Whiteboard: Denny Williams

This Sunday we will celebrate with a special guest.

Our Regional Minister the Rev. Dr. Denny Williams will be joining us for worship and for a special Outreach-sponsored Potluck dinner.

After serving as Arizona’s Regional Minister for more than 18 years, Denny will be retiring from that position at the end of June.

It is truly a blessing to be able to welcome Denny to our pulpit one last time as our Regional Minister, and to have the opportunity to thank him and celebrate the good work that we have done together during the Potluck Luncheon during Fellowship Hour.

Denny will be preaching on Acts 2:42-47 and sharing a message about "giving it all to God." 

I hope you can join us!

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Acts 2:42-47 Life Among the Believers

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Workship in Pictures

On April 30, 2017 we celebrated "The Fifth With First!"

Our Workship Team went out to Ronald McDonald House, where we were invited to wash windows, sweep the property and...host an ice-cream social!

It might be the single greatest project any mission partner has ever invited us to be a part of (or maybe that is just my sweet tooth talking!).

It was a true blessing to bring smiles to the faces of the children and families that are residing at the Ronald McDonald House. Folks are there because their children or family members are undergoing prolonged medical treatments at the nearby hospitals. While the families are facing that kind of stress and strain, to be able to share a little joy with them and bring some light into their lives, well, that sounds like the power of the Gospel at work to me.

Here are some photos of our work from the day. I am particularly proud of our children and young people who not only worked hard, but also embodied the fullness of hospitality throughout our project. Once we finally had the Ice-Cream Sundae Bar all set up, not only did our kids staff the dessert station they also went around the facility and personally invited every kid to come out and join them. It was a beautiful thing to behold, and a worthy project for the morning!

 

Whiteboard: The Fifth With First

This Sunday is the next installment of “The Fifth With First!”

For folks who are unfamiliar with that turn of phrase, “The Fifth With First” is our shorthand way of saying “The Fifth Sunday of the Month with First Christian Church.”

You see, on those months that have an extra Sunday (it happens four times a year) we make outreach our primary focus as a church. So we have two different offerings on Fifth Sundays: One is a Worship Service in our Sanctuary at 10:15 that is followed immediately by an outreach project in our Fellowship Hall, and the other is a Workship Service out in the community where we put our faith into action by helping others through direct service.

We have a special treat for the Worship Service in the Sanctuary this Sunday: The Rev. Terri Hord Owens is the nominee to serve as the next General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). And while I wish I could say that she was going to be with us in person on Sunday…well, her schedule is just a little bit too full for that right now! Instead, through the wonders of technology, we’ll be sharing a beautiful sermon that she crafted that introduces her to the wider church, shares her hopes and dreams for our denomination, and calls us to more fully embody the gift of God’s love in the world. You are going to love it, and you are going to love her too! Following the Worship Service in the Sanctuary the Outreach Team will lead a project in the Fellowship Hall that will benefit the summer literacy program at the Piute Center.

The Workship Service will begin with a short Prayer Service (with communion) at Chaparral Park at 9AM. From there we’ll head out to work with our partners at the Ronald McDonald House. Details are still coming together on that project, but I have heard rumors of helping out with an Ice Cream Party for the residents at the Ronald McDonald House – and bringing a little bit of joy to families in need while their loved ones are hospitalized sure sounds like holy work to me!

Whether you participate in the Worship Service and Outreach Project on site or the Workship Service and Community Outreach off site, I hope that you join us this Sunday in putting our faith into action!

Whiteboard: Creation Care

This Sunday Rev. Al Beasley will be filling the pulpit with a special message on Creation Care.

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Job 12:7-10, 37:14-16

‘But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being.
‘Hear this, O Job;
stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
Do you know how God lays his command upon them,
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
Do you know the balancings of the clouds,
the wondrous works of the one whose knowledge is perfect,

Whiteboard: Holy Week

It is Holy Week and we have all kinds of worshipful work ahead of us!

Like last year we will be sharing our Holy Week Worship services with our brothers and sisters at Foothills Christian Church and Coolwater Christian Church.

