our efforts to welcome refugees as they arrive in the U.S. and adjust to a new life. 

Matthew 25 states: “Come, you that are blessed. . .inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. . ." 

This passage marks some of Jesus’ final words to his disciples before ascending to heaven. The text is more than a call to help - it is a final judgment on whether Christ’s people have acted with compassion towards those in need. Here we learn that the ‘good news’ comes first to the ones in crisis. Christ comes to us as the “least” – the hungry, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the prisoner. 

Week of Compassion provides an opportunity to act together. In Syria. In Africa. In Asia, and Latin America - wherever there are needs for care, to live out Christ’s call. 

As we heed the call of our faith - across denominations, working together in unity, as one ecumenical body – we are invited to make more of an impact than any one of us could alone. Together we can make a difference. Not only can we address the immediate needs of those displaced by war and persecution, we can also address the long-term issues of poverty and social injustice. This is the gospel mandate, and the gospel hope.

Whiteboard: We Need Love

The Calendar threw us a curve ball this year.

Not only is this Sunday the First Sunday of Lent (that 40-Day Journey of Preparation and Petition leading to Easter Sunday) but it is also Saint Valentine's Day.

So what is a church to do?

Do you focus the worship service on the deep introspection and wilderness wandering isolation of the Lenten Season?

Or, do you build the service around the themes of love, grace, and connection?

It is quite a dilemma.

Which is why at FCC Scottsdale we have decided to do both!

Instead of looking at Lenten as a stark and lonely time where we give something up as a sign of our fidelity to the Lord, I am inviting you to view Lent a little bit differently this year.

I've talked before about the more modern, positivist take on Lent were believers use it as a time to take on something new -- instead of giving up a vice you take up a virtue. This year we've built that idea right into our Worship Themes for the entire season of Lent.

So each Sunday in worship for the next six weeks we'll be talking about "The Things We Need" during our Lenten Journey. And what better place to start (particularly given the quirky curveball we got from the Calendar this year) than with Love.

Join us this Sunday, the first Sunday of Lent, the first Sunday of our new sermon series, as we celebrate the theme: All We Need is Love!

Oh, and we have a Potluck Luncheon immediately following the worship service sponsored by our Membership Team and our Facilities Team in honor of our New Members. So bring a dish to share, come celebrate our new members, and join us for a wonderful Saint Valentine's Day at First Christian Church Scottsdale!

Ash Wednesday Homily

Last night our Ash Wednesday Worship Service was shared with our sister congregations Coolwater Christian Church and Foothills Christian Church. We gathered together at Coolwater (who did such an excellent job hosting!) and Rev. Katie Sexton, Rev. Bekah Krevens and I co-officiated the service. It was a lovely way to begin our Lenten journey, and a beautiful sign of the powerful things that we can do when we work together.

Below are a copy of my remarks from last night. 

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Ash Wednesday comes crazy early this year.

The last time Ash Wednesday came anywhere near this early I was surprised by a theological question from one of my Cajun kinfolk.

Now you might not know it to look at me, or by the sound of my voice (I've worked to lose that accent) but eight generations of my family have called the backwoods and bayous of southwest Louisiana home for ages. I'm part Cajun, ya'll. 

And let me tell you, I'm just as surprised as any of my Cajun kinfolk that a protestant preacher has emerged from that heavily Catholic family tree. We learned early on not to talk about religion...

Which made it so surprising when my Cajun cousin pulled me aside and said, “I’ve got a theological question for ya.” 

“Okay,” I responded, with trepidation.

“Easter comes really early this year.”

“Yep.”

“Which means Lent comes really early this year.”

“Yep.” So far so good. I had no problem fielding those questions.

“Which means that this year Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday happen before Valentine’s Day.”

“Yeah, that is true,” I said.

Having set the stage, my Cajun kinfolk finally says, “So my theological question for you is this: Does white chocolate count as chocolate? I’m only asking because my sweetheart gives up chocolate every year for Lent and I’ve gotta know what to get for a Valentine’s Day present.”

