Sacred Space (12/10/21)

Published: Fri, 12/10/21

Sacred Space (12/10/21)

Friends,

We are indebted once again to Rev. Mark Pendleton and the church's Christmas Readings for this week's reflections. May they give you pause to consider what cultivating the sacred in such a busy (and special) time of year might look like...

Love and Peace,

Ethan

The angel said to Zacharias, “Fear not”. By “fear
not” is meant resuscitation, and then adoration
from the deepest humility.
(Swedenborg, Revelation Revealed no. 56)

“Fear” is of two kinds—fear in what is not sacred,
and fear in what is sacred. Fear in what is sacred
is the fear in which good people dwell. This fear is
called reverential fear, and it is the result of a
person's wonder at and longing for what is Divine.
It is also the result of his or her love. The fear of
love is a fear of harming the Lord in any way, or of
injuring the neighbor in any way, thus of
damaging what is good and true in any way, and
consequently of harming the sacred things of love
and faith and the resulting worship.
(Secrets of Heaven, no. 3718)

A sense of the Lord’s holiness, or a sense that
something you care about is sacred; also a fear that harm
might be done to these things you love:—these are what
“holy fear” is all about.

Christmas can be a time when what is
truly important is brought to mind. In the midst of all the
busyness of the season, there can be a reminder of the Lord
and His hope for our lives, of the relationships that are
most important to us, and of the focus that prayer and
worship can bring to our lives.

What are one or two ways in which holy fear
has been active in your life this year? In what way(s)
have you especially cared about your relationship with the Lord

(and how you are connecting and communicating in that part of your spiritual life), as well as the relationships that are
important to you?

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THIS SUNDAY (12/12/21)

Gratitude for Our Community:

I received a lovely note this week, which I am sharing anonymously (with the author's blessing) in the hopes that it will help us all remember and be thankful for all the contributions from all the people that make Sunrise Chapel the special community that it is!

Blessings,

"We are so blessed in the place. If you look around Sunrise Chapel you can see all the gifts people have given…these gifts come in all forms, but the one that is the hardest to see is the gift of time.

When you look around the church just realize how much everyone is giving their time. The grounds here are huge and we have an abundance of children and lots of tummies. Unfortunately we don’t have church fairies...

So when you are grabbing a snack, listening to the service, or sitting under some awesome shades…take some time to consider the love, time, and energy that went into making these things possible. We all love this place and it takes a lot of time and energy to maintain it."

Which brings me (Ethan) to say that we are not going to ask for one more thing over the Christmas season (or in the first part of the new year). We want you to rest, recreate, and enjoy fellowship with one another. And to say "thank you" - thank you all. Thank you for the energy you put into this incredible space which is so much of what helps it be the spiritual haven it is for so many!

Health and Safety Update:

Dear congregants-

It is common knowledge that the infection rate for covid19 is above 10% in our community. We also know that highest risk of spread is in indoor settings, like church…

For these reasons we are still urging folks to wear masks, and we are going to start opening the doors during Sunday Worship Service and opening the sliding glass doors in Friendship Hall. Although we will have heat on, it will be colder than usual - so please dress warm. If you have any questions feel free to talk to Christine Morey ([email protected]).

Thanks in Advance
The Health and Safety Committee

Carol and Bonfire Night (Dec. 11th, 6pm):

Join us for a bonfire, smores, carol singing and some reflection on the Christmas story tomorrow night at 6pm. We will meet by the firepit at the gazebo. Hope to see you there!

SRC Board Meeting

We will have our next Board meeting (with the new Board) at 12:30pm on Sunday after church. If you have any questions/concerns to share ahead of that meeting, please email Chair Christine Morey (e-mail address above).

BLESSINGS ON YOUR WEEKEND!

Your church home for partnering with the Lord and each other in the practice of cultivating spiritual growth and choosing heavenly joy

www.sunrisechapel.org

Office 520-298-1245

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