The Role of Doubt in Faith
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AWeber image
Church Service this Sunday, July 19
When Jesus, while walking on the water, reached out His hand to rescue Peter who was sinking, He said, "You of little faith. Why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31)
Wait, what?
Peter was walking on the water, too! He had enough faith to get out of the boat and follow Jesus' invitation to join him. No one else tried. But it was the wind that frightened him. It shook his faith. He began to doubt and sink.
Jesus asked, "Why did you doubt?"
I wonder, "Who wouldn't?"
Later, when Jesus stuns the disciples with His resurrection, He asks, "Why do doubts rise in your hearts?" (Luke 24:38)
Good questions! So why does anyone doubt? What is the role of doubt in the development of faith? What do you think?
I'm looking forward to this church service, and I hope you can participate either online (see links below) or in person (with appropriate precautions! - see below).
With love and respect and prayers for everyone's well-being, physically and spiritually,
Nathan
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Holy Supper this Sunday - get ready at home
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Weiers Coetser - flickr
Holy Supper - this Sunday, July 19 - mainly virtual with an in-person option
That's right. I will host a virtual sacrament of the Holy Supper toward the end of the service this Sunday. I will lead it in the Chapel, and you can participate at home!
I invite you to gather your own supplies at home and join me virtually. I encourage you to plan ahead. The physical elements of the Holy Supper are bread and wine. When Jesus first introduced this sacrament, it was during the Passover meal with His disciples. He told the disciples to get ready for a meal together, and then He specifically used the bread
and wine to symbolize the goodness and truth that nourishes the spirit.
Likewise for this Sunday, you can use what you have on hand - something to represent for you the bread and wine of that first Holy Supper. The most important part of the ceremony is "taking it in" - the activities of eating up and drinking in the nourishment the Lord is offering on both the physical and spiritual levels.
Also, if you want to take the Holy Supper at Sunrise Chapel in person, there will be a small number of stations placed more than 6 feet apart with individual servings carefully prepared on each table. Each serving will be covered for one-time-only use. We will observe the guidelines for in-person gathering explained below, removing face coverings only for the time that we are taking the elements of
the Holy Supper. Also I will not do any "hands-on" blessings.
With love and respect and prayers for everyone's well-being, physically and spiritually,
Nathan
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Donna
A Message from her brother, Art, and sister-in-law, Carol
Donna Wilder, 74, peacefully left behind the struggles of this world on July 13, 2020. Donna was preceded in death in 2007 by her husband Loren. She is survived by her brother Art Watson (Carol). Donna was born in San Francisco and lived and worked in San Diego, Salt Lake City and Cincinnati before moving to Tucson in 2007. She will be remembered for her strong personality and generous spirit and will be
missed dearly by those who loved her. Her family would like to thank the amazing staff at Fairmount Assisted Living and Traditions Hospice for their loving care in her final days. No services are planned at this time.
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On a personal note, I came to appreciate Donna as a strongly independent-minded person who knew what she wanted and didn't hold back saying so. I'm intrigued to imagine what she will discover as she explores her new world of spiritual life now opening up for her.
"Concerning the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)
"When someone's body can no longer perform its functions in the natural world in response to the thoughts and affections of its spirit (which it derives from the spiritual world), then we say that the individual has died... The person, though, has not died at all. She is only separated from the physical nature that was useful to her in the world.
"It is like passing from shade into light because she passes from the things of the world to those of heaven, and from the things of the body to those of the spirit.
"The essential person is actually still alive."
From Heaven and Hell §445 & Secrets of Heaven §3957 - Emanuel Swedenborg
With prayers for blessings to Donna and all who love her, in this world and the next.
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
Technically, we are 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 about 15-20. Members of the same family sit together.
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 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. 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: 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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Congratulations, everyone!
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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.
This year is a very trying time for many. 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.
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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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).
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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