Lent comes early this year. Breaking into our lives with all of its particular expectations and funny questions. What is Lent? Why do we do it? What am I supposed to do with myself for these next forty days that are actually longer than forty days?

Lets take those questions in reverse order, shall we.

What am I supposed to do with myself?

Well, this one is easy: Spiritual Spring Cleaning.

That is what Lent is all about: Spiritual Spring Cleaning. It is a time of genuine introspection. An opportunity to look deep into the corners and crevices of our souls and find all of the clutter and cobwebs that need to be cleared out. It is a chance for us give up all of those things that we know we shouldn't have been doing in the first place and take up all of those good things that we know we should be doing but haven't. 

Why do we do it?

Our scripture reading from the prophet Joel is helpful here. "Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful..."

Why do we do it? Because we trust in the Lord. Because we put our faith in a God who is gracious and merciful, who is forgiving and doesn't give up on us, who continues to call us and call out the very best in us. 

So, what is Lent?

Lent is a 40-day journey where we follow Christ. We follow him all the way to Jerusalem; all the way to the cross; and eventually all the way to Easter Sunday. Lent leads us to the brink of resurrection of new life! And what better Easter present could there be than lives made new by this Lenten journey. Lent is that time where we put down our vices and take up our virtues. Lent is that time where we grow in the faith by nurturing our spirits. Lent is a time of renewal and transformation.

Yes, Lent comes crazy early this year, but maybe, just maybe it comes right when we need it the most.

...oh, and technically white chocolate isn’t chocolate. I told my theologically interested Cajun kinfolk that white chocolate is only cocoa butter without any of the cocoa bean solids. So it isn’t chocolate so much as an ingredient in chocolate. Then again, if you are giving up chocolate for Lent then it probably goes against the spirit of the thing to gorge yourself white chocolate. My suggestion for a post-Ash Wednesday Valentine’s present: Fresh flowers. You can't go wrong with a present that so beautifully signifies the gits of new life.

Whiteboard: View From The Top

This Sunday is the Transfiguration -- one of those mysterious, amazing, misunderstood passages from scripture.

After Jesus has been preaching and teaching, healing and performing miracles he takes three of his Disciples -- Peter, James, and John -- up to a high mountain to pray. And there, he is transformed right in front of them. His clothes become as bright as a flash of lightning, his faces changes, and suddenly the Disciples realize they are not there alone with Jesus but that they are joined by Moses and Elijah!

It is an amazing scene. Arguably, a scene that is too amazing for Peter. He desperately wants to stay there. He wants to stay there on top of the mountain, with his head in the clouds. He wants to stay there...forever. He asks Jesus if they can build three houses there, saying that he wants to build one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, but we can't help but notice that those houses would also correspond to Peter, James, and John.

But Jesus won't let them. This isn't the point of faith -- to be secluded forever, to hide away from the rest of the world, holding on to our mountaintop experience, keeping it to ourselves. As they are walking down the mountain they are greeted with the most amazing part of the entire story. A cloud envelops them and then, well, then they hear the very voice of God proclaiming "This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to him."

This Sunday in worship we'll retell the Transfiguration story. We'll sing, we'll pray, we'll be in community with each other -- not so that we can have our own mountaintop moment that we keep hidden away from the world, but that we might hear once more the testimony of faith (God's command "This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to him") and bring it with us out to the waiting world.

I'll see you this Sunday!

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Luke 9:28-36 The Transfiguration

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 

Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. 

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen;listen to him!’ 

When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Pics: The Fifth With First

What a great Sunday!

January 31, 2016 marked our first edition of "The Fifth With First" of the new year, and we did some amazing things!

In our Worship Service in the Sanctuary we presented a video homily lovingly put together by the good folks at the Salt Project featuring our dear friend the Rev. David Shirey. The video is a part of the "Ministry Still Matters" campaign of the wider church and with a short introduction by Rev. Brian powerfully points to the ways that we can be burnt out or revitalized in living our faith. Click below to watch that worship video.

