We live in a world that is imperfect. We have trouble relating to one another. We are a hurting people who often disagree and see things differently, but into that reality bursts Genesis 1:27, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. In our humanity we sometimes forget to realize that we are all created in God’s image. The Hebrews used a phrase, the Imago Dei, the image or shadow of God. They taught that God’s ruach (spirit) literally indwelled in us. If we believe God’s words to be true then we are called to react differently to one another, both those we agree with and those with whom we disagree. With that scriptural reality set in our minds, take a look at this excerpt from an article which I just read about our country. We dream. We want the best for our families. We worship as we see fit or we don't. We sing and we dance, we celebrate our accomplishments and stress our failures. We cry. And we bleed. And we die. We agree sometimes. And disagree others. And that's America. That's who we really are. And despite what we are fed, here in the media or on Facebook or Twitter or from Uncle Ned or Aunt Buttercup at the Thanksgiving table, our thoughts about political issues do not define us. Yes, they are components of who we are, the building blocks of what we want for the world, but they do not make us us. And they do not make us enemies…We judge neighbors not by A NOTE FROM OUR PASTOR: Presbyterian (PCUSA) July and August e-Scroll Newsletter 2017 the character we never get to know, but by the political signs in their yards. We have made enemies of ourselves. These are the words written by John Archibald, a journalist out of Alabama in a write up titled, America Was Attacked Wednesday, Now What? The specific event to which it is referring was the shooting at the practice for the congressional baseball game. The writer was lamenting the horrific way we treat one another and the lack of respect for one another. As I read the piece I kept harkening back to Genesis 1:27 How have we gotten to the point of so little respect for one another? As we see, it permeates into everything. We hear our leaders often say that ours is a Christian nation. If we are, what does that look like? We sure don’t sound very Christian in how we speak to one another. What if we emblazoned the words from Genesis 1:27 in our hearts? How are we to reclaim goodness in culture? Maybe it begins with ME. Maybe it begins by seeing others as image bearers of the divine whether I agree or disagree with them. We might be pleasantly surprised that though this is hard, some people might want to hear more about this savior whom we worship. Sometimes it happens merely by treating people as who they are, children of God. Blessings this summer, Pastor Ben
Transcript
We live in a world that is imperfect. We have trouble relating to one another. We are a hurting people who often disagree and see things differently, but into that reality bursts Genesis 1:27, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
In our humanity we sometimes forget to realize that we are all created in God’s image. The Hebrews used a phrase, the Imago Dei, the image or shadow of God. They taught that God’s ruach (spirit) literally indwelled in us. If we believe God’s words to be true then we are called to react differently to one another, both those we agree with and those with whom we disagree. With that scriptural reality set in our minds, take a look at this excerpt from an article which I just read about our country.
We dream. We want the best for our families. We worship as we see fit or we don't. We sing and we dance, we celebrate our accomplishments and stress our failures. We cry. And we bleed. And we die. We agree sometimes. And disagree others. And that's America. That's who we really are. And despite what we are fed, here in the media or on Facebook or Twitter or from Uncle Ned or Aunt Buttercup at the Thanksgiving table, our thoughts about political issues do not define us. Yes, they are components of who we are, the building blocks of what we want for the world, but they do not make us us. And they do not make us enemies…We judge neighbors not by
A NOTE FROM OUR PASTOR:
Presbyterian (PCUSA)
July and August
e-Scroll Newsletter
2017
the character we never get to know, but by the political signs in their yards. We have made enemies of ourselves.
These are the words written by John Archibald, a journalist out of Alabama in a write up titled, America Was Attacked Wednesday, Now What? The specific event to which it is referring was the shooting at the practice for the congressional baseball game. The writer was lamenting the horrific way we treat one another and the lack of respect for one another. As I read the piece I kept harkening back to Genesis 1:27
How have we gotten to the point of so little respect for one another? As we see, it permeates into everything. We hear our leaders often say that ours is a Christian nation. If we are, what does that look like? We sure don’t sound very Christian in how we speak to one another. What if we emblazoned the words from Genesis 1:27 in our hearts? How are we to reclaim goodness in culture? Maybe it begins with ME. Maybe it begins by seeing others as image bearers of the divine whether I agree or disagree with them. We might be pleasantly surprised that though this is hard, some people might want to hear more about this savior whom we worship. Sometimes it happens merely by treating people as who they are, children of God. Blessings this summer,
Pastor Ben
MOVIE MADNESS JULY MOVIES
All movies will be at 10:00 AM in the “KIRK.” (Note the time change.)
JULY 6th “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” To escape the edict of Egypt's Pharaoh, Rameses I, condemning all newborn Hebrew males, the infant Moses is set adrift on the Nile in a reed basket. Saved by the pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, he is adopted by her and brought up in the court of her brother, Pharaoh Seti. Moses gains Seti's favor and the love of the throne princess Nefertiri, as well as the hatred of Seti's son, Rameses. When his Hebrew heritage is revealed, Moses is cast out of Egypt, and makes his way across the desert where he marries, has a son and is commanded by God to return to Egypt to free the Hebrews from slavery. In Egypt, Moses' fiercest enemy proves to be not Rameses, but someone near to him who can 'harden his heart'.
July 13th “DO YOU BELIEVE?”
