God is in the Interruptions

A few years ago I met an old professor at the University of Notre Dame. Looking back on his long life of teaching, he said with a funny twinkle in his eyes: “I have always been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted until I slowly discovered that my interruptions were my work.” That is the great conversion in our life: to recognize and believe that the many unexpected events are not just disturbing interruptions of our projects, but the way in which God molds our hearts and prepares us for his return. Our great temptations are boredom and bitterness. When our good plans are interrupted by poor weather, our peace of mind by inner turmoil, our hope for peace by a new war, our desire for a stable government by a constant changing of the guards, and our desire for immortality by real death, we are tempted to give in to a paralyzing boredom or to strike back in destructive bitterness. But when we believe that patience can make our expectations grow, then fate can be converted into a vocation, wounds into a call for deeper understanding, and sadness into a birthplace of joy.

Join us for Sunday Worship @ PWC

This Sunday, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 25 @ 10:00 a.m.

Make the in-person commitment to be there on Sunday!
Praise and Worship Never Ends…
It Must Be Lived!

Check out the
PWC Summer 2025
Calendar!

PWC Summer Calendar

PWC Saturday Prayer Retreat
with Fr. Mike Lessard
and Tami Heinl

Tomorrow, Saturday,
May 24

from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Building 4:12
Coffee and snacks provided.

Father’s Day Cereal Drive
to aid Matthew’s Crossing

From now until Father’s Day, June 15, bring boxes of cereal to PWC to care for those families who are struggling economically and find it difficult to provide for their families.

will return in September.

Please contact Helen Dippre at [email protected] for more information about the Sunday Children’s Ministry, or to volunteer.

Summer Events
“Together
in Hope”

Sip & Share

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Summer BBQ
Fun & Games

12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Mark your calendar!

Blood pressure checks
@ PWC

Our medical team will be providing blood pressure checks on the first and third Sundays of the month from
11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. here at PWC.

FYI -- the church office will be closed next Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day.

Fr. Mike Lessard is available for pastoral counseling on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Please call the church office to make an appointment at 480-649-0300.

Your generosity allows us to minister to so many who come through our doors with their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. Thank you for your tithing and commitment to PWC! From pastoral counseling to grief support, to bible study and adult education, to providing food through Matthew’s Crossing for families who are economically struggling, to marriage enrichment and our funeral ministry -- your consistent giving makes a difference, a big change in people’s lives!

Here are the different ways you can tithe to PWC:

• Mail in your gift to: Praise and Worship Center, 2551 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, AZ 85225.

• Donate on our web page: Donation Form.

• Sign up for monthly giving with a credit card or voided check. Just call the office at 480-649-0300 or stop by the office.

Our Theme for Easter 2025
Holy! Worthy! Glory!

It is based on the song
Words We Will Sing Forever
by Seph Schueter

Check out the music video:

YouTube Video: Words We Will Sing Forever

Arrive to Sunday Service prepared   to hear God’s word proclaimed.

The reading for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 25 is John 14:23-29. Here is a synopsis and reflection of the reading.

"Jesus answered him, ‘Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.’” (John 14:23)

In this intimate moment from the Last Supper discourse, Jesus speaks words of deep comfort to hearts that were troubled. He is preparing His disciples for His departure, not with despair, but with a promise: they will not be left alone. These verses are steeped in love, presence, and peace.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word…”
Love is not abstract for Jesus. It is lived out in relationship and response. To love Jesus is to keep His word—to abide in His teaching, to follow His way of self-giving, mercy, and truth. But notice how Jesus responds to our love: the Father and the Son come to us and make their dwelling with us. The Greek word for "dwelling" (μονή, monē) echoes the idea of a home, a place of rest. What a stunning promise: God makes His home in us. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit… will teach you everything.

Jesus reassures the disciples that His physical absence will not be the end of their learning or closeness with Him. The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in Jesus’ name, will teach and remind them of all that Jesus has said. The Spirit is the living voice of Jesus among us, guiding us through confusion, stirring our conscience, deepening our understanding, and reminding us of His truth when we forget.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you…”
Jesus doesn’t offer the fleeting peace the world gives—peace that depends on circumstances, comfort, or control. His peace is different. It is the quiet steadiness that comes from knowing we are not alone. It is the calm assurance that God is with us and in us, even in chaos. His peace doesn’t erase suffering, but it sustains us through it. It is the peace of the cross and the resurrection.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”
Jesus knows our hearts are easily shaken. And yet, He calls us to courage—not a courage rooted in ourselves, but in the indwelling presence of God. When fear comes, when we are overwhelmed by loss or confusion, we return to His promise: “I am with you.” The command not to fear is not a scolding, but an invitation—to deeper trust, to resting in His peace, to welcoming His Spirit.