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AWeber photo
Church Service this Sunday, July 26
Last week our church service focused on doubt. There are a lot of things going on these days to bring up doubt and uncertainty. At the same time, depending on your perspective, the same things can strengthen one's conviction, one's faith and sense of assurance.
So how does being absolutely certain help in terms of faith and spiritual life? What are you really sure about? Why are you so sure? What does certainty do for you? And while we’re at it, what are the possible downsides of being really certain? I would be very interested to hear your thoughts BEFORE
this Sunday or after in the Zoom call or personally. This is a big question and one that we won't cover completely in one short session, but it is worth spending some time on.
This will be our 20th service in the era of CoViD-19. As usual, I will be focusing on the livestream participants, but I also welcome people to attend in person under the guidelines below. Last Sunday we had 7 participants in person who were all in the Friendship Hall viewing the monitor, socially distancing and wearing face coverings. You are also welcome to attend in the Chapel.
With love and respect and prayers for everyone's well-being, physically and spiritually,
Nathan
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How did it work for you to participate in the Holy Supper last Sunday?
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Holy Supper setup at home
Last Sunday I invited you to participate remotely in the Holy Supper
I'm wondering how that went for you? Here is a photo of one person's home setup. Did you participate, or did you just watch? I'd love to hear about it. If it didn't meet your needs, I'm curious if there is something I or you would/could do differently to make such a service in the future more meaningful? Please call, text, or email me with any thoughts or suggestions. ~Nathan
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Guidelines for "soft" reopening for in-person church activities
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Face covering graphic from the CDC
This is the 20th weekend of the CoViD-19 era at Sunrise Chapel. And these are the current guidelines for in-person gatherings at Sunrise Chapel
The Chapel is open > 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 and around the country. 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.
We have space for at least 15-20 people in the seating area of the Chapel. There is also the "overflow" room to view the TV monitor in Friendship Hall.
Specific guidelines for in-person church services
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). A face covering will be provided if you forget to bring your own.
4. Practice social distancing while on the church property (inside buildings and outside) including friendly no-touch greetings.
5. We will limit our number of participants in the main seating area of the Chapel to 20. Members of the same family may sit together.
6. On entering and leaving the buildings, please 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 prayers, 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.
• 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: 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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Thank you, everyone, for your continued support of Sunrise Chapel!
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These days it takes extra effort to support the church
Thank you for your financial support. If it weren't for folks making extra effort to send in contributions regularly by mail, by PayPal, or by other remote means, we just wouldn't be able to continue. For now, the practice of putting a little cash in the offertory bowl each time we attend in person is not enough for the church's survival. It's up to all of us to figure other ways of giving and
fundraising in order to balance our budget.
Here are a few suggestions:
Set up a one-time or recurring donation (any amount) from a personal bank account to Sunrise Chapel. Most banks provide this fee-free service.
Hand write a check and mail it to Sunrise Chapel.
Use the PayPal feature on our website (sunrisechapel.org) (or the direct link below) to make a one-time or recurring donation. You don't have to have a PayPal account if you want to make the donation using a credit card.
If you have a retirement account with a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), consider the tax advantages of directing it to the church.
Consider setting up a planned gift and letting our treasurer know to expect it in the future. This can be a very important part of the church's long-term planning.
Now, it's very true that this year is a very trying time for many. So it's important to be clear:
We DO NOT want anyone to feel pressured to give. For some, this very unique situation of stay-at-home orders and social distancing is creating a very challenging financial situation.
We DO, however, want people to be mindful of our financial picture in order to continue supporting the important work that we are so blessed to offer: worship, small groups, connecting, serving, and creating our beautiful spiritual home 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.
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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Photo: Nathan on ZOOM
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).
346 248 7799 US (Houston)
669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
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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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