I want to thank the members of New Journey who attended the prayer service at the Chabad Jewish Center this past Sunday. We remembered those who were murdered at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvania. We gave thanks for the response of communities around the country to their Jewish neighbors. We offered up our prayers to God who is with us through such troubling times. The rabbi was clearly moved by the presence of other people of faith. There were not enough chairs for everyone who came to share their respects and to let our Jewish neighbors know that we are with them. Whether you are currently in Fountain Hills or somewhere else, please make an attempt to get to … [Read more...]
Pastor Adele’s Message – September 30, 2018
These are the days of endless political ads on television. I am already weary of them, likely you are too. But more than being just weary, I really dislike that they routinely pick something someone said or did, often taken out of context, and then announce that in light of said action or statement the person running for office is totally good or totally bad. I suppose those who run these ads do so because they feed into our temptation to project all of our negative ‘stuff’ onto someone else, particularly those who we don’t like or who have a different perspective than we have. When we do this, we look at only the finer attributes of those we like and who see things the way we do. Yet, … [Read more...]
Pastor Adele’s Message – August 31, 2018
I have been intrigued by the story of Joseph and his family in Genesis. This story is filled with sibling rivalry, pain, grief, and deception – we know something about those things don’t we? It seems that no matter our age, these troubles make their way into our lives in one form or another, either because of actions we take, or because of the actions of others. Family life over time is not for the faint of heart. And yet, our families—either the ones we were born into, or the ones we have built around us—are essential to our emotional/spiritual/physical well-being. The Joseph story delves into these realities of human betrayal and alienation. But the story does not end there. Come to the … [Read more...]
Pastor Adele’s Message – July 31, 2018
Unlikely Suspects sounds like we are getting ready to play the game of “Clue” - a murder mystery board game where players seek to determine through clues which player committed the murder. All the suspects are “unlikely suspects.” This August, we will be doing a sermon series titled, Unlikely Suspects. As you might suspect, it is not a whodunit murder mystery sermon series. It is a sermon series about how God often calls upon unlikely suspects to live out God’s mission and ministry wherever they are in life. Many times when we read the scriptures or hear them preached on in church, we hear of the big names of the Bible. People like Isaiah and Jeremiah, Moses and Abraham of the Old … [Read more...]
Pastor Adele’s Message – June 30, 2018
My heart has been heavy these last weeks as I’ve heard people across the political spectrum using demeaning words for those who differ with them. My heart remains heavy as I see children separated from their families and hear politicians use Scripture to support such action. My heart is heavy as I learn of the newest incident of mass gun violence, resulting in five people dead in Annapolis, MD. Maybe you, like me, are weighed down by this latest confluence of events that feels beyond us—there seems so little we can do in the corner of the world we inhabit. On our own, it is easy to get angry, or depressed and to grow silent with each other. It is life in the community of the church that … [Read more...]