Whiteboard: The Good Shepherd

So what exactly is a shepherd?

And what does a shepherd do?

And most importantly, what does that tell us about God?

This Sunday in worship we'll be using two of the most familiar passages in all of scripture to help us answer those questions.

In Psalm 23 we hear "The Lord is my shepherd," and in John 10:11-18 Jesus teaches us about "The Good Shepherd."

In the ancient world that image would have been crystal clear. But in today's world, well, I don't know about you but I don't run into shepherds all that often in my daily life. Come to think of it, I've never met a shepherd.

Which brings us back to those guiding questions. What exactly is a shepherd? What does a shepherd do? What does that tell us about God?

Come join us this Sunday at FCC Scottsdale as we wrestle with those questions in faithful ways, seeking to deepen and broaden our faith!

-------

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
my whole life long.

John 10:11-18

‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’

I am a Disciple because...

(Note: This is copied from a commentary article by Michael Kinnamon published in the December 2006 issue of the Disciples World magazine.)

10 reasons why I am a Disciple
by: Michael Kinnamon

1. I am a Disciple because, in an age of growing fundamentalism, Disciples seek to be a people of the book who, at the same time, feel no need to protect the Bible from the modern world.
   .
2. I am a Disciple because, in a society where beating the competition is regarded as the highest value, Disciples treasure the gifts that God has given to other parts of Christ's one body -- and to neighbors of other faiths.
   .
3. I am a Disciple because, resisting the extremes of hierarchical power and do-your-own-thing individualism, Disciples attempt to live by a covenant of mutual accountability, grounded in God's covenant of love with us.
   .
4. I am a Disciple because, instead of focusing only on the promise of personal blessedness in another world, Disciples celebrate the power and intention of God to transform this world -- and the calling we have to participate in God's mission of justice and peace here and now.
   .
5. I am a Disciple because we uphold the priesthood of all believers; because, without devaluing the importance of leaders, Disciples affirm that all members of the church have gifts for leadership and a calling to exercise them.
   .
6. I am a Disciple because we are a most unusual combination of radical discipleship (signified not only by our name but by our committment to believers' baptism) and ecumenical openness -- preaching a costly faith without claiming that we have the last word on it.
   .
7. I am a Disciple because we are also a most unusual combination of informal worship that yet is centered on breaking bread together at the Lord's Table.
   .
8. I am a Disciple because, while celebrating freedom from creedal conformity, Disciples recognize that such freedom comes with a responsibility to study the faith in community.
   .
9. I am a Disciple because, while emphasising that the gospel takes root in local congregations, Disciples know that the church and the church's mission stretch from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth.
   .
10. I am a Disciple because, in an era when communities often define themselves by whom they exclude, Disciples claim an identity as those who welcome the excluded, even as Christ has welcomed us. I recognize that we are not always so good at this. But I think we are getting better.

Whiteboard: The Not So Secret Easter Greeting

Easter is more than a Sunday, it is an entire season in the life of the church!

It is a time when we celebrate the power of resurrection and the blessing of new life.

It is a time when we hear once more the resurrection accounts from Holy Scripture and celebrate that through the Risen Christ we know the fullness of God's mercy, love, and grace.

On Easter Sunday and throughout the Easter Season we are used to giving a certain of greeting, a special, responsive turn of phrase that we typically only use during this time of year. A leader calls out "Christ is Risen!" and the congregation in one voice responds, "Christ is Risen indeed!"

It is a powerful, joyful affirmation of faith and a beautiful declaration of Easter's power.

But this Sunday, I'll be preaching about a different Easter Greeting. A Not-So-Secret Easter Greeting, that nonetheless sneaks up on us. Those words of greeting come from the Risen Christ himself and are revealed to us in our scripture reading from Luke 24:36-48. See if you can find that Not-So-Secret Easter Greeting that is waiting for us in the text (hint: It is illustrated right there on the Whiteboard image at the top of this post too!) and don't be afraid to use it this Sunday (and every Sunday!) as your testimony to the power (and peace!) of the Risen Christ.

-------

Luke 24:36-48 Jesus Appears to His Disciples

While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnessesof these things.

Whiteboard: Doubting Thomas

My thanks to the Rev. Al Beasley for filling the pulpit for me while I am away attending my grandfather's memorial service.

Rev. Al will be preaching on the traditional text for the Second Sunday of Easter, John 20:19-31, a text that we commonly refer to as "The Story of Doubting Thomas."

I've never been one who cared for that name (after all if he is Doubting Thomas, then we pretty much need to call them "The Disbelieving Disciples" right?) but I love the power, the promise, and the call to action of this text.

-------

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.’

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 Weeek

Maundy Thursday April 2 @ 7PM in the Sanctuary
This is routinely my favorite worship service of the year. We will transform the sanctuary to recreate the Upper Room where Jesus met with the disciples and instituted the Lord’s Supper. We will celebrate the gift of holy communion and then will conclude the evening with a service of Tenebrae (a candlelit reading of the passion narrative from the Gospels).

Easter Sunday April 4 at First Christian Church Scottsdale
Easter will be a spectacular celebration of resurrection and new life at FCC Scottsdale. Here is a rundown of what to expect:

• Easter Breakfast will be provided by the DWM Ladies in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 8:30AM.
• The Easter Egg Hunt for the children and young people will begin at 9AM.
• Easter Sunday Worship will feature special music, Easter brass, and a powerful message as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection and the power of new life lived in God’s name. Get here early to make sure you get a seat!

