Food For Thought

When someone makes a promise to you, do you believe them? Why or why not? Do you think God makes promises? Or, for those who don’t understand God as a “being,” we might still ask if, when we turn to God, to Divine Mystery, are there expectations that we can believe in? In several recent sermons I’ve been using the UCC Statement of Faith as inspiration to invite us to reflect on what we believe, or perhaps better put, in what do we trust? What forms the foundation that we trust to guide us in life? The UCC Statement of Faith ends by asserting that God does indeed make promises. But, if God makes promises, can we trust God to keep God’s promises? How do we know what those promises are?

Just like we decide if we can trust a friend based on our experience with them, we really have to answer these questions based on our experience with God. If we don’t think we have a personal experience of God, then we tend to either reject God or we have to look to other people’s experiences, such as scripture. Of course, it’s not a bad idea to reflect on other people’s experiences anyway, since we certainly shouldn’t assume that our own experiences give us a complete picture. But, in any case, I think personal experience is important. That’s why having a spiritual practice is important. We experience God through our spiritual practices: through prayer, through meditation, through silence, through awe, through deep relationship with other people and nature. I believe our souls crave experience with the Divine.

As I was thinking about divine promises, I asked what in my life do I understand as coming from God? What expectations of the Divine Presence do I put my trust in? Some of the things I thought of are my sense of self-worth, an identity as a beloved child of the Divine, knowing myself as someone worthy of love. That’s both more important and less obvious than one might think. As a gay man who has had to deal with homophobia both external and internalized, realizing my self-worth in the love of God has been critical in my life. I also thought of other things that, in my experience, I receive from relationship with the Divine: things like connection, belonging, relationship, love, and even the confidence to try things I might never have tried otherwise. We might understand these things as blessings from God and also as Divine promises. They are promises to love us, to be with us, and to care for us.

My experience (and scripture) teaches me that God promises unconditional love, connection, belonging, and courage. All of these things are also the ingredients necessary for a vital, abundant life. We need to be loved, to have relationships, to feel like we belong, like our lives have meaning, and we need to have the courage to act rather than to hide in fear. God doesn’t promise to solve all of our problems for us but I believe God does promise us the ingredients to create abundant life! What are your experiences of the Divine? What have you found to be the blessings and promises of God in your life? May we be people of abundant life, living on the promises of God. Know that you are loved, that you belong, that this life is sacred. May we all put our trust and our hearts in the God of love.

Blessings,
Pastor Ken

P.S. This reflection is inspired by the sermon, “Divine Promises,” from August 18, 2019. Recordings of most of Pastor Ken’s sermons can be found on the Phoenix website: https://phoenixchurch.org/home/phx-sermons/.

 

Movie Night is Tuesday, September 10, in the church office. The movie will most likely be “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” a documentary about Fred Rogers. We’ll gather at 6:45 pm and the movie will start promptly at 7 pm. A short discussion will follow the movie. Bring a snack to share.
 

The Open and Affirming Core Team recently had their first meeting to begin dreaming and planning on how to deepen our commitment and become a resource for others in the open and affirming movement. While we hope everyone will get involved in the future, if you would like to be on the core team the next meeting is September 12 at 1:30 pm in the church office. If you would like to help but can’t attend the meeting, please contact Mike Tupper and let him know.
 

Steering Committee will next meet on Friday, September 13, at 7 pm in the church office. Guests are welcome.
 

During worship on Sunday, September 15, we will celebrate the work we’ve done this past year and a half discerning who we are and where God is calling us. We will continue to listen for the Spirit’s voice, of course, but instead of a special project we do every few years, we’d like to see this discernment work become a part of our ongoing spiritual journey.
 

There will be a potluck dinner and congregational meeting after worship on Sunday, September 15. Please bring a dish to pass and then stay for important discussion as we begin to plan for next year.
 