After the Worship Service in the sanctuary we had a Plarn Project in the Fellowship Hall. We owe a big "Thank You!" to the dozen folks who participated in preparing "plastic yarn" that will be knitted into bed mats for local homeless men and women.

At the same time that morning we had forty folks from our congregation out in the community making a difference in our local neighborhood. We started with a brief prayer service at Chaparral Park and then moved on to the Paiute Neighborhood Center where we revitalized their community garden, painted the benches in the children's amphitheater, and did some general maintenance and beautification projects all around the center.

You can find even more pictures from the day on the Church's Facebook Page at facebook.com/FCCScottsdale!

Whiteboard: The Fifth With First

This Sunday is The Fifth With First!

For folks coming to the Worship Service in the Sanctuary, I have a special treat for you: The Rev. David Shirey (friend of the congregation; founding pastor of Coolwater Christian Church, now serving as Senior Pastor at Central Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky) has recorded a special video homily that we’ll be sharing during worship. David’s words are inspiring and powerful, and the video is wonderfully produced by the good people at the Salt Project. After the Worship Service in the Sanctuary please head over to the Fellowship Hall for our Workship Project where we’ll be making Plarn (plastic yarn, made from old grocery bags) that will be lovingly knitted into bedrolls for local homeless men and women.

For folks going out into the community: We’ll meet at the Ramada at Chaparral Park at 9AM for a brief prayer service before heading out to work on behalf of our partner Operation Fix-It. We’ll be bringing a neighbors yard up to code and doing important work helping a local family in need. Please bring your work gloves, closed toed shoes, and you’ll probably want to dress is layers (it will be chilly at 9AM, but you’ll warm up over the course of the morning).

It is going to be great morning! I hope you will join us!

GMP Search Team Communication #1

Greetings friends,Important work is underway on behalf of our denomination.

Our General Minister and President, the Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins is completing her second and final six-year term as our denomination's "spiritual leader and Chief Executive Officer." As such a Search Committee was been duly elected by the General Board and they held their first meeting this past weekend. Below you will find the first of their communications with the wider church.

You will also notice that I have included in the names of each Search Committee member in the caption below their picture. I have done this so that you can pray regularly for each Search Committee Member by name. We are already doing that with our Wednesday Noon prayer group here at the church and I will continue to do that with my personal prayer discipline. Please pray for God's guidance upon this committee, for the Spirit of Discernment to be upon them and upon everyone that is touched by their work. I am grateful for this committee (and look, in the upper left hand side of the picture, it is Arizona's very own Rev. Lori Tapia!) and for the good things that will emerge from their faithful work.

peace,
Rev. Brian

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2016-2017 GMP Search Committee: Top Row (L-R) Bill Jennison, Lori Tapia, Allison Enari, Mary Lou Kegler, Tom Perring, Young Lan Kim, Monique Crain Spells, Tony Rodriguez. Seated Row (L-R) Jennifer Garbin, Susan Morris, Jackie Bunch (Chair) and Danny Gulden.

General Minister and President Search Committee, Communication #1Committee named and search process underway

Progress: In this first communication, we are pleased to inform you that the General Minister and President (GMP) Search Committee of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has been approved by the General Board. With a sense of humbleness and gratitude for being called to this important task, the committee met from Jan. 15-17 in Dallas, Texas to begin the search process. During this two-day meeting, we prayed with each other for God's guidance, participated in Pro-Reconciliation/ Anti-Racism training, spent time building covenant with each other, and focused our energies in active listening and engagement. We established a timeline that will take us from writing the position description through interviews and final recommendation of our denomination's spiritual leader and Chief Executive Officer.

Communication: It is important that we engage everyone in the church. Everyone - from the folks in the pews through the General Church. With this communication, we invite you to walk this journey with us. We have established a GMP Search Committee informational page which will serve as a way for you to communicate your thoughts and ideas with us. A questionnaire will be provided to solicit your input and we will be sending updates throughout our process. If you would like to take part in this questionnaire and receive updates, please sign up.

