Three Things from Administrative Council

Administrative Council had their first meeting of 2017 on Sunday January 15 immediately following the worship service. As always, here are "The Three Things" that you should know from that meeting!

1. Joint Lenten Worship Services
For the second year in a row we will be sharing our Lenten Worship Services with our sister congregations at Foothills and Coolwater. FCC Scottsdale will be hosting the Ash Wednesday Service on 3/1/17 at 7PM in our Sanctuary, Foothills will host the Maundy Thursday Service on April 13 and Coolwater will host the Good Friday Service on April 14. It was a great way for us to get to know our brothers and sisters and Christ last year, and I'm sure it is going to be even better a second time around!

2. Finance Team and Gift Policies
The Finance Team will be clarifying our policies and procedures for accepting financial gifts and making sure that they are put to use correctly.

3. Full Budget Review
In a technical part of our work, the Admin Council Reviewed our Budget, and Combined Funds, helping us on our way to a Balanced Budget.

Whiteboard: Gone Fishing

It is a pun.

We miss those sometimes, particularly when we are translating from one language to another.

Scripture gives us a pun in Matthew 4:12-23.

He is calling his first disciples, who happen to be fishermen, and so scripture tells us:

He said to the fishermen, "I will make you fish for men."

It is a pun. Fishermen and fish-for-men sound similar in Koine Greek (the original language of Matthew and the rest of the New Testament) just like they sound similar in English.

But here is the thing: Jesus wasn't just talking men in a gender-identity kind of way. He wasn't saying to his earliest disciples, "I only want you to preach the good news to guys. Forget about the ladies entirely." So now we have a double dilemma. Do you keep the pun and exclude the women? Or do you include everybody, but goof up the wordplay? Or is there, miracle of all linguistic miracles, some way to do both?

The New Revised Standard Version (which we use in worship) went with Option #2 (Include Everybody, but Goof up the Wordplay). They translate the passage as:

...for they were fishermen. And he said to them,
"Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."

That has always driven me crazy! The playfulness of the text, the power of the pun completely vanishes. It all becomes so, well, clunky when fishermen is followed by the completely indeciperable fish for people.

It is why I've always preferred the third option -- a fresher translation that reads:

...for they were fishermen. And he said to them,
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men and women."

See how easy that was! The pun is still there. The Universality of the message is still there. And in church this Sunday I'll share with you why all of that is so important!

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Matthew 4:12-23 Jesus Begins His Ministry

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 

‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,

on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 

the people who sat in darkness

have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death

light has dawned.’ 

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Whiteboard: Introducing Jesus (all over again)

It seems a funny thing to have to do -- introducing Jesus, all over again.

After all, we're coming off of a prolonged period of introductions. With Advent we spent four weeks getting ready to greet him, then at Christmas he celebrated his birth and with Epiphany we followed the Magi from the East as they came to bring him greetings and blessings.

And yet, this Sunday here is John the Baptist giving us yet another introduction...and with good reason!

In many ways the Christmas season is all about introducing us to the Christ child, but on Sunday John the Baptist wants us to know Jesus the Messiah.

Now, I don't mean for those to sound like two different people. Because they are not. It is just that they represent different stages in the life of our savior that emphasis different aspects of the narrative of our faith.

The Christ child comes into this world in much the same way as any other baby -- full of promise, wonder, and love. In the case of the Christ child it is the promise of God's love miraculously breaking into this world; it is God's eternal promise coming to fruition once and for all.

Then suddenly the narrative jumps forward three decades into the future and here we are with a full grown Jesus the Messiah -- preaching and teaching, calling disciples and doing miraculous things in the name of God Most High. It is a jarring jump forward and so John the Baptist is here to help smooth that rocky transition. He introduces us to Jesus all over again that we might know him (he's more than just a promise now!) and what he is up to (so that we too can follow him!).

So come join us this Sunday at FCC Scottsdale as we are reintroduced to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, all over again!

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Pictures from Texas

Years ago when I first started this as my "professional blog" a church member asked me, "What is the difference between this 'professional blog' and a 'personal' one?" I joked, "Well, you won't be seeing cute baby pictures of my son on it!"