So, I hope you will be able to join us for the joint Maundy Thursday Service being hosted by Foothills (3951 W Happy Valley Road) tonight at 7PM. It will be a “Living Last Supper” Worship service.

I also hope that you will join us for the Good Friday Service on April 14 Coolwater Christian Church (28181 N 56th Street) at 7PM. This will be a “Service of the Last Seven Words of Christ.”

Thus prepared and ready for the fullness of the promise of resurrection and new life, we will gather on Easter Sunday for a full day of events at FCC Scottsdale.

The DWM Ladies will kick things off by hosting an Easter Breakfast for everyone. We’ll gather in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 8:30, and will have plenty of delicious items for everyone!

From there the kids will enjoy an Easter Egg Hunt on the church yard during the Sunday School Hour starting at 9:15. You’ll want to get there early so that you don’t miss out; our kids are expert Easter Egg hunters so those eggs get scooped up quickly!

Our Easter Morning Worship Service will begin with the holy sacrament of Baptism. This year we have three baptismal candidates: Jordan Dietz, Darren Dietz, and Henry Frederick-Gray. The worship service will feature beautiful music, Easter brass, and joyous “Alleluia” refrains as we celebrate together the blessing of new life and resurrection! Plus, the kids have a special surprise in store for us that just might involve Easter Bells (don’t worry kids, Sandi will clue you in on the whole thing before the Easter Egg Hunt. You’re going to love it!).

Wishing you a Blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter! Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Yours in the Journey,
Rev. Brian

Whiteboard: Hope in a Time of Despair

On Sunday we'll continue our Lenten "...in a time of..." sermon series.

Drawing on John 11:14-45 (The Raising of Lazarus) and Psalm 130 (A Prayer of Deliverance) we'll be talking about "Hope in a Time of Despair."

During the sermon I'll be talking about, well, one of the most famous pieces of graffiti in the world.

It comes from Banksy (internationally renowned street artist and provocateur) and it is named "There is Always Hope."

Take a look at the image. What do you see? What is happening? What exactly is the little girl doing?

Because it turns out that people encounter this image in one of two very different ways. I'll be talking about that, and the about the very nature of hope in my sermon on Sunday.

I HOPE to see you there!

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John 11:14-15, 38-45 Jesus Raises Lazarus

Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’

Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ 

Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ 

Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ 

So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 

The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Psalm 130 Waiting for Divine Redemption

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.

Three Things from the Elders Meeting

The Elders had their regularly scheduled meeting this past Sunday following the Membership Potluck.

As is our practices, here are "The Three Things" we want you to know from that meeting.

1. The Elders have made dozens of visits and contacts with our church members
   Our Elders are reaching out to the homebound and hospitalized members of our congregation on a regular basis. They are checking in with the members of their Shepherding Groups. They are extending the care and compassion of Christ. The reported number here ("dozens") is a bit loose, because they are still formalizing the total number of visits, cards, phone calls, and emails they have sent out...but know that your Elders are hard at work in their care-giving ministry!
   
   
2. They Cleaned-up Their Visitation Lists
   You probably don't know this, but the Elders keep a detailed list of our homebound members, those members in hospitals, those members recovering at rehab facilities, and members in need of prayer. We update those lists weekly via email correspondence, but at our Elders Meetings we walk through those lists, name by name to offer any further updates and discern who is missing from our lists and who has graduated off of them.
   
   
3. Prayers for our Baptismal Candidates
   I reported to the Elders on Sunday that we have three baptismal candidates this year: Jordan, Darren, and Henry. As they are completing their "Pastor's Class" with me in preparation for baptism on Easter Morning, I asked the Elders to please keep these three youth in their prayers. Jordan, Darren, and Henry are as excited to be baptized and fully welcomed into the membership of this congregation and the fellowship of the wider church as any baptismal candidates I have ever seen!

Whiteboard: Abundance

Typically we think of Lent as a time of giving things up. We set aside those stumbling blocks in our lives and we strive to give up those old vices or bad habits. Lent then becomes a time of negation.

Which makes it kind of strange to talk about Lent as a time of Abundance.

