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Statue of Liberty + fireworks
Church Service this Sunday, July 5
I hope you can tune in to the livestream or attend in person (with appropriate precautions! - see below).
I wish you well as we celebrate our national holiday. On July 2, 1776 the Continental Congress voted in favor of a resolution of independence from Great Britain's "tyrannical rule". About a month before, a committee of five leaders had taken on the task of writing a formal explanation of the vote on the resolution. That document came to be known as "The Declaration of Independence."
Interestingly, these two statements, the resolution and the declaration, were not even written until a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. Included in the text of the Declaration are 27 grievances against King George III.
The Declaration of Independence has also become a well-known statement on human rights, particularly its second sentence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
I'm reminded of how much work, discussion, and determination it took for a relatively small group of leaders to rally together around this cause. It took effort to bring the vision into clarity. It took serious arguing to persuade some people to join the movement. And it took resolve to work through.
It's the same in our personal, spiritual growth. I am very aware of many inward negative forces that are constantly trying to exercise tyrannical control over me - fear, anxiety, worry, contempt, conceit, rationalization, greed, and the list goes on. I truly believe these forces are usually ripe with demonic intent to hold my spirit under their control, for their own self-serving gain. And I
know that I am not alone in the need to face such demons and to celebrate independence from them.
This Sunday, I invite you to celebrate the victories you have gained over the powers of darkness in your own spiritual life! We can learn and be empowered from these victories to address other ones that will inevitably come up. Although we each have our own long and rough war with many spiritual battles, the reward of celebrating independence is well worth the effort! Ask any angel and he or she will
testify!
With love and respect and prayers for everyone's well-being, physically and spiritually,
Nathan
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Speaking of celebration, CONGRATULATIONS all donors!
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Thank you all!
While fundraising is never our goal, it is a necessary means to continue providing the infrastructure of our local church organization. These are challenging and uncertain times for everyone. Thankfully, because of everyone's continued donations, we will make the budget for the fiscal year which ended on June 30.
Thank you especially to one generous donor!
I am especially grateful to a former member of Sunrise Chapel who now lives in Prescott, AZ. Charles recently contacted me to say he would like to provide a financial gift to Sunrise Chapel. He said he believes that if everyone practiced tithing, the church would not have financial stress. And since he missed tithing annually to Sunrise Chapel for quite a few years, please consider his gift of
$10,000 to help make up for lost time.
His unrestricted gift to the annual general fund will be a huge help in continuing to balance the budget. Thank you, Charles, for your dedication to Sunrise Chapel and your generosity.
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Looking for last Sunday's Video? Sorry, it's "Lost in Cyberspace"
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Thank you for tuning in to the livestream last Sunday, June 28
However, I'm bummed to let you know that it's no longer available on YouTube because I accidentally deleted it from the account. It was totally a mistake, and I regret my "slip of the mouse" that clicked the right buttons for the wrong video. So if you missed the live event, hopefully you caught the recording in the afternoon. As of last Sunday night, it's gone forever with no backup. Believe me, I will
be much more careful in the future! ~Nathan
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What's the status of Sunrise Chapel's reopening?
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Images from AZ governor's recent press conference
Yes, we are open for church services with caution
I recognize that most people will not attend church services in person, yet, because of the uptick in positive cases of CoViD-19 in our county. I hope that you continue to participate through the livestream option! However, I also welcome anyone to attend in person who feels safe within the guidelines outlined below.
To me, based on the scientific evidence of community transmission of CoViD-19, it is common sense to continue practicing social distancing and wearing face coverings in public gatherings. These are two simple things we can all do proactively to help protect each other. AND I believe following these guidelines is also in keeping with the Golden Rule.
I also encourage you to stay connected through our online meetings, social media, telephone calls and any other effective "remote" methods of maintaining our spiritual community. We are in this together for the long haul, and we need each other to get through this unprecedented challenging time.
If you want an in-person experience of our church services, you are welcome if you practice social distancing before, during, and after AND if you wear a face covering in the building, especially when socializing and singing.
Thank you so much for your cooperation and support.
~Nathan
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Guidelines for "soft" reopening for in-person church activities
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Face covering graphic from the CDC
Here are the current guidelines for in-person gatherings at Sunrise Chapel
With caution, I welcome you to attend in person on Sunday under the guidelines explained below. Based on the current guidelines for maintaining social distance in the Chapel, we have space for at least 15-20 people in the seating area. There are also "overflow" rooms to view the monitors in either the small group room off the lobby or in Friendship Hall.
However, with the rise in CoViD-19 cases in Pima County, and based on our church's demographics, I encourage people over 65 and anyone with compromised health to continue to participate via our livestream option. See the links below or go to sunrisechapel.org and click on one of the livestream links
there.
For me, reopening at Sunrise Chapel is a matter of safe health practices, not political viewpoints. It is also a matter of practicing the Golden Rule - do for others (wear a face covering) just as you would want others to do the same for you.
