“The most wonderful time of the year” has arrived – a time to gather with family and friends and for church activities. To help you and me make it through this wonderful time, here are 10 Things NOT to Do at Christmas: 10) Don’t Forget Those Without Food — Jesus once said that when we feed the… Continue reading 10 Things NOT to Do at Christmas
Category: Pastor Paul’s Ponderings and Letters
My “1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Version”
Bringing the Bible to today’s world is a goal for many of us. Sharon Jaynes used a familiar Bible verse (1 Corinthians 13) to bring out that love is the reason for the season in her, “1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Version.” I’ve tweaked it to apply to us at The Palms. If we decorate God’s… Continue reading My “1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Version”
What’s filled with awesomeness and is fantabulous?
I like to make up words – taking obvious phrases and expanding upon them. I figure, if Shakespeare could invent words, why can’t I? I often use these made-up words in notes and in conversations. Communicating things like: “You are filled with awesomeness” and “You are so fantabulous.” These are familiar parts of my vocabulary.… Continue reading What’s filled with awesomeness and is fantabulous?
25th anniversary of our community Thanksgiving meal
What are your memories of Thanksgiving? Do you have favorite moments from your childhood about the holiday? What faces appear when you think of Thanksgiving? What smells fill your heart, mind, and soul? What traditions have you taught the younger generations? Are there certain foods that are “a must” for the big meal? Thanksgiving conjures up… Continue reading 25th anniversary of our community Thanksgiving meal
We can do a lot of things because…
It’s a busy weekend at The Palms. On Saturday, we are dedicating our newest sculpture, Homeless Jesus. I hope you can join us and our Transitional Conference Minister, Dr. Toni. That dedication will be Saturday, at 11 am at The Palms. On Sunday, we will be honoring the (retired and active) clergy among us. Not too… Continue reading We can do a lot of things because…
God is still creating you.
It is Good – The Story of Creation. In Genesis we are told that God created, and it was good! God created the sun and the moon. But have you noticed? Arizona has some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets that I have ever seen! Trans and non-binary people are like those sunrises and… Continue reading God is still creating you.
An exploding turkey
Sue Bender, in her book, Everyday Sacred, describes how she began to develop an attitude of gratitude. It had, she says, something to do with an exploding turkey! She writes: “Last month my husband Richard and I decided, at age 60 and 63, it was finally time to be grown-up and responsible. Neither of us… Continue reading An exploding turkey
Halloween is when America is most like Jesus.
Halloween is not a big Sun City thing. But in a way, Halloween is a time when America gets it right. Permit me to explain. The age restrictions of our area tend to curtail trick-or-treating in our town. But we can still learn from it. If we turn the perspective around, Halloween is when America… Continue reading Halloween is when America is most like Jesus.
Pride Parade Sunday!
This Sunday the Phoenix area is celebrating the Pride Parade. The Church of the Palms will be represented literally by a bus load of people (including Pastor Jim) and several others meeting us down at the parade site. The bus will pull out of the parking lot at 6:40 am. Set those alarms, my friends!… Continue reading Pride Parade Sunday!
Fun, silliness, and strategy this Saturday!
What is a Service Auction? Our Service Auction will have silent and live bidding components. People have donated items which range from a timeshare to artwork to a t-shirt and everything in between! Skills have been donated from dinner to transportation to sewing projects and everything in between! Some of the donations will be part of… Continue reading Fun, silliness, and strategy this Saturday!