But that is the flip side of the coin, isn't it?

That as we are turning away from those old vices and bad habits we are, in fact, moving toward spiritual health and wholeness. In a world that is so much defined by want and shortcoming it is remarkable that our faith reminds us, time and time again, that ours is a God of abundance. God's love is eternal and God's forgiveness reaches out to us and God's mercy washes over us. Ours is not a God who comes up short and leaves us wanting, but rather a God who ever walks with us, strengthening us, empowering us, leading us and guiding us every step of the way.

We see it best in one of the most popular and familiar passages of scripture. In fact, it is probably why Psalm 23 is one of our very favorites, because it reminds of everything that God is and promises the gifts of God's abundance.

So this Sunday we'll be continuing our Lenten Sermon series by drawing on Psalm 23 to talk about "Abundance in a Time of Want." I'll see you in worship!

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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.

Three Things from Admin Council

The Administrative Council held their regularly scheduled meeting this past Sunday immediately following the Worship Service. Here are "The Three Things" you should know from that meeting:

1. S.A.I.L. Coming up on June 14 to July 19
   Our Summer Adventures In Learning series will return for a third straight year, with the program running every Wednesday Night from 5:45 to 7:30 from June 14 to July 19. There will be dinner, Bible stories, dramatic performances, crafts, songs, and wonderful fellowship! Postcards will be going out shortly to all of our young people and volunteer opportunities will be coming up for our church members!
   
2. Understanding our Love Gift Policy
   Mary led an excellent discussion on the church's "Love Gift" Policy. (For the record, "Love Gifts" are any financial donation that is made by a member or a friend of FCC Scottsdale that is not a part of their regular pledge or offering). The discussion helped all of the Admin Council members come to a clearer understanding of our church's financials, the difference between designated and undesignated gifts, and how we can better record the wishes of the giver for our church records. If you would like to see a copy of the "Love Gift" Policy then just contact us in the church office.
   
3. Introduction of the General Minister and President Nominee
   Rev. Brian offered a thorough introduction of the Rev. Teresa "Terri" Hord Owens who is our nominee for the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The election will happen at General Assembly in Indianapolis this summer. Rather than rehash the introduction that was offered, you can learn more about Rev. Terri at the "Meet the Candidate" page on the Disciples.org website. In fact, stop by regularly because they are updating that page all the time with new materials!

Thanksgiving in an Unsatisfied Time

On the Third Sunday of Lent I want us to consider: What if Thanksgiving wasn't just a holiday meal featuring turkey and stuffing? What if Thanksgiving was a spiritual discipline -- a conscious, consistent act of carefully discerning the blessings of God and offering a word of gratitude? What would happen if we took an entire week, right in the middle of this Season of Lent to be thankful?

Because I'm willing to bet that if we did that, then something amazing would happen to us.

I'm willing to bet that if we started looking out for the things we can be thankful for, that we'd find them at every bend.

I'm willing to bet that suddenly, we'd have this amazing list of blessings to share...not because God is rewarding us with favors because of our thankfulness, but because our thankfulness opens our eyes to the blessings that have been there all along.

It is easy to get sucked into the vortex of dissatisfaction. To focus all of our energy on what we want, on what is wrong, on what hurts and what isolates us. We see that in this Sunday's scripture passage from Exodus 3:11-17, what I like to call "An Official Meeting of the Back to Egypt Committee." The Israelite people "thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’" It is easy to be unsatisfied.

It is so much more life-giving, though, to focus on thankfulness -- on what is blessing us, on what we have to give, on the generous spirit that fills us and lifts us and sets us free. We see that in our other sermon scripture for this Sunday, Psalm 95: "Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God!"

This Sunday we'll look to take a break from "The Official Meetings of the Back to Egypt Committee" and instead focus our energies and our spiritual disciplines on the way of Thanksgiving.

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Exodus 17:1-7 Water from the Rock

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

The people quarreled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ 

Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ 

But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ 

So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ 

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ 

Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’


Psalm 95 A Call to Worship and Obedience

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!
Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
when your ancestors tested me,
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they do not regard my ways.’
Therefore in my anger I swore,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’