And for the most part I have held firm on that distinction...except when I haven't!

So here is a quick blog post to say "Thank you" to my church family for the time off after Christmas and into the first week on January. I was able to use that vacation time to join with my family (and I mean all of my family) in Texas. Susan, Henry, and I were able to gather with my sisters, their husbands and their kids at my parents' house and spend some extended time with extended family. As part of the celebration we scheduled a photo session with a local photographer at a nearby ranch (it is Texas after all!).

So here are some of the photos from that session that capture just a touch of what my time away was about -- reconnecting with family, recharging our batteries, and enjoying time together with folks I don't get to see nearly enough.

The whole family gathered on a front porch.

Susan, Henry, and me.

Mom and Dad surrounded by their four kids.

All the cousins in the back of an old pick-up truck.

The kiddos goofing off.

Me with my neice (and goddaughter).

Whiteboard: Christmas Weekend

Everything is coming together.

The poinsettias have been delivered, the choir has rehearsed, the scripts have been sent out to all of our readers, and the worship slides have been put in place. We have completed our Advent Sermon series, and received all of the blessings of the season that we need in preparation for the miracle of Christmas -- the gifts of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

Everything is coming together for our Christmas Celebrations here at FCC Scottsdale. Let me run through all of the festivities for you!

December 22nd Choir Christmas Concert at Westminster at 7PM
For the third year in a row the choir will go to the Westminster Village Retirement Community to perform a special Christmas concert.

December 24th Christmas Eve Service 7PM in the Sanctuary
We’ll have a full service of Lessons and Carols complete with a
traditional, candlelit “Silent Night” to close out the service.

December 25th Christmas Sunday Service 10:15AM in the Sanctuary
On Christmas morning we’ll gather for worship and celebrate the birth of Christ with “The No Rehearsal Christmas Pageant!” And then after service please join us in Fellowship Hall for a special celebration that we are calling “A Birthday Party for Jesus and Harriet Howard!” We’ll continue celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy some birthday cake in honor of Harriet’s birthday too!

I hope you can join us for all of these special occasions during this Christmas season. Wishing you many blessings for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Luke 2:1-20 The Birth of Jesus

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Whiteboard: One More Thing

This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and like a Steve Jobs' product reveals of old, Advent dares to declare to us, "There is one more thing..."

And just like those old Apple product launches, Advent is saving the biggest, best, most important thing for last. Because the Fourth Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of Love.

Love.

That foundational gift from God that once we accept it changes us forever.

Love.

That blessing that forces us to reinterpret everything that we thought we knew.

Love.

That one more thing that we need to really, truly be ready for the gift of the Christ child at Christmas.

So this Sunday, we'll celebrate the gift of love as we prepare our hearts and prepare our world once again for Christmas.

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Matthew 1:18-25 The Angel and Joseph

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’

All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’,which means, ‘God is with us.’

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Christmas Skit Script

During worship on Sunday December 11, 2016 the kids of FCC Scottsdale presented a Christmas Skit as part of our Christmas Cantata Musical Celebration.

The skit was written, at the invitation of our Music Director Sandi DeFeo, by my 10-year-old son (and aspiring filmmaker!) Henry Frederick-Gray.

You can listen to the full audio of the Christmas Skit on the church's website, and by popular demand you can find the full script posted below!

Thank you to everyone who helped make our Christmas Cantata Musical Celebration such a wonderful success!

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What Can I Give Him?
A Christmas Skit
First Christian Church Scottsdale

by Henry Frederick-Gray

(The play opens with Henry, standing at one of the center Praise Team microphones, sorta talking to himself.)

Henry: Alright, getting ready for the Children’s portion of the Christmas Play. Gonna tell everybody about the gifts we bring…

(Jordan, Darren, and Jennica walk up to the Praise Team Microphone nearest the Lectern. They are distracted by the phone that Jordan is holding in front of himself.)

Henry: Oh, are you guys here to play the part of the Wisemen in the Christmas Play?

Jordan: What? No, we were just playing Pokemon Go.