Request for prayer: Finally, in recognition of the central role God plays in our process, we have committed to be in prayer with each other on Wednesdays, sometime between the hours of 6 and10 am. Regardless of where we are physically located, this prayer time will spiritually bond us. We invite you to join us in this prayer life.
Search Committee webpage

Three Things from Administrative Council

It was a busy weekend for Administrative Council. They had their Annual Leadership Retreat on Saturday and then met for their first official meeting of 2016. As always following those regularly scheduled meetings of the Council, here are "The Three Things" you should know from that meeting:

1) We're in the Black
I am happy to report that we finished 2015 in a strong financial position. Not only were we able to complete all of our Dream Fund Projects, but we were also able to pay all of our bills and still roll over just short of $4000 into our longterm reserves at the end of the year! Your continued generosity and support makes these things happen!

2) A Full House
We are truly blessed to have ever single leadership position filled on Administrative Council. Each ministry team has co-chairs and everyone is excited for the good work that will come in 2016!

3) National Stewardship Conference
I reported to the Council that I have been selected by the Center for Faith and Giving as a "Stewardship Ambassador" on behalf of the wider church. That means that at the end of March (right after Easter) I will be attending a National Stewardship Conference in Orlando, Florida that will bring together some of the best minds and best practices for developing generosity in local congregations. This Conference will be a joint effort between the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and our cousin denomination the United Church Christ. Oh, and as a "Stewardship Ambassador" I have been awarded a full scholarship plus travel expenses to cover the event! I am looking forward to being there, learning lots, and bringing plenty of good things back to the church.

Whiteboard: To Proclaim

Our sermon scripture this week gives us...another sermon scripture!

In the Gospel of Luke this week we have Jesus standing up before the gathered congregation in order to read the holy words of scripture. He picks the words from Isaiah -- powerful words, transformative words, hopeful words. You'll find my abbreviated paraphrase up on the Whiteboard and you'll find the full text down below.

But Jesus doesn't stop by simply reading the words from Isaiah. No, he presses on. He proclaims, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

It is an amazing proclamation; an incredible thing to say. "You remember those holy promises from God? The ones you've been waiting on for so long? Well good news! Today is the day!"

And with that proclamation Jesus is laying out his mission and his ministry -- one that will be defined by liberation and light, by vision and transformation. Jesus is calling us this week to hear the old, old story and to believe that it still has the power to change us and set us free today!

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Luke 4:14-21

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’

2016 Leadership Retreat

Administrative Council met for their Annual Leadership Retreat this past weekend. It was a tremendous event filled with purposeful prayer, faithful conversations, and an opportunity to continue to dream big dreams!

We celebrated the good things that happened last year, set goals (short term, long term, and on-going) to govern our work for the coming year, and felt the Spirit moving in us and through us in our holy time together!

Here are "The Three Things" we want you to know from that Leadership Retreat...followed by some pictures of the day!

1) Dream Big!
In 2015 we put the Dream Fund to wonderful use in the life of the church, and in 2016 we want to build on that momentum. We are going to "Live the Dream!" and "Keep Dreaming!" and "Dream Big!" in the coming year. The Administrative Council is looking forward to cultivating big ideas for our congregation as we faithfully discern God's dreams for us in the coming year.

2) A Full Slate!
What a blessing to have every leadership position in the life of the church filled! Please keep Administrative Council (and all of our various Ministry Teams) in your prayers as they take on the good work before us.

3) The Church of Yes...And!
In reviewing our Hope Partnership Best Practices we heard once again the longstanding refrain that we want FCC Scottsdale to be the "The Church of Yes!" We want to be a place that is filled with the overwhelming affirmation of God's love! We want to celebrate new ideas and support innovation. Instead of simply defaulting "No" for any new project or opportunity we want to be able to say "Yes!" In fact, we want to go a step further. Improv comedy troops talk about "Yes...and". It is the strategy of not only agreeing with what your partner offers, but building on it to make it better. We not only affirm new ideas, but we add our own piece to the growing tableau in order to make something even richer and more rewarding.