Tag: Sun City AZ

Choosing the work of Christmas now and throughout the year

The season of Christmas follows Advent. I am drawn to Howard Thurman during this season. He wrote the poem, I Will Light Candles this Christmas. It comes from the book The Mood of Christmas… I will light Candles this Christmas,Candles of joy despite all the sadness,Candles of hope where despair keeps watch,Candles of courage for fears ever present,Candles… Continue reading Choosing the work of Christmas now and throughout the year

Are you riding the rollercoaster of grief?

There’s a ride we all take from time-to-time in life – Grief! It can be the scariest adventure out there. Grief is like a rollercoaster ride. Permit me to explain. Think about it. Often the ride (both grief and rollercoaster) begins with a line. You want to hop on and get going, but we’re forced… Continue reading Are you riding the rollercoaster of grief?

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

Homeless Jesus Unveiled

The Church of the Palms, UCC, will be dedicating the sculpture Homeless Jesus on Saturday, November 18, at 11 am. The community is welcome to join the unveiling. Created by artist Timothy Schmalz, Homeless Jesus, as a piece of public art at The Church of the Palms, has a vital and moving, though at times… Continue reading Homeless Jesus Unveiled

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.

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.