Darren: We think there might be a Jigglypuff in here!

Henry: Oh…

Jennica: Did you say something about a Christmas Play?

Henry: Yes. We’re doing a Christmas Play here at the church and I still need the Wisemen to show up. They are the ones who will give gifts to Baby Jesus and help us understand what kinds of gifts we can bring him.

Jordan: Cool. Do you think baby Jesus plays Pokemon Go?

Henry: I doubt it.

(Hannah, Scarlett and Morgan walk up to the Praise Team Microphone nearest the pews. They are each carrying an object.)

Henry: Are you all the Wisemen?

Scarlett: You mean Wise Women.

Henry: Okay, sure. Did you bring gifts for the Baby Jesus.

Hannah: We sure did. Check it out. (Hannah holds up the iPad box) I brought him an iPad!

Kids: Whoa!

Darren: Wait a second, is that really appropriate for a little baby?

Hannah: What do you mean?

Darren: Well, it is a gift for Baby Jesus, right? But didn’t the APA just change the guidelines on screen time for kids? I don’t think babies are supposed to have iPads. Even if they are the Baby Jesus.

Hannah: Oh, you are probably right…

Scarlett: Well look what I brought him! (Holds up the Lego Death Star Box) It is the biggest Lego set that money can buy!

Kids: Whoa!

Scarlett: Yeah, and it comes with Luke Skywalker…

Henry (Trying to interrupt Scarlett): Scarlett, I don’t think….

Scarlett (Doesn’t notice Henry’s interruption, keeps talking): …and Han Solo…

Henry (Getting Louder): Scarlet, I don’t think that…

Scarlett (Keeps talking): …and Princess Leia…

Henry (Even Louder): SCARLETT, I don’t think that…

Scarlett (Keeps talking): …OH, and Darth Vader

Kids (Loudly, together): SCARLETT!

Scarlett (Finally looks up from the Lego Box): Yes?

Henry: I don’t think that is the most appropriate gift for the Baby Jesus. I mean, isn’t it really just a big box full of choking hazards?

Scarlett: Oh, you’re probably right…

Morgan: Hey, check out what I brought him! (Holds up a T-shirt and a marker).

Jennica: What is that?

Morgan: It is a white t-shirt and a black marker.

Jennica: Why did you bring a white t-shirt and a black marker for the Baby Jesus?

Morgan: I was hoping he would autograph it for me!

Jennica: Um, I don’t think baby’s know how to sign autographs.

Darren: And besides, wouldn’t that really be more of a gift for you instead of a gift for the Baby Jesus.

Morgan: Oh, you’re probably right…

Jordan: So what are we supposed to do now?

Henry: I don’t know. I really wish those three Wisemen would show up. We could really use some help with this…

(From off stage we hear: Knock, Knock, Knock)

Sandi: Henry, did you use your Dad’s church credit card to order pizza again?

(The kids look around, excited)

Henry: No. Not this time.

(The kids hang their heads down, sad)

Sandi: Okay, well go see who is at the door.

(Brian, Eric, and Brayden enter from the sacristy door by the Baptismal Pool. They are wearing crowns, carrying their gifts, and walk to the Pulpit Mic).

Henry: Thank goodness you guys are finally here! Did you bring the gifts for Baby Jesus? We are having a really hard time figuring out what we are supposed to give him.

Brian: I brought him Gold.

Eric: I brought him Frankincense.

Brayden: I brought him Myrrh.

Jordan: Um, none of that sounds particularly appropriate for a little baby.

Brian: That is true. But we weren’t bringing him gifts fit for a baby. We were bringing him gifts fit for a king! Gifts that would help him in his life and ministry. Gifts that would help us to know who he is and what his ministry was all about.

Hannah: Well, we’ve really been struggling to know what kind of gifts we are supposed to bring him.

Eric: Well, maybe you can think about it differently. Instead of thinking “What kind of present do I want to give the newborn Christ child?” maybe you should ask yourself, “What does Jesus really want more than anything else in the world?”

(The kids nod their heads in growing recognition, clearly thinking about this question)

Darren: I got it!