This Sunday, once again, I will focus primarily on the livestream via our YouTube channel. This new electronic medium is here to stay, and I intend to continue improving it even as we return to in-person church services.
Guidelines for reopening
1. Stay safe while being kind and respectful. If you attend, observe the guidelines. If you are uncomfortable for any reason, please take care of yourself first; feel free to leave without any negative judgments.
2. Do not attend in person if you are sick, or if you are concerned about getting sick, or if you are at high risk. Instead, please continue to participate remotely.
3. As a community of people who love and respect each other, wearing a face covering is a community service to protect each other, especially the vulnerable. Wear a face covering over your nose and mouth. Please bring your own face covering (mask, scarf, bandana, etc).
4. Practice social distancing while on the church property (inside buildings and outside) including friendly no-touch greetings.
5. Current social distancing guidelines from the CDC and FEMA recommend 113 sq ft per person indoors, which means limiting our number of participants in the main seating area of the Chapel to about 15-20. Members of the same family sit together. The service will also be viewable on the TV monitors in the small group room and in Friendship Hall.
6. On entering and leaving the buildings, wash hands with soap or use hand sanitizer.
In addition, these are procedures we will follow during the church service:
• I will wear a mask before and after the service and while I am singing. I will remove my mask for the children's talk, the readings, and the sermon, with the understanding that the closest participants will be over 8 feet away from me.
• The air conditioning will be turned off just prior to the church service to reduce circulation of airborne particles. With outdoor temps in the 100s this may mean a little temporary discomfort. We will see how it goes.
• Sanitary wipes will be available for individuals to wipe down chairs and surfaces they use.
• Bathroom use will be limited to one person at a time, using only the main bathrooms at the entrance to Friendship Hall.
• We are not handing out printed bulletins or songbooks. Instead, the song lyrics will be projected on the monitor and announcements will either be projected or verbal.
Please, let me know whatever you think. It's good to hear from as many people as possible. I'm doing the best I can, and I don't want to put any volunteers or visitors in any unsafe positions. I appreciate your help and patience!
Looking forward to your participation either in person or online!
Nathan
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Photo: ZOOM logo
After church, Zoom with me at Noon!
If you haven't participated yet, I welcome you. It's a casual time to "check in" with some friends and have informal conversation. Everyone is welcome. It's fun to see each other and say hello. You can pop in for a bit and leave whenever you need to. It's also important to me to get some feedback about the church service and any other aspects of church life.
To join the Zoom meeting, click on this link at NOON
If this link doesn't work for you, go to Zoom.us and enter these credentials for the meeting:
Meeting ID: 949 4617 0443
Password: 05152020 (hint: the numerical date for May 15, 2020)
If you ONLY want to call in (without your computer or video), use one of these phone numbers and follow the prompts. You may have to enter the Meeting ID and the password. You will be able to listen and talk (but you won’t see anyone and no one will see you).
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Managing Zoom security
For the sake of security, I have enabled the "waiting room" feature for our Zoom call. When you join the meeting, you will enter this "waiting room" until the facilitator "lets you in."
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Photo: laptop + coffee
Weekday Meditation (9:00-9:30 am MT) This is the link for the Monday meditation that I lead, but it is also the same link for the rest of the weekdays, led by other folks. Try it! You might like it!
ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES:
New Church Vineyard (This is a RICH source of KID-ORIENTED content for all sorts of stories from the Bible and the teachings of Swedenborg. Use this for family worship and for "Sunday school" type activities to enhance your spiritual lives at home.)
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Sunrise Chapel needs everyone's help and support
Our church runs on a fiscal year ending June 30th.
This year is a very trying time for many. It's important to be clear about two things:
1. Fundraising is never our goal. It is simply a means to continue the work that we do at Sunrise Chapel... worshiping, facilitating small groups, connecting, serving, and creating our beautiful spiritual home together.
2. We understand that for some during this very unique situation of stay-at-home orders and social distancing, it is creating a very challenging financial situation. We DO NOT want anyone to feel pressured to give.
We do, however, want people to be mindful of our financial picture in order to continue doing the important work that we are so blessed to do together.
If you feel called to make a donation at this time we deeply appreciate it. If you feel called to pledge a planned gift, that would be amazing. All gifts, no matter the amount, help us get to our goal and help support the infrastructure needed for daily and weekly operations.
You can donate virtually through Sunrise Chapel's PayPal account or send a check directly to Sunrise Chapel, C/O William Smith, Treasurer, 8421 E Wrightstown Rd. Tucson, AZ 87515.
Consider setting up a recurring electronic donation through PayPal or by having a check mailed from your bank to the church.
Questions? Ask our Treasurer, Bill Smith william@sunrisechapel.org
Thinking about setting up a planned gift? Talk with our Director of Planned Giving, Mark Wyncoll mark.wyncoll@newchurch.org
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Your church home for partnering with the Lord and each other in the practice of cultivating spiritual growth and choosing heavenly joy
www.sunrisechapel.org
nathan@sunrisechapel.org Office 520-298-1245
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