|
|
|
|
|
|
We have lots of great stuff planned for you in the Fall! Our staff is working on it now. September is just around the corner and the calendar!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
A spiritual reflection for your weekend
by Henri Nouwen
|
Responding to the
Needs of the Poor
To serve means to minister, to love and care for others, and to recognize in them the heart of God. A true disciple of Jesus will always go to where people are feeling weak, broken, sick, in pain, poor, lonely, forgotten, anxious, and lost. It is often hard to go to places of weakness and rejection to offer consolation and comfort. It is possible only when we discover the presence of Jesus among the poor and weak and realize the many gifts they have to offer. Therefore, spiritual formation always includes responding from the heart to the needs of the poor in a spirit of true compassion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join us for Sunday Worship @ PWC
|
|
|
this Sunday, August 24
at 10:00 a.m.
The 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
|
Make the in-person commitment to be there on Sunday! Praise and Worship Never Ends…..It Must Be Lived!
|
|
|
|
|
|
In Need of Pastoral Counseling?
|
Fr. Mike Lessard is available for pastoral counseling on Wednesdays at PWC. Please call the church office to make an appointment at 480-649-0300.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Casino
Night & Dinner
@ PWC
|
|
|
Saturday Evening,
October 18, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
Children’s Ministry begins
Sunday, September 7
|
from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Building 4:12.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning this Fall…
All Adult Education classes
on Wednesday evenings will be
from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Due to technical difficulties, our Prayer Chain is suspended temporarily.
|
We hope to re-activate it in mid-September. In the meantime, please feel free to request prayers from the pastors and the staff.
|
|
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
At PWC
your tithing & generosity allow 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.
|
• 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arrive to Sunday Service prepared to hear God’s Word proclaimed.
The reading for this Sunday, August 24, the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, is Luke 13:22-30.
Here is a synopsis and reflection of the reading.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, teaching and healing along the road, when someone asks Him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Jesus does not answer with numbers or statistics. Instead, He redirects the question toward the heart: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.”
The “narrow gate” is not about exclusivity, but about commitment. It is the way of discipleship—of following Jesus with our whole hearts, not halfway. It’s a reminder that faith is not simply about being familiar with Jesus, hearing His teachings, or being in the crowd. Rather, it is about relationship with Him, about actually walking in His way of love, mercy, humility, and obedience.
Jesus warns some will say, “We ate and drank in your company…,” but He will reply, “I do not know you.” This is a sobering reminder that casual association with Jesus is not enough. To “know” Him is to live in communion with Him, to allow His life to shape ours.
Yet, there is also great hope in this passage. Jesus speaks of people coming from east and west, north and south, to recline at the table in the kingdom of God. The narrow gate may be demanding, but it is wide open to all nations, all peoples, all who respond to His call. The door is not shut to anyone who seeks Him sincerely.
|
- Examine our discipleship: Am I content with just “knowing about” Jesus, or am I seeking to live with Him and like Him in daily life?
- Embrace the narrow gate daily: Choosing patience when it’s easier to be harsh, forgiveness when resentment seems justified, prayer when busyness crowds it out—these are ways of walking the narrow path.
- Welcome the wideness of God’s mercy: Just as Jesus says many will come from every direction to the kingdom, we are called to open our hearts and communities to others, especially those who may seem “outside.”
The narrow gate leads to life. It may not always be the easiest way, but it is the way of Christ, and it opens into the joy of the kingdom. Let us strive to walk through it, together, with faith, perseverance, and love.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please pray for peace in our world, especially in Ukraine.
We will see you on Sunday for service at 10:00 a.m.! If you are on vacation or out of town, please join us on Facebook Live.
|
|
|
|
Love,
Fr. Dale & Pastor Mark
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Keep up with all your PWC friends on Facebook
|
|
|
Please do not reply to this email;
the sending address is not monitored.
Please reply to: [email protected]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