(The kids huddle up and pretend to whisper ideas excitedly back and forth. Every now and then one of them pops up nodding and smiling at the congregation. After a few seconds they return to their microphones.)

Brayden: So, what did you decide?

Jennica: Well, we decided that the best gift we could bring for Jesus probably isn’t the XP from our Pokemon Go game.

Hannah: And it isn’t an iPad.

Scarlett: And it isn’t this totally awesome Lego Star Wars set.

Morgan: And it isn’t a T-shirt for him to autograph.

Darren: What Jesus wants more than anything else in the world, is for us to love him…

Henry: …and to share that love with the world.

Jordan: So what gift should we give him?

Kids and Wisemen (all together): We’ll give him our heart!

Whiteboard: Advent 3

During our Worship Service on Sunday we will be graced with a special service featuring our Chancel Choir, Praise Team, and Kids Choir!

That means that everything will be a little bit different than a typical Sunday morning Worship Service (we’ve rearranged the Order of Service to make it all happen) and it will be a little bit different than Cantata Sundays in year’s past. 

For starters, our kids are going to be featured throughout the Musical Celebration. In fact, the youth of FCC Scottsdale will be performing a Christmas Skit written by Henry Frederick-Gray (yes, my son!). 

What’s more, there will be parts during the Musical Celebration that we’ll invite the entire congregation to join us in singing our praises to God and the Christ child. 

It is going to be wonderful and I hope you can join us!

Whiteboard: Advent 1

Advent is a season of preparation.

It is the beginning of a new year for us in the worship life of the church. A year that does not begin with the revelry and celebration of Christmas or with the cosmos reshaping events of Easter. 

No, our year begins with preparation because faith is about the journey as much as it is about any end destination. So we carve out this time to get ready, to prayerfully consider our preparation. What do we need to do to steady our hearts and steel our wills as we eagerly anticipate the birth of Christ once more in our hearts and in our world.

This Sunday we will gather. 

We will pray. 

We will sing. 

We will share the old, old stories and join our hearts with the dreams that God has for us today. We will prepare our hearts and talk about hope. Because it is into a world just such as this that Christ Jesus came to reveal the fullness of God's love, the promise of God's forgiveness, and the opportunity of a life truly worth living.

Come and light a Candle of Peace with us this Sunday at FCC Scottsdale.

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Matthew 3:1-12 The Proclamation of John the Baptist

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

“Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight.” ’ 

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

Three Things from Admin Council

Administrative Council had their final regularly scheduled meeting of the year, this past Sunday immediately after the worship service.

Here are "The Three Things You Should Know" from that meeting:

1. Regional Assembly/Asamblea was a huge success
   Thank you to everyone who kept the joint Arizona Regional Assembly/Asamblea in your prayers. It was a different kind of event, because for the first time in a long time we held our Arizona Regional Assembly in conjunction with the Hispanic Convencion's Asamblea. It was a wonderful event with over 300 brothers and sisters in Christ gathering from all over the state of Arizona. Thank you to East Mesa Christian Church for doing such a lovely job hosting our meeting. The worship services were inspiring, the breakout sessions were life giving, the community spirit was palpable. We had a full slate of representatives from FCC Scottsdale in attendance...and oh by the way I was formally installed as the Moderator of the Christian Church in Arizona!
   
2. Admin Council approves a full Nominating Slate for the Annual Meeting
   You'll be seeing the names in the coming days and weeks, but know that our Nominating Team did an incredible job putting together a full slate of Officers, Elders, and Ministry Team Chairs for the coming year. That slate was approved by the Administrative Council and will now go to the full congregational meeting (scheduled for December 11, 2016 immediately following the Worship Service) for final approval.
   
3. Another Successful Stewardship CampaignYou’ll remember that here at the church we received a $10,000 Challenge Grant. For every increase in a pledge this year it will be matched dollar for dollar up to a grand total of $10,000. What’s more, that grant will be used to double every new pledge we received this year! Well, as of Dedication Sunday we have received pledge increases totaling $7,666 and new pledges totaling another $5,040 meaning that the total of $12,706 more than exceeds our Challenge Grant! Great job church!