Disciples Identity Video

While a divinity student, Melissa Smith produced this video illustrating our core beliefs as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

May 29, 2015 The Fifth With First

On Palm Sunday (May 29, 2015) members and friends from First Christian Church Scottsdale partnered with Operation Fix-It to put our faith into action and make a difference in the lives of our neighbors as part of The Fifth With First.

Here are some photos from the Workship Project that morning.

 

Three Things from Administrative Council

Administrative Council had their regularly scheduled meeting on Sunday March 15 after the worship service. Here are "The Three Things" you need to know from that meeting:

1) The Dream Fund Task Force brought an update of their work (they are meeting regularly, reviewing the dreams from the Dream Fund Suggestion Box, and moving ahead to receive bids on certain items) and also three formal motions for Administrative's Council's approval. Those motions were:

• To use $2500 from the Dream Fund to seed a Long Term Maintenance Fund for the church, with the intention that putting money aside into the Long Term Maintenance Fund would become a regular part of our Annual Budgeting Process. Further, at year's end we will examine putting additional Dream Fund monies into the Long Term Maintenance Fund.
• To increase our giving to the Disciples Mission Fund from 9.75% of our total pledges to a full 10%. This percentage increase means will no longer need to split hairs about being a congregation that tithes to the wider church (if you combine the 9.75% with the donations to Special Day Funds you get a full tithe) and from now forward we will be able to affirm that our 10% pledge to the wider church is the baseline for our giving with other gifts and donations going above and beyond.
• To authorize a financial threshold for the Dream Fund Task Force. The Dream Fund Task Force will be permitted to spend up to $1500 to fully complete Dream Fund Projects without seeking Administrative Council approval. There are several Dream Fund Projects that will only require a small expenditure (like say buying a new handheld recording device to record the entirety of the worship service so that we can share it -- sermons, songs, prayers and all -- with out homebound members) and it did not make sense to hold up those projects pending a full formal vote from the Council. At the same time, for those larger projects that require bigger expenditures (i.e. anything over $1500, like say hiring a guitarist/bass player for the Praise Team or replacing the playground equipment) those expenditures will need to be formally approved by the Administrative Council.

2) The Planned Giving Task Force is having regular meetings and will have formal motions for the Administrative Council in the coming days. These motions will address creating a Gift Policy and re-designating our Endowment Fund as a Foundation for First Christian Church Scottsdale. The Planned Giving Task Force is also discussing ways of recognizing estate gifts, encouraging non-budget gifts to the church, and furthering the culture of generosity here at FCC Scottsdale.

3) We discussed the Holy Week Schedule. This will include:

• Palm Sunday/"The Fifth With First" March 29, 2015 at 8AM and 10:15AM
  Our Workship Crew will gather an hour early, meeting at Chaparral Park at 8AM for a brief service before going to a worksite organized by our partners at Operation Fix-It. This way folks wanting to partipate in both the Workship Service and the special Palm Sunday Worship Service in the Sanctuary (including a Palm Processional, special music, and a dramatic retelling of the Crucifixion story) will be able to do both. Following the Worship Service the "Healthy Packs Assembly Line" will be set up in the Fellowship Hall.
• Maunday Thursday April 2 at 7PM
  We will celebrate the blessed gift of Christ establishing The Lord's Supper during this worship service (consistently my favorite one each and every year) while also taking part in a traditional service of Tennabrae (sharing the holy words of scripture detailing Christ's final hours, while extinguishing candles).
• Easter Sunday April 4 beginning at 8AM
  We will celebrate Christ's resurrection and the gift of new life! The morning will begin with an Easter Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall provided by DWM. The Children and Youth Ministries Team will provide an Easter Egg Hunt for our youngest members and friends. The worship service will feature special music, guest musicians, a powerful sermon, and a church filled with people eager to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Whiteboard: On Their Hearts

From a favorite old devotion book of mine:

"The heart would make a lousy bulletin board. It is, after all, a muscle, an organ in our bodies, not something to write on like paper. When Jeremiah tells us to write on our hearts, we know what he means – not the cardiac muscle itself but something else, though we can’t exactly locate it. But oh, to take this promise literally…what it could mean! That the word of God – God’s promises and commandments – be written literally on the walls of our hearts. And, as our hearts pump blood, the word is taken with that blood to every sinew, ever cell, every corpuscle, every nerve, every marrow. That our very bodies might be so infused with the word of God that to say “Know the Lord” would sound as silly as telling someone to breathe! Imagine that!"

This Sunday we continue our Advent Sermon Series on the Covenant Promises of God by turning our attention to the prophet Jeremiah -- to the promise of a new covenant that will be written on the very fabric of our being.

-------

Jeremiah 31:31-34 A New Covenant

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 

It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Whiteboard: So Loved

As we continue our Lenten Sermon Series on the Covenant Promises of God, this Sunday we come to the most familiar passage in all of the Bible: John 3:16 and the Promise of God's Love.

This Sunday we come to see that it is not just that God promises to be with us (last Sunday's sermon on The Ten Commandments) and count us among the family of the faithful (two weeks ago's sermon on Father Abraham) and extend his grace to us (three weeks ago's sermon on Noah and the promise of the rainbow). This Sunday we see that the promise of God is the promise of unconditional love.

-------

John 3:14-21 The Love of God

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’