Join us for Spirit Talk, a time of relaxed discussion over the refreshment of your choice. There’s no pressure to join the church or think in a certain way – just an opportunity to talk about what’s on your mind. Bring a question and a friend with you and together we’ll tackle the mysteries of life. We meet on the first and third Mondays of the month. The next gathering is September 16 at 7:00 pm at the Main St. Pub on Westnedge Avenue in Portage.
 

The Timid Poet Open Mic: Do you have a poem or song to share? Or just want to listen? We’re sponsoring another open-mic night at the church on Saturday, September 21. Doors will open at 6:30 pm and the show will start at 7 pm. Snacks will be provided. For more details and/or to sign up for an email notifications, visit http://timidpoetunderground.blogspot.com.
 

Book Study is close to finishing our current book and will be starting a new one, “Radical Amazement” by Judy Cannato, in mid to late September. We meet Thursday afternoons at 3:30 to 5 pm in the church office. Join us for great discussion!
 

If you are feeling called to a specific idea, cause, mission, etc. especially around deepening our spirituality or finding ways to let the world know about our wonderful community, please talk with Pastor Ken. We’d love to help realize the vision the Spirit has given you! Thank you to all who support Phoenix Community Church!
 

Have you ever been in worship and thought, “I wish we would…”? Pastor Ken is looking for one to three people to help plan creative and meaningful worship experiences for October. If you’re interested, please let him know.
 

Pastor’s Office hours in September will be Wednesdays from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. If you stop by and the front door to the church is locked please ring the bell. We don’t want to miss your visit but we are unfortunately not able to leave the doors open if no one is upstairs to monitor them (our office is downstairs). Other meeting times can also be arranged by making an appointment.

 

Throughout 2019 we will be asking that we remember the churches and people of the Southwest Association, Michigan Conference, United Church of Christ, in our prayers.
 

For September, please remember:

• St. John’s UCC in New Buffalo, Michigan, and their pulpit supply pastors Rev. Jon Petersen and Linda Bushausen.

• St. John’s UCC in Niles, Michigan, and Pastor Ray Fulbright.

• The chaplains of the Southwest Association: Rev. Beth Code, Rev. Caroline Meyers, Rev. Mary Beth Moran Cross, and Rev. Vincent Lavieri.
   

The African Christian Fellowship is requesting prayers of support for their mission. They are also interested in donations of old computers and phones. See their facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/African-Christian-Fellowship-2025539627668396/. The African Community Kalamazoo is a related non-religious organization that helps the African community in Kalamazoo. Their website is http://www.africancommunity.org/.
 

Folks often make personal prayer requests during Sunday worship and at our Wednesday prayer group. If you would also like to make a personal prayer request to be included in the Flamings, please email the request to office@phoenixchurch.org. Do not include information unless it is ok to make it public.

 

Worship begins at 6:00 pm on Sundays. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of the month. Sermons from previous weeks are available online at https://phoenixchurch.org/home/phx-sermons/.

Sept. 8: “Choose Life”

Sept. 15: “Reunited”

Sept. 22: “Whom do we serve?”

Sept. 29: Taize-style Worship Service

 

Phoenix Community Church UCC
2208 Winchell Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
 

Phone: 269-383-3222
Office Email: office@phoenixchurch.org
Web Site: http://www.phoenixchurch.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PhoenixChurch  

Peer Ministers for 2019 are Linda Cross and Arlene Scholfield. Please contact a peer minister if you need assistance or just a listening ear.
 

Wednesdays, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm: Pastor's Office Hours
Wednesdays, 4 pm: Prayer Group
Thursdays, 3:30 pm: Book Study

Tuesday, September 10: 6:45 pm, Movie Night
Thursday, September 12: 1:30 pm, ONA Team
Friday, September 13: 7 pm, Steering Committee
Sunday, September 15: 7:15 pm, Potluck & Congregational Meeting
Sunday, September 16: 7 pm, Spirit Talk @ Main St. Pub, Portage
Saturday, September 21: 6:30 pm, Timid Poet Open Mic