A dozen different souls-all moving in different directions, all longing for something more. As their lives unexpectedly intersect, they each are about to discover there is power in the Cross of Christ ... even if they don't yet believe it. When a local pastor is shaken to the core by the visible faith of an old street-corner preacher, he is reminded that true belief always requires action. His response ignites a faith-fueled journey that powerfully impacts everyone it touches in ways that only God could orchestrate. This stirring film from the creators of God's Not Dead arrived in theaters Spring of 2015. More than a movie, it's a question we all must answer in our lifetimes.
July 20th “JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR” Based on a concept album project written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, and the subsequent long-running Broadway performance, this film tells the story of the final 6 days in the life of Jesus Christ through the troubled eyes of Judas Iscariot. Too often mis-labeled a musical, this film is a "rock opera." There are no spoken lines, everything is sung.
July 26th “EVAN ALMIGHTY”
Buffalo newsman Evan Baxter is elected to Congress with the slogan, "Change the world." He lucks into a huge house in a new Virginia suburb. His Capitol office is also fantastic, but there's a catch: he's tapped by the powerful Congressman Long to co-sponsor a bill to allow development in national parks. In steps God, who appears to a disbelieving Evan and gently commands him to build an ark. Tools and wood arrive in Evan's yard, animal pairs follow, his beard and hair grow wildly, nomad's clothes and a staff appear. Long grows impatient, Evan starts building, his family leaves him, reporters gather, and drought grips D.C. Still, Evan believes. But will he change the world?
(EVAN ALMIGHTY was scheduled to be our first movie in this series. However, technical difficulties prevented us from showing it at that time.)
Come join us! All ages welcome! Popcorn & Soda provided!
VeggieTales It’s time for...Adult Vacation Bible School
Wednesdays, July 5, 12, 19 & 26; 11am-1pm
Tickets (includes lunch): In advance 4 weeks for $20 or $6 each/person each week
Come join the fun, food & fellowship!
CHURCH OF THE MASTER’S OFF-SITE MINISTRY
Hi Everyone! How wonderful it is to see God working in our midst at Church of the Master. He is doing amazing things through His people. I hope you did not miss the service on June 11th as our young people led us in worship. It was a beauti-ful, uplifting service as the children sang the songs they learned at Vacation Bible School. Wow! Can they sing! A visit from Samson (better known as Pastor Ben) taught us to trust God with all our hearts as Samson did if we want to be strong. We are so grateful for the Children’s Ministry! Now, let me take a moment to highlight another ministry at Church of the Master that you may not know about. It is the Off-Site Ministry. It is coordinated by Bruce Long. Bruce puts a team together consisting of someone to give a short message or Bible Study and a music leader (someone who plays piano), to go out and bring the love of Christ to those who are in care centers. Presently they lead worship at 5 facilities: ♦ Brookdale Baywood— Meeting every Sunday at 1:30pm ♦ Independent Living Springdale— Meeting every Sunday at 12:30pm ♦ Brookdale Care Center— Meeting every Tuesday at 10:30am ♦ Brookdale Mesa Care Center (East Arbor) — Meeting every Wednesday at 3:00pm ♦ Arbor Rose Memory Care Center— Meeting every Wednesday at 10:45am The residents love to sing the hymns that are familiar to them and to hear the Word of God. This ministry is open to expanding but is in need of more leaders and helpers. If you would like to help, call Bruce Long at 480-985-2802. He would be happy to let you know more about this wonderful ministry and how you can help bring God’s love to those in need. Peace to you and Joy, Fran Bear
Elaine’s Friends Elaine’s Friends will be “taking a break this July”—but we will be resume our lunches starting on
Thursday, August 17th at 11:30AM. Join us at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse (6622 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.) Please RSVP to Nicolette in the Church Office 480-985-1660. Come and enjoy great food & fellowship—and bring a friend along!
Session Highlights June’s regular meeting of the session was opened with prayer by Pastor Ben at 6:05 PM. In his opening remarks, he quoted Genesis 1:27 “So God created human beings in his Image. In the image God, he created them. He created them male and female.” The session then discussed what the role of the church should be in this society of increasing discourse among differing factions. While no consensus was reached, some good ideas were brought to the discussion. Brian Johnson shared the idea of organizing an inter-faith education series; particularly as it concerns relationships with Muslims. Plans are being made to hold such an idea in the fall. While the month of May marks the beginning of the summer budget doldrums, the Church’s finances are still in good shape. The finance committee also recommended the transfer of the Memorial donations which were not earmarked for any specific purpose to the Electronic Sign campaign. The Session approved. Church of the Master lost member Robert “Bob” Drescher who entered the Kingdom of God on May 22, 2017. Also, member Debra Andree requested a transfer of letter to Gilbert Presbyterian (PCUSA) Church in Gilbert, AZ. With the six new members from May, this brings the Church membership to 236. A new nursery attended has been added to our staff, Eileen DonFrancesco. She has great childcare skills, as she works as a day care attendant in two other churches during the week. The school we are supporting in Kenya had an electrical fire which destroyed the dormitory. Session approved to have our Mission Team, to make an appeal in church, for funds to help the school recover. The session also decided not to publish a complete member’s directory on our website for security reasons. However, we will be publishing a member’s directory with just the member’s name and picture. Wayne Woodland, Clerk of Session
OUR MISSION STATEMENT We Exist to KNOW Christ,
to GROW in Christ. and to GO serve Christ in the World.
