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The Phoenix Flamings

a newsletter from
Phoenix Community Church UCC

Friday, June 28, 2019

A progressive Christian experience...
Welcoming and affirming the LGBT community...

Embodying God's all encompassing love, as exemplified by Jesus, in the way we interact with each other, our neighbors, and all creation.

Food For Thought

The Sunday after Pentecost is celebrated as Trinity Sunday. The concept of the Trinity attempts to understand and explain the nature of the Divine. For some it is central to their faith and for others, who find it confusing, it may be nothing more than a curiosity. However, the confusing nature of the Trinitarian doctrine is, I think, part of its beauty as it points to a Divine Presence which embraces and celebrates contradiction and ambiguity. The Trinity speaks to the mystery of the Divine and is a reflection on the relational nature of the Divine Presence – God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit in relationship with each other and yet one. And, as human beings created in the Divine image, the Trinity celebrates our own uniqueness and yet demands we know ourselves, each other, and all of Creation as interconnected and inseparable. It invites us to celebrate the complexity and mystery of the Divine.

One way I like to think of the Trinity is God as the transcendent and awe-inspiring cosmic Divine energy. A metaphor might be the magnificent power of a lightning storm, both beautiful and scary. Christ is then the collective face of the other, the incarnation of the Divine over and over again in every human and in every aspect of Creation – the electrifying current of love that runs through us all. Christ becomes the reminder of the Divine Presence within our neighbors and calls out to us for justice and love in our relationships.

The Holy Spirit becomes the personal spark that gives us life, the Divine Presence within us that connects us with and invites us to relationship with the cosmic and the collective. The book of Proverbs refers to the Spirit, or “Woman Wisdom,” as God’s artisan who helped shape and mold creation as she delighted and rejoiced in it. But as the spark of the Divine within us, the Spirit also reveals to us that we too are each God’s artisans. We too are called to be the Divine’s hands and feet and voices in this wondrous Creation. And if we are a community of divine artisans, what is it we are called to build?

We may not completely understand this idea of God as Trinity. Luckily, our faith as Christians does not require us to have God all figured out. The real foundation of our faith is love. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul assert that loving God, loving one another, and loving ourselves is the basis of our faith. The Creator has gifted us with these amazing lives, through Christ revealed the divinity and interdependence of all Creation, and through the Spirit has given us hope and comfort that we may be guided in truth, healed and renewed, that the Divine love may abide in us, helping us to build and be the Kin-dom of God – people of justice, peace, and love.

Blessings,
Pastor Ken

P.S. This reflection is inspired by the sermon from June 16, 2019, “The Divine Nature.” Unfortunately, this sermon was not recorded. However, recordings of most of Pastor Ken’s other sermons can be found on the Phoenix website: https://phoenixchurch.org/home/phx-sermons/.

 

 

Deepening our Open and Affirming commitment is a goal we felt called to during our most recent congregational Sacred Conversation. Providing a safe space for the LGBTQ community has always been a central part of who we are and now we are looking to live this out in new ways. We hope this will mean, among other things, becoming a resource and help to other church communities that want to engage in dialog around this issue. If you’re interested in helping with this effort, please contact Mike Tupper. We also invite you to remain in prayer as we continue to discern other ways in which God is calling us. If you are feeling called to a specific mission, especially around deepening our spirituality or finding ways to let the world know about our wonderful community, please talk with Pastor Ken. Thank you to all of you who support Phoenix Community Church!
 

Pastor’s Office hours for July are Wednesdays from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm except July 10, when there will be no hours. 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).
 

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 July 1 at 7:00 pm at the Main St. Pub on Westnedge Avenue in Portage.
 

Book Study will not meet on July 4 or July 11. Weekly meetings will resume on Thursday, July 18, at 3:30 pm in the church office.
 

The Southwest Association (of which Phoenix Community is a part) will hold a service of ordination for Josh Lee at 3 pm on Sunday, July 7, 2019, at First Congregational Church, 345 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI. A reception will follow the service. All are invited to attend and celebrate Josh’s ordination as a minister in the United Church of Christ.
 

