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Joy of Uncertainty
Church Service this Sunday, August 2
Last week our focus was on the need for certainty in these times of such uncertainty. It’s important to have a sense of confidence - and reasoned faith - that God will bring some good out of everything, even things that are really difficult or bad.
But even if I feel certain of God's presence and power in a general way, I am often uncertain about the details. And I'm often surprised by how God shows up. This surprise is reflected in the Bible whenever someone is visited by an Angel of the Lord or by God. The normal routines of their lives are suddenly interrupted and often changed significantly.
Anticipating some variety and surprise is also an important human need. Even if you absolutely love your home and feel safe in quarantine during a pandemic, I can imagine that you also long for a change of scenery from time to time. Even if your kitchen is stocked with food, and you love to cook, at some point you’ll probably crave a break and a night out to enjoy someone else’s culinary
efforts.
So this Sunday, let’s look at the other side of this coin – the human need for uncertainty in terms of variety and even surprise, especially in these uncertain times.
As the Lord said in the book of Revelation:
"Behold, I make all things new." Rev. 21:5
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This will be our 21st church service in the era of CoViD-19. As usual, I will be focusing on the livestream participants. I also welcome people to attend in person under the guidelines below. Last Sunday we had 8 participants in person all in the main Chapel socially distancing and wearing face coverings. You are also welcome to view the monitor in Friendship Hall.
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A shout out to everyone participating in the Sunday morning Spiritual Growth Group from 9:15-10:45! Thank you to Kelly Woofenden for getting this going and for the whole group for keeping it going. I understand the group is now working on tasks from the "52 Tasks Card Deck" and various people are taking turns leading. Yay!!
Also, the Thursday night Women's Group is also going strong, thanks to Elise's overall leadership and to the support of others who take the lead of various meetings. It is so heartwarming to hear how meaningful this group is for everyone who attends!
With love and respect and prayers for everyone's well-being, physically and spiritually,
Nathan
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Photo: Nathan on ZOOM
This Sunday I'm going to suggest an addition to our routine. After a brief check-in, I'll share the task for the week from the sermon and invite anyone to share any intentions for working on that task (or any task for that matter) during the coming week.
For me this will enhance the message to hear from others about how you might “practice what is preached.” It's also a way of making our thinking visible and our understanding more clear.
All welcome. 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.
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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Last Sunday's Task - RE: Certainty
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Guidelines for "soft" reopening for in-person church activities
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Face covering graphic
This is the 21st 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 welcome anyone to attend in person who feels safe within the guidelines outlined below. I also realize that most people will not attend in person, yet, so I'm glad when I "see" you participating through the livestream option! Please use the YouTube chat feature to "check in" and let your church family know you care about our faith community.
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.
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. Recently, the maximum number of people in person has been 8.
Specific guidelines for in-person attendance
I believe following these guidelines is also in keeping with the Golden Rule.
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.
• 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.
• No printed bulletins or songbooks. Instead, song lyrics are 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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Thank you for your extra effort to support the church
Bill has been working on the budget for the current fiscal year, and rom his report, I can tell you this. 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. During this time of quarantining and "virtual" church services, the practice of putting a little cash in the offertory bowl each time
we attend in person is not enough to keep the church financially in the black. It's up to all of us to figure other ways of giving and fundraising in order to balance our budget.
We DO NOT want anyone to feel pressured to give. For some, this very unique situation of staying at home is creating a very challenging financial situation.
We DO, however, ask you to be mindful of the church's 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.
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 above or below) to make a one-time or recurring donation. You don't have to have a PayPal account if you want to make a 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.
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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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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