Category: Pastor Paul’s Ponderings and Letters

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!

The hard thing when you get old

Our overarching church theme this year has been “What makes you come alive? Go and do it! Because the world needs people who are alive.” That is taken from a Howard Thurman quote. It has served us well as we journeyed in ministry in 2023. The Progressive Art Installation where a tree and meadow emerged… Continue reading The hard thing when you get old

How we fully express our unity

Each year, Christians around the world mark the first Sunday in October by coming together for communion. This year, World Communion Sunday falls on October 1st. And, as described in Luke 13:29, “The people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God.” As members of… Continue reading How we fully express our unity

It’s planting season once again.

I relate much of my life to gardening. Summer is a sabbatical, a take-a-break, a time-to-rest season. Autumn is a new beginning because it’s planting season once again. How blessed we are that planting season happens multiple times in the Sonoran Desert! The essence of being rooted, perhaps, is in knowing that who you are… Continue reading It’s planting season once again.

It was a wonderful Sunday.

We celebrated Pastor Jim’s return from sabbatical! The joy was palpable. The smiles came readily. The laughter was contagious. In the midst of all of life’s brokenness and sorrow, a holy moment of love shined upon us and embraced us reminding us that love is still present and active. And now we get to focus… Continue reading It was a wonderful Sunday.

As of this writing, my mom is in a hospice facility.

We are trying to make sure she is comfortable. I don’t know how long or short this last stage will be. I like to control things, but I can’t control this. All I can do is help her be pain-free and sit with my memories. There are a thousand things to do and yet, the… Continue reading As of this writing, my mom is in a hospice facility.