Movie Night: Our next movie night is Tuesday, July 9, in the church office. The movie will be “The Naked Civil Servant”. 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.
 

Pastor Ken will be out of the office on an education week from July 8 through July 15. If you need assistance during that time, please leave a message on the church office phone or contact one of our peer ministers.
 

The Flamings Newsletter will not be published on July 12. A bi-weekly schedule will resume with a new issue on July 19.
 

The Timid Poet Open Mic: Do you have a poem or song to share? Or just want to listen? We’re sponsoring an open-mic night at the church at 7 pm on Friday, July 19. Doors will open at 6:30 pm and the show will start at 7 pm. Some simple snacks will be provided. For more details visit http://pieceofthepuzzle.net/timidpoet/.
 

Kayak Trip: Our annual summer kayak trip is scheduled for Saturday, July 20. We’re tentatively planning on meeting in Plainwell at 11 am. Contact the church office with questions.
 

The Southwest Association has called an Ecclesiastical Council to examine Tere Krueger for ordination on Saturday, August 3, at 1 pm at First Congregational Church in South Haven, MI. Guests are welcome but Phoenix can also send two voting delegates. If you are interested in serving in that capacity, please talk to Pastor Ken or our moderator Angie Willard.
 

Steering Committee will not meet in July. The next meeting is Friday, August 9, at 7 pm in the church office. Guests are welcome.

 

 

Lights for Liberty Kalamazoo: Please join us as we raise our voices and our hearts in unison to demand an end to human detention camps. Protest in Bronson Park on Friday, July 12, from 7 to 10 pm. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1079085988946799/ or www.lightsforliberty.org for more information.
 

Doing Our Own Work: An Anti-Racism Seminar for White People will be offered in Battle Creek on three weekends beginning September 13-14 and continuing October 18-19 and November 22-23. This workshop is well worth the time! Scholarships may be available. For more information visit https://www.alliesforchange.org/doow-battle-creek-2019-sept.

 

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 July, please remember:

  • Congregational Church in Galesburg, Michigan, and Rev. Whitney Brown

  • First Congregational Church in St. Joseph, Michigan, and Rev. Jeffrey Hubers

  • The staff of the Michigan Conference: Rev. Campbell Lovett, conference minister; Rev. Cheryl Burke, Associate Conference Minister for Church Vitality; Ms. Lisa Soulliere, Executive Administrative Assistant; Ms. Merrilyn Vaughn-Hoffman, Search & Call Coordinator; Mr. Bob Heisler, Business Manager; Ms. Jennifer Ringgold, program associate for youth ministries.

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/.

June 30: Taize-style worship service

July 7: “A Plentiful Harvest”

July 14: Guest Speaker Rev. Calandra Nevenzel

July 21: “Faces of the Divine” (Reflections on the UCC Statement of Faith)

July 28: “Revelation and Reconciliation” (Reflections on the UCC Statement of Faith)

 

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.
 


Upcoming Events: All events are at 2208 Winchell unless noted otherwise. Also see our online calendar at: https://phoenixchurch.org/home/calendar/.
Sundays, 6 pm: Worship

Wednesdays, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm: Pastor's Office Hours (except July 10)
Wednesdays, 4 pm: Prayer Group
Thursdays, 3:30 pm: Book Study (except July 4 & 11)

Friday, June 28: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, Pastor's Office Hours
Monday, July 1: 7 pm, Spirit Talk @ Main St. Pub, Westnedge
Sunday, July 7: 3 pm, Ordination of Josh Lee @ FCC-Kzoo
Tuesday, July 9: 6:45 pm, Movie Night
Monday, July 15: 7 pm, Spirit Talk @ Main St. Pub, Westnedge
Friday, July 19: 6:30 pm, Timid Poet's Open Mic
Saturday, July 20: 11 am, Kayak Trip @ Plainwell
Saturday, Aug 3: 1 pm, Ecclesiastical Council @ South Haven

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